One day, while I was doing evening self-study in my classroom, I felt tired and looked out the window. The sun was setting. The sky was dyed red, as if someone were staining their hands with balsam flowers. It takes time and patience to stain one’s fingernails with balsam flowers, and the sunset seemed to appear in the same way, patiently waiting through the whole day before showing itself.

The clouds in the balsam-colored sunset looked like pieces of cotton that were gradually being dyed by the flowers. They also gave me the mysterious feeling that spirits of fire had come down to the human world. The way the sunset illuminated nature looked like a red spotlight shining on a stage.

Under that spotlight, the pine trees seemed so excited that they were dancing a folk dance together. The insects gathered around them and danced beautifully as well, whether they were competing with one another or trying to attract attention. The sound of the air conditioner was like a bass accompaniment, and the birds singing regularly added notes to it and created a song. I tapped my fingers to the rhythm and enriched the birds’ melody, just as they did.

Without my realizing it, this little festival during evening self-study had been taking place every day. I swayed my body and enjoyed myself along with the trees and insects outside, and they did, too. Even the objects in the classroom seemed to move by themselves and did so with me.

The books danced as if they were lifting their paper skirts. The mechanical pencils and pens in my pencil case rolled around and showed off their tricks, and the other things on my desk did, too. The eraser became so excited that it fell onto the floor. I picked it up and placed it back on the desk, which served as its stage.

As time passed, the festival became more and more exciting, and its enthusiasm did, too. New notes were constantly added to the song, making it richer and livelier. Surrounded by the heat, joy, and passion of the festival, I gave it all my energy. In the end, I closed my eyes and collapsed.

It was a truly strange thing.