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

Chapter 240 When Nick Meets the Sneaky Rabbit
The navigation lights pierced the thick darkness of downtown Tokyo as the plane landed smoothly at Gimpo Airport.

The past week was less of a vacation and more of an intensive training camp.

In order to truly capture the essence of Nick Wilde's roguish fox, Kang Jae-hoon made a special trip to Japan.

Not for shopping or sightseeing.

He only wanted to visit a legendary animation voice actor he had long admired, and humbly learn the secrets of how to use voice to create the liveliness and anthropomorphic personality of animal characters.

She even took a day off to go to the zoo by herself.

I spent most of the day standing outside the fox exhibit.

Holding a small notebook, he carefully observed the fox's walking posture, the way it squinted its eyes, and even the subtle sounds it made when it yawned, trying to incorporate these "beastly" details into the "human" voice he was about to give it.

When Kang Jae-hoon appeared at the Disney Korea dubbing studio, he deliberately wore a slightly flashy burgundy velvet shirt, and his slightly upturned lips unconsciously carried a sense of cynicism and cunning.

He looked exactly like Nick Wilde who had just stepped off the silver screen.

Inside the recording studio.

Various sophisticated devices flashed their indicator lights.

Kang Jae-hoon, who arrived first, shook hands and greeted the waiting dubbing director and several key staff members one by one.

He then consciously walked to the dedicated microphone and sat down.

Wearing headphones.

Quietly flipping through the open Korean script, his lips moved silently, as if warming up his mouth.

Not long after.

A series of slightly hurried but light footsteps sounded at the door, accompanied by a low apology.

It's Bae Suzy.

She quickly took off her thin trench coat, still carrying the chill of early spring, and handed it to her assistant, while slightly out of breath:
"Sorry, sorry, we just finished filming a scene and there was a bit of traffic on the way. Sorry to keep you all waiting."

Strictly speaking.

Squeezing in voice-over work during breaks in filming is considered "working on multiple projects at once".

However, in the Korean entertainment industry, where idols often cross over to acting and scheduling often relies on seamless connections, production companies usually turn a blind eye as long as the idol doesn't blatantly jump between different production crews and cause chaos.

—After all, Yoona often does similar things, seamlessly switching between music show stages and photo studios.

"Bae Suzy-ssi, you've worked hard, please have a seat."

The voice director stood up and gestured to the empty seat next to her recording booth.

“Bae Suzy-ssi, it’s a pleasure to work with you again.”

When Kang Jae-hoon heard the voice, he raised his head, bowed slightly, and made a very gentlemanly "please" gesture.

Bae Suzy immediately understood and gently shook his hand:
"Kang Jae-hoon-ssi, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Please take good care of me."

See this scene.

Jin Dayuan secretly grumbled to himself:
What two truly sincere and wonderful actors!
Their eyes are practically sparkling, yet they still manage to act like they're some kind of distant person separated by Seoul and Busan? If the Oscars don't give both of you an Oscar, I'm writing a formal complaint!
The director, oblivious to the subtle tension, expressed satisfaction with the two lead actors' excellent "professionalism" (at least in their attitude):

"You've both worked hard. Bae Suzy just arrived, let's rest for ten minutes to familiarize ourselves with the environment and lines. Shall we start by having the two of you meet to warm up and get into the right mood?"

Kang Jae-hoon and Bae Suzy looked at each other at the same time:
"Okay, I understand. / Good job, director."

……

The only sound in the recording studio was the faint rustling of pages turning.

Kang Jae-hoon and Bae Suzy were each engrossed in their scripts.

Ten minutes flew by.

The director's voice came through the headphones:
"Gentlemen, shall we begin? From the moment Judy discovers she's been tricked and points at Nick in the street."

The two simultaneously made the OK sign, and the director immediately nodded in approval.

"Ready—1, 2, 3, go—"

Bae Suzy took a deep breath and sat up straight.

When she spoke again, her voice became clear, firm, and slightly impatient—perfectly matching Officer Judy's idealistic nature.

"You liar! I actually did you a favor by helping you!"

The tone conveyed a perfect balance of anger and resentment at being deceived.

Almost the instant her last note faded, Kang Jae-hoon's relaxed yet magnetic voice seamlessly followed:

"Tsk... How can this be called deception, dear officer? This is called outsmarting them!"

Before Judy could retaliate, Kang Jae-hoon (Nick) pointed his finger forcefully in a certain direction, calmly deflecting the "spearhead":
"Besides—look! That's the real fraudster!"

Bae Suzy (Judy) reacted extremely quickly: "...Where?"

Ambient sound effects were added to the headphones at the right time to simulate the moment Judy turned her head to look around.

When she turned around again, Nick was nowhere to be seen. All she could hear were car horns and the rapidly receding voices saying, "Let's talk later~ Innocent little bunny."

"..."

"Crack!"

The effects of a week of intensive training are remarkable.

The voice director was clearly very satisfied with Kang Jae-hoon's performance.

It not only captures the cynicism of a master con artist, but also imbues his voice with a unique "alluring" arc.

And, most importantly and most fatally—a sense of ambiguous flirting.

"Great! The emotion, rhythm, and interaction are all fantastic! Let's keep that take and do it again!"

"Yes, Director."

The two replied in unison, gesturing to the director outside the listening glass.

The recording indicator light came on again.

The two immediately resumed their initial "confrontation" with the fox and the rabbit.

The tacit understanding developed during the previous practice session did not dissipate; on the contrary, it became more refined and fluent through repeated adjustments to emotions and tone.

Kang Jae-hoon masterfully captured Nick Wilde's playful yet shrewdly lazy tone, while Bae Suzy vividly and endearingly portrayed Officer Judy's idealism, earnestness, and the frustration and anger she felt after being tricked.

Several key emotional clashes and dialogue exchanges were almost all filmed in one take.

It was nearly noon.

The voice director, watching the two voices perfectly synchronized and their rhythm precisely timed on the monitor, announced a lunch break in high spirits.

"OK! That's great! That's all for this morning. Thanks for your hard work, everyone. Lunch break, we'll continue this afternoon!"

The humming sound from the equipment gradually weakened.

Staff members began tidying up equipment or talking in hushed tones.

Soon, someone delivered the pre-ordered lunchbox.

Bae Suzy's manager took a transparent plastic lunchbox out of the insulated bag she was carrying and placed it in front of Suzy.

Inside was a lush green mixed vegetable salad, a few slices of bland boiled chicken breast, a small portion of nuts, and a few small tomatoes—a typical idol body management meal.

Bae Suzy lifted the lid and glanced at the lettuce, then picked up a fork and listlessly poked at the lettuce leaves.

His gaze, however, drifted uncontrollably to the side.

The lunchbox in front of Kang Jae-hoon was clearly much more lavish.

Meat and vegetarian combination.

There was even a plate of golden-brown fried fish, its aroma wafting over from it.

Kang Jae-hoon had already noticed her longing look in her eyes, and deliberately picked up a large piece of fish, eating it with smacking sounds.
"Mmm~ This restaurant's grilled mackerel is absolutely amazing. It's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with just the right amount of oily aroma... It smells so good."

Bae Suzy swallowed hard and muttered under her breath, clearly annoyed:
"Hey... Kang Jae-hoon, you did this on purpose, didn't you?"

"how could be?"

Kang Jae-hoon looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, then suddenly picked up a piece of fish and, with lightning speed, shoved it to Bae Soo-ji's lips, whispering:

"Try it? Just one bite, and no one will know. Your agent won't find out."

Bae Suzy looked at the tempting fish meat at her lips, then quickly glanced at her manager who was organizing the schedule on the other side. After a split-second internal struggle, she quickly opened her mouth, snatched the fish meat with a "whoosh," and began to chew it rapidly, her eyes squinting with satisfaction.

Kang Jae-hoon found her appearance extremely cute and asked in a low voice:

"How is it? My cooking skills... no, how is the bento I chose?"

Bae Suzy licked her lips, still wanting more:
"Hmm...it's alright. It's just that the bite Oppa fed me was especially delicious."

"Then have another bite."

Kang Jae-hoon quickly picked up another large piece of fish and brought it to her mouth.

at the same time.

Bae Suzy's manager finished organizing the afternoon's schedule, turned around with satisfaction, and prepared to remind her artist to eat some salad to replenish her energy.

However, what she saw was—

She hadn't touched the vegetable salad, but Bae Suzy's fair cheeks were bulging.

broker:"???"

"Suzy, what are you eating? There are nuts in the salad, do you need to chew them for so long?"

She subconsciously assumed that Bae Suzy was eating the nuts in the lunchbox.

"Ugh?!"

Startled by being called out suddenly, Bae Suzy quickly and laboriously swallowed the fish in her mouth. She even lightly thumped her chest because she had eaten so fast, and mumbled a reply:
"Huh? No, it's nothing! It's just that the quinoa in the salad... uh... is really chewy!"

The manager looked at the salad, which was almost entirely leafy greens, with suspicion, then at Bae Suzy's obviously strange expression and slightly oily lips, and felt that something was off.

……

The lunch ended hastily amidst Bae Suzy's successful "stealing" of a meal and the suspicious gaze of her manager.

During a short lunch break, Bae Suzy slumped on the sofa in the corner, closing her eyes to rest.

The rabbit's ears, which are usually full of energy (if they have any), are probably all droopy like a lop-eared rabbit right now.

When Kang Jae-hoon walked over with two Americanos, he saw her looking so exhausted that she was almost collapsing.

"So tired? If not, we can coordinate with the production team of 'Uncontrollably Fond' to reduce the number of filming sessions by half a day. The dubbing can also be recorded in batches, so we don't have to cram all of it in one go today."

Bae Suzy shook her head:
“That won’t do… This is a husband-and-wife team with Oppa, we have to come no matter how tired we are.”

A cup of coffee to perk me up.

Bae Suzy's spirits lifted slightly.

Suddenly remembering something, she struggled to sit up straighter, rummaged through her bag, pulled out the thick script of "Uncontrollably Fond," and shoved it into Kang Jae-hoon's hands:
"Quick, Oppa, help me go over the lines for the next scene. I really don't have time to review them; my brain is a complete mess right now."

Kang Jae-hoon looked at the script in his arms and was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

But he didn't say much, quickly scanning to the page Bae Suzy had marked:
"Alright, come on. Which game are you playing?"

"Scene twenty-seven, which is... the beginning of the scene where Shin Jun-young confesses to No Eul outside the hospital room..."

then.

An extremely eerie scene appeared in a corner of the recording studio:

Wearing a flamboyant burgundy velvet shirt, Kang Jae-hoon held the script for "Uncontrollably Fond" in his hands, and solemnly read out the lines of Shin Jun-young, the male lead played by Kim Woo-bin, in Nick's tone:
“…Lu Yi… (pause, deep breath) Even if you turn away now, even if you say you never want to see me again, my feelings will not change. This feeling has been rooted here from the very first moment we met…”

Even though Bae Suzy was so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open, she couldn't help but complain:
"Ugh, Oppa's tone is so greasy."

"???"

Kang Jae-hoon's voice abruptly stopped, and he turned to glare at the guy on the sofa who dared to complain about his "voluntary labor":

"Bae Suzy, who am I helping with the lines right now?"

"Slightly, slightly, slightly~"

Bae Suzy made a face at Kang Jae-hoon.

at that time.

Jin Dayuan had just finished confirming the afternoon's recording schedule with the Disney staff when he turned around and saw a bizarrely "harmonious" scene in the corner.

Oh?!

What happened to those two exemplary actors who were so serious during the recording, practically etching "Bae Suzy-ssi" and "Kang Jae-hoon-ssi" onto their foreheads?

What about that awkward formality, comparable to the geographical distance between Seoul and Busan?
In just one meal, the sense of distance vanished without a trace?

……

The recording studio was much emptier and quieter in the afternoon.

Kang Jae-hoon and some supporting actors completed the voice acting for the group scene where Nick and Judy are separated.

Even without the magical chemistry brought about by Bae Suzy's real-time interaction, the recording efficiency was still very high, just with a different focused rhythm.

Time slipped away in the monotonous and focused work.

late at night.

The Disney studio building in Korea.

Most areas were shrouded in quiet darkness, with only a few ambient lights still on in the recording studio on the top floor.

The other staff had already left for the day, leaving only two figures in front of the empty control panel.

The sound director, and Bae Suzy, who had just finished a day of filming and rushed back.

at this time.

Her agent naturally couldn't stick around (he was probably sent to bed by the time he couldn't stand it anymore).

Inside the shed.

Kang Jae-hoon sat in front of the microphone, still recording the last few solo scenes that needed revision.

The post-production editing requires adjustments to the subtle breathing, sound effects, or tone of voice at emotional shifts in the visuals.

His expression was unusually serious as he wore headphones, his thin lips moving as he used his voice to give Nick the fox a delicate inner world and a vivid appearance.

A wideband recording microphone flickered a faint red dot in front of him.

In front of the console.

Bae Suzy was also wearing a pair of monitoring headphones.

Her chin rested on the back of her hand as she stared almost obsessively at the man working intently in the isolation ward.

The dim lighting highlighted his sculpted profile as he immersed himself in the role.

The recording headphones covering his ears made him look somewhat adorable.

His voice was crystal clear in the monitoring headphones, subtly infusing the virtual fox character with cunning, self-deprecation, occasional vulnerability, and roguish charm.

This focused charm, stripped of camera acting and built purely on voice to create a character, has a fatal attraction for discerning actors.

finally--

As the last nasal sound faded away, Kang Jae-hoon took off one of his earphones.

When I got up, pushed open the door, and walked out.

I spotted the people waiting outside immediately.

Some surprises.

But more than anything, it was clear:

"You're here? Have you been waiting long?"

Bae Suzy took off her headphones and shook her head with a bright smile.

Kang Jae-hoon approached and asked naturally:
"How was it? Did something feel a little... um... off while you were listening?"

Bae Suzy tilted her head slightly and gently tapped her chin with her fingers:
"Overall it's good, except... that last sigh could be a little more 'sexy'."

"Sexy?"

Kang Jae-hoon chuckled and raised an eyebrow at her:

"Does Nick need this?"

"I need to."

Bae Suzy placed her index finger on her chin and traced it across his bobbing Adam's apple in an extremely suggestive manner:

"Here, when it vibrates... it's especially sexy."

His eyes were direct and seductive, making no attempt to conceal his intentions.

The equipment indicator lights created strange light and shadow, and the main lights in the distance were not on. Only the faint light left by the control panel outlined the silhouettes of the two people.

The air suddenly heated up, becoming viscous and dangerous.

Kang Jae-hoon's eyes suddenly darkened, all his fatigue vanished, replaced by an intensely aggressive heat:

"Bae Suzy-ssi, I understand your dedicated attitude towards listening... but what you're doing now is... seriously disrupting the normal working order of the recording studio. Hmm?"

His body leaned slightly forward, casting a powerful shadow over her.

"That……"

Bae Suzy showed no fear; instead, she stood on tiptoe, her warm breath spraying directly onto his neck.
"Kang Jae-hoon-ssi... are you considering using your authority to arrest me? The charge... would probably be... attempting to distract a voice actor's rhythm with my beauty?"

Kang Jae-hoon tightened his grip on Bae Suzy's wrist.

Just as these burning thoughts were about to break through some kind of critical point—

"Crack! Bang—"

The clinking of keys and a blinding white beam of flashlight beam swept in from the hallway outside without warning:
"Is anyone still here? We need to lock the door and turn off the power!"

The two instantly sprang apart with astonishing coordination.

Kang Jae-hoon quickly raised his hand to straighten his perfectly neat collar, then looked at the doorway with a serious expression:

"Hey! Yes, yes! Thank you for your hard work, uncle. We'll be right out!"

Bae Suzy quickly smoothed her hair, which wasn't actually messy, and her voice was clear and sweet:
"Yes! Sorry to trouble you, uncle! We'll be right there!"

The security guard suspiciously shone his flashlight on the two men several times, but couldn't find any substantial "evidence," and muttered something under his breath:
"Lock the door and turn off the power. Safety first! Hurry up!"

"Okay, okay! Coming right away!"

The two spoke in unison, their tone so sincere it could be used in a public service announcement.

After confirming that the security guard's footsteps and the beam of his flashlight had disappeared in the stairwell.

The two stared at each other stiffly for a second.

"Pfft-"

Almost simultaneously, suppressed laughter suddenly erupted.

We ran out of the building laughing and joking, the early spring night breeze carrying a cool, floral scent caressing our faces.

Look back at the building that has already sunk into the dark silhouette.

The thrilling and hilarious scenes from just now seem to be replaying in my mind.

The two sat in the car, gazing at the flowing Seoul night view outside the window, with Bae Suzy leaning on Kang Jae-hoon's shoulder and chuckling softly.

Kang Jae-hoon raised his hand and gently rubbed her shoulder, which was trembling with laughter, his eyes still holding a mischievous smile:

"That uncle... he's a model employee for achieving results... his timing is impeccable..."

Upon hearing this, Bae Suzy laughed and buried her head in his chest.

The city late at night.

Inside the discreetly moving nanny van.

Only their low, sweet, and unspoken laughter remained.

(End of this chapter)