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

Chapter 269 When the Scumbag Role Finds the Real Scumbag

When the afternoon sun, like melting gold leaf, spilled into the floor-to-ceiling windows of the top-tier apartment in Cheongdam-dong, Kang Jae-hoon struggled to rise from his deep, sea-like sleep.

Even the heavy blackout curtains couldn't completely block out the excessively intense midday heat; dust particles slowly floated and sank in the beams of light, much like his scattered and wandering consciousness at that moment.

The sheets beside me had long since cooled, leaving only a faint peach scent lingering on my pillow, proving that last night's dream was not too intense.

click-

The door had barely opened a crack when a furry shadow slammed into his arms like a cannonball.

"Meow-"

The calico cat swung its tail and kneaded itself shamelessly in his arms.

Kang Jae-hoon, still half-asleep, carried the cat by its rear end towards the bathroom, letting the little guy's whiskers brush against his chin. Amidst the hum of the electric toothbrush, the mirror reflected the same blank expressions on both their faces.

pat.

Toothpaste foam dripped onto the cat's head, earning it a disgusted punch from the cat.

"Good afternoon, Boss."

As he stepped out of the bathroom, a woman's voice suddenly rang out, startling Kang Jae-hoon so much that he almost threw the cat out.

"How did you get in?"

Jiang Zai Xun looked at Han Na, who was sitting upright at the dining table, and subconsciously adjusted the collar of his bathrobe.

"The password was given by Miss Yoona."

Hanna pushed up her glasses and looked away:

"They said you worked very hard last night, so they specially asked me to prepare some nourishing ingredients."

Her choice of words was as precise and unemotional as ever.

But the word "hard work" has a deeper meaning at this moment.

Kang Jae-hoon strolled to the dining table, holding the cat.

In the steaming aroma of matsutake mushroom and chicken soup, ginseng, goji berries, black garlic, and various unidentifiable medicinal herbs floated in the casserole. Next to it was a plate of oyster sashimi and... wait, is that deer antler?!

Despite his pride screaming "I'm a dragon and a tiger," he still silently sat down and sipped his chicken soup.

after all……

It's true that he was completely drained by Yoona last night, which has made him more eager to look at the iPad in Hannah's arms than at other women.

babble-

The calico cat leaned closer to sniff it, immediately took three steps back with its flat-eared ears, its shocked face saying, "Two-legged creatures actually eat this kind of thing."

Jiang Jae-hoon: “…”

You castrated little thing, what do you know...?

"Trending search data".

Hanna handed over the tablet at the right moment, and the #HanjiangBeautifulFireworksShow# was trending third on the real-time hot search list.

Clicking on it leads to short videos and photos taken by various netizens.

The night sky was filled with dazzling fireworks, and the word "Yoona" and the crown pattern bloomed under countless lenses.

The comment section exploded with tens of thousands of screams:
【@VJ007】

"Our Yoona deserves the best and most expensive fireworks in the world!!"

【@孤岗明月】

"I was almost blinded by the golden light while on duty last night. I thought aliens were attacking the Blue House."

[@RampagingAmumu]

"The fireworks control on the Han River is so strict, yet they still managed to get approval. I was fined 5 won last time I set off two sparklers! (I'm so jealous!)"

【@Liunian Silk Water】

"I suggest checking all the observation decks of luxury homes along the Han River last night... I can't say which one had 999 roses on their balcony."

【@Yellowrain】

"The Han River Monster is going to be woken up! We strongly condemn this disturbing behavior of setting off fireworks late at night! The monster is going to get up early tomorrow to destroy Seoul!"

……

Kang Jae-hoon casually liked a few comments praising the fireworks, then scooped up some nourishing soup from his bowl and asked:
What are my plans for today?

Hanna quickly switched to the tablet screen:
"At 3 PM, the adaptation team of 'Soulmate' will hold their first online script meeting. At 5 PM, a rehabilitation therapist will be visiting you. Tonight at 11 PM, you will be filming your final scene for the 'Taxi Driver' crew."

Ding--

The phone screen lights up.

Kang Jae-hoon took out his phone and looked at it.

On my lock screen is a sour Kakao message from Bae Suzy:

[Bae Suzy]: [Shared link: #StunningFireworksShowOnTheHanRiver#]
[Bae Suzy]: Tsk tsk, the Han River bursts into bloom at night, a thousand trees burst into bloom, and the wind blows down stars like rain...

[Bae Suzy]: President Kang is so generous and romantic!
[Bae Suzy]: It seems you had a good time last night?
You can almost smell the lemon flavor in the words, even through the screen.

Kang Jae-hoon smiled secretly and replied:

"Fireworks, no matter how beautiful, are fleeting."

"How can that compare to some people who are undefeated?"

Seeing him put down his phone, the kitten immediately snuggled into his palm, acting all cute and affectionate. Kang Jae-hoon rubbed the cat's head, then devoured all the nourishing ingredients on the table before carrying the little guy back to the bedroom for a nap.

When you're feeling really sleepy—

"Boss, it's time to get ready."

Hannah's voice came from outside the door, calm and unhurried.

2:45 p.m.

Having changed into a neat shirt, Geum Jae-hoon sat in the study as the faces of the screenwriting team appeared one after another on the screen.

Good afternoon, everyone.

Kang Jae-hoon nodded slightly to the camera and got straight to the point:
"My initial idea for adapting 'July and Ansheng' is to adopt a gentle and beautiful narrative style, while appropriately weakening some of the sharper conflicts in the original work."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a young screenwriter wearing black-rimmed glasses immediately raised an objection:
"President, if I may be so bold, this will weaken the conflict and diminish the story's tension. According to the creative theory of 'Story Structure,' conflict is the skeleton of a story; without conflict, there is no..."

"you're right."

Kang Jae-hoon interlaced his fingers and rested them on his chin, interrupting the other person's quotation:

"But everyone knows how serious the gender antagonism is in our country, given that conglomerates are deliberately diverting attention from problems, right?"

The people in the video window all nodded in agreement.

So what do you all think?

Kang Jae-hoon's eyes sharpened. "If this movie focuses on the original version's two women vying for a man—would it please neither side?"

The answer is self-evident.

This adaptation project was destined from the outset not to attract many male viewers.

In today's environment of heightened female consciousness and sharp gender antagonism, how could female viewers be willing to watch their best friend tear each other apart for a scoundrel?
The screenwriters looked at each other in bewilderment.

The prepared arguments, such as "the spirit of the original work" and "dramatic conflict," were all swallowed back.

They approached the plot structure from a screenwriter's perspective, while Kang Jae-hoon consistently examined the market from a commercial standpoint.

It's hard to say who's right or wrong, but the essence of filmmaking is ultimately about making money. So, compromising to some extent with commercial logic is an unspoken rule of survival in this industry.

"Do not underestimate the purchasing power of the female market."

Kang Jae-hoon adjusted his headset and continued:
Who snapped up all the VIP tickets for the front row at K-pop concerts? Who spent a fortune buying hundreds of albums at idol autograph sessions?

In this society.

Women are often more willing to pay for the emotions they cherish.

Men, burdened with family responsibilities such as mortgages and car loans, are less likely to spend lavishly on emotional consumption.

"So my only request is—"

"We want every woman who watches this movie to send a message to her best friend on Kakao with tears in her eyes: 'Let's go to the sauna this weekend, it's on me.'"

The sound gradually rose.

The sound of the screenwriters discussing something came through my headphones.

Some suggested increasing the scenes depicting the two female leads' childhood encounter, while others advocated reducing the male lead Jiaming's lines...

Kang Jae-hoon leaned back in his leather chair, his fingertips stroking the calico cat's ears, but his thoughts had already drifted into midnight.

……

The aroma of essential oils from the masseuse hadn't completely dissipated when Kang Jae-hoon, carrying the calico cat, got into the van, the setting sun bathing Seoul's skyscrapers in golden light.

The kitten curled up in his lap, swaying slightly as the vehicle moved, like a warm ball of fur.

The scenery outside the window flashed by quickly—

On the giant advertising screen of Hyundai Department Store, an advertisement for cosmetics endorsed by Lim Yoon-a made a stunning appearance; on the electronic bus stop sign under the overpass, a promotional poster for Bae Suzy's new drama "Uncontrollably Fond" flashed by.

As the city skyline was gradually replaced by highways and darkness fell completely, the van drove into the filming location of "Taxi Driver".

Kang Jae-hoon handed the calico cat to Han Na, and the little guy meowed in dissatisfaction, hooking its paws onto his sleeve and refusing to let go.

"Sweetie, Daddy's going to die." He smiled and gently scratched the cat's chin before turning and stepping into the dressing room.

Hanna: "..."

When they came out again fifteen minutes later, they were dressed in 80s student attire.

"Action!"

The moment the clapperboard fell, the tense atmosphere instantly intensified.

Upon learning that the evidence had been captured on camera, the military launched a frantic manhunt. Kim Man-seop (Song Kang-ho), Peter, and Goo Jae-sik (Kang Jae-hoon)'s hideout was exposed, and their planned evacuation the following morning turned into a desperate escape.

"Cut! Touch up the makeup, enhance the rain effect! Jae-hoon, double-check the camera angle where you rush out of the alley!"

Director Zhang Xun's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

Staff immediately stepped forward and used a special "rain mist" sprayer to soak Kang Jae-hoon's hair and clothes even more, creating the effect of a torrential downpour.

He closed his eyes and let the makeup artist deepen the traces of fatigue and fear on his face, while silently preparing the emotional layers to come.

"Scene 58, 7 shots, 2 takes, Action!"

The taxi with Seoul license plates stood out conspicuously on the streets of Gwangju at night, and was quickly spotted by military jeeps.

A thrilling car chase unfolded on the slippery streets.

Kang Jae-hoon huddled in the back seat of the taxi, his pupils dilating as the military vehicle approached on the monitor. The screeching sound of tires tearing through the night sky ripped open the car door, and he tumbled into the alleyway—

"Cut! Move the vehicle, get ready to film the scene of forcing the car to stop at the alley entrance!"

The stunt team quickly adjusted the vehicle's position to create the visual effect of being cornered.

"Action!"

By the third time he turned on the machine, he was already running unsteadily.

In close-up shots, sweat mixed with rainwater soaks through clothes and clings to the back, each footstep beating the rhythm of a desperate fugitive.

"Cut! Excellent! Prepare for the next shot, the arrest!"

The staff quickly adjusted the position of the track vehicle.

The action instructor went up to him and confirmed the subduing maneuvers one last time.

Kang Jae-hoon took the opportunity to do two sets of push-ups to keep his heart rate at a critical level.

"Action!"

Several fierce soldiers pounced on them.

Ju was roughly pushed to the ground by the vegetation, and mud splashed all over his face.

A stern-faced officer stepped forward and kicked him hard in the stomach.

On the monitor.

Two extras, carrying the object amidst the vegetation, lifted it by the arms and carried it to the entrance of the alley.

"Hand over the videotape!"

The actor playing the officer kicked him in the back of the knee and roared as he pressed a prop gun against his temple:

"I'm counting to three!"

The camera track silently glides closer.

"one!"

Kang Jae-hoon began to tremble slightly, and cracks appeared in the mask he had been wearing to maintain his composure after his arrest.

"two!"

"Uncle!"

He suddenly roared, blood and foam sliding down the corner of his mouth, but they couldn't obscure his suddenly bright eyes:

"Hurry up! Take the truth out of here!"

"Cut! Replenish blood plasma!"

The makeup artist rushed over and stuck a burst blood pack on the back of his head. Kang Jae-hoon took the opportunity to move his numb wrists, which were tied behind his back, but immediately returned to a near-death state upon hearing "Action".

"boom--"

The smell of gunpowder from blank cartridges filled the air.

Kang Jae-hoon fell like a puppet with its strings cut, even maintaining a twisted posture with half his face on the ground when he landed, ensuring that the camera could capture the extinguished starlight in his pupils.

The process of falling to the ground was filmed in three separate shots—

The director asked him to portray the tremor at the moment of being shot, the spasms as life slips away, and the final stillness.

“Cut——!”

Congratulations to Koo Jae-sik on wrapping up filming!

The script supervisor's cheers broke the tense atmosphere on set, and a large bouquet of lilies was shoved into Kang Jae-hoon's blood-stained arm. Hanna raised her DSLR to capture his disheveled yet vibrant moment—

The young man, covered in blood, smiles brightly while holding a bouquet of flowers, creating an absurd contrast with the character's despair as he faces death.

……

When the makeup remover pad was wiping for the third time, Kang Jae-hoon took out his phone from his pocket.

The screen lights up.

Yoona's Kakao was accompanied by three startling exclamation marks:

【! ! ! 】

You took the little princess away???

Kang Jae-hoon chuckled as he scooped up the calico cat curled up on the dressing chair and took a selfie from a quirky angle—

In the photo, his half-disfigured face resembles a split oil painting; his left cheek is that of a clean-cut modern youth, while his right cheek still bears the bloodstains of a student from the 80s.

[Kang Jae-hoon]: [Image]
[Kang Jae-hoon]: Temporarily detain the "cat" as a form of punishment.

No reply was received.

At 3 a.m. in Seoul, even a workaholic like Lim Yoona should be asleep.

Kang Jae-hoon stayed at a hotel near the film set that night.

They didn't bother going back to Seoul.

The next day.

Before the morning mist had even dissipated, Kang Jae-hoon had already returned to the filming location with his cat in his arms.

Although actor Kang Jae-hoon's scenes have ended, his duties as president of Next Scene must continue.

He carefully reviewed the subsequent filming schedule, communicated with director Zhang Xun and the production team about the budget and post-production progress, and ensured that all aspects were on track.

It wasn't until the afternoon, after confirming that everything was in order, that he took a car back to Seoul.

of course.

The calico cat that he had "temporarily detained" was once again held in his arms and brought back to the company.

……

Next Scene Meeting Room, Seoul.

The calico cat occupied the center of the long table, its tail tip brushing against the unfolded script.

The first draft, completed by the screenwriting team after working through the night, still smelled of ink.

Kang Jae-hoon softly read out the monologue from July's perspective:
"Wearing a bra can feel stuffy, and getting your ears pierced can hurt. Even if it's uncomfortable, you have to endure it so that you can feel comfortable later."

"I only realized after meeting you that red wine can be asked for, and feelings can be expressed. But jujube wood won't protect anyone; it will only destroy our friendship."

"The sun can shine with confidence because it knows there are shadows. I don't want to live like a bride in a wedding dress who can't smile in a photograph; I want to see the frozen Lake Baikal in postcards. I don't need to see your back, because girls will always stand side by side."

End of reading.

Kang Jae-hoon's eyes revealed undisguised admiration.

The adaptation is excellent.

The two female protagonists are both drawn to painting, one with a preference for realism and the other for freehand style. The difference and fusion of their artistic philosophies are cleverly used to metaphorically represent their personalities and relationship.

The most subversive change to the ending is that Jiaming's elopement in the original version is changed to Qiyue's self-awakening and escape.

but.

Whether it's the original or the adapted version, the character "Jiaming" is essentially still a scumbag who wavers between two women and is mentally two-timing.

"President-nim"

The young screenwriter suddenly hesitated, then asked, "The character Jiaming... are you playing yourself, cough?"

The meeting room fell silent.

Even the cat stopped licking its paws, its amber eyes staring intently at him.

Kang Jae-hoon's pen tapped crisply on the table:
"I?"

The sunlight streaming through the blinds cast dappled shadows on his face, and images of Kim Ji-won's sweet smile and Jung Soo-jung's cool, clear eyes flashed through his mind.

Let him play a character who is caught between these two women, a scumbag.
that……

The lines between the play and reality are likely to become completely blurred.

(End of this chapter)