'Appointment' by Mina Otsuka

I have a dentist appointment. I take the elevator down to the first floor and see a man in a suit. Our eyes meet and he asks if I can spare him five minutes. He sells newspaper subscriptions. I say no thank you politely and he asks if I’m a student and when I say I’m not, he starts preaching about the importance of staying informed as the world needs to be a better place. But a person’s got teeth to save first.

“So what do you say?” he asks.

“I have a dentist appointment.”