Class D Isn't Just One Person

By the morning of the third day, Class D's camp was much quieter than it had been during the first two rounds.

No one brought up the few seconds of tension between Hirata and Horikita last night on their own.

That morning, Hirata spread out several lists first, while Horikita flipped her record board to a new page.

Squatting off to one side, Hirata was rearranging today's assignments with several people who had not been in great shape after last night's shift.

"You're not pushing forward again this morning. Go handle transport in the middle section first."

"You only slept three hours last night. Don't take the outer perimeter during the first round."

"If you're feeling unwell, say so now. Don't wait until you're halfway through and force yourself to keep going."

His tone was the same as always when he said those things—not loud, not harsh.

But once he finished, his pen would immediately mark the corresponding name.

The people he called on glanced down, and none of them looked to Gu Heng first for an answer anymore.

On the other side, Horikita held the record board and went over the day's rules again.

"Report in advance if you leave the group temporarily."

"Unauthorized changes to supply locations will be recorded."

"If anyone thinks being tired means they can casually dump public ropes on someone else, I'll record their name directly."

She was still as stern as ever.

One person had been hooking a finger around a rope, but let go after hearing that.

The bundle of rope was placed back in the shared supply pile, while someone beside it lowered their head and refastened their shoulder straps.

Horikita wrote each name on the record board with clear, heavy strokes.

The change on Sudo's side was even more straightforward.

Before setting out for the first round today, he did not ask, "Where are we going?"

Instead, he asked:

"Which section am I responsible for this time?"

Gu Heng glanced at him.

"The eastern short section. You're responsible for drawing them over."

"Fine."

Sudo left after answering, without chasing after Gu Heng and asking a whole string of questions.

When he reached the front line, his fists were still clenched out of habit, but he stopped at the edge of the outer perimeter and did not take another step inside.

Gu Heng stood where he was, watching everything as the fingers gripping his terminal slowly relaxed.

They were still the same people.

He did not raise his hand and repeat the instructions a second time.

"What are you looking at?"

At some point, Horikita had walked over beside him.

"I'm watching them stop turning around and waiting for me," Gu Heng said.

"What?"

"Hirata didn't turn around to ask me."

"Sudo didn't chase after me asking why, either."

Horikita tucked the record board more firmly into the crook of her arm before letting out a soft snort.

"You're only just starting to say something decent now."

"I didn't say decent things before?"

"Before, you were more like someone finishing everyone's sentences for them," Horikita said. "Now you're finally willing to loosen your grip a little."

Gu Heng turned to look at her.

"That sounds like both a compliment and an insult."

"It is."

That answer was very Horikita.

Gu Heng did not argue. He merely nodded.

"Fine. I'll take it."

Before the first round began, Gu Heng did something he would not have done a few days ago.

He did not go over every line again.

Once the route and external assessment had been confirmed, he tucked the terminal back into his palm and swept his gaze across several faces.

"Hirata, divide up the girls and the people who were on duty last night."

"Horikita, keep an eye on discipline and anyone temporarily leaving the group."

"Yukimura, don't just record the results today. Record the points where people slow down and where they run low on water."

"Sudo, only hook the outer perimeter. Don't crash into it."

"Kushida, if any of the girls are close to breaking down emotionally, tell Hirata directly. Don't wait until they explode."

Hirata marked a line across his list first.

"I'll ask them first," he said.

Horikita had already flipped her record board to a new page.

"If even one person fails to report in advance, I'll record it directly."

Sudo picked up his bag and headed for the front line.

"Got it. No crashing."

Yukimura lowered his head to fill in the time points, while Kushida's smile faded slightly as she looked toward the girls.

Gu Heng did not repeat himself a second time.

Class D did not take first place in the morning round.

But they did not lose out, either.

They held steady in the upper-middle ranks.

Not eye-catching.

When they returned to camp, the records were handed back separately instead of all being piled into Gu Heng's hands.

When Hirata returned, his forehead was drenched in sweat.

But when he set down his water bag, his shoulders were not as tense as they had been over the last two days.

"It was a little easier today," he said quietly.

"Because you've started actually making decisions," Gu Heng said.

Hirata folded the record sheet in his hands neatly before looking up at him.

"That sounds like a compliment."

"It is."

"Then I'll remember it." Hirata smiled. "It's rare for someone like you to give a serious compliment. You don't see it often."

On the other side, Horikita snapped her record board shut and walked straight over.

"Two people in the middle section tried to take advantage of the confusion to carry less of the shared supplies. I recorded them."

"And then?" Gu Heng asked.

"Then I told them to make it up during the afternoon rotation." Horikita looked at him. "I didn't ask you first."

"Good."

"You answered that pretty quickly."

"Because that was yours to decide in the first place."

Horikita looked at him for two seconds without saying anything else.

She stared at Gu Heng for a long while, yet did not fire back with her next retort.

She tucked the record board back into the crook of her arm, turned, and headed for the middle section.

During the afternoon break, Ryuuen's side finally made a move as well.

He did not come himself.

Ishizaki led some people around from nearby and deliberately stopped where Class D could see them.

They did not approach the camp or raise their hands. They merely stood at the edge of the outer perimeter, their gazes sweeping from Sudo to Hirata before settling back on Gu Heng.

So Gu Heng did not go over himself this time.

"Sudo," he called.

"What?"

"You go."

Sudo immediately grinned.

"I can go over this time?"

"You can," Gu Heng said. "But I'm not sending you to fight."

"Go stand there and let them see you. That's all."

"Hirata, go with him."

"Me?" Hirata froze for a moment.

"Yes." Gu Heng nodded. "Go tell them that Class D has no time to waste on them right now."

"Horikita stays here."

Hirata glanced at Sudo, then set his water bag back down by his feet.

Horikita did not move. She only clutched the record board tighter.

"Fine." Sudo rolled his shoulders and walked off immediately.

Hirata raised a hand to rub his brow, but followed anyway.

In the distance, Ishizaki had been waiting at the outer perimeter.

But when he saw that the ones approaching were not Gu Heng, but Sudo and Hirata, his shoulders sank first.

"Need something?" Sudo stopped, his tone aggressive.

Ishizaki clicked his tongue.

"You're looking pretty decent now."

"None of your fucking business."

"Of course it is." Ishizaki curled his lips. "After all, we all want to know whether Class D can still function on its own when Gu Heng isn't personally watching over you."

It was blunt.

And nasty.

But Hirata happened to take over the conversation.

"Then you've seen it now." Hirata set his water bag by his feet and stood half a step behind Sudo, his voice steady. "We have our own things to do. We don't have time to let you test that."

Ishizaki's expression darkened immediately.

He stared at Hirata for two seconds before clicking his tongue again.

When the two returned, Gu Heng did not even look up. He only asked:

"See clearly?"

"Clear as day." Sudo tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Their faces looked even worse than yesterday afternoon."

"Then that's enough."

Ishizaki was still standing in the distance. His gaze lingered on Hirata for a moment before shifting back to Sudo.

Meanwhile, over at Class C, after Ishizaki recounted the encounter exactly as it had happened, Ryuuen fell silent for several seconds instead.

Leaning against a tree, he pressed his fingertips against the edge of his terminal, making the screen frame give a faint click.

"He didn't come out himself?" he asked.

"No." Ishizaki looked grim. "He just sent Sudo and Hirata over to show their faces."

A short breath escaped Ryuuen's throat.

Ishizaki's back immediately tightened, and one foot shifted back half an inch.

"Now this is troublesome," Ryuuen said.

Ishizaki froze.

"This is troublesome?"

"Of course." Ryuuen raised his eyes toward Class D's camp. "If Gu Heng came out himself every time, it would be simple. Keep him pinned down, wear him out, force him into making mistakes, and Class D would naturally fall apart."

He snapped the terminal into his palm, his voice slowing by half a beat.

"But now he's starting to let others handle things."

"Sudo can stand out front, Hirata can answer them, Horikita can keep watch over discipline."

The corner of Ryuuen's mouth lifted again as he tapped the edge of his terminal with a fingertip.

"They're still scattered now."

"But once they truly get used to handling their own responsibilities, it won't be so easy to beat Class D back into what it used to be."