A few days later, it was kan's class's turn to clean the school. There was a lingering concern in the air news of the recent events had spread among classmates and juniors alike. However, kan's situation had been pardoned by the teachers, and since no one knew the full details about Dan, things had finally settled into a quiet calm.
The morning was still, with no breeze and a soft sun. Kan stood waiting for Hana at the front of the road. After a while, Hana arrived, apologizing for the wait. Kan start to remember to ask something "Did any police officers come to question you?" kan asked immediately. Hana, who was adjusting her bag strap, stopped and looked at kan before nodding. Seeing kan's anxious expression, Hana burst into laughter. "Don't worry so much. I didn't say anything wrong, and your 'beloved' sab is perfectly safe!"
Kan's face flushed. "He's not my 'beloved.' He's just a friend." Hana raised an eyebrow playfully. "Oh? What were you thinking then? I didn't mean it that way." She teased a bit more before getting serious. "Anyway, let's go pick up siv."
As they walked, kan pushed for details. "Tell me exactly what the police asked." Hana didn't hide anything. "A male officer came. I told him that on that day, you called me to help organize a house at the location you sent. When I arrived, I saw it was San's house and it was a total mess. I said you wanted to clean it quickly because you didn't want san to see his home in that state after someone had broken in. I explained that you were terrified and had been hiding, so I didn't ask many questions we just cleaned and left."
"The officer listened intently, constantly checking his watch. He asked some follow-up questions:
'Why did you throw away water bottles that didn't look old?'
'There were so many bottles making the place crowded, so I threw some away to clear space.' (The officer frowned at this reason).
'Why did you stop at the mart to buy snacks on the way?'
'kan and I were going up the mountain. I often see the kids at the landfill area, so I wanted to buy snacks for them. I left kan waiting because she was still shaken from the break-in, and I didn't want the dirty environment of the landfill to upset her further. While I was there, I saw some matches the kids had they looked vintage, so I asked for them to use for burning trash at my own house.'
"Why matches instead of a lighter?" the officer had asked. "Because I like the aesthetic of matchsticks," Hana had replied with a smile. Before he could dig deeper, his phone rang an urgent meeting. Before leaving, he asked if kan knew he had come to question You before?
Hana's bright smile faded into a tight one, but the officer's phone rang again with a reprimand from the other end, so he hurriedly left.
Kan smiled, impressed. "You're actually a very good liar, Hana."
At the bus stop, kan teased, "You probably missed spending the New Year with your boyfriend, huh?" "Kim has his own family to spend time with," Hana replied simply. Suddenly, they saw siv walking toward them, looking pale and unhappy. Beside her was Kim.
Kan waved at Siv, but Siv seemed lost in thought until they got closer. Hana was surprised to see Kim with Siv, and Kim looked equally startled to see Hana. "Do you know where Siv lives?" kan asked Kim. Kim denied it immediately. "I was just passing by the school and saw her. I was actually looking for her to ask about Hana." Kim quickly walked to Hana's side, grabbing her hand and offering to walk her to school. Hana declined.
Kim looked disappointed but didn't push. He patted Hana's shoulder and whispered, "Don't forget about our thing." He winked and left. "What 'thing'?" Kan asked curiously. "He wants to take me out on a date," Hana answered. She then turned to Siv. "Are you okay? You look unwell." "I'm just having bad period cramps," Siv replied with a weak smile. "I didn't know you guys were coming to find me."
The three of them took the bus to school. Upon arriving, kan blinked in disbelief. "Is the sun rising from the west?" She pointed to Tan, who was actually helping pick up trash and pulling weeds alongside the Vice President, Lida, and other students.
Hana ignored the whispering crowds and the curious stares. Mala, along with Sing Sing and Tata, approached Hana. "Are you feeling better now?" Mala asked. Unlike the others, Mala didn't gossip, but she also refused to look at kan. "You must be happy that the broken window incident is finally over," Mala said coldly to kan before walking away. Soon after, Liv ran over with drinks for them, greeting kan with a smile.
Hana went to clean the bathrooms, a task she preferred doing herself to ensure it was done right. Later, during the attendance check, neaya (the Vice President) kept staring at Hana in a daze. Lida noticed. Earlier, Lida had overheard kan and Siv joking about Hana carrying her cats like a "refugee" to the Class President's house. Lida realized Hana had stay alone and going to Phnom Penh and had trusted Mutu with her pets.
During the self-study session, kan noticed Yin was absent. When the class ended, she saw Tan leaving and decided to follow him. Tan's strides were long, and she struggled to keep up until he suddenly pulled her into a corner. They were very close.
"Why are you following me?" Tan asked, his grip loosening. "I… I just wanted to ask if you went anywhere for New Year," kan stammered. "I stayed home. Is that all?" "Your grades are the lowest in class," kan added, trying to sound reasonable. "You should study harder or you'll fail. No one in our class should fail!" Than smirked. "And who are you to tell me that?" "I… think of me as an older sister!" "I don't need one," Tan said, his smile widening. "Worry about yourself. Weren't you supposed to be the top student?" He walked away, leaving kan frustrated and confused. How did he know I used to be a top student?
That evening, kan went to her part-time job. She noticed Yin wasn't there either. "Yin didn't get to enjoy the New Year," Sister Khai said sadly. "He got Dengue fever. He recovered, but then it relapsed a few days later. He's in the hospital now." "The hospital? Why didn't anyone tell me?". "That's why he wasn't at school this morning!"
Sister Khai looked surprised. "He wasn't at school?" kan realized she had slipped up. On the way to the hospital, she apologized to Khai. "Yin didn't want anyone to know we go to the same school." "Why?" Khai asked. "He doesn't like showing his connections. At school, he hardly ever speaks to me." Khai laughed softly. They bought some fruit and headed into the hospital to visit Yin.