The trip to SK Kimo was not an easy one.

Steep gradients and gravel roads made the school accessible only by road, and even then, the journey demanded patience.

Fortunately, luck was on their side.

The weather was clear.

During the rainy season, the route would become far more difficult.

Still, the journey had its reward.

The road was framed by quiet hills and stretches of greenery that made the rough path feel strangely peaceful.

Krishna and Rozman sat at the back of the department’s 4x4 vehicle while Bobo drove steadily through the uneven terrain.

Krishna rested an arm by the window and watched the scenery pass.

After a while, he turned.

Rozman had not looked outside once.

His eyes remained fixed on the tablet in his hands.

SISPAA.

The vehicle jolted lightly over loose gravel.

Rozman did not even blink.

Krishna stared at him for a moment before asking—

“How can you focus without getting motion sickness, Rosie?”

Rozman scrolled once more before replying.

“Someone has to work while you enjoy the view.”

Rozman’s tablet displayed the SISPAA dashboard.

Three simple sections:

NEW CASES.
FOLLOW-UPS.
RESOLVED.

Each entry carried a school name, a short complaint summary, and a status tag.

Nothing complicated.

Just a live stream of problems across the district.

He tapped one case and wrote directly on it using Microsoft Ink.

Short.

Precise.

No excess words.

Krishna handled the field.

Rozman handled the flow.

While Rozman navigated the SISPAA screen, Krishna leaned in too close, letting his head briefly rest against Rozman’s shoulder.

Thud.

Rozman stiffened slightly.

“Sir… you are too close.”

Krishna didn’t move.

“It’s interesting to watch.”

Bobo, in the driver’s seat, glanced at the rear-view mirror.

He immediately looked away again, struggling to hide his smile.

Instead of pushing him away, Rozman let him stay.

He had figured it out long ago.

Krishna wasn’t doing it for comfort.

He was holding himself steady against motion sickness.

So Rozman simply continued navigating the screen, as if nothing had changed.

The group arrived at SK Kimo and was greeted at the lobby by Headmaster Sina.

“Thank you for coming, Mr DEO… and Mr Rozman.”

He escorted them into his office.

Once seated, the headmaster opened the discussion immediately.

“About this case… a teacher slapped a Primary One pupil on the face for being disruptive in class.”

Krishna and Rozman listened without interruption.

Rozman spoke first.

“I received this case this morning.”

Krishna gave a small nod.

The headmaster then brought out screenshots on his phone—messages from the pupil’s grandmother demanding an explanation.

Among them was a photo.

A small handprint was marked clearly on the child’s cheek.

“Are they here?” Rozman asked.

“Yes, they are.”

Headmaster Sina turned to his GPK1, Teacher Cloe, and instructed her to bring in the Orang Yang Disiasat (OYDS), the complainant, and the victim.

They took their seats opposite the PPD officers and the headmaster.

Maria, the OYDS.

A minor (name withheld).

And the child’s grandmother.

Rozman stood and reviewed the complaint on his tablet. The atmosphere shifted immediately to quiet, controlled, almost like a courtroom.

“Cikgu Maria,” he began. “According to the report, you had a Bahasa Melayu class last Wednesday. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir.”

Rozman’s gaze sharpened.

“Can you justify your action in slapping him?”

Maria exhaled sharply.

“He was noisy… and he pulled another student’s hijab. Then he stuck out his tongue at me.”

Her hand tightened into a fist.

“I slapped him because he was uncontrollable.”

Rozman studied her for a moment.

“Were you fully aware of your actions at that time?”

The question made her freeze.

Rozman didn’t blink.

“Because, according to your school record,” he continued, “you have a daughter currently undergoing dialysis.”

Silence.

Krishna finally spoke.

“Internal stress manifesting externally,” he said quietly.

Rozman then turned to the grandmother and her grandson.

“Madam Yah, when did you notice his injury?”

Madam Yah glanced briefly at Maria before returning her attention to Rozman.

“That afternoon,” she said. “He didn’t say a word, but the mark was already there.”

A pause.

“He was slapped by this woman.”

She pointed directly at Maria.

Cikgu Cloe stood nearby, observing closely, ready to intervene if needed. The room remained tense and alert.

Krishna’s voice cut through calmly.

“Maintain order.”

Finally, Rozman shifted his attention to the pupil.

“Hi, buddy.”

He smiled.

Krishna smirked slightly.

He knew exactly what Rozman was doing.

Headmaster Sina quietly observed.

Rozman crouched to the child’s eye level.

“I heard you played a lot in class.”

The boy looked down.

“And sometimes… You can be a little naughty too?”

No answer.

Rozman’s voice remained calm.

“Tell me.”

He paused.

“When they started arguing because of what happened…”

He looked at the child gently.

“…how did that make you feel?”

The boy’s eyes slowly welled up.

“It hurts…”

He stuttered and touched his injured left cheek.

“…here.”

Rozman remained at eye level.

“It was uncomfortable, right?”

The boy looked at him.

Then nodded.

The boy stood up.

He turned toward Maria.

“I’m sorry,” he said softly.

Maria nodded, accepting the apology.

Rozman ended the interrogation session and handed control over to Krishna.

Krishna stepped forward.

“Well, we have reached a decision for this case.”

He turned to the headmaster and Maria.

“Maria, you will be transferred to a school closer to your home so you can take care of your daughter.”

Then he shifted his gaze to the grandmother.

“As for the child, he will need more care and attention at home. His parents are not present, so you are currently his legal guardian.”

A brief pause.

Krishna stood between them.

“Both of you have someone precious,” he said calmly. “Her daughter… and your grandson.”

“Both need attention.”

Rozman quietly recorded the decision on his tablet, updating the SISPAA system.

He also noticed a trace of dissatisfaction in the grandmother’s expression.

Krishna looked at both parties.

“This is the best that PPD can offer,” he said calmly. “The rest depends on you.”

The party was preparing to leave SK Kimo that afternoon.

Headmaster Sina thanked them at the entrance.

“Sir, your intervention really helped us.”

Krishna shrugged lightly.

“Could not have done it without my team.”

He nudged Rozman beside him.

Rozman smiled.

“We are just doing our job,” he said calmly. “To keep the district education system stable.”

Rozman marked the complaint as resolved and passed the record to Krishna for signature and comments.

“Another verified case closed,” he said calmly.

Krishna exhaled, leaning back slightly.

“If the complainant has solid evidence, it holds,” he replied.

He took a sip of water.

“If not, it remains unsubstantiated—or simply a misunderstanding.”

Along the way, Krishna leaned against Rozman’s shoulder again to ease his motion sickness.

Rozman didn’t move.

“Whatever pleases you, sir,” he said calmly.

“Just don’t vomit in the vehicle. Bobo will have a hard time.”

Bobo, from the driver’s seat, immediately responded—

“He’s right!”

Krishna’s phone rang.

It was the counter staff.

“Sir, someone is here to meet you.”

“Who is it?”

“A female. She said she’ll be interning at our office.”

Krishna paused for a moment.

“Hold her there. We’ll be back soon.”

He ended the call.

A small grin appeared on his face.

Rozman noticed it—and frowned slightly.

Back at PPDKB, the counter staff asked her to take a seat.

She nodded slightly and sat on the couch, her petite figure occupying only a small corner of the space.

The office felt normal.

But not entirely.

There was a brief pause in the rhythm of the room—like something had arrived before it was introduced.

The counter staff glanced toward the inner office.

Waiting.