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

Chapter 278 Board of Directors Merger Resolution (Trial Version)
Although Kang Jae-hoon's performance in the second take was still captivating, the director's cuts were merciless—

In the end, only his sarcastic comment about being a "non-celebrity guest" when he walked out the door was retained, while his glamorous cat walk, which was enough to ignite a trending topic, became a bonus feature in the later promotional period.

Nigel's role was already very small, and Kang Jae-hoon completed the entire performance in just half a day.

As he took off his gold-rimmed glasses and left the set, a chorus of sighs rose and fell behind him, as if all the female staff of Vogue Korea were saddened by his departure.

The Milky Way pours into the glass building at dusk.

in the office.

The blue light from the audio-visual equipment rippled like water.

Kang Jae-hoon sank into the leather sofa, his long fingers pressed against his temples, letting one demo after another flow into his ears.

The solitude of the piano, the lingering sound of the strings, the dreamlike quality of electronic music.
Yet I could never find that soul-stirring feeling.

Jin Dayuan looked troubled as he saw that only one demo remained:
"How about... we ask IU to handle the production? Or maybe we could invite SM Entertainment to commission a song with Taeyeon singing it?"

"Too expensive, and the style might not match."

Kang Jae-hoon shook his finger.

IU's music is too personal and narrative, while Taeyeon's voice is too glamorous.

What he needed was a song that perfectly complemented the film, not a song whose star power overshadowed the film itself.

Just as the last melody began—

The guitar strings were gently plucked, like the night tide of Jeju Island kissing the rocks. The lead singer's voice was slightly hoarse, like a sigh carried away by the sea breeze, or an unfinished confession under the moonlight.

Kang Jae-hoon suddenly sat up straight.

The night on Jeju Island suddenly materialized before my eyes:
Jung Soo-jung's hair flying as she ran barefoot, her skirt billowing in the air; Kim Ji-won's silhouette dragging her suitcase under the porch light. Even the silent heartbeat behind the wooden wall separating the two rooms, a sound no one knows.

"Song title."

"Give You the Universe".

Kim Dae-won frowned as he looked at Shofar Entertainment's quote:
"The royalties for this newcomer are enough to hire Taeyeon at a discounted price to sing..."

"Three hundred thousand."

"what?"

"This song could attract 300,000 more moviegoers."

Kang Jae-hoon turned to look at the brightly lit night outside the window, a slight smile playing on his lips:
"Guess what, next time they have a new project, will they prioritize us, or...?"

As we were talking, my phone suddenly vibrated on the table.

It was a message from a new KakaoTalk group chat, with a group name that was outrageously arrogant—【Anti-Jae-hoon Alliance】.

Group members: Bae Suzy, Lee Sung-kyung, Kang Jae-hoon.

Bae Suzy: "Tonight at 10 PM, the secret court at the West Ice Room will hold a hearing for the Jeju Island food theft case."

Lee Sung-kyung: "If you're one minute late, you're dead."

Kang Jae-hoon glanced at his wrist; the hour hand was just pointing to 9:30.

When Lee Sung-kyung forwarded the preview audio of "Give You the Universe" to her phone, she added a close-up photo of a kitchen knife, its cold gleam striking.

"Brother, let's first express our intention to collaborate on this song, and then finalize the specific details tomorrow."

Just as Jin Dayuan was about to press for more information, he saw his boss grab his suit jacket and stride towards the elevator, leaving only a lingering echo of his words—

"The house is on fire."

Driver Park was already waiting downstairs.

As the car entered the main road, the neon lights of Seoul shimmered like dazzling ribbons on the car windows.

Kang Jae-hoon leaned back in his leather seat, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, already plotting how to deal with the two "judges" in a moment.

Is he feigning innocence?

Or should we just be honest?

Perhaps, a more effective method is...

The moment Kang Jae-hoon pushed open the door, the scene that greeted him was even more impactful than he had imagined—

Bae Suzy wore his shirt, the thin fabric hanging loosely on her shoulders, her long legs crossed on the coffee table, and she slowly twirled a YSL mini gold bar lipstick in her fingertips, the red of the lipstick contrasting sharply with her white shirt.

On the other side, Lee Sung-kyung was wearing a loose T-shirt and shorts, curled up in a ball hugging a cushion. She appeared to be focused on reading the script, but the script was actually reversed.

Kang Jae-hoon raised an eyebrow: "Good evening, Your Honors."

"The Provisional Court of the Western Ice Warehouse is now in session!"

Bae Suzy slammed her hand on the sofa armrest, her voice like a honey-coated judgment hammer:

"Trial of the 'Kang Jae-hoon Jeju Island affair case.' Defendant, do you know your crime?"

Kang Jae-hoon loosened his tie with one hand, looking innocent.
"What is my fault?"

Lee Sung-kyung snorted coldly: "Shameless."

"Criminal charge number one!"

Bae Suzy stood up and walked towards him, poking his chest with her fingertip:

"Without the approval of the Seoul headquarters, the ex-girlfriend Jung Soo-jung was included in the core project team of 'Soulmate'!"

With each word she spoke, she took a step closer, until Kang Jae-hoon was forced to sit on the sofa.

"Criminal charge number two!"

She placed her hands on either side of him: "You concealed your multiple unauthorized meetings with the golden retriever!"

Lee Sung-kyung rolled her eyes again: "That's Kim Ji-won."

"As determined by this court—"

Bae Suzy completely ignored him, straddling Kang Jae-hoon's lap and wrapping her arms around his neck:
"Deprive the defendant of his right to be alone!"

She drew out the words:

"Starting tonight, the two of us prosecutors will be on 24-hour shifts to prevent you from having any further 'cheating' opportunities."

"The judgment is effective immediately!"

After saying that, he lowered his head and kissed her.

"Hey! Bae Suzy!"

Lee Sung-kyung grabbed a cushion and threw it at him: "Are you here to judge or to flirt?"

The pillow hit Kang Jae-hoon squarely on the back of the head.

Bae Suzy turned around and raised her eyebrows in displeasure:

"So you're planning to let me 'supervise' him all by myself?" Her fingertips traced the buttons on his collar, unbuttoning them. "Perfect timing to relive the special edition of 'Nigel's Abstinence Punishment'."

"You think beautiful!"

Lee Sung-kyung picked up a second cushion and slapped it across her face.

"quiet!"

Just as the war was about to escalate.

With a swift movement of his long arms, Kang Jae-hoon pinned both of them down on the sofa.

"This court hereby declares—"

"Plaintiffs Bae Suzy and Lee Sung-kyung are suspected of forming cliques and disrupting family harmony;"

"To harass a respectable man in the workplace is extremely egregious!"

"A respectable woman? You?"

Bae Suzy chuckled and blinked:

"Okay, even if that's the case, so, Your Honor, how will you punish us?"

Kang Jae-hoon's gaze darted between the charming Bae Suzy and the ashamed and indignant Lee Sung-kyung, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"You all know that my energy is limited..."

"How about reforming the outdated 'job rotation system'? Implement a more efficient board merger resolution?"

Bae Suzy instantly understood and lightly spat:
"You're dreaming!"

"What do you mean?" Lee Sung-kyung asked, looking completely bewildered.

"meaning is--"

Bae Suzy whispered something in her ear, and Lee Sung-kyung's cheeks instantly turned as red as Dior 999. She jumped up and rushed into the bedroom.
"Only a madman would agree to that!"

Bae Suzy stared thoughtfully at the closed bedroom door:
"At least, it can prevent people from secretly working overtime late at night?"

Kang Jae-hoon lifted her up in his arms:
"Approval for trial implementation?"

"It won't happen again."

She hooked her arms around his neck as a warning, but was instead carried directly into the master bedroom—

Lee Sung-kyung was frantically trying to lock the bathroom door when a flying tie got tangled around her wrist.

Moonlight filtered through the gauze curtains, casting the overlapping shadows of the three people onto the wall, resembling an absurd shareholders' meeting reaching a controlling stake agreement.

"Hey! You guys...uh...um..."

The protests were quickly drowned out by the late-night work. A supervisory board? It doesn't exist.

……

The morning mist was torn open by the unwelcome sunlight, and strands of gold shone through the velvet curtains.

The three different scents in the air, after settling overnight, became a decadent fragrance that made one blush and their heart race.

The image on the large bed is more impactful than the smell—

Bae Suzy's long hair cascaded down Kang Jae-hoon's chest like splashed ink, while one of her legs straddled Lee Sung-kyung's waist. Lee Sung-kyung curled up like a shrimp with her back to the two of them, the ambiguous red marks on the back of her neck clearly visible in the morning light.

Caught in the middle, Kang Jae-hoon's arms were wide open, and a few shallow teeth marks could be seen as his chest rose and fell.

An empty wine bottle lay overturned on the bedside table, a crumpled Gucci tie was tangled around a Christian Louboutin high heel, and on the scattered pages of a script, a character's line was circled in red pen—

"This is insane..."

"Hmm~"

Bae Suzy, who was the first to wake up, propped herself up and stretched lazily, only to find that Lee Sung-kyung's eyelashes were trembling slightly—her pretense of sleeping was quite unprofessional.

She mischievously leaned closer and nipped Lee Sung-kyung's earlobe:

"Those who pretend to be asleep will have to swallow a thousand needles!"

"!"

Lee Sung-kyung, enraged, threw off the covers, sat up, and started tickling Bae Suzy.

"Hehehe...you're serious...don't..."

The thin blanket slipped off, and two graceful figures twisted into ambiguous curves in the morning light, their snow-white long legs and slender arms intertwined, the morning light making their skin glow like jade.

Such a vibrant and alluring scene caused Kang Jae-hoon to try to get up, but Bae Suzy kicked him to the ground, her pearly toes maliciously stomping on the bulge.
“Last night was an exception, and it will not be repeated—this is a board resolution.”

Lee Sung-kyung seized the opportunity to pull Bae Suzy off the bed, but stumbled due to weak legs:
"Hurry up! Today we're filming Miranda's first outburst scene. If you're late, Kim Hye-soo will glare at you to death!" She glared at the bed as she closed the door. "Don't follow me!"

The bathroom door slammed shut.

Then came the sounds of splashing water and exclamations:

"Where are you touching?!"

"Let me help you examine the evidence left behind by the suspect."

Looking at the blurry figure twisting in the frosted glass, Kang Jae-hoon smiled wryly and grabbed the blanket to cover his private parts.

really.

The integration period following a business merger is the most difficult.

……

The moment the morning dew rolled off the magnolia petals, two graceful figures stepped out of the building entrance side by side through the thin mist.

Bae Suzy's Chanel pearl earrings and Lee Sung-kyung's Cartier nail necklace created a wonderful harmony under the morning sun. The way the two walked arm in arm looked more like best friends doing morning exercises together than rivals.

Hannah stood in front of the car, holding a tablet, and her pupils behind her glasses widened in shock for a moment.

Good morning, Assistant Han~

Bae Suzy smiled and waved.

Lee Sung-kyung nodded in response, as if to say hello.

"Good morning, everyone."

Hanna nodded blankly, watching the two women who had been at each other's throats just yesterday get into the same van and drive away.

She was left standing there, bewildered and disoriented in the morning breeze.

If I remember correctly.

Last time, I saw Lee Sung-kyung at Bae Suzy's apartment, a place she shouldn't have been. This time, I saw Bae Suzy, who should be my "love rival," at Lee Sung-kyung's private residence.

and so……

Is it now a matter of taking turns visiting each other?
Or perhaps...?
The unit door opened again, and Kang Jae-hoon walked in, still damp from his shower. The faint scratches visible on his collar made Han Na quickly lower her head.
"Boss, at 9:30 this morning, you need to have a short meeting with a representative from Shofar Music to discuss in detail the lyric revision requirements for Bolbbalgan4's demo 'Give You the Universe' as the theme song for the movie 'Goodbye, My Soulmate'."

"At 10 o'clock, attend the script discussion for 'Queen Cheren'."

Kang Jae-hoon raised an eyebrow in surprise:

"A first draft is out so quickly?"

"Screenwriter Kim stayed up for three consecutive nights."

Hanna suddenly swiped the tablet and handed it over:
"Also...Miss Yoona should have seen yesterday's news."

The screen displayed a headline about Kang Jae-hoon shielding Bae Suzy from reporters' harassment, with a picture showing him protecting her in a pose reminiscent of a romantic movie poster.

Kang Jae-hoon pondered for three seconds, his gaze sweeping over the increasingly bustling city in the distance:
"This afternoon... I'll clear my schedule and go visit the set. I'll also order a food truck to deliver the support food."

As Hanna typed on the virtual keyboard, she suddenly remembered Article 17 of the company's HR handbook—

"Special subsidies can be applied for for severe mental distress caused by work."

Perhaps we should add the following to the application form:

"Witnessing the president's emotional debt settlement caused PTSD"

"Forced to participate in crisis public relations for a complex relationship"

"Occupational hazards stemming from daily existential doubt"

After all, witnessing such a chaotic scene, comparable to a palace intrigue drama, up close every day, while forcing oneself to remain calm and professional, is simply... too mentally taxing.

……

The rising sun cast its rays across the city skyline, and light and shadow danced and swirled between the glass curtain walls of the high-rise buildings. It was exactly nine o'clock when Kang Jae-hoon's car drove into the company's underground parking garage.

Inside the video conference room.

The representatives of Shofar Music were nodding vigorously:
"The lyrics will definitely reconstruct the 'universe' imagery according to the emotions of the film."

The other party was clearly very pleased to be able to ride the wave of "Goodbye, My Soulmate".

The lyrics and music of the demo "Give You the Universe" are full of girlish thoughts and romantic fantasies, which are highly consistent with the youthful spirit of the film.

Kang Jae-hoon only raised one core requirement:
In the chorus, a variation of lyrics with a stronger sense of "farewell" and "regret" is added, so that the song can carry the sweetness of youth and also highlight the bitterness of parting.

The other party immediately understood.

The decision was made on the spot, with a promise to deliver a revised version within a week.

No sooner had the music conference ended than he threw himself into a seminar on the script of "Queen Cheren".

Their own writing team is quite capable.

In just one month, he had expanded his absurd idea of ​​a "modern scumbag chef's soul transmigrating into an ancient empress" into a well-structured, hilarious, and intricately plotted story of power struggles and romance.

The core adaptation of the script is to upgrade the relatively loose palace intrigue in the original web series into a more intense and systematic court struggle against the powerful relatives of the Andong Kim clan, making the protagonist's palace survival battle more exciting and intense.

"I have a small suggestion."

Towards the end of the meeting, Kang Jae-hoon, who had been listening silently, finally spoke.

“In our stories, there must be absolutely no plots that smear, distort, or fantasize about the history of the Central Plains.”

“I don’t want to see these things in any of Next Scene’s productions.”

The young screenwriters subconsciously exchanged glances—

In the past, it was almost an unspoken rule for Korean dramas to embellish historical scenes. These "nationalist thrills" that are common in Korean films and television dramas were indeed something they had considered.

"I know that adding these elements might cater to the nationalistic sentiments of some local viewers, and might even boost ratings at times. But, gentlemen—"

The floor-to-ceiling windows filtered the sunlight into sharp golden lines, and Kang Jae-hoon's pen drew sharp marks on the script's title page:
"What we need to create are works that can reach Asia and the world, not fantasies that we confine ourselves to behind closed doors. Our vision determines how far we can go."

"This is not only out of respect for history, but also out of love for our own work."

He suddenly pulled out the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, which the screenwriter had been holding, and flipped through the pages to the chapter on King Cheoljong:

"Actually, real history is more interesting than we imagine—"

The fingertip points to a certain passage:

"Wang Chang drank alone late at night and ordered palace maids to roast yams."

"see it?"

Kang Jae-hoon's eyes shone with an astonishing light:
"In official history, the puppet emperor Zhezong actually had an adorable side, secretly roasting sweet potatoes late at night! This is the dramatic conflict we want to uncover—"

"Instead of being nailed to the pillar of historical shame and despised by hundreds of millions of viewers because of some flimsy 'personal agendas'."

"..."

The crisp sound of a pen hitting a solid wood table startled the dazed screenwriters.

As Kang Jae-hoon stood up, the sunlight cast his silhouette as he flipped through ancient books onto the entire wall—there were local classics such as the "History of the Joseon Dynasty," as well as original Chinese versions of the "History of Ming" and the "Draft History of Qing."

He glanced one last time at the mark he had made on the title page of the script—the ink smudged into a faint Chinese character, "真" (zhen, meaning true).

This mark will travel across the ocean with the script and reach millions of viewers.

Perhaps one day, when the Chinese public is surprised that "there are actually Korean dramas that accurately depict history," they will casually remember the name "Next Scene" in the end credits.

Business is the greatest form of charity.

(End of this chapter)