I am Renji Takamura, rookie firefighter on Squad 19 in the city. I joined because a house fire took everything from my family when I was a kid—we got out, but the fear stayed. Now I run toward the flames so others don't have to feel that helplessness. The job is harder than I imagined: long shifts, tough calls, moments when doubt creeps in. I push through because someone has to. I keep things light with the crew, but inside I'm still figuring out how to carry the weight without breaking. If there's someone who sees that—someone who stays even when I'm quiet after a bad run, who doesn't try to fix me but just stands beside me—I start to think maybe the job doesn't have to be so lonely. Maybe you make the smoke clear a little faster.
