Warning: This chapter contains sensitive content

She takes a few steps back. The flames rising and spreading towards her, looking like a massive fire monster ready to swallow her alive. She shakes in fear as she walks backward until her back meets the wall and she comes to a halt. Her eyes widen as she stares at the rising flames.

Darn it, Soojin. It's your end today...

She slides down the wall defeatedly and crouches down while hugging her knees. Her body shakes as she cries out and sobs. She knows no one gonna come to help her. No one cares if she's there or not. For the first time she's thinking of her dad, she never really thought of him but today, she felt like. If he would be here today, he would surely come to save me from here. You're gone today, Soojin!

Jungkook huffs as he successfully makes it out from the school fire. He rubs the beads of sweat that covers his forehead with the back of his hand and takes a deep breath.

"Jungkookie!! You okay?"

It's his best friend, Yugyeom, who runs to him and hugs him tightly. Jungkook giggles and pats his back as he hugs him with the same force.

"Bro... That was scary!! Everyone was screaming and running. I had no idea what had happened!!" Yugyeom exclaims, rubbing his forehead.

"Same here...It was a whole chaos!!" Jungkook huffs as his eyes drift in the crowd that's scattered everywhere. His eyes scanning every person, in search of that particular one. That one girl, whom he's determined to protect in all costs, his searching only for her.

"Students, please line up according to your own respective classes and respond to your names," one of the teachers announce. The students stop their chaos and began lining up. Jungkook too, lines up in his respective class, right before his best friend, Yugyeom, who's a bit taller than he is.

While still being in the line, Jungkook doesn't stop searching for Soojin in the next lines. He frowns when he didn't notice her. Yugyeom was quick to notice his concern and worry. "You okay, Jungkook? Whom are you looking for?"

He gulps down his throat and looks at his best friend, "Soojin... She's two years junior...but I can't see her anywhere!" he begins panicking.

"Hey... Maybe she didn't come today...," Yugyeom tried conforting him but Jungkook gasped in panic, "C'mon!! We come to school together everyday!! She's my neighbor!!"

Jungkook can feel his eyes glistening at the thought. He can feel his heart thumping loud against his chest, making him short of breath. He stares at the students of Soojin's class, his eyes still scanning the line for her. He keeps a close attention to the teacher calling their names, "Lee Mijung?" "Here!" "Han Niyeon?" "Here!" "Kim Soojin?" Jungkook bit his lower lip, waiting for Soojin's voice to echo in the ground. But there was nothing but silence. It didn't do any help rather just fueled Jungkook's terror.

"Kim Soojin?" the teacher called again, her eyes carrying terror as well. "Kim Soojin...please respond!?" still... Just silence. The teacher looks at the students and questions, "Is she present today?" The students gulp and nod slowly.

The teacher huffs. This is terrible. She goes to the principal and informs her, "Ma'am... A fellow student of 99 batch... Kim Soojin... She's not here..." the teacher gasps, while clearly panicking while talking to the principal. The principal is concerned as well but looks at the teacher with guilt and says, "We can't do anything at this moment... The fire department are on their way... Only then, we can do something... "

Unfortunately, each and every word of their conversation was heard by keen Jungkook, who has been desperately searching for Soojin. He shivers and his heart wrenches at that revelation. Soojin... She's stuck there... Alone.

Without thinking much, he quickly breaks out from his line and rushed towards the school, burning with the rising flames. The teachers and the students yell and scream his name to stop him. But he was already gone.

Soojin sits there, curling into a ball and sobbing hard. She knows it's impossible but just hopes for someone to come and save her. "Dad..." She mumbles. For the first time, his thought came in her mind. Ever since she got to know the truth, she hated him, even though he always tried to give her the love and time she needs. "Dad loves you, you know that right, Suju ah? I'll always love you..." Those words ring in her mind as she sobs hard. I love you too, dad!! I'm sorry for being a bad daughter--

"SOOJIN!!! SOOJIN!!! WHERE ARE YOU?! ANSWER ME!!"

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud scream of her name. She looks up, hearing that voice. Is she hallucinating? She gets confused. Who could it be that had come to save her? She coughs and coughs. Her asthma is getting worse. The smoke fumes were too harmful for her.

"Wh-who.. Is it?" she croaks out. Just then, she sees a figure, emerging from the flames. A young guy, wrapped in a thick cloth to prevent himself from being burnt, long hair with bangs, bunny like face. A familiar one... Her eyes are hazy with tears and she can barely make out her surroundings, yet she managed to recognize him.

"J-Jungkook....?" Soojin mumbles his name, her breath getting heavier due to the asthma attack.

He came near to her and crouched beside her. He wrapped her in that thick cloth that he had wrapped up himself with and pulled her as close as he could to himself.

"You gonna be okay, Soojin! I'm here!!" he assures her as she clutches onto his shirt tightly and shakes while crying. He hugs her tightly. So tightly that if he lets her go, as if she'll disappear. He cries too and shakes as he wraps his arms around her frame tightly. He pulls on the cloth above their heads to secure her and him. He knows there's no way they can now get out. The flames before them are too high and dangerous and it's like impossible for kids like them to cross it.

Jungkook closes his eyes shut, clutching onto her. He's getting scared now and shivers run down his spine. Tears slip down from his eyes as he too sobs. All he wishes now is someone to come as soon as possible and rescue them.

And perhaps, destiny was at his side that day. His wish was granted as just a while later, he heard some sounds as if someone was spraying something. He peeked out from the cloth and saw that the flames were slowly getting extinguished and the floors were getting wet. Suddenly, amidst from all the smoke, two men, dressed in red came towards them and took them out.

Soojin was in a bad condition, a critical one. She was having trauma. She was continuously crying and shaking like hell and the most shocking sight, she didn't seem to leave Jungkook alone. She just clutched onto his shirt, burying her face in his chest.

Jungkook can feel his shirt fabric wet. He chuckled and just caressed her back and tousled her hair. It wrenches his heart to see her in this condition. He has never seen her like that. But isn't it obvious? She had been trapped in that fire all alone! Even a strong adult would cry in such situation.

Soojin was somehow taken to the hospital for a checkup to examine if any harm had happened. Jungkook too didn't realise that he had burned his left cheek in the process of saving her until Junghyun hugged him tight and he felt a stinging pain.

The whole school clapped for Jungkook for his brave act. The fact is that even Jungkook himself was shocked that he had pulled out such an act. It was his instinct. His instinct of saving Soojin. He didn't know that he has such courage. It was a new discovery for him as well.

Jungkook goes to check on Soojin later, after he had been treated his own wounds. She was still no better. Shaking like hell and her skin extremely pale. She's traumatized by the event. He takes cautious steps towards her, trying not to scare her and gently calls her name, "Soojin..."

She turns her gaze towards him and stares at him with those big, puppy eyes. Those eyes were swollen and were still glistening with tears. Jungkook took a seat beside her. Soojin soon looked away from him, clenching her jaw.

"Are you okay, Soojin...?" Jungkook asks, his voice slow and gentle as he puts one of his hand on her shoulder. She just nods.

Then, there is a deafening silence between them. None of them spoke a single word. Soojin kept looking down, away from him while Jungkook, his gaze was fixed on Soojin. It was too silent that Jungkook could even hear Soojin's irregular breaths. Suddenly, a loud sob leaves her mouth as Soojin shakes badly. In a matter of seconds, she turns around and hugs Jungkook tightly, snuggling her face in his chest.

Jungkook feels like his world has stopped and the land beneath his feet has slipped out. What the--did she just hug me now?!! How is it possible...?!! Jungkook feels his own heartbeat rising and his cheeks heat up. He bites his lower lip and grins like a fool as he wraps his arms around her frame and hugs her with the same force.

"T-thank y-you.... T-thank y-you so m-much... J-jungkook... I--" she clutches onto his shirt as she cries like hell.

Jungkook caresses her back and comforts her, "Shhh... Don't cry... It's alright!!"

Jungkook feels something different. He doesn't know what it is but he does know that he cares for her. She matters to him a lot. She's special- special for him.