17
### Chapter 17
A few days later.
It was the final filming day of Doctor Criminal.
The van heading to the set was quiet.
Only Kim Hyuntae and I were inside.
For the past few days, Kim Hyuntae had been walking on eggshells around me.
It seemed like he desperately wanted to bring up Director Heo Hoetaek's movie whenever he got the chance, but my firm stance had completely shut him down.
"Hyungnim."
"Yeah."
"After filming wraps today... are you going to attend the after-party?"
"Of course."
The conversation died off immediately.
Sitting in the passenger seat, I was checking stock charts on my phone.
My portfolio was still performing well.
My assets continued their steady climb upward.
Then—
Ding.
My phone rang.
It was Park Juyeon.
"Hello, Senior."
"Seojun! Seojun! Have you seen it?!"
Her voice sounded different from usual.
It wasn't just urgency.
It was shock.
"What happened?"
"You haven't seen the news? About Director Heo Hoetaek!"
"...!"
My heart jolted.
Had my intuition—
No.
Had the Switch's warning become reality?
"One moment."
I put the call on speaker and opened a portal site.
Immediately, I checked the trending searches.
1. Heo Hoetaek
2. Heo Hoetaek Sexual Harassment
3. Film Industry Me Too
There was no need to scroll further.
The top three searches were all related to Director Heo Hoetaek.
[Breaking News: Legendary Director Heo Hoetaek Accused of Repeated Sexual Harassment of Female Staff Member Three Years Ago]
[Exclusive: Victim A States, "He Was the King of the Set... If You Refused Him, He Threatened to Fire You" — Audio Recordings Released]
[Oh! Movie: Chungmuro in Panic... Upcoming Film Night of the Beasts Indefinitely Postponed]
The details were devastating.
Behind the image of a master praised for realism lurked ugly abuses of power and sexual misconduct.
With audio recordings already released, there was no way out.
His film career was finished.
And if I had signed onto that movie?
The project would have collapsed.
I would have been branded as an actor associated with a disgraced director.
My image would have suffered severe damage.
I might even have wasted years fighting legal battles over contract disputes and advance payments.
'So that's why the Switch...'
Only now did I understand why it had refused to activate.
If a project was doomed to disappear, then perhaps the role itself no longer existed.
"...Wow."
The word slipped out before I realized it.
"Hyungnim? What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Kim Hyuntae glanced at me through the rearview mirror.
I turned the phone screen toward him.
"Look."
While waiting at a traffic light, he glanced over.
Then—
"Gahhh!!!"
His scream nearly shattered the windows.
"D-Director Heo Hoetaek?! Sexual harassment?! Me Too?!"
His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Snatching the phone from me, he rapidly read through the articles.
"No way... it's real. They even released recordings. Wow... wow, this is insane."
For a long while, he couldn't say anything.
Then slowly—
Very slowly—
He turned toward me.
His eyes contained a mixture of fear and awe.
"Hyungnim..."
"..."
"Did you... know?"
His voice trembled.
"Is that why you rejected it so firmly? Was this what you meant when you said something felt wrong? That there was too much risk?"
The puzzle pieces were falling into place inside his head.
When everyone else thought Kang Seojun was crazy, he alone had said no.
He had sensed the hidden time bomb buried beneath the legendary director everyone worshipped.
"Wow..."
Kim Hyuntae rubbed his arms as goosebumps spread across his skin.
"That's incredible. Seriously incredible."
His eyes shone.
"I knew there had to be a reason! The CEO and I practically begged you, but you didn't budge! We were this close to disaster. If we'd signed, we'd have had to return the advance payment and your image would've been destroyed..."
He shuddered.
"Just imagining it is terrifying."
At this point, he was practically looking at me like I was a deity.
"How did you know? There weren't even any rumors. How far does your information network go?"
I ended the call with Park Juyeon and slipped my phone back into my pocket.
I couldn't tell him it was the Switch.
But calling it luck would diminish the value of my foresight.
Resting my chin on my hand, I stared out the window.
Then I shamelessly replied.
"Yeah."
A faint smile appeared on my face.
"I heard some rumors."
Kim Hyuntae gasped in admiration and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
His loyalty meter was rapidly breaking through its limits.
I sank deeper into my seat.
The crisis had been avoided.
No.
It wasn't just avoided.
Another legend had been born.
'The genius actor who foresaw danger and avoided it.'
That rumor would soon spread throughout the industry.
And when it did, my value would rise once again.
#
The van eventually arrived at the filming location.
I adjusted my clothes.
The moment I stepped out of the vehicle, people rushed toward me as if they had been waiting.
"Seojun! Seojun!"
The actors I'd worked with ran over.
Several staff members followed behind them with pale faces.
"You saw the news, right?"
"Yes. Just now."
"Oh my god..."
One of the actors anxiously asked:
"You didn't sign, did you? You didn't put your seal on the contract, right?"
"I didn't."
I answered calmly.
"The feeling was bad, so I politely declined."
"...Haaaah."
Everyone released a breath at the same time.
It sounded like people finally surfacing from underwater.
"Wow... thank goodness. Seriously."
"That gives me chills. Seojun, you were blessed by fate. If you'd joined that project..."
He shuddered.
"I don't even want to think about it."
A supporting actor beside him rubbed his chest.
"Seriously. Your entire career could've been destroyed. How did you know to avoid it?"
"Seojun really has incredible instincts."
The staff whispered among themselves.
Their eyes held both relief and admiration.
Who would dare reject a project from Director Heo Hoetaek?
Most actors standing here would've accepted without hesitation.
And they would've walked straight into disaster.
Meanwhile, thanks to the Switch, I had avoided it entirely.
I casually shrugged.
"I should get my makeup done first. Can't be late for the final shoot."
As I headed toward the dressing room, I could feel countless eyes following my back.
But it wasn't an unpleasant feeling.
#
The final scene.
A rooftop at the hospital.
Every case had been resolved, and Han Jaei stood overlooking Seoul's night skyline.
The wind was cold.
Leaning against the railing, I gazed at the city lights.
Countless lights.
Somewhere beneath them, people were suffering.
Some were dying.
Others were staying awake all night trying to save them.
Han Jaei was a doctor without emotions.
Yet he saved lives more fiercely than anyone.
'You worked hard, Han Jaei.'
I said my farewell silently.
"...Cut!! Okay!!!"
The director's powerful shout echoed across the rooftop.
"Doctor Criminal! Filming is officially complete! Great work, everyone!!"
"Woooooo!!!"
The staff erupted into cheers.
A lighting assistant threw his cap into the air.
The writers hugged one another and jumped around excitedly.
A bouquet was suddenly thrust into my arms.
"Seojun! You did great! Seriously, you worked so hard!"
The director ran over and wrapped me in a hug.
"We survived because of you. You saved this drama. Thank you, kid."
His eyes had turned red.
Smiling, I hugged him back.
"You guided us well, Director. Thank you for all your hard work."
Camera flashes exploded from every direction.
Holding the bouquet, I smiled brightly.
It was a perfect finale.
#
A large Korean barbecue restaurant in Yeouido.
The wrap-up party for Doctor Criminal felt like a festival.
Soju bottles piled up on every table.
On a large television, the final episode of the drama was airing.
"Everyone! Attention! Time for a toast!"
I was seated at the head table alongside the director and writer Kim Heeseon.
Kim Heeseon personally wrapped meat and vegetables into a ssam and placed it on my plate.
"Our Seojun avoided the whole Director Heo disaster, and now it's nothing but success ahead, huh? Be honest. You don't secretly have supernatural powers, do you?"
Everyone at the table immediately perked up.
"Supernatural powers? Not at all."
I laughed while eating the meat.
"I was just lucky. If I'd accepted immediately when Senior Park Juyeon recommended it, I would've been in huge trouble."
"Oh my."
Kim Heeseon smiled warmly.
"Look at how humble he is. Luck is a skill too."
She filled my glass.
"Have you picked your next project yet? If not, do another one with me. This time we'll make a heartbreaking romance."
"Your romances make the protagonists cry so much they'd probably end up dehydrated."
The director burst into laughter.
"Hey, Writer Kim. Seojun's price has gone up now. He can't work with us anymore. He's headed to the movie industry, right Seojun?"
"If it's a good project, I'll come running anytime."
The atmosphere remained warm and cheerful.
Then suddenly—
The restaurant doors burst open.
An assistant director came sprinting inside with a phone in his hand.
"Director!! The ratings are out!! We hit a new peak rating!!"
Every eye in the restaurant turned toward him.
With trembling hands, he showed the phone screen to the director.
A single number glowed on the display.
[18.2%]
Silence.
Then explosion.
"WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
"That's insane!! Eighteen percent!!"
"No way! On cable TV?!"
The entire restaurant erupted.
People hugged each other.
They shouted.
They celebrated wildly.
18.2%.
A new all-time cable drama ratings record.
Quietly, I raised my beer glass.
"Great work, everyone."
#
By the time I returned to my officetel after the party, it was already past 2 AM.
I was pleasantly tipsy.
Yet my mind felt unusually clear.
Without even showering, I collapsed onto my bed and grabbed my phone.
W Investment Securities.
The app opened.
The balance displayed:
₩457,000,000.
The capital I'd grown from my previous investment was resting quietly.
'I can't stop here.'
Once you've tasted the speed at which money generates more money, labor income alone becomes unsatisfying.
The U.S. stock market was currently blazing.
My head throbbed.
Today's filming and celebration had drained too much energy.
If I activated the Switch again, I might actually collapse.
But then again—
'It's a bit exhausting, but this much should be fine. I'm already lying in bed anyway.'
I was already in bed.
Even if I collapsed, I'd simply fall asleep.
The risk was effectively zero.
Closing my eyes, I steadied my breathing.
Deep within my mind, I called upon the genius investor's data once more.
Click.
[Switch: ON]
[Loading role: Jang Taeju]
Whoosh—
The sensation of blood vessels expanding inside my brain washed over me.
My vision sharpened instantly.
The Nasdaq charts on the tablet seemed alive.
Among thousands of stocks, my eyes instinctively locked onto one graph.
[Tech-V (Ticker: TKV)]
A technology stock being heavily suppressed by short sellers ahead of its earnings report.
Yet every technical indicator screamed the same message.
Bottom.
'Oversold. Technical rebound zone.'
Jang Taeju's instincts struck my brain.
This wasn't a dead-cat bounce.
It was the starting point of a trend reversal.
Without hesitation, I pressed Buy.
[Buy Order Executed]
All ₩457 million.
A full-position bet.
"Ugh..."
The instant the order completed, it felt as if a steel hammer smashed into my skull.
I hurriedly turned off the Switch.
Click.
I didn't even have the strength to put down my phone.
My consciousness faded.
I fell into a deep sleep.
#
The next morning.
When I opened my eyes, the sun was already high in the sky.
A mixture of hangover and headache pounded through my head.
Slowly sitting up, I searched through the blankets for my phone.
The screen lit up.
The app was still open.
The refresh icon spun around.
Then the numbers appeared.
[Total Assets: ₩571,500,000]
[Unrealized Profit: +₩121,500,000]
[Return: +25.2%]
During the night, positive sentiment had swept through the tech sector.
The stock I bought had exploded upward.
While I slept, ₩121 million had essentially been copied into existence.
A salaried worker earning over ₩100 million a year would need an entire year of careful saving to accumulate that amount.
I had earned it in a single night.
It didn't feel real.
Staring blankly at the screen, I muttered:
"This is insane."