When the first group ran out, Kiyo nearly moved with them.
His knees had already bent, and his toes had edged forward half an inch before Morita Yu reached out and caught his sleeve. Kiyo turned back, looking utterly innocent.
"I heard the start."
"Not your group."
"The word 'start' is very compelling."
Morita Yu let go, as if afraid that hearing one more sentence would affect his performance.
The chalk line beneath the courtyard wall puffed up a little dust beneath the first group's feet. The assessment was not about who could sprint to the wooden marker fastest. They had to run from the starting point to the marker, circle back, make a brief stop midway, and finally recount two changes they had noticed underfoot. Running too hard meant missing the stopping point; running too slowly would get their physical ability marked down. The teacher had not said much, but the children all heard the trouble hidden within it.
Zhen Shu was in the second group. When his turn came, his shoulders were tighter than before. He started fast, so fast that the edge of the first chalk line scattered beneath his sole. Before reaching the wooden marker, he forced himself to slow down, his heel scraping over a small stone as his body swayed half an inch. He had not fallen, and it was not a serious mistake, but the chief examiner saw it.
"Recount it when you return," the teacher said.
Zhen Shu ran back to the starting point, breathing heavily.
"The first section of chalk was loose. There were stones behind the wooden marker," he said. "The midway stopping point was farther forward than it looked."
The teacher made a note on the form. "Next group."
There was neither praise nor a frown.
Zhen Shu stepped