The day had finally come.

For Izhan, this was her first mission as an intern.

Most of her university friends would probably wonder why a linguistics student was involved in complaint investigations instead of translation work.

She didn't mind.

She liked adventures.

Dressed in her university's lavender corporate shirt and black jeans, she adjusted the harness over her shirt. It kept the loose fabric neat while giving her a more structured, authoritative look.

Today, she wanted to look the part.

Bobo was on leave, so Rozman's black Toyota Camry would be their transport for the day.

It was spotless.

“Nice car, sir,” Izhan said as she admired its glossy finish.

Rozman smiled.

“The owner has to take good care of it.”

Izhan looked up at the morning sky.

“Let's hope the weather cooperates. It'd be a shame to get it muddy.”

“Hopefully,” Rozman replied with a chuckle.

He picked up his leather briefcase containing the SK Victoria case files.

Today's investigation was about to begin.

Krishna joined them a few minutes later.

Like Rozman, he was dressed in the Ministry of Education's corporate shirt.

Everyone looked ready for the day's assignment.

His hair, however, was different.

Instead of his usual bangs, Krishna had slicked it all back.

Izhan tilted her head.

“Actually, sir... I think you look better with bangs.”

Krishna blinked.

Rozman slowly turned to her.

“You just said that to the boss?”

Izhan gave an awkward smile.

Krishna laughed instead.

“I wanted a sleeker look today. The bangs are reserved for office days.”

The awkwardness disappeared in an instant.

Krishna then noticed Izhan's rucksack.

“What's in there?”

She unzipped it proudly.

“Notebooks, snacks, a bottle of minyak angin, and my water bottle.”

She shrugged.

“I get hungry when I think too much.”

The two men exchanged a glance before quietly laughing.

They headed to Rozman's Toyota Camry.

Krishna took the front passenger seat while Izhan settled comfortably in the back, watching the scenery outside.

Rozman started the engine but paused.

“Sir... you usually sit at the back.”

“Just for today,” Krishna replied. “Someone has to keep you awake.”

He pointed at the dark circles beneath Rozman's eyes.

“You look exhausted.”

Rozman could only smile as he shifted the car into gear.

From the back seat, Izhan quietly watched the exchange while opening a packet of chips.

“Oh... he's actually quite caring,” she thought before taking another bite.

The trio headed towards SK Victoria, a school nestled along the coastline of Kota Belud.

Fortunately, the journey was much smoother than their previous assignment.

At least, Krishna would not have to battle motion sickness this time.

Soon, Rozman's Camry rolled into the school compound.

Beyond the buildings, the sea stretched endlessly under the morning sky.

“What a view...” Izhan murmured to herself.

Waiting at the open hall was the school's headmistress, Lansa.

She greeted the visitors with a warm smile.

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

Her eyes then settled on the petite young woman standing behind them.

“Oh? Looks like you have a new officer.”

Krishna smiled.

“She isn't an officer just yet.”

He gestured towards Izhan.

“Our intern... and our little mender.”

Izhan bowed politely.

“Nice to meet you, Ma'am.”

Lansa's expression softened.

“Aww... she's adorable.”

Izhan maintained her professional smile.

The harness did absolutely nothing.

The group was escorted to the meeting room.

Once everyone had settled down, Rozman opened the case file.

“Speaking of Mr Lai,” he began, “how long has he been frequently out of school?”

Lansa drew a slow breath.

“About three months.”

She lowered her voice.

“I'm glad I reported it before it became something bigger.”

Krishna's expression tightened almost imperceptibly.

Something about those words lingered in his mind.

Three months...

The Director's remarks from yesterday resurfaced.

You're still dealing with the elephant in the room from three years ago.

Across the table, Izhan quietly munched on a chip.

Her eyes drifted towards Krishna.

There.

Just for a split second.

The corners of his lips had stiffened.

She said nothing.

A few moments later, Mr Lai entered the meeting room.

He took the seat opposite the PPDKB team.

The nervousness on his face was impossible to hide.

Lansa glanced towards Krishna.

“Shall we proceed with the investigation, sir?”

Krishna gave a slight nod.

“Please.”

With that single word, Rozman connected his laptop to the television.

The complaint timeline, supporting statements, and evidence appeared on the screen.

Izhan quietly straightened her notebook.

The room fell silent.

Their little courtroom was now in session.

“Mr Lai,” Rozman began, “you know why you've been summoned here, don't you?”

Mr Lai nodded.

From the look on his face, it was obvious he was eager to defend himself.

This wasn't a courtroom where lawyers spoke on your behalf.

Here, you spoke for yourself.

At Krishna's nod, Izhan took control of the presentation and displayed the first slide.

Statement

The OYD was absent during the school's co-curricular meeting, resulting in a breach of his responsibilities as PK Kokurikulum.

Justification

Minutes of the meeting dated 13 February 2021.

Rozman looked at Mr Lai.

“Tell me your whereabouts on this date.”

Across the room, Lansa quietly admired the neatly organised chronology.

“So that's why PPDKB called me for the meeting minutes...” she thought.

A small smile formed on Izhan's face.

She had been the one who contacted the school using PPDKB's official telephone line—with Krishna's approval, of course.

Requests made on behalf of the District Education Office were far less likely to be declined.

Krishna noticed the smile.

Nice move, Izhan, he thought.

Lai took a deep breath before defending himself.

“I was away for a netball coaching programme.”

He reached into his file and placed an invitation letter on the table.

“I was invited as one of the coaches.”

Rozman picked up the document and read it carefully.

His eyes paused at the letterhead.

“Sir... this isn't an MOE-affiliated programme.”

He passed the invitation to Krishna.

“There isn't any involvement from the Ministry, JPNS, or even PPDKB.”

Krishna skimmed through the contents before looking up at Lai.

“The invitation explains where you were.”

He placed the letter back on the table.

“But it doesn't explain why you were absent from your official responsibilities.”

A brief silence filled the room.

“Mr Lai... did you obtain your headmistress' approval before accepting this invitation?”

Everyone turned towards Lansa.

She studied the invitation letter before looking at Mr Lai.

“Wait...”

“You applied for CRK and submitted your travel itinerary.”

She frowned.

“But you never informed me that you were coaching for an external organisation.”

The meeting room fell silent.

At Krishna's signal, Izhan switched to the next slide.

The travel itinerary appeared on the television.

According to the records, Mr Lai's coaching programme was scheduled for 13 February 2021.

However, his approved CRK had begun three days earlier.

Krishna glanced at Izhan.

“You managed to obtain the itinerary as well?”

Izhan nodded.

“Yes, sir. The Chief Clerk provided it with your approval.”

Krishna returned his attention to Mr Lai.

“So, help us understand.”

“You were scheduled to coach on 13 February, yet your leave began three days earlier. Can you explain the difference?”

Mr Lai swallowed hard.

“They paid me.”

Rozman exhaled quietly.

“So that’s it.”

Krishna raised a hand slightly, signalling Rozman to pause.

The tone in the room shifted.

No longer an interrogation.

Now it was a determination.

Krishna stood.

The projector light reflected off his glasses, obscuring his eyes.

“What I can see here,” he said calmly, “is that you were seeking professional growth.”

A brief pause.

“However…”

He tapped his pen lightly against the table.

“You chose a shortcut instead of consulting your administrative superior.”

His gaze shifted toward Lansa.

“The proper channel was your headmistress.”

Lai lowered his head.

The weight of the moment settled on him.

Krishna spoke again, his tone steady but firm.

“Remember,” he said, “we, as teachers, are entrusted with serving students and ensuring quality education.”

He paused briefly.

“I can see from the district-level netball performance that your contribution has an impact.”

At that moment, Izhan quietly switched screens.

The MSSD results appeared on display.

Lansa glanced at her and smiled.

“I like how you gathered and organised the evidence,” she said.

Krishna adjusted his glasses.

“Given the circumstances,” he continued, “a warning letter will be issued, along with a transfer recommendation.”

A pause.

“Staying here seems to have caused stagnation. A new environment may help you regain direction.”

He stepped closer to Lai.

“Channel your intention into the right place.”

Silence filled the room.

Lai did not respond immediately.

His expression was unreadable—neither relief nor despair.

Just emptiness.

Izhan tilted her head slightly.

“So that’s why the counter staff thought he was cold…” she murmured to herself.

A follow-up report was issued to Headmistress Lansa after the session concluded.

She thanked the team before they departed.

Her gaze lingered briefly on Izhan.

“You did well,” she said warmly.

Then, without warning, she placed a skewer of roasted squid into Izhan’s hands.

“Eat well. You're too small to be thinking that much.”

“Woah—!”

The comment caught Izhan off guard.

The two men beside her tried, and failed, to hold back their laughter.

Izhan recovered quickly.

“See? Thinking makes me hungry,” she said, already taking a bite.

Later, as the group drove along the coastal road, the sea stretched quietly beside them.

The tension of the investigation slowly faded.

Krishna glanced at his phone.

Kris: Today was a blast.

He sent the message to Pans.

At the same time, Izhan’s screen lit up briefly.

She noticed the notification—but didn’t open it.

Her mind was elsewhere.

Back at the case.

Back at the patterns.

And further back… to the vault.

Krishna had treated this case differently.

Not just as another complaint.

But as something he needed to stop before it spread.

Like a sickness.

Or a system-wide fault.

For now, she said nothing.

The sea kept moving beside them.