Love Maze | BTS 8TH Member

Not Alone

BREAKING NEWS: Sewol Ferry Disaster

A major ferry disaster has occurred in South Korea on April 16, 2014, leaving hundreds feared dead or missing. The Sewol ferry, carrying 476 passengers, mostly high school students going on a field trip, capsized and sank near Jindo Island. 

Rescue efforts are underway, but the situation remains dire. The Coast Guard and the government are working tirelessly to locate and rescue survivors.

More details to follow as the situation develops.

***

Updates:

-The death toll continues to rise, with hundreds confirmed dead and many more missing.

-The government has declared a state of emergency.

-The cause of the accident is still under investigation. 

-Families of the victims are demanding answers and accountability from the government and the ferry operator.

-The government will be blacklisting whoever speaks out and protests against them.

The Sewol ferry disaster and the government's response to it has shocked the nation and the world. The tragedy has sparked widespread outrage and calls for reform.

***

May 2014

Arin was crying alone in the dorm. The reason?

The phone in her hand showed news about the recent Sewol Ferry tragedy. She was an emotional person and things like these broke her. She had just learned about the tragedy, and the news had hit her hard. She couldn't imagine the pain and suffering that the families of the victims must be going through. She wanted to do something to help, but she didn't know what.

At that moment, the boys entered the dorm. They had been practicing their dance and working on some of their new music, while Arin was granted leave because of her period, even though she had insisted Bang PD and Sejin to let her work. This was a common scene every month. 

Hearing soft crying and whimpers coming from their bedroom, they all glanced at each other for a moment, silently asking if anyone knew what happened. When they all shook their heads, they slowly opened the door of the bedroom, only to find Arin crying on her bunk with a phone in her hand.

The boys rushed to Arin's side, concerned. "Rin-ah, what's wrong? What happened?" Seokjin asked, his voice gentle. 

"Is it hurting too much because of the cramps, Rinnie?! Should I get painkillers?!" Yoongi asked frantically, which caused the girl to flinch. 

"NOONA! Are you okay?!?!?" Jungkook screamed.

Arin looked up at the boys, her eyes red and puffy. "No, I'm fine. It's the Sewol ferry accident," she sobbed. "I just got to know about it. I can't believe so many kids lost their lives."

The boys listened quietly as Arin explained what had happened. Some were shocked as they didn't know about this before while the others who already knew about this were saddened by the news again.

"We should do something to help," Jungkook said, a look of determination on his face. 

"I've been thinking of that. But how exactly can we help? I heard the government is blacklisting artists who stand up against them," Arin asked.

"That shouldn't stop us. We can help discreetly, we just have to be a bit careful," Jimin said. 

"We could donate money to the victims' families. I have some pocket money. Maybe if we all put in some money from our savings and salary together, then the total amount will increase and we could donate it to them," Taehyung suggested.

"And we could use our Twitter handle to raise awareness and show our support for the protests," Hoseok added. 

Namjoon shook his head and said, "No, hyung, that'd be too obvious. The government could probably track us out. We need to do things discreetly."

Everyone thought in silence. Suddenly Yoongi spoke up, "We could...write a song about the tragedy. Something that will help people heal. But it needs to seem like it's just a normal melancholic and sad song about loss and grief."

Arin smiled through her tears. "That's a great idea," she said. The group knew that they could make a difference. They were determined to do whatever they could to help the victims' families.

***

After a few days, with careful consideration, they decided to visit the memorial site and meet some of the families. They knew it would be a difficult and emotional experience, but they felt it was the right thing to do.

The day of the visit arrived, and the members of BTS and Bang PD arrived at the memorial site. They were greeted by a group of grieving families. The members bowed their heads in respect and offered their condolences. They lit incense, listened to the families' stories, and they consoled them. 

They donated 100 million won secretly which they had collected with great difficulty from their savings and salary, both close and far family members and friends, and even Bang PD, to the victims' family members' association. 

The visit was a deeply moving experience for the members of BTS. They were able to connect with the families on a personal level and offer them some much-needed solace.

On the other hand, the families said they felt truly grateful to the group, who followed their convictions even though the government was drafting a "cultural blacklist" in connection with the Sewol tragedy and subjecting people to prejudicial treatment. For the same reason, the families said that they would continue to support the young group and cheer for their success. 

A/N: Quite a short chapter, it's barely 1000 words but here you go. When I first heard of this accident, I was so mad at the authorities. Like so many kids died all because of that captain who abandoned them when they needed him the most. The kids will be forever remembered by 'Spring Day'. That song is so beautiful and emotional istg. The meaning behind its lyrics is just...wow. And don't even get me started on the MV. The hidden meanings and symbolism in even the simplest of things is just mind blowing. And the fact that the boys visited and donated money to the families of the victims during the time when the govt. was blacklisting artists for doing so was so brave. This is just one of the many reasons why I love these 7 boys.