Tardiness of girl's high school students　-Afternoon on the Islands of Langerhans-　Haruki Murakami

　　I am generally punctual and rarely late for appointments unless something unexpected happens. However, it wasn't always the case, as I used to be habitually late during my student days and didn't mind keeping others waiting. After starting my own business and being in a position to tell others not to be late, I managed to cure myself of the habit. Personally, I think it's okay for students to be late from time to time, as missing a boring part of a class or arriving a bit late to school isn't that big of a loss. It's enough to correct various habits and tendencies after entering society. From the window of a Tokyo hotel where I sometimes stay, I can see the main entrance of a girls' high school right below me. When I wake up in the morning, take a shower, have breakfast, and smoke a cigarette, it's usually time for the students to arrive at the school. I can see girls wearing black shoes and sailor uniforms walking down the street one by one and being sucked into the gate.

If I watch for a while, I can see the girls starting to run down the street. Then the fateful bell rings, and the gate closes with a clang. An evil-looking teacher in a training suit stands next to the gate and takes note of the names of each late girl while scolding her. However, there is always a gutsy girl who thinks, "I can't stand being marked late like this," and hides behind a telephone pole near the gate, waiting for an opportune moment when the teacher's attention is distracted, before darting across the street and jumping onto the neighboring house's roof, sliding down it, and landing inside the school's gate. She then brushes off her skirt and walks into the classroom nonchalantly. It takes courage, judgment, and physical strength to pull off such a stunt. When I see something like this, I can't help but applaud from the fourth-floor window of the hotel, and it makes my day. That's why I like this hotel, where I can overlook the girls' school.