When she and her new friends were called to the stage, Nira felt a slight mix of uncertainty and pride: she had never received such enthusiastic applause before, which was both pleasant and exciting in its own way. She was primarily curious to hear what Shira would say – would she share one of her stories with the large audience? – but it seemed fate had decided otherwise. Well, if life itself offers you a prestigious first place, only a fool would refuse it.
Stepping forward, Nira looked around at the faces of those present, now united by the same walls, studies, and uniform style.
“Ahem, thank you, Miss Starlight!” – a respectful nod to the royal granddaughter. – “I’ve been to many performances, but few have been as lively and sincere as yours. 👍 And thank you to all the teachers and mentors, whom we have yet to meet, for creating and providing the opportunity to be in this academy! 😊”
Nodding towards the teachers' table, Nira turned to the other students:
“Guys, I unfortunately don’t have a prepared speech for this occasion, so I won’t take up too much of our time. I see many unfamiliar faces in this hall: some are looking with enthusiasm, some with interest, some are just pretending, some are still thinking about their scores, some are whispering to their neighbors, some are yawning out of boredom, and some don’t care at all, hee-hee! 😉 I’m sure the same is true of our goals and desires: some have planned everything down to the smallest detail, some are just looking for themselves, and some don’t care about such things at all. And you know, all of this somehow reminded me of a recent beauty contest that I watched: it also brought together a variety of participants with different appearances, outfits, and manners. What do they have in common, you ask? As with any large competition, everyone who has managed to get here is truly beautiful, the best of the best! 😘 Just as each contestant always finds admirers who appreciate their particular features and talents, I hope that each of us will find something for our soul in this academy! And finally, please remember that, as with every competition, the initial goal is not fierce competition, but the opportunity to have fun together! 🥳 So, I apologize, dear teachers, but I will still say: don’t spend all day studying and training: our youth will pass quickly, but its warm memories will warm us more than all subsequent achievements combined! Well, and congratulations to everyone again! 😇”