Chapter Two: Geum Jan Di 

"Jan Di-ah, hellooo! Earth to Jan Di! Are you still in Seoul, Jan Di-ah, or have you gone somewhere else?" Jan Di's best friend—a lovely young woman of 27, by the name of Chu Ga Eul—called out to her from across the table of their favorite lunch restaurant. They frequented it because it was close to the EMS station.

This afternoon, the two friends sat at their regular table near the window. The small table was spread with a communal serving of bibimbap and various side dishes—kimchi, rice, and fried sweet potato noodles.

Jan Di had failed to react to her name—and hadn't even acknowledged the dark-haired beauty before her. In fact, she had been staring out into space for several minutes now.

Ga Eul waved a hand in front of Jan Di's face to gain her attention. Jan Di flinched and finally began to blink rapidly in recognition. "Oh! Sorry, Ga Eul-ah!"

"It's OK. I forgive you, but what in the world were you thinking about?" Ga Eul's rosy lips twitched in amusement.

Jan Di glanced off to the side, while fidgeting with her hat in her lap. Ga Eul eyed her best friend.

"It's nothing," Jan Di finally said.

At this, Ga Eul leaned forward and rested her chin upon her knuckle. "Really? There's nothing at all on your mind?"

Jan Di tossed her head back with a scoff. "How do you do that?" she barked.

Ga Eul merely smiled in satisfaction.

And Jan Di let out a small sigh. "Well, it's nothing really… I was just…thinking about the fire yesterday."

Ga Eul nodded and captured a piece of kimchi between her chopsticks. "Did something happen?" she asked, before popping the bite of crisp, spicy cabbage into .

Jan Di scooped a heaping of noodles into in turn; she slurped them down before proceeding. And she told Ga Eul about the boy and his mother, who had thankfully been released from the hospital.

"Well, I'm so glad they are alright."

"Me, too," Jan Di nodded. She took a long pause, while playing with her food.

Ga Eul leaned in slightly. "Was there something else?"

Jan Di poked at her food, hemming and hawing for several seconds before releasing a frustrated groan. And reluctantly, she told the story of her interaction with the fire chief—Yoon Ji Hoo.

After Jan Di had related the brief tale, Ga Eul pressed her lips together, studying her best friend. And Jan Di's eyes darted back and forth in avoidance of the burning stare.

"Well, it's over now, so why do you keep thinking about him?" Ga Eul asked.

Jan Di immediately took note of Ga Eul's choice of words—him, not it—and quickly corrected her. "I'm not thinking about that jerk!" she asserted, in a raised voice.

After her unnecessarily loud tone, Jan Di glanced quickly around the room and then lowered her eyes.

Ga Eul took her time in speaking, "...Jan Di-ah, it seems to me—and I say this out of love—that you were the one being kind of a jerk to him… Questioning how he did his job and all…"

Jan Di gripped her hat between her fingers. "Ahh, I know! I was. I really was…"

"Why?" Ga Eul asked the obvious.

Jan Di shook her head back and forth. "I don't know. …I guess…I was having a bad day." She folded one arm over the other at the table.

Ga Eul laid a sympathetic hand on Jan Di's arm. "Were you thinking about him?" she asked delicately.

Jan Di glanced away, as the sudden reminder nearly brought moisture to her eyes. But that was so stupid. She chewed on her lip. "Yeah, a little, I guess…"

Ga Eul reached across the table to place a sympathetic hand upon her best friend's shoulder.

"I'm fine, really," Jan Di assured, and she put on a big smile. But Ga Eul knew it was fake, for Jan Di never smiled that widely, not naturally. "It's been nearly a year, so I should be over it, right?"

"There's no set time span for heartache, Jan Di-ah. Besides, he was your first love and the only guy you've ever really been involved with. That's not just something that goes away…"

"I know, but I'm really OK…," and she toyed with a piece of beef.

"Ahh," Jan Di suddenly snapped her head back. "I still can't believe you're forcing me to go on a date! You know that I hate you for that, right?" Ga Eul smirked in response. "And I'm only doing it because I do actually love you," Jan Di added.

Ga Eul gave her a warm smile. "I love you, too, and I appreciate it. You know, I do think it'll be good for you to get out. All you ever do is work or stay at home reading."

Jan Di grumbled, "Well, there's not much time for anything else…"

"I know."

"But enough about me! Tell me more about this guy you like. I need to make sure he's good enough for you!"

"Well," Ga Eul blushed and looked away. "He's really cute…"

Jan Di nodded. "OK… Please tell me that his list of attributes includes more than that."

"Well, I don't really know much about him, honestly. I was hoping to get to know him more on our date. We just met at the club, and he's kind of…mysterious, actually. And it's really...," Ga Eul blushed, "exciting…"

Jan Di nodded ultra-slowly. It was a bit concerning to her. "Ga Eul-ah, you're not the type to meet some random guy and just agree to go out with him," and her brow furrowed.

"I know, but just this once…I wanted to…see what that would be like. Besides, it's not like I just hooked up with him that night. And I even made him work for it a little before I gave him my phone number."

Jan Di gave Ga Eul a sardonic smile. "Well, I'm glad you asked me along, in case I need to protect you!"

Ga Eul chuckled. "Oh, Jan Di-ah, so protective… You're always looking out for everyone, aren't you? I mean, you care for me, your mother, your brother..."

"Well, I have to, don't I?"

"I really admire what you do. It's wonderful of you."

"No, it's just what family does."

…

Ga Eul nodded. She felt the same way.

"But why would you need to protect me, Jan Di-ah?"

"I don't know; this guy might try to pull something funny… I just don't trust guys."

Ga Eul looked upon her with big brown, sympathetic eyes. "Jan Di-ah…," she began seriously. And Jan Di met Ga Eul's eyes.

"Not every guy is going to be like him," she said, placing a hand on Jan Di's arm. "Not every guy is going to do to you what he did…"

Jan Di sighed. "I know that. And I'm not really even angry with him anymore. I mean, it wasn't really his fault completely," Jan Di paused and stared down at her hands. "We were just too…different."

Ga Eul tightened , and there was a silence. They both went back to eating their meal.

…

Just then, they heard the door to the small restaurant being opened, accompanied by the tinkling of a bell. Jan Di instinctively looked up, only to see Yoon Ji Hoo walk in, dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans. Her eyes shot away from him like shrapnel, and covering the side of her face with her hand, she shrunk down in her seat.

Ga Eul looked over at the man who had entered; he was now heading to the counter. And she turned back to Jan Di. "Jan Di-ah, what are you doing?"

"Shh," Jan Di urged.

"Who is that?" Ga Eul asked in a whisper, glancing extraneously between the man and Jan Di. "Why are you hiding?" And then realization dawned on Ga Eul's face. "Wait, is that…the fire chief?"

"Shhh!" Jan Di hissed, still attempting to hide herself from view.

Ga Eul was thoroughly amused. "Ahh, that's him, right?" she whispered.

Jan Di nodded, while shielding her face.

Ga Eul chuckled and snuck a casual glance at Ji Hoo. He was ordering lunch to go. "He's cute…," she commented.

"He's not cute," Jan Di snipped. And she partially uncovered her face to get a look, as if that needed verification.

Ga Eul tossed Jan Di a disbelieving smirk—partially due to her comment and partially due to how immature she was acting. "Oh really? Well, he looks pretty cute to me… And if you don't think he's cute, then why are you acting this way?" They say a strong no is a yes, after all, Jan Di-ah…

"Because I don't want to talk to him," Jan Di muttered through her hand. "And if you keep talking he's going to hear you and know we're talking about him, and he might come over..."

Ga Eul leaned back in her chair and tossed a strand of pin-straight, jet-black hair over her shoulder. "Fine. I can be cool. But, can you?"

"Of course I can," Jan Di muttered, as she peeled her fingers away from her eyes, cautiously peeking through. Ji Hoo's back was turned to her and one muscular arm rested upon the counter. The girl at the counter was reading back his order to him—and flirting shamelessly. Jan Di subtly rolled her eyes.

Then, Ji Hoo's head turned. He caught sight of Jan Di, and his lips curved into an amused little smile.

Mortified at having been caught looking, Jan Di snapped her head back and focused upon the food before her, that was quickly growing cold. She dug into the hot pot with her utensils and pulled out several large chunks of juicy beef. And she shoved them into —all at once.

Ji Hoo had to wait for his food to be prepared, so he took a seat at a table across from the girls, who were quite obviously looking at him but hoping to go unnoticed. One of them, he recognized right away as the EMT Geum Jan Di. He placed his forearms upon the table and leaned against it. Geum Jan Di was clearly trying to avoid him, and he was a nice guy, so he decided to play along. He occupied his eyes by looking out the window, and then he pulled out his phone, pretending to do something on there. But he couldn't help but be drawn to Geum Jan Di's table.

Being far subtler, Ji Hoo glimpsed Jan Di out of the corner of his eye. It was cute and entertaining—watching her stuff her face and awkwardly avoid eye contact. It was like she was a completely different person from the confident emergency medical professional she was yesterday. How interesting, Ji Hoo thought, unable to banish the smile from his face.

Moments later, the girl who worked there brought over his takeout order. He thanked her and stood from his seat.

As Jan Di chewed, Yoon Ji Hoo walked past the table with several carry-out containers in hand. Their eyes inevitably met, and when they did, her cheeks just so happened to be stuffed with food.

Ji Hoo smiled genuinely at Jan Di and raised a hand in a static wave. He had to acknowledge her now—now that they'd quite clearly locked eyes.

She couldn't smile back, for was stuffed with food. But, as it would be rude of her not return the gesture, Jan Di threw up her hand to wave too. And then she looked quickly away and resumed chewing.

Ga Eul watched Ji Hoo chuckle to himself, as he exited the shop. And then she turned back to Jan Di. "He's gone now," she informed.

By then, Jan Di had finished chewing. She looked up to confirm, and when she saw that he was indeed gone, she heaved a sigh of relief.

"Well, that was entertaining," Ga Eul commented with a grin.

And Jan Di smacked her friend on the arm. "Ugh, you mean humiliating…," she mumbled in a barely audible tone.

"That, too. But it wasn't so bad. Well, aside from the part where you looked like a squirrel storing nuts in its cheek for winter."

Jan Di groaned and dropped her head, allowing it to bang lightly against the table. When she finally looked up again, Ga Eul was smiling at her.

"Do you want to know what I think, Jan Di-ah?"

"Not really…," Jan Di muttered haughtily. She put her hat back on, slipping her ponytail through the hole in the back and securing it in place.

"Well, too bad; I'm going to tell you, anyway! I think…," Ga Eul gave her friend a sly grin, "that you have a little crush on the fire chief..."

"Do not!" Jan Di protested, and realizing she'd raised her voice, she quieted. Muttered more softly, she said, "I just met the guy… How could I have a crush on him already?"

"Sometimes it doesn't take long... Ever heard of love at first sight?"

Jan Di scoffed, "Yeah right!"

"OK, more like attraction," Ga Eul corrected when Jan Di eyed her skeptically. "I don't believe in love at first sight." And Ga Eul took a bite of food.

"No, but you do believe in soulmates, don't you?" Jan Di raised a brow. Ga Eul gave a pronounced nod of the head in response.

Jan Di fidgeted with her cup of water. "You really think there is one perfect person out there for everyone?"

"I absolutely do."

"But, how could that be?" It didn't make sense to Jan Di at all. "And how would you even know if you were with this person?"

"You'll just know, I believe," Ga Eul assured. "You'll feel it when you're with him, like someone is trying to tell you something…," Ga Eul spoke dreamily, her milk chocolate eyes drifting skyward.

Yeah, well I thought I felt it before, but I was wrong…, Jan Di mused. Maybe love doesn't conquer all. Maybe sometimes reality gets in the way…

And Jan Di didn't get it. How could Ga Eul be so sure? How could she be so dreamy and romantic about the notion, especially considering the fact that Ga Eul had been on her fair share of bad dates? And she'd had her heart broken—several times, in fact. But no matter how many creeps Ga Eul went out with, she still believed that Prince Charming would ride up one day.

We're not children anymore, Ga Eul-ah…

Jan Di wanted to say that last line in her head, but she didn't want to shatter Ga Eul's worldview. In fact, she loved that about her best friend, and she wished she could be more like that, too. At one time, she was…

Jan Di folded her arms and stared across the table at her best friend. "So, do you think this guy you met could be your soulmate, Ga Eul-ah?"

Ga Eul pondered for a moment. "I really don't know…but I plan to find out."

Jan Di gave a nod. What else was there to say to that? That was the purpose of dating anyone—to learn more about the person. But sometimes you didn't learn enough…

The women continued with their lunch. They chatted about other subjects, but Ga Eul didn't seem to want to let go of the original topic.

"Hm," Ga Eul pondered, "Maybe you shouldn't go on the double-date. Maybe you should go out with this fireman… He could be…your soulmate, Jan Di-ah," Ga Eul smirked and raised her cup to her lips.

"Get real! I don't want to go out with him! He's…he's insufferable!"

"Didn't you think your ex was insufferable at first?" And Ga Eul immediately covered , regretting the statement. "Oh, Jan Di-ah, I'm so sorry! That was really insensitive of me!"

"No, it's OK…," she paused, "he was, actually…," and then the tiniest hint of a smile crossed Jan Di's lips. "But then, he got better… He was almost…sweet…for awhile…"

But then, everything went to hell—just when it was getting great…

After a brief silence, Ga Eul spoke. "You know I just want to see you happy, right?"

Jan Di smiled warmly. "I know that."

"So…," Ga Eul began.

"So?"

"So, you're really not interested in the fire chief?" Ga Eul reiterated.

"Yes! I mean no! I mean I'm really not interested."

Ga Eul sighed in defeat. "Whatever you say, Jan Di-ah."

They both went back to their food.

After a few bites, "…Maybe something will come of this date Saturday, then," Ga Eul chirped hopefully. And Sometimes Jan Di wondered if her best friend was more eager about finding her a guy than her mother...

Jan Di simply gave a dismissive nod, and they finished off their meal.

After lunch, Jan Di returned to the 119 Headquarters. The building was newly renovated—five stories, lined all around with windows and with large 119 and police emblems jutting out from the front side.

Jan Di ascended the stairs of the building and entered the common area where her team was hanging out. She glanced around the room. Some were lounging on the couch; a pair was playing cards, and another was lifting weights in the adjacent weight room. She took a moment to silently observe the group—that had so quickly become so important to her. Although she hadn't been with them long, she had developed quite the rapport with them.

As she entered, Jan Di cleared to announce her presence.

This sound was met with the words, "Captain Geum is back, hurray!" being shouted by one of the rookie EMTs—a 19-year-old named Dong-Geun. The young man bolted upright when he saw her, and the other men snapped to attention.

Jan Di walked in proudly, her hands behind her back. And she gave them all a mock look of disapproval. "Look at this place…and look at all of you…"

The newer ones to the profession were concerned, and they quickly stood and bowed or saluted her, but the veterans knew better.

"At ease," Jan Di joked with the newbies, "You don't have to do that every time."

A middle-aged EMT chuckled and took one hand away from the cards he was holding to shoot Jan Di a quick salute. Jan Di faintly smiled and nodded to him, as her hands were occupied behind her back. Then, the man went back to the hand of cards he was playing. "Thank goodness you're back," he muttered.

"Yeah, we didn't think Dong-Geun-ah was going to go on living while you were gone," the man seated beside him—a seasoned EMT by the name of Hyeon-U—joked.

And Jan Di gave a sarcastic laugh in response. "Ya, watch yourself!" she chastised.

But Dong-Geun seemed unaffected by the teasing, and he rushed over to stand tall before Jan Di. "What did you bring back for us, Captain Geum?!" he exclaimed.

Jan Di looked upon the boy with a stern expression. "What, you think I always have to bring you something when I go somewhere? Am I your eomma?" she barked.

Dong-Geun shook his head sullenly. "N-no, of course not, Captain," and giving her an awkward chuckle, he rubbed the back of his neck. But when he noticed that she had two hands concealed behind her back, his excitement grew like a weed.

"Did you happen to go to…did you bring…?" the rookie began excitedly.

Jan Di tried to fight it back, but her grin finally broke through. "OK, fine. Yes, I brought back some seafood soup, since I know you love it from there." And the young man's face lit up like fireflies on a summer's eve. "But you have to share it with the others!"

When she revealed her surprise—and then insisted he share—all the men jumped up eagerly and began to crowd around her. They were all fans of that particular stew. It was the best around, after all.

"I will share; I promise! You're the best, Captain Geum! Will you marry me?" Dong-Geun cried out, as she handed him the cardboard treat box.

Chuckles were heard all around the room. It was common knowledge that Dong-Geun had a crush on Geum Jan Di from the start—not that it was something he'd ever try to pursue. She was his elder by nine years—and his superior. Besides that, she treated him like a little brother.

But that didn't stop Dong-Geun from playfully bringing it up. No one would take him seriously, anyway, and if she ever did happen to change her mind, he'd be open to it…

Jan Di smirked at the proposal and ruffled the teen's feathery onyx hair. "Aren't you cute? But you don't want to marry me, Dong-Geun-ah..."

Dong-Geun nodded vibrantly. "Yes, yes I do! Because I'm in love with you," he announced, holding out his arms out as if presenting himself to her.

The rest of the team broke out into side-splitting laughter, but Dong-Geun kept a straight face and a hopeful expression. Jan Di shook her head and gave the boy a playful shove. "You're not in love with me, Kid. And you don't wanna be…" Jan Di turned to walk off.

The team exchanged a few laughs and amused expressions at Captain Geum's Big Bad Wolf routine.

"She's right, Dong-Geun-ah, Captain Geum would eat you alive," another man in his late twenties called out to the poor, rejected Dong-Geun.

"Ya, watch it, you," Jan Di pointed in warning.

"You saw how she went off on to the fire chief… Chief Yoon, was it?" Hyeon-U added.

At the mention of his name, Jan Di walked off, suddenly occupying herself. She didn't want to hear about it again. She'd already gotten enough of that from her best friend at lunch. She didn't need an encore.

"Ohh, struck a nerve…," Hyeon-U whispered to the others. And the others, aside from Dong-Geun, snickered.

"I heard that!" Jan Di shot back, quickly shutting the lot of them up. Hyeon-U bowed his head in humble apology.

The truth of the matter was, they all knew by now when to cut it out and show respect for Geum Jan Di, and it was getting past that point now. She was clearly becoming irked.

Jan Di placed her hands upon her hips and glanced around the eerily silent room. "So, is that what you all think? Does everyone think I was too harsh on the fire chief?"

"No, not at all, Captain!" Dong-Geun inserted, with a vigorous nod of his head. "You even treated him after!"

The other guys nodded in unison.

...

The scream of the alarm ended the discussion prematurely, and Jan Di and her team rushed out to their vehicles. Jan Di spoke with the dispatcher over her radio, and he informed her of what they were going into. It was a fire—and a bad one. It was a three-alarm code, so multiple units had been called in.

When the EMTs arrived, the firefighters from the Jongno District were already on the scene, as well as two nearby units. The driver of the ambulance pulled up, and Jan Di quickly hopped out of the passenger side. She began to take stock of the situation and gave her orders. The team immediately began rounding up the afflicted and treating them by severity of condition.

Inside, Ji Hoo's team and two other teams of firefighters were working to neutralize the fire and get everyone out. After nearly 45 minutes, they were still inside...

Meanwhile, outside, Jan Di and the other EMTs could do nothing but wait. They had treated or sent off to the hospital everyone who'd gotten out, but according to the chief of one of the additional units, there were still several residents inside the large apartment complex.

This was the worst part for Jan Di—the waiting. At least when she was in the midst of a rescue—even if she didn't succeed—she was doing something, something active. She wasn't just standing around hoping and praying, while others risked their lives.

Jan Di stood with arms folded, leaning against the ambulance. When she heard one of the firefighters speak on his communication device, she listened in casually. But when she heard what she was certain was Chief Yoon's voice, her head snapped in that direction. It was strange how she knew his voice already. And she could best explain that by the fact that it was very distinct. It was a pleasant voice—commanding, yet simultaneously gentle. And Jan Di berated herself for having taken note of that subtlety.

"Chief? Chief, Is that you? What's going on, Chief?" a firefighter nn Yoon Ji Hoo's team demanded into his portable radio.

…

"Chief?!" he shouted into the device.

There was the screech of static before Ji Hoo spoke again.

…

And he informed his fellow firefighter that a wall had partially collapsed—making their path impassable—and two victims were behind it.

…

Jan Di wrung her hands, as she listened in closely to the intermittent sound of Yoon Ji Hoo's voice, combined with loud banging and grunting, as he informed the man on the radio that they were attempting to push aside the obstruction. Reinforcements were sent in to help with removing the heavy debris.

After what seemed an interminable time, Jan Di watched Chief Yoon come out. He was carrying an unconscious woman, and one of his men walked beside him, carrying a small boy. They were a mother and child. Chief Yoon and the other man approached Jan Di, and she immediately relieved them of their burdens. Jan Di's guys placed the victims on side-by-side stretchers, and Jan Di assessed their conditions. The woman's burns were bad—at least second degree, possibly third. It didn't look good for her. The boy appeared in better condition, but both were still unconscious.

Jan Di placed masks over both their mouths and provided them with much-needed oxygen. Slowly, the boy began to wake, coughing as he did so. Jan Di immediately checked on him. "I'm Geum Jan Di," she whispered softly, "And I'm here to help." The boy looked up at her glossy-eyed, and then he immediately scanned for his mother. He saw her lying on the stretcher next to him; he weakly cried out and attempted to reach for her.

The two needed to go to the hospital now, but Jan Di knew the ambulance couldn't accommodate both stretchers. So, she called out to the driver of the second ambulance on the scene. She hated to separate mother and child, but it was necessary. They could drive one behind the other. She had her men lift a stretcher into the back of each ambulance.

Jan Di sent Hyeon-U—her best man—with the boy and called out, "Will someone else ride with the boy?" After asking around, it was determined that the boy had no other family there.

The firefighter, who'd carried the boy out, then stepped forward and offered to ride with him to the hospital. So, Jan Di sent Jung-Woo with the boy in the other ambulance, and she hopped in with the mother, who was in critical condition. Before she could close the double back doors, Chief Yoon announced, "I'm going, too!" and he jumped inside with her.

On the ride to the hospital, Jan Di tended the victim, while Ji Hoo kept a careful watch. For several minutes, he sat there silently squeezing his hands together. Finally, he spoke. "You're good at what you do…"

Jan Di's lips parted. She glanced to her side at him, noticing a burn mark forming on his face. "Thanks," she replied. Once the victim was alright, she would treat it for him.

"How is she?" he asked, craning his neck to get a better view.

"Not good," Jan Di sighed. "She's stable, but her vitals could definitely be better, and as you can tell, her burns are severe."

Ji Hoo lowered his head and squeezed his eyes shut. He swallowed hard before asking, "Is she going to make it?"

"I don't know," Jan Di admitted immediately. "I'm not a doctor."

Jan Di checked the equipment and noticed an irregularity. The woman stirred and appeared to wake up. Ji Hoo rose, and they both observed the victim. The woman began to cough and then suddenly went into bronchospasms. Jan Di quickly attempted to get a doctor on the phone to instruct her on what to do. She expected that the doctor would suggest a bronchodilator or steroid. But then, the woman let out a strained gasp and stopped breathing altogether.

Jan Di released her phone and prepared to perform CPR, but Ji Hoo was already leaning over the gurney, and he started without her. Ji Hoo began frantic compressions, while Jan Di looked on helplessly. The woman was receiving oxygen, but it was not working, so Jan Di attempted using breaths. Ji Hoo and Jan Di alternated between breaths and compressions.

…

After several iterations of CPR—with no response—Jan Di looked to Ji Hoo in despair. He clearly refused to give up, and she didn't want to either, but it was approaching 7 minutes now since she had stopped breathing. The clock was ticking. Brain cells were already beginning to die off, and soon, there wouldn't be much hope that she would recover functionally.

Still, Chief Yoon was not willing to give up.

"Chief Yoon, why don't you let me take your place?" Jan Di suggested. "Your arms must be getting tired."

"I'm fine," Ji Hoo insisted, as he resumed his work.

Jan Di continued to assist him in his effort, even though she knew that this person was gone, and they were not coming back. She had seen it before—and she could feel it now…

Yet, Chief Yoon continued his work…

"Chief Yoon...," Jan Di began tentatively, after another failed attempt of CPR. But Ji Hoo shook his head, cutting her off. And he continued to try.

After another iteration, she repeated, "Chief Yoon…"

"No, not yet!" he shouted back.

He tried once more, to no avail, and Jan Di laid a hand lightly upon his arm. "Ji Hoo…"

Her voice was like a gentle breeze wafting up after a terrible storm. At the sound of her softly saying his first name, he turned to look at her—his eyes reddened and beginning to mist over.

She looked into his eyes, softly saying, "She's gone. I'm…sorry…"

"No…no, no, no, NO!" he shouted, and—breaking away from her touch—he pounded his fist against the metal bar of the stretcher.

"I'm sorry," Jan Di muttered sullenly. "We did the best we could..."

Somehow, that didn't seem nearly good enough for him, and he appeared deeply affected. In fact, the look in his eyes—and the hint of moisture clinging to his eyelashes—made the usually stoic Jan Di feel like crying herself.

And then Ji Hoo covered his face with his hands and dropped his head down between his knees. Jan Di didn't know what to do for him, and she considered placing a hand upon his back in comfort. But instead, she decided to just give him his space, and they sat there in silence. She knew that they were both thinking of the boy…

Ji Hoo and Jan Di arrived at the hospital moments later, only to have verified what they already knew—that the woman was dead upon arrival.

When it was all over—and they had spoken with everyone who needed to be spoken to and ensured that the child was taken care of—Ji Hoo turned to Jan Di. His hair was disheveled and his face clearly displaying the wreck that he was inside.

"OK, let's have it," he came out with.

"What?" she asked, utterly confused.

"Yell at me. Tell me what I did wrong!" he demanded in a raised voice. It was as if he wanted her to…

Jan Di's brow wrinkled; she lowered her head and grew silent.

"Well? Aren't you going to say anything, like before?" he demanded in agitation. "Tell me I didn't get her out in time! Tell me I didn't administer CPR correctly! Tell me it's my fault!"

Jan Di's lips parted. What in the hell was wrong with him? Why did he have this insane need to blame himself? And why was he asking her about it?

It perturbed Jan Di that he was shouting at her for no reason, but she could tell that he was hurting over this—though she didn't fully understand why he was hurting so very much. And that disturbed her…

It was always tough to lose an emergency victim, but he was taking it extremely hard. Did he always take it this hard? And if so, how did he continue to do what he did? Nevertheless, it touched her—how much he truly cared…

Finally, she raised her eyes to his tortured ones—that were currently fixed upon her. "You did nothing wrong," she said. "You did everything you could, and you were…exceptional, in fact."

Ji Hoo stared at her as if she'd suffered a brain injury. Then, he swallowed hard, looked away from her, and squeezed his eyes shut.

Jan Di watched his chest rise and fall heavily. And then he muttered, "Thank you."

Jan Di nodded. "There's no need to thank me. But I wondered if I could look at that burn…"

"No, thank you," he simply said, and then he turned to walk away. He'd leave it untreated, as a temporary mark of his permanent failure.

And Jan Di watched Ji Hoo walk away with a heavy chest and sorrowful eyes.

Two Days Later…

Ji Hoo and Jung-Woo were sitting together on the couch in the day room, while the others were performing various tasks around the station.

Jung-Woo observed his overly quiet friend. He was pale; he had dark circles under his eyes, and frankly, he looked like death. "Ji Hoo-ah," Jung-Woo began. Ji Hoo said nothing but looked over.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you look terrible."

Ji Hoo scoffed. "Thanks."

Truth was, he felt terrible—emotionally and physically. In addition to the events of two days ago, his head was splitting like a log under the blade of an axe.

"Are you feeling alright?" Jung-Woo asked.

Ji Hoo placed a hand to his forehead. His forehead felt warm to the touch, yet his body was chilled. But Ji Hoo didn't want to admit that he was ill. "I'm fine. I just have a headache."

"It's probably because you haven't slept for two days."

"How do you know that?"

"I just know. Why don't you sleep? Not only is that not healthy to go without sleep, but it's dangerous for you and for others. If you're not alert—"

"I know," Ji Hoo cut him off sharply.

"Then…"

Ji Hoo released a heavy-laden sigh. "…When I close my eyes…I see it all over again…"

Jung-Woo wasn't sure if Ji Hoo was talking about the recent or the more distant past, but nevertheless, he was concerned for his friend.

Ji Hoo shut his eyes, and Jung-Woo was hopeful that he might drift off, but instead, his eyes shot back open almost immediately.

"I know how you're feeling Ji Hoo-ah," Jung-Woo uttered in sympathy. "It , bad. But, there's nothing that you can do. Not taking care of yourself is not going to bring anyone back."

Ji Hoo tightened his mouth. Jung-Woo did make a very good point. "Alright, I'll try to sleep."

"Good. Why don't you go home and do so now? You're not needed—or wanted here," Jung-Woo teased, in hopes of getting his sick friend to relax a bit.

Ji Hoo chortled. "Well, I don't really have much time to sleep because I have a date at 7."

It was only 3 hours away…

"A date? You?! You're joking!" and Jung-Woo gave a hearty laugh.

"Dead serious," he replied.

"Who's the unlucky girl?"

Ji Hoo gave a sardonic smile. "I don't know. It's a blind date."

Jung-Woo rubbed his chin. "Interesting… Well, that's great!" and Jung-Woo clapped Ji Hoo on the back. "Then you definitely better go home and get some sleep. You'll want to have your strength, you know, in case the date goes well…" And Jung-Woo winked at Ji Hoo.

Ji Hoo shook his head. "Don't ever do that again."

And the two shared a laugh.

Jung-Woo stood and pulled Ji Hoo up from the couch. "Go home carefully and rest."

"Fine," Ji Hoo nodded and waved Jung-Woo off.

"Can you make it on your own."

"Of course."

"Oh, and don't forget to clean yourself up before your date," Jung-Woo tossed at Ji Hoo's back as he walked off.

Two Hours Later…

Jan Di had rushed home from work to get ready for her date. At this point, she barely had an hour, but it couldn't be helped. An elderly woman had collapsed several hours ago, and Jan Di had needed to speak with the doctor about her medication. And then she had called around to find out more information about the orphaned boy from the fire two days ago. She was given the runaround but finally found out that he had gone to live with a relative.

Jan Di had been thinking about that fire almost constantly for nearly two days—and about Yoon Ji Hoo.

It had been a heartbreaking scene, and it always bothered her when someone died, but sadly, it came with the job. But the reaction of Chief Yoon had become lodged in her head. He'd been doing this for years, yet he'd acted as though he'd never had someone die on him. He'd reacted as if he'd lost a member of his family, rather than a complete stranger.

Perhaps it was unfeeling of her, but in their line of work, it was important to remain somewhat detached. It was impossible not to take work home with her sometimes, but if every death tortured her like this one had for Chief Yoon, then she'd never survive in her profession.

Still, Jan Di wondered if she'd become a bit too callous. Had she been in this line of work so long that it was beginning to mold her into something she did not want to be? Had her past hardened her a bit too much? She didn't like the thought of that. Perhaps she needed to be more like Chief Yoon. It seemed strange, but the fact that she was upset—yet not upset enough—bothered her greatly…

Jan Di hadn't dressed up in quite awhile—there had been no reason to. So, she wondered if she looked alright. But as she dressed for her date in a simple mint-colored dress, her mind wandered yet again to Chief Yoon—she wondered how he was doing… And she berated herself for thinking of him yet again!

As she stood before the mirror in her bedroom, evaluating the person there, Jan Di realized how little she cared—about how she looked and about this date. She didn't really care at all, in fact. She wasn't excited or nervous. She wasn't anything. And she didn't want to go. But she was doing it for her best friend, so it didn't matter how she felt about it…

All she really wanted to do right now was to somehow check to see that Chief Yoon was alright. She also wanted to update him on the boy, for she knew he'd want to know about that if he didn't already. She felt slightly better about the boy, now that he was in the care of a relative, but if she knew that Chief Yoon was at peace with it, then perhaps she could ease up and relax.

But why did she even care? That was the question. Why should she care so much about this man who she barely knew? Why should she care so much that she was considering blowing off her date to go and see him? It was completely ridiculous!

And Ga Eul's words came back to her… But she ignored them.

Jan Di repeated aloud to herself—that she was being ridiculous. And then she finished getting ready for her date by whisking her hair up and applying a bit of makeup.

Jung-Woo had finally convinced Ji Hoo to go home early and rest. He'd barely made it there. His fever seemed to have worsened, and his vision had blurred. And as he rode the elevator up to his apartment, he felt like the whole thing was spinning. Ji Hoo wobbled slightly and caught himself against the mirrored back of the elevator car.

Upon arrival at this door, Ji Hoo fumbled with the key in his fevered state. Somehow, he managed to finally get the door open. He ambled inside, allowing the door to close behind him on its own. Ji Hoo walked through the open entryway of his home and glanced toward his kitchen. He wanted some water to quench his parched throat, but right now bed sounded far more appealing. So, he stumbled into his bedroom and collapsed face-first onto his bed.

He would just lay down for 20 minutes or so before getting ready for the date. He felt warm, so he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. Usually, Ji Hoo was very tidy, but tonight he didn't really care. When the chills kicked in, he suddenly shivered. And he slipped underneath his neutral-colored comforter. He rolled around for a moment, attempting to get comfortable. And one arm flopped limply over the side of the bed, as he finally settled onto his back and shut his eyes.

Jan Di entered the restaurant; she was taken to a table where Ga Eul was seated with a good-looking and stylishly-dressed man with dark brown hair. She smiled and bid hello to them. The man stood, and they exchanged a bow, and Ga Eul introduced them. And then they chatted casually, as they looked over the menu.

...

When Jan Di's date had not shown up after 20 minutes, they all started to wonder about him. "I'm so sorry," Song Woo Bin said. "I don't know what could have happened to him. He's usually very punctual. But then again, with his line of work, sometimes emergencies come up."

"Emergencies?" Jan Di asked. "Is he a doctor?"

"No, he's a firefighter," Woo Bin replied, as he pulled out his phone to send Ji Hoo a text.

"Hm…," she muttered, casting her gaze downward in thought.

"A firefighter?" Ga Eul repeated. She looked to Jan Di, raising a brow. Knowing what Ga Eul must be thinking, Jan Di shook her head at her best friend.

No. No, it couldn't be him… And Jan Di could practically hear the gears turning in Ga Eul's head. She was probably thinking it was him, and that it was Fate or some nonsense…

Then, Woo Bin spoke, stirring her from her reverie, "What, is that a deal breaker for you, Geum Jan Di-ssi? Do you want a guy who makes a lot of money, or something?"

Jan Di scoffed. "Of course not," and she waved Woo Bin off with a hand. Been there, done that… "I don't care what he does for a living…," she mumbled.

"No, our Jan Di here doesn't care about that sort of thing at all," Ga Eul added.

When Woo Bin received nothing back after texting his friend, he called. He got Ji Hoo's voicemail. "Yo, man. We're at the restaurant. Are you on your way? Did something happen? Just checkin' on ya. Call me when you get this. Thanks, my brotha."

Jan Di smirked in Woo Bin's direction, while he looked out across the restaurant. Apparently, this guy thought he was cool, always speaking gangsta English.

…

When nearly 45 minutes passed—and after repeated attempts at contact by Woo Bin—the trio decided to order without him. Woo Bin was very apologetic and offered to pay for Jan Di's meal, and Ga Eul had insisted that Jan Di stay. She clearly felt bad for her. So, Jan Di put on a smile and decided to stay. She wanted to get to know this guy that Ga Eul was seeing anyway.

…

So, the three of them had dinner and chatted. Ga Eul asked Woo Bin a lot of questions about himself, but Jan Di asked even more. They learned that Song Woo Bin was well-known in the construction industry, though he did not like to talk much about his family or his past. This was a bit concerning for Jan Di, even though Song Woo Bin seemed nice enough. And he was most certainly a charming man…

After Jan Di's non-existent date ended—which had actually been more enjoyable than she'd expected—she headed toward home. She had walked because the restaurant was nearby. As she neared her apartment, she decided she wasn't ready to go home yet. So, she went the other direction.

Jan Di began wandering the streets, with only the company of her thoughts, and somehow, she ended up at the fire station. She didn't know what had possessed her to go there—and could only chalk it up to temporary insanity—but she was there now. She didn't know what she was going to say exactly, but she decided to just it up and go inside.

One of the firefighters was there, seated in a chair in the apparatus bay. She recalled seeing him before, but she didn't remember his name. He was Chief Yoon's right hand man; it seemed, and he had been the one to ride along with the boy.

The fireman looked up when he saw Jan Di, and his eyes flashed with a look that made Jan Di feel slightly uncomfortable. And she suddenly recalled that she was dressed up—entirely too dressed up for the fire station. She felt her cheeks begin to warm.

Jan Di cleared . "Excuse me, but I was wondering…," she took a breath. "Is Chief Yoon here?"

The man looked at her curiously before responding, "No, he's at home."

Jan Di's disappointment rang through her like a gong. Why was it that she was far more disappointed that she had failed to catch Chief Yoon than she had been about her date not showing up? Wasn't there something very wrong with that?

"OK, thank you," she replied, as she turned to quickly vacate the premises.

"Wait," the man called out to her.

When Jan Di turned back, the man had stood and was approaching her.

"Maybe I could be of assistance."

Jan Di needed an excuse—and fast. "Well, um, I just needed to discuss a few details regarding the fire on Thursday with Chief Yoon. I…was completing some final reports…"

The man stood before her now. "Oh, well I could probably help with that." And then he introduced himself. Before she could introduce herself, though, he told her that he already knew who she was.

Jan Di attempted to get out of it by saying that she didn't want to bother him, but he insisted that it was not a bother and led her into the common area, offering her a seat. She chose to stand, while he sat.

"I see that, like the chief, you eat, sleep, and breathe work...," Jung-Woo folded his arms across his chest.

Jan Di gave a short, awkward laugh. "Well, that is…"

She noticed that he was still taking in her appearance, and Jan Di felt her cheeks grow warmer. She felt on display or something. "Do you always get so dressed up to do paperwork, Geum Jan Di-ssi?" he asked with a wry smile.

Jan Di was definitely regretting coming now. Not only was the man she came to see not there, but she had embarrassed herself by going dressed as she was. And more embarrassing still was the fact that she had gone there at all, in hopes of seeing him.

Jan Di attempted to laugh off her discomfort. But now, she would be even further mortified by having to explain about her date. Not that she owed him any explanation. It wasn't any of his business. But he just kept staring her down, and she felt like a freak, so she explained, "I had a date. That's why I'm dressed up."

This seemed to interest Jung-Woo.

"…But then, afterward, I remembered something I needed to ask Ji—Chief Yoon about the fire. Also, I got an update on the boy and thought Chief Yoon would want to know, so I stopped by on my way home."

Jung-Woo nodded. "I see," and he his chin. "So, your date didn't take you home then?"

Crap…

Jan Di tried to come up with an excuse, but she had never been very good at that, so she reluctantly admitted that her date hadn't been able to make it.

"So, you were stood up," Jung-Woo remarked.

Could this get any worse? She wondered.

"No," she replied firmly. "I wasn't stood up. He had a good reason." Jan Di was sure of it, or at least that's what she was telling herself, to make herself feel better.

Jung-Woo nodded slowly and stuck his hands into his pockets. "I see."

Jan Di felt her discomfort level rising again as he observed her. Avoiding eye contact with him, she muttered, "Well, I should be going… It's late…and it can wait until tomorrow. I'm sorry to bother you!" and she quickly turned to leave.

As she headed through the doorway of the station, she heard him call out to her, "The guy who stood you up is an idiot!"

Jan Di spun back around to look at him over her shoulder. "What?"

Jung-Woo approached her once more, slowly. "The guy's a jerk…and a complete idiot," Jung-Woo swallowed and continued more tentatively, "to stand up someone like you, such a beautiful woman… There's obviously something wrong with him," Jung-Woo smirked.

Jan Di lowered her eyes, "Well, that's kind of you to say, but he doesn't even know what I look like. It was a blind date."

Jan Di suddenly had a thought. What if he showed up, saw me, and left?! No, he wouldn't do that… He's friends with Song Woo Bin, after all…

Jung-Woo observed her, the corners of his mouth twitching. "Are you thinking that he may have shown up, seen you, and left?"

"Of course not!" Get out of my head! And Jan Di shoved Jung-Woo hard in the shoulder.

Jung-Woo chuckled but softened when Jan Di frowned—and her eyes darted back and forth. "Don't worry Geum Jan Di-ssi. That couldn't possibly be it. I'm sure there's a logical explanation."

Jan Di gave him a brief, fleeting smile and then changed the subject. "Well, I'll be going," she paused and garnered her courage, "but about Chief Yoon…"

"Yes?" he raised a brow curiously.

"Well, I was just wondering…is he…OK?"

Jung-Woo glanced at Jan Di curiously.

"Because…he seemed to really struggle with it, two days ago, when that woman died."

Jung-Woo nodded. "Yes, he always does, I suppose," Jung-Woo released his breath, "it's a sensitive area for him…"

The words, "What do you mean?" escaped Jan Di's mouth, and she immediately regretted prying for more information than she should.

"Well, you see…," Jung-Woo shoved his hands into his pockets. Staring down at the ground, he continued, "…Chief Yoon's parents died in a fire when he was a child."

…

Jan Di's lips parted, "Oh," she uttered, lowering her head in sorrow. "That's…awful. I'm so sorry to hear that."

Jan Di began to chew on her bottom lip. She wondered if that was why he decided to become a firefighter… It must have been so traumatic for him. How could he possibly relive it every single day?

Jung-Woo pulled his phone out of his pocket and began typing. "Here it is," he said, and he handed Jan Di an online article about a family involved in a mysterious fire.

Jan Di scrolled through the article, her eyes flitting from side to side as she read each line carefully...

December 4th, 1994

After the devastation, police are investigating the Yoon deaths…

…

Fire Chief Jung reported that the fire must have been started unnaturally…

…

Police suspect arson…

…

But no other evidence of an intruder was found…

…

Surviving alone was their five-year-old son, Yoon Ji Hoo…

…

No suspects have been identified, but police suspect the crime to have been perpetrated by enemies of the Yoon family…

Jan Di felt her eyes beginning to mist, especially considering that she could empathize. She knew what it was like to lose a parent. But he had lost both—and at such a young age! And to lose them in such a way…

"They never found out what happened, and they closed the case years ago," Jung-Woo informed, as she handed his phone back. "It was bull."

Jan Di stood there, her eyes lowered to the ground and blinking rapidly—to push back the tears.

"Are you alright?" Jung-Woo asked, reaching out to touch her arm.

"Yes, of course," and she quickly turned away, wiping her eyes out of his view.

"The chief has been like a zombie the past couple days, but he's doing better. He'll be OK. He always is. So, don't worry," Jung-Woo said, in hopes of making Jan Di feel better.

Jan Di nodded, keeping back turned to him.

"But today he was sick, so I sent him home."

At that, Jan Di looked back at Jung-Woo. "He's sick?"

Jung-Woo didn't acknowledge her statement but instead snapped his fingers, as if suddenly remembering something. "Oh, damn…," he grumbled.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Oh, I completely forgot. I was going to send the chief off with some food, since I know his place is probably devoid of anything edible. He needs to eat."

Jan Di smiled faintly. "That's nice. You look out for him…," she commented.

Jung-Woo chuckled. "Well, the chief doesn't usually need or want anyone to look out for him, but in this case, he might just be feverish enough to not care."

"You're a good friend," Jan Di added.

Jung-Woo revealed a pearly smile. "I guess so," he said, attempting to hide how pleased he was by her comment. That must have scored him a point or two with her.

"But I can't leave to take it to him."

Without thinking, Jan Di volunteered, "I can take it to him!"

After her sudden outburst, Jan Di cleared . Toning down her unexpected enthusiasm, she added, "That is if it will help, and if…you tell me where he lives."

Be it concern, pity, or something else entirely—that she refused to accept—she wanted to see Yoon Ji Hoo. She wanted to see him tonight, in fact, and know that he was OK. Jan Di berated herself for allowing this man to affect her like this—and so quickly. It seemed desperate and pathetic, but she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until she did. And even though she could likely do nothing, she wanted to try to do something for him…

Jung-Woo pursed his lips at her unexpected eagerness. "Um, OK, that'd be great. Thanks." And he went into the kitchen nook. Jan Di watched Jung-Woo return with a container.

He handed it to her. "Here's some soup for him, and if you let me borrow your phone for a moment, I'll type in his address for you."

Jan Di hesitantly nodded and pulled her phone out of her purse. She handed it to him. Jung-Woo's fingers flew across the keys. "Here," he handed it back to her. "It's in there under contacts. Oh, and I…," he placed a hand behind his head. "…put my number in there, too. You know, in case you need anything," he added.

Jan Di nodded. "Um, thanks."

Then, Jung-Woo fished into his back pocket. "Oh, here's a key to Chief Yoon's apartment. I'll let the doorman know you're coming," and he placed the key in her hand.

"What?" Jan Di looked at Jung-Woo, flabbergasted. Did he expect her to just walk into someone's else's apartment—and a man's, who she barely knew? What had she gotten herself into?

Jung-Woo explained, "That's just in case. Sometimes he is so sound asleep that he doesn't answer."

"But…," Jan Di began to protest, and Jung-Woo simply said, "It's OK. I trust you."

"OK…"

And Jan Di turned to leave. She took a few steps before Jung-Woo called her back once again. "Geum Jan Di!"

She looked back at him over her shoulder.

"Would you…," he took a deep breath before continuing, "like to have coffee with me sometime?"

***To Be Continued***

A/N: Thoughts? I'm not so good with writing action, and I'm not a medical professional or firefighter, so if anything is inaccurate, I apologize.

Teaser for Next Chapter: Jan Di visits an ill Ji Hoo at his home. Ji Hoo is guilt-ridden over standing up his date. And Jung-Woo makes a play for Jan Di.