My Brother's Clone✔ [Taekook]

70. Epilogue- You take my breath away

Taehyung's POV

Jungkook has a proud smile on his lips as he looks at me from among the vast sea of graduates, sitting in front of me, wearing black robes and hats. Eunwoo and Gayoung are beside Jungkook and they also have wide smiles on their faces.

I'm now standing on the dials of Westview's main auditorium, in front of the mike, facing at least a three thousand people, including our principal, chief guests, staff, my fellow graduates and their friends and family. And they are all looking at me confused as to why I suddenly paused my valedictorian speech without a proper conclusion.

Yes, today I'm graduating from high school and I'm standing here on the stage, delivering a speech after becoming the Valedictorian of this year. Something I and many others thought I would never be able to do. Or better something some people made me think I would never be able to do. But today I proved to myself and to all of them that it was a wrong conception. Of course, I couldn't do it without the help of a certain few who believed firmly in me even when I failed to believe in myself.

When last week one of our teachers Mrs. Kim called me and asked me, whether I'll be able to deliver a speech on graduation day, I immediately said No. But Jungkook and my parents made me change my mind. They said I could do it. They said it was okay to stutter. They said it's okay if I forget my speech in the middle and it's okay even if the whole crowd laughs at me. They said I don't need to care about anything and I just need to believe in myself and look at the people who love me. And I decided to step up on the dials, gaining my courage.

However, I've been trembling with anxiety from the very moment I sat down on my distinguished chair on the stage along with the chief guests. Apparently, I and the girl named Kim Sojin were required to sit on the stage during the whole graduation ceremony as we were Valedictorian and Salutatorian and we both have to deliver our speeches.

My hands and legs were shaking as I stood up from my chair and walked towards the mike. Then when I stood in front of the mike and looked at the big crowd in front of me, my fingers and the piece of paper in my hands trembled vigorously. But then I saw Jungkook smiling at me so confidently, wordlessly telling me that I could do it. And I remembered my Mom's words 'Tae, you are so strong. You can do anything!' I couldn't see her or my parents as they were at the back of the auditorium along with the rest of the spectators. But I knew they would be looking at me so proudly. And I started my speech.

Of course, I stuttered. I stuttered a lot in the beginning. A few people laughed. But among the crowd I saw Jungkook and my best friends with wide smiles on their faces, saying it's okay. I could see pure admiration for me in their eyes and I found myself becoming comfortable as moments passed and I now spoke for almost five minutes, without much difficulty.

However, Jungkook's smile is now fading a little as it's more than five seconds since I paused the speech.

Suddenly our principal who was sitting on his chair behind me claps his hands and soon the whole auditorium erupts into claps.

"My speech hasn't ended yet, friends," I immediately say through the mike and the audience abruptly stops clapping. "Sorry, I've still a..little bit to say before concluding. I was looking at my..best friends," I say and smile causing them also to smile wide at me.

"Twelth grade wouldn't have been this enjoyable for me,....if it weren't for them. So let me take this opportunity to s..say a quick thank you to them. You guys are the best friends anyone could ever have," I say and I see them, especially Gayoung, smiling at me so happy and proud.