Peninsula: From a supporting actor to the best actor in Chungmuro

Chapter 117 Jealousy on Set and Declaration of Sovereignty

So... how did you spend Valentine's Day?

Inside the coffee shop.

Kim Ji-won took a small bite of cake and looked up at Jung Soo-jung, who was drinking a caramel macchiato across from her.

"...I went to Nanshan Pagoda and hung a love lock."

"and then?"

"I watched 'Miss Granny'."

"And then?"

"I had Chinese food."

"..."

Seeing that the answer was irrelevant, Kim Ji-won rolled her eyes in annoyance:

"Where are you two at now?"

"Ah! Kim Ji-won!"

"Ask what's wrong?"

Kim Ji-won looked completely innocent: "I'm your after-sales matchmaker, so I have the right to know the progress."

Jung Soo-jung blushed and glared at her, but ultimately gave in:
"Just... holding hands, hugging, and occasionally... a kiss."

She spoke softer and softer: "...That's all."

Looking at her like this, Kim Ji-won couldn't help but sigh:
"You two are really... You've been dating for over two months, but you still act like high school students who just started dating?"

"It's only just begun..."

Krystal Jung muttered softly.

Kim Ji-won gave a meaningful "Oh":
"So, Kang Jae-hoon still hasn't learned how to stick out his tongue—"

"Jin! Ji! Won!"

Krystal Jung covered her mouth, feeling utterly ashamed and furious.

Kim Ji-won raised her hands in surrender with a teasing look in her eyes. Only after Jung Soo-jung released her grip did she speak seriously:
"He's been filming lately, so you haven't been seeing each other as often, have you?"

When this was mentioned, Krystal Jung's shoulders slumped slightly:
"He lived on set after filming started for 'Veteran,' and he would reply to messages late every day."

"So you only came to visit the set today?"

"Ah."

Krystal Jung nodded, took a sip of her caramel macchiato, and said:
"...Actually, I miss him a little."

Kim Ji-won almost burst out laughing—

Who would have thought that Krystal, who is so aloof on stage, would be so clingy when she's in love?

"Alright, when you see him later, don't get too excited and pounce on him."

Kim Ji-won teased, "There are so many people on set, be careful not to get photographed."

"...I wouldn't do that."

Afternoon sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting dappled light on the rim of her coffee cup. Kim Ji-won glanced at her watch.

"It's past three o'clock, shouldn't we be going?"

Krystal Jung hurriedly swallowed the last bite of her macchiato: "Yeah, the film set is just around the corner."

The two pushed open the glass door, and the streets of Myeongdong were bustling with people.

The wind at the end of February still carried a chill, and Krystal Jung buried half her face in her scarf, but her pace quickened unconsciously. After turning two street corners, a high-end clubhouse surrounded by police tape came into view.

The security guard's eyes widened the moment he saw Krystal pull down her scarf:
"Krystal xi?"

"Hey, I've come to visit Kang Jae-hoon on set."

Krystal Jung nodded politely.

"Please wait."

The security guard immediately picked up his walkie-talkie and called the ground staff.

Less than two minutes later, a young stagehand wearing a baseball cap jogged over:

"You two, please follow me."

Walking through the dimly lit corridor, the director's commands could be faintly heard in the distance. The crystal chandelier in the center of the clubhouse illuminated the entire space, and more than twenty staff members were holding their breath, gathered around the monitor.

The stagehand gestured for them to stop in the shadows and lowered his voice:

"This scene is very important, please wait a moment."

Krystal Jung nodded, but her gaze eagerly swept through the crowd—

Even though the room was crowded, she spotted her sweetheart at a glance.

A perfectly tailored suit and waistcoat, eyes detached and indifferent behind gold-rimmed glasses. Long, slender fingers held a cigar, casually exhaling a puff of smoke.

Krystal Jung unconsciously held her breath.

(So ​​unfamiliar...)
(But... he's so handsome.)
She felt her cheeks burning and quickly buried her face even deeper into her scarf.

In the center of the film set.

Lee Dong-hui, playing the middleman, introduces the assembled "big shots" to Hwang Jung-min with a fawning smile:
"This is the son of the Director of the National Tax Service, and that is..."

The camera slowly zooms in for a close-up of Kang Jae-hoon.

He looked down at the white powder scattered on the table and quietly wiped it away with his index finger.

This small detail was added by Ryu Seung-wan.

Hints at the characterization of Zhao Taiwu as a drug addict.

Li Donghui exaggeratedly spread his arms wide, his voice rising eight octaves:
"The host of this final banquet is none other than Chief Manager Cho Tae-oh, who is about to be promoted to the new president of the commodities company!"

The set fell silent instantly.

All the extras seemed to have been switched on, and they all shouted in unison:

"Chao Taiwu! Zhao Taiwu! Zhao Taiwu!"

Amid the rhythmic shouts, Jiang Zai Xun's nostrils twitched involuntarily twice. He subconsciously rubbed his nose, a fleeting look of daze crossing his eyes before he regained his haughty and unrestrained demeanor.

Hwang Jung-min immediately noticed this subtle movement.

His character, Seo Do-cheol, frowned slightly, his gaze shifting back and forth between Kang Jae-hoon and the table.

behind the monitor.

Director Ryu Seung-wan stared intently at Kang Jae-hoon's twitching nostrils—

The involuntary muscle spasms unique to drug addicts.

It was so real, so real, that it sent chills down his spine.

(This kid)

(Could he have actually touched that thing?)

In the scene, Hwang Jung-min's character, Seo Do-cheol, has already begun his probing.

"I never thought I'd have the chance to drink with chaebols in my lifetime."

He held his wine glass and looked around at the lavish decor:
"I thought the chaebols would come up with some new tricks."

The once lively scene fell silent instantly after Hwang Jung-min's words.

Kang Jae-hoon slowly took off his gold-rimmed glasses.

He practiced this move hundreds of times.

He pinched the middle of the frame with his thumb and forefinger, his little finger slightly raised. He took them off slowly and deliberately, and finally tapped his temple with the temple of the glasses.

He slowly stood up, the wrinkles in his suit trousers smoothing out with the movement.

"New trick?"

Kang Jae-hoon walked towards Park So-dam's seat, suddenly grabbed a handful of ice from the ice bucket, and before anyone could react—

"what!"

Ice slid down Park So-dam's collar and into her clothes, and she screamed and jumped up.

Before she could even react, Kang Jae-hoon grabbed the cake from the table and smeared it directly on her face. Cream slid down her nose, the thick white mixture covering her carefully applied makeup.

Before anyone could recover from the shock, Kang Jae-hoon had already turned to the other side—

He flicked the remaining cream in his hand at Liu Renying's face.

She instinctively raised her hand to cover herself, but Kang Jae-hoon grabbed her wrist and stuffed a banana into her mouth with his other hand.

After doing all this, Kang Jae-hoon turned to face Hwang Jung-min, slowly wiping his cream-covered fingers with a handkerchief, his eyes filled with a morbid excitement.

"That's how chaebols should operate, right?"

He suddenly grinned, revealing his neat white teeth.

The next second, his arm swept out suddenly—

"Wow!"

The champagne glasses, fruit plates, and cutlery on the table were all swept to the floor.

The sound of shattering glass was particularly jarring in the silent banquet hall.

Amidst everyone's astonished gazes, Kang Jae-hoon knelt directly on the table and bowed deeply towards Hwang Jung-min—

"sorry!"

His forehead was almost touching the table, yet his voice carried a chilling lightness:
"I can only play to this extent; I've disgraced the chaebols."

"please forgive me!"

The words were meant to be an apology, but the tone was like a poisoned knife.

When Kang Jae-hoon slowly raised his head, the expression on his face made everyone present gasp—

His handsome face twisted into a strange smile.

His mouth was stretched to its limit, but the muscles around his eyes remained completely still.

The more radiant the smile on the forcibly ripped-off rubber mask, the more chilling it became.

"..."

"Cut!"

Ryu Seung-wan's shout broke the tense atmosphere on set.

The staff then seemed to realize what had happened and hurriedly went to clean up the mess.

Park So-dam and Yoo In-young's assistants quickly handed them towels.

Although the two actresses were disheveled, they tacitly gave Kang Jae-hoon a thumbs-up.

The impact of that scene just now far exceeded expectations.

Kang Jae-hoon immediately jumped off the table and ran to Park So-dam and Yoo In-young, bowing at a 90-degree angle.

"I am so sorry!"

His voice was full of remorse, and there was not a trace of Zhao Taiwu in it.

Park So-dam wiped the cream off her face and couldn't help but laugh out loud:

"Actor Jiang's ability to change his expression is too fast."

Liu Renying took the wet wipes from her assistant, but handed them to Jiang Zaihun first:

"You have cream on your hands too."

Kang Jae-hoon quickly thanked him.

When I took the wet wipe, she deliberately rubbed it with her fingers:
“Actor Jiang really scared me during that scene just now.”

"I'm so sorry, I didn't hold back..."

"It's fine."

Liu Renying smiled and said, "But you'll have to buy us coffee later to apologize."

"must."

In the shadows.

Kim Ji-won was still immersed in the stunning performance she had just witnessed:
"Wow, Kang Jae-hoon's acting... you can't tell at all that he's the warm-hearted guy from 'The Heirs'."

no respond.

Kim Ji-won turned her head and found Jung Soo-jung staring intently at the center of the set—

The two actresses' eyes practically overflowed with admiration for Kang Jae-hoon.

She knew perfectly well that her best friend's "jealousy king" nature had been activated.

Thinking of this, Kim Ji-won quickly squeezed Jung Soo-jung's small hand and lowered her voice, saying:

"On set, be mindful of your facial expressions."

Krystal Jung snorted through her nose.

He buried his face even deeper into the scarf, leaving only his eyes staring intently at Kang Jae-hoon.

In front of the monitor, Ryu Seung-wan stroked his chin, replaying the footage from earlier:
“Jaehoon, you can sweep the dishes off a little slower. You need that contrast between a nonchalant yet sudden burst of speed.”

Kang Jae-hoon immediately understood and turned to bow again to Park So-dam and Yoo In-young:

"Please cooperate one more time."

“Park So-dam, your reaction to being startled by the ice could be more realistic.”

"Liu Renying, add a bit more struggle to the banana scene."

"Li Donghui, don't look shocked. You need to look like you're used to it and remain silent."

After giving instructions to each of them, Liu Chengwan clapped his hands:
"One more! All departments, prepare!"

The staff immediately took action—

The props team quickly replaced the tableware and food;

The makeup artist redid the makeup for the two actresses;
The script supervisor jogged to his post with the clapperboard.

Kang Jae-hoon stood to the side, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, his eyes had returned to the wanton look that was unique to Jo Tae-oh.

"Veteran, Scene 46, Scene 2, Action!"

……

This scene was filmed seven times.

From the force with which Kang Jae-hoon removed his glasses to the angle at which he tossed the cream, and finally the duration of that twisted smile and the sinister look in his eyes—

Ryu Seung-wan is like a master sculptor, meticulously refining every detail.

"OK! This one is perfect!"

Finally, satisfied with the eighth clause, Ryu Seung-wan called for a halt.

Staff immediately stepped forward to clean up the scene.

Park So-dam's assistant used a dry towel to wipe the traces of ice water off her body.

This is the eighth time; my skin is already red.

Liu Renying's makeup artist was carefully removing the solidified cream from her hair, breaking several strands.

"I'm really sorry."

Kang Jae-hoon's voice was filled with deep apology.

He has apologized nine times already.

Park So-dam managed a forced smile:

"No...it doesn't matter."

Liu Renying turned her face away, letting the makeup artist continue cleaning the cream off her eyelashes. During the shoot, Kang Jae-hoon's attempts to stuff bananas into her mouth had become increasingly forceful, at one point even pushing them up her throat.

The two actresses, who initially had the mood to joke and banter with Kang Jae-hoon, have long lost their initial enthusiasm after being "humiliated" eight times in a row.

Even knowing it's an act.

Kang Jae-hoon felt a pang of guilt as he watched the two actresses leave in a disheveled state.

Don't put too much pressure on yourself.

Hwang Jung-min appeared beside him at some point and patted him on the shoulder:

"Professional actors all understand that this is just a job."

"Yes, teacher."

Kang Jae-hoon nodded, but his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the shadows—

He noticed that Krystal Jung and Kim Ji-won had arrived during the fourth reshoot.

"Go."

Huang Zhengmin followed his gaze and nodded knowingly:
"Don't keep people waiting too long."

"Inside."

Kang Jae-hoon bowed and took his leave, then quickly walked into the shadows.

"Soojung, when are you guys—"

The words were not finished.

"Snapped!"

Jung Soo-jung suddenly raised her hand and slapped him hard on the butt.

The crisp sound stood out starkly from the corner of the film set.

Kang Jae-hoon froze on the spot, his eyes wide open.

Kim Ji-won vows—

This was the first time in her life she had ever seen someone simultaneously display four emotions: shock, confusion, shame, and survival instinct.

(If this acting skill were used in a play, Director Liu would probably cry on the spot, right?)

Krystal Jung casually withdrew her hand:
"It feels good."

Kang Jae-hoon's ears turned red at a visible speed:

"Soojung, you..."

"Ok?"

"This is the film set."

"so what?"

Krystal blinked: "Can't I touch my boyfriend?"

Kang Jae-hoon opened his mouth, but ultimately resigned himself to his fate and lowered his head:
".able."

Kim Ji-won's shoulders trembled as she tried to suppress her laughter.

(What kind of massive husband-taming scene is this?)

(Where did Kang Jae-hoon's aura as Jo Tae-oh go?)
(It was wiped out with a slap?)

They noticed curious glances coming from those around them.

"There are too many people here, let's find another place to talk."

Kim Ji-won quickly pulled Jung Soo-jung towards the fire escape.

The iron gate to the fire escape slammed shut, shutting out the noise from the film set.

Kim Ji-won casually made up an excuse to leave the two of them alone.

What time will filming finish?

"There's another reshoot..."

Kang Jae-hoon glanced at his watch: "Within two hours."

"Then... shall we have dinner together?"

"it is good."

Silence spread through the stairwell.

Amidst the hum of the ventilation ducts, Krystal Jung suddenly spoke:
"I just saw that actress touch your hand."

"what?"

Kang Jae-hoon was taken aback, carefully recalling the details of the filming—

Liu Renying did rub her finger against him when she handed him the wet wipe.

He had expected to see Krystal Jung looking angry, but instead met a pair of eyes that were trying to suppress her jealousy and remain calm.

"I'll pay attention next time."

Kang Jae-hoon quickly added.

Krystal Jung shook her head and said:

"No need to explain, I know you have no other intentions..."

"...But I'm a little jealous."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Zai Xun suddenly pulled her into his arms.

"What are you doing——"

The moment the gold-rimmed glasses were removed, her creamy lips were already pressed against mine.

The fleeting touch sent Jung Soo-jung's face instantly burning.

"you"

She opened her mouth, but the sound got stuck in her throat.

Just moments ago, Krystal Jung was fiercely slapping someone's butt, but now even the tips of her ears are burning red.

Will this help with the vinegar effect?

Kang Jae-hoon chuckled softly and put his gold-rimmed glasses back on. The look in his eyes behind the lenses instantly returned to that of the carefree chaebol heir on set, as if the person who had just stolen a kiss wasn't him at all.

This change sent a shiver down Jung Soo-jung's spine.

(That's so unfair.)

She suddenly stood on tiptoe, grabbed Kang Jae-hoon's tie, and forced him to lower his head—

"Well!"

Kang Jae-hoon was caught off guard by the kiss, and his gold-rimmed glasses tilted to one side.

Krystal Jung bit his lower lip like a cat with its fur standing on end, as if asserting her dominance.

The air in the fire escape suddenly became thin.

Kang Jae-hoon's hand hovered in mid-air before gently resting on Jung Soo-jung's waist. The scents of cream and perfume mingled, and he tasted the lingering sweetness of caramel macchiato on Jung Soo-jung's lips.

"...Has the vinegar been neutralized?"

When they parted, Kang Jae-hoon's voice was a little hoarse.

Krystal turned her face away from him, but her fingers were still tightly gripping his tie.

"...So-so."

Just as Kang Jae-hoon was about to kiss him, the door to the fire escape was suddenly pushed open.

"Kang Jae-hoon-ssi! Director Yoo is looking for..."

The stagehand's voice abruptly stopped, and the scene before him instantly petrified him—

Krystal's scarf had slipped off at some point and was hanging messily on her arm. With one hand, she grabbed Kang Jae-hoon's tie and pulled him slightly forward, while with the other hand, she pressed her fingertips against his chest, digging into the folds of his suit vest.

The most terrible thing is--

Her lips were slightly swollen and red, clearly from a passionate kiss. And there was a smear of lip gloss on the corner of Kang Jae-hoon's mouth, not his own, which stood out starkly under the emergency lights.

The air froze for three seconds.

"Uh……"

The stagehand awkwardly backed away: "I didn't see anything..."

The door slammed shut.

The footsteps faded into the distance.

The loud slamming of the door snapped Krystal Jung out of her daze.

She loosened Kang Jae-hoon's tie as if she'd been electrocuted, and hurriedly wiped her mouth:

"It's over, it's over..."

Kang Jae-hoon adjusted his glasses and patted her head:
"It's alright, the crew has all signed confidentiality agreements."

"Is this the point?"

Jung Soo-jung, embarrassed, stomped on his foot: "My lip gloss! Your cream! And—"

She pointed to Kang Jae-hoon's ripped tie:

"What kind of behavior is this?!"

Kang Jae-hoon looked down at his disheveled suit and suddenly burst out laughing:
"Like a chaebol heir being forced by his secretary?"

"Kang! Jae! Hoon!"

Krystal Jung's angry roar echoed in the fire escape.

"I surrender! I surrender!"

Kang Jae-hoon raised his hands: "I'll treat you to a nice meal tonight as an apology, but right now..."

He pointed outside the door and made a throat-slitting gesture:

"I have to face Director Liu's wrath first."

Krystal Jung stared at his grinning face, and finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Serves you right! Go on, and remember to wipe your mouth clean!"

"As ordered!"

(End of this chapter)