Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 626 is a hit even before airing! It's going to be incredibly popular.
Kwon Hyun-hyuk felt a chill in his kidneys.

Han Hyo-joo asked the question casually, with a hint of a half-smile playing on her lips.

But Kwon Heon-hyuk was all too familiar with the implications behind it.

"Ahem," Quan Xuanhe cleared his throat, subconsciously leaning back slightly to create a more intimate distance, his gaze quickly sweeping over his surroundings.

Fortunately, everyone was busy packing up their scripts and exchanging pleasantries, so no one paid attention to their role.

"Nuna, why are you in such a hurry?"

Han Hyo-joo slowly closed the unfolded script, then looked up at Kwon Seon-hyuk: "What do you think?"

"You give to others all the time, but not to me?"

This is what I said
Nothing wrong with it.

Just then, several actors who played major and supporting roles in the play gathered around.

The first to be greeted was Park Sung-hoon, who played the second male lead, with a perfectly warm smile on his face.

All of them were from BH Company. Although Kwon Hyun-hyuk had been busy and hadn't been back to the company much lately, he hadn't seen Park Sung-hoon.

At this point, there is actually a rather awkward situation.

Park Sung-hoon is older than both of them and has a lot of experience, but the key issue is that he's not very famous.

"Xuanhe-xi, Xiaozhou-xi, this is our first time meeting."

Park Sung-hoon dared not be negligent in the slightest.

Although Quan Xuanhe is young, his popularity is soaring. He is the leading male actor in the company and a prominent core figure, which is worlds apart from him.

"We should have met a long time ago, but I've been quite busy lately and haven't had much time."

Quan Xuanhe didn't put on airs and greeted him with a smile.

Han Hyo-joo, who was standing to the side, let Kwon Hyun-hyuk off the hook for the time being, and nodded with a smile as she looked at Park Sung-hoon.

Immediately afterwards, Lim Ji-yeon, who played the villainous supporting character, also approached gracefully, revealing a warm smile.

"Senior Hyoju, Hyunhyuk-ssi." Lim Ji-yeon's tone was humble and somewhat flattering.

She knew how much Kwon Heon-hyuk meant to the director and screenwriter. "Dark Glory" was an important opportunity for her to turn her career around or rise in status, so she had to seize every chance to build good relationships with the core actors.

This shows that before "Dark Glory" became a huge hit, Lim Ji-yeon was not doing well and was stuck in a position of selling her looks and smiling.

During this period, she appeared on Running Man several times and was frequently joked about for the sake of the show. Although it was within the normal range, Lim Ji-yeon's humble attitude also reflected her difficulties.

It was all because of popularity. After becoming more popular, he became much more confident and relaxed.

Well, these are all actors who aren't very famous, or whose careers haven't been very successful.

Park Sung-hoon rubbed his hands together with a smile: "It's rare for the main cast to be all together today, how about we take a commemorative photo?"

Upon hearing this, Quan Xuanhe nodded, "No problem, of course."

"How does Nuna feel?"

He turned to look at Han Hyo-joo beside him and asked with a smile.

"Okay, as long as Xuanhe thinks it's fine."

That was a subtle way of giving him face, but Quan Xuanhe just smiled and didn't take it seriously.

The people around them watched the two talking so familiarly and intimately and secretly murmured to themselves.

these two people
Their relationship is really unusual.

The rumors are true; the two do seem to have some kind of relationship.

Following Park Sung-hoon's suggestion, the staff quickly arranged the seating.

Director Ahn Gil-ho and screenwriter Kim Eun-sook stood in the center, while Kwon Hyun-hyuk, the male lead, naturally stood next to screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, and Han Hyo-joo stood very naturally on the other side of Kwon Hyun-hyuk, right next to him.

Park Sung-hoon, Lim Ji-yeon, Jung Sung-il and other important supporting actors lined up in turn.

The shutter clicked several times, and the photo was captured. In the picture, Kwon So-hyuk wore the standard celebrity smile, while Han Hyo-joo stood beside him, her smile appearing even brighter and more relaxed.

The sense of intimacy between the two people in the photos is amplified infinitely in the static group photo.

The production company was very efficient; a little later, the official photo of the core team that brought together the early members of Dark Glory was uploaded to Twitter and Instagram through Netflix and the production company's official channels.

The caption reads: "#DarkGlory#FirstReunionOfTheCast#ScriptReadingInProgress#StayTuned!"

The photos immediately caused a stir in the film and television industry and among fans upon their release.

The certified photo itself did achieve the purpose of generating buzz for the production team.

The first official promotional material features Kwon Seonhyuk as the male lead, currently part of the hot promotional campaign for "Our Blues".

Top screenwriter Kim Eun-sook's new work, renowned director Ahn Gil-ho, and superstar Kwon Heon-hyuk team up with veteran actress Han Hyo-joo, who has been away from the small screen for a long time.

With its promising supporting cast, "Dark Glory" quickly entered the public eye and generated strong anticipation.

[Netflix + Kim Eun-sook + Kwon Heon-hyuk + Han Hyo-joo, this lineup is unbeatable!]

[Is the subject matter school bullying? Looking forward to seeing how Kim Eun-sook writes it.]

Kwon Hyun-hyuk has a good eye for choosing dramas, and Kim Eun-sook has a good eye for choosing actors; a powerful combination.

The dismal box office performance and critical reception of "One Piece 2" led to a decline in Han Hyo-joo's career.

It was at that time that Kwon Heon-hyuk persuaded her to take the role in "Dark Glory".

This official photo and the news of her joining Kim Eun-sook's big production are seen as a sign of Han Hyo-joo's career making a strong comeback.

The way she looked in this photo made her fans even more convinced that she would take this opportunity to "make a triumphant return".

The movie she starred in, "Superpowered Race," has already finished filming.

However, the production team is currently stuck in post-production, and it seems that due to insufficient funding for post-production, the Disney branch in South Korea is also not performing well and seems to be on the verge of shutting down.

However, because a large ship is difficult to turn around, with such a large investment, it is unlikely that it can stop the loss in time. The only option is to increase the investment and gamble again.

This gamble turned "Superpowers" into the biggest investment in the history of Korean dramas, putting immense pressure on the production.

As a result, Dark Glory has become the safest project at the moment.

This forced Han Hyo-joo to focus all her energy on this project. Otherwise, she had already failed in several projects, and if she failed again, although she could still film, her resources would inevitably be downgraded.

From an industry-wide perspective, Dark Glory is the top project to watch this year.

In early 2022, the following projects were of interest to industry insiders in South Korea:
Money House (Korean version)

The original Money Heist was Netflix's most-watched non-English drama before The Squid Game, and the Korean version boasts a strong cast.

"Surinam"

Starring a stellar cast including Ha Jung-woo, Hwang Jung-min, Park Hae-jin, Jang Chen, and Choo Ja-hyun, the series tells the story of a secret operation to capture a South American drug lord. Netflix allocated 350-400 billion won to the production budget, setting a record for the largest single-episode investment in Asian television drama history.

The film is "Killing Fu Shun".

Starring Jeon Do-yeon and Sol Kyung-gu, with Hwang Jung-min making a special appearance.

Operation Seoul

Set against the backdrop of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the story revolves around drivers in Sanggye-dong stealing VIP secret funds, starring Yoo Ah-in.

Among them, "Dark Glory" was ranked alongside the Korean version of Money House and Suriname as one of the most anticipated dramas to be broadcast in 2022.

The script reading continued in the afternoon, and the atmosphere was more focused and engaged than in the morning.

Screenwriter Kim Eun-sook provided a more in-depth analysis of the characters' motivations and dialogue details, while director Ahn Gil-ho began to share his initial ideas for the scenes and atmosphere.

As the male and female leads, Kwon Hyun-hyuk and Han Hyo-joo showed great chemistry in their interactions. When discussing the key scenes between Wen Tong-yin and Zhou Ru-zheng, their insights sparked many interesting ideas, which made the screenwriter and director nod in approval.

Han Hyo-joo has truly studied the script thoroughly, and she is currently devoting all her energy to this project. As an actor, the best thing she can do is, of course, to play her role well.

As for Quan Xuanhe, although he had read the script, he relied more on the convenience brought by his sixth sense.

After all, he was too busy, working non-stop and carefully studying the script. Even if you split the time in half, you still wouldn't have enough time.

Supporting actors such as Park Sung-hoon and Lim Ji-yeon are also getting into character, striving to capture the complexity of their roles. After the reading session, as the first time the entire cast gathered together, the "Dark Glory" production team arranged a relaxed dinner to help the actors get to know each other better and foster a team atmosphere before filming officially begins.

The gathering was held in a private room at a Korean restaurant with a comfortable atmosphere.

Several large tables were pushed together, and they were filled with all kinds of delicious barbecue, stew, and Korean side dishes.

Director, screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, and producer were naturally behind the scenes at the dinner, constantly interacting with the actors at each table and encouraging everyone to relax.

As the most popular character and the core of the drama, Kwon Hyun-hyuk naturally became one of the focal points of the audience.

He was approachable, easygoing, and could chat with anyone.

Han Hyo-joo herself didn't drink much and remained relaxed.

The sizzling sound of grilled meat in the private room was gradually replaced by bursts of laughter and conversation, and the air was filled with the aroma of soju, beer and grilled meat.

The atmosphere around the large tables had completely relaxed.

"To be honest, the pressure is even greater after today's reading session," Park Sung-hoon put down his wine glass, rubbed his hands together, his tone a mix of emotion and excitement at being hit by such a strong project.

"The scriptwriter Kim Eun-sook's lines are so substantial, and Jeon Jae-joon's acting is truly remarkable. Hyun-hyuk, when you read Dr. Joo Yeo-jung's lines this morning, you captured that calm and caring tone perfectly, and it was very relatable to listen to."

Quan Xuanhe smiled and waved his hand.

"Brother Chengxun is flattering me."

Sitting next to Kwon Seonhyuk, Han Hyojoo was slowly wrapping grilled pork belly in lettuce. Hearing this, she looked up at Kwon Seonhyuk and smiled slightly.

She interjected, "Dr. Ruzheng is inherently a reserved volcano, requiring subtle expressions and movements to be effective. In this respect, Xuanhe has a significant advantage."

These words sound like a critique of a character, but the tone is natural and intimate.

Lim Ji-yeon, who plays Park Yeon-jin, nodded and smiled as she continued the conversation.

"The character I played, Park Yeon-jin... sigh, I feel like I'm going to get a lot of criticism after it airs."

She said it half-jokingly and half-seriously, and even made a scared expression.

This remark drew a few light laughs from everyone.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk said with a smile, "Being scolded is also a kind of success."

These days, it's better; audiences can see things clearly. In the past, it wasn't necessarily a good thing if a villain was played too successfully.

After all, it used to be a 'simple' society.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation shifted to a lighter tone. Some asked about the latest gossip or industry news, while others chatted about interesting stories from past collaborations.

"Actually, I have worked with Sung Il before, but we didn't have any scenes together."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk looked at Jung Sung-il.

The actor who plays Park Yeon-jin's husband in the drama had a very bumpy life in real life, and he seems to be a rather reserved and quiet man in private.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Chengri nodded quickly and put down his chopsticks. "A disguise."

"Is it 'Our Blues'?"

Lim Ji-yeon casually remarked, and Jung Sung-il nodded, "I play Min-ah's ex-husband, but my role isn't very big."

A minor supporting role.

Quan Xuanhe nodded, "That's right. We don't have any scenes together, so this is actually our first meeting."

He genuinely had no recollection of it, since "Blues" was an episodic series, and there wasn't much interaction between the characters. He had to think carefully for a while before he suddenly remembered.

But why doesn't this guy take the initiative to say it?

In reality, Jung Sung-il was somewhat reserved. Seeing that Kwon Hyun-hyuk didn't bring it up, he didn't bring it up either.

As Han Hyo-joo listened, when no one was paying much attention, she nudged Kwon Hyun-hyuk with her elbow and took a sip of the soju in front of her.

"Should I come to your place or mine tonight?"

Kwon Hyun-hyuk was pouring wine for Lim Ji-yeon, who had just finished speaking, to show his encouragement. Hearing this, he paused slightly, then naturally filled the glass, put down the bottle, and leaned close to Han Hyo-joo's ear.

"Let's go to Nuna's house. I don't think I've ever been to Nuna's house before."

Han Hyo-joo's smile deepened, and she said nothing more, simply elegantly finishing the wine in her glass.

After the dinner party ended, everyone exchanged contact information and said goodbye in a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk dismissed his driver beforehand and got into Han Hyo-joo's car.

The van slowly pulled up in front of Han Hyo-joo's apartment building; night had fallen.

The neon lights outside the car window cast shimmering spots of light in her eyes. She unbuckled her seatbelt and gently brushed her fingertips across the back of Quan Xuanhe's hand. The touch felt like it was electrified, causing his fingertips to curl slightly.

"We've arrived." Han Hyo-joo's voice was a mix of languidness and anticipation.

Han Hyo-joo pushed open the car door and got out, the crisp sound of her high heels clicking on the ground echoing in the quiet night.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk got out of the car.

Her apartment, located on a high floor, is spacious and elegant, a modern minimalist style adorned with just the right amount of greenery and warm lighting, with a fragrance in the air similar to hers, but softer and more refreshing.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the dazzling night view of Seoul unfolds.

The door clicked shut behind them, isolating them from the outside world.

That slight sound was like a signal, instantly igniting the calm and composed atmosphere under the entryway light just a moment ago.

Han Hyo-joo turned around without saying anything unnecessary, and didn't even turn on the main light in the living room. Only the light coming through the entrance hall and the floor-to-ceiling windows in the distance outlined her silhouette.

She moved closer, her arms naturally encircling Quan Xuanhe's neck, pushing him against the cold wall. She stood on tiptoe, shortening the height difference, her breath brushing against his ear:

"You'll be spending the next few months with me. How does it feel?" Her voice was low and tinged with laughter. Her warm breath tickled his ear like a brush against his heart, sending a shiver down his spine.

The old A8 has a truly unique charm!

Kwon Hyun-hyuk's back was pressed against the smooth, cold wall as he looked down at Han Hyo-joo's face, which was inches away from his own.

"Should we ask Nuna how she feels?"

"They must be overjoyed!"

Quan Xuanhe's arm had already wrapped around her waist, his palm feeling the curves of her waist and its astonishing heat through the thin fabric.

Upon hearing this, Han Hyo-joo couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'm overjoyed!"

Aren't you happy?

Han Hyo-joo stared intently at him, her gaze sweeping across his face with a hint of dazedness.

It was as if he were watching his prey, somewhat mesmerized.

"I..."

Before he could speak, Han Hyo-joo responded with a kiss that could almost be described as savage.

Quan Xuanhe snorted, tightened his arms, supported her with his other hand, and with a little force, lifted her up and pressed her against the wall.

Suspended in mid-air, she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, a position that made her slightly taller than him, causing her skirt to ride up and revealing her smooth, slender legs.

"Kwon Hyun-hyuk..."

The entryway was dimly lit, and the only rhythm in the room was the sound of breathing and the rustling of clothes.

The cold walls created a stark contrast with their bodies, which were pressed tightly together and constantly warming up.

A soft ticking sound came from the direction of the living room, like some kind of timer being triggered, or perhaps like pressing the start button for their imminent situation.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk carried her, stumbling away from the cold wall, and walked towards the warmer inner room.

Han Hyojoo tightened her arms around his neck, pressing her forehead against his before a deeper kiss could fall, her hot breath on his face, her voice slightly hoarse, resolute and unquestionable.

"Don't even think about going to bed early tonight."

(End of this chapter)