BTS SMERALDO THE NOTES 2 (Edited & Translated)

Seokjin: 30 September Year 22

The container was on fire. I tried to look for Namjoon, but the smoke was too thick. I put my arm over my nose, trying to breathe in as little of the smoke as I could. Men were around me trying to put out the fire, their faces obscured by black masks.

This truly seemed like hell on earth. Large metal drums rolled by; a man collapsed near me. His head was covered in blood. He must have fallen or escaped from the fire. A young boy ran by with his tear streaked face, in search of his parents. I heard people crying, but I couldn't see them. The smell of burnt plastic and hot metal passed by on the wind.

I kept my eyes on the boy as he ran in the direction of Namjoon's home. I wanted to go after him. But the minute in made my way in to the thick of the smoke I started coughing. My eyes stung, but I kept going.

I was a bit closer to the men now. I recognized the logo on their uniform from the redevelopment meeting my father held a while back. I remembered every attendee there as if the meeting happened yesterday.

And then it struck me. The date of demolition. On paper, the date seemed formal and intangible. The people at the meeting were naïve and unaware of how much pain their decision would inflict on the people I was surrounded by now. These fires, these children, these families...their situation was nothing short of hell.

Another container closer to me caught on fire. A group of people were trying to move the metal sheet away that had fallen in front of the door.

"Someone's still inside!" one of them shouted.

It took me a second to realize that the container they were referring to was Namjoon's.

I rushed past everyone around me and joined the group. My hands burned against the metal, but still we pushed.

"One. Two. Three!"

With one final push, the sheet fell away. The door fell down and heat gushed out in waves. Despite the others trying to hold me back, I rushed in and spotted a body on the floor amongst the smoke. It definitely was Namjoon.

I dragged him out as fast as I could.

"He looks dead already kid," someone observed from behind me.

"Kim! Namjoon! Wake! Up!" I shouted as I shook his shoulders.
He didn't move.

I put my ear to his chest. There was no heartbeat.

Still I screamed, hoping he would wake up.

Then suddenly everything around me began to fade out. A heaviness fell over my body and again, I heard the window shatter in the distance as my dream came to a tragic end.

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