Chapter Text
5:00 am
This particular soul was a special one. During a time when most were still firmly anchored in their beds, dreaming up a better world, this man was already up and showering, even humming a famous K-pop song while holding the shower head like a microphone. The song was good and catchy, but his performance was awful, completely out of tune and without any sense of rhythm. God might have equipped this particular specimen with a lot of perks, like an unbreakable spirit, but apparently musical talent wasn't one of them. In fact, his delivery of shower singing was so awful that his former junior moved out of the dorm because of it.
His dear junior who even forgave him and stayed with him after he dropped out of the police academy said the following words with a helpless expression: "Sunbae, you know I really appreciate I get to share a flat with you... But..." He had been a bit awkward, but didn't mince his words. "Quite frankly the amount of times I got woken up by your singing and thought it was a fire alarm, even though I should know better - it's your job and on top of that I am a police man ... Also, Sunbae, you snore too loudly. If I get earplugs strong enough to block it out, I won't be able to wake up from a fire alarm. Which - again - is your job, so you shouldn't do something like that..." But the critique didn't end there. "Also, Sunbae, you leave your underwear everywhere. Why did I find a pair in the oven?! And you really need to learn to not speak while chewing."
To summarize: he got roasted and it ended with his adorable junior turning out to not be so adorable because he moved out that exact week. He didn't even give Choi any chance to convince him otherwise, he already found a new place.
In his defense, the underwear in the oven had been a good idea to dry it faster, but he knew that Jaekwan would scream at him if he told him that, something about a safety hazard and 'It's a wonder they even let someone like you be a firefighter in the first place.'
Anyway, coming back to his current stellar performance in the shower. Thankfully the water did not only drown out most of the sound, but text also can't convey sound, therefore the dear readers are safe from this experience.
5:30 am
The proper start of the day always included a cup of cheap instant coffee and a cigarette, both enjoyed on his balcony. This routine was the same, no matter what temperatures you could find outside. The cold winter air was biting his skin, but he just saw it as a bonus to properly wake him up and sharpen his senses. Firefighter Choi looked down at the slowly waking city that he was protecting while sipping his coffee.
"Ah! Hot!" Like at least once every week he burned his mouth on the coffee and swore to be more careful in the future, only for the experience to repeat next week. This, too, was part of his routine by now.
5:50 am
After having both his morning coffee and his morning cigarette the firefighter got ready to leave for work. Of course he could use the public transportation that was more than sufficient in Seoul and covered around 90% of his way to work, but that was the mindset of losers. Choi used the opportunity for a morning jog. Of course it came with its own fair share of consequences. Like how he needed to get up earlier, just for this. Or how he would shower a second time once he reached work. Why then did he shower the first time?
Even he wasn't willing to sing under the shower at work, remembering the way Jaekwan would recall his daily karaoke sessions with a shiver and grimace. The shower he'd take at work would be way quicker and not for his own enjoyment, unfortunately.
The sounds that had been somewhat muffled from his position high up on his balcony were now all around him as he jogged through the streets. Yes, he could wear earphones, but what if someone needed help? Choi, who gave up the police academy in favor of becoming a firefighter, preferred staying in the present moment, always ready to jump in and save someone if needed.
So maybe he was drowning in city noise. It was fine, he preferred being down here way to his balcony high up in the air from where everyone looked so small and insignificant. No one was. Everyone was important to someone. And if someone thought they weren't, then he had to disagree because everyone was important to him.
Once his colleagues arrived at the station after him, they wouldn't be surprised to see him there fresh out of the shower, as they were already too familiar with his strange morning routine. Choi was known as 'that strange, sometimes eccentric - actually most of the time now that we think about it - colleague who is also quite capable' which was why they accepted him with all his quirks. See, Jaekwang-ah? My colleagues are able to accept me, yet you can't! My heart hurts...
Every day he greeted his colleagues with a big smile and they shared breakfast together. Community was strong there, partly because Choi was trying really hard to get everyone to bond and partly because they were bonding over worrying for him. Either way he was successful.
6:30 am
He almost ran into someone. Mr. "Stay present in the current moment" let his thoughts drift off for only a moment (promise) and almost ran into someone right then and there. But was it really his fault? Who stopped walking in the middle of the road?
Choi stared at the culprit for a moment after steadying his stance. The muscular man (yes, damn, these muscles. And that came from a firefighter who spent his days doing life-or-death Parcours) was simply standing there in the middle of the road, holding some sort of carrier in his arms for some kind of animal. In Choi's humble opinion he was way too lightly dressed for such a cold morning, only wearing some kind of thin uniform. For a moment Choi considered that maybe the man stopped because he was struggling to carry the animal (whatever it was). In that case, of course, he'd offer to carry it for him wherever he needed to go like the good person he was, but that was bullshit. The man was more muscular than Choi himself and seemed to hold the carrier with ease. On top of that he was still just staring into the distance, even with Choi almost running into him.
Maybe because of that last fact his words turned out a bit more snarky than was normal for the dutiful firefighter that we was: "Why are you just blocking the road for others? Be more considerate, will ya?"
"I apologize."
"..."
"..."
The man still didn't make any attempts of getting out of the way. He didn't even look at Choi, still having his gaze fixed on whatever he was looking at. Call it instinct or whatever, but Choi could immediately tell that speaking to him would be meaningless and about as smooth as pulling teeth, so he gave up right away.
Instead he wondered what could possibly be so interesting to just stare at it? He moved behind the man to follow his line of sight. What could be so interesting to stop in the middle of the ---
His eyes widened and for a moment he could only stare. Then he fell into a sprint, pushing past passerbys left and right as he ran towards the building in the distance that he was also just staring at now with a panicked, almost mental expression. His one hand reached into his pocket, fumbling to take his phone out. The illusion of a peaceful morning jog was completely evaporated.
Taking out his phone, he blindly searched for the call button, hoping that the first number he picked would be one of his colleagues.
"Sunbae, what--"
Wrong number, but it still works.
Choi loved talking to Jaekwan-ah all the time, but right now he would have preferred it being one of his colleagues. It made sense though, why he would be at the top of his list.
Choi quickly told him an address. "Please quickly come there and bring the others", he breathed out. Thankfully, due to all the training he got with his colleagues and his own strict workout routine, he was a fast and long lasting sprinter. "The building has 43 floors and there is a person on the rooftop... I am already headed there, since I am close by, but I need my colleagues, police presence and EMS!" It was a miracle, how he was still able to talk so clearly while running. The wonders hard training could do to one's constitution.
Jaekwan had not tried to interrupt him once during his report, telling Choi that he was in work mode and already transferring all the necessary information to the necessary people. Man, he was so proud of his junior. "Understood. Can you see where the person is or how they look like? Is there a railing, are they on the edge?" His tone was so professional now.
"I am still too far away", he had to admit through gritted teeth, even as he was running as fast as possible. That guy must have really good eye sight to have spot them on top there...
"Officer Ryu, I will attempt to negotiate with the person, since I am already here. Please tell my boss to take care of everything else"
"..." Thankfully his dear Junior prioritized the life in front of them over the protocol they should follow. Just this once. Maybe he just knew he wouldn't be able to tell Choi otherwise. " Understood. Please be careful, Choi-ssi."
6:44 am
Koreans, or just society in general, had the habit of not fixing the cause of a problem, only the symptoms. For example, a very famous spot in Seoul for suicide was the Han River. In 2010 there had been 232 suicide attempts in only the months from January to June.
Nowadays, in the age of AI, security cameras would scan passerbys for certain expressions or other hints that might give away they were going to try.
But that was just working on the location of Han River and doing nothing to take off the pressure from the people, causing a lot of them to attempt suicide in the first place. A cut throat society like this one starts to apply pressure with one entering school, only for it to never stop in their life. Still given additional factors like puberty, bullying and family trouble, students were the age group that was the most at risk.
All of that was to say he wasn't at all surprised to find a school girl on the rooftop when he bust through the doors to step onto the rooftop. Each expansion of his chest was a fight, trying to take in as much air as possible. He was wheezing and cold sweat made his clothes cling to his body. And through his blurry, shaking vision he could make out the thin outline of a young girl. Thin and fragile as she was, it was almost as if she was simply a brush stroke of black someone made accidentally on an oil painting of a city skyline. Out of place and easy to overlook. Choi, too, would have almost missed her. That muscular guy with the carrier... I wonder how he noticed her. But no matter how naturally curious and nosy he was, like always the citizen in front of him had priority.
"Citizen!"
His voice was shaky and at the same time loud and weak. Weak from running and the lack of oxygen, but strong due to desperation fueling him.
He saw her flinch and was suddenly glad that she wasn't too close to the edge. His call might have made her stumble over it otherwise. Calling out like this wasn't protocol, but he knew nothing of her. There had been no time to inquire who she was. Only now could he even recognize that she was a female student. He didn't know her name or why she was up here, he could only guess the reasons. 'Citizen' was the best way for him to address her. He blinked a few more times to get rid of his blurry vision and to focus more on the insignia on her school uniform...
Segwang City Technical Highschool.
A highschooler, yet she looked so small and fragile as if she was in elementary school. The way she stood there with her back towards him and her shoulders hunched, she seemed like an afterimage about to fade away. And he was suddenly all too aware that if he had taken any longer to follow proper protocol, she might have been already a goner.
Once again, his instincts hadn't done him wrong, but this was not the time to celebrate.
"Citizen."
His voice was way gentler this time, a careful call to attract the other person's attention without all the energy and passion that were so typical for him and had a reputation of overwhelming others.
Careful. Gentle.
"Citizen, please don't do that... Could you please take a step back for me?"
I am not a threat to you, I am a friend. Please.
Because she had not yet turned around and wasn't facing him, any gesture he could make like raising his hands would be missed by her. Of course this could also work in his favor. Slowly, very slowly, he took a step towards her. He tried to make no sound.
"... Officer?" A voice called out. Very soft and gentle, very insecure and scared. Even if he was - an officer, that is - what did she expect of him to sound like this? Was she expecting a scolding? Yes, most likely.
Choi clenched his jaw for a moment before he forced it to relax. There was no point in getting to heated right now. He suddenly remembered one of the scoldings he got from Police Chief Haegeum during his time at the force: "Junior, you lack any sense of tact when engaging with citizens. When talking to them, trying to get information or obedience, it's important to consider what they need right this instance. Do they need someone who understands them? Is kind to them? A protector? You need to realize this and act accordingly, or you will always struggle as much as you do now." Her gaze that day had been piercing when focused on him, almost as much as Jaekwan's (who she often scolded for similar things, but who at least took her advice seriously and tried to improve). "I know you like to arrest unwilling witnesses and put everyone in detention, but this attitude will be your death one day."
He loved being a firefighter because interactions with people were way easier. He liked it because he was always the savior in a fire. He was always the savior if someone was stuck in a cave. Was stuck underneath rubble. The safety he ensured was a physical one, with any misbehavior he showed excused by the emergency situation they were in.
Firefighters exist to reduce harm and preserve life. Police exists to preserve order first and foremost, the rules always have the utmost priority. For this reason it was a good place for Jaekwan and a bad one for Choi.
This right now, in front of him, was not a fire nor any comparable situation. The biggest danger to the citizen was she herself. And Choi. If he wasn't careful, if he didn't send the right signals, he would become a threat and one of the reasons to make her jump.
He loved being a firefighter because he got to be a savior. He hated being a police officer because he might end up being a murderer instead.
And sometimes, like right now, he might hate being a firefighter as well.
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“Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.” – John Wayne