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

Chapter 160 Sweet Troubles (Double)
"How about it?"

Kim Dae-won, with a newly replaced toothpick dangling from his mouth, watched Kang Jae-hoon fasten his seatbelt.

“Meilan Nuna signed the contract on the spot.”

Who asked her?

Jin Dayuan chuckled, twirling a toothpick nimbly around the corner of his mouth:
"I'm asking you! Didn't Director Shin Won-ho pull you aside to chat about anything?"

"Oh."

Kang Jae-hoon seemed to just realize what was happening and said:

"We talked. He wants me to play Kim Jung-hwan, probably one of the main characters, but I'm not sure which role he'll play. I didn't say for sure."

"Oh?"

Jin Dayuan became interested, started the car, and drove out of the parking space:

"So how are you feeling?"

Jiang Zaixun looked out the window at the flowing gray cement pillars and said:
"I only watched a short clip of a mother and son's interaction. It felt like... the kind of drama that uses the daily lives of a few families in a small alley in Ssangmun-dong to tell a story about the changing times, family, friendship, and love? The meta-narrative structure is quite obvious."

Jin Dayuan rolled his eyes:

"Speak like a human being! Are you going to act or not?"

"..."

Kang Jae-hoon remained silent for a few seconds before finally giving an ambiguous answer:
"I didn't think about it."

Jin Dayuan didn't press him, and turned the steering wheel:
"Alright, no rush. Let's wait until they send over the official character information and quote, then we can figure it out. The cable TV budget... tsk, so stingy."

The car made several turns.

We drove into Cheongdam-dong, a quiet and upscale residential area amidst the hustle and bustle.

enter password.

The door lock made a slight "click".

The living room was quiet.

"Little princess?"

He called out softly.

The flight case is placed in the corner of the entryway.

The calico cat, which had been brought back not long ago, was peeking its fluffy little head out from the top shelf of the cat tree, its round cat eyes watching the doorway warily.

It was him.

It tilted its head.

She jumped down lightly.

I tiptoed silently to his feet, stepping on my little paws.

Its tail tip curled lazily.

"did you miss me?"

Kang Jae-hoon squatted down.

I reached out and gently scratched its little chin.

The cat purred contentedly.

She rubbed her head against his palm.

"Meow……"

counts as a response.

I played with the cat for a while.

Make sure the food bowl is filled with fresh cat food and the water bowl is full.

Kang Jae-hoon then went to wash his hands.

The corner of the living room is bathed in sunlight.

Kang Jae-hoon sat down on the single sofa covered with a soft blanket, took out the script of "The Producers" which was already a bit worn from being read so many times, and spread it out on his lap.

Sunlight streamed through the large floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating his focused profile.

The only sounds in the space were the occasional sound of pages turning and the faint tapping of a cat's paw pads against the woven rattan as it jumped around on the cat tree.

Time flows silently between the quiet pages of the book.

The last rays of the setting sun completely disappeared behind the buildings.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Cheongdam-dong apartment, the city lights shimmer like a river.

Kang Jae-hoon closed the script.

Get up.

I walked over to the calico cat that was still curled up on the half-level platform of the cat tree.

“Princess.”

He gently scratched the cat's fluffy chin with his finger:

"Be a good boy and stay home."

The little princess let out a lazy "meow".

Close all windows.

Make sure the automatic feeders and water dispensers in the room are in good working order.

The motion-activated lights in the hallway went out and came back on as he walked.

The elevator's metal doors slid open and closed silently.

The night gently enveloped the hustle and bustle.

The convenience store downstairs in Seongsudong was dimly lit and quiet.

Kang Jae-hoon pulled his hat down and walked to the drinks area.

My eyes swept over the dazzling array of liquor brands.

Fingertips brushed over the best-selling Jinro, which accounts for almost half of the market.

finally.

It landed on a row of Hatsura shochu bottles with simpler packaging designs and cleaner bottle lines.

— Bae Suzy's delicate face was smiling at him on the packaging.

He reached out and took two bottles at once.

Beer section.

I also took two light gold Lion brand beer cans.

Then I went to the refrigerated display case next to me and took out the largest white plastic ice cup with water droplets condensing on the rim.

checkout counter.

drip-drip-drip-

"Sir, would you like a shopping bag?"

The young shop assistant's voice carried a hint of weariness from working the night shift.

"Need not."

Kang Jae-hoon paid the money promptly.

I carefully stuffed the purchased drinks into the side pocket of my shoulder bag.

He kept only the ice cup in his hand.

The convenience store lights were left behind him.

Jiang Zaixun turned into the back of the apartment building with practiced ease, into the narrow ventilation shaft between the two tall buildings—from here you could see the headlights of cars speeding by on the road in the distance, but no one could see your face clearly.

Pull down your mask.

Unscrew the cap of the Hatsura shochu bottle.

The aroma of shochu, mixed with a faint, unusually delicate fruity fragrance, instantly filled the air.

No hesitation.

He roughly poured an entire bottle of Hatsura shochu into a large ice glass.

Followed by.

boo——

The beer was pulled open and poured in.

The pale golden liquid blended quickly with the shochu.

The foam surged up, gathered, overflowed the rim of the cup, and slid down the side of the cup.

He picked up the heavy ice glass.

There was no pause.

Head up.

Gulp—Gulp—Gulp—

The ice glass was quickly emptied.

Kang Jae-hoon did not stop.

At the same speed.

Mix and administer.

The second cup, the third cup...

Until the fourth glass of mixed liquor was completely downed.

Kang Jae-hoon vigorously wiped his wet chin, then casually crushed the plastic cup that only had a little ice water left, and threw the bottle and the cup into the nearby recycling bin.

—This kind of behavior would inevitably draw a lecture from the older women during the day, but fortunately it's late at night now.

I walked to the entrance of the building.

Kang Jae-hoon shook his head vigorously, which made his vision even more blurry and shaky.

He grabbed the coat collar haphazardly with his left hand and pulled it to one side—

He exuded an aura of decadence, as if he had been thoroughly soaked in alcohol.

step.

step.

Shaky.

He stumbled and bumped his way through the building entrance.

They rushed into the dark stairwell.

In the narrow stairwell, my steps began to feel heavy and dragging.

"Boom...boom..."

The dim motion-activated lights hesitantly lit up behind him, one layer at a time, in sync with his footsteps, and then went out one by one as he stumbled away.

"Three...four...five..."

He seemed to be counting, or perhaps confirming the floor number.

The voice was muffled and slurred, and the tongue was tied in knots.

at last.

I climbed up to the fifth floor.

Standing in front of my familiar security door.

He seemed to be frozen in place.

Keep your head down.

He roughly rummaged through his pants pockets with both hands.

The keychain was finally found.

My fingers clumsily fumbled through the cold keychain.

The keys rattled and clanged.

"Where...where..."

he muttered.

My fingers tapped around on several similar-looking brass keys, but I just couldn't hit the target.

finally.

He finally managed to pick out the key.

It was pushed into the keyhole at an angle.

Click... Click...

That's not accurate.

The key head kept striking the metal frame of the door lock.

It makes a series of small, annoying noises.

Several attempts failed.

His breathing became increasingly heavy and rapid.

"Tsk!"

Just as Kang Jae-hoon pretended to lose all patience and suddenly raised his hand to try and forcefully ram the keyhole—

"Click!"

A soft sound.

Suddenly, the security door in front of them was pushed open a crack from the inside.

Bright light from the living room instantly poured out from the crack in the door.

The outline of the slender figure standing inside the door is sketched.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

The only moment of darkness was caused by the motion-sensor lights in the hallway automatically turning off due to prolonged silence.

Kang Jae-hoon remained in the position of trying to unlock the door.

In the brief darkness when the light disappears and then reappears.

He seemed to see beneath the icy, hard shell on Lee Sung-kyung's face.

Extremely subtle.

Something struck it, creating a fleeting crack.

She didn't utter a single word.

He simply and silently observed the utterly hopeless mess outside the door.

But the door was ultimately wide open.

The light completely illuminated his swaying body.

Lee Sung-kyung's brows were furrowed tightly.

finally.

Before she could utter a harsh word.

Take a step forward.

Her arm went under Kang Jae-hoon's armpit.

She grabbed the "drunkard" who was half a head taller than her.

They practically "lifted" him inside.

"boom!"

The security door slammed shut behind them, shutting out the cold air of the hallway and the subtle prying eyes.

The bright light in the living room made Kang Jae-hoon squint unconsciously.

He deliberately shifted most of his weight onto the ground.

"So heavy... Pab..."

Lee Sung-kyung complained through gritted teeth, but the arm supporting him was unusually firm.

"Boom!"

Kang Jae-hoon was not gently "unloaded" onto the sofa.

"Ugh, the smell of alcohol is enough to kill mosquitoes!"

Lee Sung-kyung turned and strode quickly toward the kitchen—

The sound of the refrigerator door opening, followed by the rustling of plastic bags, the slight clinking of the cutting board, and the click of the gas stove being ignited.

Kang Jae-hoon closed his eyes tightly, but his ears keenly caught her every move:
The bowls and chopsticks clinked lightly, the soup spoon stirred, and the aroma of the hangover soup, carrying the spicy scent of ginger and the subtle salty fragrance of seaweed, gradually spread.

Not long after.

The spicy, warm aroma was already approaching.

Lee Sung-kyung sat down on the edge of the sofa, holding a steaming bowl of soup in her hand.

A spoon scoops up the scalding hot soup.

I blew on it a few times.

Then, without saying a word, it was shoved right next to his mouth.

"Open your mouth."

The warm soup touched my lips.

The temperature is just right.

It's not hot.

It also retains enough warmth.

Kang Jae-hoon swallowed obediently. His Adam's apple bobbed rhythmically.

The bowl of soup was empty.

Lee Sung-kyung put down her bowl.

He propped himself up on his knees for a few more seconds before getting up to go to the bathroom to get a damp towel—he dampened it with warm water, not cold water, so as not to completely sober up the "drunkard".

"Get up!"

This statement sounds more like she's accommodating her own position so she can exert more effort.

But they didn't roughly pull Kang Jae-hoon up.

Instead, she bent down, supporting the back of his neck with one hand, and with the other hand holding a towel, gently wiping his sweaty and alcohol-smelling forehead, temples, and cheeks.

Wiping complete.

Lee Sung-kyung stood up.

Take the towel back to the bathroom to wash, wring it dry, and hang it up.

then.

She walked towards her bedroom.

soon.

She came out carrying a fluffy, thick purple flannel blanket.

I walked over to the sofa.

He gently unfolded the blanket and covered Kang Jae-hoon with it.

then.

She bent down.

I started carefully stuffing the blanket inwards along the edge—the gap on my left shoulder was filled and pressed down by the corner of the blanket, so that not a single cold breeze could get in.

Then she moved to his right shoulder, even pushing aside the edge of the blanket that Kang Jae-hoon was pressing against as he lay on his side, and tucked the neat corner of the blanket inside, making it fit perfectly.

His movements were patient and gentle.

She was completely different from her usual decisive and efficient self, who was always quick to issue "dumbbell warnings."

Make sure the blanket wraps him up snugly like a cocoon.

Even their necks were completely protected.

Lee Sung-kyung breathed a sigh of relief.

But they didn't leave immediately.

With his eyes closed, Kang Jae-hoon suddenly felt a cool, soft hand covering his head.

immediately.

The hand slid downwards.

Extremely gently, almost like a caress, she brushed away a few strands of hair that were damp from the towel and stuck to his skin.

a bit.

Another click.

Just when Kang Jae-hoon thought she had finished.

A barely audible, extremely soft sigh came from above.

immediately.

The hand landed back on his head.

This time, instead of letting his hair fall naturally, she gently ruffled the hair on his head with a touch of childlike caress.

“Pabu…”

A very faint breath sound.

It sounds like a complaint.

It also resembles a kind of intimate nickname derived from some kind of compromise.

Then, the hand left.

Footsteps sounded again.

As he heard the bedroom door gently close and the soft "click" of the lock clicking shut, Kang Jae-hoon, who was wrapped up on the sofa like a perfect caterpillar, slowly raised the corners of his mouth in a smile.

He seems to have learned it.

How can we find the balance point in this delicate symbiotic relationship that allows even a lion to feel safe and vulnerable?

……

The apartment in Seongsudong was awakened by the veil-like morning light.

Lee Sung-kyung has finished washing up.

I'm doing the final skincare steps in front of the mirror—

I took a little cream with my fingertip and carefully pressed it under my eyes.

Kang Jae-hoon yawned and shuffled in in his slippers, his eyes half-closed, looking like he was still hungover and sleepy from being soaked in alcohol.

Standing by the sink.

His eyes darted aimlessly over the neatly arranged rows of small items—

Cleanser, toner, lotion, face cream...

finally.

Reach out.

He skipped over his own tube of toothpaste.

He grabbed the white tube next to him, which had foreign writing on it, a simpler design, and was clearly a facial cleanser.

Lee Sung-kyung's motion of applying cream froze instantly.

She remained turned sideways to the mirror, only slightly shifting her eyes, her cold gaze piercing like a knife against Jiang Zaihun's hand—

More accurately, it poked his finger as he was about to unscrew the cap of the face wash.

One second, two seconds...

Just a fraction of a second before he successfully unscrewed the cap, pinched the bottom of the tube, and was about to squeeze the milky-white paste—which clearly didn't resemble toothpaste—onto his dark blue toothbrush—

"ah."

The voice was not loud.

But it disrupted all processes.

Kang Jae-hoon's movements suddenly froze.

He maintained that ridiculous posture, his hands holding the facial cleanser tube and toothbrush suspended in mid-air, before slowly and somewhat sluggishly turning his head.

His gaze met Lee Sung-kyung's reflection in the mirror, a look filled with strong condemnation and a sense of "looking at someone mentally challenged."

"what is that?"

She gestured with her chin toward the face wash.

Kang Jae-hoon looked down at the face wash in his hand.

Then I looked at the tube of toothpaste next to me.

blinked.

He blinked again.

A few seconds later.

She looked up to meet Lee Sung-kyung's gaze.

An extremely slow, somewhat enlightened, and deliberately clumsy, simple smile bloomed on his face:

"what……"

"Ah."

Lee Sung-kyung snatched the nearly contaminated facial cleanser from his hand, deftly screwed the cap back on, and put it back in its place.

Action room.

Kang Jae-hoon clearly saw that the corner of her mouth lifted up very slightly.

He looked like he was laughing out of anger.

But she forcefully suppressed it.

"Breakfast wasn't made."

She avoided Kang Jae-hoon's furtive glances and walked towards the living room:
"There's a bento box I bought at the convenience store last night in the fridge. Heat it up yourself."

Jiang Zai Xun peeked into the bathroom and watched her deftly slip on her ankle boots, tie her shoelaces, and pick up her small bag.

"How long does it take to heat in a microwave?"

"1 minutes 30 seconds."

Just as she pulled the handle of the security door and was about to lean out of the door...

"The Bible."

"Ok?"

"A new day... Keep going!"

Lee Sung-kyung paused for a moment in front of the door.

Then, without any hesitation, he slammed the door shut.

"boom"!
The sound was crisp and clean.

But after that door slammed shut, isolating the inner and outer worlds...

Outside.

In the corridor.

Those boots seemed to have been suddenly infused with some kind of unseen energy.

She has once again embarked on her energetic and fiery journey.

……

Today is Kang Jae-hoon's rare last day off.

tomorrow.

The script reading session for "The Producers" will officially begin.

Finished washing.

Kang Jae-hoon did several sets of core exercises in the living room to wake up his body.

After showering.

Weariness washed over me again.

I simply collapsed back onto the bed, letting myself sink into the darkness of a second sleep.

I do not know how long it has been.

"Om - hum -"

The phone on the bedside table vibrated as if a bee's tail had been stepped on.

Kang Jae-hoon jolted awake, his lingering sleepiness completely shattered by the incessant vibrations of his phone. He frowned and reached for the buzzing phone on the bedside table.

Unlock.

Two new message notifications were clearly visible.

[Yoona]: [Video Link] The baton is passed to you! Get ready! (-)

[Suzy]: [Video Link] Jaehoon oppa! Isn't it a surprise to see this in bed? It's your turn!

"Um???"

Kang Jae-hoon's drowsiness was instantly dispelled, but his mind was still a little foggy.

What baton?

He clicked on the link sent by Bae Suzy.

After a few seconds of buffering.

The YouTube interface popped up.

A large bucket of ice water mixed with unmelted ice fell from the sky.

Bae Suzy looked like a frozen bird, instantly hugging herself and jumping up and down, screaming repeatedly, her sweet smile instantly turning into a distorted emoji.

In contrast, Yoona's performance in the video was not like Bae Suzy's wailing and howling.

The entire process was quiet and self-disciplined.

Afterwards, she smoothed her soaked bangs and still flashed an impeccable smile at the camera.

The video ends.

Kang Jae-hoon pinched the bridge of his nose.

This feeling... is like being roasted on a fire by two invisible forces at the same time.

He switched the interface and entered "Hwang Jung-min Ice Bucket Challenge" into the YouTube search bar.

soon.

The video that was posted yesterday at noon popped up.

There are already quite a few comments below the video:
[The bond between teacher and student is unparalleled! Teacher Huang's expression when his student poured water on him was priceless, haha!]

[Lee Sung-kyung? ??? That name sounds familiar…model and actress? Why would Hwang Jung-min choose her? (confused.jpg)]

Is the senior mentoring the newcomer? But this leap... I don't understand.

[I've saved the photo of the master and apprentice having ice water poured over their heads! They look perfect together! You're welcome!]

……

Switch to the next screen.

Enter "Lee Sung-kyung Ice Bucket Challenge" into the YouTube search box.

A video with nearly 70,000 views popped up on the page instantly.

The release time shows that it occurred four hours after Huang Zhengmin's original video was posted.

The comments below the video were more than double those of Hwang Jung-min's video:
【Come here because of its reputation! 】

Is this body type even real?

[What exactly was the reason for her being mentioned? Is she close to Hwang Jung-min in private?]

[Absolutely stunning figure! I've already screenshotted the moment her sports vest was soaked with sweat! I bow down in admiration!]

[Is this body proportion a waste for an actress? (Not implying bad acting skills)]

[Isn't the main point who recorded this video? Filming such private videos in a bathroom... those who know, know.]

[Don't stir up trouble upstairs! Judging from the camera angle and stability, it's clearly a fixed-position selfie stick!]

[Her figure is absolutely amazing... but she seems a bit fierce? She does have a strong presence in front of the camera, though.]

……

Kang Jae-hoon's gaze darkened as he looked at the speculations in the comments section about the photographer's identity.

He switched back to Yoona's video link—

The video was released at around midnight.

It was probably taken after work was finished.

Bae Suzy's video was posted more than ten minutes ago.

Kang Jae-hoon put down his phone.

He rubbed his temples and began to ponder—

Yoona must have felt a slight unease after seeing the teacher point to the Bible.
Is this relay challenge a way of expressing dissatisfaction with Hwang Jung-min's favoritism?
And Bae Suzy...

Kang Jae-hoon felt that this girl definitely acted on a whim after seeing Yoona's video!
The silent smoke of battle...

They really figured me out.

The phone vibrated again.

This time it was a phone call.

The name "Da Yuan Ge" was flashing on the screen.

Kang Jae-hoon swiped to answer the call and held the phone to his ear.

  "Wake up quickly."

"He's awake..."

"Writer Kim Eun-sook contacted me through her production company, saying she has a new project in the pre-production stage, codenamed 'Descendants of the Sun.' It's about military background, battlefield medicine, and romance..."

"The news from writer Jin is that they've invited you to play the second male lead. Although the script is still in its final polishing stages, the project has a very high priority. Filming is expected to begin in the second half of the year, and the timeline..."

Jin Dayuan paused for a moment, as if recalling something:
"The start date of filming completely overlapped with that of director Shin Won-ho's 'Reply 1988'."

Kang Jae-hoon's gaze unconsciously swept over the two video windows on his phone that were still open—

One is gentle and composed, the other is full of energy.

They are all silently conveying the message of "waiting for you".

Add to that the unexpectedly prestigious reputation of Kim Eun-sook...

An unprecedented, absurd yet intensely hot feeling instantly surged through Kang Jae-hoon's head.

I was called out...

To be needed...

It was fought over...

This sweet combination of ice and fire...

This is a heavy burden of trouble.

(End of this chapter)