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

Chapter 157 The Busan Journey Ends, Ssangmun-dong Opens

"Director, should we do another take for this scene?"

With half of his face still covered in grime, Kang Jae-hoon approached Director Yeon Sang-ho and asked a question.

Yeon Sang-ho is studying the monitor playback.

A few seconds later.

He waved his hand and said:
"The effect is realistic enough, no need. The time spent cleaning up the smoke and dust is enough to re-lay the tracks."

"Then I'd like to ask for ten minutes off."

"Go."

Kang Jae-hoon turned to the stage manager who came to inform him:
"Please lead the way, I'll be right there."

He hastily wiped his face with the remaining clean cotton pads, which only made the black ash spread more evenly, causing several staff members next to him to suppress their laughter and lower their heads.

He didn't care.

I quickly followed the site assistant toward the factory entrance.

From afar, you could see Lee Soon-kyu standing outside the temporary fence, looking at the huge maintenance workshop and tracks with great interest.

There was a cat carrier that looked very professional at my feet.

“Sun-gyu noona”.

Kang Jae-hoon quickly stepped forward:
"I'm so sorry to have troubled you to make this trip."

"Oh mo!"

Lee Soon-kyu turned his head.

I was so startled by his "two-faced" appearance that I took a half step back.

He then burst into laughter without any restraint.
"Hahahaha! Kang Jae-hoon, did you just crawl out of a mine? Yoona only said she was taking the cat, not that she was going to pick up an 'unearthed artifact'."

Kang Jae-hoon wiped his face helplessly:

"There was a lot of smoke and dust when we filmed the explosion scene. The cat's at the temporary childcare center over there, shall I take you there?"

"Okay."

Lee Soon-kyu, carrying the cat carrier, followed him briskly inside, glancing at him as they went:
"Looks like filming was quite tough?"

"Fortunately."

Kang Jae-hoon habitually downplayed the issue, then, as if remembering something, asked casually:
"By the way, Noona, does Girls' Generation have any comeback plans this year?"

Lee Soon-kyu paused almost imperceptibly.

The smile on his face faded slightly.

His voice carried a hint of something indescribable.

It sounds like self-deprecation, yet it also sounds like a statement of fact:
"Of course! The earth would keep turning no matter who it is!"

Kang Jae-hoon understood the unspoken sigh in the second half of the sentence.

The team spirit has dissipated, and cracks have appeared.

He didn't press for details, but instead asked about something he was more interested in:

"So... when is the comeback date? Will it clash with Yoona's filming schedule in China? She'll have to travel back and forth, won't she be exhausted?"

Lee Soon-kyu glanced at him sideways and curled her lip:
"Hey—Kang Jae-hoon-ssi, what you're saying... Lim Yoona is human, she needs to rest and is afraid of getting tired. Aren't the rest of us human, made of iron?"

His words carried a clear sense of dissatisfaction and sarcasm.

But there was no real blame in his eyes.

Kang Jae-hoon was momentarily speechless before realizing the bias in his words.

Somewhat embarrassed, I touched my nose, only to successfully get another layer of black ash on it.
"...That's not what I meant, of course you guys too..."

"Alright, alright."

Lee Soon-kyu waved his hand to interrupt him.

With an expression that says, "I can't be bothered to listen to your explanation."

"Yoona will handle things herself, you don't need to worry about her. You should worry about your own face!"

She pointed disdainfully at Kang Jae-hoon's face:

"Give me the cat right now, so the little princess won't be upset if she sees you like this."

The two happened to walk by a makeshift cat care station.

The calico cat was nestled in its carrier, watching the two approaching figures warily—especially Kang Jae-hoon, whose face was streaked with black and white.

Lee Soon-kyu truly lives up to his reputation as a seasoned cat lover.

With practiced ease, she opened the cat carrier, took out the prepared treats and comfort toys, and gently coaxed the cat.

Not a moment later.

The initially wary "little princess" was successfully transferred into the cat carrier.

The process went much more smoothly than Kang Jae-hoon had anticipated.

"It's done!"

Lee Soon-kyu zipped up the cat-shaped bag and neatly slung it over her shoulder:
"Don't forget the wine, I'll remember!"

She gestured with her chin towards Kang Jae-hoon.

"must!"

Kang Jae-hoon escorted her all the way to the parking lot.

"Let's go, be careful while filming."

Lee Soon-kyu waved.

The car quickly disappeared from sight.

Kang Jae-hoon was turning around to go back to the film set to continue playing the role of "Painted Face Rong-guk".

Just took two steps.

Then I saw Bae Suzy with her arms crossed, leaning against the shadow of an abandoned train carriage not far away.

Obviously.

She overheard at least part of his conversation with Lee Soon-kyu.

What are you doing here?

Kang Jae-hoon walked straight in her direction and casually asked.

"I'll be waiting for you."

She answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

It's as if this is something that should be taken for granted.

The actual situation is—

Next, Kang Jae-hoon's character "Yong-guk" and Bae Suzy's character "Jin-hee" are linked throughout the story, including a crucial scene where they both become infected.

She could have said, "I have some ideas for the next scene" or "The director said we'll rehearse together later."

But she didn't.

She deliberately removed everything related to work.

Only these three words, which sound both pure and ambiguous, remain.

"Let's go."

Kang Jae-hoon didn't stop walking and continued towards the center of the film set.

Bae Suzy raised her beautiful eyebrows slightly.

The sly smile at the corner of his mouth not only didn't diminish, but actually deepened.

She didn't try to flirt with words anymore.

She simply chuckled softly and followed behind him at a leisurely pace.

She stayed up until the early hours of last night.

I used some connections.

Finally, the "owner" behind the calico cat that hissed at her was equated with Lim Yoona.

They also managed to figure out the ambiguous bond between Kang Jae-hoon and the other party.

His conversation with Lee Soon-kyu just now further confirmed which side his mind was leaning towards.

Lim Yoon-a?
Bae Suzy gave a soft "humph".

She's just an old woman.

She slowly took her phone out of her hoodie pocket and casually swiped her finger across the screen a few times.

The screen lights up.

It was none other than the "masterpiece" she had captured in a candid shot—

Kang Jae-hoon's face was covered in black ash, with only the whites of his eyes and teeth gleaming in the darkness—a truly disheveled "cat face." The photo showed him in a shockingly disheveled state, a stark contrast to his calm and professional demeanor now.

My thumb hovered over the small red trash can icon in the upper right corner of the photo for a moment.

It seems they are seriously considering whether or not to destroy this "dark history".

A few seconds later.

My fingertip decisively moved away from the delete button, and I simply tapped the screen to shrink the photo and return to the album list.

Lock screen.

He deftly slipped his phone back into his pocket.

"Keep it."

She watched as Kang Jae-hoon walked into the makeup area and was being pressed into a chair by the makeup artist to get his makeup done, and muttered to herself:
"Who knows... it might come in very handy in the future."

……

The film set is bustling with activity again.

The following scenes are one of the climaxes of "Train to Busan," a story interwoven with emotion and death.

Rongguo and Zhenxi fled in the chaos.

In her despair, Jin-hee was suddenly grabbed by the fleeing Executive Director Kim and thrown backward, serving as a human shield to block the zombies.

behind the monitor.

Director Yeon Sang-ho held his breath.

—Kang Jae-hoon, who plays Rongguo, heard that short, distorted scream.

He turned back sharply.

The pupils suddenly contracted amidst the extreme chaos and deafening noise.

Before my eyes was Jin-hee being bitten and pinned to the ground, while Executive Director Kim took the opportunity to smash through the door and disappear into the "safe zone".

The anxiety, fear, and anger on Jiang Zai Xun's face settled into a near-petrified, shattered blankness in that instant.

He looked at Jin-hee, who was convulsing violently on the ground.

A tremendous, soul-wrenching pain erupted from his suddenly taut back and from his eyes, which were instantly overwhelmed by despair, before any planned body language could be expressed.

There was no roaring, no hesitation.

With a martyr-like resolve and staggering, he knelt down beside her and held her tightly in his arms.

Bae Soo-ji's body convulsed violently in his arms.

It began to make inhuman "hoho" sounds from its throat.

He lowered his head, his cheek pressed against her sweat-dampened temples, and his shoulders trembled violently—

It was a silent, excruciating grief.

next second.

Bae Suzy, who was in his arms, suddenly stiffened and bit down hard on Kang Jae-hoon's neck!

Kang Jae-hoon did not struggle.

There was no fear on his face.

There was only a deathly desolation and a sorrow etched into the very marrow of one's bones.

The moment the special effects "fangs" pierced his skin, he instinctively tightened his arms—it was no longer a struggle for survival, but a complete embrace and surrender.

The camera zooms out.

The light on the track gradually dimmed.

The two figures, tightly embracing each other, were completely swallowed up by the surging, hunched, and ferocious shadows.

"Crack!"

This scene is extremely emotionally charged.

Kang Jae-hoon and Bae Suzy's performances completely exceeded director Yeon Sang-ho's expectations.

It even conveyed a despair and a tragic, almost suicide-like sorrow that words could not fully express.

After watching the replay and confirming that there were no errors.

The director yelled "Cut!"

After this scene ended, there were no more scenes between Kang Jae-hoon and Bae Suzy on this filming location.

The two were temporarily freed from the shadow of the deaths of "Yong-guk" and "Jin-hee". Watching Gong Yoo and Jung Yu-mi still rehearsing the upcoming escape scene on set, they suddenly felt a sense of relief, as if they had "submitted their papers early".

An idea suddenly popped into my head.

Kang Jae-hoon turned to look at Bae Suzy, whose eyes were vacant and who was wearing zombie makeup, and said:
"Pei the Zombie".

Bae Suzy turned her head a beat late, then blankly pointed to herself:
"calls me?"

Kang Jae-hoon nodded, gesturing with his chin towards Gong Yoo, who was nervously rehearsing their escape scene with Jung Yu-mi not far away:
"Would you like to experience what it's like to hunt down Gong Yoo?"

Bae Soo-ji looked in the direction he indicated.

Gong Yoo was discussing the running routes with the action director with a serious expression.

Completely unaware that they were about to become "prey".

Hunting down... Senior Gong Yoo?
This idea is like a popping candy.

Instantly, tiny bubbles exploded in Bae Suzy's still somewhat confused mind.

Her eyes suddenly lit up.

Fatigue swept away.

Almost immediately, he turned his head, a mischievous smile spreading across his face:

"This suggestion is very constructive!"

The two hit it off.

They have an amazing ability to take action.

There was no need to greet the main cast team who were still busy (director Yan would definitely agree anyway), so he simply crouched down and slipped behind the line of zombie extras who were busy touching up their makeup and making final preparations.

"Unnie! Unnie!"

Bae Suzy stopped a female extra who was being forced by a makeup artist to have "drool" effects added to her lips, and put on a sweet smile:
Could you do me a small favor?

……

ten minutes later.

Two newly formed zombies, even more "ferocious" than the other zombies on set, stealthily approached Gong Yoo, who was rehearsing his blocking.

"Ho-!"

A strange roar came from his side and behind him.

Gong Yoo instinctively turned around, alert.

Suddenly, Kang Jae-hoon, playing a zombie, lunged at him with a twisted but surprisingly fast movement. His ferocious expression and professional "zombie walk" sent a chill down Gong Yoo's spine for a moment.

Wow! What?!

Gong Yoo was both amused and exasperated, and instinctively made a dodging motion.

Before he could completely dodge Kang Jae-hoon's "pounce", another screech came from the other side!
“Ah ...

Bae Suzy's zombie version had an eerie, "mad beauty" vibe; limping yet clearly blocking Gong Yoo's path, she reached out her "bloody" hand to grab his clothes. "Hey! You two!"

Kong Yoo was caught off guard by the sudden "double attack" and was in a flurry of activity.

On one hand, I had to maintain the character's demeanor, but on the other hand, I couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Director! Do something about them! We can't film this!"

The entire set burst into laughter at this unexpected scene.

Director Yeon Sang-ho was also overjoyed.

Not only did they not call a halt, but they also did not stop it.

Instead, he grabbed a handheld DV camera from the side and enthusiastically started filming the chaotic yet joyful scene.

then.

With the director's "indulgence".

An extremely bizarre yet hilarious scene unfolded on set:
The male lead, Gong Yoo, is chased all over the place by two zombies played by important characters who have just "died".

The staff around them burst into laughter.

The director personally filmed and captured this moment of letting loose.

……

A week later.

3 month 20 day.

After filming exterior scenes at the Busan Railway Maintenance Depot, the crew moved to the simulated "Dongdaegu Station".

The following filming was a hellish ensemble drama—

The main characters disembarked full of hope, only to find that the platform had already fallen and they were surrounded by a horde of zombies a hundred times more terrifying than those on the train.

Chaos, stampedes, desperate escapes, tragic sacrifices... After paying a heavy price, the survivors were forced to flee back to that moving hellish train.

Although Kang Jae-hoon and Bae Suzy are "dead".

But as an important figure.

Some of the chaotic escape shots and stand-in scenes still need to be reshot.

Filming this large-scale chaos scene took more time and effort than expected.

When director Yeon Sang-ho finally yelled the last "Cut".

For Kang Jae-hoon and Bae Suzy, who played "Yong-guk" and "Jin-hee" respectively, the intense filming that lasted for a month has finally wrapped up.

The production assistant quickly approached carrying two simply wrapped white single-stem flowers—a common courtesy for Korean film crews when wrapping up filming for the main actors.

"Congratulations on wrapping up filming! Kang Jae-hoon! Bae Suzy! You've worked hard!"

The two accepted the bouquet and thanked her with smiles.

Other lead actors and staff members also gathered around to congratulate and take photos with him.

The flashbulbs kept going off.

Record this moment of filming wrap-up.

Outside the film set.

Jin Dayuan's nanny van was already parked there.

Bae Suzy's manager was also waiting for her not far away.

"Thank you for taking care of me during this time with Hoon oppa."

The "care" that Bae Suzy mentioned was the line that Kang Jae-hoon forced her to start over again and again when the lights were dimmed; it was the stubborn wiping of the "wound" with iodine after being tricked by her; it was the instinctive protection at the moment of the explosion.

Kang Jae-hoon looked at Bae Suzy's untroubled smile and her frankly open arms.

There seems to be no reason not to reach out.

Hesitation only flashed across the surface of the skin.

He quickly stepped forward and politely and restrainedly put his arm around her shoulder.

It avoids the sensitive central area of ​​the back, resting lightly on the edge of the shoulder blade.

"You worked hard too, you acted wonderfully."

Bae Suzy's arms wrapped tightly around him.

Kang Jae-hoon could even feel her heart pounding through her costume, still pounding from the chaotic scene. But he maintained a polite composure, neither stiffening nor offering any further response.

The speed at which she released him mirrored the intensity of her embrace.

What are the plans next?

The flower stem twirled between Bae Suzy's fingers, but her eyes were glued to his face.

"The script reading for 'The Producers' at KBS is about to begin."

Kang Jae-hoon answered decisively.

This is not a secret trip, and there are no confidentiality clauses, so there is no need to hide it.

"The Producers..."

Bae Suzy repeated the drama title thoughtfully.

Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, but quickly returned to normal.

"fighting!"

She clenched her fist and made a thumbs-up gesture: "Well... goodbye?"

Kang Jae-hoon keenly sensed a hint of reluctance in her words.

Is it the emptiness that comes after filming wraps up and the character is no longer there?
Or is it just a fleeting, unfulfilled affection that's been building up?

Maybe both.

But Kang Jae-hoon didn't delve into those subtle emotional ripples.

Bae Suzy is like a little sun with her own energy field; her heat is scorching, and it leaves a mark on anyone she shines on.

But how long can that hype last?
he does not know.

I don't want to evaluate it for now.

He only nodded slightly.

"Looking forward to working together again next time."

"Of course we want to cooperate again!"

Bae Suzy caught it immediately, the last note bouncing as it hit the car window, her hand waving vigorously, but her smile subtly faltered a little as he turned to open the car door.

The nanny van door was just opened a crack.

Jin Dayuan's amused gaze and the toothpick he was holding came from both sides.

He tapped the toothpick tip away, his gaze fixed on the figure outside the car getting into another vehicle, then shifting back to Kang Jae-hoon's face.
"Your relationship with Ms. Suzy progressed quite quickly, but it ended a little too soon, lacking a touch of romance."

"Stop kidding me, bro."

Kang Jae-hoon was already used to his manager's sharp tongue.

He didn't even twitch his eyebrows.

Throw the flowers into the back seat.

fasten your seatbelt.

I leaned back into the spacious seat.

Eyelids half closed.

My tense nerves had just relaxed, and I simply didn't have the energy, or rather, the inclination, to deal with the teasing.

Seeing that he didn't respond, Jin Dayuan's interest waned somewhat. He started the car and said:

"Your teacher's flight will land in an hour, so it's just the right time to go to Incheon Airport. Also, your lioness's 'Queen's Flower' premieres tonight at 8 PM."

"Oh, I see."

Kang Jae-hoon took out his phone.

With practiced ease, I opened the two pinned contacts on KakaoTalk.

The screen light reflected on his face, which showed no emotional fluctuation.

[To Yoona: Filming is finished. I'll pick up the little princess from Sunny's noona later.]

Finished.

My finger kept swiping, quickly switching to another name.

[To Bible: Filming has wrapped. Let's watch the premiere of "Queen's Flower" together tonight.]

This one is equally straightforward.

Without any unnecessary embellishment, the three words "watch together" directly set the tone for the action.

The two messages were like arrows shot out.

Before the wind could even tug at their tail feathers, they were already firmly planted in their respective bullseye.

Kang Jae-hoon turned off the screen.

The car radio was playing Girls' Generation's "Mr.Mr." from last year.

He turned down the volume and turned his head to look out the window.

The sea surface flashing past the highway guardrail was dazzlingly bright like scattered silver under the midday sun, and the huge silhouettes of cruise ships in the distant port looked like crouching beasts against the sky.

……

The smells at the international arrivals area of ​​Terminal 1 at Incheon Airport are always mixed.

The tide of people slowly surged in the pale sunlight filtering through the glass curtain wall.

Kang Jae-hoon immediately spotted the particularly conspicuous group of people.

It's not because they're so noisy.

in contrast.

It is a magnetic field that has its own calming aura.

At the heart of the crowd—

Hwang Jung-min was wearing a large, dark gray down jacket, with exaggerated aviator sunglasses perched on his nose, obscuring most of his weathered face. Beside him stood Ra Mi-ran, who also looked travel-worn but was noticeably more energetic, carrying a large canvas bag over her shoulder, and was whispering something to Hwang Jung-min.

"teacher!"

Kang Jae-hoon called out, quickened his pace, and naturally reached out to take the luggage cart handle from Hwang Jung-min, bowing slightly in greeting.

"Senior Meilan."

The movements were fluid.

Respectful yet not distant.

Luo Meilan laughed heartily:
"Oh! Jae-hoon arrived just in time. Tsk, I really envy your teacher for having such a good student."

As she spoke, she nudged Hwang Jung-min's thick down jacket sleeve with her elbow without any hesitation.

"Meeting a teacher is a blessing I have accumulated over thousands of years."

Kang Jae-hoon responded with perfect ease.

His eyes were extremely sincere when he bowed.

This is by no means a deliberate compliment.

It is not a matter of the heart, but rather a matter of the mind.

He knew better than anyone that without this opportunity, without the patron's casual guidance, his acting skills might have been honed for decades, but he would only be able to linger on the fringes of the film set—possessing the skills to slay dragons, but having no dragons to slay.

No matter how good your acting skills are, it's hard to reach the top.

This industry is never short of talented people who waste their time.

"Listen to that! Old Huang, listen to your apprentice's mouth!"

Ra Mi-ran immediately turned to Hwang Jung-min and clicked her tongue, her face full of undisguised mockery.

Hear the words.

Hwang Jung-min's lips curled into a slight upward arc.

The hand carrying the small travel bag casually waved, conveying a sense of pride, yet trying not to appear too smug:

"Good seedlings can't just be pulled out of the ground. Vision, timing... you can't lack either one."

Kang Jae-hoon also had a smile on his lips.

Hwang Jung-min is a person who cherishes old friendships and values ​​loyalty.

Two years ago was the peak of his career—

With the afterglow of "New World" still lingering, a happy family life, and a mountain of high-quality scripts in hand, she unexpectedly encounters Kang Jae-hoon, who has not yet debuted.

His little thoughts.

They said they were taking on apprentices.

It's more like a martial arts master in a wuxia film, who, on a whim, casually offers some pointers to a naive young man who seems pleasing to the eye and has decent potential, hoping to pass on his secret skills so that the young man won't take them with him later.

therefore.

It's less about Kang Jae-hoon being lucky.

Rather, it was just that at the "right time," Huang Zhengmin happened to have a rare moment of free time and a "right space" where he had the idea of ​​"educating people."

"Alright, stop showing off. Nobody thinks you're mute."

Ra Mi-ran interrupted Hwang Jung-min and changed the subject:

"Has Jae-hoon just finished filming?"

"Yes, we're getting ready to film the new KBS drama 'The Producers'."

Kang Jae-hoon responded honestly.

"Your schedule is quite full."

"Senior Meilan has a new project again?"

"Hey, just messing around!"

Although Luo Meilan said this, her eyes lit up a little:

"TVN poached a director named Shin Won-ho, and this time he made the final episode of the Reply series, which tells a story about a hutong in the 1980s."

She probably felt she could connect with Kang Jae-hoon, so she casually mentioned:
"There's a closed-door audition tomorrow afternoon. I heard there are a lot of roles, so I have to go and join in. I hope I can get a role as a housewife in Ssangmun-dong!"

After saying that, she burst into laughter.

"Director Shin Won-ho?"

Kang Jae-hoon's attention was indeed drawn to the name.

It's not because of the new drama.

It's because Shin Won-ho's ability to discover and train actors is widely recognized in the industry.

The track record of successfully transitioning actors like Jung Eun-ji is impressive.

"Yeah! Huh?"

Luo Meilan stopped and turned to look at him:

"What, interested? I heard the female lead has been cast with an idol, how about we go check it out tomorrow afternoon?"

"Sure, let's go with Senior Meilan to broaden our horizons and learn something."

He knew that Luo Meilan was going along with the flow, doing him a favor, and also looking for company.

But Kang Jae-hoon was also genuinely curious about Shin Won-ho's workplace.

"Alright! It's settled then! I'll send you the address later!"

"..."

Walk to the pick-up/drop-off point.

The three said goodbye.

Kim Dae-won and Kang Jae-hoon quickly stuffed Hwang Jung-min's large luggage into the van.

Ra Mi-ran then got into her agent's car.

(End of this chapter)