Waiting in Vain

"No buts," the man said with a smile. "Since it's reasonable, we should keep moving forward. Look, I have a few suggestions here that I hope you'll consider—"

"Where is Ms. Moly?" Hesta interrupted him. "Did she know you asked me to come here today?"

"Ms. Moly?" The man seemed confused. "What do you need her for?"

"Her office is right next door—"

"She isn't at the school right now," the man replied. "I know you also sent a letter to the Principal's mailbox, but even so, you can't expect Ms. Moly to be involved in everything. The Principal has a lot to do. If she personally followed up on every matter, would she have time to work at all?"

"Is our conversation today being recorded?"

"...Recorded?"

"It would make it easier to review afterward." Hesta glanced over his desk. "I don't see any equipment."

"Student, student, calm down. I get the feeling you've been frightened. No one here wants to hurt you. We're all here to solve the problem—your problem." The man slowed his speech, doing his utmost to display sincerity. "Don't be so anxious. Relax a little, all right?"

Hesta had intended to explain, but before she spoke, she took out her phone. She briefly described the situation—the time, place, people, and incident—and clearly stated that she was aware their upcoming conversation would be recorded. Then she held the phone out before him and asked him to acknowledge it.

The male teacher stared at her in astonishment. "You... you don't need to do this."

"I believe no one here wants to hurt me, and I believe you genuinely want to help me solve this problem. But if we leave no record, we'll inevitably tell different stories when we look back on today's conversation. You said just now that