Students From Whiteroom

Side Story: Theft Mystery the Day Before Founder's Day

It has been a long time since this novel was updated. This happened because my busy college in the real world is scary to remember 😫

So to provoke my spirit of writing, I wrote this side story. Well even though the main story is not finished anyway 🤣

Okay happy reading and Happy 75TH INDONESIAN INDEPENDENCE HUT.

* * *

Tomorrow is the Establishment Day of the United Nations of the Calendarsia Federation or commonly called Founders Day. August 17, 300 on the Regeneration calendar. This date is called Regeneration because humanity has managed to survive the mass extinction due to the Great War 3 centuries ago.

Every school is busy preparing a celebration for tomorrow, including Rajawali High School. As a favorite school, of course we will hold a big festival for tomorrow's celebration.

By the way the one who was talking at the moment, that is me, was treading cautiously towards the canteen. Of course I should be wary in case any teacher sees. It was not yet time for a break so no students were outside. That's why I should be wary in case any teacher sees.

When I arrived at the cafeteria, the atmosphere was quite quiet. Well I can counteract it if there are no customers. But the problem was that there was no canteen guard. There was only one black coffee cup near the cashier table.

How do I order?!

I screamed in anger in my heart. Grumbling because my struggle to get here was in vain.

I also left disappointed.

* * *

Where did Maya go?

As the class progressed, he suddenly slipped away under the pretext of urinating. The timing was so fast that I didn't realize the plan.

Amelia will be angry again.

I muttered in my mind. I immediately went out of class when the break bell rang. When I was about to step outside, I bumped into a student.

"Ahh sorry," I responded spontaneously.

"Sad."

I could hear the whisper before the student left. Well it's my fault so I can't protest. There was a little stain on his shoe. Probably because I stepped on it by accident. I don't know who knows.

He seems to be in a hurry. Maybe that's why he was angry with me.

I rushed away too. My goal is the library. When I got to the front of the library, there was a small commotion in the canteen.

What the hell's going on?

Ahh shit. My curiosity is playing me. I abandoned my intention to enter the library and head to the cafeteria.

"What's going on?" askaku.

"Huh you apparently. There seems to be a theft."

The one who replied was Asuna with her cynical tone. Ah I seem to be hated by the goddess Fortuna. I was hit and seen cynically. And now, I was also cynically addressed.

Well nevermind.

Near the open cash register, I saw the Canteen Mother I knew sitting down with a hug. His eyes were swollen from crying. Next to the cash register was a cup containing full black coffee. No one seems to drink it yet.

From what I saw, the Canteen Mother seemed to have lost some money. This can be seen from the open cash register and no one took the initiative to close it again. That means the machine is empty.

After knowing the situation I looked around. And my eyes met with Asuna who saw me as if waiting for something.

"Hurry over." His eyes seemed to say that to me. The reason might be for the matter here to settle down so that he can order food as soon as possible.

Well I understand that because of the intention of students like me to come here well to eat. We students rarely bring supplies, because it is troublesome. It is more effective to bring easy-to-carry pocket money and buy food in the canteen.

My gaze turned towards the other students who were smiling cunningly when I saw him. He was Virga who was next to the Canteen Mother.

Oh no! He's headed my way.

He caught me without a meaningful fight. Not of course I put up a fight, but it was a waste.

He had shouted to the people to arrest me.

Spontaneously the disciples around me held back my movements as if they were hypnotized for a moment. And, the moment those students came to their senses and released me, he was already in front of me.

I was gripped by the hand of Brother Virga. Then he pulled me out of the crowd and took me to the staff room.

"You wait here, yeah."

She smiles. But his eyes did not smile a bit.

The staff room was behind the desk where the students used to order. From inside the room I could clearly see that Brother Virga was calming the still crying Canteen Mother

A few moments later, the Canteen Mother also entered the room.

"Mother Mary, how much money was lost?"

I can still hear the sound of sobs from him. And Virga nonchalantly asked straight to the point.

Well I think at least he should comfort and calm Mother Mary before asking.

Wait, it looks like he did. Well nevermind.

Mary answered while stammering. The amount of money he mentioned was about one and a half million. He also explained the reason he left the cashier table was to urinate.

Ah, classic reason, I thought. But if it's true, what else?

"...That includes money for the race consumption tomorrow."

Virga smiles making people wonder what makes him happy.

"That's bad." He looked at me. He glanced at me with a mischievous smile on his face.

Wait, I think I can guess what he's thinking. Ah drat. I was caught in this unfortunate situation.

"Well Aria. Do you want the festival to go well tomorrow?"

Intimidating eyes. Makes me nod a few times. He is still a senior, however. Especially in this room guarded by several members of the OSIS and Disciplinary Committee on his orders.

"So since you're here, I want you to solve the case."

He's approaching my ears.

"You can, right?" He asked, but it did not seem like he would receive an answer. Because some of the students had been guarding the only exit.

So actually, he gave the order behind his question.

"I asked for my reward."

I asked him in a clean manner. Since there was no loophole to resist, I could only increase the gains by my side. I think rejecting his request would also be useless in this kind of situation.

He nodded in agreement.

As if he had found out what I wanted, he turned his attention to Mother Mary. "I'm sorry mom. I have to ask Mom to make donuts and other snacks even if your condition is chaotic."

Hey how does he know exactly what I want?! It was as if he was reading my heart like reading a book.

Maria's mother who had stopped as much as she could after seeing our conversation looked confused. But immediately nodded and stepped into the kitchen outside.

Now it's just me, Virga's sister and her subordinates.

"You have to uncover the case until Mother Maria finishes cooking. Understood?"

I just want to find Maya. But because my curiosity caused me to get caught up in this matter. Ah my heart feels toyed with by a cruel destiny.

The aura of intimidation here was so gripping, it made me unable to bear it. I have to plan something.

"That's funny advice? You just want to reduce our numbers here, don't you?"

I shook my head as hard as I could in response. If my plan is found out, then I'm finished. He looked at me doubtfully.

"We can do that if you find a suspect. We can raid the suspect's class to see if he cooperates with others. However, you have to find the suspect for me. If we do a raid in the wrong class. The perpetrator will know our plan and escape. It was also troublesome for us if we raided the entire school."

I thought about waiting for the hour until the final bell rang. However, it seems like he will be able to handle it. Well it looks like I'm gonna have to use my brain again.

"May I check around the cashier?"

Brother Virga nodded.

"Do everything you need."

He accompanied me on an examination. No, actually he kept me from running away.

Actually I just wanted to ask you about the black coffee in the glass next to the cashier. Because it caused a curiosity that made me unable to think of anything else. Well curiosity is also what caused this catastrophe.

I asked the water to Mother Mary who was cooking behind me.

By the way the canteen has been completely closed so that the atmosphere becomes quiet.

I checked the black cup of coffee next to the cashier's desk.

"Why is this coffee here?"

"Oh that's the black coffee I made. I really like the smell of black coffee."

For a mature woman, her taste surprised me. But then he said something to me.

"...well even though I didn't drink it."

That's what he said. This is my chance to climb the ladder of maturity. Well that doesn't mean drinking a cup of black coffee can make you an adult. Especially if you add creamer and milk.

By the way, I also took the coffee. "May I drink?"

"Please. I can make it again later. The smell of coffee has also disappeared."

I'm curious about the mature taste of black coffee. As Mother Maria said, the aroma of coffee has disappeared. Probably because of the temperature.

I also took that water. There was a sweet sensation, and the bitterness of the coffee and the salty taste were mixed into one as if it was the most normal thing in the world. It was only for a moment because a second later I spat everything out in the trash can.

That's the most disgusting taste that's amazing. It seems like I will never drink black coffee again because the taste traumatized me.

"What's going on?"

Mother Maria and Brother Virga rushed to me.

"Aps... Peh... Salty."

The two men showed faces full of question marks.

"You mean?"

Brother Virga also took a glass in my hand and felt for himself the sensation of salty and bitter taste of coffee that fused in a disgusting harmony.

But when I think back to the salty taste I felt. That feels familiar. Not salt. But something that...

"Peh... Salty" Brother Virga melted and grumbled. "There's soy sauce in it."

I'm nodding. That's the taste I remember in the coffee.

"Mother Mary, when you got here was there anything like coffee splattered?"

"Well it looks like that. There was coffee on the floor. Because it's a mess then I mop and clean it up."

Ahh deserved it.

"This is just my guess. But it seems like the perpetrators who stole the cash from the canteen knew very well that the mother did not drink the coffee that the mother made. Does anyone besides us know about this mother's habits? Because I feel like the culprit is among them"

"Ahh it seems so. There are some students that I don't remember. All I remember is Maya. Because he came here during class time. Oh there are also some delinquent students like Muji, and his other friend."

Maya is naughty. But he will not act criminally. At least I'm sure he wasn't the culprit. So obviously the others can be suspects.

"Maya is naughty. But he will not act criminally. At least I'm sure he wasn't the culprit. So obviously the others can be suspects."

That's what Virga said. Just like he copied his words from my mind.

I looked at him with suspicion that he had the ability to read minds. However, I ended up not taking issue with it and re-thought the case in front of me.

I'm going to put together information about this case to make things clear.

"So how's Aria, have you found the conclusion?"

Virga asked expectantly.

Everything is fine if I'm serious, maybe that's what my expression looks like right now. Her hope was granted with my little nod. Then I began to explain the situation from the information I had obtained.

About the coffee mixed with soy sauce, it was possible to trick the investigation, because the clue about the coffee splattered on the floor only we got after I realized that the coffee had been reduced. Soy sauce is used to cover the lack of coffee so that the coffee looks full as usual. It won't be drunk either, maybe that's what the perpetrator thought.

The coffee that splattered maybe a little so that Mother Maria did not suspect and immediately cleaned it. Mother Mary had unknowingly erased the trail of the thief.

Lucky for me, I thought with a little pride.

Maybe the perp spilled coffee when he took the money at the cashier. Could it...?

"Sister Vir. Please raid class 1B."

"Hoo? You seem to suspect someone?"

I'm nodding. "Well you can see after the culprit is found."

Brother Virga also gave orders to the students and prepared. Soon after, they rushed to class 1B.

While he was busy, I slipped away. Even though I felt that there was something lacking for me to carry. Well I hope it won't be fatal if I run away now.

I'm headed to my first destination, the library. There I saw Maya sitting curled up in the corner of the room.

His slightly tanned hair was scattered to the floor. Her familiar golden eyes as if unblinking stared at the book with a solemn ok'. He was so focused on the book in front of him as if he considered the world worthless.

I called out to him gently, with a jewel in the ear.

"Aa. What the fuck are you Aria?"

Is he angry? His tone sounded flat and lazy. I really envy her.

"Hurry to class. You'll have to work tomorrow, too."

He turned his face reluctantly. Without further ado I pulled his arm.

"Tsk...."

He looked rebellious and grumbling. But you know what? The anger of my Class Chief, Amelia, is far more frightening.

As soon as we got to the front of the class, the OSIS party conducting the raid in the next class found some money in a student's bag. The student was Manuk, the student I had previously run over. And also a close friend of Muju. Well, everyone knows he and his two friends are delinquents from class 1B.

I saw a stain on his shoe. It was a black coffee stain that she likely nudged when she stole some money from the cash register when Ms. Maria was not in the cafeteria. Since there was only a small amount of coffee splattered on the floor, then he did not mind it.

However, the coffee that was once full has been reduced. Although not striking, still can see the difference. That's why he added soy sauce to fill the empty space in the coffee cup. He knew that Mary would not drink his coffee, so he confidently added the soy sauce. Well he couldn't have expected, I would drink the most 'unique' sacred coffee in the world.

By the way, tomorrow's show can go well. There's just a little regret. I forgot my wages. And when I charged him to Brother Virga, he reasoned that I ran away so that his promised reward was void.

Oh, bad ending for me.