情け嶋
十月の初日。あたたかい、常春のこの島に似合わない、氷のような空気を纏った男子が、転校してきた。彼は、松葉杖をついていた。
まさに「王子様」、語彙のないわたしには、そんな言葉しか浮かばない。
思わずツバを飲み込んだ。隣の席のミオも、口を開けて王子様をポカーンと見つめている。目にかかる長めの前髪に微かに都会の気配を残した、モデルみたいに背の高い転校生。二学期の途中なのに、なんでこの時期？しかも謎に負傷している？どこか影のある美少年だった。
「浅尾貴です。横浜から来ました。よろしくお願いします。」
最後にすこしだけはにかんだ顔が、わたしたちの心を一撃で撃ち抜いた。即死、とでも言うのだろうか。女子は全員、王子様を好きになっちゃうんじゃないの？と思った。なにしろ、病院食のやさしい味に慣れた舌に、突然高級フレンチを食べさせられたような衝撃だった。
気になることは山ほどあった。どうして十月に転校してきたのか。どうして松葉杖なのか。聞いてみたい。でも、誰も聞けなかった。あの笑顔の向こうに踏み込んではいけないような気がしていた。
この中学では、みんな同じ小学校からそのまま中学に上がるし、人数も少ない。普段は全員、下の名前で呼び合う。ところが、転校生の彼を、男子は「浅尾くん」女子なんて「浅尾さん」と、妙に改まった距離感で呼んでいた。授業で急に当てられても、スラスラ答える。体育の授業は足のケガでしばらく見学だった。授業後に全員で片付けをしていると、コート脇に松葉杖を預けてぽつんと立っている浅尾のところに、ボールが転がっていった。浅尾は転がってきたバスケットボールをひょいと拾った。何気なく、怪我していない方の足一本で軽く踏み込み、ワンハンドで放ったそれが、スパッとネットに吸い込まれた。
「えっ、今の片足？」
「うそでしょ！」
男子たちがどよめき、それを見ていた女子たちも「やっぱり王子様…」と目を輝かせた。
「もうほとんど治ってるから。」
そう答えたその瞳の奥はどこか乾いていて、まるでビー玉のようだった。誰もが「近づきがたいクールな王子様」だと思っていた。どことなく陰があるのも、魅力をさらに増していた。
だが、その神話は、理科室の古いカーテンの裏であっけなく崩れ去った。ある日、掃除をしていたときのことだった。
「うわっ！」
ガタガタッと机が倒れる盛大な音がして、クラス中が振り返った。
そこには、床の隅に飛びのいて、顔を真っ青にしてへっぴり腰になっている王子様の姿があった。
足元をカサカサと這っていたのは、八丈島ではおなじみの、通称サッチャン…、「サツマゴキブリ」だ。さらにその横では、長く鋭い尻尾のついた「サソリモドキ」ものそのそと歩いている。都会育ちの彼にとって、それは教室の中にティラノサウルスがいたくらいの衝撃だったのだろうか。さっきまでのクールな面影はどこへやら、そこにいたのは、情けない声をあげる、ただの虫嫌いな少年だった。
教室が一瞬、シーンと静まり返ったあと──。
「あははははは！」
大爆笑が起きた。
「すげー顔！」
「まって、サソリモドキにビビってるのウケるんだけど！」
クラス中が、腹を抱えて笑った。もう誰も浅尾を恐れていなかった。気まずそうに顔を真っ赤にし、プライドを粉々に砕かれた彼は、しばらく固まっていたが、やがて、ふっと力が抜けたように苦笑いを浮かべた。──なんだ、完璧じゃないじゃん。そう思った瞬間、彼の周りに張られていた氷の壁が、音を立ててひび割れた。
それからしばらく経った頃。いつの間にか浅尾の松葉杖はなくなり、その頃には、もう誰も名字では呼んでいなかった。
「たかしー、マリンシューズじゃなきゃダメだろ！」
Ｔシャツにマリンシューズ、ギョサンという出で立ちのクラスメイトの中に、制服にスニーカーの貴は明らかに浮いている。みんな笑った。
潮風が吹き抜ける黒い溶岩の磯。たくさんの黒い影がサーッと通り過ぎる。
「うお！」
「フナムシもダメなの？」
クラスメイトの男子たちに笑われながら、貴はしぶしぶ岩場を歩いていた。「海はちょっと…」と最初こそ気取っていたものの、同級生たちのペースには敵わない。
「貴、見て！」
ミオが岩の隙間から剥ぎ取るようにして見せたのは、怪獣の手のような奇妙な生き物だった。
「なにこれ…？」
「カメノテ！超おいしいよ。」
「えっ、食べられるの？」
貴が目を丸くする。最初は「むり！」「キモい」と眉をひそめていたものの、浜辺で焚き火を囲み、蒸したての身を差し出されると、恐る恐る口に運んだ。
「うまっ。」
磯の香りと、濃厚な旨味が口いっぱいに広がる。それからは早かった。島ではおなじみの海水で煮た里芋も、ホクホクと湯気を立てている。貴も一口かじって、目を丸くした。「うめー。」しまいにはミオに手を引かれ、真剣な顔で錆びついたヘラと小石を手に、岩の隙間にヘラを当ててはトントンと叩いていた。
季節はあっという間に過ぎ去り、冬になった。島の家の造りは風通しに命を懸けているので、とびきり寒い。謎に満ちていた貴も、すっかり島暮らしに馴染んできたのかな、と思っていた頃だった。
登校すると、クラスメイトたちがザワついている。前の席の男子が真剣な顔でスマホを見つめている。わたしは声をかけた。
「おはよー。」
「スマホ見てねえの？」
そういえば教室の中に、貴の姿はなかった。
「松葉杖、ついてたしなあ。」
「横浜だし。貴のことじゃね？」
ずいぶん過去の投稿らしい。横浜の中学生がＳＮＳに書き込んだ内容を、クラスの男子が偶然見つけ、グループLINEで広まったのだ。動物虐待をした仕返しにボコボコにされて、八丈島に引っ越した──そんな真偽不明の書き込みが、狭い島の中で瞬く間に共有されていく。本人の耳にも、もう入っているかもわからない。
スマホの画面に映る文字を、もう一度読み返した。もし本当なら…確かに、許せない。でも、あの理科室でみっともなく腰を抜かしていた姿と、カメノテを「うまっ」と言っていた顔を思い浮かべると、ネットの冷たい文字と、あのときの貴の姿が、どうしても同じ人間だとは思えない。
「これさあ…。」
言葉を選んだ。信じたくないとかじゃなくて。
「これさあ、もし本当だとしても、今の貴を見てたら信じられないよ。いいやつじゃん？」
「や、でもマジだったら、俺ちょっとむりかも。」
「本人に聞いてみる？」
ざわめくクラスメイトたちの中で、わたしは呟いた。
「どっちにしても、もう貴は友達じゃん。」
そのひとことで、みんなは静かになった。きっと、同じ顔を思い浮かべていたのだ。理科室でサツマゴキブリに腰を抜かしていた顔。フナムシを怖がりながらも、磯でカメノテを夢中で獲っていた横顔を。
「…そうだな。同じフライパンのカメノテ食ったしな！」
「うちでその話出たら、ママにも言っとく。」
「明日からも、なにも変わらないよ。」
放課後、ミオとわたしは、貴の家を訪ねた。出てきたのはお母様だった。
「ありがとう。貴、今日は誰にも会いたくないみたい。」
今日は授業で、海で拾った流木を洗って干して、ペイントした。なにも聞けなかったけれど、それをお母様に渡して、帰ってきた。「あの」と言いかけたとき、ミオに制止された。なにがあっても、変わらないのだから、それでいい。
翌日、貴は目を真っ赤に腫らして登校してきた。
「貴んち、ヤスデ出る？」
「ヤスデ？」
「冬は八丈島、いっぱい出るぞ。すっげー、くさい虫。」
貴が顔をしかめ、あからさまにいやな顔をすると、みんな、どっと笑った。
その日の夜。みんなで海へ、星を見に行った。
「あれ、噂、マジだから。」
貴がぽつりと言った。真っ暗で、顔は見えない。
「嫌いになった？」
「ならないよ。」
「なんで？」
「もう友達じゃん。」
冬の夜空は、手を伸ばせば届きそうなくらい星が近かった。誰かが見つけた流れ星に歓声があがる。貴も黙って空を見上げていた。波が砕ける音が、遠くで響く。
ギョサンが貝殻を踏む音も、誰かの笑い声も、潮騒と一緒に広い海と広い空の中へ消えていく。
この島は、今日も変わらず、わたしたちを包んでいた。
The Island of Mercy
October 1st. A boy arrived as a transfer student, cloaked in an icy air that seemed out of place on this warm, ever-spring island. He was on crutches.
He was exactly a "prince"—with my limited vocabulary, that was the only word that came to mind.
I unconsciously swallowed my saliva. Mio, sitting next to me, was also staring at the prince with her mouth hanging open. He was tall, like a model, with slightly long bangs that brushed his eyes and carried a faint trace of the city. Why transfer in the middle of the second semester? And why was he mysteriously injured? He was a beautiful boy with a hint of shadow about him.
"I'm Takashi Asao. I'm from Yokohama. Nice to meet you."
The slightly shy smile he gave at the end pierced our hearts in a single blow. Instant death, you might say. I thought every girl in the class would fall for the prince. After all, it was like suddenly being served gourmet French food to a tongue accustomed to the gentle taste of hospital food.
There were so many things I was curious about. Why did he transfer in October? Why was he on crutches? I wanted to ask. But no one could. It felt like we shouldn't step beyond that smile of his.
At this middle school, everyone had gone straight from the same elementary school, and the class was small. Usually, everyone called each other by their first names. However, with the transfer student, the boys called him "Asao-kun" and the girls even called him "Asao-san," keeping a strangely formal distance.
Even when suddenly called on in class, he answered smoothly.
He sat out of PE for a while due to his leg injury. After class, while everyone was cleaning up, a ball rolled over to Asao, who was standing alone with his crutches propped up by the court. Asao casually picked up the rolling basketball.
Without thinking, he pushed off lightly with his uninjured leg and released a one-handed shot that sliced neatly through the net and sank into the goal.
"Whoa, that was one-legged?!"
"No way!"
The boys were in an uproar, and the girls watching also had shining eyes, saying, "As expected of the prince..."
"It's almost healed now."
But deep down, his eyes as he said that were somehow dry, like marbles. Everyone thought of him as an "unapproachable, cool prince." The hint of darkness about him only added to his charm.
However, this myth was easily shattered behind the old curtains of the science room.
It was one day after school, while I was cleaning by the window.
"Whoa!?"
With a loud clattering sound of a desk tipping over, the whole class turned around.
There stood the prince, having jumped back against a corner of the floor, his face pale, crouching in fear.
Crawling around his feet was a familiar sight on Hachijo Island—the so-called "Satchan"... the Satsuma cockroach. Moreover, beside it, a "whip scorpion" with its long, sharp tail was also ambling slowly.
For a city-bred boy like him, it must have been as shocking as if a Tyrannosaurus Rex had appeared in the classroom. The cool image he had maintained just moments ago was gone; in its place stood a pathetic boy crying out, who simply hated bugs.
After a moment of dead silence in the classroom—
"Ahahahahaha!!"
A roar of laughter erupted.
"What a face!"
"Wait, him being scared of a whip scorpion is hilarious!"
The whole class was laughing, holding their stomachs. No one was afraid of Asao anymore. He stood frozen for a while, his face bright red with embarrassment, his pride shattered to pieces. Eventually, he let out a wry smile, as if all the tension had drained from him.—He's not perfect after all. The moment I thought that, the icy wall that had been erected around him cracked with a resounding sound.
Some time passed after that. Before long, Asao's crutches were gone, and by then, no one was calling him by his surname anymore.
"Takashi—you have to wear marine shoes, not sneakers!"
Among classmates dressed in T-shirts and marine sandals (gyosan), Takashi, in his uniform and sneakers, stood out clearly. Everyone laughed.
On the black lava rock shore, swept by the sea breeze, many black shadows scurried past.
"Whoa!"
"Can't handle sea slaters either?"
Laughed at by the boys in his class, Takashi reluctantly walked along the rocks. Although he had initially acted aloof, saying "The sea is a bit...", he was no match for his classmates' pace.
"Takashi, look!"
Mio pried something from a crack in the rock and showed him—a strange creature that looked like the hand of a monster.
"What's that...?"
"Kamenote (barnacles)! They're super delicious."
"Eh, you can eat them?"
Takashi's eyes widened. At first, he frowned, saying "No way!" and "Gross," but when they gathered around a bonfire on the beach and offered him a freshly steamed one, he fearfully put it in his mouth.
"It's good."
The scent of the sea and the rich umami spread throughout his mouth. After that, it was fast. The taro potatoes boiled in seawater, a common island treat, were also steaming hot and fluffy. Takashi took a bite and widened his eyes. "Awesome." Eventually, Mio took his hand, and with a serious face, he took a rusty spatula and a small stone, tapping them against the rock crevices.
The seasons passed quickly, and winter came.
Since the houses on the island were built with ventilation as a top priority, it was exceptionally cold. Takashi, who had been full of mysteries, seemed to have completely adapted to island life, or so I thought at the time.
When I arrived at school one morning, my classmates were buzzing. The boy in the front seat was staring at his smartphone with a serious expression. I called out to him.
"Good morning."
"Have you seen the phone?"
Come to think of it, Takashi wasn't in the classroom.
"He was on crutches, right."
"And he's from Yokohama. Could it be about Takashi?"
It seemed to be an old post. A junior high student from Yokohama had written something on social media, which a boy in our class had accidentally found and shared on the class LINE group. The rumor—that he had been beaten up in retaliation for animal abuse and had moved to Hachijo Island—spread instantly across the small island. He probably had already heard about it himself.
I read the words on the screen again. If it was true... certainly, it was inexcusable. But when I thought of the sight of him pathetically collapsing in the science room, and his face saying "It's good" while eating barnacles, the cold characters on the internet and the Takashi from that time just couldn't seem like the same person.
"Hey, about this..."
I chose my words carefully. Not that I didn't want to believe it, but...
"Hey, even if this is true, looking at Takashi now, I just can't believe it. He's a good guy, isn't he?"
"Well, but if it's real, I might not be okay with it."
"Should we ask him directly?"
Amidst the murmuring classmates, I muttered.
"Either way, Takashi is already our friend."
At those words, everyone fell silent. Surely, they were all picturing the same faces.
The face of him losing it over the Satsuma cockroach in the science room. The profile of him fearfully avoiding sea slaters, yet eagerly collecting barnacles on the shore.
"...Yeah, that's true. We all ate barnacles from the same pan!"
"If that topic comes up at my house, I'll tell my mom that too."
"From tomorrow on, nothing has to change."
After school, Mio and I visited Takashi's house. His mother came to the door.
"Thank you. Takashi doesn't want to see anyone today."
That day in class, we had washed and dried driftwood we found at the beach and painted it. We couldn't ask anything, but we handed it to his mother and went home. When I started to say, "Excuse me...", Mio stopped me. No matter what had happened, nothing was going to change, so that was fine.
The next day, Takashi came to school with his eyes swollen red.
"Do millipedes come out at your place, Takashi?"
"Millipedes?"
"In winter on Hachijo Island, they come out everywhere. They're super stinky bugs."
Takashi grimaced, making an obviously disgusted face, and everyone burst out laughing.
That night, we all went to the sea to look at the stars.
"Hey, that rumor... it's true."
Takashi said quietly. It was pitch dark, so I couldn't see his face.
"Do you hate me now?"
"No, we don't."
"Why?"
"Because you're already our friend."
In the winter night sky, the stars were so close it seemed you could reach out and touch them.
A cheer went up as someone spotted a shooting star.
Takashi also looked up at the sky in silence. The sound of waves crashing echoed in the distance.
The sound of marine sandals stepping on seashells, someone's laughter, all faded away with the sound of the tide into the vast sea and the vast sky.
Today, as always, this island was embracing us.
