Cote: Elite in Action

A day of testing

The alarm resonated in the room at 6 a.m., its sharp sound breaking the silence of the early morning. It was the beginning of the first day of this special exam, and while it might have been a source of nerves for many, I got up without hurry, stretching a bit on the bunk. I wasn't worried. I had been through worse tests, and this exam, though new, didn't seem like a big deal to me.

I stood up and looked around the room. The first thing we were supposed to do, as they had instructed us, was our hygiene routine. Then, what seemed to be a novelty in this exam: cleaning our assigned areas as part of the daily order and cooperation activities.

Encouraging cooperation... I thought to myself. It didn't bother me, but it was a bit ironic that they were suddenly asking for something like this only in this exam.

The group I was assigned wasn't a bad team. Except for three people, the rest were classmates I had worked with before, which made things much easier. Plus, Hirata was here, which was always a relief. If there was anyone who could make these activities smooth and trouble-free, it was him.

While I adjusted my shirt, I heard his usual greeting full of energy.

"Good morning!" Hirata said, jumping down from his bunk with a fresh smile, as if he had slept a perfect eight hours.

"Good morning, Hirata," I replied in a relaxed tone, still shaking off the sleep.

"It seems like our first day has begun. Let's do our best!" he added, with that contagious enthusiasm that always characterized him.

"Yeah, sure, but first... could you help me wake the others?" I said, pointing to some of the guys who were still fast asleep, as if the alarm hadn't even gone off. "Seems like some have a pretty deep sleep."

"Haha, sure," he responded with a light laugh.

We set to work waking everyone up. As I walked between the bunks, I noticed how the first light of the sun was starting to filter through the windows, filling the room with a warm and soft glow. Some guys resisted getting up, but we didn't give them much of a choice. After all, we had to clean our assigned area before starting the day's activities, and it was better to get it done quickly with everyone awake.

"Come on, guys, time to get up," I said without hurry, giving a few pats to one of the guys still clutching his pillow.

"Let's not fall behind on the first day," Hirata added with a smile, always encouraging the group.

Finally, after a few minutes of insistence, we managed to get everyone up. After everyone finished their hygiene routine, we gathered in the common area to start cleaning. It wasn't a complicated task, but it was clearly part of the cooperation evaluation in this exam. It was designed to make us work together, something different from what we had experienced in previous exams.

With a broom in hand, I began sweeping the assigned areas, not giving it much importance. It wasn't anything we couldn't handle easily. Hirata continued leading with his typical enthusiasm, motivating everyone to cooperate, though to me it was just another task to complete.

As the sun slowly rose on the horizon, the first day of this exam progressed without too much trouble. However, it was just beginning. There were still many activities ahead, and although everything seemed quite simple so far, I knew we couldn't relax too much.

The day was young, and there was still much to be done.

...

As the clock neared seven a.m., the cleaning was finally done. It was the first day of the special exam, and although the initial tasks had been easy, I knew the activities would only get more intense. Next on the list was a zazen practice, an uncommon tradition in our usual training but now a crucial part of the daily routine.