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

Chapter 140 Starting Ceremony

The van came to a stop at the edge of a somewhat desolate temporary film set in Gangwon Province.

Jiang Zaihun got out of the car carrying two bottles of Feitian Moutai wrapped in an eco-friendly bag.

Stepping onto the ground covered with gravel and sand.

Look around.

Several large military camouflage tents served as temporary dressing rooms and prop warehouses.

A converted food truck was steaming.

Staff members moved back and forth, setting up lighting tracks and adjusting the position of a camera fixed on a small crane.

The background is a temporary set that simulates a street in Kathmandu.

The walls were covered with signs and faded posters written in Nepali script.

Kang Jae-hoon, carrying the bag, strode quickly through the somewhat noisy background area.

Every now and then, familiar staff members would stop what they were doing, nod, and greet them with a smile.
"He's here, Jaehoon!"

"Morning."

Kang Jae-hoon nodded hastily in response:
"Well, thank you for your hard work!"

"Just arrived!"

"..."

At the end of the tent area.

The largest military tent had its curtains open.

Behind a makeshift "director's workbench" made of several folding tables.

Director Lee Seok-hoon had one hand in the pocket of his work jacket.

With his other hand, he pointed to the large storyboard manuscript and field survey map spread out on the table.

His brows were habitually furrowed, and his lips moved rapidly as if he were explaining something.

An assistant next to him was taking notes rapidly with a notebook.

As Kang Jae-hoon, clutching a bag, lifted the curtain, a rush of air emanating from the room, mingling with director Lee Seok-hoon's voice:
"...At point C4, the wind data simulation is weaker than expected; the actual crosswinds in the crevasse area will be much more unpredictable! The wire traction points need to be marked in advance; otherwise, manual pulling won't be able to maintain stability..."

Director Lee Seok-hoon finished speaking.

They seemed to sense the movement at the door.

Looked up.

My gaze pierced through the light streaming through the tent opening.

It landed on Jiang Zai Xun, who was holding the bag and standing upright.

Hwang Jung-min also turned his head in the direction of Director Lee's gaze.

When he saw the familiar, bulging shape of the eco-friendly bag in Kang Jae-hoon's arms.

The face, weathered even more deeply by the high-altitude winds, was instantly like a pebble thrown into the water.

A bright, undisguised smile, revealing her white teeth, spread across her face.

"Yo!"

Hwang Jung-min waved to Kang Jae-hoon:
"Are you just standing there by the door, starving? Get in here!"

His tone was distinctively rough.

It was full of warmth and familiarity.

Kang Jae-hoon strode in, bowed respectfully, and greeted them.

"Director-nim, teacher."

Director Lee Seok-hoon smiled and nodded.

This can be seen as a response to Kang Jae-hoon's return to the team, and then he immediately turned his attention back to the blueprints and construction details in his hands.

Huang Zhengmin then grabbed the eco-friendly bag.

He didn't care that his assistant and director were present.

He deftly opened the box and peeked inside—

Two classic milky white porcelain bottles, and a bottle of Moutai with a red ribbon bearing the "Flying Fairy" trademark.

Huang Zhengmin's smile widened.

He gave Kang Jae-hoon a light slap on the arm.

He casually gestured with his chin toward the outside of the tent, indicating to Kang Jae-hoon that he should follow.

He then took the lead in walking out, clutching the bag of precious "weapons."

Kang Jae-hoon followed closely behind Hwang Jung-min, silently walking out of the space filled with blueprints, models, and director's instructions.

The curtain fell.

The discussion inside the tent was cut off.

The cold air from the makeshift film set outside, carrying sand and dust, rushed towards us.

"Dayuan told me about the box office situation."

Hwang Jung-min's voice was very calm.

There was no comfort, and no blame.

It's like talking about something completely ordinary.

"Ah."

Kang Jae-hoon lowered his eyes and responded.

"Feeling unhappy?"

Huang Zhengmin asked again.

Kang Jae-hoon paused for a second before whispering:

"I feel a bit... empty. I feel like I'm not putting my energy into the right place."

Huang Zhengmin didn't respond immediately, his steps stopping beside the makeshift wooden backdrop painted with faded Nepalese advertisements.

He turned his head and his gaze fell on his apprentice's face—

Besides the marks left by wind and frost, there was also an undeniable sense of frustration belonging to the young people.

"You, Kang Jae-hoon, not only have a discerning eye for choosing scripts, but you can also predict how they will turn out to be filmed?"

Hwang Jung-min's question startled Kang Jae-hoon.

Before he could say anything, Huang Zhengmin continued:

"Acting is a profession, not a saint."

"As a human being, you have to eat, support your family, and survive in this circle."

"When it comes to accepting roles, there are roles you want to play and roles you have no choice but to play."

"Sometimes it's to repay a favor, sometimes it's to help a friend, and sometimes... it's simply because the pay is so high that you can't refuse."

Huang Zhengmin took out his cigarette case, knocked out a cigarette, and lit it.

"Concessions are inevitable. That's just how things go."

The smoke drifted away with the mountain breeze.

"The key point is that after you conceded this step..."

He lightly tapped the spot on Kang Jae-hoon's chest with the hand holding the cigarette:
"Can you do what you're supposed to do and what you're capable of doing, and make that 'performance' solid?"

Whether the ship is broken or not, whether the wind and waves are big or small, is not up to you. But the rudder is in your hands. Whether you can steer this broken ship out of its own course, even if it's just a small, decent stretch, is your business.

"Tell me, did you steer the ship of 'For Love or Money'? Did you put in the effort you were supposed to?"

The mountain wind howled across the empty film set, stinging people's cheeks.

The sound of construction work could be heard in the distance.

The coldness of box office numbers, the clamor of audience complaints, the exhaustion and confusion of the promotional period... all filled Kang Jae-hoon's mind.

It seems that some of it was blown away by the biting mountain wind.

He recalled his earnestness when analyzing Xu Chenghun repeatedly to the Chinese media, his dedication when working hard to create effects in the variety show studio, and his sincere response to doubts during the roadshow.

The ship is broken.

The waves are large.

The ending was bleak.

but……

"I've done what I was supposed to do."

Kang Jae-hoon's voice was not loud, but it was exceptionally clear.

With a sense of calm after everything has settled down.

"I've done my best."

Huang Zhengmin stared at him for a few seconds.

then.

On that face, etched with the sharp features of time and weather, a very short, yet incredibly real, arc slowly appeared.

He raised his hand, the one not holding the cigarette, and slapped it hard on Kang Jae-hoon's shoulder.

The force was solid and substantial.

It carries a warmth that even the mountain breeze cannot dispel.

"If I can do things with a clear conscience, that's enough."

Standing in the cold wind, Kang Jae-hoon looked at his teacher's profile, which appeared particularly weathered yet wise amidst the swirling smoke.

A lingering sense of resentment and curiosity resurfaced, and he couldn't help but ask:

"Teacher, have you ever acted in... uh... those... universally acknowledged bad movies?"

Huang Zhengmin's fingers, which were holding a cigarette, froze in mid-air.

He slowly turned his head, squinted, and looked at Kang Jae-hoon through the smoke.

The corner of his mouth seemed to twitch upwards slightly.

Then he grinned.

He flashed an incredibly bright, even somewhat childlike, smug smile.

"No."

Hwang Jung-min's smile was both open and infuriating:

Not a single one.

Jiang Jae-hoon: “…”

Looking at the teacher's face, which was grinning from ear to ear through the smoke, the complex emotions that had just been suppressed and subsided were instantly shattered by this self-righteous and shameless "Versailles".

Kang Jae-hoon opened his mouth, but in the end he just raised his hand to wipe his face, forcibly suppressing his expression of being both amused and exasperated.

Fine.

This comfort...

That's hardcore enough.

……

three days later.

November 19th. The wind in Gangwon Province is blowing even more fiercely.

In the open space in the center of the temporary film set.

A long table covered with a red cloth was placed neatly.

In the center of the desk.

The enormous pig's head offering was placed neatly and properly.

It holds a pine branch, a symbol of good fortune, in its mouth.

Red paper was laid out all around.

Several plates of symbolic rice cakes and fruits were laid out.

A small pile of earth and stones was also placed in front of the desk.

A few crudely made incense sticks were stuck in the air.

They worship the gods of this mountain area.

—This is the opening ceremony for the filming of "Himalaya".

Several media reporters carrying cameras had already set up their equipment.

Adjusting the angle outside the warning line.

The stagehands were still doing a final check on the placement of the items.

He called out as he adjusted the angle of the worktable.

Make sure the red cloth is laid out flat.

Jiang Zai Xun had just moved a stack of bundled pine branches to the table and put them down.

Straighten your back.

My gaze habitually swept over the somewhat noisy ceremony venue.

Just as his gaze swept over the media area outside the police line, where a group of people with long guns and microphones were set up.

The movement suddenly stopped.

In the gaps between the crowd.

A figure wearing a long, off-white cashmere coat stood there quietly.

The mountain wind lifted her long, smooth hair.

She tilted her head slightly.

He was talking quietly to a crew member wearing a name tag next to him.

Im Yoon-ah?!

Why is she here?

Kang Jae-hoon's movements froze at the posture of bending over and standing up, his gaze as if drawn by an invisible thread, firmly locked on that beige figure.

The crowd of people and the cameras set up outside the cordon seemed to blur into background noise in an instant.

All that remained was her clear silhouette standing in the biting mountain wind of early winter.

at this time.

The figure outside the cordon, whispering with staff, seemed to sense something.

He tilted his head slightly.

His gaze precisely swept across the crowd.

Passing through the noise.

It landed straight on Kang Jae-hoon.

Eyes facing each other.

A warm smile, like the first rays of sunshine, instantly appeared in Lin Yoona's clear eyes.

The crisp, cold wind in the mountains seemed to strangely imbue her smile with a touch of springtime warmth.

The drab, gray background of the bustling opening ceremony, and even the barren mountains in the distance, all seemed less desolate and rigid because of this smile.

Kang Jae-hoon almost instinctively squeezed towards her.

His steps were a little hurried.

It knocked over a small prop box next to it.

Fortunately, there were only some spare ropes inside.

"How did you come?"

He stopped two steps in front of Lim Yoona.

As the distance gets closer.

The cool, forest-like scent emanating from her coat, mixed with a familiar peach lingering aroma, wafted towards me.

Yoona tilted her head slightly.

His tone carried a hint of slyness and self-assurance:
"I'll attend the opening ceremony of the filming of the movie I'm starring in... Is that okay?"

Jiang Jae-hoon: “…”

This is a huge problem!
Script reading, actor rehearsals, pre-production rehearsals...

He never saw Yoona at any point in the process.

I haven't heard the director or producer mention that she would be joining the project.

"Who are you playing?" Kang Jae-hoon couldn't help but ask.

"you guess?"

Yoona's eyes are curved like crescent moons.

His voice carried a hint of mischievous laughter.

Kang Jae-hoon was taken aback by her sudden gaze.

A thought flashed through my mind in a split second!
Hwang Jung-min plays the captain, Eom Hong-gil.

He plays the mountaineer Park Moo-taek.

The wives of these two core characters are background characters with very little screen time in the script.

It was a special guest appearance.

They hardly participate in the initial rehearsals and readings.

They only join the crew when filming is required.

There weren't many shots.

But it carries a lot of emotional weight.

It is an important anchor point that supports the character's beliefs.

This perfectly matches Yoona's current schedule!
So……

Who does she play?

The answer is about to come out!

Seeing Kang Jae-hoon's expression of sudden realization and astonishment, Lim Yoon-a's smile widened.
"You guessed right, Mr. Park Moo-taek. I look forward to working with you in the future."

"..."

This question not only remained unanswered, but actually deepened.

What is the Himalayas project?
It is director Lee Seok-hoon's ambitious work, three years in the making after "Dancing Queen"!

It is a cultural brand created by deeply integrating Hwang Jung-min's prestigious Chungmuro ​​brand with CJ!

The actors involved—

The main creators, supporting actors, and even staff almost all bear the mark of "Seoul Arts University." It's a complex and intertwined network of relationships within the alumni circle.

And he, Kang Jae-hoon, is able to stand here—

It's because he was personally discovered and taught by Hwang Jung-min, and was considered an "insider" at Seoul Arts University.

But what about Im Yoon-a?
She is indeed a top idol, and she is indeed the face of Girls' Generation, which has extremely high national popularity.

But her network of connections, the system she belongs to...

It's not something that can be easily changed through regular auditions or company operations.

The shock and doubt in Kang Jae-hoon's eyes were almost overflowing.

He was acutely aware of the importance of resources in the Chungmuro ​​core area, and even more so of the selection criteria for the "Himalaya" production team.

But everyone has their own path and resources.

Some things are better left unsaid.

Crossing the line is impolite.

Kang Jae-hoon didn't delve into it further, and instead gestured an invitation towards her:

"Let's go, the ceremony is about to begin."

Yoona hummed in agreement.

Keep up with him.

The ceremony soon resumed.

The incense smoke curled upwards.

May everything go smoothly.

The two stood side by side at the front of the crowd.

The main creators bowed together to the altar in prayer.

Actually, behind Lin Yoona's seemingly leisurely strolling figure lies something more.

It's by no means an easy road—

A large donation from the Korean Mountaineering Association opened the door for her to visit Eom Hong-gil (the real-life figure).

Listen attentively and engage in empathetic conversation.

She won the favor of that heroic captain.

Then.

She quietly went to another place.

Through the introduction of a trusted pastor.

I visited Park Moo-kwan's widow.

No one knows what happened.

As a result, Yoona left with the precious understanding from the bereaved family and the emotional identification she felt while playing her role.

At last.

Leveraging her extensive network of business contacts accumulated over many years, she timely expressed her "deep interest in the project's alignment" and "potential for joint marketing."

No need to force it in.

This reason is woven together by emotional endorsement and commercial value.

Let this small but crucial role be assigned to someone.

Everything will fall into place.

(End of this chapter)