I woke up and felt the empty space next to me. I ran my fingers on the sheets and it seems like you were here with me. I hate waking up because I know you wouldn’t be here anymore.

Tears once again clouding my eyes when I looked at the picture of us on my nightstand table. If only I had one more day to be with you. Everything I do remind me of you. I dragged my body up from the bed and went to the bathroom. Letting the warm water touching my skin hoping that it will soothe the heartache I felt.

Opening the closet brings a wave of painful sight to my eyes. Your clothes still hung up on the rack, shirts neatly folded…I couldn’t throw it away. I took your favourite jacket and put it on as if you were holding me tight like you used to do…

Jin Gook ah…why? Why did you leave me?

Flashback

            “Hey baby…” Jin Gook hugged me from behind, as I was busy making breakfast. “What are you cooking today?” he said peeking over my shoulder.

            “Your favourite, kimchi fried rice with rolled eggs.”

            “I’m so lucky to have such a great cook as my fiancée…” he kissed my temple.

            “Then you have to appreciate me more…” I looked at the ring on my finger. Jin Gook proposed last night while we’re on a date on the 63 Building.

            “I can show you my appreciation right now…” he whispered. I felt his hands making their way towards my lower body while planting soft kisses on my spine.

            “I can’t do my work if you do that…Jin Gook ah…” a soft whimper escaped my mouth as his right hand reach the inner side of my thigh…one of my weak spots.

            “I know you like this…”

            “The food…it will…” my breathing got heavier when he slowly the flesh on my thigh with his powerful hands.

            “Don’t worry…” his left hand reached the stove knob and turned it off. “It’s been taken care of…”

He spun me around and carried me back to our bedroom. He was on top of me working his magic touch when his phone suddenly rings.

            “Baby…your…phone…”I said writhing under him while he keep on nibbling my neck.

            “Let it be…it’s probably the guys back at the station…” he keep on un-buttoning my pyjama.

The phone keeps on ringing nonstop.

            “Baby…” I cupped his face. “Maybe you should pick it up…it could be important…”

            “Aishh…” he reluctantly grabbed his phone on the nightstand.

            “Who is it?”

            “My boys…hello, Wooyoung ah! This better be good!...uh huh…uh huh…ok…ok…I’ll be there in half an hour…” he said looking at me.

            “They’re calling you?”

            “Yeah…but let finish what we’ve started first…” he crawled between my leg with big naughty grin on his face.

           “As much as I wanted to but your job is more important…” I said with my hands on his chest.

            “But baby…”

            “No but…work comes first…”

            “Yeah, yeah…” he got up from the bed and pulled me with him.

            “You go and get clean up…I’ll have the breakfast ready…” I kissed his lips and went to the kitchen.

After breakfast…

            “So, are we going to your mother’s place tonight or what?” I asked as I was fixing his shirt.

            “I’ll just meet you there…I have a meeting with Chief Park later so I’m might be late…”

            “Okay…you’re done…my man looks good in everything…”

            “I know…”

            “Show off!”

Author’s POV

Jin Gook arrived at the fire station greeted by the hollering of his crews.

            “Yaa, I know you’ve engaged…but you have to remember you still have a job here…” Junsu said taking out his boot from the shelves.

            “You’re just jealous aren’t you?” Jin Gook smirked.

            “Whatever dude!” Junsu throw a dirty towel towards Jin Gook but he managed to dodge it but it landed on the face of their chief.

            “Dude, you’re dead…” Khun whispered at Junsu.

            “Who did this?” Chief Park took off the towel from his face with a frown. All the other guys pointed their hands towards Junsu.

            “I’m…I’m…I’m sorry sir. It was an accident!” Junsu bowed.

            “Kim Junsu! 10 laps up the stairs…”

            “But sir…”

            “Now!”

            “Yes sir!” Junsu glared at Jin Gook with hands at his throat murmuring ‘You’re dead’.

            “Listen guys…there’s been alert from the main station that there’s an arsonist on the loose setting off fire in housing complexes these few days…until the arsonist are caught, no one is eligible for leave…” Chief Park said.

            “Yes sir!

            “And one more thing…congratulation Jin Gook ah…”

            “Thank you sir…”

            “Okay…continue with your work…Kim Junsu, get your here!” Chief Park yelled again.

That night…

            “Mom, dad…we’re engaged!”Jin Gook said holding my hands.

            “Omo! It’s about time!” Jin Gook’s mom hugged me. “Let me see the ring…”

            “Here…” I held out my left hand to her.

            “Yup…my son definitely knows how to choose a ring…” she said.

            “Congratulation son…you got the best one here…”

            “I know dad…” Jin Gook hugged his dad.

            “Have you guys decided the date yet?”

            “Not yet omoni…we’ve been busy with work and all…”I said.

            “You have to start calling me omma from now on…you after all, are my daughter-in-law.” His mom patted my head.

            “Nae, omma…”

            “Now that’s my daughter…Jin Gook ah, you better treat Hae Soo right or I’ll kick you out from our family register.”

            “Omma, I’m your birth son!”

            “You are but Hae Soo is more important…”

Couple of days later…

            “Jagiya…can you make me some bean paste stew?” Jin Gook called while I was at the supermarket shopping for groceries.

            “Bean paste stew again? Aren’t you tired eating that?”

            “No…you make the best stew ever…”I heard him chuckling and wolf whistle at the back. His crew must be teasing him right now.

            “Okay, if that’s what you want…so, any more request?”

            “Um…that would be it…I gotta go now, I’ll see you at dinner then…love ya…”

            “Love ya too…” I said and hung the phone.

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            “Hae Soo ah…is something bothering you?” Minji asked me.

            “Huh?” I looked at her and she’s just staring at my hands.

The coffee I was pouring apparently flowing over the brim and the counter were flooded.

            “!” I quickly grabbed a box of tissue and wiped the puddle of coffee.

            “What’s got in your mind? Is it about your wedding preparation?”

            “A little…it was Jin Gook that worries me…”

            “What about him? Did you catch him doing something he didn’t suppose to do?”

            “No…it’s just that he really kinda clingy these few days…he would call every two hours saying that he wanted to hear my voice…and he insisted that we cuddled any chance we got…regardless where we are…”

            “You’re lucky…I’m getting jealous here.”

            “It’s not that I don’t like that kind of skinship but it’s just weird…”

            “Well, get used to it girl…he’ll be you lawfully wedded husband in a few weeks and the things might heat up even more…if you know what I mean” Minji winked at me.

I grabbed my mug and went back to my desk. There’s a lot I need to get done before my long vacation. Being a food columnist for a lifestyle magazine means I would have to go out doing research for the best food in town and does the review. It’s a fun and rewarding job but it have the up and down.

            “Baby, I’m home…” I heard Jin Gook’s voice.

            “I’m in the kitchen babe…” finally, dinner is ready.

            “Ta dah…” a box of chocolate appeared in front of me. I looked at Jin Gook and he was grinning like a little kid in candy store.

            “My favourite…how do you know I was craving for these?” I said giving a peck on his cheek.

            “Husband-to-be intuition…” he looked at the table. “I’m hungry…” he said rubbing his stomach.

            “Go wash up and I’ll get things ready…”

            “Nae!” he went to the bathroom.

Author’s POV

A few days before Hae Soo and Taecyeon wedding day…

            “Shouldn’t you be on leave now? Why did you have to go to work?”Hae Soo said, as Jin Gook was getting ready to go to the station. The scene of our lovemaking last night is still fresh in my mind.

            “I told you babe…I’m on leave a day before our wedding. The station has been on high alert…”

            “Sometimes I wish that you have a normal 9 to 5 job…”

            “Me too…I tell you what…I’ll talk to Chief Park about my leave…ok baby?” He caressed Hae Soo’s cheek.

            “Can’t you just stay home today? Tell them that you’re sick or something…”

            “I want to but I can’t…the crew needs me…”

            “Fine…but, you’ll be home for dinner right?”

            “You bet I will…and don’t forget my bean paste stew…” with kiss on the lips, he left. Hae Soo seemed like she was restless watching Jin Gook disappeared from her sight. Something doesn’t feel right.

At the fire station, the crew were busy minding their business when suddenly the alarm goes off.

           “Grab all of your gears guys…we’re going for a war!” Junsu said sliding down the metal post.

            “The arsonist has done it again…civilian bungalow in Yeoido this time…do your job and please return safely…” Chief Park voice went on the speaker.

The boys head out to the location on their big truck. 10 minutes later, they arrived and the fire has spread out almost quarter of the 2-storey huge house. Residents already scattered out by the roadside.

Wearing their complete head to toe fire resistance suit, they enter the burning building with fire hose. The fire has charred the walls and there’s nothing that could be salvage on the first floor.

The fire is getting bigger and the heat become unbearable even with the protection. Smoke filled the air and it’s difficult to breathe.

            “I think we should head back out now…the fire is getting out of control…and the house is not gonna hold up any longer…” Junsu said. Jin Gook, Khun and Junho just nodded behind him.

            “Let’s go!”

They backed off and ran out from the building dragging heavy hose with them. As they watch the building burning, they heard someone screaming.

            “Help! My granddaughter is still in there! Help me!” the old woman screaming. She wanted to go into the building but the police refrained her.

            “Let me go! I need to save my honey! Let me go!”

Jin Gook rushed towards the old woman.

            “Halmoni…your granddaughter…she’s still in there?”

            “Yes…please save her young man…”

            “Where is she?”

            “She’s on the second floor…”

            “What’s her name?”

            “Ji Young…please save her…she’s all I got left in this world…” the old woman cried and slumped on the pavement.

Jin Gook went back to the fire truck and get suit up.

            “I’m going in Junsu ya…”

Before Junsu could say anything, Jin Gook was already inside the burning building.

            “Chansung ah…go with him!” Junsu said.

            “Nae hyung!”

Chansung grabbed his oxygen tank and dashed towards the door.

Meanwhile…

            “So, what do you think? Red rose or yellow daisies?” Hae Jung asked looking at the flowers. Hae Soo just stood there lost in her thought.

            “Yaa, Kang Hae Soo!” Hae Jung slapped her sister’s shoulder making Hae Soo flinched in shock.

            “What?”

            “Did you even listen what I’ve been talking about for the last half an hour?” Hae Jung stared at her.

            “Yeah…it’s about the dress right?”

            “Hae Soo yaa…do you have something lingering in your mind right now?”

            “It’s just that something doesn’t feel right today…”

            “What do you mean?” Hae Jung held Hae Soo’s hands.

            “I don’t know…I had a feeling that something bad gonna happened today…”

            “Maybe it’s just a feeling…I’m sure it’s just pre wedding jitters…now, let’s continue…since you’ve already take the wedding pictures yesterday, I think we should choose the dress…”

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Jin Gook were in frantic mode looking for the little girl in the house.

            “Ji Yong ah…where are you?” He tried his best to listen to any voice. Kicking every door he stumbled on but the girl was nowhere to be found. Damn this big house!

            “Hyung!” Chansung called out to him.

            “What are you doing up here? The floor could not support both of our weight…”

            “Firemen sticks together remember? Did you find her?”

            “No…”

They heard a faint scream at the end of the hallway. The rushed to the door, dodging fallen rubble from the ceiling.

            “Ji Young ee? Can you hear me?”

            “Nae…”she screamed.

            “I need you to step away from the door ok sweetheart?”

            “Nae…”

            “Step back…” Jin Gook kicked the door and it flung opened in a flash. There’s a girl sitting at the edge of the bed, crying her eyes out and slightly suffocating because of the thick some.

            “It’s okay sweetheart…come to oppa…” Jin Gook scooped the girl into his arm and rushed out.

            “My brother…he’s under the bed…” the girl pointed her hands towards the bed.

            “Hyung, we have to hurry…the smoke is getting thicker!” Chansung turn his gas tank but it was stuck. “! This thing is not working!”

            “Take my tank and take her out!” Jin Gook hand Chansung his oxygen tank and put the girl into Chansung’s arm.

            “Hyung, what about you?”

            “I’ll be fine…I have to save her sister…now go! She’s getting weaker!”

            “But hyung…”

            “Go now Hwang Chansung!” Jin Gook yelled. Chansung rushed down the stairs.

Jin Gook flipped the bed and saw a small boy lying on the floor almost unconscious.

            “It’s okay buddy…you gonna be save.” He lifted the boy and held him close to his chest. The hallway already filled with thick smoke and it was hard to find his way out. Fire raged everything on its’ path leaving them burned into ashes.

Jin Gook was almost at the door when suddenly the ceiling above him collapsed and dropped on him.

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I was in a café with Hae Jung having a meal. The feeling I had earlier just started to fade away…I guess Hae Jung was right…it’s nothing serious.

            “Hey look…” Hae Jung said as she looked at the flat screen TV on the wall.

Reporter: This is an emergency news! The arsonist on the loose had claimed another two victims in his list. This time it was a life of a two-year-old boy and a firefighter who came to his rescue. The brave fire-fighter has been identified as Hyun Jin Gook, from Gangnam Fire Department.

A picture of Jin Gook was on the screen and I feel like my heart stopped beating. This must be a dream. I heard my sister calling my name but she sounded far…my vision getting darker and I can’t remember what happened next.

 I heard Hae Jung’s voice calling my name and when I opened my eyes, I was on a bed with curtain surrounding me.

            “He Soo ah…” I felt her warm hands on my forehead.

            “Unnie…where am I?”

            “You’re in the hospital…you’ve fainted…”

            “I saw Jin Gook…he’s on TV…”

            “Hae Soo ah…I need to tell you something…it’s about Jin Gook…” Hae Jung eyes welled up with tears.

            “Unnie…what’s wrong?”

            “Jin Gook…he’s…he’s gone Hae Soo ah…”

            “Unnie, you’re kidding right? I just saw him went to work this morning and he was fine…unnie…”

            “I’m sorry Hae Soo ah…” Hae Jung hugged me. Everything came back to me. Jin Gook was on TV and they said that he was killed in a rescue mission.

            “Unnie…” my tears rolled down like a broken water dam. “I wanna see him…”

            “Hae Soo ah…”

I don’t even remember how many times that I’ve lost my consciousness that day. I saw they brought Jin Gook’s body out from the morgue, his mom and sister were crying and his dad just leaned against the wall looking extremely sad. His whole crew were there silently crying for their falling comrade. I never thought this day would actually came this early.

End of Flashback

It’s been two weeks since Jin Gook left. I wish that I could just stay in my bed doing nothing. I can’t do anything without having Jin Gook’s memories invading my head.

I pushed the answering machine and there were tonnes of messages in it.

            “Hae Soo ah, it’s me Minji…please come back to the office, all of us missed you here…”

            “Hae Soo ya…It’s omma…I’ll come by to your place later and we’ll go out for dinner ok sweetheart? Love you…”

I heard the doorbell rings and when I opened the door, a guy handed me a wrapped box.

            “Thank you…have a nice day…” the man said and left.

Nice day? I wish…I opened the box and once again, my tears rolled down my cheeks. It was the wedding pictures Jin Gook and I took before he died. I slumped on the floor hugging the album closed to my chest.

            “Hae Soo ya…what’s wrong?” I saw my sister Hae Jung.

            “Unnie…” I spend the next two hours crying my eyes out in her arms. I’m so glad that I have someone that I could depend on during this difficult time.

            “Hae Soo ah…you have to stop doing this to yourself. Do you think Jin Gook would want to see you looking like this?”

            “Unnie…”

            “You have to move on Hae Soo ah…there’s no other way…you got a long way ahead in your life…Jin Gook is at a better place right now…I know you love him very much but you have to think about other people around you…mom, dad…Jin Gook’s parents…all of us love you and we don’t want to see you keep on like this…”

Hae Jung’s words struck straight to my head. She’s right…Jin Gook would be sad if he saw me like this. He always told me that my sense of cheerfulness that made him fall in love with me the first time we met.

            “Now, how about we go out for lunch and went to mom’s?” Hae Jung said.

            “Nae unnie…”

            “Now that’s my sister…” Hae Jung patted my head.