Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva-Chapter 742 - 319: The Flawless Figure in the Breeze (Thanks to the Alliance Hierarch Tang Shuang Sheng Cai)

"Today is graduation day."

In the lawn of Edith Academy, a teacher stood on a white wooden platform speaking, while the students stood or sat below, watching the teacher give the speech and occasionally whispering among themselves.

Compared to the solemn opening ceremony, Edith Academy's graduation ceremony seemed particularly relaxed; the teacher also smiled at these grown children, not maintaining the strict discipline of the past.

At the side, a camera quietly recorded the scene before it, and occasionally, students would run across the grass with wooden swords in hand, chasing and cheering with their peers—when they realized they were disrupting the ongoing speech, they would quickly quiet down, embarrassed.

A tricolor orange, white, and gray rabbit ran through the grass and was picked up by a pair of hands, cradled in someone's arms, feeling its nervous heartbeat and smooth fur with their fingertips. A bit of warmth nestled among the rabbit's fur; those hands gently soothed the little creature, helping it relax gradually.

Beneath the rare bright weather, the teacher on the platform spoke of the achievements everyone had made over the past four years, the Academy's glory, recalling the major events one after another, mentioning every student who had left a deep impression—all the while, everyone listened with smiles, occasionally turning their gaze towards those significant others of their youth.

The young faces shone under the sunshine, the colors of their school uniforms appearing particularly vibrant. Everyone sat around on the grass, softly singing a song together—some were off-key, some laughed, there were pauses and forgotten words, but the moment was nonetheless unforgettable.

A girl dressed in a black and red school skirt was surrounded by her peers, wearing a badge on her chest with dark red and dark blue roses. Her black hair, as if from a dreamy painting, was combed delicately, her blue eyes glistening like jewels under the fragmented sunlight, her snow-white skin contrasting with the black of her uniform, accentuating her youthful yet attractive figure, an odd perfect combination of purity and enchantment.

"Don't run around, okay? If you go out now, it'll be hard to find you."

The girl soothed the rabbit in her arms, her fingers gently pressing its head, relishing the fluffy touch at her fingertips. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

"...Although I've spoken of many students, there's one name I simply cannot forget, and she truly deserves to be considered Edith's most magnificent and captivating gem," the teacher on the white platform changed tone.

"Now, please, Hexia Tilan, could you say a few words for us? Whether they are thoughts of the moment, nostalgic feelings, or parting words, we're all looking forward to it."

Afterward, everyone's gaze shifted to the girl seated on the grass, who belatedly raised her head.

Oh, it's my turn to speak already.

Though she had anticipated this, when it actually came time for her to go on stage, it was still somewhat unexpected, because she hadn't prepared a speech at all.

The graduation ceremony had a very relaxed atmosphere with basically no compulsory elements— the hope was for everyone to leave with more lighthearted, joyous memories.

Setting the rabbit down from her arms, the girl lightly shielded her face from the sunshine with one hand, then walked towards the platform.

Her black leather shoes made a soft sound as they hit the wooden stage, and without realization, everyone on the grass fell silent, watching the girl on the platform with hopeful and expectant eyes.

Feeling the anticipation radiating from everyone, the girl made a brief preparation and then spoke.

"Good afternoon, everyone," she said in an even tone, lacking the deep affection she had when singing or the chilly detachment of her usual speeches.

"I haven't really figured out what to say," Tilan admitted with a smile—an honest and forthright demeanor that made everyone else smile too.

"It always feels like time flies. I remember feeling nervous and apprehensive when I first started high school, as if it was just yesterday. Back then, I was actually a bit timid. The first time I went on stage to give a speech, I spent a long time preparing, and I scrapped several drafts in the process."

"At first, I just wrote according to a template, but soon the teachers said that wasn't necessary—that I shouldn't restrain myself. They encouraged me to write according to my own preferences and thoughts, to freely express my emotions and reflections."

"So, there was that unique and unripe speech; it was about lofty and distant things. Thinking back on it now, I feel a bit embarrassed and uncomfortable."

"Fortunately, no one laughed at me then, which gave me a great deal of comfort and encouragement."

"People are fascinating creatures. At every stage, we exist in different states. If we compare this to painting, a ten-year-old's artwork is filled with chaotic scribbles, replete with the rawness of youth and its deficiencies. Yet, the unrestrained imagination and marvelous perspectives in those drawings of that age are truly precious."

"Ten years later, we are like artists who have mastered their craft, gaining a greater understanding of the world. Though our paintings become more realistic and splendid, it seems we lose a certain kind of boundless romance, a beauty that breaks free from conventional thinking."

"Experience assists us in avoiding various hazards and difficulties, but imperceptibly, it also confines our beliefs. This confinement is invisible and hard to notice."

"I'm not trying to argue against this kind of mental inertia, declaring it as flawed."

"What I want to express is that every stage of life has its own beauty. The paintings I made at ten may not be inferior to the more skilled artist I am ten years later; perhaps they were bolder and more unconventional, flamboyant, and beautiful."

"And us, ten years later, don't have to dwell on the past. Now, we know more and understand the truths of the world better. We've seen more beauty and color and can break free from the shackles of habit with reflection and vigilance, discovering new possibilities."

"The past is like the reflection of a lake at sunset, nostalgic but unreachable. The future is like the dawn that has not yet risen, still shrouded in hazy mist. Standing on a plain under the starlight, the view we see is the most unique beauty of life. It is neither as naive as the past, nor as full of dusk and loss as the future, but an irreplicable flash of brilliance."

"We don't have to regret the naivety of the past nor feel that a mature future self is necessarily better. I really love everything about today because it's in my hands, before my eyes, by my ears, telling its own story of unique beauty."

In the bright sunshine and the breeze, the girl conveyed the thoughts that emerged in her mind at graduation, like reaching out into the wind and catching a leaf that flickered through her heart.

After the speech, the teacher gathered everyone together to make sure no one was missing and then had everyone stand in front of the camera for a group photo. During this time, Tilan, surrounded by students, sat in the middle of the grass, with Deloris on her left and Efnie on her right. Other familiar classmates gathered around as well, some sitting on the grass, others standing behind Tilan, spreading out layer by layer. Everyone looked naturally at the camera, with the clear blue sky providing a perfect backdrop.

The gentle breeze blew across a moment filled with laughter and youth, captured by the camera. As the third Color Level Songstress, Hexia Tilan, this brief speech would be frequently mentioned by future generations and become a must-see for each graduating student.