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

Chapter 267 Veteran player Jung Soo-jung is about to connect

On the set of "Taxi Driver".

A vintage taxi stood quietly in a makeshift set depicting "Gwangju streets in the 1980s".

The faded posters of the pro-democracy movement and the deliberately aged costumes worn by the extras seemed to forcefully pull time back to that bloody May.

On a folding chair in front of the monitor, Kang Jae-hoon was holding the script and watching Song Kang-ho perform.

This national treasure-level actor, speaking in dialect, perfectly portrayed the shock and fear of "Kim Man-seop," an ordinary driver, upon arriving in Gwangju. As the camera zoomed in, the reflection in his pupils seemed to depict the smoke of gunpowder truly burning.

"Cut!"

Director Zhang Xun's furious roar suddenly came from the monitor:

"What's with the extras?! Where did smartwatches come from in 1980?!"

Kang Jae-hoon looked ahead at the chaotic film set.

In the dust swirling in the sunlight, the extras frantically removing electronic devices looked a hundred times more real than their deliberately acted "angry citizens."

When turning his head.

Director Jang Hoon, however, saw Kang Jae-hoon, who should have been resting, gazing out at the film set.

"Aigoo, Jaehoon!"

He patted Kang Jae-hoon on the shoulder:

"You're still working so hard even though you don't have any scenes to film today?"

Kang Jae-hoon smiled and took off his hat:

"I'm learning from him. Senior Song's control over his expressions is textbook-perfect."

As they were talking, Hanna strode quickly through the tangled cables on the set in her high heels, the dense stream of data on her tablet screen reflected in her glasses:
"Boss, the reaction is outrageous."

On the screen, the top five on Naver's real-time trending search list were:

#Kang Jae-hoon's Speech in Gwangju#
#Taxi driver starts filming#
#The Truth Behind the Sewage Incident#
#Kang Jae-hoon's sense of historical responsibility#
#Kang Jae-hoon and Song Kang-ho collaboration#
"As of 8 a.m. this morning, searches related to 'taxi driver' have increased by 1200%."

Hannah's fingertips traced the soaring curve:

"The video of you being pelted with excrement has garnered over 20 million views, and JTBC's morning news program has featured it in a special report."

The iPad screen switched to a news screenshot at the right moment, with the headline: "The Social Responsibility of a New Generation of Actors".

"interesting."

Amidst the noisy background sounds of the film set, Kang Jae-hoon's fingers swiped across the tablet; the comment section continued to refresh.

【@Liunian Silk Water】

"This is the attitude a public figure should have! They are far superior to those idols who only show off their bags!"

【@Magnet】

"Heh, just putting on a show, huh? If you're so principled, why don't you criticize the current government by name?"

[@飞雪黑香]

"Those haters who accuse me of putting on a show are hilarious! If you're so capable, why don't you try getting conservatives to throw filth at you?"

【@LirenDrowningInDream】

"Here's a scary story: Kang Jae-hoon is only 26 years old this year. While his peers are still playing the male lead in campus dramas, he's already discussing the democracy movement with Song Kang-ho."

【@BrightMoonReflectingSnow】

"As someone born in the 70s, seeing young people willing to touch on this history... brought tears to my eyes."

【@Fuxi Dilin】

"Song Kang-ho + Kang Jae-hoon + Yoo Hae-jin? This combination is practically a shoo-in for next year's Blue Dragon Awards!"

【@threeNine】

"The Blue Dragon Film Awards are too low-key, aren't they? They should be aiming straight for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film!"

……

Kang Jae-hoon chuckled and handed the tablet back to Han Na:
"You did well last night. Which bag do you like? The new Miu Miu this year? Or Chanel?"

Hannah's fingers trembled slightly, and her pupils behind her glasses widened in shock.

"Boss?"

He scrutinized her casually:
"You should get your glasses replaced."

Before Hanna could respond, Kang Jae-hoon had already put his baseball cap back on, his gaze returning to the filming location.

"Action!"

Explosions were heard outside the film set.

Amidst the artificial smoke, Song Kang-ho, playing a taxi driver, desperately shields the students behind him. His kneeling posture on the concrete ground resembles a tragic sculpture, and the fabric at the knees of his suit trousers has become frayed from repeated filming.

He breathed life into the character of "Jin Sifu"—he was both a cowardly commoner and an ordinary person who shone brightly in a chaotic world.

Kang Jae-hoon unconsciously held his breath.

I will etch every subtle facial expression of my seniors swallowing their saliva into my mind.

……

During lunch break.

When Kang Jae-hoon sat down opposite Song Kang-ho with his pork rib soup rice, the award-winning actor was fanning himself with his script. The terrified expression from his scene had long since faded, and he was now grinning, revealing a set of white teeth.
"What? You're even following me while you're trying to learn something?"

"I mainly came here to ask you to make a connection."

Kang Jae-hoon naturally broke apart the disposable chopsticks:
“Our company has a project and we would like to invite senior actress Kim Hye-soo to star in it.”

Song Kang-ho paused in his action of picking up kimchi:
"The Witch Who Wears Cartier? I saw on the news that you guys held a public vote?"

"It's just a marketing tactic."

"Kim Hye-soo's salary isn't cheap—"

“As long as she’s willing to come,” Kang Jae-hoon interrupted, “the salary isn’t a problem.”

"Ho!"

Song Kang-ho suddenly burst out laughing:
"What kind of bewitching potion did that girl Xiuzhi give you? Is it worth going to such lengths to ask Huixiu to carry your sedan chair?"

Kang Jae-hoon bent down and stirred the thick soup:
"Good movies need good actors to complement each other."

This official response made Song Kang-ho burst out laughing:

"Young people are pretending to be profound."

But he didn't ask any further questions, and instead took out his phone and swiped a few times.

Kang Jae-hoon was astonished to see him dial the number so quickly.

"Now...?"

"Hello? Hye-soo."

Song Kang-ho has entered lobbying mode: "There's a notebook you absolutely must see. Who is it? It's that kid who recently got splashed with excrement."

Kang Jae-hoon almost choked on his soup—what kind of devilish introduction is this?!
Three minutes later.

Song Kang-ho hung up the phone and gave an OK sign:

“There’s no need to read the script. She said she took the role because of your integrity in speaking out even after being splashed with excrement.”

Jiang Jae-hoon: “…”

So, did he debut by getting splashed with water?

……

As Kang Jae-hoon swiped his card to enter, the sunlight slanted through the half-open curtains, giving the bulge on the bed a fuzzy golden edge.

"Bible?"

He called out softly, carrying the food bag, but the only response came from an impatient groan coming from under the covers.

Lift the corner of the blanket.

Lee Sung-kyung waved her hand and slapped him without even opening her eyes: "So noisy!"

"I brought ginseng chicken soup."

Kang Jae-hoon deliberately lifted the lid of the insulated box, and a rich aroma immediately filled the air.

Lee Sung-kyung's stomach rumbled appropriately, but she still pretended to purse her lips in disgust:
"Who drinks ginseng chicken soup in the middle of summer..."

But his hand honestly took the spoon.

"……hot!"

Kang Jae-hoon watched with amusement as she stuck out her tongue from the burn, then reached out and took the bowl, gently blowing on it to cool it down.

"Slow down, no one will compete with you."

Lee Sung-kyung sipped her soup, but her eyes kept glancing at Kang Jae-hoon—this guy seemed to be in a particularly good mood today.

"You have something to ask me?"

Jiang Zaixun saw through her little scheme at a glance and casually wiped the soup stains from the corner of her mouth.

"...The deal with Senior Kim Hye-soo is done?"

"Ah."

Lee Sung-kyung's spoon clattered into the bowl, splattering chicken oil onto the back of her hand, which she forgot to wipe off.

"It really worked?! Just over lunchtime?!"

"How many celebrities in South Korea would dare to disrespect Song Kang-ho?"

Kang Jae-hoon shrugged and pulled out a wet wipe to clean the oil stains from her hands:

"He called and just said, 'Some kid who got splashed with excrement wants to act in your movie.'"

"So you're now a 'sewage resource person'?"

Lee Sung-kyung choked with laughter, her chest heaving as the strap of her nightgown slipped down to her arm, revealing a faint red mark near her collarbone. Kang Jae-hoon narrowed his eyes dangerously.

next second.

Lee Sung-kyung was pressed into the pillow by the back of her neck, the bowl of ginseng chicken soup wobbling precariously on the bedside table—

"It seems some people have recovered quite well?"

He rubbed his canines against her earlobe: "How about we discuss last night's script in more detail?"

"ah!"

Lee Sung-kyung struggled, kicking her legs, but was easily subdued. The hand that slipped under her nightgown carried an irresistible heat, startling her so much that her voice trembled:
"Kang Jae-hoon! My... my leg is still... ugh!"

The protest was swallowed up in a lingering kiss.

After one hour.

As Lee Sung-kyung was helped through the hotel revolving door by Kang Jae-hoon, her lips were even more vibrant than if she were wearing YSL No. 12. She glared fiercely at the composed Kang Jae-hoon beside her, her voice barely audible:
"You did it on purpose! Hannah must have seen through it!"

"What do you see?"

Kang Jae-hoon innocently opened the car door for her:

"Weren't we just going over the script?"

This pun instantly infuriated Lee Sung-kyung, who jumped into the car and pinched his arm as she did so.
Are you coming home for dinner tonight or not?

"There's an early performance tomorrow."

Kang Jae-hoon bent down to fasten her seatbelt, and in the process, stole a kiss:

"It's too much trouble to go back and forth."

Lee Sung-kyung snorted coldly and turned her face away:

"...Whether you come back or not is up to you."

Before she could finish speaking, she was kissed so hard she felt dizzy.

It wasn't until the driver, Park, coughed awkwardly for the third time that Kang Jae-hoon reluctantly let her go.

Lee Sung-kyung slumped in her seat, catching her breath, then suddenly rolled down the car window and drew a line across her neck with her thumb:
"If you dare to 'discuss the script' with Kim Ji-won, you're dead!"

Her wide eyes and flushed cheeks greatly diminished her intimidating presence.

"Yes Yes Yes--"

Kang Jae-hoon smiled and waved, watching the nanny van drive away from the hotel driveway.

After the taillights disappeared around the corner, he turned to Hannah and said:
What are Ji-won's plans for today?

"……rest."

"Go find her."

Hannah's hand trembled as she pushed up her glasses.
"……Now?"

“The casting for ‘Soulmate’ requires communication.”

……

Fifteen minutes later.

Inside the Cartier boutique at New World Department Store.

Kang Jae-hoon casually picked out a new season handbag:

"The bailout bonus from last night."

Hannah clutched the unexpected luxury goods, her eyes behind her glasses filled with a complex expression, as if she were calculating how many years of work she would need to repay this unexpected bribe.

—President-nim, are you asking me to witness infidelity? Or participate in a crime?

Meanwhile, her boss was already humming a song as he dialed the phone:

"Ji-won ah"

Her voice was so gentle it could melt water.

"Oppa misses you."

……

The entrance hall of Kim Ji-won's apartment.

The moment Kang Jae-hoon rang the doorbell, he heard a flurry of footsteps inside—the security chain hadn't been unlocked yet, and someone's warm, soft body had already squeezed out from the crack in the door.

Kang Jae-hoon was knocked back half a step, lifting the "human-shaped accessory" hanging on his body by his buttocks:

"Did you send your aunt and uncle on a trip again?"

"Ani~"

Kim Ji-won clung to his neck, her lips trembling like jelly as she pouted.
"Mom said we should create space for young people to be alone."

As I entered the living room carrying the "human-shaped pendant," the original novel of "July and Ansheng" was spread out on the coffee table, immediately catching my eye. Next to it, a Korean printout was covered with dense highlighter marks, some of which had even bleed through the paper.

"Studying secretly?"

Kim Ji-won slipped out of his arms and hurriedly gathered the papers:

"Do some research beforehand."

If fans of "Descendants of the Sun" saw this adorable appearance, they would probably be shocked—the cool and capable military doctor on screen is actually like this in private?

"Yesterday... I'm sorry I startled you."

Kim Ji-won paused in her tidying up, then stood up, her bangs swaying gently as she shook her head.
"I'm fine, but I made things difficult for Oppa yesterday."

"...Why didn't you dodge when she was about to slap you?"

Because I know—

She tilted her head back, her round almond-shaped eyes brimming with mischievous glint, and poked his chest with her fingertip:

"Someone has pain here."

Kang Jae-hoon's breath hitched.

Damn.

When did this little girl learn this deadly critical strike technique?

"next time."

Realizing her slip of the tongue as soon as the words left her mouth, she quickly pointed to the novel and changed the subject: "Um, which character does Ji-won like?"

"Next time what?"

Kim Ji-won, however, narrowed her eyes relentlessly: "Oppa, you don't want a next time, do you?"

"..."

Driven by a survival instinct, Kang Jae-hoon quickly adopted a professional attitude: "I personally recommend you for the role of An Sheng."

He flipped open the Korean-printed paper and highlighted the key points:

"You have such a round, chubby face, yet you play a wild and unruly bad girl. This contrast is practically tailor-made for winning awards."

As expected, this coincided with Kim Ji-won's thoughts.

In the original work, July was an obedient and excellent student in the early stages, which posed no challenge for her.

But An Sheng's complex character—using flamboyance to mask vulnerability, seemingly carefree yet actually yearning for love—is precisely the acting ceiling she wants to break through.

"Don't look at the story closely, we'll make major changes."

"How to change?"

Kim Ji-won asked curiously.

"The current trend in the Korean market is for films like 'The Handmaiden' with a female perspective. The adaptation will completely focus on the two female leads, and the male lead's presence will be greatly reduced."

"Tool man?"

Kim Ji-won burst out laughing.

"To be precise, it is a narrative medium."

Kang Jae-hoon was also brought to a smile by her:

"Because male viewers are not our target audience. What I want is for female viewers to cry through three packs of tissues and send their best friends messages like 'You are my home' late at night."

Kim Ji-won bit her lip and nodded, asking seemingly casually:
Who will perform in July?

The air suddenly froze.

Kang Jae-hoon observed her expression: "How is Jung Soo-jung?"

pat-

Kim Ji-won dropped her highlighter on the carpet, where it rolled under the coffee table. As she bent down to pick it up, Kang Jae-hoon clearly saw her eyelashes flutter violently a few times.

"It's just a proposal."

Kang Jae-hoon carefully chose his words: "If you feel..."

"A clash of acting styles requires a chemistry, right?"

Kim Ji-won suddenly tilted her head back, her lips curving into a perfect arc:

“I think it’s great. Krystal’s bone structure is especially suitable for the big screen.”

This is true.

Krystal Jung's face, which is praised by the fashion industry as "high-class and cool," is indeed a natural fit for movies.

"That's good!"

Kang Jae-hoon continued explaining his casting ideas, completely oblivious to the increasingly complex look in Kim Ji-won's eyes—

The so-called "relief" is nothing more than the start of a new round of chess.

(End of this chapter)