When the old roll book opened to a blank page, the paper made a dry rustle.
Teacher Mizuno set the book on the lectern in the East Corridor without letting them crowd around it right away. Kiyo sat in the front row, nearly sliding off his chair. Naruto stood at the doorway, his toes already over the threshold, then tried very hard to pull them back.
"Today, we're looking at blank space," Teacher Mizuno said.
Kiyo stared. "What's there to look at?"
"Sit properly first."
Kiyo sat a little straighter.
The front of the old book was filled with names and dates. Toward the back, a clean page suddenly appeared. No names, no check marks, no water stains. Naruto stared at it, his brow slowly furrowing.
"No one?"
"Nothing's been written yet," Rina said.
Naruto looked at her. "Is that different?"
Rina thought for a moment. "'No one' means there's nobody. 'Not written yet' means waiting."
Her words quieted the classroom for a moment. Kiyo lowered his head and scribbled quickly, then looked up halfway through. "Slow down. I couldn't keep up."
Rina blushed and fell silent.
Teacher Mizuno didn't ask her to say it again. She simply pressed the blank page flat. The paper bulged slightly under her hand, as though it still wanted to turn away. Standing at the back, Che suddenly remembered the space left open on the wall. Blank space wasn't useless emptiness. It was waiting for a reason clear enough to fill it.
Naruto edged closer, then stopped. "So my name's up front?"
"It's in the Class One book," Teacher Mizuno said.
"What about this one?"
"This is the East Corridor's old book."
"So I won't be in here?"
Teacher Mizuno looked at him. "You're standing in the doorway right now."
Naruto looked down at