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

Chapter 179 Rabbit Ears, Sweet Talk, and a Lion Awaiting Command
The van smoothly drove away from the noisy film set, merging into the dazzling river of cars in the city night. The colorful lights outside the car window flickered on Kang Jae-hoon's slightly excited profile.

The silence lasted for a while.

But the aftershocks of that fierce confrontation in the dark corridor still lingered in my mind.

"elder brother."

"Ok?"

Jin Dayuan responded, his gaze still fixed ahead.

"Sooji..."

Jiang Zai Xun carefully chose his words and recounted the conversation that had taken place in the corner of the corridor verbatim:
"...She thinks that you're working too hard as an agent and that you should hire two more to help share the workload. What do you think, brother?"

"..."

An eerie silence fell over the carriage.

The only sounds were the low rumble of the engine and the whirring of the air conditioner.

Jin Dayuan remained silent.

A full seven or eight seconds passed.

He let out a cryptic snort, as if he'd heard an utterly absurd joke, and then countered with a seemingly unrelated question:
"Is your teacher, Hwang Jung-min... popular?"

Kang Jae-hoon was taken aback, then nodded subconsciously:
"...Of course, is that even a question?"

How many agents does he have?

Jin Dayuan continued slowly, asking:

"Assistants, executive agents, publicists, stylists... are these teams very large?"

Kang Jae-hoon frowned, recalling what he knew about the composition of Hwang Jung-min's team:
"...Mainly, it's just my teacher's wife; she oversees everything. Of course, there are assistants and others who run errands, but the core of the management team is my teacher's wife."

"So, he only has his wife, Kim Mi-hye, as his manager, and she manages everything perfectly. What are you complaining about?"

Jiang Jae-hoon: “…”

He choked.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.

Yes.

Even someone as high-profile as Hwang Jung-min only has Kim Mi-hye as the core of his management team. What is Kang Jae-hoon compared to him? He's barely started out, and he's already thinking about building a management team?
In the end, all I could do was give a dry reply:
"……Right."

Seeing that Jiang Zai Xun had given up on the idea, Kim Dae Won breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, a surge of anger rose within him.

This only involved deleting one ambiguous clip of Bae Suzy.

This girl immediately started whispering sweet nothings in Kang Jae-hoon's ear.

Hiring an agent for "help"?
He might hire someone to seize power, sideline him, or even eventually replace him!

This is just Bae Suzy.

There's also Lee Sung-kyung over there...

Jin Dayuan felt increasingly frustrated and agitated the more he thought about it.

immediately.

The van made an unexpected U-turn at the next intersection and sped off in the opposite direction from home.

"elder brother?!"

The immense inertia jolted Jiang Zai Xun's body violently, the seatbelt digging into his chest with a tightness. He quickly grabbed the handrail, looking at Kim Dae Won with a bewildered expression:
"Where are you going? Aren't you going home?"

Jin Dayuan stared intently at the road ahead, pressing the accelerator even harder.

"Go meet your investors."

"what?"

Kang Jae-hoon was stunned.

When did he get investors?

Did Kim Dae-won secretly arrange an endorsement or some other business collaboration for him?
How come he didn't know anything about it?

Jin Dayuan recounted the thrilling negotiation at the Japanese restaurant that afternoon—

Yoona's huge investment, her grand plan for the rental housing project, and... the key points on how to use this project to tie him, Kim Dae-won, to her side and keep it a secret—she quickly and concisely "explained" these to Kang Jae-hoon in dry language, omitting most of the details of Yoona's tactics and "small suggestions."

The general idea is:

Lin Yoona wants to invest with you in some long-term assets. There are risks and returns, and the operation is complicated. I, Jin Dayuan, will do my best to help you manage the funds.

Jiang Jae-hoon: “…”

What a surreal day this was!

After a while.

The nanny van stopped in front of a convenience store.

"wait for me."

Jin Dayuan unbuckled his seatbelt and entered the brightly lit convenience store.

A short while later, he returned carrying a semi-transparent plastic bag with a convenience store logo printed on it.

He casually tossed it into the back seat.

Kang Jae-hoon glanced back and saw that the bag contained several bottles of sugar-free electrolyte water, several vacuum-packed konjac jelly packets, and several small bags of ready-to-eat chicken breast meatballs labeled 'zero fat and high protein'.

—These are all typical "comfort snacks" that female celebrities use to control their body fat during their comeback period.

Kim Dae-won restarted the car and drove towards Apgujeong.

finally.

It stopped at the side entrance of the SM Entertainment building.

The security guard on duty at the entrance glanced at Jiang Zaihun's face, squinted to get a better look, and then a smile spread across his face:

"Oh? Baek Seung-chan PD-nim?"

He even made a little joke:
"Are you here to find artists from your company to record '2 Days & 1 Night'?"

"The guest is already... um?"

Kang Jae-hoon offered an explanation instinctively, then realized what he meant—

The security guard actually called him by the title of the drama instead of his real name!

It seems.

The effects of "The Producers" spread faster and deeper than he had imagined.

It feels so good to be recognized naturally like that!
They exchanged a few pleasantries.

The security personnel readily allowed them to pass.

The two arrived at the practice room floor without any obstacles.

Separated by a thick, soundproof door.

The powerful drumbeats and synthesizer melodies are already faintly audible.

Kim Dae-won handed the "tribute" to Kang Jae-hoon, opened a crack in the door, and gestured for him to go in.

In front of a huge mirrored wall.

The lights were bright white.

The smell of sweat mixed with the cold air from the air conditioner filled the air.

Eight members dressed in loose sportswear are following the choreographer's precise commands and clapping prompts to practice correcting their overall formation, positioning, and movement details.

The music was "PARTY," a song full of summer vibes.

Jiang Zai Xun slipped in silently, found the most inconspicuous corner in the shadows, and sat down cross-legged.

The music enters the chorus.

A cheerful melody begins:
"PARTY! Lemon liqueur, my tequila, your mojito..."

Accompanied by singing.

All the members raised their hands in unison, their fingertips together, curving into cute bunny ear shapes, and playfully placed them on either side of their heads. They swayed their bodies from side to side to the rhythm, their faces beaming with their signature, infectious, bright smiles.

Objectively speaking...

The "rabbit ears cute pose," combined with the upbeat rhythm of the song, is inherently adorable.

but……

This group of women, no longer naive young girls, but veterans of the entertainment industry for nearly a decade, each with a powerful aura and even a touch of maturity in their eyes and brows, are collectively making such an overly childish and adorable gesture...

There's a certain incongruity that doesn't quite match the wearer's age. However...

In Kang Jae-hoon's eyes, that subtle sense of incongruity was automatically corrected and eliminated the moment it landed on Im Yoon-ah.

Instead, the "rabbit ears" on her head swayed gently to the rhythm, matching her slight head tilt...

Kang Jae-hoon only felt...

So incredibly cute!

Absolutely adorable!

……

The powerful music suddenly stopped.

The only sounds in the practice room were the members' slightly hurried breathing and the choreographer clapping and calling for a stop.

The tense body instantly relaxed.

Some people bent over and held their knees, some raised their hands to wipe away sweat, and some simply slumped on the floor.

Yoona let out a soft breath, raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead, and her gaze habitually swept over the huge mirrored wall.

As my gaze swept across the shadow in the corner—

Her wiping motion suddenly stopped.

The mirror clearly reflected the familiar figure sitting cross-legged in the corner, a faint, unconscious smile playing on his lips.

Im Yoona's eyes lit up and she immediately turned around.

"Oh Mo?"

Sunny, who was closest to her, was the first to look in the direction she was looking. After seeing who it was, she immediately nudged Kim Tae-yeon, who was drinking water with her elbow.

Kim Tae-yeon nearly choked on a mouthful of water after being poked, and coughed as she looked in the direction Sunny pointed.

Followed by.

All eyes in the practice room snapped to the cross-legged figure huddled in the shadows.

Kang Jae-hoon instantly felt as if he had been targeted by several searchlights. His smile froze for a moment, and he quickly forced out an even brighter, more awkward smile, raising his hand and waving:

"Hi guys."

This can be seen as a response to the attention he received from everyone present.

Yoona had already run over like a nimble butterfly, fine beads of sweat glistening on her forehead, her cheeks flushed from exercise, and her eyes shining as she looked at him, as if filled with stars.
"How did you come?"

Kang Jae-hoon's gaze lingered on her blonde hair bouncing as she ran, her slightly panting and flushed cheeks, and her eyes that instantly lit up when she saw him.

The cold, realistic words "investment," "cooperation," and "funds" suddenly stuck in my throat, sounding incredibly abrupt and out of place.

He even felt that mentioning that would tarnish the pure light in her eyes at that moment.

then.

The question that should have been uttered after Jin Dayuan's "explanation" inexplicably turned into:

"miss you."

Im Yoona: "...?!"

Her beautiful doe eyes suddenly widened, her long eyelashes fluttered twice, and she wondered if she had misheard.

This is something that would obviously never come out of the mouth of a blockhead like Kang Jae-hoon...

It just popped out like that, all innocent and fresh?
“Wow——!!!”

"Daifa—!!!"

"Did you hear that?! Did you hear that?!"

Sunny exaggeratedly covered her mouth, then burst into an excited scream, and nudged Kim Tae-yeon next to her with her elbow again. The other girl dodged while rolling her eyes.

Yoona is so charming!

"He came straight to the practice room to confess his feelings!!"

"Oh mo oh mo!!"

"..."

The practice room instantly erupted in chaos.

Cheers, whistles, and teasing laughter filled the air.

Even the usually composed choreographer couldn't help but shake his head with a smile.

Yoona blushed even more from the sudden direct question and the teasing from the other members.

She turned her head and glared reproachfully at Sunny, who was cheering the loudest, then turned back, both embarrassed and annoyed, and lightly slapped Kang Jae-hoon's arm:
"Hey! What are you saying!"

Although the tone was reproachful.

But the gleam in his upturned eyes and the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his undisguised joy.

See this.

The jeers and jeers from the surrounding crowd immediately grew louder.

Kang Jae-hoon was so enraged by the barrage of teasing that he blushed crimson and sat on the floor, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the floor. Glancing out of the corner of his eye at the semi-transparent convenience store bag at his feet, he quickly grabbed it as if it were a lifeline, trying to deflect the barrage of criticism.

"Um, well... I bought some water and snacks! To replenish everyone's energy..."

"snack?!"

Cui Xiuying was the first to come over, peering expectantly into the bag.

When I saw that the contents were all sugar-free electrolyte water, konjac jelly, and vacuum-packed ready-to-eat chicken breast meatballs, my expression turned into a classic sour face:
"What?! It's all diet meals?! They're even skimping on a bag of potato chips?!"

Kwon Yuri also came over for a look, picked up a small bag of chicken breast meatballs, and waved it at Choi Sooyoung:

"Isn't chicken your favorite food?"

"ah!"

Choi Soo-young was so angry she jumped up and down, and immediately retorted:

"Who likes chicken?! I love beef!!"

The practice room erupted in laughter again.

Although Choi Soo-young was heartbroken by the "diet snacks" that Kang Jae-hoon brought, the others didn't really mind and each took the water or snacks they needed to replenish their energy.

The atmosphere relaxed again.

Sunny sat cross-legged on the floor, opened a bag of konjac jelly, and slurped it up with a loud slurping sound, while her bright eyes kept darting between Kang Jae-hoon and Im Yoon-ah.

at that time.

Kang Jae-hoon gently brushed aside a strand of blonde hair, damp with sweat and clinging to Yoona's skin, from her forehead with his fingers. Yoona tilted her head slightly, letting him do as he pleased, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Sunny's eyes suddenly lit up!
As if she had suddenly come up with a brilliant idea, she slapped Kim Tae-yeon's thigh with a loud "smack," so loud that everyone looked over:

"I said!"

Sunny pointed excitedly at Kang Jae-hoon:
"We're about to shoot the music video for 'Lion Heart'! We're really missing someone to play the key 'big lion' character! This atmosphere, this physique advantage... Jaehoon, why don't you come and make a cameo appearance?"

This suggestion is like water being poured into a pan of boiling oil.

"Wow—"

Choi Soo-young erupted in a thunderous outburst of agreement:
"Wow! Sunny is a genius!! Just think of the title—'Producers' popular PD Baek Seung-chan transforms into a mysterious lion in Girls' Generation's MV! Just this gimmick alone will boost pre-sales significantly!"

Tiffany clapped her hands as well, her signature smiling eyes curving into crescents:

"Cool!"

Kwon Yuri and Kim Hyo-yeon also joined in the teasing:

"Come on, come on, Yoona's most handsome lion!"

"The size is just right!"

……

For a while.

Seven or eight eager, expectant, and mischievous gazes once again focused on Kang Jae-hoon.

Kang Jae-hoon: "...?!"

what's the situation? !

He was just there to deliver some snacks as a gesture of goodwill, and in a moment of impulsiveness, he said something witty (though the effect was unexpected).

But how did the topic suddenly jump to playing a lion?!

(End of this chapter)