Jungsu stood at attention, highly conscious of the people gathered around and the camera pointed towards him. Officer Hyun-su had told him that he'd only needed to take a photo, yet here he was giving an interview.
"From what the firemen said, the conditions were very poor inside the building. So how did it feel walking through it all?" The officer asked him.
"It felt hot." Jungsu replied blankly.
Blinking, the officers chuckled and agreed.
"And how did you manage to get down the building, Jungsu?" Another officer asked him curiously.
"I just climbed down." Jungsu said plainly, pressing his lips together.
The officers looked at one another, raising their brows at his odd responses. The camera zoomed into Jungsu's blank face as if trying to spot a speck of emotion. The only thing it managed to capture was his flawless skin.
"Are we done? Can I go now?" Jungsu asked, looking at the officer next to him.
The officer's eyes widened and he started mouthing some words while pointing with his eyes towards the camera. Jungsu made a face as he couldn't understand the officer's actions.
We're live. We're live. He mouthed and Jungsu froze in his spot.
Swallowing he said, "It's gotten cold lately."
"R-right." The officer nodded his head enthusiastically.
How long are we gonna stay live? Jungsu communicated with his eyes.
The officer shook his head slightly, communicating back, I'm not sure.
"So how did you end up shirtless?" The cameraman asked, genuinely intrigued and entertained, as were many other netizens.
"I don't wear shirts under hoodies." He said while looking into the camera.
"Then could it be…" The cameraman trailed off as he turned his camera downwards and zoomed into Jungsu's hoodie
Jungsu bent down to match the camera's level so that his face was now zoomed in.
"My face is up here." He said, pointing to himself.
The cameraman, realizing he had probably racked in more viewers than the channel usually got, didn't want to stop filming. However, upon seeing an officer headed his way, he stopped filming, ending the live broadcasting. Viewers online were complaining at the loss of the comedic gold as well as the pleasant face they gotten to see in hd.
Jungsu wouldn't know it, but his face would be trending for days after the interview. With some images of him becoming memes, and others simply being spread like wildfire and downloaded by thousands of girls.
The officer next to him exhaled as the camera turned off, turning towards him with wary eyes.
"You did good saving those kids." He said smiling up at him.
Jungsu bowed at the officers and thanked them.
"You can leave now." The officer on his left said, chuckling as Jungsu bowed once more and left the building.
As they stared after him, an officer who had been on camera exhaled loudly and said, "I must've looked like an egg next to him."
"No, that would indicate that people were even looking at you. You were never there, my friend. You were never there." Patting his shoulder, his friends left him behind as he stared after them in disbelief.
Jungsu exited a grocery mart with a bag of goods, deciding to treat himself to strawberries. He sat down at a table in a nearby park, taking out his box of strawberries. Opening the water bottle he had bought, he rinsed the strawberries, draining the water onto the grass. Grabbing the sanitizer he bought, he squeezed some onto his hands and rubbed. Bringing out the strawberry milk he had bought, he placed the straw inside the small bottle and took a sip. Humming in satisfaction, he opened a pack of strawberry mochi, holding onto it in fascination. The texture was velvety and soft, his fingers leaving dents in the areas he held onto the mochi. He slowly bit into the mochi, his eyes widening in wonder. Taking another bite he closed his eyes, savouring the taste in his mouth. Reaching out, he grabbed a strawberry and started eating, feeling quite satisfied already.
A squirrel jumped up onto the table in front of him, startling Jungsu with its boldness. Looking into his eyes, the squirrel rubbed its mouth with its small hands and reached out into the air with its hands, seemingly grabbing onto nothing. Yet Jungsu could sense its intentions. Ignoring the squirrel, he went back to eating, not wanting to share even a piece of his strawberries. Yet as Jungsu kept eating, he glanced at the squirrel who had not moved from its position. As Jungsu looked into its eyes, it suddenly made a squealing noise.
"You're quite resilient." Jungsu acknowledged bowing his head in defeat.
Placing a strawberry on the table, he watched as the squirrel sniffed it once and started nibbling on it.
"The days are getting cold. You should be hibernating soon." Jungsu leaned his head against his fist, watching the squirrel intently.
"I would also like to hibernate, but my body would not be able to survive as long as you can without food." Jungsu murmured.
The squirrel nodded its head as if understanding, going back to chewing on the strawberry.
Then dropping the half eaten strawberry on the table, it slowly approached Jungsu, seemingly at ease around him. He moved towards Jungsu's hands and sniffed while Jungsu opened his hands up for its inspection.
"What are you looking for?" Jungsu asked the squirrel, frowning.
The squirrel then darted away from him, taking his strawberry and leaving the table. As Jungsu resumed eating in peace, he sensed multiple eyes on him. Glancing up, he saw some strangers had stopped walking to observe Jungsu's peculiar interaction with the squirrel. As Jungsu's eyes connected with theirs, they quickly walked away, resuming their walk.
While Jungsu had been busy with the squirrel however, someone had taken a photo of him and the squirrel and posted it online.
The photo was of Jungsu holding his hands out as the squirrel inspected, his eyebrows creased as he looked down at the squirrel.
The caption read, Spotted! The guy saving kids from burning buildings is now communicating with squirrels!
Almost instantly, replies started coming in as users zoomed into the photo and found the street sign in the background. Somehow, the photo had started a small manhunt as users dared each other to go follow the man.
Unbeknownst to it all, Jungsu packed up his leftover food and walked towards the bus stop, his bag swinging back and forth in his hands. As he stood at the bus stop, he felt irritated as he sensed a presence that had been following him since morning.
Sending a text to Officer Hyun-su he said, When will you stop following me?
Hearing the footsteps falter, he felt comforted in the fact that he had made the man uncomfortable.
Standing in silence he stared at the rustling trees, hearing someone moving to stand beside him while talking on the phone.
The man standing next to him glanced up from his phone as he hung up and felt his eyes blinded by the glow that came from Jungsu.
"Wow." The man said as he turned towards Jungsu.
Jungsu glanced over at the man, wondering what he was talking about. As Jungsu's eyes connected with the man, the man whistled low in appreciation. Jungsu narrowed his eyes, turning away from him when the man spoke up.
"Do you have an agency sir?" The man asked eagerly.
Agency? Jungsu didn't know what he meant so he shook his head.
"That's fantastic! I can't believe my luck. Are you interested in becoming famous?" The man handed him a card and placed it in his hands.
Jungsu's eyebrows creased as he stared at the man in question.
"No. I have no interest. Nor do I have any talents."
"That's not true! Your face is more than enough talent!" The man exclaimed.
Jungsu inched away from him, figuring the man must have recognized him from the news.
"My name is Cho Hyunwoo, I'm from Kangsoo entertainment." He waited for Jungsu to recognize the name, but his face remained blank.
Clearing his throat Hyunwoo said, "With my help, I'm sure I can make you famous."
Jungsu shook his head in denial when he suddenly felt a hand clamp down hard on his shoulder.
Laughing loudly, Hyun-su looked at Jungsu with narrowed eyes.
"Of course he would be honored to have your help. He's even got his own following already."
"Oh really?" The man asked in surprise.
"Yeah." Hyun-su nodded his head and pulled out his phone, showing Hyunwoo the threads that had started on the internet surrounding Jungsu.
"Ah! You're the man from the fire! I heard about you, but I didn't believe it at first. But after seeing you, I now believe it."
Hyunwoo scanned Jungsu's body in fascination. There were endless opportunities for him. He could be a model, an actor, a host, even possibly an idol with some training. Hyunwoos eyes lit up as he remembered the reality show that would start filming in a couple of weeks. As one of the contestants had dropped out last minute due to another opportunity, an open spot had presented itself. Though he would be one of the more unrecognizable contestants, Hyunwoo knew that Jungsu would outshine everyone with his looks.
Strengthening his resolve, Hyunwoo grabbed a hold of Jungsu's hands and pleaded.
"Please, you must call me back. I can get you on a reality TV show. After you gain some more recognition, I'm sure our director can discuss some opportunities with you."
"Don't worry about it Mr. Hyunwoo. I will make sure he calls you." Hyun-su laughed through his teeth at him.
As his bus had arrived, Hyunwoo bowed at them and said, "Please do give me a call this week!" as he walked into the bus.
Hyun-su exhaled as the bus left them and he turned towards Jungsu.
"It's a good thing I followed you. I had a feeling something like this would happen. You are really clueless aren't you…but how can that be when you seem so aware of everything?" Hyun-su let out a frustrated sound as he grabbed his hair.
"You know Kangsoo entertainment right?"
"Yes, it's the company that Kang Haeun works in." Jungsu responded.
"Then why," Hyun-su exclaimed, "would you reject such an offer when you know I want you to find some dirt on him?"
"I don't think I'm suited for entertainment. It would be less suspicious if I applied for a job in their company. If you need help fabricating documents-"
"No! It would be much faster if you star in their show. That increases your chances of meeting the director."
Hyun-su didn't bother showing Jungsu the amount of offers he had received online from different entertainment companies.
"No. I don't think he will meet me." Jungsu shook his head. "In fact, I will probably be kicked off the show for my lack of skills."
Massaging his temples, Hyun-su waved a hand at him and said simply, "Just do as I say."
Shrugging his shoulders, Jungsu nodded, not liking the idea of his face being under the constant gaze of a camera. People might even start hating him once the show airs, and then what? He would have to spend the rest of his life in hiding, or perhaps move to another country seeking refuge. That's what he'd heard of reality shows, that they could either break or make a star.
"That's your bus isn't it?" Hyun-su pointed towards it with his chin.
Jungsu nodded as he asked him if he would be coming.
"No, my car is parked nearby. I will talk to you tomorrow. Don't forget to call Mr. Hyunwoo, the sooner you can meet up with him the better."
Waving goodbye, Jungsu got on the bus and sat down on an empty seat. Closing his eyes he decided to rest for a bit, still keeping his senses on high alert as people got on and off the bus. He felt a presence near him and opened his eyes, looking straight into the eyes of a little girl no more than five.
Recognizing her as the girl he had saved, he glanced beside her to see her brother staring back at him with big eyes and a toothy smile.
"Mom, he's the one who saved us." The boy whispered as he tugged the skirt of the woman beside him.
The woman glanced down at him and gasped then bowed deeply, causing Jungsu to get uncomfortable and stand up.
"Thank you so much!" The woman cried quietly. "You saved my family, you saved me."
Junsu nodded his head and gently sat the woman down on his seat.
"It's not a problem at all."
"But it is for me!" The woman cried. "I don't even have anything to give you."
The passengers on the bus watched on as the drama unfolded before them. Most of them recognized Jungsu from the news and started recording, while others questioned each other and watched intently.
"I don't need anything, nor did I expect anything in return. Your children still have a family, and you still have a family. That's enough for me to see." He awkwardly patted the little girl's head causing her to stare up at him in amazement.
"Pretty." She smiled, and reached her arms up towards him.
Jungsu looked down at her in confusion, wondering what she wanted from him as she stood up on her tiptoes. Realizing what she wanted, Jungsu bent down and lifted her up into his arms. He looked at the mother in question, and she simply smiled tearfully, shrugging her shoulders.
The girl buried her face into his neck and held on tightly, slowly closing her eyes as she fell asleep.
The boy laughed as he looked at Jungsu's rigid face causing Jungsu's lips to twitch as he looked down at him. Jungsu didn't know when, but his lips had formed the smallest, almost imperceptible smile. But even that had been captured by one passenger's phone.
"We're getting off at the next stop." the mother said. "If you could join us for lunch, I would feel relieved."
"Where are you living now?" Jungsu asked.
"Right next to a big red building down this street." She pointed outside.
"We're staying at my mother's place for the time being. I'm sure she would like it as well if you stopped by."
No…it couldn't be. Jungsu thought to himself.
Nodding in agreement, Jungsu said, "If you will have me, then I would like to join you for lunch. I also get off here."
The woman smiled, getting up and urging her son off the bus as Jungsu followed behind them with the girl in his arms.
As they entered his building and the woman pressed on the second floor, Jungsu started sweating. There was only one grandma on his floor who lived alone. And sure enough, as the woman knocked on the grandma's door, she opened it after a couple moments and smiled at her daughter. Her eyes landing on her grandson and then on her granddaughter, and right onto Jungsu's face.
"You! Why did you not come last week? I was making kimchi stew!" The grandma grumbled.
"Mom, you know him?" The woman asked, puzzled.
"Yes, yes. He lives on this floor. He ate with me one day and then disappeared after." She huffed.
Jungsu pressed his lips together and looked down at the floor.
"Well what are you waiting for? Come in!"
As they entered inside, the woman Jisoo, began telling the grandma of how she knew Jungsu.
Jungsu watched from the back as he took off his shoes and entered inside, placing the girl onto the sofa. The grandma turned towards him in astonishment and smiled.
"Fate must have brought you to me." She said as she ushered him to the table and prepared the meal alone this time.
Jungsu sat down as the boy pulled out a toy racecar from his bag and started showing the parts to him. Jungsu listened intently as the boy happily explained, excited that someone finally was paying attention.
Meanwhile, the photos of Jungsu slightly smiling at the boy with a little girl in his arms was circulating wildly online.