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

Chapter 194: About the incident where I almost shaved my head to star in an idol drama
The sweltering heat of August, like a sticky glue, weighs heavily on the urban jungle of steel and concrete.

The cicadas chirped incessantly in the height of summer.

Kang Jae-hoon bids a temporary farewell to Im Yoon-ah, with whom he has just established a new bond, and heads to Taebaek City in southeastern South Korea.

The production team of "Descendants of the Sun" started filming in early July.

The calls and messages from the urging team came in a barrage, like a sudden summer downpour.

now.

It's time to fulfill my commitment and join the team.

A few days ago.

The bullying case has been settled.

The defendant—the minor internet celebrity from Busan who was used as a pawn—was sentenced to a fine of 300 million won, ten months in prison, suspended for two years, and 360 hours of community service.

Ji-hyun's courtroom performance was textbook-worthy.

The six-month base sentence is based on the severity of the charges brought by the prosecution.

However, after Kang Jae-hoon agreed, Ji-hyun gave up her request for compensation for emotional distress and insisted on stating in court the defendant's malicious intent and the deeper harm he caused to the victims of the entire case (Kang Jae-hoon's reputation and social trust), which successfully pushed for a four-month increase in the sentence.

The public reacted strongly to the conclusion of the case.

The Naver-related entries have garnered over 50 discussions, almost unanimously praising "the iron fist of law upholding justice."

That was a brilliant victory.

What remains is the industry legend of "Kang Jae-hoon's 24-Hour Golden Rule" and the official endorsement of Seongnam City as "Ambassador for the Prevention of School Bullying".

……

at that time.

The "all-rental housing project" train has officially departed from the platform by Kim Dae-won.

The initial funding was that two billion Korean won.

Jin Dayuan proceeded according to the established operating model:

Purchase properties in older neighborhoods at relatively low prices and complete a thorough renovation to a standardized standard. After the properties are completely transformed, a new price assessment is conducted.

immediately--

Use the increased property value to apply for a higher mortgage loan from the bank.

Simultaneously.

They collect huge deposits from subsequent tenants who rent the entire apartment, based on the market value after renovation.

finally.

Jin Dayuan then used this newly generated cash flow to start the next cycle: acquisition → renovation → mortgage loan → collection of deposits...

Like a sail billowing in the wind.

The speed is getting faster and faster.

Back and forth.

The amplifying effect of leverage is beginning to emerge.

The core logic behind this model is that the expected annual growth rate of future housing prices can consistently exceed the bank interest costs required for borrowing.

And this moment.

Strangely, fate had turned in their favor.

Global demand has slumped due to the deep drag from the European debt crisis.

South Korea's export data suffered a severe blow, plummeting 18.5% year-on-year, putting enormous pressure on the domestic market.

To stimulate domestic consumption and investment.

The government was forced to take a two-pronged approach to stimulate domestic demand:

Not only was the tax rate reduced by 1.5%, but the benchmark interest rate for banks was also pushed down to a historic low of 1.25%!
South Korea's mainstream mortgage loan repayment structures are already quite flexible.

One model is represented by "balloon loans," which involves paying only interest upfront and repaying the principal in a lump sum upon maturity. The other model is the conventional "installment repayment of principal and interest."

either way.

In this market environment of ultra-low interest rates and against the backdrop of rising housing prices, there is ample room for the "all-rental" project to leverage its resources to the extreme.

If all goes well.

It may only take about a year and a half.

The initial capital of 2 billion won growing more than tenfold is no exaggeration.

of course.

No matter how beautiful the blueprint, you still need to wade through the mud with your own feet.

—Controlling renovation quality, dealing with tenant disputes, handling community environmental complaints, and negotiating loan details with banks…

of course.

These troublesome problems no longer need to be worried about by Kang Jae-hoon.

trust.

Or perhaps it was the financial ties and the maximization of mutual benefits that made him believe Jin Dayuan would definitely be able to resolve these issues.

And this moment.

He only needs to focus on becoming—Xu Darong.

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.

On the outskirts of Taibai City, the film crew's residence was sweltering in the heat.

The cicadas' chirping tore through the air.

Kang Jae-hoon found the core area of ​​the film crew.

I sincerely apologize to screenwriter Kim Eun-sook and director Lee Eung-bok for the delay in joining the production team.

His attitude was sincere.

The attitude was humbled enough.

Kim Eun-sook smiled gently, her eyes crinkling into a smile, and patted his strong forearm:

"Movie promotion is equally important. It's good that you came."

Director Li Yingfu nodded in agreement: "Have you thoroughly understood the character? It's better to be prepared."

"Working on it..."

Kang Jae-hoon gave a vague reply, his mind racing as he considered how to steer the conversation away from the sensitive topic of "script preparation":

"Um... Director, noona... should I shave my head now?"

He gestured to his bald head.

"Shave your head?"

Kim Eun-sook and Lee Eung-bok exchanged a glance.

Both of them wore expressions of disbelief.

Kim Eun-sook chuckled and covered her mouth with her well-maintained hand:
"What? Jae-hoon, we're filming an idol drama!"

She looked Kang Jae-hoon up and down, his sharply defined face, and imagined what he would look like with a shiny bald head and a military uniform. Her lips twitched.

"You're wearing a huge light bulb on your head... and you're acting out this scene of deep eye contact with Ji-won..."

"cough!"

Director Lee Eung-bok, suppressing a laugh, interrupted and patted Kang Jae-hoon on the shoulder:

"Don't worry, the hair team has the design. A sunny, rugged style, guaranteed not to ruin your looks!"

Kang Jae-hoon touched his thick hair with lingering fear.

Thankfully, I didn't act impulsively...

If Kim Ji-won were to arrive on set with a "hard-boiled egg" on her head, she'd probably be the first one to burst out laughing!

After exchanging pleasantries with Kim Eun-sook and Lee Eung-bok, Kang Jae-hoon headed towards the costume and makeup booth.

Just as Kang Jae-hoon was pondering that the makeup artist's work was slightly rougher than "Bella's," the door creaked open a crack.

Half of her delicate little face peeked in.

Kang Jae-hoon spotted the figure peeking in through the mirror, and a smile crept onto his lips.
"Ji-won, it's been a long time."

Upon seeing the person in question, Kim Ji-won strode in, her face stern.

"Give me your phone."

Kang Jae-hoon: ?

Kim Ji-won asked Kang Jae-hoon for his phone not for anything else, but to delete that video file of her acting cute, which she described as "the biggest socially embarrassing moment of my life, bar none."

She never expected that Kang Jae-hoon would have kept this video for two years and even reproduced it in a TV drama!

Seeing that Kang Jae-hoon remained unmoved, Kim Ji-won's face tightened:
"Sergeant Xu Darong!"

"?"

Kang Jae-hoon glanced at her suspiciously, then tilted his head slightly in front of the mirror, observing the neat lines the hairstylist had drawn on his sideburns.

Complete disregard.

Kim Ji-won's cheeks instantly turned into a pufferfish's fury!

As their third collaboration, Kim Ji-won can say that she is the person who understands Kang Jae-hoon's acting style best, besides Hwang Jung-min.

If only he had actually read even a little bit of the script.

If only he had put himself in Xu Darong's shoes for even three seconds...

Hearing the words "Sergeant Xu Darong" will instantly tense your muscles, straighten your spine, and make you stand up and salute.

This is a soldier's stress response ingrained in their very being!

But now?
Not only did it not move an inch, it was even admiring itself!
It's confirmed—

This guy definitely didn't research the character, and... he didn't even look at the script!

"Fine! I'm going to report you to Unnie, you definitely didn't even read the script!"

Kim Ji-won turned around as if to rush out, her little leather shoes making a rapid swishing sound on the carpet.

The "unnie" she was referring to was naturally Kim Eun-sook.

Don't say it.

Kang Jae-hoon was truly hit where it hurt.

Aside from a quick glance at the script the day I first received it, I was completely overwhelmed by things like endorsements, roadshows, romantic encounters, lawsuits, and renting apartments.

"Hey! No, no, no!"

Kang Jae-hoon almost tried to break free from the stylist's hand and stand up.

If Kim Eun-sook knew that he joined the crew late and was "unprepared," even if she didn't say anything, her impression of him would definitely plummet.

Kim Ji-won's hand was already on the doorknob, her shoulder, which was turned away from him, twitched suspiciously, and she mumbled something under her breath:
"I'm going to tell unnie! I'm going to tell Kang Jae-hoon that he..."

"Chicken drumsticks! All the chicken drumsticks from my lunchboxes for three days are yours! Is that okay?!"

Hear the words.

Kim Ji-won stumbled, her wide eyes filled with shock and humiliation, her back teeth grinding together.

This bastard!
You think you can fool her with a lousy chicken leg?!
What do you take her for?!
She yanked the door open.

I'm really going to report this to the authorities!
"Okay! Delete, delete, delete it now!"

Kang Jae-hoon reached into his pants pocket and rummaged around until his fingers touched the phone case.

I'll delete it myself!

A slender yet somewhat forceful hand suddenly reached out and snatched the phone from between his fingers before he could take it out.

She glanced at the numeric keypad interface that lit up on the screen, raised her chin, and spoke with a forced fierceness and lingering anger in her voice:
"password!"

Kang Jae-hoon subconsciously recited a few numbers.

Kim Ji-won's fingertip swiped across the screen.

Unlocked successfully.

I went straight to the photo album.

The video file of her acting cute, which she loathed and categorized as "the most embarrassing moment of my life without exception," was lying pristine in a folder named "Precious Footage."

Poke hard with your fingertip—

"delete."

"confirm."

The icon disappeared.

Still seemingly uneasy, she clicked into the recently deleted folder.

Find that icon and tap "Permanently Delete" again.

Do it all.

Her tightly clenched hands loosened slightly.

But still not satisfied, he raised his eyes and viciously glared at the sharply defined face in the mirror:

Where is the backup?

"It's really gone."

Kim Ji-won clearly didn't believe him; he had said the same thing last time!
"You can flip through it however you like."

Kang Jae-hoon's frank, almost arrogant expression made her fingertips hover in mid-air, unable to fall.

Are we really going to flip it?
What if you accidentally stumble upon some "work photo" or "casual photo" of him and a certain lady? The scene would be so awkward you'd want to dig your toes into the ground.

Not turning it over?

If it really is true, what will I use to threaten him next time?

"Okay!"

Kim Ji-won raised her chin and raised her voice by half an octave to bolster her courage:
"Then I'll really watch it?!"

Fingertips swipe rapidly across the screen.

It's less about "seeing" and more about "scanning".

Album icon, video icon, document icon...

A dazzling display flashed by.

Most of the photos show calico cats posing and scratching themselves from various angles.

A few well-lit profile shots of individuals, and a few familiar-looking photos of Namsan Tower.

however.

When she saw the close-up of Lee Kwang-soo's armpit hair, the corner of her mouth twitched involuntarily.

"Are you a pervert? Collecting this kind of thing?"

She disdainfully tossed the phone back to Kang Jae-hoon, extremely annoyed that she had stumbled upon this nuclear-level "mental pollution."

Kang Jae-hoon caught it steadily, smiling innocently:
"This is a precious testament to brotherhood."

Seeing Kim Ji-won's "you win" yet slightly annoyed expression, Kang Jae-hoon quickly brought up a topic before she completely lost her temper:

"Could you help me review the script?"

Kim Ji-won rolled her eyes at him, casually pulled out an empty makeup chair next to her, and plopped down in it. She grabbed the script placed in front of Kang Jae-hoon, her back ramrod straight.

"Scenes from the first episode of 'Descendants of the Sun'..."

"..."

Time flowed quietly amidst the sounds of painting, scissors, hairspray, and Kim Ji-won's voice.

a long time.

Kang Jae-hoon felt a hand gently pat his shoulder:

"All right."

He opened his eyes.

The mirror reflects a face whose contours have been redefined.

The thick bangs on his forehead were completely trimmed and fixed, revealing a broad forehead, and his sideburns were as neat as if they had been cut with a knife.

The naivety and foolishness that belonged to "Baek Seung-chan" in his eyes had completely disappeared, and what had also faded was the twisted, manic sharpness that could explode at any moment under the mask of "Cho Tae-oh".

Instead, it possesses a calm, rock-like strength and steadfastness.

next to.

Kim Ji-won's gaze had somehow shifted from the script to her new image in the mirror.

Compared to Song Joong-ki's refined and gentle face, which exudes the radiance typical of idol drama male leads, Kang Jae-hoon at this moment is like a heavy sword with its edge hidden in its sheath.

Heavy, cold, and full of primal power.

This intensely masculine aura made her momentarily lose her composure.

This, more than just his handsome appearance, seems to explain why Yin Mingzhu, the daughter of a military family, was so infatuated with him.

He's the second male lead.

There has to be something that the male lead can't provide.

"Snapped!"

A crisp snap of fingers exploded before her eyes.

"Watching people change clothes costs money."

"..."

Kim Ji-won snapped back to reality.

"It's not like I haven't seen it before."

She muttered as she stood up, as if to cover up the fleeting strange emotion in her words, her tone carrying a forced sense of "frankness" as if she were trying to regain her composure.

The instant my hand gripped the doorknob.

Kim Ji-won paused, turning half her face to the side:
"Hey."

"Ok?"

"I've sorted out the character details for you... From now on, you're not allowed to save any more of my embarrassing videos! Understand?"

Kang Jae-hoon shook his head and chuckled:
"understood."

Kim Ji-won then opened the door and disappeared outside.

Kang Jae-hoon picked up the clothes he had prepared in advance and changed into them with practiced ease.

The character's backstory and key conflicts in the script, which Kim Ji-won had just outlined, quickly settled in his mind.

Xu Darong —

His expression was indifferent, he spoke little, and his emotions were deeply restrained.

simply put.

He's a quiet, unassuming guy who can't even utter a three-word sentence.

All the surging emotions can only be hidden in the depths of calm, unwavering eyes, or in the subtle tension and relaxation of muscle lines.

The depth and warmth of a character are supported by their eyes, subtle tremors of the body, and the bursts of body language that erupt from silence.

This is precisely Kang Jae-hoon's comfort zone, and also his favorite performance rhythm.

—Because they don't have to memorize long passages of dialogue.

usually.

The character development and plot progression in TV dramas rely on a massive amount of dialogue.

Movies are different.

Time is precious.

Characters often don't have many opportunities to speak at length.

White space, micro-expressions, a glance, a pause in breathing—these are enough to convey a thousand words.

However, the character of Xu Darong is portrayed with a cinematic style of leaving things unsaid.

……

As Kang Jae-hoon changed his clothes and stepped out, before he could even steady himself, he heard Lee Eung-bok's crisp greeting coming from the director's tent not far away:

"Jae-hoon, perfect timing! The lighting is almost done, let's shoot the group scene in the back alley first!"

"Good director!"

Kang Jae-hoon responded and walked naturally toward the filming area.

Currently.

The production team is focusing its efforts on fleshing out the storyline of Xu Darong.

Although Xu Darong's initial appearances were not frequent, he aimed to anchor the core message of "still waters run deep" within the limited number of shots.

First shot.

The choice was based on Xu Darong's most outward outburst—single-handedly defeating seven or eight gang thugs who were blocking his way with knives.

In reality, what normal person would do that?

Even special forces soldiers won't do.

But idol dramas don't need logic.

It's the adrenal gland!

He's handsome!

That kind of coolness, where every punch and kick exudes the ultimate masculine power and aesthetics!
Under the direction of the action director, Kang Jae-hoon and several extras dressed in cheap floral shirts and exuding a distinctly thuggish air spent nearly half an hour rehearsing moves.

That's when the actual filming began.

"Action!"

The sound of the clapper striking the wood was crisp and clear.

The camera moves forward.

A thug wearing a leather jacket and a ring on his nose struck first, his butterfly knife flashing coldly as he thrust it straight at Xu Darong, played by Jiang Zaihun, in the ribs!

Xu Darong's eyebrows remained completely still.

But his body was on the verge of the blade touching his clothes.

Using his left foot as a pivot, he twisted his waist and abdomen into a very small angle, turning sideways. The sharp tip of the butterfly knife grazed the zipper of his jacket.

Stab empty!
Before the thugs could withdraw their strength, they...

Xu Darong's right arm gripped the opponent's wrist bone, which was holding the knife, like an iron clamp, and a crisp "crack" was heard.

"what--!"

The thug's wrist was forcibly locked in a joint lock and killed!
In excruciating pain, he loosened his grip, and the gleaming butterfly knife clattered to the ground.

Simultaneously.

Xu Darong's bent left knee moved with lightning speed, slamming into the opponent's soft side like a heavy hammer!
"Uh!"

The excruciating pain caused the attacker to instantly curl up into a shrimp-like shape, his screams choked back.

Xu Darong grabbed his arm, which was weak from the pain, and slammed him to the ground with a simple and smooth joint lock technique, following the direction in which he fell!
"boom!"

Almost at the same time he took down the first one.

The second thug roared and swung his arm, the baseball bat whistling heavily as it struck the back of his head.

Xu Darong didn't even turn around.

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, he suddenly squatted down in a deep lunge position.

The instant the boxing bat swept over his head.

He slammed his back foot off the ground, his center of gravity springing up like a spring. Using the momentum from this initial burst, his left elbow struck the second attacker from below the temple with a vicious side elbow strike without warning.

"Oh!"

The second thug didn't even utter a sound.

His eyes rolled back instantly and he tilted straight to the side.

The third.

the fourth.

the fifth……

The next few minutes.

The narrow back alley became Xu Darong's "teaching ground".

In his presence, those petty thugs who usually swaggered around the streets were like tender saplings rushing into a logging camp.

They were neatly and cleanly felled to the ground, one by one.

They either clutched their stomachs and curled up, or fell into a coma.

When the last thug who tried to sneak up from behind was taken down by his spinning back kick, only incoherent groans and heavy breathing remained in the back alley.

Throughout the entire process, Xu Darong's expression remained completely unchanged, and even his training uniform hardly developed any large wrinkles.

He raised his hand and brushed off a non-existent speck of dust from his sleeve.

My gaze shifted to Yoo Si-jin, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, as if watching a free street performance.

Yoo Si-jin met Seo Dae-young's gaze and then strolled over. He first picked up the butterfly knife that had been knocked away from the ground and weighed it in his hand with interest.

Subsequently.

With a playful smile, he walked among the wailing thugs.

Squat down.

"Snapped!"

He casually slapped the thug closest to him.

"Snapped!"

Another person took another puff, as if checking if the fruit was ripe.

Snapped!Snapped!Snapped!
The sound of a slap echoed through the alleyway, accompanied by Yoo Si-jin's lazy voice:
"How many times have I said it..."

"You need to be polite, kid!"

When he walked up to the last thug, the man was so frightened that he immediately closed his eyes.

Seeing his cowardly appearance, Yoo Si-jin decided not to hit him.

Stand up straight.

He dusted off his hands and walked toward Xu Darong, who stood like a rock in the alley.

He stretched out his arm and affectionately put his arm around Xu Darong's strong shoulders, which were still slightly taut from the fight, and even gave them a massage:
"Great job! Our Sergeant Xu's fists are much more effective than his words!"

Xu Darong glanced at him.

His gaze was calm.

Profound as an abyss.

On that face, whose features had become even more hardened by the battle, only the corners of his lips twitched upwards in the slightest.

"Click."

behind the monitor.

Director Li Yingfu stroked his chin and nodded repeatedly.

The tension between Kang Jae-hoon's "calm and collected" ruthlessness and Song Joong-ki's "shadow in the sunlight" in the scene almost perfectly replicated his preconceived notions of the plot.

I never expected these two to have such great chemistry.

"If this one passes, keep one."

……

The film set's day and night were tightly divided by the "cut," "cut," and "one take" rhythms.

Time slipped by as the lighting tracks were adjusted, the set was moved, and the actors turned the pages of their scripts.

To make up for joining the group late and feeling guilty for not being able to fully delve into the role.

Kang Jae-hoon welded himself to the personality of Seo Dae-young both on and off screen.

He spoke sparingly, pondered the characters' movements during breaks, and even ate with a characteristically vigilant posture. His rugged face was almost welded with an icy mask that said "keep away."

This led Song Hye-kyo to believe that this was Kang Jae-hoon's true personality.

Until one sweltering afternoon.

Lee Kwang-soo braved the scorching sun to make a cameo appearance as the owner of a shop selling toy guns and balloons. He had barely jumped out of his van when he was intercepted by Kim Ji-won, who was lying in wait.

"Kwangsoo oppa! Kang Jaehoon has your private photos on his phone! High-definition close-ups!"

Lee Kwang-soo was completely bewildered:
"Mo?"

Kim Ji-won gestured twice under her armpits, her eyes conveying a meaningful look.

boom--!
The film set instantly descended into chaos.

The 1.9-meter-tall giraffe burst forth with astonishing speed, while Kang Jae-hoon darted through the passage filled with equipment like a cannonball.

The two chased each other around the camera track, Xu Darong's cold, hard mask shattered, leaving only his furious roars echoing in the studio:
"Kim Ji-won, you're dead—!"

The coffee in Song Hye-kyo's hand rippled.

She watched the young man who had been chased and jumped onto the prop box—

Where is even a trace of Xu Darong's calm and steadfast demeanor?

Where is there any trace of the almost aloof detachment that is common on set?
him at the moment.

He's just a mischievous big boy.

Imagine.

A rising star who has already secured a place among Chungmuro's monster rookies, he could have easily relied on the amazing aura of "Veteran" to be arrogant.

He could have easily acted like a "big shot" on set.

But he chose another way—

He made up for his lateness with what could be described as humble focus.

Whether it's genuine emotion or a meticulously staged performance, it doesn't matter.

This vibrant quality of being worldly-wise yet not cynical is even more precious than acting skills.

(End of this chapter)