Call Sign

Author’s Words: I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the many people who helped in the production of <Call Sign> (fire department officials, Director Song-In-heung of Daejeon Dunsan Fire Station, Song Dong-heon of Daejeon Metropolitan City Fire Department, Daejeon Dunsan Fire Station officials, Kim Yun-su of Guro Fire Station) and Korean firefighters for their hard work.

 ___________

Episode 1

Construction site of a new factory

Fiery!

Unlike usual, one side caught fire and was burning wildly upward.

It was obviously an accidental fire.

It was easy to understand that it was under construction with a two-story structure.

The fire was quite small compared to large warehouses and factories, but the flames were formidable.

Several firefighters have already been seen busy working on extinguishing the fire.

One of the firefighters was seen.

A 180 cm tall, young man, with a sharp face.

He still looked as if he had just passed his mid-20s.

The name tag on the right chest clearly drew attention.

– Kang Tae-gun.

The three words of the name were clearly engraved on the black name tag.

Tae-gun blew a low whistle at the scene of the burning fire.

“Whew. It’s a little hot today, isn’t it?”

There was something more relaxed in his voice than nervousness.

A man was standing next to him.

The strong impression stood out at a glance.

His eyes, as strong as his arm muscles, drew even more attention.

The name clearly appears on the name tag on the left chest.

– Lee Chae-young.

He was in charge of fire team 2 at Goody Fire Station.

It meant that he was a veteran who had worked for at least 10 years.

Characteristically, his large nose made him recognizable anywhere. The wide shoulders that caught everyone’s gaze and looked so reliable.

The most impressive thing was his sharp eyes.

He was also called a fire ghost because of his expression at the scene of a fire.

He glared slightly at Tae-gun with a disapproving look.

“Kang Taegun, are you panicking?”

“No, sir.”

“Are you in your right mind?”

“I am in very good mental health.”

Tae-gun quickly answered.

Only after seeing that, Lee Chae-young’s eyes returned to their place.

“You know you’ve only just been allowed to enter the site, don’t you?”

“Of course.”

“If you play around, you’ll die.”

“Don’t worry.”

Kang Tae-gun replied vigorously.

Team leader Lee Chae-young, who looked at with distrust, shook his head.

“I can’t believe it.”

For a while, team leader Lee Chae-young turned to other firefighters and continued to talk.

“During welding, sparks splashed off other machines, causing a short circuit, which immediately led to a fire.”

“Yes!”

“It’s still under construction, so there’s a lot of combustibles. Put out the fire with extreme caution. Then go in.”

“Enter safely!”

Everybody shouted loudly.

It was a cheer and a promise to be careful at the scene.

Soon they were all sent to the scene.

It was the same with Taegun.

First of all, the seniors were mixing chemicals and waterproofing.

Whoosh!

“More to the left!”

“Hold it from the front!”

The performance of the seniors with good teamwork stood out.

Tae-gun was also there.

He was supporting the fire hose from the back.

“Agh.”

His hands were as heavy as his weight.

However, for Tae-gun, who was still young, it was nothing more than a mountain to overcome.

Shoot!

The water poured out.

The firefighting team gradually pushed out the flames at the entrance little by little.

However, the problems inside were even more.

Whoosh!

At first glance, it looked like a red flame.

In addition, the black smoke peculiar to the fire blocked the view.

Whoosh whoosh!

The flames were quickly engulfing the spacious interior without hesitation.

The heat felt from afar was indescribable.

As such, the spread was not so severe.

Tae-gun changed his position as soon as he entered. 

Instead of a fire hose, he held a large iron rake.

It was actually simple for Tae-gun, who has a short firefighting career.

Disposal of embers.

Slip! Slip!

It was to remove the remaining fire by scratching the embers with an iron rake.

But it’s still important.

If the fire comes back to life, it will be a disaster.

In fact, it also played a role in securing the escape route for other firefighters.

Even Tae-gun’s eyes were full of burning flames.

“Oh, hah…”

A murmur of breath came out naturally.

The heat at the scene of the fire was truly remarkable.

In the midst of such a fire, the firefighters’ activities continued without a break.

They suppressed the great fire little by little.

However, the most eye-catching one was the team leader Lee Chae-young.

Fire ghost.

That nickname was just right for him.

Every time he took a step, the fire seemed to be pushed back.

He attacked the target points by waterproofing the exact spot, and gradually suppressed them without overdoing it.

In that way, he faced the flames dozens of times bigger than himself.

Even in the eyes of the ignorant Tae-gun, it was visible.

‘Awesome.’

He meant it.

Team leader Lee Chae-young fighting with fire.

It was the wannabe that Tae-gun always envisioned.

Seeing that, he couldn’t keep his heart still.

Thump Thump Thump Thump.

It fluctuated violently.

It was also motivating and stimulating.

‘This is not the time.’

His hands were itchy.

He himself wanted to do something in this flame.

Tae-gun tightened his grip on the iron rake he was holding.

Sgh!

Turning his head, he saw the stairs.

It was the place where the water had just swept away.

Tae-gun’s eyes narrowed toward the stairs.

How about going upstairs first and securing a safe place?

Then it would be easier to attack the second floor.

That in itself is an achievement.

You don’t have to catch a fire hose to fight the fire.

It was also the moment when the temptation began to seize Tae-gun.

But,

Tae-gun shook his head immediately.

What if it goes up?

It was very clear that Team Leader Lee Chae-young’s formidable fist would explode on his face.

In fact, he was more afraid of the nagging bomb than the fist.

He immediately changed my mind and picked up a rake again.

“Where’s the embers?”

The glare of Tae-gun’s eyes seemed somewhat empty.

Meanwhile,

Lee Chae-young strongly instructed the team members as the fire gradually subsided. 

“Separate and push like this!”

“All right!”

“Don’t push yourself too hard, and don’t go ahead of yourself. Watch your head just in case something falls off. Let’s get started!”

“Yes!”

The team members, who answered with all their might, gradually widened their gap.

At the same time, Tae-gun began to be faithful to his duties.

By the way,

Woof woof!

He heard a dog cry somewhere.

Huh?

Tae-gun, who was tilting his head, turned to the second floor.

He couldn’t see anything because of the smoke.

Did I hear it wrong?

This is the moment when Tae-gun mumbled and tried to move.

Woof woof!

I heard it clearly.

It was the sound of a puppy.

It was clearly a sound from the second floor. 

As Tae-gun looked around, everyone looked busy fighting the fire.

In other words, it looked like they couldn’t afford to pay attention to anything else.

After a moment’s hesitation, Tae-gun looked up to the second floor.

Perhaps because the fire is still on the first floor, there seems to be no big problem in entering.

At that moment…

Woof woof!

The wailing of a pathetic puppy pierced his ears.

What if it stays like this?

Dogs die from toxic gases before they are burned to death. 

That was certain.

For a moment, Tae-gun rationalized himself.

“He’s a living creature, too. Besides, I can’t say… “

Tae-gun didn’t think too long. 

Fortunately, the road to the second floor still seemed safe.

All he has to do is sneak up and bring the dog.

‘Now.’ 

Said Tae-gun, seizing the opportunity, sneaked back.

Sgh!

Tae-gun disappeared, but no one noticed.

It was a time when everyone was distracted by the fire.

What if they knew?

Dozens of earplugs had to be prepared.

Being alone, Tae-gun reached the stairs before he knew it.

Rischt, sizzling!

The heated iron melted and cooled down everywhere.

Rischt !

It was because of the water that covered it, the steam rose tremendously.

In fact, it seemed to be thicker than black smoke.

It was a little uncomfortable, but it didn’t look very dangerous yet.

“I’ll be right back.”

Cheok. Cheok.

[T/N: Sound of footsteps.]

He went up the stairs at once.

The steam was thick, but it did not interfere with the steps.

Thump Thump!

[T/N: Sound of loud footsteps.]

He was climbing the stairs again and again.

“Ah?”

Tae-gun faced an unusual sight.

Black smoke and white steam were intertwined.

The figure soaring into the air like a dragon burp was mysterious.

“Awesome.”

It was so spectacular.

It must be a special scene that could only be seen at the scene of the fire.

“Ouch.”

Tae-gun, who quickly came to his senses while watching in raptures, went up to the second floor quickly.

Woof woof!

He heard the dog cry again, so he quickly headed there.

There.

A Jindo puppy, tied to a dog leash, was still struggling.

It was even pathetic to see him desperately trying to bite the rope to survive.

“Tch!”

Tae-gun clicked his tongue.

It was probably brought in by the construction workers.

That’s all he could think of.

He didn’t know when the fire would strike, so he had no time to delay.

Thump Thump!

Tae-gun hurriedly approached, but the puppy showed his teeth first, perhaps because he was already frightened.

Growl.

He was still a little puppy, so it was cute even if he was cute.

“So, puppy, you’re a Jindo dog…”

[T/N: The Jindo dog is an indigenous dog native to Jindo Island in South Korea. It is one of South Korea’s Natural Treasures, prized for its loyalty and homing instinct.]

Tae-gun hugged him tightly, believing in his thick firefighting gloves.

Warak.

Suddenly, the puppy bit Taegun’s wrist.

“Ah.”

Tae-gun chuckled.

It was so thick that he couldn’t even feel it because it was on the thick gloves.

“You, dog, don’t even know the benefactors.”

Grr Grr!

While the dog was still struggling with surprise, he quickly loosened his leash.

Taegun smiled and turned around again.

“Dear, put your teeth in and let’s go get some fresh air.”

Without a moment’s delay, Tae-gun went back to the stairs.

Thump!

It was just the first step.

Crack!

There was a loud warping sound coming from the stairs.

“Huh? Oh oh?

Tae-gun was in a hurry.

What’s this sound and signal?

“……..”

Fortunately, there was no sound of falling.

________________

T/N: So let me say a bit about this novel’s name “Call Sign” that I got from the internet— 

 Firefighters working on individual tasks, such as traffic, use their individual call signs. When working in teams, the team leader’s call sign is used to contact the team. After calling a team leader and getting no response, the incident commander can try to call another member on the team using their call sign.