Who would ever go visit that guy for fun? From this moment on, I gave this bald fellow the nickname Yamakaze. The Chinese classics teacher was certainly a stiff one. The old man who rattled on endlessly—"You arrived just yesterday, you must be very tired, and yet you've already begun teaching, quite diligent of you"—was an amiable old fellow. The drawing teacher was thoroughly the artist type. He wore a flimsy, chattering figured-crepe haori, snapped his folding fan, and said, "And where might you be from, eh? Tokyo? Well, that's delightful, now I've got a compatriot... I'm an Edokko myself," he declared. If that's what an Edokko is, I thought to myself, I'd never want to be born in Edo. There's plenty more I could write about each of them one by one, but since it would never end, I'll stop.
When the greetings were more or less done, the principal said we could leave for the day, but to consult with the head of the mathematics department about teaching matters, and to begin classes the day after tomorrow. I asked who the head of mathematics was, and it turned out to be that same Yamakaze. How annoying—so I have to work under this fellow? I was disappointed. Yamakaze left a parting remark: "Hey, where are you lodging? Yamashiroya? Uh-huh, I'll come by later to talk," and took up some chalk and went off to the classroom. For a department head to come to me to consult is rather presumptuous, but still better than summoning me.
After that, I left the school gate thinking to go straight back to my lodgings, but since there was no point in returning, I decided to stroll about town a bit, and wandered off in whatever direction my feet took me. I saw the prefectural office—an old, last-century building. I saw the barracks—not as fine as the Azabu regiment. I saw the main street—about the width of Kagurazaka halved, and the row of shops inferior to that. A castle town of two hundred fifty thousand koku is only so impressive. As I walked thinking how pitiful the people must be who live here and puff themselves up with "the castle town," I found myself before Yamashiroya before I knew it. Spacious as it seems, it's a small place. I'd probably seen most of it by now. Thinking I'd go back and eat or something, I stepped through the gate. The mistress, who'd been sitting at the front desk, saw my face and suddenly darted out, saying "Welcome back..." and pressed her head to the wooden floor. I took off my shoes and went up; the maid showed me to a room saying it was now vacant. It was a fifteen-mat front second-floor room with a large alcove. I'd never been in such a fine room since birth. Since I didn't know when I'd be in one again, I took off my suit, put on just a yukata, and lay sprawled star-shaped in the middle of the floor. It felt wonderful.
After lunch I promptly wrote a letter to Kiyo. I'm a poor writer and don't know many characters, so I hate writing letters, and have nowhere to write either. But Kiyo must be worried—she might be thinking I was shipwrecked and died, which would be awful—so I made an effort and wrote her a long one. It went like this:
"Arrived yesterday. Dull place. Sleeping in a fifteen-mat room. Gave the inn five yen for tea money. The mistress rubbed her head on the floorboards. Couldn't sleep last night. Dreamed you ate bamboo-leaf candy, leaf and all. Coming home next summer. Went to school today and gave everyone nicknames. Principal is Tanuki, vice-principal is Red Shirt, English teacher is Uranari, math is Yamakaze, drawing is Nodaiko. Will write more later. Goodbye."
When the letter was done I felt good and sleepy, so I stretched out star-shaped in the middle of the floor as before and lay down. This time I slept soundly without a dream. "This the room?" came a loud voice, and I woke to find Yamakaze entering. He'd been rude before, and the moment I sat up he opened negotiations: "Your subjects are..." I was quite flustered. Hearing what I was to teach, it didn't seem especially hard, so I agreed. If it's only this much, I wouldn't be surprised if they'd said skip the day after tomorrow, start tomorrow. When the teaching consultation was over, he said, "You don't mean to stay at such an inn forever? I'll find you a good boarding house, so move. Others might not be accepted, but if I speak they'll agree at once. Better soon, so look today, move tomorrow, and go to school the day after—that's neat," deciding it all himself. Indeed, I couldn't stay in a fifteen-mat room forever; even paying my whole salary for lodging might not cover it. It's a pity to have splurged five yen tea money and move at once, but since I'll move anyway, it's handier to do it early and settle, so I left that to Yamakaze. Then Yamakaze said come along and see, so I went. It was a house on the mid-slope of a hill at the edge of town, very quiet. The master was a man called Ika-gin who dealt in antiques, and his wife was about four years older than him. I learned the word "witch" in middle school, and this wife was just like a witch. But a witch is someone's wife, so no matter. In the end I arranged to move in tomorrow. On the way back Yamakaze treated me to a cup of shaved ice in the shopping street. When we met at school I thought him a rude, sideways-winded fellow, but seeing how he troubles himself for me like this, he doesn't seem a bad man. Only, like me, he's hasty and seems quick-tempered. I heard later he's the most popular with the students.
