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

Chapter 185 The Record of Jin Dayuan’s Gonghuo Master
have to say.

Jin Dayuan's timing in saying this was both cunning and precise.

This caused the boiling, almost burning agitation on Kang Jae-hoon's end to instantly transform into a kind of indescribable stagnation.

He leaned back in his chair.

The jawline is taut, creating a hard, angular look.

The neon lights rushing past the window became blurry patches of color.

Jin Dayuan caught a glimpse of the suddenly silent silhouette in the back seat through the rearview mirror, and the corner of his mouth twitched very slightly.

I have a better idea now.

Half the battle is won.

As for the process...

It's definitely not the "investors'" idea of ​​"him voluntarily waking up."

But the result...

Same way.

As long as the person moves, it counts as a touchdown.

Now?

We can't keep pushing them.

If you want to speed, you can't reach it.

We need to add another small flame.

This fire...

Jin Dayuan tapped his fingers leisurely on the steering wheel, as if talking to himself, or as if he had suddenly remembered:
"Tsk, this route is so roundabout... How about... I change my route and take you directly to Yoona's place?"

Kang Jae-hoon: "?"

Jin Dayuan glanced through the rearview mirror and met his suddenly turned, dark, questioning eyes, and immediately added insult to injury:

"I bet you've lost that 'overcoming all obstacles' ambition now? Don't force yourself. If you falter at the last minute... and perform poorly and get criticized... tsk, that would be really embarrassing..."

"?!"

A surge of anger suddenly welled up inside him.

Ashamed?

Failure to perform in the face of battle?

Being criticized for a poor performance?!

These words, jumping into Kang Jae-hoon's ears, felt like tiny needles pricking his temples, making them throb.

joke.

He dared not say that he was exceptionally talented or extraordinary in that area.

But judging from Lee Sung-kyung's subsequent level of satisfaction—as content as a cat that's basked in the sun, even her sharp tongue seemed to have diminished by 80%—

Dealing with a nobody like Bae Suzy is a piece of cake, more than enough!
"..."

Jiang Zaihun let out a heavy snort through his nose, giving Kim Dae-won's face, which was feigning concern but actually stirring up trouble, a big eye roll.

—You know nothing!
"Hahahahaha!"

Jin Dayuan's hearty and unrestrained laughter echoed in the enclosed carriage.

Even the car, which was moving smoothly, seemed to tremble slightly with his loud laughter.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The van drove along, stopping and starting, until it finally glided into the tranquility of an upscale apartment area.

Kim Dae-won cautiously stopped in the shadows of the side road.

Lower the car window.

He poked half his head out.

His hawk-like eyes quickly scanned the surrounding environment—the dim streetlights, lush greenery, and parked vehicles—confirming that there were no suspicious flashes of light or human figures around.

"Okay, let's go."

Jin Dayuan waved to the back seat, then lowered his voice to warn:
"I'll pick you up at 7 a.m. tomorrow to shoot the COWAY ad. And whatever you do, don't leave any hickeys on your body! Got it?"

Kang Jae-hoon opened the car door, the night wind blew in, and he mumbled a response.

Click.

The soft sound of the car door closing behind me.

at the same time.

Another van silently came to a stop a few steps away.

The back door slid open silently.

Kang Jae-hoon squeezed in sideways.

The car door closed, cutting off Jin Dayuan's last, almost imperceptible mutter:
"...Youth is all about having plenty of energy."

The engine roared as it sank into the storage tank.

The indicator light, a band of cool white light, flashed rapidly backward across the car window.

Area B, Level 2 (basement).

The lampposts were a stark white.

The rough cement pillars cast huge, jagged, cold shadows.

"Well……"

Bae Suzy stopped abruptly after taking two steps, her delicate brows furrowing slightly as she muttered coquettishly:

My feet are so tired.

She turned slightly to the side, one hand holding onto a concrete pillar, and lifted one foot, her small ankle dazzlingly white in the dim light.

Jiang Zaixun stopped in his tracks, his gaze falling on her slightly furrowed brow and the toes painted with cherry blossom-colored nail polish.

Bending over and leaning forward.

Without hesitation, his left arm slipped through the soft, rounded back of her knee.

With a deft flick of his right index finger, he picked up the pair of shoes that had been left at his feet.

The muscles in the waist, abdomen, and upper arms work together—

My arm suddenly sank.

Bae Suzy was lifted into the air and fell into his chest, which was suddenly close to her and smelled of alcohol and was warm.

"Oh…!"

She gasped for breath.

Her arms, however, instantly tightened around his neck like vines.

Her cheeks naturally nestled into the hollow of his shoulder, into the clean, soapy scent and the faint smell of sweat from his cotton T-shirt collar.

"Oppa smells so good..." I rubbed my nose against his throbbing carotid artery.

The heat clung to that skin.

Jiang Zai Xun turned his head to the side, his Adam's apple tracing a prominent arc against the hair below her ear.

The tremor of him swallowing his saliva penetrated Bae Soo-ji's cochlea without reservation.

She suddenly looked up.

His wet eyelashes almost brushed against his chin.

Her breath was hot as her lips moved.
"Don't look at me like that..." She poked his Adam's apple playfully with her fingertip, "...I'll get shy~"

Kang Jae-hoon's steps froze in front of the cold metal door of the elevator lobby.

His deep, dark eyes, like the sea before a storm, were reflected on the mirrored stainless steel door panel, which was bathed in the pale light.

The burning desire that had been forcibly suppressed in the car suddenly surged up like wildfire under her deliberate provocation!

It burned so badly that his blood was boiling.

All I wanted to do was slam that hot, soft body in my arms against the cold door.

Rectify the law on the spot!

Bae Suzy's fingertip touched the light on the elevator floor button.

She smiled at him.

Like an arsonist who sets the forest ablaze and dances with a torch.

"Ding--"

The elevator has arrived at the target floor.

The door slid open silently.

Kang Jae-hoon carried Bae Suzy and strode out.

"Drip drip..."

"Click——"

The door opens.

The motion-sensor light in the entryway turned on with a beep.

Before the dull thud of his shoes hitting the entryway tiles had even faded, he had already lifted the person in his arms and placed them on the cold marble countertop.

A perfect match.

Just as her waist and hips were being supported by the edge of the table and suspended in mid-air, Jiang Zai Xun's shadow had already covered her like the darkness of night.

The tip of the tongue pried open the teeth more urgently than breathing, and the aroma of alcohol, mixed with the sweet fragrance of lychee, simmered between the lips and teeth.

Bae Suzy let out a short whimper, and her slender legs instinctively wrapped around his waist.

The warm yellow chandelier above the dining table swayed into a blurry ball of light at the edge of the field of vision.

The neon lights of the buildings outside the window cut through the night.

The moonlight inside the window was torn apart on two overlapping shadows.

A glass on the corner of the table was knocked and wobbled.

The bottom of the cup hits the marble countertop.

"Dang Cang..."

The clear, lingering sound was crushed in the even hotter breaths.

finally.

The glass of water was completely spilled.

A clear, icy coolness was splashed out.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

June 21st.

early morning.

Kim Ji-won yawned and shuffled into the bathroom in her slippers.

A clean-looking face, slightly puffy, was reflected in the mirror.

Turn on the tap.

I splashed some cold water on my face to sober up a bit.

Pick up the toothbrush, squeeze on the toothpaste, and mechanically brush your teeth.

I habitually swipe my phone screen with my left hand.

Unlock.

Click into Naver's trending topics list.

As expected, #TheProducersFinale# remains firmly at the top of the charts.

Scan downwards—

#Kang Jae-hoon's famous drunken and aegyo scene#
#Kang Jae-hoon and Cha Tae-hyun's kissing scene#
Several terms were closely linked, indicating a high level of popularity.

Kim Ji-won loosened her jaw while holding the toothbrush.

The foam almost slipped into my throat.

Kang Jae-hoon and Cha Tae-hyun's...

A kissing scene?!
Without hesitation, I clicked on the third option.

Press the play button.

The screen flickers.

Kim Ji-won leaned closer to the screen.

Unexpectedly, the opening shot was an extremely close-up and incredibly impactful one!
Two men's lips, in an extremely clear and unobstructed manner...

Hard, completely...

They clashed!
Cha Tae-hyun's expression instantly twisted to the extreme!

His eyes were so wide they looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets.

The muscles on that face looked as if it had been struck by lightning and then frozen in an ice cave for three days, filled with utterly shocking horror, pure bewilderment, and the feeling of being struck by cosmic rays and having one's soul leave the body!

"He's gone mad... Hahaha, Kang Jae-hoon has completely gone insane..."

Kim Ji-won wiped away the tears that welled up in her eyes, but couldn't help clicking on the video again to watch the "kissing scene" clip. She shook her head and laughed until her stomach hurt.
"If Krystal saw this... pfft... she'd split open on the spot..."

The "Save Successful" notification pop-up flashed by quickly.

With a lingering smile on her fingertips, she inexplicably tapped the trending topic #KangJaehoonDrunkAndAegyoScene# again.

Video playback.

The screen lights up.

In the video, Kang Jae-hoon appears to be possessed by something strange, embodying the meaning of "drunkenly charming."

Shoulders are hunched.

Clenching both hands into fists and clamping them tightly to the sides of the body.

His waist twisted at a high frequency that defied gravity, and his right toe stomped exaggeratedly on the ground!

The nasal tone was drawn out in a convoluted, sticky way, like burnt maltose:

"Hmph~ Hmph~! Seungchan... Seungchan wants to eat chicken gizzards right now~! Hmph~ Hmph~!"

Every rising "hum" at the end of her hum sent a bolt of lightning through Kim Ji-won's head.

The gears of memory click and mesh!
"..."

he……

Is he... imitating me?!
That day, she did that cute, aegyo-e moment in Kim Hyoyeon's arms that even she wanted to censor—

"Hmph, Ji-won isn't pretending to be pretty~ she's just naturally beautiful~ Hmph~"

The condition was perfectly replicated!
Even that sticky feeling that makes you want to dig your toes into the ground is exactly the same!
Kim Ji-won stared at Kang Jae-hoon's face on the screen, a face that twisted so naturally, without a trace of acting.

A surge of anger at being fooled, mixed with a socially mortifying sense of shame at being publicly executed, shot straight up from his tailbone to the top of his head.

My cheeks instantly burned so hot they could fry an egg!
What do you mean "absolutely completely deleted"?
What do you mean by "let's pretend that day never happened"?
fraud!

Kang Jae-hoon!
You—big—liar!

Kim Ji-won's teeth were grinding together, and her molars were protesting fiercely.

Physical actions, however, outpace the explosive thought process in one's mind.

With lingering anger, his knuckles slammed into his friend's chat window.

[Naver Trending Search: #KangJaeHoonDrunkAndAegyoMoment#]

【link】

Look! He's imitating me!!! I'm so angry!!!

The send icon rotates once.

service.

Kim Ji-won stared at the "delivered" notification on the screen, and her brain suddenly jolted as if doused with cold water!
and many more!

Who is the recipient?!

That pink unicorn icon… No… it’s… Krystal Jung… who else could it be?!
withdraw!

Withdraw quickly!

Hover your finger over the chat history, and the small "recall" option is right there.

Cold sweat.

Withdrawing now would be like protesting too much!
Minghuanghuang told Xiujing:
Something's wrong here! Something really serious! I, Kim Ji-won, am feeling guilty!
No withdrawal...

When Krystal Jung clicks on that incredibly offensive video of her acting cute...

And then there's her past relationship with Kang Jae-hoon...

Her shoulders twitched almost imperceptibly.

Very slowly, very heavily, very spinelessly...

The chat interface has been removed.

The page slides open.

Pretend nothing happened.

The world is at peace.

Nothing has been sent.

All are hallucinations.

Take a deep breath.

With the last trace of grief and anger in her heart, "I'm going to kill you," Kim Ji-won opened Kang Jae-hoon's chat window.

Scroll quickly through the emoji library.

I found an image of a huge fist engulfed in flames.

I pressed send hard.

Emojis rotate and are delivered.

Kim Ji-won silently buried her face in the half-dry towel, letting out a muffled sob, as if her fate had choked her:

"...Kang Jae-hoon...you man...you're probably my nemesis..."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

at the same time.

The man who was cursed as the "nemesis" by Kim Ji-won is walking out of the elevator in the underground parking garage of Bae Suzy's apartment building.

The cool morning air, carrying the distinctive smell of engine oil and dust from the underground parking garage, cleared his sleep-deprived mind.

Ever since that intoxicating night...

Bae Suzy's apartment became his reflexive final stop after work.

The sound of the combination lock's buttons became the most alluring prelude.

Inside the door lies a completely different world.

The lighting was always just right.

The music lingered softly.

The air was filled with her usual sweet lychee scent.

That faint, almost imperceptible flavor became the most powerful fuse.

Bae Suzy never hesitated to give him feedback, and every intense response felt like there was no tomorrow.

then.

Bae Suzy would always rub her aching lower back with a mixture of pain and pleasure, silently replenishing the supplies that had been sacrificed in the fierce "battle":

A mug and bone china plate shattered on the floor.

as well as.

The sheets were crumpled beyond recognition and needed to be changed immediately, and the sheer nightgown was torn to shreds...

……

Apgujeong.

CGV Cinema.

The backstage dressing room at the press conference for "Veteran".

The mirror was brightly lit.

Kang Jae-hoon leaned back in his chair, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly in the bright light.

The ambiguous mark, about the size of a thumbprint, on the side of her neck resembled rouge spreading and falling into the snow.

It's an eyesore and a real pain.

aside.

The female makeup artist, wearing a mask, was carefully using a concealer brush to apply a specially mixed concealer layer after layer to the conspicuous red mark.

finally--

The skin on the side of the neck, which had once been ravaged and bore ambiguous marks, was completely tamed.

The paste blends into the base color, smooth and even, as if it had never been subjected to any intense activity.

"All right."

The makeup artist straightened up: "You can't see any trace of it."

Kang Jae-hoon opened his eyes.

A halo of light flowed in the mirror.

The light revealed a face with defined features, flawlessly made up. The contours of the eyebrows were deepened, and the weariness was swallowed up by the foundation, leaving only a perfect calm illuminated by the bright lights.

The neck is smooth.

The skin that had been repeatedly crushed and licked was now obediently wrapped under the crisp collar.

It was as if the arch of his body, the nails that Bae Suzy dug into his shoulder blade, the canine teeth that bit into his shoulder when he was pinned to the cold table last night had never happened.

All that remained was the new, radiant, and gentle man reflected in the mirror.

A rising star of Chungmuro ​​is about to step onto the center stage and enjoy the cheers and flashing lights of thousands of people.

Kim Dae-won looked at the refreshed Kang Jae-hoon in the mirror, cleared his throat, and said:
"Ready to go on stage."

The door to the dressing room opened silently.

The bright sunlight streaming into my eyes from the corridor outside.

Kang Jae-hoon stood up.

The fitted gray short-sleeved shirt accentuated his strong shoulders and arms, while the white trousers were slicked back, cutting through his gleaming leather shoes. He raised his hand, his fingertips brushing aside a stray strand of hair that had fallen across his forehead.

His movements were composed.

My gaze fell on the long corridor outside the door, filled with countless light stands and cameras.

It collided with that arrogant gaze on the poster from afar.

My shoulder suddenly felt heavy.

A warm hand patted it with a familiar force.

Jiang Zaixun turned his head.

Huang Zhengmin stood behind him.

At that time, Hwang Jung-min still sported the braided hairstyle he wore during the filming of "The Wailing," which made his eyes look especially bright.
"You're in good spirits, kid."

Kang Jae-hoon also smiled:

"thanks to you."

"Come on this."

Just as Hwang Jung-min was about to ask him how things were going with Lee Sung-kyung, a staff member was already waving in front of the poster:

"This way, please, let's take a picture!"

"..."

The continuous clicking of camera shutters echoed throughout the press conference hall.

The blinding white light produced by the array of flashlights illuminated Kang Jae-hoon and Hwang Jung-min's calm or smiling faces like the tide.

The master and his apprentice stood side by side.

One who is as steady as a mountain.

A glimmer of potential is beginning to emerge.

It's frozen in countless shots.

The photo session is over.

The light went out.

The press conference is now on track.

Host Park Kyung-lim greeted the media in the audience with a smile:
"Good morning, friends from the media! Welcome to the press conference for the film 'Veteran'!"

After the warm-up act.

She raised her hand in a gesture:
"Now, let's welcome the creative team of 'Veteran'—director Ryoo Seung-wan! Actors Hwang Jung-min! Kang Jae-hoon! Yoo Hae-jin! Oh Dal-soo! Please give them a round of applause!"

"Clap clap-"

There was thunderous applause.

The main cast and crew entered in single file.

They took their seats in order behind the long table.

The self-introduction was concise and to the point.

"Hello everyone, I am actor Kang Jae-hoon, and I play the role of Jo Tae-oh, a third-generation chaebol, in 'Veteran'."

"..."

This is the end.

The press conference then got down to business.

Director Ryu Seung-wan took the microphone and began to speak eloquently.

Share your inspiration.

Emphasizing authenticity.

Rendering motion tension.

The challenges and fun moments during filming, and the praise for the collaboration of the actors.

It was the actors' turn to speak.

Following the instructions on the procedure card, Park Kyung-lim smiled and handed the microphone to Hwang Jung-min.
"Hwang Jungmin, how was your experience working with Kang Jae-hoon? As his mentor, are you particularly gratified to see your disciple's growth?"

All eyes were instantly drawn to the scene.

Hwang Jung-min picked up the microphone in front of him, a slightly roguish yet endearing smile spreading across his distinctive face:

"Everyone knows about my relationship with Jae-hoon, right?"

He glanced sideways at Kang Jae-hoon, who returned a helpless yet respectful smile. Hwang Jung-min turned back and shrugged at the audience:

"So, some things sound different when I say them. It always feels like I'm praising my own child through the lens of a loving father, which isn't objective enough and is exaggerated!"

A knowing laugh erupted from the audience.

The flashbulbs kept going off at Hwang Jung-min and Kang Jae-hoon.

"so."

Hwang Jung-min gestured with his chin toward Yoo Hae-jin beside him:
“Let Haejin say it. He had more scenes with Jae-hoon in the drama than I did. His words are more convincing.”

Liu Haizhen held the microphone that Hwang Jung-min had suddenly shoved into his hand and gave a wry smile.

immediately.

His gaze lingered on Kang Jae-hoon's face for a moment before he looked away.

It looked like they were weighing something.

A few seconds of silence brewed a sense of quality.

The room fell silent.

Liu Haizhen's voice came through the speakers.

"Among the post-90s actors I've worked with, Jae-hoon is definitely the most talented and hard-working one."

“When you act with him, you can’t feel where his limits are. Every time you act together, he can bring you something new and unexpected. That sense of collision is the surprise itself.”

"To be honest, when I was his age, I couldn't compare to him in any way, whether it was the depth of my acting skills, my understanding of the characters, or my explosiveness and control on set."

hum-

The moment that comment landed.

A brief, almost vacuum-like silence fell over the audience.

The camera focused on Kang Jae-hoon.

He maintained his upright sitting posture.

His handsome features appeared gentle and humble under the bright light.

To receive such unreserved praise from Yoo Hae-jin, a veteran actor in Chungmuro ​​known for his profound acting skills, versatility in roles, and stable position...

And in such an important public setting...

"Click——!!!"

The reporters, realizing what was happening, immediately raised their cameras.

The flashes came crashing down on Kang Jae-hoon's face like a silver rainstorm.

He slightly turned to avoid the strongest beam of light and picked up the microphone in front of him:

"Senior Yoo Hae-jin, you flatter me. It was thanks to the excellent atmosphere created by the seniors and the director that I was able to fully unleash my potential and explore more possibilities for the character of Jo Tae-oh."

This is not just empty talk.

This is indeed the case.

If Yoo Hae-jin hadn't been guiding him into a "curled-up" state off-set and hadn't provided him with enough stimulation and space during rehearsals, the extreme madness that erupted instantly after those "Actions," belonging to Jo Tae-oh, might not have exploded so precisely.

Host Park Kyung-im-min seized the opportunity to shift the focus and steered the conversation back to Kang Jae-hoon:

"It seems that all the senior actors who have worked with you have high praise for Jae Hoon! As the actor playing the role, Jae Hoon, do you have any unique understanding of the character Jo Tae-oh and anything you'd like to share with the audience in advance?"

This problem seems simple.

In reality, it carries a potential trap.

Talking about "understanding"?
It could easily slip into a reflection of the realities of chaebols.

Talking about "feelings"?
If the measure is slightly overdone, it will be deconstructed and amplified into a satire of privilege.

Kang Jae-hoon lowered his eyes.

His gaze fell on the microphone stand quietly on the table, and he pondered for a moment.

When opening the mouth.

Each word is filtered through a sieve to ensure a smooth and rounded effect.

"Zhao Taiwu is a character whose background granted him enormous privileges, but to some extent he was alienated by those privileges."

"His behavior and logic are rooted in an almost distorted sense of 'what is right'. This sense of 'what is right' makes him lose his basic awareness of the bottom line of human ethics, and also constitutes the character's great tragedy and...complexity."

“In the process of shaping him, I tried to understand and empathize with this complexity. I hoped to present his arrogant, out-of-control, and even destructive state.”

"Of course, understanding the dark side of the characters is to better show the warning significance it may bring, as well as the dramatic tension that arises when the persistence of ordinary people collides with this privilege. I believe this is also the deeper theme that 'Veteran' wants to convey to the audience."

Watertight.

The viewpoint is clear.

Political correctness.

It perfectly avoids all the dangerous reefs, leading the discussion to the film's artistic expression itself.

"A very insightful observation."

Park Kyung-lim chimed in at the opportune moment, his voice filled with admiration:

"Just hearing the description makes one eagerly anticipate the character of Zhao Taiwu!"

(End of this chapter)