12
Chapter 12
A news article appeared on the smartphone screen.
[(Exclusive) ‘Chase’ Serial Killer Kang Seojun Confirms Next Project... Teaming Up with Writer Kim Heeseon.]
[Rookie actor Kang Seojun cast as the lead in medical drama Doctor Criminal. Bold casting decision becomes a hot topic.]
The article broke out sooner than expected.
Leaning deep into the back seat of the van, I scrolled through the comments.
As expected, the reactions were intense.
However, public opinion was split right down the middle.
* Wow, from a serial killer to a doctor? That's fresh. If it's Kim Heeseon's pick, I'll trust it.
* He's a good actor, but isn't it too much to give him a lead role already?
* Honestly, the hype is ridiculous. He gets attention from one supporting role and immediately becomes the lead? Feels
like they're pushing him through marketing.
* Do people think playing a doctor is easy? If his pronunciation slips even once, viewers will change the channel. Can a
rookie really handle it?
The "overhyped actor" narrative was starting to spread.
A natural reaction.
So far, the only thing I'd shown was Hong Jinsu from Chase.
From the public's perspective, I was merely a rookie who got lucky with a good character.
I calmly turned off the screen.
Whether it was hate comments, praise, or concerned opinions, they were all just data to me.
There was no reason to be swayed by any of it.
The finished product would prove everything.
“Hyung-nim, are you reading the comments?”
Kim Hyuntae glanced at me through the rearview mirror.
“Don't pay attention to them. Successful people always attract jealousy. Once they see your acting, they'll shut up.”
He seemed more upset than I was.
“I don't care. Just keep driving.”
I closed my eyes.
Ignoring noise was the most efficient option.
#
Kim Heeseon's studio.
She smiled as she looked at her monitor.
“The reactions are hot.”
Controversy meant attention.
As the entertainment industry often said, even hate was better than being ignored.
The louder the discussion, the greater the publicity.
However, she had no intention of letting the controversy drag on.
“Time to throw gasoline on the fire.”
She picked up her phone and called the head of the broadcasting station's publicity team.
“Team Leader, it's me. You've seen the online reaction, right?”
* Ah, yes, Writer Kim. Public opinion is a bit... rough right now. It seems like antis are starting to gather. Should we
release a response article?
“An article? What's the point of that? You can explain something a hundred times and people still won't listen. Showing
them is faster.”
She tapped her finger against the desk.
“You know the thing we saved? The reading session making-of video. Release it now.”
* What? Before the teaser?
“Right now. Use the edited version that focuses on Kang Seojun. Make sure the conversation with the medical consultant
is included.”
Her instructions were firm.
“Do you know what happens when people call someone overhyped and then you prove they aren't?”
* ...What happens?
“They become fans.”
A smile spread across her face.
“Very loyal fans.”
She ended the call.
She was confident.
Once the public saw how thoroughly her chosen actor had dominated that difficult script reading session, the controversy
would disappear in an instant.
#
A few hours later.
A video was uploaded to YouTube and various portal sites.
[Making Of: Even the Writer and Professor Were Shocked?! Behind the Scenes of Doctor Criminal's Script Reading!]
The video spread rapidly.
On screen, Kang Seojun never wavered.
Surrounded by veteran actors, he showed no intimidation and delivered medical terminology with flawless diction.
Then came the highlight.
[Excuse me, Professor. Isn't this patient suffering from an aortic dissection?]
[If you use epinephrine here, the vessel will rupture. A beta blocker would be the correct treatment.]
The scene where he corrected the consultant professor and provided the proper medical response was shown without any
editing.
Even the professor's astonished reaction was included.
The reversal happened instantly.
* Wow... what is that diction? Sounds like a professional announcer. Every word lands perfectly.
* Look at him correcting the professor. Is he actually a genius? How much medical research did he do?
* His eyes are insane. He really looks like a doctor.
* Where are all the people who called him overhyped now? He destroyed them with pure skill lol.
* Have you ever seen Kim Heeseon cast someone randomly? There was obviously a reason. I'm excited.
Doubt transformed into admiration.
Criticism became praise.
#
A few days later.
The filming set.
Rumors had already spread throughout the broadcasting industry.
“Did you hear about Kang Seojun?”
“What about him?”
“They say he dropped out of medical school and became an actor.”
“No, that's wrong. I heard he got a medical license overseas. That's why he can do surgery scenes in one take without a
stand-in.”
Rumors mixed with exaggeration continued to spread.
Kim Hyuntae came running over excitedly.
“Hyung-nim! Hyung-nim! This is amazing!”
“What is?”
“I overheard the staff talking. Some people think you're an actual doctor. One guy even believes you graduated from
medical school!”
Hyuntae laughed.
“Shouldn't we clarify it? It'll be awkward if people find out it's not true later.”
“Leave it.”
I answered while flipping through the script.
“Huh?”
“No need to explain anything. Let them think whatever they want.”
Misunderstandings could sometimes become the strongest weapon.
If viewers perceived me as a real doctor, that would only improve their immersion in the drama.
There was no reason to stand up and announce:
"I know nothing about medicine and learned everything from YouTube."
#
Today's filming involved an emergency room scene.
The set was complete chaos.
“Please save my son, doctor!”
“Move aside! Don't block the way!”
The cries of extras, the warning alarms of medical equipment, and the hurried footsteps of nurses filled the space with
overwhelming noise.
The director called me over.
“Seojun.”
“Yes, Director.”
“This scene is important emotionally.”
The director explained seriously.
“The patient is a young man. He was brought in after a car accident and dies in the end. The guardian breaks down
crying, and the doctor should feel guilt and helplessness for failing to save him. Got it? That bittersweet look.”
A typical cliché.
The suffering of a doctor trying to save lives.
Humanism.
I tilted my head.
“Director.”
“Hm?”
“Would Han Jaei really feel guilty?”
The director froze.
“What?”
“Han Jaei is a sociopath. He views even death as data. I don't think someone like him would be saddened by a patient's
death.”
The director stroked his chin.
“You have a point... but if viewers are going to connect with the protagonist, shouldn't he show some humanity? If he's
too cold, people might dislike him.”
“Isn't that coldness Han Jaei's greatest appeal?”
I spoke confidently.
“If we force in fake humanism, the character falls apart. Let's try it my way once.”
The director hesitated before nodding.
“Alright. You might be right. Let's try it first. If it doesn't work, we'll reshoot.”
“Thank you.”
I returned to my position.
The surrounding noise bothered me.
The crying.
The screaming.
But soon all of it would transform from noise into information.
I placed my hand on the Switch inside my mind.
Click.
[Switch: ON]
My vision turned cold.
I jumped onto the bed and placed my hands over the blood-covered patient's chest.
“Ready... Action!”
“Begin CPR. One ampule of epinephrine. Every two minutes.”
My voice held no emotional rise or fall.
No urgency.
Only mechanical orders.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Steady chest compressions.
Dry movements without even a drop of sweat.
“Vitals aren't returning!”
“Continue.”
The actress playing the guardian grabbed my leg.
“Doctor! Please save him! He's still so young! Please!”
Her desperate cries tore through the room.
But to my ears, it was simply loud noise.
Beeeeeeep—
A long warning tone rang from the monitor.
The ECG flattened into a straight line.
Flatline.
Cardiac arrest.
“Doctor...? Doctor!”
The guardian clutched my gown.
Tears and mucus covered her face.
“Save him... save him!”
The staff held their breath.
Her acting was incredibly convincing.
In most medical dramas, the protagonist would stop CPR here.
He would lower his head or place a comforting hand on the guardian's shoulder.
But—
Smack.
I slapped her hand away.
A simple movement.
Like brushing dust off my clothing.
“...Huh?”
The actress froze in surprise.
I didn't even look at her.
Instead, I checked my watch.
“Year XXXX, Month X, Day X. 2:32 PM.”
What came from my mouth was not comfort.
“He is deceased.”
A dry announcement.
The guardian screamed.
“What... Aren't you a doctor?! Don't give up! Save him!”
She tried to rush toward me.
I didn't even blink.
Instead, I frowned slightly in annoyance and turned to the nurse.
“Remove the guardian.”
“...What?”
“She’s too loud. She's interfering with the treatment of the next patient. Take her out.”
A chilling silence covered the set.
I pointed toward the corpse on the bed.
“And clear this out. We're short on beds.”
Then I turned around without hesitation.
Removing my gloves, I tossed them into the trash and picked up the next chart.
Death was the end.
Pouring emotions into something that had already ended was inefficient.
There were still living patients waiting in line.
That overwhelming coldness.
Everyone on set froze.
A doctor who treated even grief as an obstacle to efficiency.
The character was unfamiliar, yet disturbingly realistic.
The director forgot to call cut.
He was mesmerized.
This was it.
This was Han Jaei.
Not some shallow imitation wrapped in forced humanity.
A genuine character.
“...Cut! Okay!!!”
The director's shout finally rang out.
Click.
[Switch: OFF]
The Switch turned off.
I became Kang Seojun once again.
“Sorry, sunbae. I hit your hand a little hard, didn't I?”
I extended a hand toward the actress playing the guardian.
She stared blankly before accepting it.
“N-No... it's okay. But your eyes just now... wow. They were really scary.”
She shivered.
“You genuinely looked like someone with no blood and no tears.”
“I'll take that as a compliment.”
I smiled lightly.
The director ran over.
“Hey! Seojun! You're insane!”
He grabbed my shoulders.
“Slapping away the guardian's hand—that was ad-libbed, right? How did you even think of that? He's such a terrible
person, but somehow he's still sexy! This is definitely teaser material!”
The director couldn't hide his excitement.
I sighed inwardly in relief.
Good.
My interpretation of the character wasn't wrong.
More importantly, I completed the scene cleanly without wasting emotional energy.
If I had cried and agonized, I would've been exhausted.
But rejecting the guardian and walking away?
That was incredibly comfortable.
'Efficient.'
I glanced at my watch.
It looked like another early finish today.
#
A few days later.
The first teaser for Doctor Criminal was released.
There was no background music.
Only the continuous beep of a heart monitor.
Then my face appeared in close-up.
An expressionless face.
Cold eyes.
[He is deceased.]
[Clear it out. We're short on beds.]
Short.
Powerful.
The screen faded to black.
Words appeared.
[Is he a doctor... or a killer?]
[Doctor Criminal – Premieres This November]
The reaction was beyond explosive.
It was closer to collective shock.
* Look at that expression. Someone just died and he doesn't even blink.
* That's not a doctor. That's the Grim Reaper.
* Normally medical dramas have everyone crying their eyes out. This guy just says “Clear it out.” LOL. What kind of
personality is that?
* But he's ridiculously attractive. He's not a bad boy. He's just a bad doctor, and somehow that's even better.
* Weren't people calling him overhyped? Can anyone still say that after watching this? His acting is insane.
The "overhyped actor" accusations disappeared completely.
Inside the moving van, I calmly checked the numbers.
Three hours after release:
500,000 views.
2,000 comments.
The response was undeniable.