Tim's Translations

The buildings in the school were made such that each subject had a building assigned to it. During the guidance in August, there was a sign that indicated to go directly to the science preparation room; however there was no indication of where it was. In the unfamiliar quiet emptiness of the science building, a feeling of alienation accompanied him as he referred to the map as he walked. At the end of the third floor, he found the science experiment room. Next to that, was the science preparation room.

Hirose knocked lightly on the science preparation room door. Almost instantly, a thick voice replied “Oh”.

Hirose excused himself as he opened the door causing the coolness of the air conditioner along with the smell of oil to escape the room. It was the smell of turpentine, a smell unsuited to a science room.

“Hey, you look much more mature now.” Gotou ridiculed, laughing as he stood in front of the easel placed next to the window sill. Gotou painted as a hobby. As he had considerable talent, he was jointly in charge with of the compulsory art class with the arts teacher. At that moment in time, he wasn’t holding the brush in his hand in preparation; rather, he seemed to be simply looking at the finish of the painting.

On one side, cupboards lined the surface of the wall. On the other, three desks were lined side by side. On one of those, next to the easel, a brush wash, paint and a palette among other things were scattered over the table. On the other two tables, items resembling class materials were there, however those tables too didn’t escape being in a mess. The experiment tools left on the floor, canvases, the weekly schedules that were stuck on to the walls, memos were all in a disarray; however, in comparison to the preparation room Hirose frequented while he was a student, the piles were more smooth and flat.