The tension in the OR was palpable, the air thick with fear and uncertainty. As the paramedic sprinted away, the remaining people at the room started lying flat on the cold floor as though bracing for the inevitable, blowing of the bomb. But the anticipated explosion never came. Slowly, heads turned, eyes cautiously rising to see what had saved them.
Dahyun stood at the center of the chaos, her hand pressed firmly against the patient's chest, preventing the bomb from detonating. For a moment, there was silence-a stunned, disbelieving silence. Then, Jihyo's voice cut through the quiet, sharp and laced with fury.
"Are you insane?" Jihyo snapped, storming toward Dahyun as the bomb squad leader approached with a flak jacket. He hurriedly strapped it onto Dahyun, his face a mixture of admiration and disbelief.
"That was incredibly stupid," the bomb squad leader muttered, shaking his head.
Jihyo's anger boiled over. "Stupid? That doesn't even cover it. Do you have any idea what you just did? You could have died, Dahyun!" Her voice cracked slightly at the end, betraying the depth of her worry.
Dahyun, ever the contrarian in the face of tension, gave a weak chuckle. "I told you this morning I had a feeling I might die today," she quipped.
Jihyo's glare intensified. "You didn't have to *prove* it!" she shot back, her tone equal parts exasperation and fear.
Dahyun's smile faltered. "It's fine," she murmured. "I've got no one anyway. No one would mourn me if I died."
The words hit Jihyo harder than any explosion could. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Before she could formulate a response, Jun Wan entered the hallway, visibly shaken but forcing himself to remain composed. He met Jihyo's eyes.
"You need to leave," Jun Wan said quietly but firmly. "This is too dangerous. I can't do this if you're in here."
Jihyo hesitated, her gaze flicking between Dahyun and Jun Wan. "You better not pull a hero move," she muttered, her voice trembling. "If real danger comes, please, runaway."
Jun Wan managed a tight smile. "I'll try my best."
Jihyo's eyes softened as she glanced at Dahyun one last time. "You'll be fine," she said, more to herself than anyone else, before reluctantly leaving the OR.
Left alone with Jun Wan and the bomb squad, Dahyun's earlier bravado crumbled slightly. She looked at the squad leader, her voice tinged with desperation. "So, do you have a plan to get me out of this?"
The squad leader nodded. "We'll move the bomb and the patient out of here. It's risky, but it's our best option."
"I can't even move my pinky and you want me to move with him? Are you insane?"
"You who put your hand on a bom is what's insane."
Jun Wan and Dahyun exchanged a look. "Is this the strangest thing that's ever happened in your OR?" Dahyun asked, trying to lighten the mood.
Jun Wan's lips twitched. "It is," he admitted.
Dahyun grinned weakly. "Good. I like setting records."
The squad leader interrupted their brief moment of levity. "We need to move now. If that bomb explodes, the oxygen line under this floor could take out the whole hospital."
As they moved inch by inch, Dahyun's arm started to tremble from the strain, but she clenched her jaw and forced herself to focus. Every step felt like an eternity, her heart hammering in her chest louder than any alarm. Jun Wan walked beside her, his calm presence and a small comfort amidst the chaos.
