The next day, the seats were rearranged.
Yamashiro Takuma said it was to help everyone get used to different positions. When Che heard that, his first reaction was not to complain, but to observe. Why was the teacher changing seats? Was it routine, or was he trying to break up the little groups that had already begun to form? Morita Yu and Kiyo had sat too close together yesterday, Keisuke had always sat in the back row, Saori had been toward the rear on the right, and Rina had sat by the window. Changing seats could reveal who adapted slowly and who always wanted to return to their old place.
At that thought, Che stopped himself.
Listen first, then answer.
Make guesses later.
Yamashiro Takuma had not even finished speaking, and Che had already written half a page of notes in his head.
Che set his ordinary pen on the desk and lightly held it down with his fingers.
In the new seating arrangement, Saori was assigned the window seat.
There were trees outside the window. When the wind blew, leaf shadows fell across the desktop. The bell would sound a little clearer by the window than in the middle of the classroom, because the wind would gently lift the hem of the doll's clothes. As soon as Saori sat down, she pressed down on the bell, her shoulders a little tense.
Rina sat beside her.
The arrangement made several children in the classroom glance over. Rina herself froze for a moment, but she did not move her chair away. She arranged her writing paper and said quietly, "If the wind makes it ring, you can close the window a little."
Saori looked at her.
"I don't mean it's too noisy," Rina added quickly. "Just... if you don't want it