Chapter 4

After finishing his meeting with PD Jang, Ho Rang, now left alone, turned off his phone. Although the work had concluded successfully, he felt uneasy. He had just received a text from Secretary Yoon stating that his tie pin hadn't been found.

Ho Rang adjusted his tie. Having something that had been over his heart for twenty years suddenly vanished left him feeling hollow and empty. To him, that tie pin was a sort of talisman, a lucky charm. And yet, of all days, he had to lose it today, with his surgery scheduled for tomorrow.

"Excuse me!"

Just as he finished replying to Secretary Yoon, someone called out to him.

Turning his head, Ho Rang’s face contorted as he recognized Bo Bae. Since getting entangled with this woman since morning had resulted in the loss of his tie pin, he was in no mood to be glad to see her.

"10m."

"Pardon?"

"I believe I told you to stay 10m away."

"Oh, it's not that... I have something to tell you."

"Something to tell me?"

"As you might have gathered from eavesdropping on my conversation with PD Jang earlier, I’m a writer. A drama writer."

"So, what?"

It didn't matter. Whether this woman was a drama writer, a producer, or an actress, he didn't care, nor was he interested. Even the heads of broadcasting stations were lining up just to ask him for sponsorships. What did a writer matter?

"So, I just wanted to let you know I’m not some weird person. Actually, the reason I asked you to kiss me earlier was all because of the script...."

"Enough. I don't want to hear any more."

"No, but still..."

"I get the gist of what you're trying to say, so stop."

Bo Bae had intended to apologize for earlier and formally ask for his help. Seeing as he claimed to understand before she could even say much, he seemed to be quite quick-witted. She felt relieved that the misunderstanding was cleared up. Otherwise, she might have been mistaken for a female pervert.

Just as she was about to hand over the tie pin he had dropped, Ho Rang muttered under his breath.

"Since she lacks talent, she tries to throw her body at it instead. Good grief."

For a moment, Bo Bae doubted her own ears.

"Wait, are you talking about me right now?"

"Why ask when you already know? I saw everything at the café earlier. You eavesdropped on us."

"No, that was..."

"Is it because your writing isn't good enough that you're throwing your body?"

"Excuse me?"

"But, what a shame. I don't think it'll work no matter how much you push with that body of yours. I have absolutely no interest in a physique as meager and pitiful as yours. Don't lust after my body with such rotten thoughts. It's disgusting."

Ho Rang spoke while scanning Bo Bae from head to toe. Bo Bae was so flabbergasted that she couldn't even utter a word.

A writer who throws herself at men just to land a sponsorship.

That was exactly how this man viewed her. Even though she had been the one to insist on a kiss, treating someone like that was beyond the pale. It was absurd and infuriating.

"Hey! You seem to be misunderstanding something..."

"For a writer, you sure are slow on the uptake. I'll say it again. Even if you see me, don't act like you know me. And, stay within a 10m radius."

Having said his piece, Ho Rang climbed into his car that had just arrived, and the vehicle sped off immediately.

"Ha! What kind of jerk is that? Hey! I hate you too! I have standards, you know! I’d never get close to a prick like you! Even if you got down on your knees and begged me to come near, I wouldn't step within a meter...no, a hundred meters of you! So don't you dare think about coming near me either! You total sociopath!"

Bo Bae screamed at the top of her lungs, clutching the tie pin tightly in her hand.

Regardless of whether he was the only man left in the world, she hoped she would never lay eyes on him again.

~~~~

After finishing her part-time job, Bo Bae headed home.

As she climbed the alleyway, which was steep enough to go sledging if it snowed, a dark and dilapidated building came into view. For some reason, all the lights in the stairs and hallways were out. The single remaining bulb flickered as it struggled to stay lit, but it eventually lost its strength and died out.

Bo Bae dragged her body, which felt as heavy as sodden cotton, into the building. As she entered, the first-floor light flickered on, brightly illuminating her path. With every step she took up the stairs, the lights turned on and off in succession.

Reaching the rooftop room, Bo Bae glared at the brightly shining light above her head and muttered, "Damned electric powers!"

If not for this ability, today’s events would never have happened. She wouldn't have begged a man she’d just met for a kiss like a crazy woman, nor would she have heard those insulting words about throwing her body at him because her writing was lacking.

"No. I should have just written that kiss scene well from the start. Something truly electrifying."

Bo Bae flopped down onto the wooden platform outside and recalled what had happened earlier.

The sculpturally handsome face of the man who saved her from falling, his firm forearms and broad shoulders, and the electric spark that had surged through her the moment their bodies touched.

According to her understanding, electricity usually flowed from her to the man. But, this time was different. It flowed from the man to her. This had never happened before, and she thought it never would again in her lifetime.

"But what’s the point? He's a complete jerk."

"Is it because your writing isn't good enough that you're throwing your body?"

"I have absolutely no interest in a physique as meager and pitiful as yours."

"Don't lust after my body with such rotten thoughts. It's disgusting."

"Stay within a 10m radius!"

As the man's words flashed through her mind, Bo Bae kicked at the empty air.

"Ugh! Meager? Fine! I’m so poor it's gotten into my bones, so yeah, my body is meager too, you jerk! And what? 10m radius? The day will come when you’ll be the one begging to be by my side. I’ll make sure of it!"

Huffing with indignation, Bo Bae looked up at the sky. A full moon hung brilliantly in the dark expanse. The sky was exceptionally clear today, without a speck of fine dust.

"It's pretty. The full moon."

After staring at the moon for a long while, Bo Bae clasped her hands and made a wish.

"Lord Moon, if I ever see that man again, please make him desperate to be by my side. Make it so that he can never say things like '10m radius' again, and make him beg for my forgiveness. Please!"

While making her wish, Bo Bae extended her pinky toward the moon. In response, the full moon flickered as if answering her. It shone brightly as if it truly intended to grant her wish.

"Pfft. Why would a man that high and mighty bother apologizing to someone like me? Fine. You just try coming near me. If you even step close, I won't let you off easy!"

As she shouted into the air, a thunderous growl erupted from Bo Bae’s stomach.

"Ah, now that I think about it, I haven't eaten anything all day."

Bo Bae went into her room, picked up a piece of bread from the table, and sniffed it.

"Does it smell a bit sour? No, it should be fine. It’s only five days past the expiration date. Ugh, I'm starving."

As Bo Bae began to devour the bread, dark clouds gathered around the brilliant full moon outside. Then, flash! A silent bolt of lightning streaked across the dry sky, and rain began to fall little by little.

~~~~

The next day. Tae Seong Hospital.

"So, is this the artificial heart battery that was newly developed?"

Looking at the coin-sized battery on the desk, Professor Kwak spoke as Ho Rang watched.

"I went through a lot of trouble to get my hands on that new model. It's the latest."

"I'm not an early adopter. Especially when it comes to things going inside my body."

"Don't worry. It may look like this, but it's a semi-permanent battery developed at Johns Hopkins."

In truth, Ho Rang had lived relying on an artificial heart since he was young due to a weak heart. There hadn't been any major issues. He lived just like everyone else and could exercise as much as he wanted, as long as it wasn't too strenuous.

The problem was the battery. To prevent the battery that powered the artificial heart from discharging, he had to undergo periodic replacement surgeries.

There were no significant health concerns. The only issue was that whenever news broke of Ho Rang going under the knife, the company's stock price would fluctuate, and he would become easy prey for those hungrily eyeing his position.

"You aren't using my body to test the performance of a new battery, are you?"

"You aren't doubting my skills, are you?"

Ho Rang let out a faint smile at Professor Kwak’s retort. Though he grumbled, Professor Kwak was one of the most skilled doctors in the world. He was also a close friend of his late father.

"Just focus on managing your condition. This will be the last surgery I perform for you."

"I’m counting on you."

After bowing his head in respect, Ho Rang looked out the window. The rain that had been falling since last night was still dampening the ground. He hoped to see a clear, sunny sky once the surgery was over.

~~~~

"Ah... my stomach... I think I'm going to die."

After eating that sour-smelling bread, Bo Bae spent the entire night rolling around the floor, clutching her stomach. It hurt. It hurt so much that she could barely breathe, but she tried to endure it. Thinking it would get better with some digestive medicine, she tossed a pill into her mouth and waited, but there was no sign of improvement. On the contrary, the pain only grew more intense.

"I can't... take it anymore..."

Sobbing, Bo Bae finally dialed 911.

"My stomach... it hurts so much. Please help me."

After giving her address, she added a desperate plea.

"Excuse me... are there any female paramedics available? It has to be a woman. If a man comes, it'll be a disaster. Please, a female officer must...!"

She couldn't bring herself to explain the reason, so she just kept shouting for a woman.

A short while later, the ambulance carrying Bo Bae drived through the rain and arrived at Tae Seong Hospital. She was rushed into the emergency room and underwent several tests.

"It's acute appendicitis."

"Appendicitis? You mean like the appendix?"

"Yes. You need surgery."

Surgery. She thought she had just gotten sick from eating spoiled bread. Come to think of it, her stomach had been bothering her even before she ate the bread. She had felt a dull ache for a few days and thought it was strange, yet in her hunger, she had gone and eaten spoiled bread anyway.

"We're going into surgery immediately."

"What? Right now?"

"Yes. Immediately."

"Excuse me, Doctor."

Bo Bae looked at the female doctor who had assisted with her tests with anxious eyes.

"You're the one performing the surgery, right?"

"No. Someone else will be performing the surgery...."

"I must have a female doctor perform the surgery. I really must."

This was the first surgery of her life. Whenever she had to visit a hospital, she always made sure to book an appointment with a female doctor, but she never expected something like this to happen so suddenly.

"A female doctor must perform my surgery so we don't have any complications later... Argh! My stomach...!"

"Move her to the operating room!"

~~~~

At the same moment Bo Bae’s gurney was being moved to the operating room, Ho Rang’s surgery began.

Heavy rain continued to fall from the sky, with occasional flashes of lightning accompanied by thunder tearing through the atmosphere. However, inside the windowless operating room, it was impossible to tell whether it was raining or thundering outside.

"Battery."

As Professor Kwak reached out his hand, the assisting doctor handed him the battery. Once this battery was connected, Ho Rang would never have to step onto an operating table for the rest of his life. This would make him much more secure from those eyeing his position.

At the very moment Professor Kwak connected the battery to the artificial heart, looking forward to that day...

Rumble! Crash!

With a thunderous roar, the battery connected to Ho Rang’s heart flashed with a brilliant light. Moments later, not only the operating room but the entire hospital was plunged into darkness.

"What happened?"

"It seems to be a power outage."

"A blackout? How is that possible? What about the backup power?"

"It seems... there is some kind of problem."

"Is that something to say in an operating room? Find out immediately!"

"Yes, sir!"

Professor Kwak’s sharp shouting echoed, but it was difficult to move as one couldn't see even an inch ahead.

While the doctors and nurses were scrambling in the dark to activate the emergency power, a single streak of light entered from the end of the pitch-black hallway. It was the only light illuminating the darkness-stricken hospital.

The light that started at the end of the corridor soon triggered the next lamp, then the next. The lights were turning on one by one, following a gurney racing down the hallway. It was the gurney carrying Bo Bae!

People began to find their way by relying on that light, and finally, they were able to resolve the issue.

"Backup power is active!"

As the lights came back on, Professor Kwak immediately checked Ho Rang’s condition. His heart rate and blood pressure were both normal. The artificial heart and the battery were well-connected, and his heart was beating steadily like a healthy person’s.

Though there had been a brief blackout, fortunately, there were no complications for Ho Rang.

"Alright, let's close him up. Scalpel."