Time continued its passage with indifference, while Jihoon stumbled somewhere behind, his thoughts caught in a loop that never quite aligned with the present. But the world kept marching all the same, oblivious to those who needed a pause.
As the last stretch of his vacation approached, Jihoon wrapped up the task of enrollment for the upcoming term. And with Haneul back in school, he found himself mostly free during the day, though that too would change soon once his classes resumed.
While the lull still lasted, he had tried researching more about Ryul's firefighting background and had easily found plenty of articles, mostly local features that painted the man in a heroic light–commendations, daring rescues, and heartfelt community praise.
One even included a grainy photo of the man hoisting a child out of a collapsed building. But none hinted at controversy or trouble, nor offered any explanation as to why someone so accomplished would walk away from such a life.
