Before the ninth day of preparation began, another line appeared beneath Class C's whiteboard.
`In the same time period, look first at who finishes`
After Ishizaki finished writing, he did not leave. Instead, he handed the chalk to Ryuuen.
Beside it, Ryuuen added Class C's preparation time.
It matched the time period on Class D's public sheet exactly.
"They've already built comparison into their preparation," Sudo said.
"Writing it on a whiteboard doesn't make it part of the rules," Horikita replied.
"But the stands will judge by who finishes first."
Hirata turned the public sheet toward the table. "Should Class D write down completion times?"
Gu Heng did not answer immediately.
The second-row participant looked at her record column. "If we don't write them down, they'll say we never finished."
"If we do, they'll treat one internal review as the result between two classes," Gu Heng said.
"Then let them know we finished," Sudo said, raising his head.
"Knowing we finished doesn't mean knowing who won."
Sudo frowned. "So we're letting them say we were slow again?"
"Today only decides how much of Class D's records will be public," Horikita said.
She drew two columns on the public sheet.
`Preparation period`
`Public status`
Then Horikita crossed out the entire completion-time column, her pen tip lingering against the paper.
"The completion times stay on the internal sheet," Hirata said.
"That'll make the public sheet look even more like a blank form," Kushida pointed out.
"A blank form won't make the wrong comparison for us," Gu Heng replied.
Ayanokoji sat at the edge of the stands, nowhere near the table.
"You're voluntarily giving up something that would be easy to prove."
Sudo turned toward him. "You think we should report the times too?"
"I only said it would be easy." Ayanokoji looked