Chapter 212: Graduation Songs

Every year around May and June, it's graduation season for Americans, a tradition tied to the summer blockbuster movie season. Obviously, other schools have slightly later summer breaks. But, no matter what, after mid-June, students welcome a long summer vacation.

William White had quite mixed feelings during graduation season. The reason was simple: American graduation ceremonies carry a strong sense of ritual. When you put on that silly hat, you have to bear responsibilities.

No matter how cherished you were before, at this moment, you must leave your parents' protection. So whether it's your son or daughter graduating from college, you must attend the ceremony.

While other students gathered with their families, William White's emotions were overwhelming. Past and present thoughts flooded his mind. No matter how strong you tried to be, controlling emotions at that moment felt like a joke.

"Young master, Master White would not want you to be sad."

Sniffling, William White replied, "Got it, Fulton. I'm alright. They'd be proud of me."

When it came to delivering the excellent graduate speech, no one contended with him. If this extraordinary guy didn't speak, it seemed that no one else was quite qualified.

"Dear instructors and fellow graduates, life seldom goes as planned. You see my achievements and might think everything is going perfectly, but that's not necessarily true. Today, I prepared a speech, but overwhelmed by sentiment, it seemed inappropriate. So instead, let me dedicate a song to you all. It's one I wrote for my parents. It's a shame they're not here to hear it. They passed away before the song was finished."

It was no secret that William White's parents had tragically passed. Almost everyone present was aware.

Though slightly untimely, no one minded. Mourning for the deceased resonates with mainstream values everywhere.

The area below the stage was packed with people, and several folks with cameras quickly adjusted their positions. Normally, a graduation ceremony wouldn't attract any TV crews. But today was different; their boss was graduating.

Not just any boss, though -- this was the richest man in America giving a speech. Naturally, it needed to be documented.

"This song's a bit long, and I'm not the greatest singer, but I hope you'll bear with me."

A round of applause and cheers erupted; William White wasn't bothered, adjusted his guitar, and began playing the intro.

Alright, it happened to be a song he loved from his past life, originally in Japanese, with no prior English version. However, given his musical talent, rearranging it wasn't too difficult.

[T/N: The author didn't mention which song he chose. I thought "Aisuru Hito" by Nana Mizuki was a good choice.]

Those who recognized quality, like the TV crew, saw the potential for stirring content in the song, even beyond the compelling speech.

They naturally liked an emotionally rich enigma. If someone faces life and death unfazed, that's pretty intimidating.

When the last note faded, the crowd went wild.

Truth be told, whether it was sadness or nostalgia, Americans are generally laid-back. Being sentimentally affected is about as emotional as it gets.

"Encore!" Who knows who started it, but soon the crowd was chanting rhythmically for more.

Raising his hand to quiet the audience, William said, "Alright folks, this is my graduation speech, not a concert. Besides, y'all didn't buy no tickets."

After the laughter subsided, the mischievous group showed no signs of letting up, even looking a bit expectant.

"Alright, alright, calm down. This next one was meant for an ex-girlfriend. You lot are really pushing it; this is my last chance for reckless abandon."

Everyone knows college life in America. With that said, the atmosphere grew even more enthusiastic.

He didn't have any girlfriends at USC, which everyone knew, but they were just egging him on. It's amusing to sing a song for a so-called ex when everyone's your buddy.

Honestly, he didn't want the graduation ceremony to become too somber. After all, those feelings of sadness or nostalgia were his personal matters, not something to share with everyone.

Okay, although Let Her Go by Passenger wasn't particularly inspirational, it did lighten the mood a bit. The only mystery for some was why the song's style was so unique.

[T/N: The original song was The Goodbye Kiss by Jacky Cheung.]

But, why did it sound so good?

William White bowed and left the stage. He couldn't stay there any longer. Since he wasn't a professional singer, he truly couldn't continue.

What followed was the final revelry. College students at that time were indeed stressed. Just stepping out of school, they faced the challenge of finding jobs.

However, no matter what tomorrow held, today was a time to let loose. Whether you were reserved before or had confessions to make, tonight was the last chance to make a move.

When you woke up the next day, you were no longer a kid. Nor were the girls out there cheap. Relationships weren't settled with just two movie tickets anymore.

Some said, it's not that easy.

Well, that was just a metaphor. There were other ways to go about it for sure.

"Hey, Suzuki, when did I get back? How long have I been out?"

"Sir, you got drunk pretty early last night. Your classmates are still at the villa. Tanner and the others brought you back."

"Yeah, I had too much to drink. I didn't make a fool of myself, did I?"

"No, you were planning to dance, then Tanner and the others brought you home."

"Oh, I remember nothing. Never mind, run me a bath. I need a soak."

...

Let's not talk about William White soaking in his comfort zone. His impromptu performance last night had been amazing. Both mainstream media and tabloids dedicated significant space to covering it.

As for his television network, the songs were aired in the first news slot they could find. As for MTV, it went without saying; played so often it left people speechless.

Undoubtedly, it wasn't just the songs. His unique status meant that anything he sang would garner praise. Now, with great vocals and a story, the media went wild.

Some tabloids had a meltdown. Given it was a song for an ex-girlfriend, they scrambled to spin a yarn.

Very soon, the lyrics were plastered everywhere. The first song didn't interest them much -- mainstream media territory. Tabloids eagerly sought to find out who he bid farewell to with a kiss.

Can't find out?

Well, then just make it up.

*****

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