After setting the Shared Box lid straight, Naruto stared at it for quite a while.
There was still a tiny gap between the lid's edge and the box itself. It was so narrow that you could only see it up close. Kiyo had already been dragged outside by Morita Yu, but he struggled to stick his head back in.
"Is it crooked?"
Naruto immediately pressed a hand onto the lid. "It's not crooked."
"I was just asking."
"The moment you ask, it looks crooked."
Che passed by with his schoolbag on his back and nearly let out a laugh. Sasuke stood on the other side of the corridor, a workbook tucked beneath his arm. His expression was as usual, but his eyes flicked toward the Shared Box. Naruto caught it and immediately pushed the box toward the center of the desk. Once he had done it, he felt he had been too obvious. As he pulled his hand back, he bumped a short pencil, which rolled softly inside the box.
Teacher Mizuno happened to walk in. She glanced at the Shared Box, then at the people crowding both inside and outside the door.
"Starting tomorrow, there'll be another exercise in the East Corridor."
Kiyo's eyes immediately lit up. "A new box?"
"Feet."
Kiyo's eyes dimmed again. "Do feet need boxes too?"
Morita Yu let go of his schoolbag strap. "Try managing your own feet first."
The next morning, three chalk marks had appeared on the East Corridor floor. One in front of the platform, one inside the threshold, and one beside the Shared Box. The chalk lines were faint enough that a light brush from a shoe sole would smudge them. Teacher Mizuno did not explain much. She only told everyone to pause when entering and look at where their