自己紹介

Jikoshoukai. My unofficial first self-introduction.

My footsteps echoed and bounced off the tiled floor and slip up to the white ceiling, following me as I tap, tap, tapped towards the staff room where all the teachers’ desks were. This would be the room where I would hear the morning announcements, eat my lunch and revise my students work; I had been waiting.

My hand reached for the sliding door as I stared into the eyes of a nameless face, he looked composed, much more than calm. I couldn’t sense anything from his expression, it was as if I was non existent. He didn’t see through me, he did not see me at all, I was invisible, part of the wall behind me. We stared at one another for a couple of seconds until I heard a voice from inside yell,
「ちょっと待って。」
-wait a minute.
He was a third year, a student and from what I had been told, summer break was in session. Why was he here; what was this teacher doing? Why were we the only ones present? As the three of us stood unmoving, I felt even more out of place. I had no idea how to refer to students or how to talk to my colleagues and I felt an unknown shame rise from my neck and spread to my ears and face, eyes darting to the side. Silence. Unmoving. Punishment.

I let them see it. I messed up before even starting. Before I could make a move, he did.
This boy bowed to me, apologized and excused himself before the teacher and I. I must have interrupted their talk, I was the one who had to apologize, but it was too late to undo my error.