Chapter 150
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 150
Chapter Title: One Step
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[National Fire Agency Public Service Video, For Children, Fire Evacuation Drill ‘One Step’!]
[What a fateful connection?! The assistant director of ‘One Step’ was Na Jin’s first fan!]
[The three major terrestrial networks change their programming schedules! The reason is ‘One Step’!]
[KBC2 Channel, this Sunday at 7 PM, public service announcement, followed by ‘One Step’ at 8:40 PM!]
-Honestly, after the Assemble 2 post-credits scene, I thought he’d take a year off, but who knew he’d film a commercial. It’s only a 10-minute video, but I’m looking forward to it.
-Wow. Na Jin’s first fan? The one who won an award last year?
=Yep. When I saw the article back then, I figured they’d meet in the film industry someday… but I definitely didn’t think ‘someday’ would be just one year later. It must be fate.
-It’s not just the major networks; it’s scheduled on cable and general programming channels too.
=Checking the schedule now. I have to watch it N times when Seojun is on.
-I’m already tuned in to KBC.
Sunday afternoon.
People waiting for Seojun’s commercial gathered in front of their televisions. Since it was aimed at children, many parents were watching with their kids.
Every parent must have thought about it at least once.
If an accident happened when the children were alone, could they evacuate safely? Would they be able to stay calm and act composedly?
“It’d be a relief if they just didn’t cry.”
Many parents sitting with their children in front of the TV hoped this public service announcement would be even a little helpful to their kids.
Even before the commercial started, people had already tuned in to the KBC2 channel. Thanks to that, the ratings for the entertainment show that started at 5:40 PM just for today were soaring endlessly.
Time passed, and at exactly 7:00:00 PM.
The KBC staff, who had calculated down to the second, watched with proud faces as the video was broadcast nationwide.
The face of Na Jin, who had discovered billowing smoke, appeared on screen.
[The Sun-Moss Tribe's associative memory activates.]
The mid-to-low-tier ability flowed into the people watching television. The video seeped into their minds as if it were being engraved.
The faces of Na Jin and the children on screen were filled with fear.
The three children soaked tissues in water and held them to their mouths. Their actions paused, and subtitles appeared below as a voiceover played.
[To block toxic fumes, cover your mouth and nose with a wet cloth or tissue. Then, quickly report it to 119.]
The children's serious expressions made people focus on the television. The only sound was a quiet background melody, but that made them concentrate even more.
Covering their mouths, the three children crouched down and headed for the entrance. The screen showed Na Jin shaking his head in front of the closed door and Kim Jukyung pointing to the emergency exit. The intense gazes of the silent children created a palpable tension.
Just as they were getting drawn into that gaze and tension, a low voice was heard.
[Evacuate through an exit or emergency exit by crouching low to avoid the smoke. If you see an emergency bell while evacuating, press it.]
The three children, descending the stairs through the emergency exit, were exhausted, but their faces were full of hope that they could get out.
[As you could get trapped in an elevator, use the stairs to evacuate.]
The screen, which had been showing the backs of the children going down the stairs, turned black, and white text appeared.
[Above all, evacuation is the priority. - National Fire Agency]
-Isn’t this a trailer for a disaster movie? My hands are sweating, lol.
-I know, right? Why produce a public service announcement at the level of a movie trailer?
-Haha, watching Seojun’s acting in snippets is so tantalizing.
=222 It feels wrong to say this since it's a PSA, but the narration is distracting… lol.
=Isn't the narrator Seojun?
=Distracting… because his voice is so good, the narration sticks in my head and will probably interfere with my daily life!
=What a quick turnaround, lol.
-They said the full video is coming out later?
8:40 PM.
Viewers flocked to the KBC2 channel to watch the full version of the tantalizing public service video.
The specially programmed National Fire Agency public service video, ‘One Step,’ began with three children singing their hearts out in a coin karaoke room.
Viewers burst into laughter at the sight of Seojun holding a microphone.
[The Sun-Moss Tribe's associative memory activates.]
-Seojun’s a good singer!
-The kids look so natural, lol.
As they were singing, Na Jin smelled something strange. The children spotted smoke billowing from the end of the hallway. Panicked at first, Na Jin collected himself and spoke.
“Tissues, let’s wet some tissues and cover our mouths.”
“Tissues… there’s so little…”
“We have to cover them even if it’s not much.”
At Na Jin's firm words, Kim Hansuk and Kim Jukyung nodded. They divided the few tissues they had and wet them with the water they had bought.
“Here, Hansuk. Take one more.”
“But… Nuna…”
“I’m fine.”
When Kim Jukyung handed a tissue to a tearful Kim Hansuk, Na Jin also silently gave one of his own tissues to Kim Jukyung.
-The little one is giving to the even littler one ㅠ
-It’s admirable, but it’s making me cry ㅠ
The adults’ eyes grew misty watching the two older children look after their younger sibling.
Meanwhile, people outside who saw the smoke called 119. The report that came into the 119 Safety Center was forwarded to the fire station closest to the scene.
[We’re on our way!]
Firefighter Lee Youngtae, climbing into the fire truck, shouted loudly.
Viewers who thought the truck was departing from the fire station stared with their mouths agape at the scenery behind the firefighters hastily boarding the vehicle.
The fire truck wasn't at a fire station, but in a residential alley. The firefighter, navigating around parked cars, clenched his teeth and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. The veins on his hands were visible.
[…Again?]
[…Yes. It was a prank call.]
It was another prank call. Two fire trucks had been dispatched for real incidents, and one for a prank call.
Unfortunately, the garage of the fire station closest to the coin karaoke building was empty.
The people watching television finally realized the gravity of the situation. This wasn’t an ordinary evacuation video.
It was the worst-case scenario that should never happen: the children had no phones, there were no adults to help, and the essential fire trucks were unavailable.
The news sent a wave of tension through the 119 Safety Center. The caller’s trembling voice asking when help would arrive made everyone anxious.
“What about the nearest fire station?!”
“They said it will take time!”
“Are there people inside the building?!”
“The caller said a few people came out… but there are many stores inside, so there could still be customers remaining!”
The arrival time for the trucks from the other station was announced. Firefighter Lee Youngtae, gripping the steering wheel, yelled.
[It looks like we’ll arrive at around the same time as the other station’s truck!]
The golden hour.
Time, precious as gold, was slipping away mercilessly.
The traffic seemed especially bad today, and the firefighters were on edge. They prayed that there was no one left inside the building.
Wee-woo-wee-woo!
The wailing siren sounded like someone’s cry. It sounded like a rapidly beating heart.
Along with the siren, the scene showed the children heading for the emergency exit.
“No…”
At Na Jin's trembling voice, Kim Hansuk and Kim Jukyung stood beside him.
Through the hazy smoke, the emergency exit—their only hope—was blocked. Trash from the coin karaoke, beverage boxes, and other heavy-looking crates.
-(Censored!)
-Isn’t it common sense to keep the area in front of an emergency exit clear!?
-Why do you think it’s called an emergency exit!
The viewers, who now saw the truth about the emergency exit that hadn't been shown in the commercial an hour ago, were enraged.
Tears began to well up in the children's eyes. Kim Hansuk sniffled.
“…Can we move it?”
At Kim Jukyung’s words, Na Jin wiped his tears with his arm and tried to lift a box. The other two children helped him. They pushed with all their might, more desperate than ever, but whatever was inside, the box wouldn’t budge.
“It’s not moving…”
“*Sob*…”
At Na Jin's tear-filled voice, tears streamed from Kim Hansuk’s and Kim Jukyung’s eyes.
*CRACK!*
Viewers watched as the ceiling collapsed in the flames. Over the terrifying blaze, the face of the firefighter gripping the steering wheel was shown.
Lee Youngtae’s expression, his lips bitten so hard they could bleed, was acting, but it was also real. This was not the first or second time he had experienced such a situation. The emotions from those times were simply pouring out.
Above the fire truck, stuck and unable to move, the children were shown coughing from the smoke. At the sight of their terrified faces, everyone clasped their hands together tightly.
*Ah, someone.*
*If only someone could save them.*
It was then.
A private car in front of the fire truck moved. It began to pull over as far as it could. Following that car's lead, the other cars on the road started to move, one by one. Like a parting sea, the gridlocked road began to clear.
Before they could even marvel at the sight, Lee Youngtae slammed on the accelerator. He ignored the signals, ignored the lanes, and drove as fast as he could! No one blocked the fire truck's path. Despite so many cars,
not a single one!
[Are we still far?]
[We’re coming!]
The firefighter shouted. His voice was filled with gratitude and joy for the citizens who had cleared the way, a voice close to elation.
At the same time, the look in Na Jin’s fear-filled eyes changed.
It wasn't the face of a reliable superhero or a hero. His trembling hands, tightly shut lips, and quivering eyebrows revealed Na Jin’s fear plainly. But the people watching television couldn't take their eyes off one thing.
Na Jin’s dark pupils.
Even amidst his terrified expression, they could see firm, dark eyes that had steeled their resolve.
*Let's get out.*
His eyes, which seemed to say just that, inspired faith.
Faith that they could get out of here.
People’s hearts began to pound at that gaze, which was both trembling with fear and yet so reliable.
-So moving ㅠ
-Thank you all so much ㅠ
-And thank you to the kids for holding on!
Before the fire truck arrived, the children took action. They hesitated for a moment at the thought of a possible explosion, but they didn't give up.
The children entered Room 3. Na Jin climbed onto a table and used a wad of wet tissues to seal the gap at the top of the door. Kim Jukyung held the table Na Jin stood on firmly. Kim Hansuk, looking around, pulled out several sheets of paper from the songbook.
“If we stick this up, they’ll know we’re here, right?”
At Kim Hansuk's words, Na Jin's and Kim Jukyung's eyes widened. With soot-stained faces, they broke into wide smiles and gave him a thumbs-up.
“Good job! You’re so smart!”
After sealing the top gap, Na Jin came down and sealed the bottom gap. On the glass window, Kim Jukyung and Kim Hansuk cut out letters from the paper. The water-soaked paper stuck right to the window.
“Hey. There, over there!”
People standing anxiously outside the building spotted the letters. The police officers controlling the crowd looked at the window with grim expressions.
[SOS]
Below the letters, the figures of small children could be seen.
A low voice came over the radio. The firefighter on the other end didn't sound agitated. If he got worked up and the fire truck got into an accident, nothing could be more serious.
But the people watching television could read the anxiety within that calm voice.
It was a voice that only a firefighter, who had experienced such situations countless times, could produce.
[Youngtae. There are people inside the building.]
[They look like children.]
[Youngtae…]
The plea to come just a little faster was embedded in that call.
Firefighter Lee Youngtae bit his lip. Ignoring the siren that felt like it was making his heart pound out of his chest, the firefighter pressed the accelerator once more.
The firefighter absolutely did not get excited.
“…Let me be able to embrace a small child before it's too late… and give me the strength to save a life…”
The cars on the road, parted like the Red Sea, seemed to be pushing the fire truck from behind.
With nothing left to do but wait, Na Jin and the children moved away from the door and huddled together. Kim Jukyung and Na Jin sat next to the one-year-younger Kim Hansuk.
Through the window, they could see many people outside. There were police cars, but the fire truck hadn't arrived yet.
Na Jin, smudged with soot and his face a mess of tears, suddenly opened his mouth.
“Ah. Come to think of it, I still haven’t finished my song…”
At Na Jin’s words, the other two children burst out laughing.
“When we get out, I’m going to ask my mom to buy me something delicious.”
“Me too. What should I get?”
Though their words were peaceful, the children’s hands, clasped tightly together, were trembling. They chattered away to forget their fear.
The camera stayed with the children. The viewers, unaware of the situation outside, grew anxious.
-The fire truck? Where is it now?
-Why aren’t they showing the outside?
The viewers spent a minute that felt like ten hours with the children, waiting for someone. It felt as if they, too, were trapped in Room 3.
-Not knowing the situation outside is driving me crazy.
-So did the fire truck arrive or not?!
-This is some serious vicarious experience.
*Thud!*
The door to Room 3 shook.
The children, who had been talking, stood up and stared at the door with tense faces.
Was it a tremor from the fire, or had the person they were waiting for arrived? The children's hearts pounded with a mix of worry and anticipation.
*Thud!*
The door shook once more.
“…Jin. Did you lock the door?”
“No.”
With that, the children realized the cause of the movement was not the person they were waiting for. The ceiling must have collapsed and hit the door.
-…So it wasn't them.
-I thought the firefighters were here too.
Before they could even be disappointed, the children grew scared as the door continued to rattle.
*Knock, knock—*
Na Jin thought he had misheard something.
*Knock, knock—*
But he hadn't. Na Jin turned his head and looked at the window. He could see a person behind the SOS paper. The children’s jaws dropped.
-What is this, lol.
-?? Is he allowed to just appear like that?
-Lol, it must have been hard to enter the building, lol.
-Right, if they can’t use the entrance, they have to come through the emergency exit, but they couldn’t get in because of the junk.
=…This isn’t a laughing matter.
=EMERGENCY EXIT!!! (emoticon of a rabbit slamming the floor)
The firefighter waved his hands.
“Uh… does he mean we should move away?”
“I think so?”
As the children moved away from the window, Lee Youngtae shattered it with a clean strike.
Without a moment's delay, Lee Youngtae entered Room 3. Relieved to see the children were relatively unharmed, he carefully lifted them one by one onto the ladder truck. The firefighter on the ladder truck assisted him.
The ladder truck carrying the children slowly descended to the ground.
Amidst the applause of the citizens, the children were led to an ambulance. Paramedics had them lie on stretcher carts, put oxygen masks on them, and checked for any burns or injuries.
With the tension finally broken, the children seemed to grasp the reality of the situation. They shed a few tears but also giggled with relief. Seeing them, the viewers also felt at ease.
-They’re so brave!
-You did great! Really great!
-This is scripted… but why do I feel like I’m watching a live news report?
=Same. Feels like watching a documentary. My heart was pounding, lol.
The firefighters entered the building to search for other survivors. Simultaneously, the fire suppression efforts began.
The firefighters who had gone inside the building returned safely. Thankfully, there was no one else inside.
Over the image of the firefighters, exhausted but smiling at the news of no casualties, the National Fire Agency logo appeared.
[Everyone's one step is coming to save you. - National Fire Agency]
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