Chapter 126: Code Black
Chapter 126: Code Black
While getting makeup done in the waiting room, I checked entertainment news on my phone during the spare time.
I had already seen more than enough articles about my own drama, so this time I turned my attention elsewhere.
An article about Bling Bling Island, the Monday–Tuesday drama airing on the same JTBC network, caught my eye.
[Park Juwon brings weight to the character ‘Cheon Seonghyeon’ in Bling Bling Island… praised as a “masterful performance”]
[Park Juwon’s ‘Cheon Seonghyeon’ showing signs of a breakout… “Is he really a supporting actor?” Acting ability re-evaluated]
[Park Juwon succeeds in acting transformation in Bling Bling Island… “Supporting role but dominates the screen”]
[Park Juwon shines even more as a supporting actor… viewers: “The depth of his acting has changed”]
Oh, that blew up nicely.
At first he had seemed subtly worried, saying his drama was like a drop in the bucket compared to ours.
But contrary to that worry, things were going extremely well.
It felt good seeing both of us doing well.
At that moment, the makeup room door burst open and someone strode in.
It was Han Seungwoo.
“…?”
Our eyes met through the mirror.
“Why are you here?”
“That sounds a little cold. Why would I be here? Obviously—”
Well.
He must have come to work.
Han Seungwoo was the main investor in our drama and the one most involved in it.
“Obviously I came to watch.”
“……”
…Did I overestimate him?
Following behind Han Seungwoo, Writer Joo Hanbit timidly entered.
The moment she saw me, her eyes lit up.
“Hello, Writer.”
“Hello, Sunho! You look like you’re in great condition today!”
“The script is just that good.”
Han Seungwoo cut in.
“Writer Joo translated the idea into the script really well. She captured the intention at 120 percent.”
Joo Hanbit looked delighted by the praise.
“No, not at all! I—”
“Of course,” Han Seungwoo interrupted and lifted his chin. “The hardest part was me, coordinating everyone’s opinions.”
His tone was full of self-congratulation.
His eyes clearly asked for praise.
Well then, I should give it.
“As expected of Director hyung. If it weren’t for you, Director hyung, this would never have happened.”
The corners of Han Seungwoo’s mouth twitched.
Clearly pleased, he pretended to stay calm and coughed.
“You worked hard too. I only moved because the idea was good. Otherwise I wouldn’t have even looked at it.”
Joo Hanbit quietly watched the two of us.
Noticing her gaze, Han Seungwoo added, “Ah, of course Writer Joo worked hard too.”
Just as a warm atmosphere formed, a knock sounded on the door.
“Sunho! We’re starting filming soon! Please get ready for standby!”
It was the assistant director.
A massive set that looked like an entire grand banquet hall had been built indoors.
Dozens of staff members bustled around, checking movement routes.
The special effects team, in particular, looked extremely tense.
Today, safety precautions were being taken more seriously than ever.
In one corner of the set, Moon Ganghyeok leaned against a wall with his eyes closed.
His shoulders were stiff with tension.
But soon he remembered something Ryu Sunho had told him earlier.
—When directors want a strong and weighty character, who do they think of first? I’m certain it’s you, sunbae.
Moon Ganghyeok nodded slowly.
Right. I can do this.
He replayed the backstory of his character Robert Moon in his mind to warm up his emotions.
Robert Moon.
He was called the shadow of the British royal family.
Always one step behind, his mission was to protect the honor of the monarch and the royal family.
In official settings, he perfectly embodied royal dignity through restrained speech and behavior.
But deep inside him lingered a long-accumulated fatigue and a profound human loneliness.
His memories drifted back to a moment in the past.
The day Alicia left for Korea to pursue her freedom.
The last person to see her off in the airport VIP lounge was Robert Moon.
“You may become an excellent doctor, but in the end you’ll become a terrible princess.”
His words were cold.
But hidden within them was his desire to hold onto her as she chased freedom.
Because he knew better than anyone the cruelty of the world—something she had never seen while sheltered by the royal family.
That fear eventually became reality.
During a surgery conducted in Korea, Alicia urgently procured a rare drug from a foreign pharmaceutical company to save a patient.
It was unquestionably a noble act that saved a life.
But the media tore into her like hyenas.
[Korea University Hospital favors patients through royal connections?]
[Princess’s training hospital becoming a testing ground for patients]
Her intentions were distorted.
Her sincerity was trampled.
Alicia wavered.
She realized she remained a target of the media and that the label “princess” would always come before everything else.
Robert Moon stepped into that gap.
He made a decision.
To protect Alicia’s safety and honor.
To return her to the safe cage of the royal family.
He chose to play the villain.
He secretly leaked rumors to British media about her returning home.
[Princess Alicia considering return amid Korean medical controversy]
Alicia confronted him in anger after seeing the article.
But Robert calmly responded as if he had expected her anger.
“The world outside the royal family is this filthy. You’ve enjoyed it enough.”
His words were cold.
But behind them was the sincerity of someone saying return before you’re hurt.
Soon after, the British royal family and Korea University Hospital jointly announced the establishment of the Global Heart Foundation.
The justification was flawless.
Humanitarian solidarity beyond borders.
But beneath that beautiful justification lay the royal family’s subtle intention.
“You must take responsibility for the homeland as co-director of the foundation.”
In other words, it was a reason to bring Alicia back to the United Kingdom.
And today, a grand charity event was being held to celebrate the foundation’s launch.
Robert had come here to carry out his final mission.
Moon Ganghyeok slowly opened his eyes.
The tension of the human Moon Ganghyeok had vanished.
Standing there was only Robert Moon, a man ready to sacrifice everything to protect his liege.
…I’ll make sure my acting doesn’t become a burden.
Director Chae Wongi sat down in front of the monitor after finishing preparations.
Seeing Moon Ganghyeok within the camera frame, he held his breath.
…That gaze is good.
Soon Director Chae Wongi grabbed the microphone.
The noise on set instantly died down.
“Alright, the actors’ emotions are good. Lock lighting and camera.”
His eyes gleamed.
He didn’t want to lose even a second of this tension.
With anticipation in his voice, he shouted, “Alright, let’s go! Ready… action!”
A luxurious banquet hall glowed under hundreds of soft lights.
A large screen on the wall showed videos of children receiving treatment for heart disease.
Suits and gowns, royal delegation insignias, and the logos of major corporate sponsors filled the hall.
Behind the stage, a large banner displayed both the hospital logo and the royal crest in silver.
[GLOBAL HEART ALLIANCE]
Camera flashes burst.
Reporters’ shutters clicked.
Champagne glasses clinked softly.
The hall was filled with a peaceful, dignified atmosphere.
The hospital director stepped onto the stage and stood at the microphone, his face full of pride.
“Today marks the moment when Korea’s cardiac surgery technology meets the global standard to write a new chapter in history. The Global Heart Foundation will become a great alliance that shares life beyond borders.”
Applause erupted among reporters.
The camera cut to Alicia Yoon and Robert Moon standing to one side of the stage.
Robert Moon stood straight like a soldier, completely still.
A heavy aura lingered behind his restrained expression.
Beside him, Alicia forced a smile.
Watching her, Robert spoke quietly.
“As you already know, this is not just an event. The royal family intends to use this foundation as justification for your return.”
“So you came to take me back? Or to help me?”
“Both.”
His tone was calm.
“This place is not generous enough to accept a princess. In fact, it may be more cruel than the royal family.”
Alicia’s eyes hardened, but she lifted her head.
“So you’re saying I shouldn’t save people?”
Robert fell silent briefly before answering firmly.
“I’m saying you should take care of yourself first.”
A short, sharp silence fell between them.
At that moment, the ceiling lights flickered.
“What’s that?”
“Why is it doing that?”
The lights flickered several more times.
Then the entire hall plunged into darkness.
A wave of murmurs spread.
Moments later, a thunderous explosion erupted.
BOOM!!!
A lighting structure collapsed from the ceiling.
Screams, smoke, chaos.
People fell and ran.
Robert didn’t hesitate.
He instinctively threw himself toward Alicia.
“Get down!”
The moment his arm pressed her shoulder down to protect her, a second explosion erupted.
BOOM BOOM!!!
Debris struck Robert directly.
A shard of metal pierced deep into his chest.
Right before Alicia’s eyes, Robert’s white shirt rapidly turned red.
“No… no!”
Her trembling hands grabbed his body.
Robert’s breathing grew ragged.
His vision blurred.
But until the very end, he searched for Alicia’s face.
Then he forced a faint smile through blood-stained breath.
“This time… you… took care… of yourself well.”
His body collapsed.
The emergency lights flickered ominously over his face.
“Cut! Okay!”
Director Chae Wongi shouted.
The banquet hall collapse scene finished filming.
The set, filled moments ago with dust effects and extras screaming, erupted in applause for the performances of Moon Ganghyeok and Seo Yoonha.
“Wow! That was amazing!”
“You both were so immersed!”
“Great work!”
“Moving the set!”
“Emergency room set next! Lighting team first!”
The set quickly became busy again.
Actors adjusted makeup for the next scene.
Blood effects were refined.
Clothes were torn and dirtied further.
Now the stage shifted from the luxurious banquet hall to the cold hospital where life and death collided.
Once everything was ready, Director Chae Wongi’s eyes sharpened again.
“Raise the tension. Extras take your positions. Standby… action!”
Beeeeeeep! Beeeeeep!
The moment filming began, a piercing alarm rang through the hospital.
“Code Black! Code Black! All emergency medicine staff report to the emergency room immediately!”
The peaceful hospital corridor instantly turned into chaos.
“What happened—”
“They say it’s terrorism! The event hall collapsed!”
“Move aside! Clear the way!”
“Patient bed coming through!”
“We’ve got a V-fib patient here! Bring the defibrillator!”
Blood-covered patients flooded in.
Doctors, nurses, and security staff collided in confusion.
Through the center of that chaos, Robert Moon was carried in wearing an oxygen mask.
He had already lost consciousness.
“Check his vitals! Hurry!”
Medical staff rushed toward him like waves.
Thoracic surgery chief Park Doyoung, who arrived late, checked Robert’s condition.
His face turned pale.
“…It’s a rupture. The heart is practically torn apart.”
In that instant, the noisy emergency room fell silent.
“Without a transplant… there’s no way to save him.”
The words fell like a death sentence.
Alicia staggered.
“…Without a transplant… he dies?”
Her voice trembled.
Park Doyoung nodded heavily.
“Myocardial rupture cannot be reversed with any suture technique. The heart itself has lost function.”
Despair settled over the room.
Alicia covered her mouth, struggling to breathe.
No one spoke.
Only machines emitted irregular beeps.
Beep… beep… beep—
Tears she had been holding back fell onto Robert’s forehead.
At that moment, the emergency room doors burst open.
The hospital director ran in, panting.
“Save the VIP patient first! Secure an operating room immediately! What are you doing?!”
“That’s not possible.”
A low, solid voice cut through the shouting.
Han Jushin.
“The emergency room is already filled with critical patients. Surgery is not determined by protocol priority but by survival probability.”
The director’s face turned red.
“Professor Han! This is a diplomatic issue! If this man dies here, the hospital—and we—are finished!”
Han Jushin did not waver.
“This patient’s current condition makes surgery impossible. Performing it now wouldn’t save him—it would only move his death into the operating room.”
Doctors murmured.
The director gritted his teeth.
“If there’s even a 0.1 percent chance, a doctor and hospital must try! Start the surgery immediately! That’s an order!”
“It’s not 0.1 percent.”
Han Jushin quietly raised his hand.
“Zero percent. The heart itself is torn. It cannot pump.”
“You’re worrying about calculations right now? When we should risk everything for even the smallest chance!”
“That’s why I said we should save the patients who can actually be saved first.”
His voice remained calm.
“Putting a patient who cannot be saved into an operating room is not treatment. It’s a performance… and murder.”
The air froze.
“Then… you’re saying we should just let him die here?!”
Instead of answering, Han Jushin looked at Alicia.
Without a transplant, Robert Moon would die.
But the chance of a donor heart appearing immediately was almost zero.
Everyone knew it.
It’s already over.
Just as someone tried to speak, the emergency hotline phone rang sharply.
RIIIIIIING!!!!!
The nurse who picked it up widened her eyes.
“Br—brain-dead patient confirmed! Emergency organ donor secured!”
The silence shattered.
Han Jushin’s dimming eyes suddenly lit up.
“Where is the location?”
“B-but… it’s… Jeju Island!”
Despair and miracle arrived together.
Park Doyoung sighed.
“If it’s Jeju… at least two hours from extraction to transport. In the patient’s current condition, he can’t survive until transplant time. Mathematically impossible…”
Han Jushin cut him off.
“It’s possible.”
Everyone stared at him.
His eyes burned with manic confidence.
“If death arrives in two hours, then today death will be the one that dies.”
No one could argue with that overwhelming certainty.
Han Jushin immediately extended his hand.
“Let me see the donor data. Blood type, size—everything.”
The coordinator handed over a tablet.
Han Jushin scrolled quickly.
Alicia leaned closer, checking the data anxiously.
Blood type match.
Heart size compatible.
Everything matched perfectly.
A miracle.
Alicia asked in a trembling voice, “What is the donor’s name?”
The coordinator flipped the document.
“Oh, the donor’s name is Cheon Seonghyeon.”
Alicia’s eyes widened.
On the donor information line, the name was written clearly.
[Donor: Cheon Seonghyeon (Male / 32)]
It was the name of the character Park Juwon was currently playing in Bling Bling Island.
.
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