January 15, 2017

I walked into the tatami changing room and picked up the pink telephone. I turned on the shower and water got all over the floor. I wouldn’t turn it off because no matter how much water there was, the water didn’t feel wet. I heard voices about how the tatami mats were going to get moldy in a few weeks because of me.

–

I revisited my elementary school and it was full of old people. I tried to scan for familiar faces during what seemed to be the end of a school day. While briefly engaging in eye contact, a man playing basketball in the gym asked “is that you?” I didn’t remember this person at all but they claimed that they used to beat me in basketball games all the time when we were kids. He then asked me something I couldn’t quite understand.

“Oh no, I already graduated” I said, thinking that he asked me if I was coming back.

“No, I meant how’s it going?” he asked again.

“Well, school’s not in full swing yet”

At this point, a crowd started forming around our position. He must’ve been rather popular as people were shouting conversations over us. Without saying goodbye, they all left as a group and I sat there wondering if he had intended for me to follow them. It was too late now as I lost them in the crowd.

I stepped down from the moving bleachers and continued my search for familiar faces.