Kyonen no haru no yo, - - to itte mo mada kaze no samui, tsuki no saeta yoru no kuji goro, Yasukichi wa sannin no tomodachi to, uogashi no ourai o aruite ita. Sannin no tomodachi to wa, haijin no Rosai, yougaka no Fuuchuu, makieshi no Jotan, - - sannin tomo honmyou wa akasanai ga, sono michi de shirareta udekkoki de aru. Kotoni Rosai wa toshikasa de mo ari, shinkeikou no haijin to shite wa, tsuto ni na o haseta otoko datta.

  Wareware wa mina yotte ita. Motto mo Fuuchuu to Yasukichi to wa geko, Jotan wa nadai no shugou datta kara, sannin wa fudan to kawaranakatta. Tada Rosai wa dou ka suru to, ashimoto mo shoushou abunakatta. Wareware wa Rosai o naka ni shinagara, namagusai tsukiakari no fukareru toori o, nihonbashi no hou e aruite itta.

  Rosai wa kissui no edokko datta. Sousofu wa Shokusan ya Bunchou to kouyuu no atsukatta hito de aru. Ie mo kashi no Marusei to ieba, ano kaiwai de wa shiranu mono wa nai. Sore o Rosai wa zutto mae kara, kagyou wa hotondo hito makase ni shita nari, jibun wa San'ya no roji no oku ni, ku to sho to tenkoku to o tanoshinde ita. Dakara Rosai ni wa wareware ni nai, doko ka inase na fuukaku ga atta. Shitamachi kishitsu yori wa denbou na, yamanote ni wa mochiron en no tooi, - - iwaba kashi no maguro no sushi to, hitoaji tsuuzuru nanimono ka ga atta.--------

  Rosai wa sa mo jama sou ni, tokidoki gaitou no sode o hane nagara, kaikatsu ni wareware to hanashi tsuduketa. Jotan wa shizuka ni warai warai, hanashi no aiduchi o utte ita. Sono uchi ni wareware wa itsunomani ka, kashi no tottsuki e kite shimatta. Kono mama kashi o denukeru no wa minna myou ni monotari nakatta. Suru to soko ni youshokuya ga ikken, katagawa o terashita tsukiakari ni shiroi noren o tarashite ita. Kono mise no uwasa wa Yasukichi sae mo nando ka kikasareta koto ga atta."Hairou ka? " "Haitte mo ii na." - - sonna koto o iiau uchi ni, wareware wa mou Fuuchuu o saki ni, semai mise no naka e nadare konde ita.

  Mise no naka ni wa kyaku ga futari, hosonagai taku ni mukatte ita. Kyaku no hitori wa kashi no wakaishu, mou hitori wa doko ka no shokkou rashikatta. Wareware wa futari zutsu mukaiai ni, onaji taku ni warikomasete moratta. Sore kara tairagai no furai o sakana ni, chibichibi masamune o namehajimeta. Mochiron geko no Fuuchuu ya Yasukichi wa futatsu to choku wa kasane nakatta. Sono kawari ryouri o tairage sasu to, futari tomo nakanaka kentan datta.

  Kono mise wa taku mo koshikake mo, nisu o nuranai shiraki datta. Omake ni mise o kakou mono wa, edo denrai no yoshizu datta. Dakara youshoku wa kutte ite mo, hotondo youshokuya to wa omoware nakatta. Fuuchuu wa atsuraeta bifuteki ga kuru to, kore wa kiri aji ja naika to ittari shita. Jotan wa naifu no kireru no ni, ooi ni keii o hyou shite ita. Yasukichi wa mata dentou no akarui no ga kou iu basho dake ni arigatakatta. Rosai mo, - - Rosai wa tochikko da kara, nani mo mezurashiku wa nai rashikatta. Ga, toriuchibou o amida ni shita mama, Jotan to kenshuu o kasanete wa, aikawarazu kaikatsu ni shabette ita.

  Suru to sono saichuu ni, nakaorebou o kabutta kyaku ga hitori, nutto noren o kugutte kita. Kyaku wa gaitou no kegawa no eri ni futotta hoo o uzume nagara, miru to iu yori wa, niramu you ni, semai mise no naka e me o yatta. Sore kara hitokoto no aisatsu mo sezu, Jotan to wakaishu to no aida no seki e, ookii karada o warikomaseta. Yasukichi wa raisukaree o sukui nagara, iyana yatsu da na to omotte ita. Kore ga izumi kyouka no shousetsu da to, ninkyou yorokobu beki geisha ka nani ka ni, taijirareru yatsu da ga to omotte ita. Shikashi mata gendai no nihonbashi wa, toutei kyouka no shousetsu no you ni, ugokikko wa nai to mo omotte ita.

  Kyaku wa chuumon o tooshita nochi, ouhei ni tabako o fukashi hajimeta. Sono sugata wa mireba miru hodo, katakiyaku no sunpou ni hamatte ita. Aburagitta akara gao wa mochiron, ooshima no haori, mitome ni naru yubi wa, - - kotogotoku kata o denakatta. Yasukichi wa iyoiyo aterareta kara, kono kyaku no sonzai o wasuretasa ni, tonari ni iru Rosai e hanashi kaketa. Ga, Rosai wa un to ka, ee to ka, iikagen na henji shika shite kurenakatta. Nomi narazu kare mo aterareta no ka, dentou no hikari ni somuki nagara, waza to toriuchibou o mabuka ni shite ita.

  Yasukichi wa yamu o ezu Fuuchuu ya Jotan to, kuimono no koto nado o hanashi atta. Shikashi hanashi wa hazumanakatta. Kono futotta kyaku no shutsugen irai, wareware sannin no kokoromochi ni, myou na kurui no dekita koto wa, dou ni mo shikata no nai jijitsu datta.

  Kyaku wa chuumon no furai ga kuru to, masamune no bin o toriageta. Sou shite choku e tsugou to shita. Sono toki dare ka yokoai kara, "Kousan" to hakkiri yonda mono ga atta. Kyaku wa akiraka ni bikkuri shita. Shikamo sono odoroita kao wa, koe no nushi o mita to omou to, tachimachi touwaku no iro ni kawaridashita."Yaa, korya danna deshita ka." - - kyaku wa nakaorebou o nugi nagara, nando mo koe no nushi ni ojigi o shita. Koe no nushi wa haijin no Rosai, kashi no Marusei no danna datta.

 "Shibaraku da ne." - - Rosai wa suzushii kao o shinagara, choko o kuchi e motte itta. Sono choko ga kara ni naru to, kyaku wa sukasazu Rosai no choko e kyaku jishin no bin no sake o tsuida. Sore kara hatame ni wa okashii hodo, Rosai no kigen o ukagaidashita.--------

  Kyouka no shousetsu wa shinde wa inai. Sukunaku tomo Toukyou no uogashi ni wa, imada ni ano toori no jiken mo okoru no de aru.

  Shikashi youshokuya no soto e deta toki, Yasukichi no kokoro wa shizunde ita. Yasukichi wa mochiron "Kousan" ni wa, nan no doujou mo motanakatta. Sono ue Rosai no hanashi ni yoru to, kyaku wa jinkaku mo warui rashikatta. Ga, sore ni mo kakawarazu myou ni youki ni wa narenakatta. Yasukichi no shosai no tsukue no ue ni wa, yomikaketa roshufuukou no goroku ga aru.- - Yasukichi wa tsukiakari o fumi nagara, itsu ka sonna koto o kangaete ita.

( Taishou 11 nen 7 gatsu)