The atmosphere was calm. Tranquil as a sleeping toddler. The men and women were lazily zooming here and there without having any idea of the dreadful situation they were in. They had no absolute notion about the severity of what happened after meeting with the massive iceberg.
Of course, it was quiet before the storm.
Jungkook clasped my hand and pulled me towards the common room of the staff as the others were busy orienting the proceeds to get as many of the passengers out of the sinking ship without causing them to panic. The terror hadn't started because the crew was trying their best to handle everything as smoothly as possible.
"Y/n, listen to me carefully," His words and gaze all made me feel more and more anxious. I knew he was going to tell me to get out safely.
"We will be filling the lifeboats with women and children first..." His hand softly caressed my cheek. He then gazed deeply into my eyes.
"You have to get to one of them safely after we start launching them are you clear?" Jungkook's words twisted my heart with pain. I couldn't leave him, I wouldn't leave him at any cost. I paced away from him, shaking my head in denial.
"No, please don't tell me to do this Jungkook, you know I won't," my eyes were filled with tears. The voice was dry and faded. My heart felt like it was tightened by someone. It was heavy, clenching with pain as I recognized his intention.
I knew exactly what he was going to do.
A captain perishes with his ship.
He let out a soft sigh.
"Please love, you have to listen to me-"
"You promised me to keep me safe, you promised me to never leave me." I pulled out the pendant he gave me and held it in my palm, outstretching my hand to him.
That was when I broke down with my emotions. His eyes soften, smearing with an emotional allure.
"I won't leave you Jungkook, we will go through this together..." I brushed my lips against his lips, pulling him closer to me. He closed his eyes giving in to a deeper kiss.
"We will survive this together. " I mumbled to him turning my teary eyes towards him.
"Please don't tell me to leave, don't leave me Jungkook I beg you," my voice was cracking because of the sob that was trying to break out of me. My head lay on his chest, tightening my arms around his waist.
He hugged me back tightly, resting his head on mine, making me nuzzle into the crook of his neck. Knowing the fact that his words of trying to make me change my mind was a futile attempt, he finally had to give in.
"We'll survive together," he repeated my words softly, assuring me that he would stop compelling me to leave his side, which made me set at ease.
We had limited time. The clock was ticking. Underneath us, the compartments were quickly flooding the divided rooms plaguing them one by one.
Before we went to save ourselves there was one last duty Jungkook had to fulfill as the captain of the Titanic. He had to give the order to send distress signals to the nearby ships to call for rescue.
We needed help as soon as possible.
Jungkook searched through the pile of clothes that belonged to him and pulled out a thick coat. It was a long brown one. He hovered it around me, protecting me from the cold.
"It's cold outside, wear this," he wrapped the warm attire around me.
He didn't wear anything to protect his body from the low-degree environment. The only thing he was covered with was the white shirt that was buckled to the belt with a brown cross belt and the long pants that were neatly sewn. His white shirt was stained with blood and patches during the past quarrel he had with Beom Hyeon.
"What about you?" I asked him.
"I'll be fine, don't worry," he left a quick peck on my forehead.
With growing agitation, we both walked towards the communication cabin of the ship that was operated by two men. I tried to get myself together and be strong. I kept saying to myself that everything would be alright.
Cause Jungkook is here and there's nothing to fear...
Every second I whispered those words to myself. His strong grip on me never left, ensuring my safety under his wings. His long fingers were tangled with mine. All through the walk to the transmission room, we were silent, not uttering a word. The dominating silence was bothered only by the echoing sounds of our thumping footsteps.
As the door opened wide with a creek two men lifted their heads and attained towards the two of us.
"Captain," they greeted Jungkook and slightly bowed to me as well, not forgetting how to treat a lady like a real gentleman.
"We are in a new situation now, we need to move on." Jungkook stepped near the desks filled with messages given by passengers. They were notes that were written by them to the kiths and kins that were waiting for them.
I let out a sigh as I read a few of them.
"Hello Boy. Dining with you tonight in spirit, heart with you always. Best love, Girl,"
"No sickness. All well. Notify all interested in poker."
"Fine voyage, fine ship,"
Tragic...
It was tragic how they were hoping things would break off and how they actually would. After a long sail, it was pretty sure that everyone was looking forward to kissing the warm soil of the lands of Mother England. Assault of the hasty Ice Mountain was going to cut things short.
Two men stood with the obligation, having all ears for Jungkook. But they never assumed what he was going to say next would make their jaws drop.
"We are calling code CQD, we need help as soon as possible. " both males glanced at their leader with disbelief. Their eyes widened, lips parted while trying to process what they were told to do.
"Tell them that she's sinking, we need their assistance as soon as they can provide us with" Jungkook's lips formed into a thin line, giving his final orders.
The code CQD, a Marconi Co.distress signal to all the ships nearby was transmitted through the wireless connection. The communicator's hands worked fast as he typed on the copper plate. He kept one phone closer to his ear to listen to the signal.
"CQD; DE MGY MGY position 41.44 N. 50.24 W.”
The distress signal was sent. All we had to do was wait with nervousness that we couldn't comply with. The whole Atlantic boomed with the signal that was sent by the Titanic. Jungkook got hold of one end to check the responses. Jack Phillips, the main operator kept his hand ready to write down the responses.
"Tell them that we struck an iceberg, the ship is sinking fast," he demanded the man who was busily writing down what he was saying.
"Sir, there is a signal, it seems that they are miles away from us..." Jungkook snatched the end of the earpiece to listen to the telegram.
"We have struck an iceberg. She's sinking by the head." he sent another signal to a ship nearby. He handed the situation to the operator again urging him to keep up.
His junior member kept writing down messages trying to contact other ships.
"Fool!.. Keep out!" suddenly Phillips blurted out with rage.
"They think it's a joke? Are we a joke to you? " he raged with fury.
"What's wrong? " his fellow questioned.
"Some ship two hundred miles away is responding with 'what's wrong'" he was pressured by the operators who were confused with the Titanic's distress signal.
"Calm down, keep sending telegrams" Jungkook rested his palm on the angry man which made him a bit eased.
I nervously bit my lower lips praying that help would come to us soon. I couldn't think of dying in the cold water. That thought made me shudder in fear.
It took a few minutes before a good news broke in. At that time, it felt like our guardian angel had her eyes on us.
R.M.S Carpathia! She's coming at us at full speed..." An instant light of hope of rays made us overwhelmed.
"What is she saying?"
"She's sixty miles away sir, she's heating her boilers to get to us on her full speed, seventy knots. "
"That'll take around four hours.." Jungkook said in a deep voice. That made their smile fade. But at least we had hope.
"Send S. O. S, keep sending signals,"
"S. O. S signals?" Jungkook nodded his head. The two men stared for a minute and again continued with their task, not sparing one more second.
"Come on Y/n, we have to meet the captain, he needs to know." I understood what he said and followed him from behind. I could see the agitation that was dwelling on him. But he was trying to hold up. He was courageous.
The captain was in his cabin, gazing at the endless horizon through his window. His deep thoughts were shattered as we barged in.
"R.M.S Carpathia is coming to our support. She responded that she's arriving soon." Jungkook tried to be as positive as he could. He held a smile while he talked, reassuring me that help was on the way.
"Is that so? " he turned at us. Jungkook nodded at him.
"How long?"
"Four hours..."
"Four hours?" his brows knitted. As Andrews said the ship was going to sink within an hour or two. By the time Carpathia arrives, the Titanic will be at the bottom of the sea. That was a fact that both of them couldn't make a fool of.
The younger captain sighed.
After a minute of pin-drop silence, Captain Edwards Smith turned to us with a genuine sunshine-like smile.
"You have done well Jeon, you completed your last task as the captain of the Titanic successfully. " he stepped toward his fellow co-captain, holding him from both his shoulders.
"I'm proud that I got to work with such talent as you Jeon,"
His words were somewhat giving me a feeling of a farewell. I glanced at Jungkook with a concerned gaze. It had to be very hard for him to do that.
"I still remember the day you gave the oath to be responsible captain. You grew well Jungkook my boy,.." his voice was kind of getting quiet with the words he let out. It was the first time I heard him calling Jungkook causally.
So it is a goodbye, a goodbye forever...
"I am sorry that I couldn't help you reach your dream," Jungkook gulped, slowly breathing.
"Captain..."
He let go of Jungkook with a smile and reached into the pocket inside his suit to pull out a document that was folded.
"I think it's time that I gave this to you," he handed him the letter of resignation that Jungkook had signed previously. I felt like there was a lump stuck in my throat.
"Your job here is done, Jeon, farewell then," Captain Smith's face was twisted to a smile. That smile flashed millions of emotions that he couldn't convert into words. Jungkook gazed with a worried gaze. He reluctantly accepted the letter he gave.
"Captain, I know why you are doing this. You gave me this so-"
"So you can save yourself, yes you are right" his words came out like a bombshell to me. The surprisingly stern tone of his words made me slightly flinch. Once again his voice softened.
"You don't have to pay for the crime I have committed Jeon, you don't have to be a part of it." he firmly said, but it was not said with rage but care.
There was a deep silence between us. I could see the shine of the tears in Jungkook's eyes. His face was sulking with agony. The misery of detaching him from his long-standing partner was indeed hard for him.
"Miss Park, it was my great pleasure encountering you." he took my hand and bent down to place a kiss on top as a greeting. His wrinkled face flashed a smile at me.
"May this be the moment we say goodbye," my eyes were getting red, closer to bursting into tears. I clenched my jaws to control my sentiments. I couldn't believe that it was our final goodbye. He squeezed my hand, clasping it between both his palms.
"Don't forget what I told you," I knew what exactly he meant. I nodded with an understatement.
Jungkook inhaled a deep breath before extending his hand toward Captain Smith for a final goodbye.
"Until next time," the older male cheerfully grinned and grabbed his hand.
"Until next time Jeon, ...Farewell then,"
They were the last words I heard from the captain of the R.M.S Titanic that voyaged in the Atlantic and met with a tragic fate, Captain Edward John Smith perished with his ship on the 15th of April 1912, meeting his grave in the North Atlantic.
That was a heartbreaking chapter, I know.