When the practice board shifted half an inch, Rina's foot had already stepped onto the edge of the doorframe.
The board was not heavy. The problem was its width. Two people could not pass through the doorway side by side without getting stuck, while carrying it alone easily blocked one's view. What Yamashiro Takuma had them practice was "using the doorway": the person in front passed through first, the one behind waited, and those beside them could only remind them, not snatch it away.
Kiyo frowned as soon as he heard that. "Even if the board's about to fall, we can't grab it?"
"First decide whether it's actually falling, or whether you only think it is," the teacher said.
It sounded simple, but when it was Rina's turn, nearly everyone in the room tensed. She carried the practice board to the doorway, and one corner lightly scraped against the frame. She tried to turn sideways, but her toes stepped on a raised strip of old wood, sending her body tilting right.
Che stood beside her, his hand already raised.
If he took the board directly, Rina would not fall, and neither would the board. But then she would not be the one making it through. He would be the one forcing her through. Yamashiro Takuma was watching right beside them. Keisuke was watching too. Kiyo had even drawn in a breath, ready to shout.
Che did not take the board.
He only used two fingers to support its underside.
"Steady your left foot first," he said.
Rina's shoulders trembled. Her toes stepped back into place, and the corner of the board slid free of the doorframe. She carried the practice board through the doorway herself and only stopped after crossing the line. The board had not fallen, and neither had