The 36.5-Degree Time

The temperature is 36.5 degrees. Air at almost the same temperature as body heat clings to my skin. The walk that usually takes ten minutes took fifteen today. It seems the heat is making even time feel sluggish.

When I enter the convenience store, there is a crowd in front of the refrigerated section. Everyone is serious about choosing a cold drink. What would usually take thirty seconds to decide takes five minutes today.

Heat makes people equal. Everyone walking is on the same side of the sidewalk, seeking shade. Both luxury cars and compact cars rely on the same function: air conditioning. There is no difference in status when it comes to sweating.

I remember summer vacation when I was a child. Back then, there were certainly days as hot as this. But at that time, even the heat was part of the fun. Playing in the water, shaved ice, cooling off in the evening. All of it together was summer. It's different now. The heat has become something to endure, or perhaps an obstacle to overcome.

However, even now, the heat brings more than just discomfort. Amidst the consecutive days of heat, I think back on the people I've met. An encounter at a cafe, the barley tea from the greengrocer, mothers helping each other out. The heat brings something that shortens the distance between people.

"It's hot, isn't it?"
Conversations that start with this greeting have a special sense of intimacy. You could even call it a sense of solidarity in the face of a common enemy.

In the evening, when the temperature drops slightly, the city regains its vitality. People's steps become lighter, and their expressions soften. The number 36.5 might be a boundary line for humans. In temperatures that exceed our body heat, we become different from our usual selves. More humble, more kind, and more human.

Tomorrow, the forecast is for over 36 degrees again. But I also feel a little bit of excitement. It seems there is still more that the heat can teach me.

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