The Admission Ceremony [Revised Edition]
March 2nd.
We had become middle school students.
Still wearing our stiff new uniforms, we stepped out of the house.
“Siwoo!”
Sia was waiting right in front of my house.
Yesterday I had told her I’d come to school with her, so of course I knew about the plan… but I never expected her to be standing here waiting for me.
“Not cold?”
“Yeah! Not even a bit cold!”
Sia looked freezing in her uniform with only a thin cardigan over it.
It was already March, but the temperature was so low that you could see your breath, so of course she felt chilly.
“Wait a second.”
“Huh?”
I unclasped the scarf around my neck and wrapped it around Sia’s shoulders.
“Eh?!”
“Here, put this on. It’s freezing.”
“Ah… yeah… thank you.”
“Come on, let’s go.”
Sia and I started walking side by side down the street.
Originally I had planned to take the bus, but Sia’s cheerful words—“Let’s walk together on our very first day!”—changed my mind.
The route to school was already familiar from the preliminary military service day, so I knew the way without a hitch.
As we walked together, I realized it really was cold, and my fingers were starting to tingle from the chill.
I tried warming them by sliding my hand into my jacket pocket, but the pocket was too shallow for a normal winter jacket and my whole hand wouldn’t fit anyway.
I cursed that useless pocket under my breath.
Then—
Sia took my hand.
And in her grip I felt the warmth of a hand warmer.
I glanced at her, startled.
“Your hands are freezing, so I thought this would help.”
“…Yeah.”
She had meant exactly what she said—we should hold hands to share the warmth.
While I was still processing that, Sia started humming a little tune.
I didn’t dare pull away, so I just kept holding her hand as we walked.
I couldn’t tell if the heat coming from our joined palms was hers or the hand warmer’s, but the chill in the air disappeared quickly.
We strolled leisurely for over twenty minutes until we finally reached the school.
A welcome banner for the new students hung at the main gate.
Because we had received a notice to enter through the gate, Sia and I passed through it and headed inside the building.
The structure looked like a Yin-Yang symbol with the central bridge connecting the two halves, and a gym-cum-auditorium stood beside the athletic field.
I guessed the welcoming party would be held there later.
First-years were on the third floor.
Good thing, I suppose—Sia and I were in adjacent classes, so we walked her all the way to her classroom door and said our goodbyes.
When I entered my own room, about half the seats were already taken.
Some kids had just their bags there, probably stopping by to find their friends from the other class.
But since I didn’t need to locate Sia right now, I chose a spot, sat down, and started organizing my desk.
Then—
A NovelTalk popped up from Sia outside the classroom.
I stepped out immediately. At the far end of the corridor, Sia waved me over.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing? I just wanted to talk.”
“Why? Feeling lonely in your class?”
“I don’t have any friends yet.”
“…Sia, you’d probably make friends instantly. You’re popular, remember?”
Back in kindergarten a bunch of girls used to follow her around, and in elementary school you were popular with the boys too.
You even got along with the girls, so if any of our graduates from Noa Elementary were around, they’d definitely recognize your name.
Sia having no friends… I stared at her, disbelieving.
“…I just felt awkward coming out! Being with you is way more comfortable.”
“Ah… I see. That makes sense.”
I understood her point. With her popularity, kids were always crowding around her, so it could feel overwhelming.
I tried to shift the conversation to lighten the mood.
“Um… when are your parents coming?”
“…They said they’d arrive a little later.”
Sia looked at me for a moment, then explained.
I knew she sensed I had steered the talk away on purpose, but she let it go.
“They’re late? Is something wrong?”
“No?”
“Ah… I asked them to come today because I wanted you to walk with me, so I thought maybe they were busy.”
“Not at all. Dad’s home today, so I told him I wanted to walk with you. That’s why I’m here.”
“I see…”
Once Sia said that, I had nothing left to say.
Just then the awkward silence wrapped around us.
Ding-dong. The bell rang.
“The bell’s ringing. Should we head inside?”
“Yeah, let’s go. See you later.”
“Okay, see you later.”
Luckily the awkward atmosphere vanished.
Back in the classroom, most students were already seated.
I took my place too. A little while later our homeroom teacher walked in.
“Everyone, welcome! I’m Choi Woo-yeon, your homeroom teacher.”
While greeting us, she started writing names on the blackboard with chalk.
“I’m teaching social studies. And here’s my phone number—please save it right away.”
As she spoke, everyone pulled out their phones and started storing the number.
I saved it too.
“Now, in a few minutes we’ll move to the auditorium for the entrance ceremony and then return here. Please get ready. Also, just in case—during the ceremony, no phones at all, okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. After the ceremony, if your parents are here, they’ll meet for a moment and we’ll pass around your phones for them to contact you. If anyone uses them for anything else, we’ll confiscate them immediately.”
“Then… in about ten minutes, first-years will move in order. Please wait a moment. We’ll come back later.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Once the teacher left, the classroom fell quiet.
No one was chatting or using their phones.
I sent a NovelTalk to Mom.
She had said she’d be attending today’s entrance ceremony.
Then—
[Yeah, I left a little while ago! I might be able to sneak a quick look at your face!]
A message had already arrived. She had left earlier.
I asked why she had come so far from the graduation ceremony to the entrance one, which was hard.
She replied: ‘It’s my only child’s middle school entrance ceremony— of course I’m coming!’
And indeed my parents had kept their promise.
I worried I had caused them extra trouble, but they seemed genuinely happy. What a relief.
I sent a gentle “Come carefully” message, then we all started heading to the auditorium.
“Everyone, let’s move.”
In theory we were supposed to file in order, but somehow the classes ended up in a chaotic lineup. Our class, which was next to Sia’s, got to sit earlier than expected.
I settled into a seat in the middle when Sia plopped down right beside me.
“Hehe, it’s Woo-yeon!”
“Yeah.”
After we sat down and chatted a bit, the entrance ceremony finally began.
The national anthem and the unfamiliar school song played, then Principal Lee stepped up to speak.
I didn’t plan to pay attention anyway.
I just sat there quietly.
After all the boring parts ended, the welcome performance by the dance club came last.
Two clubs were performing: one dancing to famous idol songs and the other doing cheer routines.
As the performances started, everyone’s attention snapped back to the stage.
Watching the performers on stage, I thought how amazing it was.
I had always assumed only idols could put on such shows.
Then the cheer routine came next.
The synchronized movements were impressive.
“Whoa…”
I couldn’t help but exclaim.
“You like dancing like that?”
“No, not really. Just thought it looked amazing.”
“Hmm… really?”
“But you’re a guy, so it must be hard for you?”
“Eek!”
As I bantered with Sia, it suddenly hit me—the entrance ceremony was over.
When I turned around, the hall monitors were filling their seats.
I really wanted to rush over and find my parents right away, but I was still a bit dazed, so I gave up.
Then, luckily, I spotted someone.
It was Mom.
Because of her striking looks, I spotted her instantly and then found Dad right beside her too.
“Sia, they’re right over there.”
“Where?”
Sia followed my finger and looked.
“Eek, I’ll go with you—hurry up and go!”
I had stopped trying to find them.
The sight was so cute.
As we walked up,
“Whoa, Siwoo! You look really cool in your new uniform!”
Dad smiled and praised me.
He complimented me, but… he looked even more put-together than usual.
Not like on our elementary graduation day, but his tall, neatly dressed figure was undeniably handsome.
“Thank you.”
“Haha, you should grow up to be as tall as Dad.”
Sia, hearing that, silently glanced back and forth between Dad and me, then murmured,
“…If you’re too tall, your neck will hurt.”
“Hahaha! True, Seungho-ssi is tall.”
“Hmph… so lately Sia doesn’t look at me much…”
Dad’s height was impressive, so I could understand Sia’s feelings.
We chatted for a bit.
“Seeing the two of you in your uniforms looks so nice…”
Mom’s voice floated over.
“Why?”
“No… I just thought how well she prepared for this time, a hundred times better than expected.”
“Ahaha…”
I wanted to say something, but it was time to move again, so I didn’t.
We parted ways.