Taehyung, who had already decided that the Mystery 3 club would remain empty and empty for the rest of the year before being emptied, was a little surprised. No... a little too much. With no one coming or going except for the founding members, it was currently being used as a snack storage. Then one day, he opened the door and found someone sitting in the club room. And a very familiar face. Taehyung stared blankly at Seokjin, then quickly turned to Yeoju, who had entered with him.
"What? Why is the history teacher there?"
"hello teacher-!"
"......"
Yeoju brushed past Taehyung without a word. Having been lifelong friends with him, being ignored was a daily occurrence, so it didn't particularly hurt. Taehyung was simply puzzled as to how Yeoju had recruited Seokjin. In the clubroom, there was a long, horizontal table in the center. Yeoju quickly ran over and sat down opposite her client, her back to the window. Taehyung, having no choice, pulled out a chair and sat in the corner.
"You still haven't found it?"
"Yeah... Not yet. I'm worried I might be bothering you guys for nothing."
"No, it's okay-"
"It's okay, teacher. We're the only ones who've come here since it was built. My friends used to laugh at my name, but what the heck? It's called Mystery Class 3. Hahaha."
The liberated smile that followed was the point. Yeoju, with a face flushed with irritation, kicked the leg of Taehyung's chair, and Seokjin, who was listening, seemed to feel truly sorry and replied, "I see..." Yeoju quickly changed her subject, trying to sort out the somewhat gloomy situation. "So, you mean the wallet was still there until Friday?"
Yeonhwa High School Mystery Class 3
ep2. More precious than money (1)
Even without her saying anything, he seemed to know the background to some extent, so Taehyung's guess that he had previously had a similar conversation with Seokjin was spot on. He must have lured our innocent history teacher into this dilapidated clubroom... but he seemed to have no idea that he was the one who had actually ignited the flames in Yeoju.
In any case, Seokjin began reciting everything he hadn't even been able to tell the female lead earlier. The incident occurred around 10:00 AM last Friday, three days ago. Seokjin, who was on duty that day, said he lost his wallet at school. The wallet, which had been in his pocket that afternoon, was gone when he returned home, confirming Seokjin's suspicion that he'd lost it on campus.
After hearing up to that point, the female protagonist asked.
"What time is it in the afternoon?"
"It was probably around 7 o'clock. Everyone was starting to leave work around that time, and I took my phone out of my suit pocket to check the time, but then I checked my wallet."
"Ah, at 7 o'clock..."
Then Taehyung, who had been silent, also becomes interested and joins in.
"Were you the only one left at that time? In the teachers' office."
"Right? Everyone had plans, so I was the only one on duty when I had time."
The female protagonist then spoke as if making a judgment.
"Then it's not theft. There hasn't been anyone in the teachers' office since 7 o'clock."
"That's right. There's no one like that at our school."
"What if it's not school?"
This was the question Taehyung had raised. The place it was lost wasn't necessarily school, but could have been on the bus or subway on the way home from work. And if you're going to use public transportation, don't you have to take out your wallet? The woman, who had been deep in thought, patted Taehyung's back, saying it was a sharp observation, befitting a member of the mystery club. Just as Seokjin was about to shrug, he shook his head.
"It'll be right at school. My house is right here, so I walk there. I realized it was missing when I got home, so I checked it over and over again, just in case I'd left it somewhere along the way, but it wasn't there. I tried going to school, but... the gate was closed, so I couldn't check."
Taehyung's expression softened again. Yeoju ignored him and continued the conversation.
"Ah... Then the school would be the most likely choice. Did you post an announcement on the bulletin board or ask the students?"
"Isn't it a bit... personal to post an announcement? I asked every class I went to this morning."
"Has anyone seen it yet?"
At those words, the guy next to him poked at the female lead as if he was pathetic.
"You idiot. You must have come because I'm not here."
"......"
"Ah, ah! Oh, teacher! He's pinching me! I told you, my flesh is going to tear!"
"Guys, calm down..."
Seokjin, facing the rekindled fight between the two, was at a loss. Ultimately, the first counseling session for the 3rd Mystery Class ended in a disjointed manner.
***
Class 3, Grade 2. The nurse's office had hurriedly procured a patch, and it had benefited greatly. Taehyung carefully stroked his still-tingling arm. "Hey. Don't joke around. There's not even a bruise, let alone a scar." The fact that he was subtly observing her while simultaneously criticizing her was a contradiction in itself. Even when she playfully teased him, hoping to lighten the mood, he just kept glaring, and Yeoju, taken aback, quickly changed the subject.
"But isn't that strange? The teacher said there wasn't much money in his wallet. He said he kept his cards in a separate bag... So I figured there wouldn't be any reason to go through all that trouble to find them."
"Why are you thinking so complicatedly? Your wallet must be expensive."
"That could be true. But since you're not answering when I ask, I think you've put something important inside."
"It's important..."
"Hey, isn't that like a first love photo?"
Taehyung, who had been staring blankly out the window, turned to Yeoju, who was foolishly wandering around, daydreaming about a bird. Their eyes, locked in a direct line of sight, blinked slowly. "Why?" Yeoju asked, and he silently tapped her on the forehead.
"ah!"
"Stop thinking about useless things and just find your wallet. This is your first time on this job, and you're not desperate. You're desperate."
"You, you dog..."
"But I didn't have any expectations in the first place. Who would trust someone whose output was the best in the previous Conan seasons, right?"
Taehyung had the experience of laughing heartily without thinking about the consequences, only to end up crying soon after.
***
Third period was Korean history. Those who'd been energized by the sight of those awestruck faces, their passion for studying, were suddenly overwhelmed by Seokjin's barrage of dad jokes, falling asleep one by one as if nothing had happened. Yeoju, the sole survivor amidst the piles of corpses, cheered Seokjin on with all her might. Of course... that wasn't about studying.
After the break bell rang, Kim Taehyung, who had woken up from his slumber just in time, yawned loudly, saying that if only Teacher Seokjin would just control his speaking style, he'd be twice as popular. Yeoju grabbed Taehyung and dragged him out of the classroom.
The place where they stopped was none other than in front of Seokjin. Yeoju asked.
"Did you find your wallet?"
"Oh, no. I haven't found it yet. I can't find it no matter how hard I look for it... I think I lost it outside the school, just like you said."
"Right? I'm not saying that for nothing."
Seokjin rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as he watched Taehyung respond excitedly, thinking this was the moment.
"I'm sorry, guys, for making you suffer needlessly. I'll catch you later and find you, so don't worry about this anymore-"
"teacher."
"Uh, yeah?"
Seokjin's eyes widened at the heroine's call, breaking his labor pains. Her gaze, which had been persistently focused elsewhere, quickly returned to him. She pointed to Seokjin's leg with her hand.
"Are you hurt?"
"What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
"No, I saw you since class, and you seemed to be limping a little."
This is the moment when Taehyung's keen eye for detail is triggered in a strange way. Taehyung begins to look at the female lead strangely, who starts talking nonsense like, "Is she hurting her leg?" Is she acting awkward? Whatever it is, he can't understand it.
Then, all of a sudden, Seokjin let out a short exclamation, "Ah." It seemed like something had just occurred to him.
"That's right. I fell at school a few days ago. I sprained my ankle a little, and even after icing it all weekend, it didn't get any better."
"Really? When exactly?"
"Exactly... um... when I got off work on Friday? So, the day I lost my wallet. It wasn't that important, so I didn't mention it..."
In contrast to the gleaming eyes of the female protagonist, Taehyung took a step back, his expression showing little interest. He wondered why the two were discussing such trivial matters, but soon gave up even thinking about it. He was craving pizza bread. He had to make a quick trip to the cafeteria before break ended—his plan to put such thoughts into action ended in miserable failure when the female protagonist grabbed him by the collar.
"Jang Yeo-ju, I'm going to the store. I'm going to the store."
"Okay, I understand. If I have any more questions, I'll come to the teacher's office, so make sure you have some time!"
"Uh... okay. Come on in, guys."
"Hey, I really want to go to the store-"
"Yes, you too, teacher."
"......"
Yeoju, who had successfully tied Taehyung down until he had completely seen off Seokjin, finally released his grip on his neck. However, just then, the bell signaling class rang loudly in their ears. Taehyung asked, his face on the verge of tears. "Do you really have a grudge against me?" ... "I'm sorry." This time, Yeoju seemed to have realized her mistake, as she promised to buy the store later, thus settling the situation.
"I'll go and buy ten pizza buns. Just don't pay."
"I get it... but that's not important right now. Didn't you hear what I just said?"
"What are you listening to?"
"I heard the teacher fell."
"What's that? What about falling? You teased me all day because I tripped last time, and now you're so worried about that teacher falling once? Wow, what a friendship like Kukdas..."
Since he seemed poised to repeat the fourth verse if left unchecked, the female protagonist quickly covered Taehyung's mouth. "Go ahead and talk, you little brat." Taehyung's outwardly snickering yet obediently walking into the classroom was a testament to his own contradiction.