Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 572 Get moving

Chou Tzu-yu's persistent and sharp probing gaze during dinner and after returning to the dormitory;

Sana Minatozaki's panicked and incoherent complaints and venting came from the other end of the video call;

And finally, Liu Zhimin's forceful and unyielding demand for "daily phone reports"...

The wind in Seoul remains cold and biting; the first snowfall of last week, which blanketed the city, has now vanished without a trace.

Time has quietly slipped into the end of 2021.

In the early morning, the frigid air seemed to freeze your breath, reminding people that South Korea is experiencing one of the coldest winters in a decade.

Television news broadcasts heart-wrenching captions: The fifth wave of the virus has arrived, with the number of new daily confirmed cases exceeding 10,000 for the first time in history.

Given that South Korea's protective policies, which had almost given up on treatment, have yielded this number, it is not surprising at all; on the contrary, it is a major signal of a complete relaxation of restrictions.

The post-pandemic era is just around the corner.

Another economic news item offers a glimmer of hope amidst the anxieties of the overall environment: the South Korean National Assembly has just passed a record-breaking 2022 government budget, aiming to support the recovery of the severely damaged economy.

However, the impact of the virus is often delayed, and next year's fiscal plan is unlikely to achieve the level of 'economic recovery'.

Meanwhile, in the far west, the glory of South Korean film and television continues to shine – the Golden Globe nominations have been announced, and the phenomenal drama series "The Squid Game" has once again been nominated for Best Drama Series and Best Actor.

The popularity of the Squid Game is far from over; it has only just begun its journey to win awards and will be aiming for a series of television drama awards in the future.

The world's hottest drama series is still enjoying its peak popularity after just two months. Kwon Heon-hyuk's amazing popularity is largely due to the Squid Game, including a series of rapidly signed commercial endorsements.

Squid Game will become South Korea's top cultural promotion campaign in the next decade, following BTS.

The fervor of last night's concert and the lingering warmth of the celebratory dinner seem to have been drained of their heat by this bone-chilling cold.

A black van smoothly drove to a large film and television shooting base located somewhere in Gyeonggi Province.

The car door slid open, and a blast of cold air rushed in. Quan Xuanhe stepped out of the car, wrapping his thick coat tighter around himself, but the biting wind still felt like needles trying to pierce his bones.

Quan Xuanhe took a deep breath of the cold air and immediately felt refreshed. His mind, which had been feeling drowsy in the warm nanny van, became much clearer.

In the distance, the faint sounds of machines running and staff shouting could be heard from the studio.

The cold air was stirred by the boisterous voices; the noise of the opening ceremony for "20th Century Girl" dispelled the chill on set.

Red candles flickered on the altar in front of the huge movie poster, the golden-brown roast suckling pig glistened in the winter sun, and several offerings were laid out on the plate.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk glanced at it, then went to the waiting room to change into the crew's uniform. He also met Kim Yoo-jung, who had arrived at the set earlier than him.

When Kim Yoo-jung saw Kwon Hyun-hyuk, she flashed a sweet and sunny smile, greeting him with bright, cheerful eyes and a clear voice.

Good morning, oppa!

It's been almost a month since we last met during the script reading, and she's had quite a bit of rest since then.

She's been watching Kwon Heonhyuk's popularity online, with a hot post popping up every few days. The sheer volume of attention he's getting is astonishing.

First he appeared on MAMA, then he went to Europe to make headlines, and the title of 'President of Paris' was simply astonishing.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

When Kwon Hyun-hyuk saw her sweet and charming smile, he found it pleasing to the eye; a bright smile can make anyone feel good.

How was your Christmas?

Upon hearing this, Kim Yoo-jung's smile remained bright. "I'm so happy. I feel relaxed and comfortable again after a long time."

"Oppa, how was your Christmas?"

"It just passed by uneventfully. I happened to go to Twice's concert yesterday."

"Twice's concert? That sounds pretty good, it's not like we'll get to see a concert again."

Kim Yoo-jung is actually a rather slow-to-warm-up person. Having grown up in the entertainment industry, she is much more mature than others. Having seen so many people come and go in the entertainment industry, she is not as bright, sunny, and enthusiastic as she appears.

She smoothly transitioned from a child star to a rising star, never making mistakes and still seeing her star power steadily increase. Calling her a seasoned veteran wouldn't be an exaggeration.

But when it comes to Kwon Hyun-hyuk, it's a different story.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk's star power is simply dazzling; he's a leading lady who has almost never made a mistake since they started working together.

Just like how male actors who have worked with Yang Zi have become very popular, and male actors who have worked with Gong Hyo-jin have seen their careers rise, Kwon Heon-hyuk is now in the same situation. That's why he has received such warm treatment from Kim Yoo-jung since they first met.

She is rather slow to warm up to others, not as enthusiastic and cheerful as she appears on camera. For example, when she worked with Ji Chang-wook on "Backstreet Rookie," she received the comment that she was slow to warm up to him.

One thing at a time, Quan Xuanhe's rise to fame clearly indicates a bright future. As long as he doesn't make any fundamental mistakes, he's likely to remain a prominent figure for decades to come.

There's nothing wrong with getting along amicably.

Upon hearing this, Quan Xuanhe nodded slightly.

That's why everyone changed into Christmas cosplay costumes for the final segment of yesterday's concert; it's mainly because of Christmas.

"Oh right, I seem to remember, oppa was shyshyshy last night, I saw it on Twitter."

Kim Yoo-jung said with a smile.

"I couldn't help it, they called on me."

Kwon Hyun-hyuk smiled as he took off his coat and put on the navy blue long down jacket that the crew had provided, zipping it all the way up.

Thus began the opening ceremony for "20th Century Girl".

He stood to the side of the director, Kim Yoo-jung to the other side, and the other actors behind him, a very clear distinction in their positions and hierarchy.

The tall incense sticks on the altar were lit, and the rising incense smoke was blown away by the cold wind.

The opening ceremony proceeded according to procedure, and everyone finally bowed deeply to the altar, thus concluding the ceremony.

After finishing, they immediately began filming. The drama was like a precisely operating machine. Kwon Hyun-hyuk and Kim Yoo-jung went back to change into their costumes.

In other words, Kwon Heonhyuk put on a school uniform again after two and a half years and became a student again.

It still felt a bit awkward, but since some of the women were in their thirties and still wore school uniforms to play students, Kwon Hyun-hyuk didn't think much of it.

The set features a constructed interior room; most of the film's scenes take place in a school.

So they rented part of the classrooms at a school in Gyeonggi Province, and the timing of filming was also carefully considered. Then, they rented the entire school when the students' winter break was approaching.

After filming the school scenes, we will move on to Gyeongju to film some exterior scenes.

The opening scene was filmed in front of a small shop, featuring Kwon Hyun-hyuk and Noh Yoon-seo.

Lu Yunrui is the second female lead, and in the drama, she falls in love with him at first sight.

She's also a Gen Z actress signed by the company. A graduate of Ewha Womans University, her debut role was in "Our Blues," where she played the beautiful and academically top-performing student, Bang Young-joo. Therefore, they've worked together before, and Kwon Heon-hyuk and she are relatively familiar with each other. This girl will be one of the strongest contenders for the Gen Z stardom. While not conventionally beautiful, she has a distinctive look.

Judging from the fact that her debut work was a star-studded production like "Our Blues," the resources and connections behind her must be extraordinary. Otherwise, how could she have signed with a well-resourced company like MAA right after her debut, and have one good project after another?

Now, Kwon Heonhyuk can easily make romantic movies like this; it's a piece of cake for him.

It's like a max-level player entering a newbie village.

The opening scene was filmed very quickly, without even a single line of dialogue, and it was not difficult at all.

During the lunch break, Kwon Hyun-hyuk received a coffee truck sent by Han Hyo-joo as a gesture of support, after being notified by the stage manager.

"Let me tell everyone, let the staff enjoy the coffee, oden, and rice cakes from outside!"

Many members of the film crew were outside in the cold winter air, so we should show them some consideration.

Quan Xuanhe gave an instruction to the production assistant, who then used a megaphone to promote the film on set.

He was not only the male lead, but also the producer behind the scenes, a powerful figure in the production team.

"Han Hyo-joo's coffee truck is outside the film set supporting Hyunhyuk. Please go there if you need any, it's very cold outside~"

This sentence prompted the crew members to slowly get moving. Kim Yoo-jung, who had nothing to do, also heard this and walked over to Kwon Heon-hyuk with a smile on her face.

"As expected, oppa and Hyojoo sunbaenim are very close."

Kim Yoo-jung also learned that Han Hyo-joo would be playing the mature version of her in the film, and that he had even brought her into the cast.

It seems the rumors were true.

"She's a very close older sister to me; we've always supported each other."

Quan Xuanhe said with a smile.

Lu Yunrui, standing to the side, watched the two talk. As a newcomer, he listened to them with a smile on his face. The mindset of a newcomer is to find the right moment to interject with a few words that fit the atmosphere.

Few people are as adept at networking as Kwon Hyun-hyuk, who, as a newcomer, was able to thrive and get along so well with everyone on set.

Speaking of Han Hyo-joo, her latest movie "The Pirates 2" is not far from being released, or even imminent. I will need to attend her preview screening.

Han Hyo-joo successfully landed the role of Dark Glory, ousting Song Hye-kyo, and even the script for the male lead was handed to Kwon Heon-hyuk.

He had no choice; he had to repay Han Hyo-joo's favor and put her at ease, so he had to take on the male lead role.

He also needs to find time to meet with the famous screenwriter Kim Eun-sook, ostensibly for a role audition, but in reality, it's just a formality.

Kwon Heonhyuk did feel somewhat apologetic for taking the role that originally belonged to Lee Do-hyun, especially since Lee Do-hyun met his future girlfriend, Lim Ji-yeon, in this drama.

But at least he made up for it with the popular Melo drama "In-Company Blind Date," which somewhat evened things out. As for Lim Ji-yeon, he can introduce her to someone else later, and hopefully, they will eventually get married.

Quan Xuanhe's first day on set went smoothly, with no mistakes in any part of the filming, and the crew members were gradually getting along.

Of course, it was also inevitable that Liu Zhimin would make an everyday call after taking matters into her own hands.
"Oppa, what are you doing? I'm at SBS rehearsal today. It's another busy day."

"I have to go perform tomorrow... I'm so tired."

aespa's cover of their senior's song "Dreams Come True" marked their comeback last week, meaning they have to juggle year-end promotions and music show appearances.

I'm so busy I'm going crazy.

Therefore, making time to talk to Kwon Hyun-hyuk every day is not only a way to solidify their relationship, but also a rare way for Yoo Jimin to relax after a busy day.

"I just finished filming, and I have to get up early tomorrow morning to film again."

After returning to his suite, Kwon Hyun-hyuk sat on the hotel sofa, speaking slowly and deliberately.

"Hmm...that's good. Oppa, is there anything else?"

"No, I'm staying on set and filming."

"Great, oppa, you should be more proactive in the future, that would be even better."

"Hmm...maybe I won't have time to answer your calls in the future?"

"That's impossible, unless oppa is dead. (cleaver) (smile)"

"hehe…"

Liu Zhimin closed her eyes wearily, only Quan Xuanhe's words echoing in her ears, making her feel both at ease and relaxed, and she unconsciously murmured what was in her heart.

"I'm so tired. I can only sleep for less than five hours after I get back to the dorm, and then I have to get up and go on another schedule..."

"Please bear with it a little longer, our Jimin."

Kwon Heonhyuk's words were both a consolation and a statement of the truth. The power struggle among SM Entertainment's top executives will intensify next year, and Aespa, who is on the rise, will face a rather long hiatus, which will also disrupt their original comeback plans.

"The New Year is coming soon and there's a comeback, I really... feel like I'm about to cry."

Liu Zhimin's small face was wrinkled, like a pink dough ball. This was exactly what she had dreamed of before her debut, but after her debut, she felt completely different.

"When will oppa come to see me...?"

She spoke her mind naturally, without any hesitation, only the sentiments of a young girl.

The sense of urgency came during the Twice concert; the thought of Tzuyu's presence made her feel uneasy.

Chou Tzu-yu is a formidable opponent, so Zhao Mei-yan can step aside for now. She's already ignoring Kwon Hyun-hyuk. A woman who doesn't know what's important deserves to have her man stolen away by someone else!
"Wait a bit. I've just started filming and don't have any free time. You can only come to visit the set, or I can make time to see you when I'm back in Seoul for my schedule."

Quan Xuanhe comforted the tired girl, refraining from saying anything that might upset her.

"All right…"

Liu Zhimin's words were tinged with melancholy, clearly indicating that meeting Quan Xuanhe in the short term would not be an easy task. She was now experiencing firsthand the hardships of being a celebrity.

How can she launch an attack from now on? Given the current situation, it's going to be very difficult for her to make any further moves…

Liu Zhimin felt a little depressed, and this depression reached its peak when Huang Xuanchen came to bother him again.

This guy seems like a thug, he's just relentless, it's incredibly annoying and frustrating.

Looking at the words that were full of sweet confidence yet seemed obsequious, Liu Zhimin's eyes flashed with disgust.

"Please stop bothering me. My schedule is really tiring, and I've been so busy lately. I don't have any time!"

"Please focus on yourself first!"

They're not even as famous as her yet, why are they constantly harassing her...?

Simply speechless.

(End of this chapter)