JAYWALK : Paths Crossed

Another of Sakura's days as a mere traffic enforcer started again. It's not like she looks down on traffic enforcers, but she just really misses her work in the Criminal Division. 

"Excuse me..." Sakura turned to the person who called for her and saw a mother carrying a child wanting to ask a question. 

"Good morning ma'am, how can I help you?" 

"I just want to ask how to get to this establishment if you know how to." The mother showed a piece of paper with an address. Sakura gave her full attention to the lady and faced her. 

"Oh yes. I know." Sakura started to explain the directions carefully. As she was focused on helping the woman she didn't know something would happen again. 

Thud.

"What the—" Sakura felt someone bumped against her back.

“Who the heck…?” The person who bumped onto Sakura looked up and they immediately recognized each other.

“AH!” They both pointed at each other. “You again!” Both of them stared at each other’s faces in shock, the holes on their faces dramatically opened.

“Ahhhh… it’s her again...” the woman clicked her tongue and looked away in disbelief. She was just rummaging through her bag as she walked and her carelessness caused her to bump into the policewoman once again. The mother sensed the tension between the two young ladies so she quietly walked away to leave. “My day just couldn’t get any worse. Aish.” She walked past Sakura as she saw the light turned green for pedestrians to cross.

“A-ahhHhhHhHhhh!” The woman screamed as Sakura pulled her back to her by holding the back collar of the woman’s coat.

“Yah. Where do you think you’re going?” Sakura asked the woman without letting go of her. She stared down at the jaywalker from yesterday with intimidating eyes.

“What again, ert?” The woman asked in irritation.

“You have some fine to pay, Ms. Jaywalker.” Sakura retorted. “You ran away from me yesterday and now you ain’t getting it.” She said with gritted teeth. Sakura held out her free hand in front of the woman. Still holding her by her back collar, she asked in a cold tone, “Your ID please.”

The woman sighed and finally decided to surrender. She weakly rummaged inside her bag for her wallet. “Here.” She gave her ID to Sakura. The policewoman snatched the card away from her and let her go.

“Kwon Eunbi,” Sakura read her name out loud. She took out the pad of fine slips from a small belt bag she’s kept on her waist and started to write her name and filled it out with other necessary details. Yesterday’s jaywalker, now identified as Kwon Eunbi, is just watching the road bustling with cars zooming away to their destination in disinterest. Her phone rang and she answered it unwillingly.

“Hey, Wendy.”

“Yah! Where are you, young woman!?” Eunbi veered her phone away from her ear for a while because of the caller’s loud voice.

“I’m just settling something here. I promise I’ll be there immediately,” Eunbi answered apologetically.

“Tsk. That’s the nth time you’ve said that Ms. Kwon Eunbi. Your students are waiting for you for so long! I still have my own class to watch out for, you know!?”

“Yes, yes, I know. I’m so sorry. I’ll be right there quickly. I promise.”

“Oh you better be!” The phone call finally ended.

“Are you done?”

Eunbi looked up at Sakura to find her staring at her with a deadpan face.

“Here.” Sakura gave the ticket to Eunbi. “Please don’t forget to pay immediately.”

Eunbi took the ticket and walked in the direction of her destination without a word. Luckily the light just turned green. Luckily.

It has been three days since Sakura’s last encounter with Jaywalker Kwon Eunbi. It’s a sunny morning with moderate traffic, so she got some cars to manage.

“산토끼 토끼야

어디를 가느냐

깡총깡총 뛰면서

어디를 가느냐

산고개 고개를

나혼자 넘어서

토실토실 알밤을

주워서 올테야”

Sakura heard little children singing San tokki and saw a line of them preparing to cross the street.

“Okay, kids! Hold tightly into your partner’s hand, and never let go. Okay?” A woman was cutely talking to the children in a loud voice. Even though the road is wide, she can definitely hear the woman’s chippy tone. Somehow, her moodiness ever since she started this traffic enforcement duty dissipated a little.

“Now, the light is already at what color?”

“Green!” the children answered in glee.

“That’s right! And now, that’s our cue that we can finally cross the street!” The woman explained to her class. “Let’s go!”

“Let’s go!” The children said too happily. They walked in a line with the teacher leading the way and watching over the kids at the same time. They safely got to the other side of the street. The children who are just kindergarten students clapped their hands when the teacher said so, celebrating the little yet significant success of having the kids learn something new today.

“Wah! It’s a policeman!” A boy student shouted seeing Sakura, despite her back being seen only by the children as she just tended to an old man who needed assistance. Hearing that the kid recognized her profession she felt proud of herself and turned around to the children but her eyes immediately met the teacher’s.

“You again?” “You again?”

Hah. It’s the jaywalker again. Sakura snickered.

“Wow. To think that you’re even teaching the kids how to properly cross the street.” Sakura stated, full of sarcasm. This irked Eunbi’s irritation and so, she answered back.

“I’m already cleared of that fine. So stop bringing it up again.”

“Eh? It’s a girl?” The boy questioned. The rest of the children stared at Sakura in question too. “Aren’t they boys?” He followed up.

As a teacher, this didn’t escape Eunbi’s desire to teach her students early on about gender equality. She kneeled on one knee to meet the boy’s eye level and talked to him.

“Yes, Yonggi-ah. The policeman is a girl. Not all policemen are guys.” She explained in a calm manner. The kid didn’t really mean any harm.

“Really?”

“Of course! Anyone can become anything, you know.” She answered, talking to everyone.

“Sorry, policeman-unnie!” The boy, Yonggi, apologized. Sakura was stunned. Even though the teacher didn’t tell him to, he still did. He must’ve been taught very well by this woman… but still! She’s such a rude jaywalker.

“No worries, kid.” Sakura was only able to say. Eunbi seemed to have enough of interacting with the policewoman so she finally spoke up to end this interaction so they can go to their next destination.

She clapped her hand and shouted. “Okay kids, let’s not bother policeman-unnie anymore, and let’s go to our next destination!”

“Okay teacher!” The kids responded immediately. “Bye-bye policeman-unnie!” They all waved goodbye to Sakura. Sakura returned it with a timid wave and a small nod. Eunbi and Sakura’s eyes met and they both looked away from each other annoyingly.

Hmph!

Next day came, and the road suddenly got busier. There was such huge traffic she needed to step in and guide the cars driving from different directions of the intersection.

BEEP BEEP!

WHISTLE!!!

“HEY! STOP!” Sakura signaled for a black sports car to stop. She walked to the driver’s side and knocked on the window. The window was lowered down and she was met with an irritated guy.

“You’re overspeeding.”

“I know.” The man responded in a matter-of-factly tone. Sakura started to feel her irritation bubbling up but kept her cool.

“Then you should also know that you’re getting fined for this.” Sakura held out her hand asking for the guy’s driver's license.

“Tch.” He gave in anyway and Sakura later returned it with a fine ticket.

“You may now go.” The car drove out immediately and she sighed. She went back to the middle of the intersection and tried to organize the traffic.

“산토끼 토끼야

어디를 가느냐

깡총깡총 뛰면서

어디를 가느냐

산고개 고개를

나혼자 넘어서

토실토실 알밤을

주워서 올테야”

Sakura heard the children’s voices again and turned in their direction. As the traffic light turns red for the cars, she starts to stop the upcoming cars 15 seconds before the time they stop. She hears the children’s voices get louder and nearer.

WHISTLE!

“Stop right there already!” She raised the sign she had which showed people crossing the street.

“Oh, it’s policeman-unnie!” The boy, Yonggi, noticed her again. “Hiii!” He waved happily. The rest of the children greeted her too and she immediately felt her mood brighten up.

“Hey, kids!” She waved back curtly. She met eyes with Eunbi who just gave her a small bow as she passed by her. The kids bowed at her one by one as they passed by her too. Not long after, the light turned green again for the cars to resume their drive.

Another day began, and Sakura still had mild traffic to manage. She hasn't yet recovered from the irritation she got from the hectic traffic yesterday and even though today’s traffic is not really that hectic as yesterday, having to deal with grumpy and pesky drivers is such a pain.

“산토끼 토끼야

어디를 가느냐

깡총깡총 뛰면서

어디를 가느냐

산고개 고개를

나혼자 넘어서

토실토실 알밤을

주워서 올테야”

She heard the same song being sung again. Aren’t they tired of singing the same song every single day!? She felt her irritation starting to bubble up further when…

“Just do it, Teacher!”

“Teacher is a coward!”

“What did you say!?”

“Ahhhhh just give it to policeman-unnie pweaseeee.”

“Ahhh yeah yeah okay okay.”

The cars finally come to a halt as the traffic lights are red. The children are crossing the street again.

“Hey.”

Sakura turned around to the person who called her and saw it was Jaywalker Eunbi. Since there were only 45 seconds till the light turns green, the kindergarten students were starting to whisper to their Eunbi-ssaem and push her to do it already.

“For you,” Eunbi said as she handed over a small bottle of an energy drink, looking away. The drink was actually the kindergarten kids’ own recipe. Sakura, dumbfounded, took it anyway.

“Sorryfortheotherdayandthankyouforyesterday.” Eunbi started to pull her students along with her in a hurry. “Let’s go kids, it’s almost ‘go’.” Without protest, the kids obeyed their teacher and in little steps trudged their way to the other side of the road while giggling amongst themselves. They made it to the other side just in the nick of time.

Sakura? She’s still frozen.

BEEP BEEP! BEEEEEEEP!!!

“YAH! DO YOU WANT TO GET YOURSELF KILLED!?”

Why does it seem like it’s a driver’s favorite line?

Anyway, Sakura got out of her reverie and drank the energy drink anyway ;)

The rest of the day went smoothly despite the little traffic. Sakura unknowingly felt more energized.

What could be the reason? Hm…