Rozman wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Azimah's proposal to place Fahim under a POOL arrangement lingered in his mind.

He wasn't convinced it was the right course of action—not yet.

"Let's take a short break," he said.

He turned to Fahim.

"Please have a seat outside for a while. We'll discuss the best way forward."

Fahim nodded quietly before leaving the principal's office.

Once the door closed, Rozman looked at Principal Jacob and Azimah.

He knew his authority was limited compared to Krishna's.

His role was not to make the final decision, but to gather enough facts and recommend a solution that Krishna could confidently endorse from afar.

Meanwhile, Fahim sat alone on a bench beside the school's fish pond.

His eyes followed the ripples across the water.

A few moments later, Izhan walked over.

Some people noticed footprints.

Izhan noticed emotions.

Like a cat sensing a person's mood, she instinctively knew when someone needed company.

Without saying a word, she sat beside him.

Fahim noticed the young woman approaching.

"Oh... it's you."

"The lady from PPDKB."

He offered a faint smile.

"Are you a new officer?"

Izhan shook her head.

"Not yet."

"I'm just an intern."

Fahim let out a small chuckle.

"That means you have it easier than the rest of us."

"You came here to learn."

Izhan smiled.

"...And to complete my course."

"For now."

The two shared a brief laugh before silence settled between them once more.

The fishpond rippled gently in the afternoon breeze.

Izhan decided to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"Speaking of fish..."

Fahim raised an eyebrow.

"Tuan Rozman is actually a fisherman on weekends."

A small laugh escaped Fahim.

"That's quite a random fact from PPDKB."

"Go on."

Izhan giggled.

"I know."

"But fishing brings him peace."

"He started after his wife passed away."

Fahim's smile softened.

"I understand."

"I lost my mother during my first year of teaching."

Something clicked in Izhan's mind.

Grief.

She quietly stored the thought away before continuing.

"Another random fact."

"Our DEO always calls Tuan Rozman by his pet name—' Rosie.'"

Fahim chuckled.

"They must be very close."

Izhan nodded.

"They are."

Fahim looked towards the fish pond.

"Sounds like Kasim and me."

The smile on his face was genuine this time.

"But... I'm afraid I've become a burden to him because of my condition."

Fahim tightened his fists and lowered his head.

His eyes began to well up.

Izhan offered a gentle smile.

"I understand that feeling."

She glanced towards the surau.

"But he came for you because he wanted to."

"He wasn't forced."

"He chose to."

Before Fahim could reply, footsteps approached them.

"Him."

Kasim had just finished teaching his class.

He looked at Izhan.

"Oh? Who's this?"

Izhan smiled politely.

"I was just telling Fahim that you'd be coming."

Kasim took a seat beside his friend.

The three of them sat quietly on the bench beneath the corridor, while Izhan unexpectedly found herself playing the role of a mini consultant—listening more than speaking.

Meanwhile...

Back in the principal's office, another discussion was quietly unfolding.

Rozman, Azimah, and Principal Jacob continued discussing Fahim's condition.

He rested his hand on the table.

"Jacob, from what we've gathered, the students became the trigger."

He paused.

"But I don't think they were the origin."

Azimah looked at him.

"Are you trying to assess his mental health without being a therapist?"

Rozman met her gaze calmly.

"No."

"I'm trying to identify what happened before this morning."

"The diagnosis belongs to the healthcare professionals."

"Our job is to establish the sequence of events."

The room fell silent.

Jacob nodded in agreement before opening a folder from his desk.

"I prepared last week's relief timetable in case an observer visited the school."

Rozman scanned the document.

"The relief teacher was... Izzah."

He looked up.

"Let's speak to her."

"If Fahim left work for his classes before attending PTM, she may know what happened."

Jacob nodded.

"During relief periods, the teacher on duty is responsible for managing the class."

"That includes any work left by the absent teacher."

The investigation had found its next lead.

Izzah was summoned to the principal's office.

Her statement could become the missing piece that connected everything.

At the same time, Fahim and Izhan returned from the corridor, with Kasim joining them.

Rozman turned towards Izzah.

"I just want to confirm something."

"Before attending PTM, did Fahim leave any work for 3 Hikmah?"

Izzah nodded.

"Yes. He prepared an activity for them."

"I even wrote the page number on the whiteboard so the students would know what to do."

She paused.

"But then..."

Rozman's expression changed.

His eyes sharpened.

For a moment, Izhan noticed the same investigative look Krishna often had during difficult meetings.

"What happened after that?" Rozman asked.

"I had to manage the class next door as well."

"I was their relief teacher, but I also had my own class to handle."

Fahim looked surprised.

Kasim remained silent.

Izhan looked at the timetable again.

So that's what happened.

A relief system stretched too thin.

The missing submission was not caused by one person alone.

It was a chain of assumptions.

Rozman turned towards Fahim.

"From what we've gathered, this situation may have been the trigger."

"Your expectation was not met, and after everything you had been carrying, it became overwhelming."

Fahim lowered his gaze.

Rozman then looked at Izzah.

"When the school entrusted you with the relief class, it was also a responsibility towards the students."

"Even a small action can create a bigger consequence."

He pointed towards the table.

"Think of it like a domino effect."

"One piece falls, and it affects everything after it."

Rozman turned back to Fahim.

"But there is something important here."

"You have a support system."

"You reached out instead of disappearing."

"And the fact that you still want to continue teaching here shows that you haven't given up."

Kasim smiled.

"You know what, Fahim?"

Fahim looked at him.

"Before I let them play volleyball..."

Kasim pointed towards the class timetable.

"...they have to finish your work first."

For the first time that day, Fahim smiled.

Azimah looked at Rozman.

"And your recommendation?"

Rozman smiled.

"Fahim stays."

"There is no reason to consider a drastic step when he is still capable of performing his duties with proper support."

He then turned towards Jacob.

"But the relief system needs to be reviewed."

"A small communication gap created a much bigger misunderstanding."

Izhan quietly typed into the SISPAA report.

She documented the findings:

• The teacher's concern,
• The relief arrangement,
• The communication gap,
• 
  
• and the recommended improvements.

Before submitting it for Krishna's endorsement, she passed the draft to Rozman for a final review.

Even from Terengganu, Krishna would receive the report remotely.

The trio bid farewell to SMK Arcadia.

On the journey back to PPDKB, Izhan chose to sit in the front passenger seat beside Rozman.

There was something she wanted to ask.

"Sir..."

Rozman glanced at her.

"Why didn't you consider POOL for Fahim?"

A small chuckle escaped him.

"Because I know what it feels like to be on the other side."

Izhan listened carefully.

"After my wife passed away, I went through a depressive episode."

"The world felt different."

"I struggled to find my footing again."

He paused.

"Krishna was the first person who reached out to me."

"Despite his strict nature, he was the one who stayed."

Izhan smiled.

"So that's why he becomes playful around you?"

Rozman laughed.

"Exactly."

"That was how I ended up with the nickname Rosie."

For a moment, the car was quiet.

Then Rozman looked out of the window.

"Don't forget, Izhan..."

"I still have my other family members."

"My children."

"My grandchildren."

"They are the reason I kept moving forward."

Izhan nodded quietly.

Now she understood.

Rozman's decision was not just based on policy.

It came from experience.

They returned to their respective offices at PPDKB.

Azimah placed the remaining documents on her desk.

She was not angry.

But she was not entirely convinced either.

Her recommendation had not been chosen.

Rozman, meanwhile, printed a physical copy of the investigation report before walking towards Izhan.

"Put this in Krishna's office."

"He'll review it once he returns."

Izhan nodded.

She entered Krishna's office and placed the report neatly on his desk.

Before leaving, something caught her attention.

The vault.

She had seen it before.

But this time, her curiosity got the better of her.

Izhan stepped closer.

There was a small note attached to its door.

Krishna, 2018

She froze.

2018?

Her hand hovered near the vault.

For a moment, she wondered what kind of case would make Krishna keep a file locked away for years.

The mending continued.

But some wounds were never fully closed.