He tapped the back of the chair with his hand, urging her to hurry. Despite her arduous efforts, her deskmate was still busy scribbling something down in her notebook. "Hey. What are you doing calling people over? Let's go inside and talk." The next period coincidentally was self-study time. Taehyung was not pleased with the fact that Yeoju, alone in the midst of the chattering crowd, remained steadfastly silent.
"Just wait a minute. I'm getting off work... at the back door... at 10 o'clock..."
"......"
I didn't say anything because I was afraid I'd get upset again, but it's true that I feel like a weirdo whenever this happens. He likes to play detective, which is childish for his age. He talks a lot but isn't very good at it, so he doesn't have many friends except for me. Besides, he's usually an idiot, but one day, without any context, he suddenly becomes so serious. This uniqueness that can't be simply dismissed as "having a strong sense of self" made Taehyung proud, having observed him for over a dozen years, a perfect subject for research. Unaware that she was gossiping about him, the female protagonist abruptly shoved a notebook at Taehyung.
"Read it."
"What is this?"
"Read it first and then tell me."
Taehyung glanced at the notebook in her hand with embarrassed eyes. "You... really have consistently bad handwriting."
"...Hey. Don't you want to be serious? I'm telling you to take responsibility as a member of the 3rd Mystery Team."
"What am I doing?"
"My arm is falling off, hurry!"
In the face of that wrath, he reluctantly accepted a palm-sized notebook. Taehyung tried not to act like this, but he seriously pondered why he was the only one causing such a fuss while the others were already anxious about exams and training. His worries were quickly quelled by the anticipation of his classmate, who was watching him from the side.
The notes were, in a way, a remarkable result of "deduction." More like a guess than a deduction, but still. Jang Yeo-ju's argument held some truth. Seok-jin fell on a Friday, the day of the incident. According to a weather app she'd just checked, a brief spring rain had fallen between 2 and 3 p.m. that afternoon. Spring rain is so light that Seok-jin and the others wouldn't have even noticed it, seeing the dry playground. But the situation inside the school was different.
"If it rained, let's say it dried quickly outside because of the wind."
"uh."
"Then what about you?"
"It must have been less dry."
"Yes, that's what I'm saying."
Taehyung rubbed his fingers along the lines of his face and asked, "So you're... trying to say that the teacher slipped because of the rain?" Yeoju clapped her hands with a solemn expression, as if she were watching a baby taking its first steps. He, on the receiving end, secretly felt aggrieved, making it a secret (not a secret).
"I heard you got hurt in front of the back stairs earlier. Our school doesn't have any side doors, and the entrance is the only one people come and go through, so it's bound to be wet. You probably fell and lost your wallet when you got off work. And it was night, so you probably couldn't find it."
"Did the history teacher just forget where he put it?"
...That teacher's personality? Yeoju, who had once heard Seokjin's legendary work schedule—he hadn't been late or absent once in nearly three years—asked back, even more bewildered. Even Taehyung had no choice but to acknowledge this.
"Yeah, well... you're particularly meticulous."
"But as you said, there could be variables, so let's just take a look and see before making any decisions."
He ended his speech with an unexpectedly serious expression. It implied that he, too, had to do his job, or rather, his duties as a member of the Detective Class 3. But Taehyung simply nodded silently and returned the notebook.
"Are you going to go together for lunch later?"
"I don't know."
That's right. No matter how annoying the request Jang Yeo-ju made, as long as it was directed at Kim Tae-hyung, there was never a case in history where it was rejected.
Yeonhwa High School Mystery Class 3
ep3. More precious than money (2)
The hallway was once teeming with people, like a rising tide, and then, in less than five minutes, it was empty, dusty and empty. Taehyung, leaning against the classroom door, watched the scene unfold from beginning to end. He was the one who had always been at the front of the lunch line, shoulder to shoulder with them.
But now...
"Aren't you coming soon? Why are you cleaning your desk all day?"
"Uh, uh, just this. I just put the eraser in."
Even as Taehyung left the classroom and walked down the hallway, his anger still lingering, he continued to poke at Yeoju. What I mean is, I told you there would be cheese tonkatsu today, but if you can't have it because of me and just eat plain rice with tonkatsu sauce, starting today, I'm kicking you out of any clubs or anything. Understood? Huh? Understood? He kept nagging you without giving you a moment to breathe, but unfortunately, the listener was lost in thought, staring out the hallway window. Is this what a friend is...? Taehyung couldn't help but lament the fact that he couldn't even hear a word he said.
"Let's have lunch, check the back stairs, and stop by the teachers' office. I have something to ask."
"Am I saying this to be chewed out by you?"
"Huh? Why? What did you say?"
"...let's stop talking."
Jang Yeo-ju, who seemed genuinely unaware, and Kim Tae-hyung, who had grown tired of her, had reached a point where he understood, saying, "What's wrong with him?" Their conversation was interrupted just then. Yeo-ju's shoulders accidentally brushed against someone walking in the opposite direction, and immediately, a "thud" was heard as something hit the floor. Tae-hyung, who had been walking ahead, turned around at the commotion and silently gasped in shock.
This school, that is, Yeonhwa High School, was a place where I knew everyone very well.
"Oh, sorry."
"......"
"I'll pick it up for you."
Before he could finish speaking, the female protagonist, who had bent down, paused for a moment after confirming the identity of the object on the floor. Immediately after, the hand that was outstretched was snatched away with an embarrassed gesture. The person who had put the object back in his pocket looked at me even more strangely. Hey, hey, hey...! Let's go quickly. Before she could even think about it, Taehyung was urging her from behind in a hurry, so the female protagonist had no choice but to bow her head slightly and leave.
***
"You almost died today."
"What are you saying?"
Fortunately, we weren't too late to arrive, so we each put a pork cutlet on our plates and talked. Yeo-ju, who was poking the cheese pork cutlet with a fork, asked what nonsense that was, but Tae-hyung, undeterred, continued the conversation in a serious tone. To summarize, the person who had caused the accident with Yeo-ju earlier was a third-year student who had returned to school and was notorious. Rumor had it that he had such a foul and eccentric personality that one offense would lead to hell. He said he was lucky this time and got away with it without saying anything, but there was no second chance.
Then the female protagonist said,
"Aren't you making up some ridiculous excuses just because your hair is a bit brighter? I was planning on dyeing my hair like that later on, too."
"No, it's not necessarily because of the hair color... but what?"
"Dark blonde. How about it? Rose is just that color."
*Rose from Detective Conan
Regardless of whether the conversation was off topic or not, Taehyung jumped up from his seat and swung at the female lead.
"You, you just dye your hair and stuff! Are you telling your aunt everything?"
"...Why all of a sudden? My mom gave me permission to do it too. Just tell me to do it when I get to college."
"You have to go to college to become a college student."
"There are chances of death."
"...Anyway. This has nothing to do with hair color. If it's just one or two people saying it, then just dismiss it as a rumor. But if everyone I see says the same thing, wouldn't it be more natural to approach it as a problem with that senior?"
It was a logical argument, but even after hearing it all, the female lead acted as if she didn't understand.
"Okay, let's say that's true."
"I'm not saying that's true-"
"Why is that person carrying a can of tuna?"
Taehyung was almost certain that the square object he saw at first glance was a cigarette pack. Wait, what can? Yeoju put down her spoon and answered calmly, facing her friend who was completely stunned. "Well, well, it's the one your senior, who advertised you as so scary, dropped."
"......"
That was a can of tuna for cats.
***
Since they ate at roughly the same pace, their lunch break ended early. With so much to do, they were more than a little hurried. However, contrary to the heroine's long-winded predictions, nothing was found near the back door, including the stairs. This was the only setback to their plan.
Strange... This must be the right place. Taehyung, exhausted from wandering around, sat down on the stairs, confident that either someone had already found it, or it was lost somewhere else in the first place. Or maybe the history teacher was just kidding.
"He just spits out whatever comes to mind. Why would a teacher lie?"
"That could be the case."
"Absolutely not."
"Aren't you trusting that teacher too much?"
"Well, the history teacher is always honest. Unlike you, Kim Taehyung."
The backlash following the backlash was fierce. Taehyung, who had come down the stairs again, began to argue with his mouth hanging open. They looked like a young brother and a mature older sister arguing.
"What's the difference? Are you saying I'm not being truthful?"
"I know very well."
"Hey, you still don't know me-"
"I keep looking, but nothing but dust comes up. I think it would be better to go to the teachers' office and ask the homeroom teacher for more clues.
"...Yeah. Thank you for always ignoring me."
"you're welcome."
They say you can't spit in a smiling face, but seeing her bright face smiling back at him, Taehyung was naturally speechless. But that was only for a moment, as soon as Kim Taehyung started again with, "Do I look like water to you?" and Jang Yeoju was busy rambling on. The outside wind blew softly behind them as they bickered and walked away.
***
The female lead felt a little regretful. Just a few minutes ago, she had absolutely no intention of sneaking around like a rat, peeking into someone else's love life. Taehyung, who was walking beside her, shared her thoughts. "How long are we supposed to keep doing this? ...I don't know, so just be quiet." The two detectives, curled up against the wall like sheets of paper, agonized over how to break through this situation.
It's no secret that Seokjin is the most popular teacher at Yeonhwa High School. He's handsome, has a great personality, and, on top of that, he's a 20-something high school teacher who graduated from a prestigious university. Perhaps that's why there are so many, if not countless, young girls who dream of immoral love between teacher and student. It's become so commonplace that it's no surprise to see them passionately confessing their love to him in the hallways.
"Even if you refuse, I wish you had just... told me honestly."
"No, that's not it-"
"I'm sorry, Teacher Seokjin. I'll be going now."
How nice it would be if today were no different from any other day.
"Teacher Yeonsu..."
Choi Yeon-soo. The audience is shocked by the unexpected appearance of this character.