"I'm fine," Takagi said, swallowing the food in her mouth and waving her hand.
Nishikata saw her calmly eating her bento, rubbed the back of his head, and looked away.
The five behind them finished their bentos with laughter and chatter, although it was mostly Ajitani and Shouko talking, with the other three listening, and Takagi occasionally nodding in agreement.
Nishikata couldn't find anything to interject, only adding a sentence when Takagi agreed.
Tsuna quietly enjoyed the bento Shouko had made for him early in the morning.
"Dong... dong..."
"Alright, everyone, go outside and line up."
As the afternoon class bell rang, Teacher Fujiro, wearing a ladies' suit, walked into the classroom. After confirming that everyone was present, she went straight to the point.
"Let's go, Tsuna!"
Shouko's urging, the sound of tables and chairs being moved in the classroom, and the students' clamor all sounded in Tsuna's ears at the same time.
Tsuna stood up and nodded to her, indicating that he understood.
Shouko, who wanted to wait for him to line up together, was pulled out of the classroom by Ajitani and Takagi, who walked up to her.
"Let's go, Miyamura."
"Okay."
The gymnasium was temporarily transformed into an efficient and orderly 'physical examination maze,' with all the overhead lights on, casting white light on the wooden floor, and occasionally sunlight filtering through the gaps in the curtains.
The flow from the entrance to the exit was one-way, in a 'loop' shape, with students grouped by class.
Classes that had arrived early were moving in line, each person holding a health handbook.
Students' low conversations and the rustling of paper were mixed with occasional instrument prompts, and the broadcast occasionally reminded, "Please keep quiet."
"I thought our class would be the first to arrive."
Nishikata, waiting in line outside the gymnasium, looked at the students and school doctors in white coats going in and out of the gymnasium entrance and sighed.
Tsuna also followed his gaze and estimated the number of people in his mind: "There are probably only one or two classes ahead, it will be our turn soon."
"Here, junior, this is your 'health handbook.'" At this moment, a sweet voice sounded to Tsuna's right.
Tsuna and Nishikata then looked away from the entrance and simultaneously looked at the source of the sound.
An upperclassman (female) wearing a "Health Committee" armband was distributing the handbooks to be used for the health examination.
Behind her was an upperclassman (male) also wearing a "Health Committee" armband, but he was pushing a small cart piled high with white "health handbooks."
"Arigato, senior," Tsuna said, reaching out to take the white booklet from her hand.
He knew that Japanese schools placed great importance on "senior-junior relationships" (senpai-kohai culture).
Upperclassmen (male) usually have a responsibility to guide their juniors, while juniors must show respect to their upperclassmen (male).
At this time, when thanking someone, you also have to add the word "senior," otherwise, it means disrespecting the other person.
Of course, there are exceptions to everything—some delinquent boys (and girls) of this age may not have this habit...
The girl smiled and nodded to Tsuna, then continued to distribute to the students behind who had not yet received one.
The upperclassman (male) following her looked deeply at Tsuna.
"Thank you, senior," Nishikata also said thank you.
Tsuna scanned the upperclassmen (male) wearing the "Health Committee" armbands present, and there were quite a few of them.
Their duties were mostly guiding the lines, distributing handbooks, and temporarily repairing detached marking lines with soft rulers.
If he wasn't mistaken, they were also senior workhorses of the student council.
"Be quiet when you go in, do a few checks, and it will be over soon. Don't be noisy."
Teacher Fujiro, at the front of the line, shouted to the students behind her and led the line slowly into the gymnasium.
As Tsuna walked into the gymnasium with the line, the first thing he saw was the silver metal height and weight scales lined up, with anti-slip patterns on the pedals and adjustable horizontal bars at the top.
Just then, a complaint came from behind: "I didn't expect the first one to be the height and weight measurement area!"
"Calm down, Nishikata. Even if the height measurement is later, you won't grow taller during this examination period."
Tsuna carefully observed the equipment, soothing him without turning his head, and didn't forget to add an insult at the same time.
As time passed, the height and weight measurement also came to Tsuna.
"Give me the handbook," the physical education teacher next to the height measurement equipment stretched out his hand to Tsuna.
Mr. Sakai took it, opened the first page, took out a pencil from his pocket, glanced at Tsuna, and went straight to the point.
"Name."
"Mr. Sakai, do you still need to ask?"
"Nonsense, I've recorded so many names today. How can I remember your name so clearly?"
Mr. Sakai held the handbook and lightly hit Tsuna's head without ceremony.
After Mr. Sakai withdrew his hand, he wrote Tsuna's name on it with a pencil. "Come up."
"Hai hai hai." (Yes, yes, yes) Tsuna took off his shoes and silently walked onto the equipment.
At this moment, Mr. Sakai also walked up, manually pulled down the horizontal bar to lightly touch Tsuna's head, and the weight data displayed on the electronic screen with a "beep."
"Don't move yet, let me record it first," Mr. Sakai stopped Tsuna's attempt to get down and took out a ballpoint pen from his pocket.
He looked at the data on the electronic screen and wrote it in the handbook, muttering, "Good, both height and weight are qualified."
"Thank you for the compliment," Tsuna replied perfunctorily.
"Alright, hurry up and get down."
Mr. Sakai handed him the handbook and urged him. After he took it, he turned back and shouted to Nishikata at the front of the line: "Next, hurry up."
Tsuna got off the equipment, put on his shoes, and went to the next item.
The second is the vision test area, where the traditional "C-chart" is hung on the wall, and Tsuna has to stand at the tape mark 5 meters away.
Covering one eye with a black eye spoon, the nurse pointed to the symbol with a long rod, and Tsuna had to answer the direction loudly. After finishing, he covered the other eye.
"Very good, your vision is fine, keep it up," the nurse from the infirmary wearing a nurse's cap handed the completed handbook to Tsuna, not forgetting to praise him at the same time.
"Hai," Tsuna took the handbook, glanced at the contents briefly, and continued to the next area.
"Students, please keep quiet!"
At this moment, a broadcast sounded in the gymnasium.
Tsuna ignored it and slowly walked to the hearing test area, inexplicably thinking of Shouko. Looking around, he saw that Shouko had already gone to the next area.
Here, a semi-enclosed space was temporarily enclosed with foam boards to reduce environmental noise interference.
He lifted his foot and walked in and saw a portable hearing test device placed on a folding table.
Then, under the guidance of the school doctor, he put on headphones and pressed the button to respond to the buzzing sound.
"Your hearing is fine," the school doctor said indifferently and returned the handbook to Tsuna, waving him away: "Go to the next one."
Tsuna quickly finished the remaining internal medicine examination area and the spine and posture examination, and walked to the exit with the "health handbook" that was already full of records.
"Student, you can return to the classroom if you give me the handbook."
"Okay, senior."
Tsuna handed the handbook to an upperclassman (male) wearing a "Health Committee" armband and quickly walked out of the gymnasium.