There were fifty-two minutes left on the final countdown.
Horikita did not have everyone gather around the rock to vote.
She first spread the public representative confirmation page in front of Yukimura.
"First, confirm the public representative's responsibilities."
Yukimura read the fine print on the terminal.
"When the window opens, the public representative must confirm their representative status at the class's current public base and submit the final-stage status. The school records public actions and does not examine internal roles."
"In other words, standing at the front doesn't mean I'm the leader recorded by the school," Horikita said.
"Right," Yukimura replied. "But if you say one wrong thing out there, the other classes will treat it as Class D's official position."
"Then I'll do it."
Horikita entered her own name in the public representative field.
No one objected.
Horikita closed the terminal in her palm and turned toward the others.
"The public representative has been decided. Everyone else, continue checking supplies, withdrawals, and the current base. Don't wait on the final-stage leader field."
Hirata took the status sheet and led most of them to the outside edge of the base.
Only Gu Heng, Horikita, Hirata, and Yukimura remained by the rock. Ayanokoji was still in the shade of the trees and was not included in this confirmation.
Only after Hirata repeated the item aloud did he ask, "What about the final-stage leader?"
No one answered immediately this time.
There was no public candidate list for the final-stage leader field.
The school only required them to submit a name. The other classes could only probe through observation, exchanges, and guesses.
"Hirata," Gu Heng spoke first.
"You're not suitable."
Hirata did not frown.
"Because I'm too easily seen as the stable center?"
"And because if they guess you correctly, they'll think Class