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

Chapter 209 Xu Da Rong's Abs, Actor Kim's Workplace Crisis

The film crew arrived at the seaside hotel on Zakynthos Island, the filming location, in the early hours of the morning.

Outside the window, the gentle sound of the Aegean Sea's tides could be heard.

again and again.

What should have been excellent white noise to help you sleep turned into a drumbeat that pounded on Kim Ji-won's fragile nerves.

—Is it because you slept too much on and off on the plane, disrupting your biological clock?

—Or is it because the seven-hour time difference between Seoul and Zakynthos twists the body's rhythm into a pretzel?
Perhaps both of these objective factors are at play.

But Kim Ji-won knew in her heart that what truly unsettled her internal organs and made her nerve endings scream in refusal to accept the sleep command was—

It was that face that suddenly pressed close to the porthole, that fleeting, almost illusory, warm touch on the lips.

What's even more agonizing is...

It wasn't even the sensory stimulation and memory revisited from the kiss itself.

It was the invisible panic that followed the kiss—

After this cross-boundary touch, what expressions should they use when looking at each other?
How can you pretend nothing's wrong during the busy daily interactions on a film set?
How can I look into Krystal Jung's sincere eyes without feeling a trace of betrayal or guilt?

“One sheep…two sheep…three ginger Jae-hoon…four ginger Jae-hoon…”

Kim Ji-won turned over in frustration.

"Ugh! Let's try again! One sheep... two sheep... that bastard's face... his hands..."

In despair, she pulled the blanket over her head.

"Ah, damn it!"

Tossing and turning.

Internal strife continues.

The sky outside the window gradually changed from a deep, inky black to a sliver of deep blue, then to a grayish-blue, and finally tinged with a faint, watery sheen...

When the first pale, Mediterranean-style dawn finally seeped through the gap in the curtains...

After being torn between chaotic exhaustion and mental excitement for nearly five hours, Kim Ji-won finally managed to drift into a light sleep, barely managing to stay awake at the edge of both physical and mental limits.

My consciousness had just sunk.

"Ding-dong—ding-dong ding-dong—"

Kim Ji-won was suddenly awakened from her light sleep.

who? !

This time?!
Frustrated, she grabbed a handful of her messy hair, staggered to the door, and peered through the small, distorted convex lens of the peephole.

A face stood clearly in the center of my field of vision.

—Kang Jae-hoon!

Kim Ji-won recoiled as if burned, pressing her back tightly against the door.

I held my breath for a moment.

What is he doing here?!

The aftershocks of yesterday's kiss were still buzzing in her head, and coupled with the confusion of a sleepless night, Kim Ji-won had absolutely no desire to face him at this moment.

I just want to bury myself under the covers and pretend I don't exist.

"Ding-dong-ding-dong-"

The doorbell rang again.

Kim Ji-won's fingers unconsciously dug at the edge of the door panel.

An internal struggle:

not open?

He seemed guilty.

开？

...Even more embarrassing!

The doorbell rings persistently.

She even started frantically trying to recall exactly how many turns she had made when locking the door last night—could he have a master key? Would the hotel staff be called over?
never mind!

Break the jar!
Kim Ji-won's fingers trembled as she opened the door.

"Click."

The door opened.

The door was only opened a crack, and the chain was still hanging on.

"what?"

"Do me a favor."

Kang Jae-hoon, standing outside the door, spoke succinctly.

help?

Kim Ji-won hadn't yet grasped the meaning of those words.

next second.

Kang Jae-hoon's large hand had already reached in through the crack in the door with remarkable ease.

Instead of pushing the door open, he grabbed the hinge of the door chain!
"Hey! You..."

Kim Ji-won's exclamation was only halfway through.

With a soft "click," the door chain was swiftly and neatly unlocked.

Followed by.

The door was pushed open from the outside.

A tall figure, carrying the refreshing scent of someone who had just showered, strode in!

"boom!"

The door was slammed shut behind him.

The space instantly became small and private.

Kim Ji-won's heart leaped into her throat, her sleepiness and confusion instantly vanishing! She glared at this uninvited guest who had even taken the initiative to close the door, her entire body on high alert!

"you……"

Just uttered a word.

But then Jiang Zai Xun grabbed the hem of his loose T-shirt and yanked it up.

moment.

A bare chest, brimming with power and masculine hormones, crashed into Kim Ji-won's field of vision with unbridled force!

His firm pectoral muscles flowed smoothly downwards, his well-defined abdominal muscles rose and fell slightly with his breath, and his V-line disappeared into the edge of his low-waisted casual pants. His wheat-colored skin gave his body a primal, aggressive beauty.

"you you you you……"

Kim Ji-won's eyes widened instantly, she was so frightened that she stammered, and her body instinctively tried to back away, but her heel bumped into the low cabinet behind her.

He barged into my room first thing in the morning!

Without saying a word, he decisively took off his shirt!

This, this, this...

What does he want to do? !

Adrenaline surges!

Fear and confusion caused Kim Ji-won to react instantly to stress.

One hand instinctively rose to her chest, as if to cover something, while the other hand was completely unsure whether to cover her eyes and scream or desperately push away this exhibitionist bastard!
Under her terrified gaze.

Kang Jae-hoon's hand, which seemed to be reaching for the dangerous belt, drew an arc in mid-air and slipped into his pocket.

Immediately afterwards, a round, white plastic bottle was shoved into her hand, which was frozen in mid-air.

Kim Ji-won's gaze laboriously and slowly moved down from that naked chest radiating heat and masculinity... and settled on the bottle.

The bottle is printed with "High SPF Sunscreen Lotion" (waterproof and sweatproof).

"You can't apply it to the back."

Kang Jae-hoon turned his body to the side, showing off his broad, beautifully shaped shoulder blade area, which he couldn't reach himself:
"trouble--"

"Could the beautiful and kind-hearted Ji-won do me a favor?"

Kim Ji-won: “…”

That's it? !
They broke down the door early in the morning!

Take off your clothes!
Just so she could help me apply sunscreen?!
A surge of shame and anger at being mocked, mixed with a profound sense of absurdity, rushed to her head, almost making her laugh in anger. The fear and adrenaline rush of the previous moment had now transformed into an uncontrollable source of embarrassment, burning her cheeks.

Just as Kim Ji-won was torn between throwing the thing at him and telling him to get lost, or actually wiping it off for him—

"Would Ji-won like a local breakfast or... ramen?"

Seeing Kang Jae-hoon's shameless, domineering, and self-righteous attitude, Kim Ji-won's accusations were all stuck in her throat.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting streaks of light on his tanned skin.

The outline of his shoulder blades was clear and powerful, and his spinal groove disappeared down to the edge of his trousers. The panic from the visual shock had not yet completely subsided when this even more tangible male body stood staring straight at me.

quite a while.

Kim Ji-won sighed softly, then with a "pop," unscrewed the cap of the sunscreen, squeezed out a few blobs of cool, white lotion, rubbed them together in her palm, and muttered irritably:

"...local."

"it is good."

The words just left his mouth.

The little hand, covered in lotion, slapped heavily on the center of Kang Jae-hoon's back with a "smack".

The smooth lotion was spread evenly under her soft little hands.

He could almost "see" Kim Ji-won behind him, her brows furrowed slightly as she tried to finish the task quickly.

A nasty sense of satisfaction quietly began to grow within him—

This is much more comfortable and more... interesting than him just smearing it on haphazardly.

Kang Jae-hoon resisted the urge to turn around and look at her expression, enjoying this "forced" service and feeling the alluring touch of her small hands moving across his back.

After a while.

A very low voice came from behind, carrying a hint of relief and feigned composure: "All done."

Kang Jae-hoon turned around, still wanting more.

Kim Ji-won lowered her head, quickly screwed the cap of the sunscreen onto her finger, and shoved it back into his hand. Her fair face was flushed, like a ripe peach, the blush spreading from her cheeks to her ears and neck.

Her eyes darted away, refusing to look at him.

A knowing glint flashed in Jiang Zai Xun's eyes, but he deliberately put on a confused yet concerned expression, gently touching her forehead with the back of his finger to check her temperature.

"Have a cold?"

He asked the question knowing the answer already, his voice full of "sincere" worry. He then touched his forehead and made a serious comparison:
"Are you alright? Why is your face so red and beautiful? Is it so hot in the Greek morning?"

Kim Ji-won: “…”

She suddenly looked up and met his seemingly innocent but actually mischievous eyes, and almost choked on her breath again!

What was she supposed to say?!

When I was applying sunscreen to you, my fingertips felt the texture and temperature of the muscles on your back, and my mind started racing, causing my heart to race and my blood to rush, which made me blush?!

In this situation, any normal person would have wild thoughts, right?!

It's abnormal not to have wild fantasies!
"No, it's okay..."

She could only turn her face away again, her voice barely audible, utterly lacking confidence, wishing she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Seeing her so embarrassed and as if she wanted to disappear on the spot, Jiang Zaixun felt a wicked sense of satisfaction that almost overflowed.

He secretly curled the corners of his mouth, then suppressed his smile and took out the individually packaged wet wipes he had prepared beforehand from his pocket.

Tear open the packaging.

Pull out the damp wipes with a cool, pleasant scent:
"Your hands are sticky, let me wipe them off for you."

Before Kim Ji-won could react, he had already grabbed one of her wrists with remarkable ease.

"I...I can do it myself!"

Kim Ji-won immediately tried to pull her hand back.

But the fingers that encircled her slender wrist, though seemingly gentle, were as strong as the most sturdy steel clamps.

"Don't move, it'll be ready soon."

The refusal was unsuccessful.

She could only remain stiff, letting her heart pound in her ears, forced to "enjoy" this "attentive service."

She felt the undeniable touch of his fingertips. Embarrassment, panic, and a hint of...thrills she didn't even want to admit... all swirled and churned within her heart.

There's nowhere to look.

Driven by some kind of "instinct to escape embarrassment," the object landed on his lowered profile.

Her nose was straight, and her jawline was clear and smooth. Her expression was unusually serious, as if wiping her hands was the most important thing in the world at that moment.

His focused profile revealed a unique and captivating charm.

Even the ambiguous touch from his fingertips seemed to be temporarily ignored.

Then, a warm, slightly rough touch came from the top of her head—Kang Jae-hoon had finished wiping her hands and was now gently rubbing the top of her head with his clean, large hand. This startled Kim Ji-won from her bizarre, dazed state.

"I'll be back soon."

Before Kim Ji-won could recover from the gesture of rubbing her head and the words "I'll be back soon,"

Before she could even respond (whether it was a refusal or something else), Kang Jae-hoon had already turned around decisively, grabbed the T-shirt he had casually tossed aside, and quickly put it on, covering up everything that had just disturbed her peace of mind.

"boom."

The door was gently closed.

The room fell silent instantly, leaving only her and the lingering, refreshing scent of him in the air, along with... the faint fragrance of sunscreen.

Kim Ji-won stood there, stunned, looking at her hand, which had been wiped clean and seemed to still retain the warmth of his fingertips. She touched the top of her head, which he had rubbed, and the blush on her cheeks had not yet faded, and her heartbeat showed no signs of calming down.

She threw herself back onto the bed in frustration, wrapped herself in the blanket and rolled around, as if trying to shake off all the messy thoughts in her mind.

asshole!

rogue!

Neuropathy!
What exactly does he want?!

She cursed him viciously in her heart, but her body honestly curled up, tightly covering her chest with the hand he had carefully wiped.

The rolling around hadn't lasted more than ten minutes.

"Ding-dong-"

The doorbell rang again, crisp and short.

This time.

Kim Ji-won practically sat up abruptly. Without even looking through the peephole, she walked straight to the door and flung it open.

There was no one outside the door.

Only on the doormat lay a paper bag and a folded note.

Kim Ji-won bent down and picked up the note.

Unfold.

There are no scenes for you on the call sheet, so get some rest. I'll bring you lunch at noon.

Just a few simple words.

He gently yet domineeringly booked her lunch break, regardless of whether she agreed or not.

Kim Ji-won stared at the words for two seconds, then looked down at the paper bag at her feet that smelled of food.

finally.

She bent down, picked up the bag, turned around, and closed the door.

The room fell silent again, a silence that belonged only to her, with only the sound of the tide outside the window, rhythmically lapping against the shallow reefs.

The aroma of food mingled with the subtle scent of the sea breeze rose gently from the open paper bag and entered my nostrils.

Kim Ji-won walked to the low table by the sea window and put down the paper bag.

Take out the lunchbox.

The spinach pie was wrapped in parchment paper, a few crisp, bright green cucumber slices lay on top of feta cheese, freshly squeezed orange juice was in a clear glass, and finally, there was a small carton of Greek yogurt.

She scooped up a spoonful of yogurt mixed with honey and nuts with a wooden spoon and put it in her mouth.

—The sweetness of honey bursts on the tongue, accompanied by the caramelized aroma and grainy texture of nuts, perfectly neutralized by the slight acidity of the yogurt itself.

The taste was like the gentlest magic, strangely relaxing Kim Ji-won's nerves that had been tense all night.

For a moment, I forgot the fleeting kiss by the porthole, forgot the shock of the door bursting in, forgot the thrill of my fingertips tracing my firm back and the ensuing embarrassment and confusion.

Not long after.

The small cardboard box was scraped clean.

The sunlight outside the window had already pierced through the thin morning mist, turning the surface of the shallow bay of the Aegean Sea into a shimmering expanse of broken gold.

Kim Ji-won leaned back contentedly into the soft sofa, a comfortable warmth rising slightly in her lower abdomen.

The body, exhausted from a sleepless night and feeling drowsy from a large meal with blood rushing to the stomach, sends out lazy strike signals.

She slowly got up and climbed onto the large bed that had caused her so much suffering the previous night.

The soft, familiar mattress enveloped me.

My eyelids felt heavier than ever before.

however.

The moment I closed my eyes.

My mind, however, was like a roulette wheel, with various fragments flashing through it haphazardly.

One moment it's the rolling sea of ​​clouds outside the airplane window, the next it's someone's profile and lips so close, then it's him shirtless and acting as if it's perfectly normal... The chaotic images and emotions intertwine and linger.

"what……!"

Kim Ji-won suddenly opened her eyes, irritably threw off the covers, and sat up!
The drowsy feeling that had been brought on by the yogurt bomb was instantly dispelled by these unexpected images that suddenly flooded my mind.

I can't lie down anymore!
If this keeps up, he's really going to lose his mind!

Let's put on some makeup and head out!

Correct!
I can't stay in my room and let my mind wander like this!

Go into the bathroom.

The warm water washed away the last trace of chaos.

A slightly tired but pretty face was reflected in the mirror. She carefully applied a no-makeup makeup look, a lip gloss to brighten her complexion... and finally chose that grayish-pink one. She then topped off with a low-key baseball cap.

The goal is clear—the film set.

As for whether she should go to observe how others interpret a character, or... go to see a figure that bothers her and can't be shaken off?
unimportant.

The important thing is that she needs to leave this room that's making her overthink.

……

The military camp set up on the northeast corner of Zakynthos Island was used as a filming location.

The morning sun had lost its gentle warmth and was now blazing down on the dry, ochre-yellow earth.

Kim Ji-won arrived just in time for a break in filming.

The scene was bustling with activity.

She found an inconspicuous corner, leaned against a mottled stone wall, and tried to minimize her presence.

His gaze swept across the center of the field.

My heart skipped a beat.

A group of shirtless male extras wearing camouflage pants were lined up in a loose formation, doing warm-up exercises at the command of the assistant director.

Sweat glistened on their bronze skin.

Kang Jae-hoon was among them.

He was also shirtless, wearing only a pair of training pants.

The sunlight shone down on him generously.

It perfectly outlines the muscles that have been trained over a long period of time, with smooth lines and explosive power.

He was speaking intently to the extras next to him, clearly having fully entered the role of "Xu Darong".

Yes.

When Kang Jae-hoon asked Kim Ji-won to help him apply sunscreen, it wasn't just a gimmick.

The entire day was filled with scenes of Seo Dae-young and Yoo Si-jin's physical training in the military camp.

The morning consisted of running and basic training with the team. The afternoon was a full-on field training exercise... Under the scorching sun, sun protection was a necessity.

Although the production team carefully selected extras who needed to show skin for the sake of visual effects, each of them was muscular and well-built.

But Kim Ji-won's gaze involuntarily lingered on Kang Jae-hoon.

Without him.

There are players on the field who are more muscular and have more exaggerated muscles than Kang Jae-hoon.

But that face... was either too rugged or lacked definition, missing the unique charm and storytelling that comes with being an actor.

There might be others whose image and temperament better fit the ruggedness and slightly roguish charm of a soldier than Kang Jae-hoon.

However, those people's eyes and body language appeared thin in front of the camera, lacking the captivating acting tension that Kang Jae-hoon possesses.

And those with more seasoned acting skills than Kang Jae-hoon, who can more accurately grasp the core of a character... Looking around, there aren't any for now.

Even if it exists.

That face... well, Kim Ji-won shook her head inwardly, probably not even close to the face in front of her that shone brightly in the sunlight, with sweat rolling down its back, looking like it was from an advertisement.

Body shape, image, acting skills, looks...

Under her discerning scrutiny, she ultimately arrived at a perfect, closed-loop conclusion: Kang Jae-hoon is the best...

—The best?!
This thought struck Kim Ji-won like a bolt from the blue, leaving her breathless with shock!
What the hell? !
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder?!

This conclusion was so absurd that she wanted to slap herself right then and there!

Pooh!
Who is his lover?!

Kim Ji-won abruptly turned her face away, her gaze fixed on the mottled ground beneath her feet, as if trying to see through the cracked, ochre-yellow soil.

No!

You absolutely must not watch this again!

If I keep watching, my brain will really break!

She forced herself to lift her head, deliberately casting her gaze toward the busy crew in the distance, toward the photographers adjusting their equipment, toward the group of people gesturing and explaining the scene to the director…anywhere would do!
As long as it's not that shirtless, gleaming in the sunlight, and magnetically attracting attention!

however.

That powerful and beautiful body seemed to have its own gravitational field.

Even though she tried her best to resist, the corner of her eye kept sneaking back in that direction like an uncontrollable thief.

Each stolen glance was fleeting, and each withdrawal was accompanied by an even stronger sense of guilt and regret.

The sunlight grew increasingly intense.

The air was filled with the smells of dust, sweat, and sun-baked skin.

In the field.

Kang Jae-hoon followed the instructions to complete a set of high-intensity push-ups.

Sweat trickled down the grooves of his taut back muscles.

When getting up.

The smooth muscle lines undulated slightly with each breath, exuding a wild vitality.

Kim Ji-won's gaze drifted over there again, uncontrollably.

This time the stay was a little longer.

She saw the stray hairs of sweat clinging to his full forehead, his lips slightly pursed in focus, and the resolute yet slightly arrogant light in his eyes that belonged to "Xu Darong"...

She's no longer the jerk on the plane who annoyed her, but an actress who's fully committed to her role.

A sort of……

The appreciation of "beauty" and "power" quietly overcame the initial embarrassment and resistance.

The psychological defenses crumbled silently with each "unintentional" glance.

The initial struggle and resistance gradually faded away.

Instead, there is a sense of composure.

Just watch it.

What's wrong with watching a great actor perform?
She simply stopped fighting with herself.

Their gazes no longer darted away, no longer deliberately searching for substitutes, but instead openly returned to Kang Jae-hoon in the center of the arena.

Watching him smoothly complete every training movement, watching him banter with Song Joong-ki's character Yoo Si-jin during breaks (their interactions both on and off screen are full of chemistry), and watching him naturally exude an undeniable aura of a leading man even among the extras.

The sense of absurdity that arose in my heart from the saying "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" seemed to be somewhat diluted by this focused scrutiny.

Maybe……

Was the conclusion just now not entirely absurd?
……

The morning's filming ended with the director yelling, "Cut! Break!"

The extras felt like they'd been granted a pardon and rushed to the sidelines to drink water and wipe their sweat.

Upon seeing Kang Jae-hoon, Kim Ji-won immediately grabbed the T-shirt draped nearby and hastily slipped it over her sweaty body.

then.

As everyone leisurely walked towards the makeshift sunshade, preparing to enjoy their lunchboxes—

Kang Jae-hoon, however, shot off like an arrow and was the first to rush towards the crew's makeshift canteen!
The speed was so fast that it created a small breeze.

This guy……

Is it a hungry ghost reincarnated?

Is it really necessary to be this hungry after filming all morning?
Kim Ji-won's gaze unconsciously followed that hurried figure.

He rushed to the cafeteria window and quickly said something to the staff inside. Soon, two stacked white styrofoam takeout boxes were pushed out.

Kang Jae-hoon took it and ran away.

The direction was the path leading to the hotel.

Kim Ji-won suddenly remembered the words written in a flamboyant style on the note:
I'll bring you lunch at noon.

He ran off in such a hurry, without even changing out of his costume or wiping away his sweat...

It was all to rush back and fulfill that domineering CEO-like appointment he had written on the note—to deliver lunch!
Kim Ji-won didn't know what was wrong with her either.

Perhaps she was overwhelmed by the warmth of a promise being faithfully kept, or perhaps some indescribable longing was breaking through her slumber; all she wanted to do now was run back to the hotel.

Get back to your room before he arrives!

(End of this chapter)