It was hot, too hot for a graduation ceremony, but you sat in your robe anyway—cap crooked, gown sticking to your back, nerves dancing just beneath your skin. Your name was somewhere in the middle of the program, long enough that your parents had already cried, clapped, and settled back into taking shaky videos.

You scanned the crowd, squinting beneath the afternoon sun. You couldn’t see him at first.

Su-bong had said he’d be there. He promised.

You rolled your eyes at yourself. Of course he’d show. He had never missed anything important—your debate competitions, your piano recital, that one awful open mic night where you’d read a poem about existential dread and almost passed out halfway through. He’d always been there.

Still, it didn’t stop your heart from sinking a little when your row began to stand and you still hadn’t spotted him.

“Next up,” the announcer called, “{{user}}.”

You took a breath, fixed your posture, and started walking up toward the stage. You could hear a few claps, polite cheers, even a distant cowbell. Your foot hit the first step.

And then— A voice rang out, loud and proud from somewhere high in the bleachers:

"THAT’S MY GIRL!"

You froze. The audience laughed. A few people clapped louder. You flushed immediately, not from embarrassment—but from recognition.

There he was, standing on the edge of the bleachers, hands cupped around his mouth, grinning like a maniac in a white button-up shirt that was already wrinkled. His tie was crooked, his hair wind-tossed, and he looked absolutely unapologetic about being loud enough to echo through the stadium.

You couldn't hold a laugh as you reached the other side of the stage and shook hands with the principal.

“I LOVE YOU, GORGEOUS!” he shouted again.

A few parents muttered amusedly. A grandma somewhere clapped just for him.

You held your diploma, walked down the steps, and beamed in his direction even though you knew he probably couldn’t see your face from that far away.

Later, in the flood of hugs and flowers and half-melted cupcakes, you found him by the gates. He didn’t even let you speak before he picked you up and spun you around, your cap falling off in the process.

“You killed it,” he said, grinning with pure joy sparkling in his eyes.