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

Chapter 266 Bae Suzy is fighting enemies outside, while Kim Ji-won is acting in her room.

Hong Kong Land Mandarin Oriental
As dusk settled over Victoria Harbour into the presidential suite, the skyscrapers of Central were gradually illuminating the floor-to-ceiling windows, while the copyright contract for "Soulmate" gleamed with a cold blue light on the black marble coffee table.

Kang Jae-hoon's Montblanc pen nib hovered over the signature area, while the producer opposite him beamed with a smile more dazzling than the light from a Ferris wheel.

"Mr. Jiang is so straightforward!"

He held Kang Jae-hoon's hand and shook it up and down.

A base price of HK$3 million plus 300% of the Korean box office revenue.

This deal, which was 30% below market price, came with a "priority cooperation right" clause offered by the other party.

Even Yin Jingxi, who is usually very meticulous, sent three thumbs-up emojis when she received the fax.

—Clearly, compared to this "lesbian art film."

They are even more eager for Next Scene's upcoming international co-production opportunity for "The Witch Wearing Cartier" and its distribution in China.

Kang Jae-hoon's lips curved into a businesslike smile:

"We'll discuss this in detail next time I come to Korea."

"must……"

The compliment was cut short by Hannah's timely handover of the schedule.

"President, fly to Gimpo in one hour."

The flight information in the upper right corner of her tablet was flashing a glaring red countdown:
"Tomorrow at the opening ceremony of 'Taxi Driver,' we need you to hand the microphone to senior actor Song Kang-ho."

Kang Jae-hoon nodded, took out his phone, and opened Kakao. Bae Suzy's chat window was still stuck two days ago—

[Goodnight, Oppa] + [Selfie on the corner of the bed]
He typed quickly:
Are you coming to the opening ceremony?

"Read" immediately appears at the top of the dialog box, and a reply pops up three seconds later.

[Bae Suzy]: No time.

[Bae Suzy]: [Image]
Click to view larger image.

The caption was menacing:
"Busy tearing apart the little devils."

Jiang Jae-hoon: “…”

No wonder it's been eerily quiet these past few days.

Those ambiguous phone numbers that used to send messages late at night have all fallen silent, and the erotic video with the attachment titled "Exclusive Audition Cut" in the email has also disappeared.

Even at the elevator entrance of the parking lot, there were no more "chance encounters" with necklines so low that you could see the breast pads.

The world was peaceful.

It was always because some crazy beauty was there to clean up the battlefield for him.

Hannah suddenly held the tablet horizontally in front of him—

The Chosun Ilbo's entertainment section suddenly broke out of an old news story about a girl group's maknae (youngest member) being "suspected of school bullying," even though that maknae had just given Hanna a "handmade bento" yesterday.

Kang Jae-hoon chuckled softly, his knuckles touching his nose, his thumb leaving an afterimage on the screen—

"Be careful not to overdo it."

The cursor blinked for two seconds, then added another sentence—

"Really not coming?"

The other party replied instantly: "Look at...heart...feelings."

The skull emoji at the end of the text looks like it's sharpening a knife.

The Ferris wheel's light and shadow outside the car window swept past Kang Jae-hoon's smiling eyes.

He suddenly remembered Yoona's "skincare secret" from three days ago, and only now did he truly understand its meaning—

She had expected this.

He deliberately let Bae Soo-ji hunt down the wolves who coveted the prey, while he remained calm and collected.

after all--

A true declaration of sovereignty never requires direct confrontation or physical altercations.

……

The scorching May sun beat down on the makeshift stage, and the black and red curtains billowed in the heat, like a resurrected blood-red banner from 1980.

Song Kang-ho's work shirt was stained with dark sweat on the back, and his hunched shoulders made him look like a taxi driver who had truly borne the weight of thirty-six years of life.

"—Please welcome co-producer Mr. Kang Jae-hoon!"

Before Director Zhang Xun could even properly hold the microphone, a piercing shout of curses suddenly erupted from outside the police cordon—

"Historical humiliation does not need to be exploited by commercial films!"

"Get out of Gwangju, you son of a bitch from Seoul!"

"The martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country are watching you film this kind of garbage from the afterlife!"

"..."

A dozen figures waving Taegukgi broke through the defense line, and brown glass bottles drew parabolas in the air.

Amidst a loud "bang" explosion.

The stench mixed with violent curses instantly ignited the scene!
Reporters stumbled backward, knocking over camera stands. Song Kang-ho grabbed Jang Hoon and pulled him backstage, while bodyguard Kim Jin-min formed a human wall with his back.

"President! Let's retreat!"

As Kang Jae-hoon was being protected by Kim Jin-min during their retreat, his pupils constricted to slits under the blazing sun.

—This is hardly a crisis.

This is clearly an explosive marketing opportunity that fell from the sky!

His eyes flashed.

The next second—

"The true martyrs rest in peace underground!"

The loudspeaker amplified his sneer tenfold.

Suppress the commotion.

"And the living cowards—"

Kang Jae-hoon even took a small step forward, exposing himself to more of the camera's view:
"They only use excrement to tarnish the freedom of speech they won with their blood!"

The bottle of excrement flew past his temple.

A foul-smelling flower exploded on the sign behind him that read "No Trampling on History".

Jin Zhenmin's face turned green, and he carried him towards the nanny van:

"President, are you saying they didn't aim accurately enough?!"

The epicenter of the unrest resembled the eye of a typhoon.

A few drops of murky liquid splattered on Kang Jae-hoon's suit, yet he still held the microphone as if it were a long sword, the sunlight imprinting him like a lone hero in a black and white silent film.

The rapid-fire camera shots from the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, ten meters away, were like those of a submachine gun.

This is a hundred times more shocking than the press release.

As the sirens wailed and approached.

Hannah huddled beside the nanny's car wheel hub, frantically banging on her tablet:
[09:17AM] Gwangju film opening ceremony attacked by extremists with feces

[Damage List] Haute couture suit (ruined by feces) ×1 / Captain Kim Jin-min's psychological trauma area (∞)

[It is suggested that today be designated as Next Scene's anniversary—after all, not everyone has the courage to catch sewage on their face.]

……

Three hours later.

The stains on the stage were washed away with water, and Kang Jae-hoon returned to the scene after changing into a pure black suit.

Besides the media, the audience was also packed with Gwangju citizens who had come after hearing the news.

When he raised the microphone, the entire set fell into a sudden, deathly silence—

"This movie isn't about reopening anyone's wounds..."

The wind swept through the stage curtains, lifting his unfinished words:

"But we must remember—that someone once used their flesh and blood to allow us to speak with our heads held high today!"

Kang Jae-hoon suddenly bowed deeply towards the audience, his back curving into a humble arc:
"Thank you to Mr. Jin Sifu's daughter for allowing us to adapt your father's story—he was more than just a taxi driver..."

Sunlight pierced through the clouds and poured onto the stage, casting him a golden silhouette.
"Moreover, they are the ferrymen who deliver history to the future."

"Crack!"

The front-page photo for the following day was thus created.

……

That night.

Bae Suzy's Kakao page received over a dozen links:

[News 1] "A Taxi Driver" generates buzz even before filming; video of Kang Jae-hoon being attacked surpasses 10 million views.
[donga] "Historical Ferrymen"—Survivors of the Gwangju Uprising collectively voice their support (filming)

[JTBC] In-depth analysis: The generational divide in South Korea behind the sewage scandal

Finally, here's a bonus selfie of her with bright red nail polish, giving the middle finger:

"You're insane! Who are you trying to scare to death?"

Kang Jae-hoon smiled as he dialed a video call.

The scene that came into view was the makeup artist putting hair extensions on her.

The camera suddenly spun around and finally focused on her knee, where a cartoon bandage was stuck below her patella.

"...Did you fall?"

"nonsense!"

Bae Suzy's angry curses mingled with the roar of the hairdryer:
"I almost tripped on the steps when I saw the news!"

Kang Jae-hoon's heart tightened, and his knuckles turned white as he gripped his phone.
"Is it seriously injured?"

"fine."

Bae Suzy suddenly lowered her voice and said mysteriously, "As for those bastards who threw excrement, I've already found out—"

"Leave them alone."

Kang Jae-hoon cut her off before she could finish her harsh words, his pupils reflecting the screen's glare as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well.
“That’s our most valuable extra in ‘Taxi Driver’.”

at this time--

"Ding dong."

The doorbell rang suddenly.

"Who could it be so late?" Bae Suzy asked warily.

Kang Jae-hoon frowned slightly: "I don't know."

I walked to the door.

Cat's Eye Exterior

Kim Ji-won stood nervously wringing her hands in the warm light of the corridor, while Hannah behind her held a tablet expressionlessly.

"."

“Senior Song Kang-ho approached me to discuss the script.”

Kang Jae-hoon lied to the screen without batting an eye:
I'll come see you tomorrow.

"I'm not a porcelain doll, go about your business."

As the busy tone of the phone call ending rang, Kang Jae-hoon opened the door—

"Oppa!"

Kim Ji-won crashed into his arms like a cannonball:
"Are you injured? Those people in the video..."

His words were cut off by a sob.

Jiang Zai Xun gently patted her back with one hand while casting an inquiring look at Han Na.

The assistant adjusted his glasses:
"After seeing the news, Ms. Zhiyuan immediately canceled tonight's radio recording."

"Fool." Jiang Zai Xun looked down at the little girl whose eyes were red with anxiety. The stench and hostility he had encountered during the day seemed to have evaporated into steam.

"I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"

The moment the door closed, the little animal in my arms began to wriggle anxiously—

First, she cupped his face and examined it from all sides, then she lifted the hem of his shirt to check if his abs were intact, and finally she even grabbed his palm and checked repeatedly for any wounds.

"Aigoo."

Kang Jae-hoon let her do as she pleased, feeling as if his chest was soaking in a hot spring, bubbling with happiness.

"You'll have to pay if you touch it again."

After confirming that he was unharmed.

The next second—

"You scared me to death, you bastard!!!"

Her small fists pounded against his chest, the muffled thuds of grievance accompanied by sobs:

"If you really... I still owe you three meals of barbecue, sob..."

Jiang Zai Xun smiled and grasped her wrist, pressing her soft hands against his heart.
"Are you so afraid something will happen to me?"

He bent down and touched Kim Ji-won's forehead:
"How about we buy an accident insurance policy tomorrow and name Ms. Kim Ji-won as the beneficiary?"

"Damn it! Who wants yours—"

Kim Ji-won blushed and was about to hit him with her head when she suddenly stopped:
"What is the coverage amount?"

Kang Jae-hoon paused for two seconds, then burst into hearty laughter: "Hahahaha—"

……

Starlight filtered through the gauze curtains, casting shadows on the intertwined silhouettes of the two figures, while the shimmering waves of the Han River outside the window gilded Kim Ji-won's profile with a soft glaze.

Her fingertips traced the lines on Kang Jae-hoon's palm, as if trying to etch his intricate fate into her memory:

“That photo of Oppa taken by the Chosun Ilbo…it’s so powerful.” Her voice was muffled in his chest, making his heart pound slightly. “He looks just like a young member of parliament giving a speech in the National Assembly.”

A subtle resonance emanated from Kang Jae-hoon's smiling chest:

"These hands of mine can hold up the Baeksang Arts Awards trophy, but they may not be able to hold onto the Blue House job securely."

She's alright in movies.

Let's skip the reality.

Just thinking about those politicians' masked smiles gives me a stomachache—not to mention that history has long proven that it's pointless to talk about idealism in a country that has been devoured by conglomerates.

Instead, let's think about how to make it more practical for the girls around us to buy bags without having to look at the price tag.

Kim Ji-won suddenly looked up, a glint of light in her eyes:

"What was Oppa thinking back then?"

Kang Jae-hoon knew she was asking about the sewage that fell from the sky.

"Well……"

He pretended to be deep in thought, twirling a strand of her hair in a circle with his fingers:
"They're probably thinking—CJ Entertainment's PR department should kowtow to me, this saved them 20 billion won in budget..."

Boom boom boom!
Before he could finish speaking, a rain of soft fists pounded on his chest:
"ah!"

Kim Ji-won was so angry that her little tiger teeth were showing, but her threatening words had no deterrent effect whatsoever:
"If you do this again... I'll... I'll..."

Ding-dong-

The doorbell rang, silencing her harsh words.

Kang Jae-hoon raised an eyebrow—

Surely it couldn't be that Song Kang-ho really had a sudden urge to act in the middle of the night, could it?
however.

The view through the peephole made his temples throb.

Lee Sung-kyung stood outside the door with her arms crossed, while Hanna, half a step behind, had the resentment of a corporate slave written all over her face: "I was forced to do this" and "I hate working overtime."

Kim Ji-won had somehow gotten behind him, her small hands clutching the fabric of his robe at the back of his waist in a barely audible whisper.

"Should we...hide in the closet?"

Kang Jae-hoon pressed her head down with his hand:

"Are you going to act in 'Temptation of Wife'?"

"Ding-dong-"

The doorbell rang again, as if it were a matter of life and death.

Lee Sung-kyung had begun tapping the ground lightly with the tips of her shoes, a sign that her patience was wearing thin.

"……Bible?"

When he opened the door, Kang Jae-hoon's voice was hoarse: "What happened?"

The moment the cold air rushed in.

Kim Ji-won's gardenia scent and Lee Sung-kyung's lavender scent lingering on her clothes collided silently.

Lee Sung-kyung's gaze passed over Kang Jae-hoon's shoulder and landed on Kim Ji-won, who was looking down and nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.

00:07 AM.

Single suite.

pajamas.

Bae Suzy's lame joke, "The little vixen climbed into his bed," suddenly exploded in my mind.

"Did I come at a bad time?"

Her voice was as cold as the ice on the Han River in the dead of winter.

Kang Jae-hoon's smile froze on his face:
"How could this be? I was just..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lee Sung-kyung charged at Kim Ji-won like a lioness!

Raise your hand high—

Her forearm muscles were taut and sharp after her boxing training today; if she were to slap someone like that, it would probably knock out half of Kim Ji-won's teeth.

Kim Ji-won's eyelashes trembled.

The moment she saw that Kang Jae-hoon had already taken a step, she obediently closed her eyes and even considerately turned her left cheek towards Lee Sung-kyung's palm.

The expected pain did not come.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Lee Sung-kyung being picked up by Kang Jae-hoon and spun around halfway, one of her shoes flying off.

"What's wrong with you?!"

"Am I crazy?!"

Lee Sung-kyung thrashed about in his arms like a fish out of breath:

"You actually protected this woman who ran into the hotel while you were being attacked..." she spat out the venomous adjective, "...bitch!"

"Ji-won is not an outsider."

Kang Jae-hoon held Lee Sung-kyung, who was struggling in his arms, tighter:
"She's the only artist signed to the company—by slapping her, you're hitting Next Studio's cash flow for next year!"

Lee Sung-kyung laughed in anger:
"An entertainer? An entertainer who goes over scripts at dawn?" She uttered each word as if squeezing them out from between her teeth. "Kim Ji-won, you're quite capable now, aren't you? Addicted to playing the innocent victim?"

Kim Ji-won's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

The words, "Why didn't you dare to make a scene when Yoona stole your advantageous position?" almost burst from my lips—

But when she met Kang Jae-hoon's furrowed brows, her voice broke into a sob:
"I'm sorry, unnie..."

A submissive and resigned demeanor.

The grievance was expressed in just the right way.

She even bowed a perfect 90-degree angle, the shadow of her hair falling down just enough to cover the triumphant curve of her lips.

"Who's your unnie!"

Lee Sung-kyung's fingernails dug deeply into Kang Jae-hoon's arm:

"Let go! I'm going to do it today—"

"Hanna!"

Kang Jae-hoon's suddenly raised voice startled the assistant who was pretending to be dead at the door.

"Explain yourself!"

Hanna pushed up her glasses, and her flat-chested face turned sharply towards the struggling Lee Sung-kyung:

"Four days ago, during a trip to China, the boss bought the remake rights to a script that produced two Golden Horse Award-winning actresses."

"Ms. Kim Ji-won is one of the pre-selected actresses."

The photos on the screen prove everything—

The footage included Kang Jae-hoon shaking hands with the seller, the contract signing ceremony, and even Jung Soo-jung's schedule analysis sheet (which she quickly crossed out at the end).

Lee Sung-kyung's raised arm froze in mid-air.

The CPU is clearly overloaded.

"So it really is about work?"

Hannah nodded: "I reminded you just now."

The unspoken words turned into a sigh.

Silence spread rapidly, like ink dripping into clear water.

Kim Ji-won lowered her head and stared at the tips of her shoes, her shoulders still trembling slightly in a professional manner.

Lee Sung-kyung's fingers unconsciously dug into Kang Jae-hoon's sleeve—

At this moment, she desperately missed Bae Suzy's shameless philosophy of "if you're going to do it, you have to do it properly."

Three seconds later.

Even so…

Lee Sung-kyung suddenly raised her chin: "Shouldn't Kim Ji-won-ssi be going back by now? It's the middle of the night..."

Kim Ji-won, whose name was called, looked timidly at Kang Jae-hoon.

They received a barely perceptible nod from the other party.

"Inside~"

She obediently picked up her bag, but as she passed Lee Sung-kyung, she casually remarked:
"Bible Unnie's hands are so well-maintained."

Lee Sung-kyung: ?!
Click.

The moment the door closed, Lee Sung-kyung abruptly broke free from Kang Jae-hoon's grasp:

"Was she just making a sarcastic remark about me?!"

"Have it?"

Kang Jae-hoon pretended to pick his ear:

“Our Ji-won is the most innocent.”

"simple?!"

Lee Sung-kyung picked up a cushion and threw it at him:
"The look in her eyes before she left—it was exactly the same expression Bae Suzy had when she stole my center position for a photo!"

In the third round of the pillow battle, Lee Sung-kyung suddenly tripped over herself and fell into Kang Jae-hoon's arms.

In the instant their eyes met, she saw a smile spread across the man's eyes—

"Fuck you!"

Enraged, she grabbed his neck:

"Did you plan this all along...?"

The unspoken words were swallowed between their lips and teeth.

Kang Jae-hoon bit her lower lip and mumbled:

"Since you've already caught them in the act... you have to solidify the charges, right?"

Lee Sung-kyung's resistance gradually turned into a push that seemed to be both resisting and welcoming, and finally turned into a sweet sob.

(End of this chapter)