おれはここまで
Thinking these matters through made me drowsy, and I slept soundly. The following day I had a score to settle, so I arrived at school early and waited for Yama Arashi. I waited, but he failed to show. Uranari arrived. The classics teacher arrived. Noda arrived. Finally even Red Shirt arrived, but Yama Arashi's desk was deserted, save for a lone stick of chalk. Since leaving home I'd been clutching two coins in my hand like bath money, thinking to return them as soon as I entered the staff room. I have sweaty palms, and when I opened my hand the coins were shiny with moisture. It occurred to me that Yama Arashi might object to sweaty coins, so I set them on my desk and blew on them before picking them up again. At this point Red Shirt approached and apologized for keeping me so long on the previous day's outing. I told him I'd actually enjoyed myself but had arrived back with a wicked appetite. Red shirt planted his elbows on Yama Arashi's desk and brought his big sauce-pan face up close to my nose. I wondered what he was up to. He asked me to keep private the things we'd discussed in the boat on our way back. He wanted to confirm that I hadn't told anyone. His effeminate voice made him appear anxious. I hadn't told anyone, but I intended to do some telling today, and I had my coins ready in the palm of my hand. I didn't need Red Shirt interfering. Though he didn't single out Yama Arashi by name, it was poor form on his part to line up insinuations and then fault me for reaching my own conclusion. A head teacher should know better. His rightful role was to let me start things with Yama Arashi and then boldly step into the fray to take my side. That would make him a worthy head teacher and justify his bold red shirt.