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

Chapter 263 Three parts returned to Jin, seven parts relied on the waist

Morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, creating geometric interplay of light and shadow on the marble floor tiles.

Kang Jae-hoon opened his heavy eyelids amidst a lavender scent and a feather-like touch on his forehead.

The field of vision gradually focused—

Lee Sung-kyung was already dressed, her crisp silk shirt tucked into black cropped trousers, looking as if she could step onto the cover of a top magazine at any moment.

And the fingertips she was withdrawing carried the delicate coolness that had just awakened him from his daze.

"rise."

Concise and concise.

Kang Jae-hoon instinctively tried to rub his sleepy eyes, but his right arm wouldn't obey him—

Bae Suzy's head was pressed heavily against the depths of his arms.

She seemed to still be immersed in the aftereffects of a sweet dream or deep intoxication, her seaweed-like long hair spread haphazardly across the plain-colored pillow, her cheek pressed against his slightly numb biceps, sleeping without any regard for her image.

Lee Sung-kyung's gaze lingered for a barely perceptible second at the intimate point of their bodies, a cold smile curving her lips downwards before she turned and walked out of the bedroom.

The view outside the bedroom speaks volumes about the past "battles".

living room.

The expensive black halter dress that Bae Suzy wore to dazzle on the red carpet last night is now casually draped over the armrest of a sofa like an abandoned rag.

In stark contrast—

Lee Sung-kyung's off-white taffeta dress was carefully hung in a dust bag, like a precious artifact.

The most ironic evidence is "enshrined" on the coffee table—

Two bottles of Macallan single malt whisky that were already empty.

Three crystal glasses still containing amber-colored liquid.

The Best Supporting Actor trophy from the Baeksang Arts Awards has been completely turned into a fruit platter for the hostess.

At this moment, it holds a few dried and discolored apple cores and a few wet grape seeds.

Open kitchen.

The aroma of fried eggs and Shin Ramyun filled the air.

Lee Sung-kyung stood with her back to the bedroom, straight in front of the stove, manipulating the spatula with a blank expression.

Ten eggs were fried in a skillet until they were perfectly runny!
The ramen pot next to her was bubbling and steaming—the only things Bae Suzy could probably find in her refrigerator, which she never hoarded, were eggs and instant noodles.

After washing up, Kang Jae-hoon shuffled up behind Lee Sung-kyung in his slippers, resting his chin on her straight shoulder. His voice, which had been smiling, was slightly muffled as he wasn't fully awake:
"Tsk tsk..."

"Our Bible knows more about Soo-ji's family than it does about our own, doesn't it?"

Lee Sung-kyung's hand, which was gripping the spatula, suddenly jerked, causing the oil in the frying pan to splatter and pop.

More obvious.

Her originally fair and lustrous earlobes and the base of her neck suddenly flushed a startling crimson, as if scalded by boiling water.

Some absurd fragments of memory surge forth:

Two o'clock in the morning.

Bae Suzy, holding up a whiskey glass, declared, "Let's take turns watching over him, so he doesn't escape in the middle of the night."

Under the influence of alcohol, I somehow managed to nod in agreement, and even meticulously divided the guardianship responsibilities into "early and late night shifts."

"Have a meal!"

His voice was dry and harsh, almost fierce, as if to mask his embarrassment.

Kang Jae-hoon stared at her flushed ears and the bowl of ramen piled high with eight golden poached eggs, his lips twitching for a moment—

Her way of getting angry is to push herself to the limit?
at this time.

A rustling sound came from the direction of the master bedroom.

Bae Suzy staggered out with messy hair, rubbing her neck sleepily.

"I have a stiff neck..."

She groggily looked into the living room, but when she saw Kang Jae-hoon and Lee Sung-kyung sitting together eating noodles, she instantly snapped out of it:

"Hey, you guys didn't invite me to dinner..."

As she spoke, she slumped softly against Kang Jae-hoon's back, her chin slamming heavily against his shoulder:

"Let me have a taste—"

Kang Jae-hoon raised an eyebrow and dodged with a flick of his hand:

"Go wash your face and brush your teeth first."

Bae Suzy pouted, "You're being unfair!" But her eyes darted to Lee Sung-kyung, "Sung-kyung unnie, did you sleep well last night? I remember before I fell asleep... you seemed to be playing rock-paper-scissors with the trophy?"

Lee Sung-kyung's knuckles tightened suddenly as she gripped the chopsticks, and the veins on the back of her hand became slightly visible.

She really wanted to retort with "Who's your unnie?"

but……

In the end, I just used my chopsticks to pierce the soft-boiled egg, and the golden egg liquid instantly submerged the ramen noodles—as if it were the head of some annoying person.

Kang Jae-hoon watched the two of them go back and forth with great delight, the morning sunlight making his smiling eyes shine brightly—

This strange balance of clashing swords and swirling undercurrents surprisingly gave him a... damn enjoyment.

"Hey! Kang Jae-hoon!"

Bae Suzy rubbed her chin, which had been bumped by his shoulder, glared at him sullenly, and finally shuffled unsteadily toward the bathroom.

The clattering sound of slippers seemed to be an accusation against someone for not being a proper human-shaped pillow last night.

As the sound of rushing water filled the air, Lee Sung-kyung expressionlessly pushed her phone towards him. The trending topics on social media were rapidly updating—

1. #Kang Jae-hoon's Youngest Supporting Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards# (This is

2. #KangJaeHoonWinsDoubleAwards# Hot

3. #Bae Suzy and Kang Jae-hoon look good together on the red carpet#
4. #The dominance of the 26-year-old rookie king#*
5. #Lee Byung-hun Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actor# (↓)
Despite only being a Best Supporting Actor and a Newcomer Grand Slam winner, his popularity somehow surpassed Lee Byung-hun's Best Actor entry.

"Congratulations, your hatred level is now higher than that of Tae-soo, played by Lee Byung-hun in 'Inside Men'."

Kang Jae-hoon leaned closer to take a look.

The comment section of popular posts has long since become a battleground for fans' effusive praise and haters' sarcastic remarks.

[@Fuxi Dilin]:
"Ahhh, Chungmuro's Ziwei Star! A bright future awaits! Next: Best Actor!"

[@木之楠]:
"A 26-year-old Best Supporting Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards??? Is this guy on some kind of acting catalyst?? Last year he was playing the second male lead in an idol drama, and this year he's completely outshone a bunch of veteran actors??"

[@Magnet]:
"Hilarious! The comments under the news of Lee Byung-hun winning Best Actor are all Kang Jae-hoon's fans recommending 'Himalaya.' The main character is really pitiful!"

【@Tears of Love】：
"Just a casual observer, I can tell that Cho Tae-oh and Park Moo-taek are completely different actors. His ability to embody different characters in every role deserves this award."

【@臭鱼灬烂虾】：
"Am I the only one who thinks he's got connections? He's only been in the industry for a few years and he's already worked with all the top directors?"

【@BrightMoonReflectingSnow】：
Isn't Cho Jin-woong from "Assassination" more qualified than him? Is the Baeksang Arts Awards now playing the traffic card too?

……

Lee Sung-kyung scrolled through the negative comment without expression, her finger hovering over the screen for a moment before she suddenly clicked "report".

Kang Jae-hoon watched her little gestures and couldn't help but chuckle softly:
"It's just sour chicken jumping around."

“I didn’t care. But… you should be worried about something else.”

Lee Sung-kyung remained defiant, then swiped her finger, and the screen redirected to a popular forum post—

Rational Discussion: Who did Kang Jae-hoon leave with after last night's celebration party?

In the post, an account claiming to be a "hotel staff member" confidently revealed the following:

[I witnessed Bae Suzy and Lee Sung-kyung helping him into the car, one on each side... What a chaotic scene!]

The comments section below already has thousands of posts.

"D-Media reporters stayed up until 3 a.m. last night but couldn't get any solid evidence. Is this story even true?"

"Don't ask, it's just that we're good colleagues, and there's always something to learn from each other (doge emoji)."

"It's clearly true that in a group of three, there's bound to be one who gets bullied (not true)."

"Bet 10 won on Lee Sung-kyung!"

"Is the person upstairs blind? When Bae Suzy was hosting, his eyes were practically oozing water!"

"Am I the only one wondering if the three of them will start fighting in the car?"

"A fight? Maybe it'll be a different kind of fight (evil laugh)."

"Then I bet Kang Jae-hoon's kidneys will break first!"

"Who are you looking down on upstairs? He's the man who starred in 'Himalaya' and summited Mount Everest!"

"But it didn't come down!"

"@Dispatch News Agency, you're useless! You couldn't even get this shot! Don't you want your year-end bonus?"

"Maybe the Dispatch reporter himself stood on the wrong side and went to the wrong door, hahaha..."

"..."

Kang Jae-hoon's gaze lingered on the comment "Among three people walking together, there must be one who can teach me," and a low, ambiguous laugh escaped his throat.

Lee Sung-kyung's gaze immediately pierced through him like a scalpel:

"very funny?"

"No."

Kang Jae-hoon immediately suppressed his smile, but his fingertip honestly gave a thumbs-up:

"This netizen has great insight."

Suddenly, Bae Suzy's frantic screams echoed from the bathroom:

"Li! Sheng! Jing! You changed the shampoo bottle to shower gel?!"

In the living room, Lee Sung-kyung elegantly put away her phone, but the corners of her mouth turned up slightly by 5 degrees.

"Oh, I took the wrong one."

"...Kang Jae-hoon! Control your people!!!"

Kang Jae-hoon laughed so hard his shoulders shook:

"I can't control that. Who insisted on the rotating shift system last night?"

……

ten minutes later.

Kang Jae-hoon's phone vibrated incessantly—it was Han Na's barrage of calls.

I quickly finished eating the noodles.

Lee Sung-kyung, like a virtuous wife, pulled out a perfectly pressed suit and shirt from Bae Suzy's walk-in closet, which was large enough to fit a car.

Even the tie was a matching dark blue patterned one.

Her movements as she adjusted his collar were so practiced, as if she had rehearsed them a thousand times.

"The Bible..."

Kang Jae-hoon called her name softly.

Lee Sung-kyung didn't look at him, but continued to smooth his shoulder line expressionlessly:
"Shut up, don't push your luck."

At the entrance.

Kang Jae-hoon fastened the last cufflink, then pinched her chin and kissed her.

Lee Sung-kyung froze for a second, then bit his lower lip hard as revenge.

"See you tonight," he said.

The bathroom door suddenly opened a crack again—

With her hair still half-dry, Bae Suzy uttered a soft, lingering sentence:
"You think I'm dead?"

Kang Jae-hoon waved without turning his head:
"You too, see you tonight."

……

downstairs.

Hannah stood solemnly beside the van as always, her tablet displaying her schedule for the day.

When Kang Jae-hoon walked out of Bae Suzy's apartment building looking refreshed—

Hannah's glasses reflected a strange light for a moment.

Her gaze drifted uncontrollably upwards—

Through the gap in the curtains, Lee Sung-kyung's figure could be vaguely seen standing and looking down.

this moment.

This top-notch assistant, known as a "humanoid AI," saw his own shattered worldview reflected in the lens.

"President of the company."

Her voice was weak:
"Should we add... uh... physical training to today's schedule?"

Kang Jae-hoon casually opened the car door:

"Okay, help me book a fitness coach."

Hannah's lips moved, but she finally lowered her head and pushed up her glasses:

"Ok."

……

Morning light filtered through the sheer curtains, dappling the marble countertop. Bae Suzy sat lazily curled up on a high stool, her fingertips twirling Lee Sung-kyung's half-eaten bowl of ramen—

The noodles had slightly puffed up, but the broth, soaked in the runny egg, still had an enticing sheen. She sipped the noodles, blinking as she looked towards Lee Sung-kyung by the window.
"Hmm...it's true that what's in someone else's bowl tastes better."

Lee Sung-kyung abruptly turned her head, her long hair drawing a sharp arc in the morning light:
"Oh, that's mine!"

Bae Suzy tilts her head—

The movement was too forceful, causing a stiff neck. He hissed in pain and could only stiffly turn back, blinking dryly.
"Didn't we agree to be a family yesterday?"

He made a heart shape with his fingers:
"Why distinguish between 'yours' and 'mine' when we're family?"

That deliberately cute expression was just like Kang Jae-hoon possessing him.

Lee Sung-kyung choked on her breath, and after a long while, she managed to utter:
"……shameless."

She grabbed Kang Jae-hoon's empty bowl with a "whoosh" and rushed into the kitchen, slamming it into the sink and starting to scrub it roughly.

The sound of rushing water filled the air, and Bae Soo-ji's voice drifted over:
"Hey--"

Lee Sung-kyung didn't even turn her head:
"explain."

"The 30th will be here in half a month."

"What happened to No. 30?"

Lee Sung-kyung's hands, wiping the dishes, showed slightly bulging veins—of course she knew whose birthday it was that day.

"Do you think someone might be summoned again... as a human-shaped congratulatory gift?"

"So?" she asked curtly.

Bae Suzy suddenly jumped off the bar stool and approached silently on her bare feet—even though her stiff neck made her walk a little comical.

"I can't possibly eat a whole 'ginseng' by myself..."

The sound of flowing water stopped completely.

"Should we team up and drain him dry the night before?"

"He'll have to crawl on his hands and knees to go wish the old woman a happy birthday on the 30th."

Lee Sung-kyung's breathing was visibly erratic.

After three seconds of silence—

“…You’re such a bad woman,” she said through gritted teeth.

Bae Suzy smiled radiantly and extended her little finger:
"I'll let you play the first half."

Lee Sung-kyung stared at the dangling hand for three seconds, then suddenly grabbed it tightly—

"make a deal."

Suddenly, sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating their intertwined little fingers as if a contract had been formed through some kind of evil ritual.

……

Next Scene Film Meeting Room.

The sunlight was cut into neat grates by the blinds of the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the blue light from the projector cast hazy beams of light in the air.

Kang Jae-hoon sat in the main seat, scrolling through his iPad. Half of a silver watch strap was visible through the cuff of his suit sleeve, reflecting a cold light as he moved his wrist.

suddenly--

"Ah!"

I sneezed without warning, my fingers twitched, and the iPad fell to the side on the table with a "thud".

Hanna calmly picked up the remote control and adjusted the conference room air conditioning from 22°C to 25°C. Her gaze, behind her glasses, precisely locked onto the fine hairs rising on the back of the president's neck—

This reaction doesn't seem like a physiological response caused by room temperature; it's more like... some kind of supernatural warning?
The marketing team leader nervously swallowed.
"President-nim, is there a problem with the plan?"

Kang Jae-hoon waved his hand, signaling to continue.

"...We will launch a public vote to select the female lead for 'The Witch Who Wears Cartier'!"

PPT transition —

Public Poll: Who is your "Andy"?

A simulation interface pops up on the screen.

The smiling faces of popular young actresses are arranged in a nine-square grid like in a talent show, with a prominent "1 vote per day" sign at the bottom.

"certainly--"

The planning director pushed up his glasses:
"Regardless of the vote count, Ms. Bae Suzy will ultimately be the female lead. Internal data manipulation, you know what I mean."

Kang Jae-hoon tapped his index finger lightly twice on the table:

"Make sure there are constant trending topics during the voting period." He paused, "especially opposing topics like 'Lee Hyeri VS Park Bo-young' and 'Bae Suzy's comeback'."

Everyone immediately understood.

This is called "fake democracy, targeted marketing".

"call out--"

The projector flips through the pages, jumping to "Miranda Casting".

"Regarding the 'Korean version of Miranda... what does the president think of Gong Hyo-jin? After all, she worked with Suzy on 'The Producers,' and had great chemistry with Sungkyunkwan on 'It's Okay, That's Love'..."

Just as Kang Jae-hoon was about to nod, the production manager loudly objected:

"Not suitable."

“Ms. Suzy is comparable to Anne Hathaway—their looks are similar, and their acting skills…” He paused subtly for half a second, “...are both still developing. But is Gong Hyo-jin comparable to Meryl Streep?”

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

The meeting room suddenly became noisy—

"Kim Hye-soo! Didn't you see her aura as the Baeksang Arts Awards Best Actress last night?"

"Are you crazy?! She just won her second Best Actress award, and her film contracts are already booked until next year!"

"Even if she didn't win the award, is it something you can just ask out to Kim Hye-soo whenever you want?"

"..."

Kang Jae-hoon suddenly chuckled and tapped the table with his fingertips, making two heavy "tap, tap" sounds.

Everyone fell silent instantly.

"so--"

His gaze swept around:
"Does everyone unanimously approve Kim Hye-soo's casting as 'Miranda'?"

Everyone nodded vigorously.

A Grand Slam of Best Actress awards plus two Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Actress—such a resume is truly undeniable.

"Row."

Kang Jae-hoon locked the iPad screen:

"I'll take care of the film contracts."

"in addition."

"The script team is accelerating the localization adaptation, especially the workplace scenes—to highlight the characteristics of the chaebol and the fashion industry."

wow——

The meeting room erupted in applause.

"With the president personally taking charge? It's a sure thing!"

"Little Kim Hye-soo, you've got to be tough!"

"..."

Hanna silently noted on her tablet: [10:20-10:25 The president receives admiration from his subordinates].

Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, Jiang Zaihun gazed at the cars darting about like ants below, belatedly touching the still-cold back of his neck—

I have a feeling that someone is plotting something dangerous in the shadows.
……

End of the meeting.

Kim Dae-won, carrying a tablet, hurried into Kang Jae-hoon's office.

Hannah silently followed behind like a shadow, her glasses reflecting the constantly fluctuating data stream on the screen.

"President, the Baeksang Effect is starting to take hold."

Jin Dayuan slid the tablet:

"We'll handle the most urgent film and endorsement deals first."

Kang Jae-hoon casually took the iced Americano Hanna handed him, took a sip, and the bitter liquid sliding down his throat made him frown slightly.
"I'll put the movies on hold for now. 'Taxi Driver' and 'The Witch Wearing Cartier' are enough to keep me busy for a while."

He gestured with his chin, indicating to skip ahead:
"Tell me about endorsements."

"clear."

Jin Dayuan nodded and quickly pulled up the list of endorsements:

"There are several changes and additions. First, there's Kaiss beer—"

He paused, then glanced at Kang Jae-hoon with a subtle look in his eyes:

"They are very grateful for our past collaborations, but for the new year's spokesperson... they chose Song Joong-ki."

Upon hearing this, Kang Jae-hoon merely raised an eyebrow with a half-smile.

— "Descendants of the Sun" is currently very popular; it's just a commercial choice, and there's nothing wrong with that.

"Beverages are a good supplementary option, with several good choices."

Jin Dayuan continued his report:

"Baocheng Green Tea: A Healthy and Refreshing Image"

"Lotte Chilsung Beverages' 'My Kiss' milk carbonated beverage targets young consumers."

"There is also the Nong Cooperative Hanaro red wine: it focuses on high-end and taste, which complements your TAG Heuer image."

Each time he called out a name, Kang Jae-hoon tapped his fingers on the table once, the rhythm neither too fast nor too slow, carrying a certain thoughtful cadence.

suddenly--

Kang Jae-hoon stopped tapping, looked up and asked:

"Are there... Chinese brand ambassadors?"

China?

Jin Dayuan was taken aback, then his lips twitched almost imperceptibly—

He's not really trying to work; he's clearly using Jaehoon's swordplay to get closer to Yoona.

"Please wait."

Jin Dayuan immediately buried his head in the tablet, searching through it. After a moment, he looked up, his expression even more subtle:

“Uh… there really are, and…” he paused, “they’re all endorsed by two people.”

Kang Jae-hoon frowned:
"For two?"

"Correct."

Kim Dae-won pushed the tablet over, carefully observing the president's expression.

The document clearly states:

OPPO phones

[Artists Collaborating]: Kang Jae-hoon & Kim Ji-won

【Main Concept】: "Illuminating Your Beauty" - Couples
(One-year contract, including 3 TV commercials + 5 offline events)
Master Kong Iced Tea

[Artists Collaborating]: Kang Jae-hoon & Kim Ji-won

[Japanese Couple Project]: "Hot Love, Cool Refreshment"

(2 ads + social media engagement)
Kang Jae-hoon stared at the four bold words "couple endorsement" on the document and remained silent for a full five seconds.

"...Aren't there any single people?"

Jin Dayuan lowered his head, pretending to frantically search for files, but actually suppressing a laugh:

"Let me look... but so far, the high-quality invitations I've received are mostly for two people."

At this time.

Hanna, who had been standing to the side, suddenly spoke up:
"From a market perspective, the CP (couple) benefits of 'Xu Darong & Yin Mingzhu' have not yet been exhausted, and Huaxia Brand values ​​the high stickiness of its fan base. Forcibly breaking up the CP endorsement may reduce the effectiveness."

Jin Dayuan glanced at her, thinking to himself:

"As expected of an AI assistant, it can even make mistakes with such professionalism."

Kang Jae-hoon rubbed his temples.

—Wanting to see the Empress, but having to bring a concubine along?

What is this thing called?

"Boss, I have a compromise."

"explain."

"Arrange a fan meeting for Ms. Ji-won in Kyoto or Shanghai."

Kang Jae-hoon's eyes lit up, and he snapped his fingers sharply:
"That's it."

Jin Dayuan understood:
"The endorsement...?"

"Overseas priority".

—After all, overseas endorsement fees are high.

Jin Dayuan chuckled: "Understood."

Hannah silently wrote down: [10:55-10:6 The president attempted to use business decisions to cover up his cross-border pursuit of his wife (unsuccessful)]

She even casually drew a small emoticon at the back: (︿)
(End of this chapter)