From Seo-jun’s perspective, the gods of the Celestial Realm were nothing more than image-makers.

Strictly speaking, it was the Celestial Gods who had created the distinction between the Celestial Realm and the Demon Realm in the first place.

Once again, from Seo-jun’s perspective, they were nothing but unbearably arrogant.

How exactly did they determine the boundary between good and evil?

The law of the strong preying on the weak in the Demon Realm was simply the way of nature. It was neither good nor evil.

That was why Seo-jun believed that good and evil coexisted.

Just because a creature was from the Demon Realm didn’t mean it automatically rejected the weak.

Hadn’t Seo-jun himself been saved by Kalax?

Amidst the coexistence of good and evil, the firefighters were the embodiment of pure good.

After all, sacrificing oneself to save another was something impossible without an absolute spirit of selflessness.

At least, that’s how Seo-jun saw it.

“This is on the house.”

Seo-jun placed the fruit punch on the firefighters’ table.

“Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it. Enjoy your drinks.”

Seo-jun returned to the kitchen.

The somber mood at the firefighters’ table gradually grew livelier.

They knew it too.

That they couldn’t remain trapped in the past forever, that doing so would only eat away at them…

However.

‘Hmm.’

It seemed that Gu Jung-seok had yet to realize that.

Gu Jung-seok had trouble sleeping that night.

He simply couldn’t fall asleep.

His haggard face made it obvious, prompting Cho Hyunggu to speak up.

“It’s quiet today. Go catch some sleep in the duty room.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Don’t be stubborn and just get some rest. Nothing’s going to happen while you sleep for a bit.”

“…Then, if it’s really okay?”

“It’s fine.”

“Thank you!”

“Sheesh.”

As soon as Gu Jung-seok laid his head on the pillow in the duty room, he drifted off to sleep.

How much time had passed?

“Well, well, Gu Jung-seok.”

A voice stirred him awake.

He was still in the duty room, and in that room…

“Jung-sik hyung?”

“Look at this guy. Your big brother’s here, and you’re still lying down?”

Gu Jung-seok rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

Standing there was Kang Jung-sik, clad in his fire helmet, turnout gear, oxygen tank, and a cross necklace.

It was the same appearance he had the last time Jung-seok saw him on duty.

“How are you…?”

“How? Well, you kept calling me, so I figured I’d drop by.”

With those words, Kang Jung-sik sat at the edge of the cot.

“Hyung… It’s really you, right?”

“Of course it’s me. Do you know any other Kang Jung-sik?”

“No, but…”

“So, how have you been?”

“Huh?”

“Are you still as clueless as ever? Don’t you remember your first call?”

“Ah…”

“You nearly scared me to death back then. The nozzleman’s assistant bolted at the sight of the flames. If I hadn’t been your officer, you’d be a dead man, you know?”

Gu Jung-seok scratched his head awkwardly.

Now that he thought about it, he remembered.

That was the first time he had seen flames raging like a roaring beast.

He had been terrified, and before he knew it, his body instinctively moved backward.

His steps tangled, and he tripped. Because of that, the nozzleman lost his grip on the hose, causing a dangerous accident.

It was nothing but a humorous anecdote now, but at the time, it had been terrifying.

“I can’t believe you still remember that.”

“Of course, I do. Do you think there’s anything the great Kang Jung-sik wouldn’t remember?”

“That’s true.”

Jung-sik smirked and handed Gu Jung-seok his turnout gear, goggles, and oxygen tank.

“What is this…?”

“What do you mean? It’s my turnout gear and gear set.”

“But why are you giving it to me…?”

“Just take it.”

As Gu Jung-seok hesitantly took the equipment, Kang Jung-sik suddenly stood up and waved.

“Well then, I’m off.”

“Already?”

“I’m a busy man too, you know.”

“But can’t you stay just a little longer…?”

“Why would I hang around with some gloomy guy? More importantly, Jung-seok.”

“Yes?”

“If you’re gonna cry like last night again, just cut it out.”

“……”

“One more thing.”

“…What?”

“Ten thousand.”

“Ten thousand?”

“Yeah, ten thousand. Don’t even think about following me until you’ve saved at least ten thousand people.”

“How am I supposed to save ten thousand people…?”

Gu Jung-seok trailed off.

Before he knew it, Kang Jung-sik had disappeared like smoke.

“Thank you, hyung.”

He had always thought that if he could just see him in a dream even once, he might feel a little less guilty. But Kang Jung-sik had never appeared, not even once.

That absence had tormented him.

But now, he felt like he could finally breathe a little easier.

Just then—

WIIIIIIEEEAAAAAAANG—!

The sudden blare of a siren rang out.

“What the…?”

As he looked around in confusion, the scenery around him distorted and melted away.

And then—

The door to the duty room burst open, and Park Joon-sik shouted.

“Lieutenant Gu! We’ve got a call! Get ready!”

Still dazed, Gu Jung-seok glanced at the edge of the cot before springing to his feet.

“Yes, sir!”

“……”

Gu Jung-seok’s jaw dropped.

It was his first time responding to a Level 2 fire.

FWOOOOOOSH—!

In his three years as a firefighter, he had rarely encountered a blaze that truly deserved the term ‘fire demon.’

But the inferno at this Level 2 site was the very embodiment of a fire demon.

WEEEEEAAAAANG—!

Sirens blared from all directions.

A Level 2 response meant that the fire was too large to be handled by the local fire station alone, requiring reinforcements from nearby stations.

With over a dozen fire trucks wailing in unison, his ears felt like they were about to burst.

“Itaewon Station, take the embassy sector.”

The chief of the local station gave the order, and Cho Hyunggu asked,

“Have all evacuees been accounted for?”

“Most have escaped, but four are still missing.”

That meant there were four people trapped inside, waiting to be rescued.

Are there any precautions to take?

At the question, the fire chief in charge glanced in the direction of the embassy.

“As you know, the entrance to the embassy is quite narrow. I haven't checked the blueprints yet, but from the outside, it appears that air circulation is poor, which raises concerns about a backdraft phenomenon.”

“Understood.”

Cho Hyunggu nodded and led the firefighters of District 12 toward the Chinese embassy.

They quickly divided their roles.

Gu Jung-seok was assigned to the rescue team.

Once the fire suppression team managed to contain the flames at the entrance to some extent, the rescue team proceeded inside.

The interior of the embassy was engulfed in roaring flames and thick smoke, making it impossible to see even an inch ahead.

“Huh?”

Gu Jung-seok tilted his head.

Something felt off.

Normally, entering a fire scene like this should feel suffocating. The heat from the flames should also be intense.

But he felt nothing.

Just in case, Gu Jung-seok removed his goggles.

Seeing this, Park Joon-sik shouted.

“Lieutenant Gu, what are you doing!”

Even Park Joon-sik, who had abilities, was still wearing his equipment.

It wasn’t necessarily because it would hinder the rescue efforts, but more so because they didn’t know the condition of the victims, making it safer to be fully equipped.

But Gu Jung-seok was different.

He had no abilities. The moment he took off his goggles, he should have been unable to open his eyes properly due to the acrid smoke.

That’s why Park Joon-sik had shouted, but...

“I’m fine!”

“What?”

“I feel nothing at all!”

Excited, Gu Jung-seok even took off his oxygen mask.

Park Joon-sik tried to stop him, but he was a step too late.

“Put it back on… Wait, what?”

“I can breathe just fine.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes! This is incredible!”

As Gu Jung-seok marveled at the situation, another firefighter chimed in.

“Looks like Lieutenant Gu has awakened to an ability like ours.”

“Hey, Lieutenant Gu, close your eyes and focus. You might be able to see where the victims are.”

“I can see them even with my eyes closed?”

“Just give it a try.”

Though skeptical, Gu Jung-seok followed his colleague’s suggestion.

And then, something astonishing happened.

In his mind—no, perhaps in his heart?

It was hard to describe, but he could clearly see the victims’ figures.

Like thermal imaging, almost.

“They’re upstairs!”

Shouting, Gu Jung-seok dashed up to the upper floor.

He reached a room with a sign that read ‘Consular Section.’

Inside, he found the four victims that the Myeong-dong fire chief had mentioned. They were crouched down, protecting their airways with damp towels.

They didn’t appear to be in life-threatening danger. However, due to the thick smoke and raging flames, they seemed hesitant to move.

Gu Jung-seok ran toward them and shouted.

“喂 (Hello)!”

His simple Chinese command caught the victims’ attention.

Thanks to that, he was able to evacuate them much more smoothly.

Once outside, Park Joon-sik poured water over his head and spoke.

“Hey, was that Chinese just now?”

“Huh?”

“You shouted something earlier in the building.”

“Ah… yes, that’s right.”

“Wait, you know Chinese?”

“No, just a few basic phrases. Sergeant Jung-sik taught me some—English, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Russian. Just the basics.”

Park Joon-sik nodded with a serious expression.

He could now vaguely understand why Firefighter Kang Jung-sik had taught Gu Jung-seok foreign languages.

Today, Seo-jun decided to make kalguksu (hand-cut noodles).

He wasn’t particularly craving anything, but he suddenly remembered that Yeon-jun loved kalguksu.

He decided to knead the dough himself.

Of course, they sold noodles at the store, but nothing beat freshly kneaded dough.

Seo-jun opened the cupboard.

Inside, he found two bags of flour—one of bread flour and one of all-purpose flour.

He chose both.

This was actually his grandmother’s recipe.

Whenever she made sujebi or kalguksu, she would always mix the two types of flour.

The method was simple.

Mix seven parts bread flour with three parts all-purpose flour.

Once evenly mixed, add cold water and a pinch of salt. The salt helps make the noodles chewier and more elastic.

Next, he retrieved an egg from the fridge. This time, he wanted to use a real egg instead of an Arutus egg.

Arutus eggs were difficult to separate into whites and yolks.

He also added sesame oil to counter the distinct smell of flour.

If sesame oil wasn’t available, any kind of oil would work.

And then?

Time to knead!

Smack! Smack!

Thump, thump!

If kneading felt too difficult, a bit of imagination might help.

Imagine this dough as the face of your annoying boss.

Or the face of your ex who cheated on you.

How does that feel? Easier now?

“Oh? Uncle!”

Hearing the sound of kneading, Seo-woo ran in.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m making dough.”

“Dough? For sujebi?”

“It’s for kalguksu, but you could say it’s similar.”

“Wow! Then can I do it too? I want to! Please let me try!”

Seo-jun looked at the dough.

‘Well, it’s already pretty much done…’

He nodded.

“Then go wash your hands first.”

“Okay!”

For some reason, kids love playing with dough. Regardless of gender, if they’re kids, they always want to touch it.

Seo-jun had been the same when he was little.

When he sat quietly beside his grandmother, she would always tear off a piece of dough for him.

And he would play with it happily.

Seo-woo was probably the same.

“All clean!”

Seo-jun put plastic gloves on Seo-woo’s hands and taught him how to knead the dough.

Soon, Seo-woo was happily kneading away.

Watching him fondly, Seo-jun started preparing the broth.