"That was a long time ago..."
The old man furrowed his brow slightly.
"If I remember correctly..."
"It should've been when I was in elementary school?"
"Probably around third or fourth grade..."
The old man wasn't quite sure.
He tapped his head.
After all, it had happened so long ago...
The fact that he could remember it today already surprised him.
"It should've been."
"I can't really remember."
"Never mind."
"That's not the point."
The old man waved his hand casually.
"Anyway, I was still a child that year."
"After school that day..."
The old man suddenly looked a little embarrassed. "I was an immature kid back then."
"My teacher lectured me at school for being sloppy..."
The old man's hazy memories gradually grew clearer.
He remembered...
He'd been a little boy.
Boys were always a bit careless.
He hadn't paid much attention to his appearance.
His deskmate had been disgusted by him.
Back then,
of course, it was still the same now.
Boys and girls always sat together.
Girls were always more particular about things.
It was the age when kids liked to tell the teacher about everything.
His deskmate had gone to the teacher to complain that he was unhygienic.
So the teacher had called him in for a talk.
Actually, the teacher hadn't said anything too harsh to him.
But just being called in for a talk by the teacher was pretty upsetting.
The teacher had spoken to him after school.
So when the talk was over, he'd gone straight out of school with his backpack.
He'd missed the usual dismissal time.
The school grounds were empty.
Just like his less-than-cheerful mood.
He gripped the straps of his backpack with both hands and left school with his head lowered.
There weren't many