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

Chapter 286 The little golden retriever worked very hard today too!
The afterglow of dusk slanted into the office through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting an amber glow on the tea.

Lim Yoona leaned back on the leather sofa, watching Kang Jae-hoon's slender fingers dance among the teaware—

Serving tea, massaging shoulders, and pounding legs.

"Offering favors for no reason..."

She laughed and slapped away his hand that was sliding towards her legs:
"Tell me, what are you planning this time?"

"Nothing can be hidden from the incredibly intelligent Yoona."

"Stop it."

She took a sip of tea, her eyes sparkling:

"Just tell me."

Kang Jae-hoon succinctly explained the financial predicament—

The planned 10 billion won investment in rental housing will now be split in two. 5 billion won will be injected into "Queen Cheol-in," while the remaining 5 billion won will still be poured into the bustling construction site in Gangnam District.

Lim Yoona swirled her teacup, watching the tea create golden ripples on the sides.
"Okay. But a supplementary agreement needs to be signed—"

"You said."

"I have the right of first refusal when Yijing Pictures increases its capital and expands its shares in the future."

The sunset outside the window was at its most intense, turning the stray hairs around Yoona's ears a warm orange color.

"make a deal."

Kang Jae-hoon touched the rim of her cup. The twilight softened the moment the contract was reached, and the aroma of tea and ambition quietly coexisted in the sunset.

"boom--!"

Just as the two were deeply in love, the office door was suddenly pushed open roughly!

Standing at the door, Krystal Jung's chest heaved violently, her usually cool eyes now burning with fire.

Hannah behind her was panicked:

"I'm sorry, boss, Miss Zheng..."

The words have not yet fallen.

Krystal Jung darted towards Yoona like an arrow, reaching out to grab the teacup on the table—

"Soojung!"

With lightning speed, Kang Jae-hoon swept her up in his arms. She kicked her legs in vain in the air.
"Let me go!"

"calm down……"

"How can I stay calm!"

Krystal Jung turned her head and glared at Kang Jae-hoon:
"My sister was being bullied! And you just stood by and watched?"

Kang Jae-hoon was speechless.

He could debate power politics with Jessica Jung, but he couldn't explain the complexities of the world to this girl.

“Jaehoon.”

Yoona's soft voice was like a feather brushing against the frozen air.

"You go out first."

"I'm going out?"

Kang Jae-hoon froze, staring incredulously at the still-sitting figure:

"you sure?"

“Hmm,” she gently set down her teacup, the porcelain bottom making a crisp sound as it touched the tray, “Soojung and I… need to talk alone.”

The two women's eyes met in mid-air, but they didn't spare him a single glance.

Kang Jae-hoon pursed his lips, slowly put Jung Soo-jung down, and left the office, turning back every few steps.

The last thing he saw as he closed the door was—

Yoona was elegantly pouring fresh tea, while Krystal Jung's clenched fist trembled slightly.

……

The soft sound of the door closing reverberated in the air.

Yoona gently pushed the perfectly warm cup of tea in front of her to the other end of the coffee table:
"If you want to avenge your sister, you can begin."

Krystal's hand shot up, but was gently interrupted the moment it touched the cup handle:

"But I want to know."

Lim Yoona rested her chin on her hand and looked at her:
"Are you here today to uphold your sister's dignity, or to vent your resentment at not getting what you want?"

Krystal Jung's fingers froze in mid-air.

Outside the window, dusk was slowly swallowing the horizon, and the glow of the sunset flickered on her face, which had suddenly lost its color.

Yes.

All this talk of sisterly affection is just a facade.

She just couldn't stand it—she was the one who sat next to Kang Jae-hoon and enjoyed the night breeze first, but now she even had to wait for her secretary to announce her entry into his office.

Those agonizing feelings of resentment that haunted them in the dead of night crumbled at the slightest touch from Yoona.

Yoona picked up her teacup, the rising steam blurring the corners of her lips, which held a half-smile.
"You think you have the upper hand, that the title of first love is gilded, and that we all look like thieves who came later."

Krystal bit her lower lip, her eyelashes trembling in the rosy light.

"But in the game of adults, old feelings are the least durable bargaining chip. What binds people together is always the cake they can cut for each other tomorrow."

Lim Yoona gently shook her head:
"You can't even make him happy as well as the little golden retriever. What will you use to keep playing cards?"

Dusk completely swallowed the last glimmer of light, plunging the office into darkness.

So, Krystal—

"Let's leave this troublemaker, Kang Jae-hoon, to be dealt with by a demon."

Outside the window, Seoul's neon lights lit up one after another, illuminating the office in a bizarre and dazzling way.

Krystal Jung gazed at her blurry reflection in the glass.

Those questions that I had rehearsed countless times in my heart seemed so childish and ridiculous under Yoona's insightful gaze.

She thought she had come to interrogate someone, to overturn the table.

As a result... the other party didn't even let her touch the table, but directly ripped off the roof, allowing her to see the narrow patch of sky above her head.

Just as Krystal Jung was in shock and at a loss,

Yoona added casually:
"By the way, just a friendly reminder."

She took a sip of tea, and when she looked up, her eyes were clear and bright.
“Your sister’s boyfriend, Kwon Ning-il, recently borrowed $400 million in his own name, but used the valuation of your sister’s ‘BLANC & ECLARE’ brand and…part of her equity as collateral.”

"what?!"

Krystal Jung's pupils contracted sharply—

That brand represents all the dignity and effort my sister poured into after leaving the group, but now it's become a bargaining chip in a gamble on love.

……

Outside the office, Kang Jae-hoon paced back and forth anxiously, his leather shoes tapping out an uneasy rhythm on the marble floor.

Suddenly, the door was flung open—

Krystal Jung rushed out, her face pale, without even glancing at him, and headed straight for the elevator.

"Soojung!"

He shouted in vain, only to be met with the cold sound of the elevator doors closing.

My heart sank, and I abruptly turned to look at the office—

Yoona was slowly wiping the water stains from her cheeks and neck with a tissue.

"She splashed it?"

Kang Jae-hoon quickly stepped forward.

Lim Yoona crumpled the soaked tissue into a ball and threw it into the trash can, shaking her head casually.

"I spilled it because my hand was shaking."

"..."

Kang Jae-hoon opened his mouth, then slumped onto the sofa:
"I'm sorry, it's all my fault."

He was already beginning to regret getting involved with Krystal Jung.

Since the bright moon shone into his life again, the delicate balance maintained among the various "gods" was instantly shattered.

Bae Suzy started checking up on him frequently, and even Lee Sung-kyung began to test him intentionally or unintentionally.

Time management, which was once a breeze, is now a struggle.

This resulted in an emotional drain and energy expenditure far exceeding expectations.

This made Kang Jae-hoon waver once again in his greed.

Looking at the dejected man in front of her, Lim Yoona reached out and smoothed the wrinkles between his brows:

"Go ahead, it's not too late to catch up now."

Kang Jae-hoon shook his head and buried his face in her peach-scented palm:
"Let her calm down on her own."

All he wanted to do at that moment was to retreat into this gentle haven; no matter how fierce the storm outside was, it was temporarily irrelevant to him.

...Meanwhile, an absurd scene was unfolding in the office building lobby—

"hurry up!"

Bae Suzy dragged Lee Sung-kyung through the revolving door. The two looked like latecomers in an action movie, and even the elevator buttons were pressed in a gunfight-like rhythm.

Which floor was it again?

"The top floor, oh the top floor!"

"I'll hold the old woman down in a bit, and you can take the opportunity to punch her a couple of times—but be careful not to hit her in the face!"

“I know, I know,” Lee Sung-kyung rolled her eyes. “I’m not stupid.”

Before the words were finished, the elevator doors opened with a "ding"—

Krystal Jung, with red-rimmed eyes, bumped into him.

The three of them looked at each other.

"What?"

Bae Suzy's eyes widened: "That's it?"

They even devised three battle plans, and even calculated how many strands of Yoona's hair they might "accidentally" pull out.

result?

That's it?

战五渣！
Krystal Jung gave them a cold look and turned to leave.

"Hey!"

Lee Sung-kyung grabbed her wrist:
"That's it? Did you throw wine at her? Did you slap her?"

"none of your business."

Krystal shook off her hand.

Seeing this, Bae Soo-ji said sarcastically:
"Could it be that she cried because of what you said?"

Krystal Jung turned around abruptly, her bloodshot eyes like two burning flames:
"You guys have a lot of free time, don't you?"

“We are all people with serious schedules.”

Bae Suzy's high heels clicked provocatively on the floor tiles:

"Unlike some people who can't separate public and private matters."

Krystal Jung sneered:
"So what are you doing now? A group sightseeing tour?"

"Of course we're here to talk business."

Bae Suzy shook the folder in her hand, which was clearly titled "The Devil Wears Prada".

"enough!"

Krystal Jung slammed the folder open, scattering papers all over the floor like snowflakes.
"You think you're so great? You're nothing special."

"But what?"

Lee Sung-kyung tilted her head: "Better at playing this game than you?"

Bae Suzy bent down to pick up the document, and lightly delivered the final blow:

"Honestly, you can't handle this kind of high-level game."

The light from the lobby chandelier cast long shadows of the three of them, and Bae Suzy's voice was like honey laced with poison:
"I should find an honest person to date."

Krystal Jung was so angry that she was trembling all over.

In the blinding light of the crystal chandelier, she saw the identical mockery on Bae Suzy and Lee Sung-kyung's faces—that arrogance of certain victory made her stomach ache.

Just when she was on the verge of losing control—

"Xiujing?"

A sweet voice suddenly broke the deadlock.

Kim Ji-won appeared by the revolving door at some point, her simple white shirt accentuating her graceful figure.

She and Lee nodded politely, then gently put their arms around Jung Soo-jung's shoulders:

"Let's go, I'll see you off."

Bae Suzy raised an eyebrow at this unexpected obstacle, while Lee Sung-kyung blinked in confusion.

At this moment, Kim Ji-won is poised and composed, a stark contrast to the timid young actress I remember who called out "Unnie."

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Lee Sung-kyung murmured thoughtfully:

"She seems... different from before?"

"Pretending."

Bae Suzy crossed her arms and sneered:
"You're so naive to have been fooled by her 'gentle, kind, respectful, frugal, and modest' attitude."

"You are stupid!"

Lee Sung-kyung glared defiantly.

Bae Suzy: "..."

The revolving door sliced ​​the four figures into pieces, just like the characters in this absurd play, each harboring their own ulterior motives.

As soon as the car door closed, Jung Soo-jung coldly ordered, "Go to XX Apartment in Cheongdam-dong."

Kim Ji-won raised an eyebrow: "Where are you going?"

"My sister's jerk boyfriend used her brand as collateral to borrow $400 million!"

Krystal Jung gritted her teeth and said:

I need to find out!

Kim Ji-won let out a soft "Ah," twirled a strand of hair between her fingers for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing:

"A guarantee requires the guarantor's signature, you silly girl. It's a matter of mutual consent; who are you trying to uphold justice by coming here on their behalf?"

Krystal Jung: “…”

Why did Yoona manage to throw him into such a state of confusion with just a few words from him, when it was such a simple principle?
Kim Ji-won sighed and asked softly:
“Tell Unnie about the whole process from when you went in to when you came out.”

Krystal Jung paused for a moment, then began to narrate haltingly—

From how she stormed in angrily, how Kang Jae-hoon picked her up by the waist, to how Im Yoon-ah casually asked him to leave, to the cup of tea that was never spilled, and the heart-wrenching question, "What will you use to continue playing at the card table?"

And comments like "Even a golden retriever knows more about providing emotional value than you" and sarcastic remarks about Bae Suzy and Lee Sung-kyung.

Kim Ji-won listened silently, her fingers twisting the seatbelt, and then asked softly:

"Little Golden Retriever...are you talking about me?"

Krystal glanced at her: "If no one else has the surname Kim."

Kim Ji-won: “…”

Asi!

You guys are the Golden Retrievers! No, you're the house-destroying Huskies!
After mentally scratching each of Yoona, Suzy, and Lee Sung-kyung with her puppy paws, she took a deep breath and put on a gentle smile again.

"Crystal, have you noticed a problem?"

"what?"

"The three of them—Lim Yoona, Bae Suzy, and even Lee Sung-kyung—have formed a rare united front, and the central message they all express is that they want you to withdraw, right?"

Krystal Jung paused slightly, frowned and pondered for a moment, then reluctantly nodded.

"Snapped!"

Kim Ji-won suddenly snapped her fingers crisply: "What does this mean?"

Before Krystal could answer, she leaned close to her ear and said, word by word:

"This means that the destructive power of a first love, the white moonlight, is enormous, so enormous that they are so afraid that they want to join forces against you!"

The car stopped at a red light, and the neon lights flooded the windows, making Kim Ji-won's smile bright and confident.

"They fear that once they learn to use your innate advantages... you'll probably have to write the rules of the game."

"Commercial value? Is Kang Jae-hoon short of money?"

"Qualifications? The youngest Best Supporting Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards."

As for emotional value—

"Actually, the greatest emotional value he can have is simply standing there doing nothing."

Kim Ji-won's fingertips gently touched the back of Jung Soo-jung's hand: "So, now you only need to do one thing."
"what?"

"Go back and apologize to Kang Jae-hoon."

"Apologize???" Krystal Jung suddenly widened her eyes.

"Yes. You trust Unnie. Once you go in, don't say anything, and don't care who's around. Just hug him with a pitiful look on your face."

The neon lights outside the car window cast flickering shadows on Kim Ji-won's profile.

"Remember, those who are favored always have nothing to fear."

The van turned around in the night.

In the distance, the lights of office buildings twinkled like stars, and behind one of the lit windows, the gears of fate were quietly turning—

Some people are born to stand in the spotlight, while others are born to be the eternal white moonlight in someone else's heart.

(End of this chapter)