Talking to the moon

Chapter 1

This is not what Yunjin signed up for.

She had three open murder cases, and possibly another one waiting on her desk back in the station. Thinking back to her poor desk, a small cubicle practically overflowing with files and papers along with random colored pens that she would steal from others and forget to return, she sighed longing to go back. She should either be there or at some crime scene or chasing down suspects or doing something, anything that was not this.

However, here she was, sitting in front of thirty six-year-olds, wearing a horribly ugly yellow sash over her leather jacket that read in an awful comic sans font; STRANGER DANGER. The kids, to their credit, all were watching with intensely focused eyes as Sakura adamantly described what they should do if they find themselves in a situation. She crossed her arms, sure she knew these techniques could save them a bit of time, but honestly, if someone wanted to harm one of these little kids no amount of training would prevent Yunjin from having to arrive at a scene the next morning.

"Detective Huh will need a volunteer to demonstrate our techniques," Sakura clapped her hands, snapping Yunjin back to reality, "Does anyone want to volunteer?"

Thirty hands shot up in the air, waving slightly as they tried to garter a bit of attention. Sakura turned to the teacher, flashing her a smile as a signal for her to pick a volunteer. For a homicide detective, Sakura was soft. She loved children, and Yunjin knew she and her wife were trying to carry but the process was long and tiring, with very slow progress being made. The thought of picking just one to the disappointment of the other twenty-nine was something that Sakura couldn't bear, ironic because just three hours before they stepped in the classroom Sakura was taking pictures of a scene where a mother stabbed her own son three times. The teacher, Yunjin vaguely recalled her name being Hanni, a beautiful teacher, quite a few years younger than herself smiled back before looking over the kids.

"Kyujin, how about you come up here and help?" She called, and a girl sprouted up making her way to the front. She was cute, a bit on the taller side, and she looked up to Sakura this big smile as she waited for instructions.

"Do you remember what to do?" Sakura put her hands on the girl's shoulders, sending a silent glare over to Yunjin for her to actually stand up. Yunjin rose to her feet with a small huff, as the girl nodded. "Then show us."

Just as Sakura had so adamantly instructed in the car ride there, Yunjin gently grasped onto the young girl's wrist, cautious to be a bit firm yet gentle with the small child. Kyujin immediately pulled and in her bravest and most intimating voice, squeaked out, "I don't know you! Stop!"

Sakura started the applause, which the rest of the class quickly followed. Kyujin grinned before making her own way back to her seat, Sakura looked like she had more to say, but the light ringing of the school bell cut her off. The attention the kids had so wholeheartedly given her went straight out the window as they rushed to grab their backpacks and run out the door. There were a few stragglers, three packing up slow and chatting away with each other, another young girl slowly putting her things in her bag.

"Thank you guys for coming today, I know the kids had a lot of fun." Yunjin tore her attention from the kids to the conversation that was happening between Sakura and the teacher.

"It's important that they know this stuff." Sakura shrugged, grabbing her own coat, "Could save their life someday."

Hanni looked like she wanted to answer, but a small "Ms.Pham." interrupted her. The three of them looked down to see a small girl staring back at them. She looked a bit nervous, probably from having two strangers looking at her as well. She was wearing an oversized ratty blue sweatshirt, her hair was in a loose ponytail with her bangs grown out and seemingly pushed out of the way not to bother her eyes, "Can I have my prize now?"