Tama padded through the tall school doors with his crumpled map clamped in his teeth. His ears twitched toward every creak and whisper along the hallway. Somewhere in this school was something worth finding — he just had to follow the clues.
Near the coat rack, something silver caught his eye. Tama picked it up — a round button, smooth and cool. He held it to the light and gave it a thoughtful blink. It would have to be enough for today.
In Room 3, Tama scrabbled beneath a tiny wooden desk. His paws knocked something hard and round. He tugged it free — a glass marble that caught the sun and threw rainbow spots across the floor. He pressed it to his ear, listening. Nothing.
The marble went into his satchel with a soft clink. Tama sighed and dragged himself toward the playground anyway. Maybe today's treasure hunt would end in nothing at all.
On the playground, something red glinted in the sandbox. Tama nudged it with his nose — a toy car, half-buried in the sand. A girl crouched beside him, her brow furrowed. "I lost it all morning," she whispered.
Tama picked up the car and pressed it gently into her open palm. Her worried frown melted into wide-eyed surprise. "You found it!" she breathed, fingers closing around the little red racer.
A boy on the swings called out, "Race!" Before the girl could say thank you, she grabbed the kitten's paw and pulled. Tama's tail shot straight up as they lined up side by side on the dusty path.
The next morning, Tama dropped his crumpled map into the recycling bin without a second look. He knew exactly where he was going — the playground, where his friends were already waiting.