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

Chapter 132 Throat Lozenges and Farewell Cigarette Packs
When Lim Yoon-a heard the name "Lee Sung-kyung," her fingertips paused slightly in her hair.

He then casually lowered his hand and turned to look at Kang Jae-hoon:

"Did your roommate come over to help you with your meals?"

"Come on, I'll take a verification photo for you."

Kang Jae-hoon was clearly taken aback.

He seemed surprised that she would bring this up on her own initiative.

But he quickly nodded, got up, and followed.

Kim Ji-won thought that Im Yoon-a would at least frown, or find an excuse to avoid it—

But the other party not only didn't dodge, but instead took the initiative to meet him.

Something is wrong...
Kim Ji-won bit her lower lip and quickly followed.

……

A food truck with Kang Jae-hoon's endorsement photo was parked in front of the guesthouse.

The banner read, "Go, crew of 'Good Days'!"

Next to the staff lined up to receive coffee and sandwiches, there was a life-size standee of Kang Jae-hoon.

"Give me the phone."

Lim Yoon-a extended her hand to Kang Jae-hoon with her palm facing up.

Kang Jae-hoon handed it over after unlocking it.

As she took it, her thumb inadvertently brushed against the home button, and the screen lit up—

The wallpaper is a picture of a calico cat curled up on her balcony sunbathing.

"A little to the left."

Lim Yoona took two steps back, raised her phone, pointed it at the food cart, and tapped the screen twice with her index finger to adjust the focus:

"Hold the edge of the signboard."

Kang Jae-hoon adjusted his posture accordingly.

After taking three photos in a row.

While checking the photo's effect, Lim Yoona quickly swiped her finger to the left—

The latest photo is a group photo taken at the opening ceremony of "Good Days".

Scrolling further back, we see a photo taken on the streets of Vienna to commemorate the wrap-up of "For Love or Money"—Liu Yifei and Kang Jae-hoon stand on either side of the director.

Continue swiping left.

A series of more than ten photos are close-ups of calico cats:
Some were curled up on their suitcases, some were squatting by the window watching the rain, and some were munching on dried fish.

Interspersed among them were a few funny selfies of Kang Jae-hoon holding a cat—

These are all the daily check-in photos she requested.

The background is sometimes a hotel gym.

Sometimes it's a dressing room.

The furthest photo is a night view taken on the Bund.

Krystal Jung is not included.

Lee Sung-kyung was not there either.

"Change your position."

Im Yoona switched back to camera mode without changing her expression:

"Smile more happily."

Another three-shot sequence.

Kang Jae-hoon leaned over to look at the photos, and Lim Yoon-ah tilted her phone screen toward him.

"Very well shot." He nodded.

"Your facial proportions are so perfect that even a landline camera couldn't find fault with them."

"It's not that exaggerated..."

"Do not believe?"

When Lim Yoona turned her head, she happened to meet Kim Ji-won's probing gaze from a few steps away.

"Ji-won-ssi, can you take a group photo for us?"

Kim Ji-won: “…”

(Are you crazy?)
(You actually asked me, your ex-girlfriend's best friend, to take couple photos for you guys?)

(This woman is definitely provoking us!)
But she still took the phone.

In the shot, Lim Yoona naturally took half a step closer to Kang Jae-hoon.

There was a perfect two-centimeter gap between their shoulders.

Kim Ji-won deliberately pressed the shutter five times in a row.

This is to ensure that the moment when Yoona closes her eyes can be captured.

Unfortunately.

How could Yoona possibly blink while taking a photo?
—In the five consecutive photos, Yoona's eyes remain bright and expressive.

The third one is the most infuriating.

In the moment when Kim Ji-won deliberately shook her hand, the woman actually tilted her head slightly, revealing her more photogenic left side profile.

"Ji-won-ssi has a great sense of composition~"

Im Yoona took the phone and tapped the screen to zoom in on the details. She then turned the phone towards Kang Jae-hoon:
"Right?"

"Ah."

aside.

Kim Ji-won, who was staring at the two studying the photos, suddenly realized something—

(etc……)
(Yoona specifically asked me to take a picture of her and Kang Jae-hoon together...)
(Who is this for?)

(It can't possibly be for me, right?)
So--

Kim Ji-won's gaze slowly shifted to Lee Sung-kyung's signature on the banner on the food truck.

(Oh my god!)

(This woman actually wants to use the photos I took to provoke Lee Sung-kyung?!)
(I've become her ally???)
Kim Ji-won thought that mentioning Lee Sung-kyung's name would at least make Im Yoon-ah waver a little—

After all, he was Kang Jae-hoon's roommate, someone even Jung Soo-jung was wary of.

But instead of avoiding it, Yoona took the initiative to pull Kang Jae-hoon to take pictures.

even……

He even made himself the photographer.

Yoona didn't care at all.

Or perhaps she cared, but chose a smarter approach—

There was no deliberate avoidance, no sarcastic remarks.

They didn't care at all.

She simply continued at her own pace, downplaying the issue.

Acceptance, but not recognition of particularity.

Lee Sung-kyung could be a roommate, a sister, or a family member.

But he will never be defined as a "love rival" by Lim Yoon-a.

Because acknowledging someone's uniqueness is equivalent to giving them a sense of presence.

Kim Ji-won suddenly realized how ridiculous her actions had been—

She seems to be setting a trap for Im Yoona.

But in reality, she was just being led by the nose.

It became a pawn in this game.

Kim Ji-won has once again experienced how terrifying Im Yoon-ah is—

It's not about being aggressive or scheming, but rather about this effortless composure.

……

"Send me the photos later, Kakao."

Yoona glanced at her watch and sighed softly.
"Ah, I have to go. My manager oppa said if I stay any longer I'll miss my flight back to Seoul."

"Okay, be careful on the road."

"Then see you back in Seoul."

Im Yoona smiled and waved to Kim Ji-won:
"Ji-won-ssi, good luck with the filming too."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the nanny van.

Her silhouette was so light and graceful, it was as if she had just come to visit the set, rather than having won a battle on a silent battlefield.

Kim Ji-won waved and watched her figure disappear behind the car door, suddenly feeling that all her probing had been like punching cotton.

No, it's worse than that.

She wasn't even sure if Yoona considered her a rival.

……

That night.

After the film crew finished work.

Kang Jae-hoon returned to his hotel room, sat on the bed, opened Kakao, and started typing.

[Kang Jae-hoon]: The food truck has been received, thank you.

Two minutes later, the screen lit up.

Lee Sung-kyung: Hmm.

Kang Jae-hoon stared at the brief reply for a while, then added another sentence.

[Kang Jae-hoon]: The crew praised the coffee and sandwiches.

Lee Sung-kyung: Oh.

[Kang Jae-hoon]: You don't have any plans today?

Lee Sung-kyung: Yes.

[Kang Jae-hoon]: So you even arranged for a food truck to come over?

[Lee Sung-kyung]: My agent was going that way.

Kang Jae-hoon's lips twitched, and his finger hovered over the screen for a few seconds.

[Kang Jae-hoon]: ...Thank him for me.

[Lee Sung-kyung]: Thank myself.

Kang Jae-hoon stared at the reply and couldn't help but smile.

I put down my phone, rubbed the back of my neck, and got up to go to the bathroom to wash up.

My phone vibrated again when I heard the sound of running water.

He dried his hands and picked it up to read.

Lee Sung-kyung: Go to bed early.

[Kang Jae-hoon]: You too.

Lee Sung-kyung: ...So annoying, don't reply.

Kang Jae-hoon looked at the chat interface and finally replied with "Goodnight".

The other party has not read the message.

He put down his phone, walked to the window, and drew back the curtains.

The nights on Jeju Island are very quiet.

A few streetlights can be seen in the distance.

He instinctively reached into his pocket for a cigarette, his fingertips first touching the square metal box—

The throat lozenges were given to me by Lim Yoon-a.

The cigarette pack was underneath.

Kang Jae-hoon took both items out and placed them on the windowsill.

The throat lozenge box gleamed coldly in the moonlight, while the cigarette box appeared much dimmer.

The wrapper of the throat lozenge made a soft rustling sound.

The coolness of mint immediately spreads across the tip of the tongue.

Several flying insects circled around the light of the street lamp outside the window.

When the sound of running water in the bathroom started again.

The cigarette pack lay quietly at the bottom of the trash can, mostly covered by several crumpled tissues.

……

The next morning.

When Kim Ji-won arrived at the dressing room on set, Kang Jae-hoon was already sitting in front of the mirror getting his hair done.

"morning."

Hearing the noise, Kang Jae-hoon looked up and smiled at her through the makeup mirror.

Kim Ji-won paused in her steps.

(what happened?)
She walked to her seat and sat down, asking casually:
Did you sleep well last night?

"Ah."

indeed.

The bluish-gray layer under his eyes, which had been left from filming late into the night, had faded considerably.

The sensation of a makeup brush brushing across her cheek brought Kim Ji-won back to reality.

In the mirror.

Kang Jae-hoon finished his styling and got up to leave.

His back was as straight as a pine tree, and his steps were as light as a swallow.

He was completely different from the man who had been silent and smoking with a melancholy look between his brows just a few days ago.

(what happened?)

(Lee Sung-kyung's food truck?)

(Yoona's words of encouragement?)

(still……)
Kim Ji-won's gaze fell on the chair that Kang Jae-hoon had just sat on.

A faint woody scent lingered in the air of the dressing room—his old perfume.

(Did he switch back to his old perfume?)
Kim Ji-won remembers it very clearly.

Ever since Jung Soo-jung broke up with him, Kang Jae-hoon has always had a faint smell of tobacco on him.

But now.

The tobacco smell disappeared.

In its place came a familiar scent—

It's like he's back to the state he was in when he first filmed "The Heirs".

She was clean, bright, and free of any gloom.

(Have you quit smoking?)
(Or is it...)
(Have you completely moved on?)

In Kim Ji-won's mind, the conflict between Kang Jae-hoon and Jung Soo-jung was only temporary.

After all, the reason they broke up wasn't because they stopped loving each other. It was because of misunderstandings, insecurity, and those damn "bad romantic interests."

But now.

Kang Jae-hoon's demeanor seemed to be telling her—

He has no intention of turning back.

(Is it because of Im Yoona?)

(Is it still because of Lee Sung-kyung?)
(or……)
(He simply didn't want to be trapped in the past anymore?)

Kim Ji-won took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

(no.)
(If even Kang Jae-hoon can let go, what about Krystal?)

She recalled Krystal Jung's condition during this period—

Even though my schedule is packed, I'm always distracted.

She smiles brightly in front of the camera, but is as silent as a stagnant pool in private.

Looking at her perfectly made-up self in the mirror, Kim Ji-won suddenly felt a little tired.

(Yoona is so smart.)
(Lee Sung-kyung is too special.)
(Little Crystal is not doing well again...)
(well……)
(This is so hard for me...)
……

Filming in Jeju Island is progressing much faster than expected.

Kang Jae-hoon's condition visibly improved, which in turn boosted the efficiency of the entire crew. Scenes originally planned to be completed in twenty days were all filmed in fifteen days.

Some people in the crew even wentssiped about it privately.

Some people are saying he might be possessed by the "god of acting".

But in fact.

Kang Jae-hoon just slept a little better.

I've stopped smoking.

That's all.

September st.

Night.

Commercial street in Seogwipo City.

The crew of "Good Days" filmed the final scene of the Jeju Island episode here.

The scene depicts the female lead, played by Kim Ji-won, confessing her feelings to Kang Jae-hoon in Chinese on her last night before leaving Jeju Island.

The character she plays is a publishing editor.

To compile travel guides for Chinese tourists visiting South Korea.

This setting is quite cunning—

This expressed their feelings while also leaving themselves an out.

The female lead confessed her feelings in Chinese because she was afraid the male lead would understand and reject her.

But I was also afraid that he wouldn't understand at all.

So I gave him a travel book that I had edited myself.

It just so happens that it contains a Korean translation of my own confession.

Because Korean dramas are recorded directly.

No secondary dubbing is involved.

Therefore, the Chinese spoken in the video was by Kim Ji-won herself.

Kang Jae-hoon never expected that the Chinese he learned during his three months of filming in China would come in handy on the Korean film set.

--Yes.

He was the person on set who spoke Chinese with the least accent.

So.

He taught Kim Ji-won her Chinese confession lines word by word.

This scene was filmed in two takes.

Kim Ji-won's performance was very nuanced.

After she finished expressing her feelings in Chinese, her eyes held both anticipation and trepidation, perfectly conveying the contradictory emotions of "being afraid that he would understand, yet also afraid that he wouldn't."

Although the pronunciation still has a Korean accent.

But it's much more natural than the original, completely transliterated, strange pronunciation.

Kang Jae-hoon's performance was still excellent.

The character he plays is portrayed as dull and taciturn.

Therefore, many scenes have no dialogue and are performed solely through micro-expressions and body language.

In this scene.

After listening to what was said, Kang Jae-hoon simply tilted his head slightly.

A simple action perfectly illustrates the confusion of "not understanding".

"Pass!"

The scene has been filmed.

This means that filming for "A Good Day" in Jeju Island has been completed.

Next, we'll return to Seoul to film the remaining scenes.

During a break while the film crew was packing up their equipment.

Director Kwon Hyuk-chan called Kang Jae-hoon to his side.

"Jae-hoon, there's something I'd like to ask you. Could you find a friend in the industry to make a cameo appearance as your boss in the drama?"

"I'll try to get in touch with them."

Kang Jae-hoon did not make his statement completely.

Actually.

He doesn't know many people who fit the role of a boss.

I took out my phone and scrolled through my contacts, quickly identifying two suitable candidates—

Lee Kwang-soo and Yoo Hae-jin.

The former is the "Little Prince of Asia," who is currently enjoying immense popularity in the Asian market.

The latter is a veteran supporting actor in Chungmuro ​​with solid acting skills.

He lowered his eyes, deep in thought.

Unlike television productions, web series need more gimmicks to drive viewership.

They prioritize generating buzz and attracting attention over acting skills.

therefore.

Lee Kwang-soo's variety show persona and international fame clearly better suited the production team's needs.

……

On the set of "It's Okay, That's Love".

Tonight's filming is for the final episodes.

The entire crew was immersed in the relaxed atmosphere of filming wrapping up.

When the phone vibrates.

Lee Kwang-soo was standing by the monitor, waiting for the director to call "cut".

The caller ID showed it was Kang Jae-hoon.

He raised an eyebrow, walked to a corner, and answered the phone.

"Thinking about the Bible?"

"Huh? I thought about it, no..."

Kang Jae-hoon was holding his phone and didn't react for a moment.

"Shengjing has been having trouble eating lately. Last week, when we went to the gym together to lift weights, she almost got her foot crushed by the barbell."

"what?!"

Lee Kwang-soo's laughter came through the phone again:

"So it seems she's lovesick?"

"ah!"

A familiar scolding voice suddenly came from the phone's receiver.

Kang Jae-hoon glanced at the screen; the photo of the calico cat had a date on it.

2014 9 Month 1 Day.

He suddenly realized—

It has been 107 days since I last saw Lee Sung-kyung.

This is the first time in six years since they met that they have been separated for so long.

(It's been six years already without me even realizing it...)
Kang Jae-hoon looked down at his palm.

The calluses on his palms are still from practicing pole dancing while filming "Veteran".

(I do miss her a little...)
A series of hurried footsteps came from the other end of the phone, and Lee Kwang-soo's panting voice returned:

"Hey? Jae-hoon, is there something wrong with you calling all of a sudden?"

Kang Jae-hoon then came to his senses and remembered the important matter.

"Oh right. Kwang-soo hyung, I have a web series I'd like you to guest star in. You can play my boss. It's not a big role, and it can be filmed in a day."

"Web series?"

"Yes, the crew of 'Good Day,' which LINE invested in, is returning to Seoul tomorrow."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Lee Kwang-soo's hearty laughter:

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

The call ended abruptly and decisively.

Kang Jae-hoon held the phone with some surprise.

He thought he would at least exchange a few polite words, but to his surprise, Lee Kwang-soo agreed immediately.

……

Lee Kwang-soo hung up the phone and turned around, only to find that Lee Sung-kyung was already standing behind him.

She was also holding a mineral water bottle in her hand.

It was obviously this that hit him on the head.

"I'm going to have a cameo role in Jae-hoon's new drama tomorrow, wanna come along?"

"Don't go."

"Why? Wasn't filming supposed to wrap up today?"

"I have a schedule."

What itinerary?

"Private matter."

Lee Kwang-soo raised an eyebrow:
"Is he going to the gym to lift weights?"

"..."

The mineral water bottle made a cracking sound as Lee Sung-kyung squeezed it.

"Alright, I'll go myself. But—"

Lee Kwang-soo paused deliberately and said, "Jae-hoon said he hasn't seen you in a long time and misses you a lot."

Lee Sung-kyung suddenly looked up:
"He said that?"

"uh-huh."

"..."

Seeing her visibly wavering expression, Lee Kwang-soo pressed his advantage:
"Just consider it a trip to observe the filming process of web series?"

Lee Sung-kyung opened her mouth, but in the end only managed to squeeze out a stiff sentence:
"……What time is it?"

"Ten o'clock in the morning."

"I just went to observe the acting."

Lee Sung-kyung emphasized, "It has nothing to do with Kang Jae-hoon."

"Of course."

Lee Kwang-soo nodded vigorously.

"After all, you're aiming to transition into acting~"

Not far away, Jo In-sung waved in this direction:

"Kwang-soo, Sungkyung, come take a picture!"

"coming!"

Lee Sung-kyung jogged over and blended into the crowd taking photos after filming wrapped.

Lee Kwang-soo followed leisurely behind, glancing down as he sent a message to Kang Jae-hoon:
[Lee Kwang-soo]: See you tomorrow. Oh, and the Bible will be here too.

After sending the message, he put away his phone and walked happily towards the group taking photos to mark the end of filming.

—Anyway, he wasn't lying.

Kang Jae-hoon did indeed say he "missed her".

It just didn't say whether it was "missing her" or "wanting her to come."

As for whether Lee Sung-kyung will actually appear on set?
Who knows.

(End of this chapter)