Chapter Text
The Class of 20XX at Hinominami High School was finally about to graduate, and Koshitan had to give her valedictorian speech. She had spent the weeks leading up to graduation writing and preparing it. She was not about to let her teachers and peers down. It was her last day of high school, and she was going to live every second of it.
She thought about all the things she was going to miss about high school. The deer club, the feeling of having everyone admire her, Shikanoko...
What was she thinking. Shikanoko would bother her all the time even beyond high school. She didn't know what university Nokotan was going to go into, but she assumed that it regardless wouldn't keep her from bothering Koshitan.
But as annoying as Nokotan was, she really made high school memorable for Koshitan. How many other people can say they were classmates with a deer goddess? How many other people had played tug-of-antler or started a game show with their life or watched a deer parade?
Beyond high school, Nokotan would always remain with her. The chaos and life she brought into every day would always be there and that would never change.
Koshitan felt giddy just thinking about her future.
"And now a speech given by our honour student, Koshi Torako," Ms. Uzai announced.
The crowd clapped as Koshitan walked onto the stage. She looked into the faces of the crowd. Only one stood out to her: Nokotan's. She had assembled a herd of deer to watch Koshitan's speech, ripping of her antler and blowing it like a confetti cannon.
"Yay! Koshitan!" She cheered.
It was so silly. Even at graduation, Nokotan was taking every opportunity to humiliate her.
Koshitan tapped her mic and began her speech, "Greetings fellow students of Hinominami High. High school was never easy, but these last two years have surely been- chaotic. But not a single day was ever dull."
The crowd laughed.
"Ever since I started high school, I was afraid of what everyone thought about me. I was so ashamed of the person I used to be that i felt the only way to redeem myself was to be perfect. And to the be perfect student was to never compromise the top, never let any weakness show. And it was that which gave me so much attention and reward. But then somebody came into my life. She was an absolute mess, and I was always so scared that she would ruin the image I had created for everyone else. All she did was tease me, humiliate me, and invade my privacy. Slowly I began to show my true colours. I got angry, I spoke casually, My secrets were being shown to the whole world. But not a single person cared. They began to praise me for my humanity, which is why I give this speech today. I learned that it's okay to live a little vicariously, to defy the expectations of others. And that's want I want to convey to you today. Please don't hide behind a perfect facade. It's your humanity and uniqueness that people will appreciate more about you. And to conclude, 'hi koshitan. i want more deer crackers'-!???"
The crowd clapped as Koshitan walked off the stage. The ceremony went on for a lot longer, and so many tears flowed. Most came from Koshitan. A lot came from Anko as well, who was devastated her sister would no longer would no longer go to the same school as her. Bashame had cooked the whole deer club lots of rice to celebrate the graduation.
Even Neko had reluctantly congratulated Koshitan on her speech (although, she'd wished she had been the one to do it).
"Tanuki! Chiharu!" Neko commanded, "Take good care of the student council next year."
"You two were so good at it though! I could never run the student council without messing everything up..!" Tanuki cried.
Nokotan climbed off her herd of deer and waited for Koshitan to offer her deer crackers.
"Alright, alright," she mumbled as Nokotan ate the whole bundle from her hand.
"Your speech was amazing, Koshitan!" Nokotan cheered, "I wonder who this deer friend of yours is."
Koshitan rolled her eyes.
The group took lots of photos together (with Nokotan's antlers covering Koshitan's in all of them) before it was time to throw the graduation hats.
"What are these- antlers??" Koshitan snapped as she saw what the thought was her hat.
All the students threw theirs into the air, but Koshitan realised.
"wait... NO!!!"
And little did Koshitan know, was that last time she would ever see the deer again.