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"Welcome, one and all, to another wondrous year at Ashbury Academy!"
Ms. Ashbury had just started the welcoming speech to all of the students of Ashbury Academy in the auditorium, and she felt beyond happy about it. The auditorium was filled with eager students, socializing with their friends and joking around, until they all heard Ms. Ashbury's booming voice, and looked in her direction. She noticed most of the students smile and cheered when they heard what she had said, and she gladly smiled back.
It seemed as if it had been so long until another new and exiting year at the Academy would come. She had no idea at all why she felt strangely happier about this upcoming year. Maybe it was because her lovely niece was going to finally attend the school she had always wanted her to, or because it was Saito's (the most well-known troublemaker in all of the Academy) final year here, and she wouldn't have to deal with his devious schemes or her whole filing cabinet of his files. Maybe it was because, school would start in a week, and she would be able to sneak into the first years' classes to scare them as she "just so happened to pop in." Or maybe, it was simply because it was a new year and she had always felt giddy like this whenever she made her Welcoming Speech.
Either that, or she had drank too much coffee this morning.
Ms. Ashbury decided to blame her strangely happy mood on the coffee, and moved on with her speech.
"To our newcomers," said Ms. Ashbury in a ringing voice, stretching her hands wide and a beaming smile on her lips, "welcome! To our old hands -- welcome back! It is a pleasure to be with you all, and to see all your lovely faces here, ready to learn!" There was a few groans from the students, but Ms. Ashbury ignored them and continued.
"As you all know, Ashbury Academy is a safe, learning society for all of the many talented students such as yourselves. But not only is this an Academy to learn, but also a sanctuary for the many gifted, as well as a home." Saying this, she remembered all the moments in which Arisu had stayed with her, the good times and the bad. She smiled softly to herself, then noticed she was drifting away from her speech, and forgot where she had left off. She pondered for a few seconds, then carried on.
"I surely hope you all enjoyed your summer breaks, because this year will be just as difficult as last year," she joked. "If anything, it might even be worse." A few teachers laughed at this, but all the students stared at Ms. Ashbury in horror. She smiled brightly at all the students. "Make sure to be ready by the end of the week, because by this upcoming week, school has officially started! I wish for all the best to you all, and may you enjoy the rest of your free week. Thank you."
As Ms. Ashbury got off the podium, the students went back to their talking and fooling around, and the whole auditorium instantly became louder once again. Students were already walking back to their dorms, while others decided to stay out in the fresh night air. Ms. Ashbury thought of looking for Arisu in the crowd, but decided that Arisu was busy making new friends, and it was too much of a hassle looking for her in such a big crowd of students anyway.
She walked back to her house, still smiling like a child, not having her happy mood fade away.
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