Sol makes too much noise in the morning.

I awoke to running water, the splashing, and even the sound of a falling toothbrush. “Shit!” I heard him exclaim, followed by silence—presumably scrambling to pick it up.

I joined him in the washroom. After a brush, I wiped myself down with a damp cloth.

“Today will be quite the long day,” Sol stated.

“I know.”

“Then hurry up!”

It turned out he’d pulled the hotel room’s chair to the toilet to watch my progress.

As I left the hotel, a wave of warmth hit me. I preferred the air conditioning inside. The morning sun cast shadows from one side of the buildings while illuminating the other. Shadows that would grow darker as the sun intensified seemed rather conjoined down the street. At least the scorch of the afternoon sun wouldn’t burn us alive.

As we got closer to the school, more students came into view. Some trudged to the gates—older ones, I guessed. While the junior years gathered in their little groups to enter school together.

I felt curious stares as we stepped into the school, then whispers about who we were. Two non-faculty adults in a secondary school are sure to draw attention; it made me feel special. I wasn’t sure why that bothered me.

The school bustled with life. The noise from the canteen was lively. Must I be young to be like that? I stood there a moment longer than I needed to.

Sol walked up to a loitering teacher and tapped him on the back. “Hey, do you know where the principal’s o—” He trailed off. The ‘teacher’ turned around. It was the quiet officer from yesterday. He didn’t look surprised to see us.

He gave us a slight smile. I wondered if that was his way of greeting, or if he was genuinely glad to see us.

“I’m waiting for Ren, that bumbling oaf,” he sighed.

Looking in his direction we saw the energetic officer—the other boy from yesterday. He was helping some children recover a football from the school’s pond. His large frame stretched across the water to the ball, fingers beckoning the ball, as if he was coaxing a cat into his arms.

Children were nearby, cheering for Ren as he attempted to get the ball. He was getting nowhere, the thing barely out of reach.

The quiet policeman shuffled over to him, picked up a fallen branch and wordlessly passed it to Ren. Confused, the latter stared at it for a bit before getting the hint.

“Thanks Eli!” Beaming, he accepted the tool and quickly fished out the ball.

I didn’t get their names yesterday, but I was glad I didn’t have to ask now. Sol had found himself a seat in the shade, waiting for us to move on.

“Why are you guys here?” I asked. They did say they’d already questioned the teacher.

“We were told to observe how professionals operate.” Eli replied cordially, giving me a small nod as he did.

Professionals. People who were experts in their field, experts who knew everything and didn’t make mistakes. I’d never call myself that. My lips curled upwards into a smirk. How humble of me.

Wearing that same expression, I told Eli, “Thank you for seeing us as that.”

I had a feeling their presence was voluntary.

Eli and Ren, having been here before, were familiar with the school’s layout. They brought us to the principal’s office at our request.

“What do you need from me?” the man asked, irritation in his voice. “I’m busy.”

The sly man started to comb through some papers he had no intention reading, his mask erected so fast.

Confidently, Sol strode up and plopped down on a seat facing the principal. The man’s eyes were trained on his every movement; it was as if he was afraid to slip up before a predator.

“Edmond, please spare us some time for a chat. After all, three students were killed in your school.”

The principal wavered, just for a moment. Long enough to betray that the words had landed. Surveying the rest of us, he slowly replied, “Of course.” The words came a little too quickly. “I’ll cooperate.”

Taking a seat beside my partner, I noticed that this Edmond guy was unbothered by me. I wished he would have the same reaction to me as he did to Sol. Sol’s commanding vibe, while at the same time charismatic—was desirable.

The two officers stood a distance back from us, far enough to not be a nuisance, but close enough to hear the conversation.

“So,” I began, “what was the relationship between the three girls?”

“Friends,” the man mumbled.

“You don’t sound confident. What was their relationship to each other?” I prodded.

He steeled himself. “I think they were friends.”

“Why do you think they were friends?” I stressed the word ‘think’.

“Their teacher told me.” He hung his head shamefully. But I thought it was completely normal for teachers to know more about these matters than principals.

“What else did the teacher tell you?”

“She told me they tend to pick on other classmates.”

Pressing a name list on the desk, Sol implored him to point them out.

Old man Edmond took his time scrutinising the paper.

“This one… umm I think this one too… definitely this one…” His fingers shifted from one name to another as he stumbled his way through. My jaw tightened as he spoke. Thankfully one of the names matched the suspect’s: Sora.

“This Sora girl,” I pointed out, “how are you so sure of this name?”

“The teacher brought it up more than once.”

“Did you do anything about the bullying?”

“Come on… it wasn’t bullying,” he scoffed. “Children tease each other all the time.”

Sol’s mouth hung open in shock. I couldn’t believe how he could be so dismissive when three students are dead. The room suddenly felt too small.

“We know the parents of the deceased are rich, have they been funding the school?”

Edmond thoughtfully tapped his chin, “Let me see… They do donate generously to the school.”

The disconnection between him and the students he should care about sat heavily in my chest. Before I realized it, I was already on my feet.

Grumbling that I needed a smoke, I left the office. Hopefully, disgust wasn’t showing on my face. I didn’t smoke, anyway.

Hearing Sol cover my departure, telling the principal the interview was over, I cursed that I couldn’t be as capable as him. I could’ve just sat there like a mature person. Why did I suddenly leave… Everyone will think I’m unstable…

My head was reeling. Maybe it’s the way Edmond said “The teacher brought it up more than once” — not once, not twice, more than once. And something about the way he said it suggested the teacher didn’t just report the bullying. The teacher pushed. Kept pushing. Why would a teacher keep bringing something to a principal who clearly didn’t care?

That’s not nothing. That’s someone who tried.

Sol walked out with Ren and Eli. “The teacher,” I said.

He nodded and we headed to the staff room. The pained expression on his face made it seem like he pitied me, and I hated it.

We found the teacher as she was entering the staff room, she looked like a ghost, drifting about. Stopping her for a chat, we sat in the staff meeting room. She politely greeted Ren and Eli. Her smile was courteous, but it never reached her eyes.

“You look tired,” I noted.

“Students can be a handful these days. Besides, you don’t look the best yourself.” It was a playful retort, but she didn’t mean it humorously.

“I’m Nora. What are your names?” She gestured towards me and Sol.

“I’m Sol,” he said, flashing his usual charm.

“K.”

Her eyes glinted, curiosity perhaps, but she didn’t pry more.

“Do you know who Sora is?” I jumped to the chase.

“A lovely girl who does her homework on time and cares a lot for her brother.”

“Why does she care—”

She cut me off. “Their parents work in the city. They rarely have time to visit their children.”

“The brother, do you know anything about him?”

“She is fond of him. He is the world to her.”

“Vera, Mae, Iris—what kind of students were they?” Sol asked.

Nora took a moment before answering.

“Vera is authoritative. Iris craves validation. Mae is thoughtful.”

She paused.

“Childhood friends. Inseparable… but separate.”

I didn’t want to ask about the bullying. Something about her made me not want to. Eli and Ren, who have been quietly listening since sitting down, were writing in their notepads. For a few seconds, only the scratching of pen on paper could be heard.

Sol probed, “Does the trio tend to pick on others?”

Nora waved her hand. “They like to bully others… including Sora.”

“I kept telling Edmond,” she continued, “but he cares more about the funding. Those parents donate generously, you know.”

She shook her head. “He told me to be less harsh on those girls.”

“Has Sora ever come to you for help?” I asked.

“Never. She didn’t want to look like a liability to others.”

Nora swallowed hard.

“But I saw it. I told her to talk to me so many times, and every time I confronted her about it… she refused.”

Her voice began to rise.

“I thought she’d at least tell her brother. She’s always so happy when she’s with him. I don’t understand why she’d—”

She stopped abruptly.

“She’s not the violent type…”

The room fell silent.

“I could’ve… should’ve done more,” she whispered. “But I don’t know. My own students… I’ve failed.”

I didn’t know what to say.

Sol kept quiet.