“Are you sure you want to go to class today? Your MC is for a week,” Yael had her hands on her hips while watching Moonhee put her sneakers on.

“Come on, it’s been like what? A week since I was discharged, I’m fine.”

“It’s 4 days, actually,” she rolled her eyes. “And you told Kibum to discharge you. He only let you go because you put your friendship on the line.”

“Well, he wouldn’t have let me go if I still wasn’t well enough right?”

Moonhee got to her feet and stomped her feet a couple of times in satisfaction and grinned up at her best friend, who was still frowning.

“See, my right leg’s good to go.”

She took a step and winced, her hand flying to her knee.

Yael had the I-told-you-so look on her face, arms now crossed over her chest. Moonhee chuckled sheepishly.

“Don’t give me that look, El. I’ll go get my knee brace.”

Yael pushed her down on the seat by the shoe rack and shook her head.

“Stay here, I’ll go get it.” She took a couple of steps forward and turned over her shoulder, checking on Moonhee.

“What?”

“Nothing, just making sure you are still here. The last time you promised to stay, you came back completely drenched with a bleeding stitch.”

“I won’t run this time, trust me.” She blinked slowly, tilting her chin up. “Now, we’re gonna be late if you don’t go get my knee brace.”

***

Everyone along the corridor towards the classroom block split like the red sea when Moonhee and Yael stepped into the school. They were curious as to how strange their schoolmates were acting.

“What’s going on?”

The former randomly grabbed a student who was trying to avoid her gaze. The freshman shook under her gaze before stuttering his answer.

“Two officers came to school today, looking for your class. I think they are looking for you both.”

“Us? Why?”

“They are those two officers that came over so many times and we all just thought… they would be here today for you again.”

Moonhee and Yael shared a look and she let go of the student. He scurried away, adjusting his shirt. The two girls hurried their way towards the lecture theatre.

*

“How do we know how the serial killers choose their victims? It’s by their victimology.”

Moonhee and Yael entered the ongoing lecture quietly and found their places at the back of the hall. They watched in silence while Jaebum and Jinyoung stood in front of the hall, scanning their student crowd.

“I believe some of you here are already learning about victimology,” Jinyoung stated, glancing around. “Can someone tell me what it is?”

A student at the front rose his hand.

“Yes?”

“It refers to the type of characteristics a serial killer looks for in a potential victim.”

“Quite right,” JB nodded, stepping towards the end of the podium. “Victimology is the study of a victim, or all victims, in order to discover clues and information in regard to the offender’s opportunity and selection process.”

Typing on laptops started to echo in the lecture theatre. Jinyoung saw how some of the students were looking rather puzzled and spoke up.

“Simply put; ‘Why this particular victim at this particular time?’”

Another student rose her hand, “With all of these killers running around, aren’t you afraid of being hurt one day?”

Jaebum recalled what Moonhee had told him the other day and smiled.

“Well, it’s our job to understand how these people work because once we do, we can catch them before they snatch another victim.”

Moonhee’s head snapped up when she heard those words, finding the familiarity in his sentence. She shook her head, brushing it off and turned back to her notes.

JB waited a second for the words to sink down on the students before he clicked the mouse on his computer and went on to the next slide. Bold words splatter across the screen.

What is Crime and How can Criminology students contribute?

***

After the lecture, students started piling out of the room. Yael went out to find their tutor to update her on Moonhee’s condition.

The latter was typing up her essay on her laptop while waiting when she caught Jaebum’s eye.

He went to his partner and nudged him, “The girls are in this class too?”

Jinyoung looked up at saw Moonhee sitting alone. He shrugged, “I guess so since they are learning about this topic in their module.”

“I’ll go check on her,” Jaebum offered and headed up the stairs, towards the lone girl.

Moonhee felt the last group of students passing her. She wouldn’t be bothered with what her classmates said or acted, but this time, something caught her attention.

“Why do you think she’s hurt like this?”

“She probably got into another fight with gangsters. Why did the school even accept her? She’s so problematic, it’s going to hurt the image of the degree.”

Jaebum stopped in his steps when he heard the discussions of the students. He glanced at Moonhee, noticed her brows scrunched up as she scoffed in amusement.

He cleared his throat, making the students turn around.

“Detective,” they greeted.

“Do you know what triggers some of these serial killers to act on their fantasies?” He posed a question, folding his arms.

“No… What?” One piped up.

“Usually, it’s because of how a person talked to them. The tone of speech, the words chosen to get the message across and the content. The way a person speaks can affect how the person receiving these words, and how they act.”

They realised that JB had heard what they had said about Moonhee and quickly scurried off. He watched them leave before plopping down on the seat a row down from the girl.

There was a brief silence and a couple of seconds past.

“Why are you still doing here?”

Jaebum shot a glance at her, she was talking to him without looking up.

“Why can’t I be here?”

She stopped typing and looked up, “Your time with the class has ended. I am no longer your student, you don’t have to be here.”

There was silence, as he didn’t know what to say. He wanted to make sure she was okay, physically and mentally. He didn’t know what happened between her and the classmates, but he wanted to know if she was alright.

“You heard what they said right?” Moonhee spoke up. “Those stu