29th Suimei University of the Arts High School Graduation Ceremony
Yeah, everything's fine here.
#23 Graduation Ceremony
We're waiting for you, Sorata.
Jin!
How did yours go?
Perfectly!
It's our last time wearing our uniforms...
Are you getting horny?
Well? Do you want to cop a feel one last time?
What?
You're right. After all, it's good luck.
Wait, Jin!
You're supposed to say no!
Really? I didn't realize you couldn't handle boldness.
I don't mind later, but...
Please take one!
What are those?
Take this.
Please take one.
Pin it on your chest.
It's so cute.
What are these things?
Good morning.
Senpai, you too.
Take one.
Cherry blossoms?
What are they? Brooches?
What? You mean you don't know?
I heard it was Sakura Hall's idea...
Sakura Hall's?
Stop!
No matter the hurry you're in, you have to stop at red lights!
Even now?!
Since we have a spare minute, I made these for everyone...
Cute.
Rita, what are they?
I heard that cherry blossoms are important...
to the Japanese at departures.
So I thought it'd be nice if all the students of Suimei...
could wear the same flowers...
on their chests for the graduation ceremony.
What?
There's enough for every student?!
Yes, it was Ryunosuke's idea—
At the former freeloader's request,
I had the Student Council make the necessary arrangements.
They should have already been distributed.
That's amazing. Thanks, both of you!
Everyone's going to be wearing cherry blossoms, huh?
That's great.
Yeah!
Yeah.
Don't move.
Don't touch me!
Okay!
Let's go!
Yeah!
Graduating students, please enter.
A school painted by the four seasons.
Our heartbeats resonate with youth.
Ah, my friend!
Your eyes...
are as bright and clear as the water.
Graduation Ceremony
Ah, looking up at the sky, we see the distant future.
Suimei, Suimei,
Suimei High School.
Ryunosuke, your lack of exercise has caught up with you.
Shut up!
Do you think they'll still let us inside?
Graduation ceremonies are boring.
Listening from out here is just fine.
What's so funny?
Nothing.
I don't enjoy the melancholy.
I'm sure Ponytail's already crying her eyes out.
I met...
the upperclassmen for the first time...
at the new student welcoming ceremony.
I was nervous at first,
but they gave me a warm welcome right from the start.
That's right.
When I had nowhere to go, they...
We will continue to protect the spirit of Suimei...
that you have handed down to us.
I...
couldn't protect it.
Once the graduation ceremony ends, Sakura Hall will be...
Today is the color of cherry blossoms.
Next, a response from the graduating student representative.
The graduating student representative:
Kamiigusa Misaki.
Yes!
Oh, it's Kamiigusa-san!
Hey, why isn't it Tatebayashi?
I have no idea...
As though encouraged by the warm spring sun,
even the hard buds of the cherry blossoms have slowly begun to open.
On this day that infuses our skin with the new season,
we, the third years, are grateful that we can graduate.
I decided to apply to Suimei in order to make friends.
In middle school, I didn't have anyone I could call a friend.
But if I came to this school...
Suimei University of the Arts High School
Application Information
My former teacher enthusiastically recommended...
that I apply to Suimei, believing I might find friends here.
And I really did make some precious friends in my three years at Suimei High.
And what helped me find these new friends was...
Sakura Hall, the student dorm.
I was kicked out of the regular dorms...
within a week of starting school...
and moved into Sakura Hall by myself.
At first, it was a depressing place with only the supervising teacher,
Chihiro-sensei, and myself.
My high school life started in a place...
with no laughter or conversation.
The first night I moved into Sakura Hall,
I looked in each of the empty rooms...
and I had a dream.
My dream was for all of Sakura Hall's rooms to be filled,
and for days full of warm light and laughter to follow.
Someone heard my wish.
One by one, the empty rooms began to fill...
People would say "good morning" in the morning,
and "I'm home" when they returned.
When someone came home,
they were greeted with a "welcome back."
I was so happy, it almost frightened me.
The dream I had when I first arrived at Sakura Hall...
had finally come true.
Misaki-senpai...
Ryunosuke?
In particular, this last year...
has been a chain of events I could only describe as a dream.
I made new friends this spring.
The hotpot parties we threw for special events,
only two or three times in previous years,
became more and more frequent.
Before I knew it, there were times when we were eating hotpot every week.
Every time we gathered around that pot to eat,
I wondered if this was what happiness tasted like.
Misaki...
Over the summer, we sneaked into the school pool.
Playing in our swimsuits,
getting caught by the security guard, and running away...
Everyone kept up with me as I ran ahead of them.
I will never forget the fireworks that exploded above us that night.
I... I'll never forget them either...
At the culture festival in the fall,
Sakura Hall put together an interactive show.
I had only wished for friends.
I had never even considered...
working together with others to make something.
Milky Way Cat Nyapollon is the most wonderful thing I have ever created...
and the greatest work of Sakura Hall!
In the winter, we had some disagreements,
and our relationships became strained.
Our days weren't always so sunny.
There were times when we tried to run away...
and abandon everything because it hurt so much.
But, because of those rainy days,
I believe the small seeds of emotion sprouted...
and bloomed into new relationships.
Chihiro-sensei.
I know you've always worked hard to support us...
without placing any burdens on us.
You are like a sister and a friend.
You are my beloved teacher.
Mashiron.
I loved your eyes.
It was love at first sight.
Since the very beginning,
you looked at me the same way you looked at everyone else.
I hope I can always be proud...
of the me that I see in your eyes.
Mashiron, I look up to you.
Misaki...
Nanamin!
Since you provided voice acting for my work,
I'd hoped you would become the last member of Sakura Hall.
You made my wish come true.
Senpai...
Dragon!
You've been hurt by your previous friendships.
You do everything you can to shield your heart.
There were times I felt you and I were the same.
You are my friend.
If you feel the same way about me, even a little, I'm happy.
Please continue being friends with Rittan!
Finally, kouhai-kun.
You always listened to everything I had to say.
You even stayed up all night playing games with me.
No matter what I did to you, you never left my side.
It made me so happy, I couldn't contain my excitement.
I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you.
To everyone I've met at Suimei...
To all the teachers who supported me,
and all the people who live in this town...
And finally...
To the best friends I made at Sakura Hall...
I want to leave you with these words...
Thank you for staying with me until this day...
I thank you more than words can express!
With both my hands full of happiness, today...
I graduate from Suimei High.
But...
Sakura Hall is currently in danger of being torn down!
Please don't let them tear down our beloved Sakura Hall!
Please! Lend us your strength!
Please!
Don't take our Sakura Hall away from us!
Misaki-senpai...
Please! Don't take our Sakura Hall away from us!
Please...
She hadn't given up yet...
Lend us your strength.
Senpai...
That's enough!
Don't think you can say whatever you like!
What are you doing? Return to your seat!
We're not just doing as we please.
Principal, you know that the response speech...
at the Suimei High graduation ceremony is given by the top student.
Yes, but no one said...
you could use the response to make a personal statement!
Not only that,
but the former Student Council President Tatebayashi should be the one...
But we turned in our manuscript.
Tatebayashi-kun should have discussed...
changing the manuscript with you this morning.
Of course, since it's such an important document,
Response
I'm sure you don't mean to say that...
you couldn't be bothered to read it, right?
What?!
What are you doing?
Get her off the stage!
What?
Y-Yes, sir!
Kamiigusa!
Get down from there!
Misaki!
Misaki-senpai!
We're the ones who are grateful!
Kouhai-kun?
What?
I felt so anxious when I was kicked out of the regular dorms,
but you created a place where I belonged!
A place called Sakura Hall!
That's why I—
Cut it out, Kanda!
Like hell I will!
Kouhai-kun!
It's all thanks to—
Shut up!
Senpai, you...
No matter what happened, you always bore the brunt of it!
When I was lost, you always dragged me into taking action!
Hey, you...
Aoyama!
I love Sakura Hall.
Don't take away our Sakura Hall.
Nanamin, Mashiron...
Show 'em, guys!
I know Sakura Hall can do more than that!
Miyahara-kun?
Nanami, you can do it!
Yeah, give them hell!
Sh-Shiina-san, fight!
Quiet!
You can do it, Sakura Hall!
Sakura Hall!
You can do it!
That's the way, Sakura Hall!
Way to go, Sakura Hall!
Sakura Hall! Sakura Hall! Sakura Hall!
We couldn't gather enough signatures,
but...
But...
We just got through to them.
I'm sorry for doing this at your graduation.
But it's not just Sakura Hall...
Everyone at Suimei is the best!
Misaki-senpai!
Kouhai-kun!
I wish I could have spent more time with you guys!
Kouhai-kun...
I wish we could have done more stupid stuff together!
There are still a lot of things we haven't done!
The truth is, I don't want you to graduate!
I wish we could be together forever!
It's okay.
You've still got a year of high school left.
But you guys won't be there...
So make it even better than the year we spent together!
Spend it with the all the kouhai-kuns...
who will be joining you next year!
You can do all the things with them that you weren't able to do with us!
Senpai...
So don't cry!
I'm rooting for you, kouhai-kun!
I'm rooting for all of you!
I'm rooting for Sakura Hall!
What do you say?
Yes...
I can't hear you!
Yes!
That's enough!
Go back to your seats!
Come on, let's try to keep this peaceful...
What are you doing? Sit back down!
Good grief.
You're all idiots.
This is why none of your lectures are worth listening to.
What did you say?
You still don't understand?
Everyone in here is on our side.
Why don't you accept it already?
Tatebayashi...
I heard Sakura Hall was originally created to nurture...
the talents of art students, regardless of society's framework.
I don't mean to say that the problem children of Sakura Hall...
who cannot follow the rules are necessarily right.
But the way they are true to themselves and see their own potential,
and the strong bond they share...
has made me feel jealous of Sakura Hall.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt this way.
Principal.
Why don't you make your decision here?
What do you mean?
As luck would have it,
the entire student body is in attendance.
"Do you support or oppose repealing the decision to tear down Sakura Hall?"
P-P-Principal!
I'll leave the rest to you.
Why me?
Kanda-kun!
Aoyama.
Go, Ryunosuke.
Very well.
Applaud if you support repealing the decision to tear down...
That's no fun.
What are you doing?
Those who support repealing the decision to tear down Sakura Hall...
throw your cherry blossoms in the air!
The sky is blue.
It sure is.
Why do you look so unhappy, kouhai-kun?
Of course I'm unhappy!
Why are we standing out here during the graduation ceremony?
Tell me about it.
I won't be satisfied unless I bully Kanda-kun later.
It's only natural for you to be standing out here!
When did you prepare that speech?
You should have told us.
Don't you think Aoyama-san would have opposed it?
Of course I would have!
But even if I had, I think you would have done it anyway.
Good point.
It was an impressive plan.
Influencing people with a speech,
showing them the incompetence of the teachers,
and conducting a vote in which everyone felt compelled...
to oppose the demolition of Sakura Hall.
Under those conditions, even students...
who hadn't signed our petition would throw their flowers in the air.
You make it sound like some kind of awful scam.
It doesn't just sound like one...
Well, it all worked out, Nanamin!
Sakura Hall will never be destroyed!
Yeah! Sakura Hall is indestructible!
Just stand there in silence!
It's Sorata's fault we got in trouble.
Kanda, keep your mouth shut.
Kanda-kun, hush.
You're not going to yell at Misaki-senpai?
There's something wrong there...
This song...
We asked Hauhau to play it.
Let's be friends forever.
Don't they play this song at elementary school graduations?
But it's a wonderful song.
Let's dream of tomorrow as we walk down the path of hope.
Live as freely as the birds flying in the sky.
Goodbye for today.
Until we meet again.
Treasure the joy of believing in one another.
Goodbye for today.
Until we meet again.
#24 Welcome to Sakura Hall