Alex

“Alex!”

“Alex!”

“Alex!” The voice pierces through the flames like razor blades, cutting into my ears.

Dylan? Dylan!

“Alex! Save me! Alex!”

It’s her. It’s my sister. She’s trapped somewhere in this inferno.

“Dylan! I’m coming! Where are you?” I shout, but the roar of the fire drowns out my words. The fire is an angry beast, devouring everything in its path.

“Alex! It hurts!” she wails, a shrill sound that rips at my burning chest.

I can’t reach her!

God, help me find her!

The heat sears my skin and the smoke chokes my lungs. But I carry on, pushing deeper into the house, clutching my T-shirt to my nose. The smell of charred wood and melted plastic fills my nostrils, and the taste of ash and fear fills my mouth. making me gag.

“Alex!” My sister cries out again.

“Dylan!” I scream back before a coughing fit overtakes me and someone grabs my shoulder and starts dragging me away.

“No! Dylan is still in there, let me go! Dylan! Dylan!” I struggle against the strong arms pulling me away from the burning house, as Dylan’s voice fades.

But she’s not screaming anymore. Her fading voice is saying something, something that shatters me.

“It’s all your fault, Alex. All your fault,” she accuses, her words like daggers to my heart.

“No! Let me go!” I scream, as tears stream down my face.

It’s all your fault, Alex.

I open my eyes, finding myself on a bed, soaked in sweat as I am jolted awake.

Taking a deep breath in, I get up, take off my sweaty t-shirt, and walk to the bathroom for a cold shower.

I tend to get lost in some toxic thoughts, so I never linger in bed after I awake.

I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in years, thanks to this nightmare. 

As much as I wish for it to be, my nights won’t be any different even though I’m spending time in a new country, a new environment.

When I enrolled in the program, my program manager gave me a few options for accommodations while I’m in Seoul. My options were a hotel in the heart of the city, a service apartment, or a cultural exchange residence. I chose the last one.

Because I wanted something that would offer me both convenience, and a sense of cultural immersion.

And in the spirit of the program’s goals, I wanted to stay in a place specifically designed for international guests, offering me opportunities to interact with local residents, learn the language, and experience the culture while collaborating with a few local fire stations in Seoul.

So I let the water wash me, letting my mind think about what awaits me for today.

It’s orientation day, when I will get to meet everyone in the program.

But without warning, her face comes into my head.

The woman from the airport yesterday. 

Who was she?

Some actress? Some model?

She’s definitely well known around here if that massive crowd of fans was any indication. 

Those bodyguards of hers wasted no time in pulling her away and all I could do was watch as her car disappear, as she disappeared, after seeing her had just flipped my world on its axis.

She had the most gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen. Dark and deep.

The most gorgeous ripe cherry lips I’ve ever seen.

I close my eyes and imagine what it would be like to kiss her, to feel her breath on my skin, to hear her whisper in my ear, to smell her perfume, to taste her on my tongue, to touch her curves with my hands.

Then I open my eyes, mourning a fleeting moment that will never happen again.

I will never see her again.

Eunji

The girls and are backstage, putting the final touches on our outfits and makeup.

As I get my costume fixed and my ear mic fitted, I glance at the screen that shows the crowd we are about to perform for. 

It’s not a large audience, in fact, it’s the smallest crowd we’ve ever performed for, but it’s a very important one; This high-profile event is being broadcast live on TV and online as it is a collaboration between our company and the prestigious program.

As my lipstick is being applied, I watch as Dr. Jisoo Kang steps on stage. She greets the audience with a warm smile and a confident voice.

“Hello, everyone,” she says in Korean, and the screen behind her translates her speech to multiple relevant languages. “Welcome to the Global Responder Exchange Program. I’m Dr. Jisoo Kang, and it’s my honor to introduce you to the first day of this incredible journey. All of you sitting in the crowd have been heroes in your home countries, firefighters, EMTs, military medics, first aiders, and communication experts. And you know, our goal is simple but powerful: to bridge gaps and foster understanding among first responders worldwide and provide a space where knowledge and support are shared throughout the world.”

A moment later, in the middle of her speech, she invites a few colleagues and other key figures on stage with her and they discuss the program’s many years of success and achievements and hopes for the future.

Then, finally, Dr. Kang calls Mr. Park, to the stage to introduce us.

The girls and I get into position and wait as Mr. Park talks about how proud we are to be part of the program this year and what Blossom6 has to offer and what we represent to the world.

He praises our talent, our passion, and our dedication.

As the applause settles after Mr. Park’s speech, Dr. Jisoo Kang’s eyes twinkle with excitement as she gestures toward the side, where we await our cue. “These six talented young women not only dominate the K-pop scene but are also here to show their support for our first responders and will continue to do so for the next few weeks before they embark on their first ever world tour! Please welcome Blossom6!”

After a round of applause, the room goes silent in anticipation as we take the stage, and the lights dim and a spotlight illuminates us.

Hana’s voice echoes throughout the room as she starts the intro to Super Hero. Wo-young takes over and raps her part, and Lilly and I sing our parts in the pre-chorus and delve into our amazing choreography for the chorus.

A minute later, our performance concludes with thunderous applause, and as we catch our breaths, our leader Suji takes the mic to say her rehearsed speech, expressing our gratitude to everyone in the room, congratulating them on saving lives and being brave.

The room erupts again in applause, and I hold my smile, nodding at the crowd.

But then I see him.

Him.

He’s in a suit like all the other men in the ballroom crowd, but he stands out from the rest.

His dark hair is sleeked back, his jaw is sharp, and his posture is straight.

And his eyes.

His green eyes are burning with a fire, a flame of determination, as he watches me.

The world dims, and again, we’re the only two people that exist.