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

Chapter 246 Jung Soo-jung, the King of Stubbornness, Osaka Barrier
The morning light carried the crispness unique to early spring.

Kim Ji-won dragged her heavy steps to the restroom.

The reflection in the mirror showed obvious puffiness around my eyes.

She applied cold water to her eyes for a long time before the obvious signs of crying were slightly relieved, but the deep weariness in her eyes and the heavy emotions she felt could not be washed away by the cold water.

She reluctantly applied a light layer of makeup, trying to cover up her haggard appearance.

Change clothes.

Pick up your bag.

Open the door to your home.

A cool breeze immediately lifted strands of hair and brushed against my cheeks, carrying the crisp scent of a new day.

However, before the coolness could fully penetrate her body, Kim Ji-won stopped in her tracks.

—Beside the fire escape downstairs from her apartment building, Kang Jae-hoon's Hyundai Santa Fe stood arrogantly under the glaring no-parking sign.

And he himself.

He was leaning against the driver's side door.

His hair wasn't styled carefully, and he wore sunglasses that covered most of his face.

I saw Kim Ji-won come out.

He immediately straightened up and picked up a paper bag with the "Subway" logo that was placed on the roof of the car.

Kim Ji-won felt as if something had struck her heart hard.

The grievances, the sadness of crying alone last night, the memory of being humiliated at the celebration party, and the image of seeing Bae Suzy take him away all rushed back to him at once.

Her instinct was to defiantly turn her face away, quicken her pace, and walk straight past him, completely ignoring the man who hadn't given her a second glance last night.

however.

Ideas are just ideas.

He had barely taken a step when Jiang Zai-xun, who had strode forward, blocked his path.

Before she could react, strong arms wrapped around her shoulders without warning, forcibly pulling her entire body into their embrace.

"Knowing you weren't in the mood for breakfast, I specially brought you Subway ham and eggs."

Kim Ji-won leaned stiffly against him.

There was no resistance, nor did they utter a sound.

My nose started to sting slightly again, but I couldn't help it.

"Get in the car first."

Kang Jae-hoon naturally put his arm around her and moved her towards the passenger seat:

"If you don't leave now, you'll get a ticket. You don't want to see me get a scolding from the police, do you?"

This strange reason became a small crack that broke through her rigid shell.

Kim Ji-won remained silent as he half-embraced and half-carried her into the passenger seat.

The car door slammed shut.

In a cramped space.

The awkward atmosphere was even colder than the morning air.

Kang Jae-hoon opened the Subway paper bag.

A sandwich filled with tender scrambled eggs, ham, and cheese slices is revealed.

"Want to try it?" Kang Jae-hoon asked softly.

Kim Ji-won silently accepted it.

but.

I didn't eat.

She simply lowered her head, her gaze unfocused on the sandwich; its rich color and enticing aroma failed to evoke even the slightest appetite in her.

A few seconds later.

A drop of water landed on the wrapping paper without warning.

Then came the second drop.

The third drop.

Tears, like a long-accumulated downpour, finally broke through the shackles of the dark clouds, overflowing one after another from under Kim Ji-won's drooping eyelashes.

"..."

Kang Jae-hoon was caught off guard by the sudden burst of tears.

The arrogant and composed person who could defy Bae Suzy and pretend to be calm in front of her was now filled with panic as she looked at Kim Ji-won, who was silently shedding tears.

"Don't...don't cry..."

His voice trembled slightly as he frantically reached for the tissue box on the center console.

Kim Ji-won did not dodge his wiping, letting the soft tissue wipe away her tears from her damp cheeks.

But new tears still stubbornly welled up.

Seeing her heartbroken and aggrieved expression, Jiang Zaixun felt a tightness in his chest, futilely wiping away the endless stream of tears.

"Ji-won, don't cry... really... it's not worth crying for a lousy person like me."

This sentence was like flipping a switch.

Kim Ji-won shook her head violently.

Why isn't it worth it?

Her tears themselves were the answer.

If the object of your tears is "unworthy", then the sadness and grievances you feel at that moment become a complete joke!

It not only negated her suppressed pain and the grievances she endured, but also, more profoundly, negated the emotions she poured into the relationship and her moth-to-a-flame attraction.

It's telling her that everything was wrong from the start.

It's a foolish and futile effort!

Kang Jae-hoon instantly realized the seriousness of his words.

He cursed under his breath in frustration.

Quickly and gently wipe her eyes and cheeks to salvage the situation:
"It's my fault! I don't know how to speak properly!"

“Bae Suzy is Bae Suzy, and I am me.”

"What she said and did are her thoughts and actions. They do not represent my views."

Kim Ji-won finally lifted her teary eyes.

Tiny water droplets clung to her long eyelashes.

Through the shimmering water, she stared intently at Kang Jae-hoon:
"Oppa..."

"...What am I to you?"

The car fell into a deathly silence.

value.

position.

This is the most difficult ultimate question to answer.

It seems that all the grievances and struggles, sacrifices and patience she experienced point to this one core question.

Kang Jae-hoon took off his sunglasses.

His eyes, filled with complex emotions, were revealed.

A few seconds.

It felt like centuries had passed.

He finally spoke.

Every word seems to have been carefully considered and polished in one's heart:

"You're here with me."

Kang Jae-hoon pointed to his heart:
"He is someone I admire very much, someone who is very important to me."

These are not sweet words.

"Appreciation" is his affirmation after watching her grit her teeth and persevere in honing her acting skills countless times on set.

The "importance" lies in the dull ache in my heart that I couldn't ignore after witnessing her desperate tears.

"What happened last night... I know that any words of comfort I say now will sound hollow and powerless."

“…Give me a moment.”

"I will definitely handle these... messy things."

He spoke the words "handle it well" with unusual difficulty.

This sounds more like an empty promise a man makes to a heartbroken girl.

Because even he himself didn't know exactly how to "handle" it.

The voice just fell.

"Knock knock knock"

A rhythmic tapping sound fell on the driver's side window.

They were both shocked at the same time.

Kang Jae-hoon quickly turned his head to look out the window.

A police officer in a traffic police uniform, with a serious expression, was looking at them through the car window, holding a ticket holder in one hand and bending his fingers in the other, preparing to knock on the window again.

"..."

It's really a leak in the house that happened to rain in the night.

Kang Jae-hoon then remembered that he had deliberately parked in the fire lane in order to coax her into the car.

"wait for me."

He gave an explanation.

Kang Jae-hoon quickly unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car.

The traffic police officer, with a stern face, meticulously pointed to the no-parking line on the ground and began his lecture:
"Vehicles must be parked in designated parking areas. Fire lanes are lifelines; do you know that they must not be blocked? Do you know what would happen if a fire broke out...?"

Halfway through the sentence.

He froze when he saw that highly recognizable face.

"Kang Jae-hoon?"

The traffic policeman raised an eyebrow.

His eyes scanned the ticket holder and his face twice.

His expression changed from a businesslike seriousness to a scrutinizing look tinged with surprise.

Public figures illegally parked in fire lanes!

They even got caught red-handed!

This is definitely worthy of being a headline story in the social section!

Jiang Zai Xun's heart skipped a beat, and his face immediately plastered with utmost sincerity and apology:
"Yes, yes, yes! Officer-nim is right! It was my oversight! I deeply realize my mistake! I promise it will never happen again! I'm so sorry for causing you trouble!"

The traffic policeman's expression visibly softened slightly.

The face before me, even in its disheveled and haggard state, was still outrageously handsome, coupled with an attitude of admitting fault without shirking responsibility...

It wasn't an extremely serious or obstructive parking violation (there were few people and cars early in the morning).

In addition, the other party is currently at the center of a national craze...

We still need to follow the principles of ideological education.

"Be more mindful next time! Public figures should set a better example!"

"Yes, yes, yes! I'll move it right away! Thank you for your leniency, officer!"

As Kang Jae-hoon agreed, he deftly pulled out a wad of 10,000 won from his wallet and stuffed it into the hard-shell gap of the ticket holder.

"You've been on duty so early this morning, it must be so tiring, especially in this cold weather. This is just a small token of my appreciation, I apologize for the trouble it may cause the officers, please accept it! I'll be leaving now."

The traffic police officer looked up and gave Jiang Zai Xun a deep look.

Pretty good.

No more words were spoken.

He casually withdrew his hand from the ticket holder, along with the stack of bills tucked underneath, and naturally let his hand hang at his side, turning to walk towards his police motorcycle.

Watching the traffic police officer's departing figure.

Kang Jae-hoon quickly opened the car door and slipped back to the driver's seat.

Kim Ji-won remained huddled in the passenger seat, with an empty sandwich in her arms.

She had secretly wiped away most of the tear stains on her face with the back of her hand, but the redness and swelling around her eyes and the tip of her nose were more noticeable.

Like petals crushed after the first snow.

It displays a breathtaking beauty in a fragile yet pitiful way.

Impulse suddenly overwhelmed reason.

Just as Kim Ji-won rubbed the corner of her eye with the back of her hand again.

Jiang Zaixun suddenly leaned forward, cupped her cheeks in his hands, and kissed her lips, which were slightly cold from crying, without saying a word. "Mmm—?!"

Kim Ji-won's gasp was instantly silenced.

The initial shock and instinctive resistance turned into subtle sobs.

The hands that were pressing against his chest pounded him a few times in vain—it was less a resistance than an instinctive stress response to the shock of his sudden invasion.

A few long seconds.

It may have been a century.

The crisp, cold air of early spring morning contrasted strangely with the intense, scorching heat inside the train carriage.

at last.

Kim Ji-won exhausted her last bit of strength to resist.

Or maybe...

It was this relentless embrace and intrusion that finally, briefly, filled the enormous void in her heart.

Her body went completely limp.

Her eyelids were slightly closed.

Let his words conquer and seize territory.

When separated.

Both of them were breathing somewhat unsteadily.

Kang Jae-hoon stepped back slightly, his forehead still pressed against hers.

His gaze was fixed intently on her.

Kim Ji-won's lips were kissed until they were rosy and moist, and her eyes, which had just experienced a passionate encounter, were shimmering with tears.

Such a gaze.

This reignited the flame that had just died down in Kang Jae-hoon's heart.

My throat tightened.

He instinctively moved closer to her again.

"Don't……"

A fair hand swiftly blocked his lips as he kissed her again.

Kim Ji-won pointed to the no-parking signs outside the window and the intersection in the distance:
"If we don't leave quickly, that traffic cop... might really..."

It will come back to its original state.

Kang Jae-hoon nodded and didn't insist any further.

He simply gave her a light peck on the palm of her hand that was covering her lips.

Then he quickly turned his head and planted a loud kiss on her cheek.

"Listen to you."

A relieved smile finally appeared on Kang Jae-hoon's face.

Start the engine.

The car drove smoothly away from the place that had almost caused his social death.

After merging into the sparse traffic on the streets in the early morning.

His hand slid off the steering wheel and enveloped Kim Ji-won's small hand resting on her lap.

The morning light shone through the car window, casting a faint golden glow on their clasped hands.

The car remained silent.

But it's no longer cold and awkward.

The storm hasn't truly passed, but at least for now, they've found a delicate balance.

……

at the same time.

Inside the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan, the huge, open space echoed with the drumbeats of sound system testing.

Seven years since her debut.

After countless struggles and triumphs, the little band finally emerged amidst the anticipation of countless fans.

This marked the first and final concert of their careers.

Although Choi Sulli's departure from the group is a fait accompli.

But this did not deter the other four from their dedication—they wanted to bring their seven-year journey to a perfect close, for themselves and for their loyal fans.

It was not yet fully light.

The sisters had already gathered in the center of the spacious and magnificent stage.

They are more serious than ever.

Positioning, positioning, harmony, dance moves... every aspect was meticulously crafted.

During a break.

While everyone was replenishing their fluids.

Amber, who was scrolling through social media, suddenly burst out laughing and turned her phone screen towards everyone:
"Wow, Krystal, your cameo in 'Descendants of the Sun' is all the rage! Everyone's saying Yoon Chan-young and Lee Bo-na had a bad ending!"

"...Ahem."

When Krystal Jung, who was drinking water through a straw, heard this, she choked on the water and it went into her trachea.

It took a while.

He forced himself to remain calm as he took Amber's phone, and the screen prominently displayed the trending topic #JungSoojungCameoDescendantsOfTheSun#.

Click to take a look.

It's full of netizens' creative ideas and jokes:

"Haha, did Yoon Chan-young and Lee Bo-na really have such a complete breakup three years later?"

"The Heirs: A Side Story - Tears of the Times"

"Yoon Chan-young is actually dating Yoo Rachel?"

Krystal Jung: So am I just a part of your play?

Kim Ji-won: You didn't expect that, did you, sister? I won in the end!

"..."

Some people even edited together sweet scenes between Yoon Chan-young and Lee Bo-na from "The Heirs" and scenes between Seo Dae-young and Yoon Myung-joo from "Descendants of the Sun".

Accompanied by sad music.

They created a heart-wrenching video depicting the "past and present lives" of the characters.

The number of reposts is astonishing.

"That's all ancient history from hundreds of years ago. Who still cares about those old stories in TV dramas?"

Krystal Jung tried to project an attitude of indifference.

"Pfft-"

Three barely suppressed chuckles echoed clearly through the giant egg.

Luna covered her mouth tightly with her palm, but her shoulders heaved violently as if she were being electrocuted.

Amber simply placed her phone face down on her lap, quickly bent over, and her striking short hair fell down, covering most of her face, with only her back twitching suspiciously.

The most outrageous one was Song Qian.

She was checking her in-ear monitor.

At this moment, she couldn't help but turn her head to the side and quickly wipe the corner of her eye with the back of her hand—of course, those were probably not real tears, but rather saline solution from laughing.

Krystal Jung: "???"

His cool, aloof eyes suddenly widened.

What are you laughing at?!

Her voice was three degrees more urgent than when she refuted the trending topic earlier.

Luna struggled to lift her head, her pretty face contorted slightly as she tried to suppress a laugh:
"...Well, you accidentally bumped into me just now...Do you think it's possible that someone saw the trending topic and is holding something in their mind..."

"ah!"

The words are not finished yet.

Krystal Jung had already angrily raised her voice:
"Who's distracted?!"

"Who, intended, that, who, was it?"

Word by word.

Each syllable was deliberately pronounced very heavily.

however.

The more you emphasize it, the more deliberate it seems.

He's so stubborn he could break a rock.

How could one's heart remain completely unmoved?

after all.

Once upon a time, she was the protagonist who is now shining brightly and the center of gossip and teasing among her sisters.

He was the one who truly shared her most passionate youth, stirred her most genuine emotions, and shared intimate moments with her!
That's not a cold, scripted story on a screen.

It is a vivid mark imprinted on her life.

Kim Ji-won, who netizens say seems to have "won by doing nothing," was once her best friend with whom she shared countless secrets, exchanged dreams, and called each other "baby" while snuggling in bed!
The results of it?
Her "best friend" first tried to persuade her with earnest words, saying, "Men like Kang Jae-hoon are too complicated. Don't waste your time on one person."

She turned around and hung the "crooked tree" that she herself had identified without hesitation.
The two even "blossomed" together on screen, playing a supporting couple that tugged at the hearts of countless viewers!
"OK OK!"

Krystal Jung forcefully interrupted the chaotic and surging thoughts in her mind:

"Don't waste time! The rehearsal starts soon!"

She suddenly stood up.

The piece that the music director just adjusted is still resting.

Krystal Jung seemed to neither see nor hear anything.

He dashed toward the control panel.

Under the astonished gazes of everyone—

"Snapped!"

The powerful electronic drumbeats and familiar intro instantly shattered the silence.

"Everyone, come here! Get moving! There was a problem with the transition in that formation! Rearrange it!!"

Krystal rushed back to the center of the stage and stood in her place.

His jawline was taut.

--now.

The most important thing isn't those messy, dramatic love triangles, or those damn online jokes.

But several hours later!
Those fans who bought tickets and traveled from all over the country to support them!
She wanted to do it for them.

And for myself.

Show your most perfect and dazzling side!
Let all the noise, especially the clamor coming from Seoul about that man and that "best friend," be completely drowned out by the roar of the dome that is about to boil over for her and for f(x)!

……

The concert that night was a great success.

The four girls on stage gave their all to bring a brilliant and unforgettable end to the era of f(x).

The show is over.

Team leader Victoria Song hosted a quiet and elegant Japanese kaiseki restaurant.

Exquisite bowls and plates, wisps of steam rising from them.

While it was called a celebration, it was more of a brief farewell among team members to this glorious yet arduous journey they had shared.

—We've all reached the age where we need to dedicate ourselves to our individual careers, and each of us has a clear direction for our development. Opportunities for the four of us to get together like this will likely become increasingly rare in the future.

The dinner is over.

Krystal Jung returned to her hotel room, exhausted and with mixed feelings.

Remove makeup.

Wash away the sweat.

She collapsed onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.

The hustle and bustle of the concert gradually faded away, replaced by a jumble of thoughts that were more likely to surface in the quiet of the night.

Just as she was spacing out and lost in thought.

The phone screen on the pillow suddenly lit up, and a crisp notification sound broke the silence of the room.

Krystal lazily reached for her phone, her gaze casually sweeping across the screen—

[Kakao Talk: A new friend request]

Sender: Kim Ji-won.

(End of this chapter)