The next day before lunch, Mr. Lim greeted everyone in the classroom. Everyone wondered what happened, but Mr. Lim’s solemn expression tells them that it was something bad.

“Class, I believe that you guys aren’t in kindergarten anymore and that we all know it is incredibly frowned upon to steal from others. The reason I say this is just one day after I brought out my magazine, someone took it from my desk.” Mr. Lim paused for a breath. “So, if you took the magazine, please return it to me within 3 days.”

“Maybe Taeyoon took it! Maybe she can’t wait to win that contest and wanted the poster!” A student spoke out.

“Have you forgotten what I and Mrs. Oum said about accusing people without evidence?”

“…but it’s a perfect reason to be suspicious…isn’t that why you came to our class first before checking other classes.” the student muttered while lowering his head.

“I agree.” A couple of other students thought the same. “Has anyone else dared to speak so rudely to you on their first day of school?”

Taeyeon’s eyes widened at how fast rumours spread through this school. People even notice how you greet your teacher on your first day. Scary. She thought.

“I don’t think Taeyoon would be that careless when she knew she would be the number one suspect.” Surprisingly, Jessica spoke out in her favour this time. It also silenced any protests.

Mr. Lim shook his head, but then he thought again. It’s a good reason to give Taeyeon a little test to see her potential. “Taeyoon. Three days. Find it. Take it as a test, don’t disappoint me.” He added and left the classroom.

That had left Taeyeon speechless with half gaped open.

Taeyeon was rather surprised at the magazine being reported stolen the day right after she and the teacher talked. But she knew she did not do it, so she never worried about people accusing her. She wondered why Jessica spoke up for her.

“Hi Sunny! Hey, Taeyoon.” Tiffany greeted them as she approached.

Sunny waved back.

“Hiya!” Taeyeon greeted the eye-smiling girl.

Tiffany looked at her curiously. “You are in a good mood.”

“Why wouldn’t I be? Because of the missing magazine?”

“Aren’t you worried?”   

“Why should I be worried? Are you suspecting me as well?” Taeyeon asked.

“No.” Tiffany replied immediately, “I am just worried because I think this is suspicious. Who would do such a thing? It’s terrible. Who dares to steal from Mr. Lim.”?

Taeyeon didn’t know what to say. She already has an idea of who took the magazine. Or has it.

Pushing an upsetting topic to the back of her head, Tiffany wanted to ask her about last Friday. “I forgot to ask you yesterday. How was your weekend? Were you sick? Where did you go after school on Friday?”

Taeyeon gave her an odd look.

“My weekend was ok. Why would I be sick? What about Friday?” Taeyeon looked at Tiffany, studying her expression. Then she also realized that Tiffany had been avoiding Jessica since yesterday’s lunch. Piecing together her thoughts, she realized. “Ah. You saw, didn’t you?” She facepalmed herself. This is embarrassing. She thought.

“Saw what?” Sunny was surprised to hear the news. She is now very curious about what may have happened to her seatmate.

“Nothing.” Taeyeon tried to save her face.

Tiffany told Sunny what she saw, which made the latter look at Taeyeon with her face full of guilt and looking apologetic.

“Tiffany…Really?” Taeyeon looked at her with a sarcastic smile and walked out of the classroom.

“Taeyoon!” Sunny yelled after her.

———

“Are you really, ok?” Sunny asked while they sat down with their food.

“I needed it, it helped comb my messy hair, plus she said I was hot.” Taeyeon smiled sheepishly.

“Taeyoon!!” Sunny whined.

“Alright! I am fine, I am fine times 100.”

“If you say so.” Sunny smiled slightly and sighed, knowing she won’t get a more reassuring answer than that.

“So, are you going to look for the magazine?” Tiffany asked Taeyeon.

“If I stumble upon something, yeah,” Taeyeon replied simply.

“But wouldn’t it be good if you find it?”

“Not really. Probably some greedy kid took it and I doubt they would return it. It’s not school property, so even if I don’t find it, they can’t do anything to me.”

“Ah, Taeyoon, but that was supposed to be your gift! You should find it. Or at least show that you are interested in finding it! Or else you will look really bad in front of Mr. Lim.” Tiffany tried to convince Taeyeon to put in some effort. “You won’t do well if you get on his bad side, everyone in the school knows that.”  

“Tiffany has a point.” Sunny agrees with Tiffany. “Don’t forget that he is our literature teacher too.”

“Fine.” Taeyeon sighed, here are more things added to her to-do list, when all she wants to do is work on her own things.  

“That’s not the right attitude. Come on! I will help, we can be a team of investigators!”  Tiffany said, trying to motivate the small team of three.

“What’s there to investigate? We just need to wait for that person to make a move.”

“Huh?” Tiffany and Sunny looked at Taeyeon confused.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Do you expect that person to tell you where it is?”
 

“But we can start looking for clues, find out who was close to the office…” Tiffany suggested but was cut off.

“We all know, if this were a plot, it’s most likely aimed at me. Even Jessica said that. All we need to do is to wait for them to make a move. If no one makes a move, then it’s just some random kid who likes BoA took their chance and snatched it.” Taeyeon explained her reasoning.

“You say it so easily, but how do you know? What if it’s too late by then? Taeyoon, I don’t get how are you not worried by this…” Partly why Tiffany is so worried was because she remembered that Jessica came back to the classroom late yesterday. Additionally, there’s that incident last Friday. However, it’s hard for her to tell her the real reasons because it would be accusing her own friend. She thinks that Jessica must have her reasons too. On the other hand, she doesn’t want to see Taeyeon get hurt either and it makes her anxious that Taeyeon is so oblivious. The only thing she can do is encourage Taeyeon to put in some effort.

“It’s just a magazine? What can she plot with a damn book?”

“Everything starts from small things, and over time it grows into something big.” Tiffany is starting to get more upset by Taeyeon’s careless attitude.

It’s making Sunny anxious as well. “Then what is your plan Taeyoon?”

“I already said, we are waiting,” Taeyeon said as she ate another spoonful of her food.

“Waiting for what?”

“The magazine.”

“The magazine will hand itself over?”

“I didn’t mean hand it over to me, I mean back to Mr. Lim.”

“So, the person who stole the magazine with BoA’s autograph is just going to magically hand it over to Mr. Lim by herself.” Tiffany looked a