"Really?" I asked Jina. "Are you sure it was Rina and Ken? What makes you think it was them?"

Rina and Ken? Really? I really couldn't believe what she was saying. But for some reason, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

"They were just the most suspicious..." Jina replied. "But it's just speculation, so don't take it as fact, okay?"

"But you must have reasons to think that, right?"

"Yeah..."

Noticing the impatience in my eyes, Jina smiled and continued.

"Well, let's start with why I came to this conclusion. First of all, do you remember the day I came to the club to talk to the members?"

"Yes..."

"Well, when I talked to Rina, she answered my questions rather sarcastically... Isn't it strange for a member who really wants to find the stolen costume to act like that? I didn't pay much attention to it at first, thinking it was because she didn't take me seriously... But Ken was also very relaxed about the missing costume. It's like they both acted like the missing costume wasn't such a big deal."

Jina fell silent, as if to let me digest the information I had received.

"Hmm... and I suppose you thought they were acting that way because they knew something?"

"Exactly... But not only that. After all, you can't draw conclusions from empty speculation alone."

"So you had other clues?"

"Yes... The storage room."

"The storage room?" I interjected incomprehensibly.

"Yes... Someone has been visiting the storage room secretly from everyone..."

"Wait, wait, wait..." I stopped Jina. "What do you mean someone visited the storage room?"

"Didn't Miyu tell you?" she asked in surprise.

"About what?"

"That she noticed things moving around in the storage room?"

"Oh... she said something like that once, but I didn't take her seriously..."

"Hmm... I thought she was joking too, but she showed me pictures."

"Pictures?"

"Yes... in one of them the chairs were in one place and in another picture they were slightly moved..."

"Huh? She didn't show me any pictures..."

"I think those who secretly visited the room used those chairs."

"But I really don't understand who would want to meet secretly in the storage room. And what does that have to do with the disappearance of the costume?"

"Let's leave the question of why for later. The most important thing is the fact that someone came to this room on a regular basis. And it was most likely two people."

"Two people?"

"Yes, because they used two chairs. I think they came into the storage room sometimes, maybe to hang out."

I finally realized what she was getting at.

"Wait... You mean Rina and Ken were the ones who visited the storage room?"

"That's exactly right."

"Then how did Rina get the key?"

"Well, she and Miyu live together and she could always make a copy."

"But why did Rina and Ken visit the storage room in the first place? Especially together? Or are you saying they've been planning the theft for a long time?"

"Of course not. That would be stupid. And I doubt they had any real motive to steal the costume."

"Then why? Why did they visit the room? What would they be doing there alone? They don't get along at all..."

"Like I said, let's leave the reason why they visited the room for later... I have an idea about that. But first, I'll tell you my theory about what happened to the costume. Since I think it wasn't exactly a theft..."

"Okay... Then stop teasing me and tell me."

I prepared to listen to her.

"The thing is, the two chairs they were using were next to the hangers where the costume was hanging. Like I said, let's assume that Rina and Ken visited this room regularly, in secret from the others. I can imagine them sitting on those chairs, chatting and maybe eating snacks sometimes. Ken likes to buy snacks from the school vending machines, right? And I also found a chocolate wrapper under the cabinet in the room... But more to the point... I don't think they stole the costume, I think they just ruined it. Like they spilled juice on it or something and just took it away to wash it. And for the same reason, they weren't that worried about it going missing because they were the ones who took it and they knew they'd bring it back soon."

"Then why did they hide the fact that they ruined the costume? They could have told me... Even though they tried to reassure me, their words didn't seem reassuring at all, and in fact, I felt like they weren't taking the situation seriously! They could have just said that the costume was stained!"

"But then it would be clear that they were secretly meeting there," Jina said calmly.

"Wait, wait, wait! That's what surprises me the most! Are you sure that your theory is correct? Why would they meet in secret? They don't get along!"

"That's the thing, I'm not sure if my theory is right. As for why they were meeting in secret... It's very simple. Because they're dating."

"Wait! What?! Dating?!"

"Yeah... I was thinking, what if the story Rina wrote for your short movie was a story about her, Ken and Miyu. Except the genders are reversed, Ken is this princess and the two knights who are in love with her are Rina and Miyu. Ken and Rina are secretly dating, and it seems like Rina feels guilty, but for some reason doesn't tell Miyu that they are dating. And for some reason, they regularly meet secretly in the storage room, as if in some kind of love drama. I don't know why."

I sat there in shock, not knowing what to say...

Rina and Ken are dating?!

They're... dating?!