The Three Sages and "My Underwear is Dirty."

I feel restless after I leave the restroom.
During class, I find myself fidgeting in my chair.
There was another small stain on my underwear.
"Maybe I'm not wiping properly."
But I absolutely cannot tell anyone about it.

Everyone is pretending not to notice.
The teacher, my friends, and even I myself.
But... only my underwear was being honest.

That night, a strange stage appeared in my dream.
Three sages emerged from behind the curtain.

Charlie Chaplin (The King of Comedy)

"Oh, worried about your bottom again?"
Then let me show you the most ridiculous dance in the world.
Look at this stain on my trousers! It's the greatest gag in life!"

Chaplin shook his trousers wildly,
falling, sliding, and making everyone laugh in the middle of the stage.
The laughter tore through the veil of shame.

Frida Kahlo (The Painter of Pain)

"I painted self-portraits even when I was bedridden.
Leaving the pain and the changes in my body just as they were.
Hey, why don't you make your 'dirty underwear' a portrait of yourself too?"

She painted a reddish-brown stain on the canvas.
Before I knew it, it had become the shadow of a mountain at dusk.

Kenji Miyazawa (The Peasant Poet)

"I know.
The nights you cried without being able to tell anyone.
Is being clean really that important?
Even if you have become dirty,
shouldn't you be grateful that someone is gently washing it for you instead of blaming you?"

His voice was like the wind.
It was like the rain falling gently on muddy feet in a field.

I still couldn't be convinced.
"It's still scary to be laughed at."
"I feel reluctant to turn my dirty state into a painting."
"I don't want to rely on others; I want to handle it myself."

Chaplin sat down quietly and placed his hat on his knees.
His eyes, which had been acting like a clown until just a moment ago, stared straight at me.

"What you fear most isn't 'being dirty'.
What you fear is 'being laughed at by someone for it and ending up alone'."

I felt a jolt.
It was as if he had seen through to the depths of my heart, not just my bottom.

Chaplin continues.

"But you know, the characters in my movies are all
poor, covered in mud, and maybe haven't even wiped their bottoms.
But not a single one of them ismiserable."

"Do you know why?
It's because—they laugh at their own clumsiness while still trying to help someone else."

"Rather than shutting yourself away for fear of being laughed at,
I think it's much more human to find a little courage and stand by someone's side, even if you're still dirty."

"That is why—you, walking around with a spare pair of underwear,
are the coolest person in the world right now."

At that moment, the stage lights dimmed softly,
and Chaplin gave a gentle wink before walking away.

The next morning, I tried something a little different.
I tried wiping with two layers of toilet paper.
I also secretly tucked a spare pair of underwear into my school bag.

And if it still gets dirty again—
I decided I would laugh about it next time.
Just like Chaplin, as if I were dancing.