The day after the rain stopped, the threshold at the ninja academy was still a little damp.
The wood had absorbed water, and stepping on it produced a faint, dull sound. Kiyo did not notice when he entered. His sole slipped, and he lurched half a step forward. Instinctively, he reached for the doorframe, only to knock over the broom hanging by the door.
The broom hit the floor with a smack, and the classroom fell silent.
Kiyo froze, then slowly turned around. "If I said I was testing the threshold's safety..."
Morita Yu put down his book. "The threshold might sue you."
Che picked up the broom and leaned it back against the wall. "Don't worry. I can testify. You really did lose to a building."
Kiyo sighed. "None of you have any camaraderie."
That little commotion loosened up the morning a little. But it did not last until the moment Zhen Shu walked in.
Zhen Shu had arrived early today. His collar was perfectly straight, and the loose hair over his forehead had been neatly pressed down. Instead of going directly to his seat, he paused by the threshold. It was exactly where Kiyo had slipped yesterday, and the dampness had not yet fully dried. He looked down at it, then raised his eyes toward Keisuke.
"What did you write in yesterday's reflection?"
It was as though a piece of the classroom's noise had been taken away.
Keisuke was placing his wooden sword beside his desk. At those words, his hand stopped on the hilt. "What does that have to do with you?"
Zhen Shu did not smile. "Of course it does. You always say you don't want other people deciding things for you. Then at the very least, you should know whether what you wrote for the