Chapter 51: Graduation Day
*Part 1*

--two weeks later--

~June's POV~ Sunlight is shining in my face, but I don't mind it.

Mainly because I'm too busy giggling like a schoolgirl as Byakuya trails light kisses all the way up from my naked chest to my neck, and from there to my mouth.

"Byakuya...!" I laughed, and I felt him smirk against my neck.

"What? Do you want me to stop?" he said. "Because I really don't think you do~!"

I laughed some more when his lips finally reached my mouth, trapping us both in a deep and passionate kiss.

I felt his tongue enter my mouth yet again just before I felt his hands travel down my body.

"I swear, June," Byakuya whispered. "I could take you right now..."

I gave him a little smack. "Byakuya! You took me literally thirty minutes ago! Remember?"

Byakuya stopped kissing me before he looked up. "Huh. Really? Kind of hard to remember considering the fact that during most of it I had my face buried between your legs--"

I turned red. "Byakuya!"

Byakuya gave me an innocent smile. "What? You weren't exactly complaining and telling me to stop earlier... Judging by the way you moaned my name, anyway..." he said, and I rolled my eyes.

"God, Byakuya Togami, I hate you so much!" I squealed.

"Come on. You love me~!" Byakuya sang.

I smiled. "Okay, yeah, I love you...!" I admitted, and that made Byakuya smirk again.

"I knew it," Byakuya said happily. "Byakuya Togami--right again. What a shock!"

I rolled my eyes again. "Hey, keep that ego in check." I snorted.

Byakuya shrugged. "I make no promises."

I let out a breath as I checked the alarm clock on my nightstand. "We've got to get ready. It's time to get up. Today's Graduation Day, after all!" I said.

Byakuya immediately smiled at that. "Oh, yes. Speaking of which," he said, his eyes sparkling with something; maybe happiness? Excitement? "I have a surprise for you, my love."

My heart fluttered; even now when he calls me that, I immediately feel warm and fuzzy inside.

But wait--he has a surprise for me?

I raised my eyebrows. "And what exactly does that mean?" I questioned.

Byakuya smirked in return. "If I told you, it wouldn't be much of a surprise, would it? No, I didn't think so," he said, his amused smile growing before he stood up. "But don't worry, you'll find out soon enough."

He went over to Kyouko's desk, where his uniform was waiting. I watched as he put on his boxers and slid on his uniform, now fully clothed.

I got up as well and picked up my uniform where it was sitting on my nightstand. I got a fresh pair of underwear and a bra. I put them both on before I pulled on my uniform skirt and pulled my uniform shirt over my head.

Then, Byakuya and I went into the bathroom and brushed our hair and teeth together.

When we were finished, Byakuya dipped down and planted a kiss on my shoulder. "I love you."

My heart fluttered again. "I love you too," I said. "Now, let's hurry and get to homeroom."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Byakuya and I learned that our schedules were changed due to it being Graduation Day--the last day of school. So, we didn't have homeroom as our first class.

I bid Byakuya goodbye until the next class we had together--math.

After I left Byakuya, I met up with Erin, Kyouko, and Hina, who I had my next class with.

"Hey, June. What's up? You ready for graduation?" Hina asked me.

"I'm fine. And yes, I'm ready for graduation and especially for the end of this year," I said honestly. "Because, really, this year has been nothing but drama."

Hina nodded in agreement. "Oh, most definitely. I agree." she said.

"Same here!" Erin said. "I'm ready for summer vacation!"

"Agreed." Kyouko said.

"Oh, by the way, Kyouko, how was your night with Makoto?" I asked her.

Last night Kyouko went to spend the night with Makoto in he and Byakuya's dorm room, which left Byakuya and I to spend the night together in Kyouko and I's dorm room.

Kyouko smiled. "It was great, thank you," she said. "How was your night with Byakuya?"

I smiled as well. "Amazing, as always." I sighed, because it was.

We walked in silence for a bit before I spoke up. "Well, today my wonderful boyfriend revealed to me that he has a surprise for me." I said.

Erin's eyebrows raised. "Really? Cool. What is it?"

I gave her a look. "Um, Erin? It's a surprise; I'm not supposed to know what it is." I said.

"I know... But, do you?"

I shook my head. "Of course not! And, frankly, I don't want to know until he reveals it to me."

Erin nodded. "Gotcha." she before she suddenly whipped out her phone and began typing on it. A few seconds later, I heard what sounded like a message being sent.

"Uh, what was that?" I asked Erin.

"Hm? Oh. Nothing." she said as she put her phone back away. I just shrugged to myself as we continued on our way to class.

~Third Person POV~ "So, gentlemen, how ready are you all for graduation?" Ishimaru asked Byakuya, Makoto, and Leon excitedly as they walked to class.

"I'm more ready than I've been for anything in my entire life!" Leon immediately said. "Also, I can't wait to wear the fancy Graduation Day robes with the hats! You know, the ones that people cheer with and throw up into the air in the movies!"

"Speaking of which, has everyone got their robes?" Byakuya asked.

Makoto nodded. "Yep. Mine's in the boys' locker room in my gym locker." he said.

"I have mine too, but it's in my dorm room since the teachers said we can pretty much change wherever we want." Leon said with a shrug.

"And I have mine as well, in the boys' locker room," Ishimaru said before he turned to Byakuya. "What about you, Byakuya?"

Byakuya nodded. "Yes, I have mine too. And, it's also in the boys' locker room inside my gym locker." he replied.

Ishimaru nodded back. "Good. That means we're all ready to graduate!" And just as he said that, Makoto's phone buzzed. He pulled it out of his pocket and sighed.

"What is it, Naegi?" Byakuya asked him.

Makoto showed his phone to the guys. "It's one of these again." he said, and they all peered over his phone to read a text he was just sent.

Unknown number: Today is the day; something big is going down, and it will be monumental. Prepare yourselves.

"Another one of these weird texts? Jeez, how long are the teachers gonna keep up this charade?" Leon asked, and Makoto shrugged.

"I have no idea. Have you still been getting them?" he asked.

Leon nodded. "Yep. And as far as I know, everyone is still getting them."

Ishimaru took Makoto's phone from him and smirked. "Well, I think I finally know what these have been about all along!" he said before he turned to Byakuya again. "Byakuya, is this about the surprise you're planning for June?"

Byakuya's eyes widened slightly. "What? What are you talking about??? Of course not! I told no one but June about her surprise! And, also, how do you know about the surprise???" he said, obviously in shock.

"Erin sent me a text message literally five minutes ago saying that June told her that you had an amazing surprise for her." Ishimaru explained.

"Wait, Byakuya has a surprise for June? Cool! What is it?" Leon said, and Makoto nodded, agreeing.

Ishimaru shrugged. "I don't know; Erin said June told her she didn't know."

"Well, it doesn't matter and I don't care who you tell about the surprise, all I care about is that you don't know what it is and neither does June." Byakuya said as they kept walking.

Suddenly, a random student rushed past them, slamming into Byakuya on the way.

Which made Byakuya stumble and drop his bag, causing the top to flip open and its contents to spill out on to the floor.

The student looked behind himself at Byakuya and winced. "Sorry!" he said before he turned back around and kept running.

"Byakuya, are you okay?" Makoto asked.

Byakuya nodded. "I'm fine, but I can't say the same for my bag..." He bent down to pick it up and stuff its contents back inside it, and his friends watched him do so.

"You want some help, fellow classmate?" Ishimaru offered.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you." Byakuya mumbled as he kept shoving things back inside his bag.

So the rest of the guys kept standing and watching before, suddenly, Leon's eyes drifted from the normal objects on the floor on to a not-so-normal object.

Mainly a little black box, no bigger than the palm of a hand.

"Hey, what's this?" Leon asked curiously, and he picked up the box before Byakuya had the chance to answer or stop him.

Byakuya immediately stopped what he was doing and stood back up, holding his hand out. "Give it back, Leon. Now." he demanded.

Leon, however, ignored him. He turned the box over in his hands, examining it. "Hm... Oh! There's an opening!" Then he flipped open the box and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Woah..."

"What?" Ishimaru and Makoto said together as they both looked over Leon's shoulder at what was inside the box.

"Wow..." Makoto said.

"How... shiney..." Ishimaru said.

"Give it here, Leon." Byakuya said, his hand still outstretched.

Leon once again ignored him. He took what was inside the box out and rolled it around between his fingers.

It was a diamond ring, not too big, not too small, not too flashy, not too dull; just right.

"Awwww~," Leon gushed as he looked lovingly at the ring. "Byakuya...! This is so... this is so touching...! I can't believe it...! Why, of course I'll marry you...! However, I don't think this ring will fit me..."

Byakuya scoffed and rolled his eyes before he made a swift move and snatched the ring and the box back from Leon. "Shut it, you idiot; it's not for you." he said as he placed it back inside the little black box and closed it.

Leon crossed his arms. "Well, if it isn't for me, then who's it for?"

Ishimaru raised one of his eyebrows, wanting to know the answer.

Makoto stood there, thinking. All of a sudden his eyes widened and his lips parted. "That means... Oh my God..." he muttered.

Ishimaru and Leon were immediately at his side. "What? What does it mean???" they both pressed.

Makoto looked Byakuya in the eye. "Byakuya... is this ring... for June?" he asked.

Byakuya swallowed, caught. He nodded. "Y-Yes... Yes it is..." he admitted, turning red in the face.

"Oh my God," Makoto said again, his eyes even wider. "You're... you're going to propose to June... You're going to ask her to marry you..."

Leon's eyes widened again, this time along with Ishimaru's. Both their jaws dropped. "What?" they both gasped, very surprised.

"Oh my goodness!" Ishimaru continued. "This is the surprise you have for June, isn't it? You're going to propose...!"

"When? When are you gonna do it? When???" Leon asked, now jumpy and excited.

"Today... at graduation... I was going to give a big speech after I graduated about my great year here with my friends, and then I'd mention June and... I would propose to her in the auditorium, on stage, right in front of the entire school." Byakuya explained, and that made everyone's eyes widen even wider.

"Wow! Really, Byakuya?" Leon said.

"That's great!" Makoto said, and Ishimaru nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it is... It was supposed to be a surprise... But now you guys know..." Byakuya mumbled.

Makoto didn't hesitate to jump right in. "Don't worry, Byakuya! We won't tell a soul."

Byakuya looked to Leon and Ishimaru.

"We promise!" they both chirped innocently.

Too innocently.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By lunchtime, word had gotten around all of June and Byakuya's friends that Byakuya had a very special surprise for June.

He was going to ask her to marry him.

Ishimaru and Leon had not stuck to their promise.

Of course, it being a surprise, they made sure NOT to tell June, just everyone else around her.

"Hey," Leon said as he sat down at the lunch table with his lunch tray. "did you hear about the surprise Byakuya is planning for June?"

Hina had arrived to the table the same time he had. "No! I haven't! What is it???" she immediately said, interested.

"Oh no, you don't!"

Leon stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice.

Byakuya and Makoto stood before the table, Byakuya glaring down at Leon.

Leon smiled nervously. "Hehehehe... Hey, Byakuya...! What's up?"

Byakuya and Makoto took their seats.

"'What's up'? 'What's up'??? What's up is that you specifically promised me you WOULDN'T tell a soul about my surprise for June! And here you are, telling everyone!" Byakuya shouted.

"Telling everyone what?" Sonia's voice rang out. She and the rest of their friends had just sat down at their table with their lunches.

"Probably about Byakuya's surprise." Ishimaru told Sonia, and Sonia nodded.

"Oh yes. Right. I've heard about that!" she said happily before she turned to Byakuya. "Congratulations, Byakuya!"

Byakuya just groaned before he put his head in his hands.

"Wait, I'm confused... What are we talking about???" Hina said.

"Well, Byakuya here finally worked up the guts to ask June to marry him! He even got her a ring! I saw it myself! In fact, he told me he's gonna ask her during graduation!" Leon said, and Hina's eyes immediately widened.

"Wait, you're serious?!" she yelped before a smile immediately lit up her face. "Omg, that's awesome!!!"

"You bet it is! I can't wait for him to ask her!" Sayaka squealed. "It's gonna be so great and so romantic!"

"I must say, I can't wait either." Kyouko said.

Erin nodded, agreeing with the both of them. "Me either! This is gonna rock!" she said excitedly.

"What's gonna rock?"

Everyone stopped talking and immediately looked up to see June with Ibuki standing beside her, each holding their lunch trays.

Byakuya lifted his head from his hands when he heard June's voice.

"Yeah, what's gonna rock??? Somebody better tell me, 'cause you all know how much Ibuki loves to rock!" Ibuki said excitedly before she and June took their usual seats. When Ibuki had sat down, Leon leaned over and whispered in her ear. After he was done, Ibuki's eyes lit up and she squealed as silently as she could manage.

But June had noticed. "What are you guys all talking about?" she asked curiously.

Everyone froze.

Byakuya immediately said, "Nothing!" the exact same time Sonia said, "Oh, we're just talking about Byakuya's surprise for you! By the way, June, congra--"

Sonia didn't get to finish because Hina grabbed her apple on her tray and stuck it in Sonia's mouth.

Sonia began chewing the apple before she used her hand to pull it out of her mouth. "Hey! Although I enjoy apples, what was that for?" she said to Hina, who just put her finger to her lips and shushed Sonia.

"Okay... Talk about confusing..." June mumbled before she took a bite of her food. Byakuya sighed silently in relief to himself.

They all ate in silence for the remainder of the lunch period before the bell rang, announcing the end of lunch.

They all stood up, dumped their trays, and exited the cafeteria to head to their next class.

Makoto walked beside Leon. "Hey, Leon, we won't see you until graduation, right? Didn't you say you had a dentist appointment?" he asked.

Leon nodded, confirming it. "Yep. I've got a dentist appointment, and I won't be back until right before graduation. But don't worry, I should be back just in time. I won't leave you guys hanging!" he replied.

Makoto smiled. "Good! How about you meet us in the boys' locker room after we've changed into our graduation robes and hats? That way we could all head down to the auditorium together and meet the girls there." he suggested.

"That sounds like a plan!" Leon agreed before he nodded in the direction of the front office. "Well, I better get going now. I'll see you and the others when we graduate! Woo hoo!"

Makoto laughed. "Yeah," he said. "Woo hoo!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The end of the school day came and went as the students eagerly left their seventh period classrooms when the bell rang for the last time.

Graduation was to begin an hour after classes ended, and the parents and families were to arrive fifteen minutes before that to secure a seat in the auditorium, front and center to watch their children graduate from Hope's Peak Academy--one of the most prestigious high schools in the country.

After graduating from Hope's Peak, students would have summer vacation before either going to college, or pursuing their talents probably to become known worldwide.

Some already were and already had their careers set in stone.

Erin for one already had a career as a professional hockey player, and June had gotten recently invited to join the Japan Olympic Gymnastics Team who would be participating in the Summer Olympics, which weren't too far away.

So the students were all very excited and eager to graduate so they could go off and get careers, go to college, or pursue their dreams.

Leon being one of them. When he returned to Hope's Peak from his dentist appointment, he immediately rushed inside to sign in so he could graduate as well.

After he signed himself in at the front desk, he rushed down the main hall and up the stairs to Hope's Peak's second story where his locker was located, as he had left his things in his locker and forgot to take them with him to his dentist appointment.

The halls on the second floor were empty, in fact the entire second floor was empty, Leon being the only person there.

All the students were busily getting ready and changing into their robes and all the teachers were at the auditorium, setting it up and getting it ready for Graduation Day to begin.

Leon ran down the halls of the second floor until he came upon the spot where his locker was.

He was about to start for it when he heard a sound behind him.

Footsteps.

Leon stopped walking. He listened closely for more footsteps.

When he heard them again, silent but there, he sighed. "Come on, Naggles," he said, using his nickname he called Makoto just to annoy him. "if you want to sneak up on me and scare me, then you'll have to do better than that..." He turned around.

His eyes widened at who stood before him.

"You're not Makoto!" Leon gasped in disbelief, upon realizing who it was. "Leo?!"

The guy standing before him--Leo--looked at Leon and smiled. "Right you are." he hummed.

"What the hell are you doing here??? It's Graduation Day, and you sure as hell don't go to this school anymore!" Leon said.

"Oh, Leon, mi amigo, I am well aware of what day it is." Leo said.

Leon immediately narrowed his eyes at him. "Don't call me that! I'm NOT your amigo, you lost the right to call me that a long time ago!" he snapped. "Byakuya told me you were still stalking June! Is that why you're here? To watch June graduate? Well, I've got news for you; June doesn't want your creepy ass here! None of us do! So, leave and get lost!"

Leo wasn't fazed by Leon's outburst. He just chuckled and smiled. "You're somewhat correct, Leon. I am here for June, but not to watch her graduate. In fact, I've been looking for you because I knew you'd be back late."

Leon's eyes widened. "You knew about my dentist appointment??? What the hell is wrong with you, you creepy stalker?! Why can't you just leave me and my friends the hell alone?! Byakuya was right, you are a creepy stalker and a drama queen!" he shouted.

"Now, Leon, I need to ask you a very important question, and I need you to answer it," Leo said, looking Leon straight in the eye. "Where is June? And Byakuya; I especially need to have a little chat with him."

Leon was full-on glaring at Leo now. "What? You actually expect me to just tell you the whereabouts of my friends, just so you can go and stalk them some more? Hell no! I'm NOT gonna let you stalk them or bother them anymore! If you want me to answer your so-called question, then you can kiss my ass!" he hissed at Leo.

Leo was still unfazed by Leon's aggression. "Well, if that's how you really feel, then I guess I've got no choice but to go to the alternative plan," he sighed. "Now, I really didn't want to do it, but you forced my hand."

Then, Leo reached into one of the pockets of his jacket and pulled out a gun.

Leon's eyes immediately widened at the sight of what Leo pulled out of his jacket. "What the--Is that... is that a GUN??? Like, a real gun?!" he gaped.

Leo nodded, answering Leon's question. "Why yes, yes it is. Good observation, Leon. And, before you get any ideas, it is fully loaded," he said, now glaring back at Leon. "Now, let's try this again--where are June and Byakuya?" His voice was cold and hard now with no trace of patience in it.

Leon took a step back. "Y-You're crazy..." he muttered.

Leo put his finger on the trigger, and the gun made a clicking noise. "Wrong answer," he growled. "Now, tell me where June and Byakuya are, or I'll pump you full of bullets."

Leon gulped. He debated running, but it would get him nowhere; Leo would still be able to easily shoot him. He then thought about calling for help, but no one was on the second floor; he wouldn't be heard.

Leon took a deep breath. "No. I'm not gonna betray my friends just so you can have your way. I... I don't care what happens to me! All I care about is that you don't hurt my friends!" he snapped. "So, with that being said, go to hell."

Leo shook his head. "That's it. My patience has run out," he said, aiming the gun at Leon's chest. "I warned you. In fact, I've been warning you all for awhile now."

"Wait, what?" Leon asked. He didn't understand.

But he was beginning to.

Leo laughed coldly. "Those text messages you've all been getting? Let's just say they haven't been from the teachers."

Leon's eyes widened yet again. "That... that was you???" he said with a gasp. "You're the one who's been sending us those weird texts???"

"Huh. You're not as dumb as you look after all...," Leo said with a shrug. "But that hardly changes anything. You won't tell me what I need to know, so you have to go."

Leon, although he was more scared than he's ever been in his entire life, put on his brave face and glared Leo down. "Do your worst, you crazy bastard." he hissed.

"I intend to." Leo said, his finger pressing against the trigger.

There was a brief moment of silence that hung in the air.

But it was interrupted by sound of a gun being shot.

Leon immediately felt a bloom of pain erupt in his chest before he looked down to see blood now leaking through his clothes.

His blood.

Leon stumbled for a second before the shock caused him to spin and fall on his face. He winced as the part of his chest that was shot made contact with the hard floor.

His breathing became rapid, he felt as though he was drowning.

"Now, I've got to get going--I need to find June, after all!" Leo said happily as he put his gun back inside his jacket pocket. "Have fun drowning in your own blood~!"

And then, he left Leon laying in the hallway for dead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sonia ran through the halls from her locker on the second floor.

"Oh, I'm so terribly late...!" she cried to herself, running along. "How should I ever be queen if I'm tardy everywhere I go?"

She continued to run.

Until, suddenly, she slipped on something wet and slammed into the floor.

Sonia gasped at her fall and at the pain. She looked up from where she lay to see the color red all over the floor.

The color of blood.

Sonia then realized the red looked strikingly like blood, and she stood up, her robe now covered in the substance.

She followed where all the red was coming from, but she stopped when she saw it.

Leon Kuwata, laying on the floor, unconscious. He appeared to be laying in a puddle of blood.

Sonia gasped at the horrid sight; Leon looked like he wasn't breathing and was pale and sickly, like he had lost a lot of blood.

As her brain was trying desperately to process what was happening, she slowly backed away from Leon.

And then she ran.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sonia was out of breath when she arrived at June's dorm room where all her friends were, getting dressed.

She found she was barely able to knock on the door.

Seconds later, June answered it, and upon seeing Sonia's face, she frowned. "Sonia... are you okay?" she asked.

Sonia walked past her into the dorm room, where everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at her.

Hina gasped when she saw the blood on Sonia's robe. "Oh my God... Sonia, is that... is that blood...???" she said, in utter shock.

"Sonia, are you okay?! Why are you covered in blood?! What happened?! Are you hurt badly?!" Erin was immediately panicked at the sight of all the blood.

Sonia was silent. But she was pale and shaky, looking as if she saw a ghost.

"Sonia, tell us what's wrong!" Sayaka urged her.

Sonia just stood there before she took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "L-Leon is... Leon is..." she muttered, not being able to finish the sentence.

"What? Leon's what?" Kyouko asked. "Leon's late? In trouble again? Not here?"

Sonia slowly shook her head, and the three words that left her mouth next were unmistakable.

"Leon is dead."