“Yuyan, it’s break time! Let’s go,” Haeun’s seatmate tapped the girl’s shoulder and the two headed out of the classroom. Haeun had been attending the new school for about 2 weeks and she was adapting quickly to her new situation. She befriended some students, made a good impression to some of her teachers but she hadn't managed to pinpoint a new target. Even after joining some clubs, she was still in a difficult position to narrow down their list of possible future targets.

Haeun sits between her new friends, Yeri (her seatmate) and Eunbin. Yeri was the first one to talk to her, considering they were paired up to sit next to each other and she brought Haeun to meet her other friends. None of them seemed to suspect anything so Haeun could relax a bit when she hung out with them. She wouldn’t admit it to the members but it felt nice being around girls for once.

“So, Yuyan – have your eyes set on anyone since coming to Korea?” Eunbin asked and earned a smack from Elkie, another member of their group of friends. Elkie rolled her eyes, “Don’t mind her, Yuyan.” However, the girl’s eyes observed Haeun’s face closely, “You have a pretty face. I’m sure you had someone back in China.”

The statement nearly made Haeun choke on her drink and she quickly shook her head, “There’s no one. I was busy studying, being a top student and all. No time to date.”

“Oh, come on~” Eunbin slung her arm over Haeun’s shoulders, “I’m sure you had at least one fling back in China. Maybe two? You’ll find someone here, I’m sure of it!”

The girls laughed at Eunbin’s enthusiasm and for a moment, Haeun thought about her own high school days. For her, high school had long ended but she seemed to miss some of the memories she had. No, she didn’t miss the teachers or agonizing exams. What she missed were the carefree days of her youth where she would hang out with Lucas and Seonghan after school at the ice cream parlour or days where she went on small dates with her ex-boyfriend, Byunwoo. They were memories that didn’t seem much back then however, as she grew older, these memories soon had a special place in her heart.

As they headed back into class, Haeun caught sight of a familiar teacher that made her stop right in front of the door to their classroom. Yeri collided into her back and held her forehead, “Ouch~ Why did you stop?” The girl tilts her head to look at where her friend was staring and pursed her lips. She points at the figure, “That’s Mrs.Kwon Yuri. An old teacher. People say she’s been here since before the school got changed and everything.”

“The school was changed?” Haeun pretended to sound surprised as Yeri dragged her to their seats. “What do you mean changed? This wasn’t a school before?”

Yeri chuckles, “It used to be a mixed school. You know, boys and girls. Now, it’s just girls.” She reaches into her bag to pull out the books for the next lesson. “Some people have been trying to figure out what caused the school to change but no luck. Everyone just comes to a dead end.”

“Has anyone tried asking Mrs.Kwon?”

“Nope, it's in the past - nothing interesting,” Yeri yawns and puts her head on the table, “I’m taking a nap. Wake me up if the teacher comes in.” Haeun gives a small nod, taking out her notebook and jotting something down. Mrs.Kwon could be a clue – she had to try at least.

“You want us to bring the teacher in for questioning?” Taeyong asks Haeun. His hand reaches up to massage his temples, “I’m not sure, Haeun. Without proper evidence, we can’t just bring someone in and interrogate them.”

Haeun slumps into her seat, the towel still wrapped on her head from her previous shower. “We have to find out what happened to the school – it could be a clue of some sort.’

“Are you even sure this has to do anything with our current case? What if it’s all just a wild goose chase? We’re looking for a murderer, Haeun – not some rumour about a school,” Taeyong turns his attention back to the monitors, checking up on the footages they had so far. With a frustrated growl, Haeun stands up and heads to her room just to come out a second later wearing a hoodie.

“I’m going out for some air,” she mutters and slams the door behind her before the members could say anything. The tension was rising for the past 2 weeks – the team was getting hungry for more leads and so far, Haeun found nothing from her undercover work. She was feeling useless and impatient; she needed something to work on. Mark and Johnny were out trying to get information out of friends from the victims but the parents weren’t cooperative, perhaps in fear their child would be next.

The female detective heads down to one of the convenient stores and makes herself two bowls of ramen. She had stormed the house without a proper meal and regretting her actions at the moment. Haeun sits at one of the tables and is busy slurping down the noodles when another person joins her.

“Haeun?”

Looking up at the mention of her name, Haeun is surprised to see her old teacher stand in front of her. “Mrs.Kwon,” she stands up and bows, "It's been a while..."

Mrs.Kwon smiles and sits down, Haeun following suit soon after. There’s an awkward silence between them before Mrs.Kwon breaks it. “I’ve seen you at school before as the new transfer student. Jung Yuyan as I recalled asking,” she chuckles at the look of surprise on Haeun’s face, “But I remember you mentioned you were a detective in the last letter you sent me. I suppose it’s similar to those detective shows on television – an undercover operation. It certainly sounds exciting.”

Haeun nods her head, stabbing at her noodles for a while. “We have a case and I think it has something to do with the school's past. Did anything happen after I left? Anything suspicious?” Haeun pleads – this might be her only chance to get some information. 

The teacher sighs and there's a longing look in her eyes, "Horrible things, Haeun - horrible. Unfortunately, I cannot discuss this matter with you in public. My lips are sealed." Her drink is left on the table as she sighs, "My life is on the line but perhaps it is karma for my past. A punishment that I must accept." Nothing else is said as she quietly stands up, her hand gives a squeeze on Haeun's shoulder. Mrs.Kwon turns to leave but Haeun asks her one more question.

“What...What do you know?"

The teacher can only give her a sad smile, “Always trust your instincts, Haeun – that’s the best part of you.” And with that, Mrs.Kwon heads into her car and drives off. She leaves Haeun with more questions than answers but that was how Mrs.Kwon had always been ever since they had met in high schoo