Peninsula: I'm the Top Streamer

Chapter 602 There are still people outside (6k)

In a quiet café in Gangnam, Seoul, Kwon Heon-hyuk and Kim Eun-sook's conversation was drawing to a close.

Kim Eun-sook flipped through the script of her new drama, her eyes revealing her appreciation for Kwon Hyun-hyuk's professional insights.

“Xuanhexi’s understanding of the character has indeed exceeded expectations.” She closed the folder, her expression solemn.

"In this script about business revenge, the male lead needs to have both a cold exterior and a vulnerable side. Xuanhe's ideas are very much in line with my own."

In reality, Kim Eun-sook had never even met him; she had only observed Kwon Seon-hyuk's acting on screen, and while his acting was indeed quite good,
Under these circumstances, she was pressured by investors, Netflix, and even the actors to finalize the male lead casting, which she was indeed reluctant to do.

But after meeting and communicating, she found it was alright. Some of Quan Xuanhe's ideas cleverly hit what she was thinking, and she even felt that these were her own thoughts all along.

Is he really that insightful?

Even Kim Eun-sook, who has worked with many big-name actors, couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk leaned forward slightly, showing his sincerity: "It is my honor to be able to participate in screenwriter Kim's work."

Kim Eun-sook nodded, finally giving a key statement: "The production team is ready. If the schedule allows, just wait for Hyunhyuk to prepare for the filming."

She had also heard that Quan Xuanhe was busy filming recently and had several projects on his plate, but if he really participated, he definitely couldn't delay the filming of "Dark Glory".

Kwon Hyun-hyuk calmly replied, "As for the schedule." He remembered Park Jung-jung's concurrent project, "Breaking the Tomb," and responded decisively.

"My team will prioritize coordinating your shooting schedule to ensure you are fully committed."

The second installment of the Tomb Raider series was released in early 2014. Although it was supposed to be filmed this year, what difference does it make if it's delayed? Plans can never keep up with changes.

The two clinked glasses with coffee instead of wine, and Kim Eun-sook smiled and said, "Well then, it's a pleasure working together."

Meanwhile, Twice's flight landed at Incheon Airport.

The VIP passage at Incheon International Airport was already surrounded by layers upon layers of ONCEs.

The enthusiastic cheers and the constant flashing of camera shutters reached their peak with the appearance of the nine members of Twice.

Despite their exhaustion, the members maintained professional smiles and waved. Surrounded by security and assistants, they moved quickly, casually accepting letters slipped to them by some fan. They had walked this stretch of airport road countless times.

The authentic offline experience has completely returned.

In the past two years, there haven't been many opportunities to see fans greeting you at the airport in person.

It feels like a revival!

Tzuyu walked towards the back of the group, her eyes slightly lowered, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyes. The sound of fans shouting her name could not completely dispel the anticipation in her heart.

After finally squeezing into the spacious van, the noise was mostly shut out the moment the door closed.

The car's air conditioning gently blew warm air, and the girls' tense bodies visibly relaxed.

Some people rubbed their sore shoulders, while others leaned back in their seats and closed their eyes to rest.

"Ah... I'm finally back..." Park Jihyo breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed her neck.

She glanced at Chou Tzu-yu, who was sitting quietly by the window, and then turned to look at Minatozaki Sana, who was neatly taking off her heavy coat.

Sana Minatozaki still had her usual sweet smile on her face, but her eyes flickered slightly, as if she was thinking about something.

"What's the plan for tonight? Anyone else want to go?" Park Jihyo then broke the brief silence, her tone filled with the excitement of her return.

"I'm exhausted, but I feel like I should have something to drink to celebrate this safe landing!"

I spent a whole month in the United States, but coming back still feels familiar. No matter how delicious the food abroad is, it's still more comfortable to eat the Korean food I'm used to.

As soon as she spoke, members echoed her words.

“I wholeheartedly agree with this suggestion!” Park Jihyo echoed with a smile. “I feel so stiff, a little rice wine is just what I need to relax.”

“That’s right, that’s right,” Hirai Momo’s eyes lit up, clearly enthusiastic about any kind of gathering. “I know a nice new pub with private rooms that just opened in Cheongdam-dong. It’s very private!”

At this moment, Sana Minatozaki, who had been lost in thought, adjusted her posture, her voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible probing.

His gaze drifted seemingly unintentionally toward Tzuyu: "A get-together is good... Should we ask Kwon Heonhyuk if he's free? Isn't he in Seoul today too? It's more lively with more people."

Suddenly being called out a sensitive name, Chou Tzu-yu subconsciously looked up and listened carefully to the conversation, her fingers unconsciously twisting the tassels of her scarf.

She didn't respond immediately, but her subtle tension and hidden expectation were noticed by Lim Nayeon next to her.

Nayeon understood why Tzuyu was reacting, but she couldn't do anything about it, so she simply kept quiet.

Park Jihyo immediately took out her phone and replied with a smile, "I'll contact him! Manager unnie?"

She looked at her manager, who was dozing in the front seat, for advice. The manager nodded groggily. He usually wouldn't strongly object to such behavior that enhanced an artist's social network, especially since the other party was the hot Kwon Heonhyuk.

It's already 2022, why bother with so much?

Park Ji-hyo's fingers tapped rapidly on the screen.

Not long after, she waved her phone and announced to the whole car with a bright smile: "It's all settled! Kwon Heonhyuk said he was a bit tired after finishing discussing the script this afternoon, but he didn't dare not come when Twice called. He asked us to book a place and send him the address."

A burst of laughter erupted in the carriage.

Chou Tzu-yu silently turned her head and looked out the window at the Seoul night view rushing by. The lights of the towering office buildings twinkled like scattered stardust.

She gave a soft "hmm," looking forward to tonight.

As the van drove towards the dormitory, Jin Dongtian recalled the sound of Liu Zhimin angrily hanging up the phone earlier, and quickly switched the screen on his phone.
The agent's chat window was still on the work report interface, so he put that aside for now and opened the chat box with Quan Xuanhe.

"Oppa, are you free to come to Liangshan recently?" Kim Dong-won typed out the sentence with trembling fingertips, and then added a carefully crafted reason.

"If you're on holiday, you can come visit me. Do you like the mountain city rice wine?"

Before sending it, she deliberately deleted the playful emoji at the end, leaving only a seemingly polite invitation.

Although Kim Dong-won is from Busan, to be precise, she is from Yangsan City, which is located in Busan, but she tells the public that she is from Busan.

Just like how people from any of the three northeastern provinces all refer to themselves as Northeasterners when they go out into the world.

At this moment, Kwon Hyun-hyuk had just finished a script meeting with Kim Eun-sook and was flipping through the script of "Dark Glory," making notes and drawing pictures, and writing down Kim Eun-sook's thoughts.

He picked up his phone and glimpsed several messages from Jin Dongtian, raising an eyebrow slightly.

Golden Winter?
This is a bit sudden.

"The rice wine is so tempting! But we're currently coordinating schedules. Have you finalized your vacation dates yet?"

His fingertips hovered over the keyboard for a moment.

The invitation came abruptly—especially after he had just dealt with Yoo Ji-min's anger and then accepted Twice's invitation to dinner.

Golden winters always seem to appear at these delicate moments.

The moment the message is successfully sent, the top of the dialog box immediately displays "The other party is typing."

"We've finished filming the music video, and now all we have to do is wait for the school anniversary celebration. We have plenty of time off!"

"Oh, I see. Why don't you ask Zhimin? We can go together if you have time."

After the message was sent, there was no new content for half a minute.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk could almost picture Kim Dong-won in the SM dorm, clutching his phone and frowning as he pondered something.

In the end, I only received a restrained response: "Yes, I'm waiting for oppa."

Seeing this, Quan Xuanhe put away his phone and fell into deep thought.

Jin Dongtian's little scheme.
Did she do this to spite Liu Zhimin?
Or is there something about me that attracted her?

He was now a little confused.

But let’s not worry about that for now.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk shook his head. "Let's go to the market." He said this to the driver, and then received the address from Park Ji-hyo. The dinner party tonight was at her house.

However, Park Ji-hyo is always enthusiastic about things like drinking and dining out.

The car door closed gently downstairs at the apartment building where Park Ji-hyo lived.

Quan Xuanhe got out of the van carrying two bulging plastic bags. Inside were soju, beer, and some snacks and desserts that he had picked out at the market.

The March night in Seoul was still chilly. He pulled his coat collar up slightly and stepped into the apartment building.

After ringing the doorbell, Park Ji-hyo quickly opened the door, and warm light and lively laughter poured out from inside.

She was dressed in comfortable home clothes, a smile on her face: "You're finally here! Come in! Wow, you bought so much stuff?"

She quickly stepped aside to let Quan Xuanhe into the house and saw the bag he was carrying. Naturally, she reached out to take the bag from him.

"Well, it's not really appropriate to show up empty-handed. I just bought some things on the way," Quan Xuanhe said, handing her the bag.

While he was changing his shoes, his gaze swept across the living room.

The members of Twice were scattered on the sofa and carpet, dressed in comfortable and loose clothing. They looked tired after a long flight, but more than that, they were relaxed and happy to be together.

It's clearly not nine people; there must be a few missing, and a few boys too.

Tzuyu was walking out of the kitchen with a glass of water when she saw Kwon Heonhyuk. Her eyes lit up and she greeted him with a smile, "Oppa."

When he came in, the boy in the living room stood up and greeted him.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk looked somewhat familiar.

"Hello, I am Boo Seung-kwan."

It was Seungkwan from SEVENTEEN, someone he knew. Kwon Heonhyuk shook hands with him and briefly introduced himself.

"I'm Quan Xuanhe."

"Ah, of course I know, I see that face on TV every day."

Boo Seung-kwan has a talent for being both humble and funny, and he says funny things with a cautious expression.

Quan Xuanhe turned his head and saw someone he recognized. He took the initiative to greet him. "Hello."

Kim Se-jeong smiled and nodded, greeting him politely.

"Oh my, you even brought food!" Lim Nayeon was the first to stand up and rummage through the bag next to Park Jihyo. "It's also alcohol! And beef, not bad!"

"You're so thoughtful after a long day." Mina said with a smile, her gentle and serene temperament evident.

Sana Minatozaki sat on a single sofa, looking at him with a slightly inquisitive yet friendly gaze: "I heard you just finished talking with writer Kim Eun-sook about 'Dark Glory' this afternoon? Did it go well? Should we congratulate you in advance on the start of filming for your new drama?"

This immediately piqued the interest of the other members, who began to ask questions out of curiosity.

"Yeah, it went pretty smoothly." Quan Xuanhe walked to the empty seat next to the sofa and sat down, casually unbuttoning his coat, looking somewhat lazy.

"The specific details still need to be coordinated by the team; these things have already been agreed upon."

His gaze briefly met that of Chou Tzu-yu, who was looking in his direction. Their eyes met briefly and then looked away, but they both seemed to see a tacit understanding of ease and warmth in each other's eyes.

"Great! Congratulations on your success again!" Park Jihyo placed some of the food on the low table in the living room and then took out cups and bowls from the kitchen.

"Then you should really relax tonight. You've come at just the right time. We've been waiting for you."

People started pouring drinks and sharing food, and the atmosphere gradually became lively. The fatigue was slowly dispelled by the alcohol and the relaxed atmosphere.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk leaned back on the sofa, listening to everyone chatter about their experiences in America and the fans' reactions, occasionally responding to questions as needed.

During a break in their conversation, Chou Tzu-yu moved to sit on the carpet next to Kwon Heon-hyuk.

She hesitated for a moment, then asked softly, "You've finished filming, are you alright now?" Her tone was filled with genuine concern and a touch of curiosity, and her eyes shone brightly under the lamplight.

"Yes, but it's only a few days off. I'm still filming another movie." Kwon Hyun-hyuk picked up his beer, took a sip, and added.

The two unintentionally grew closer through their hushed conversation. This seemingly natural interaction was clearly observed by several people with different motives.

Sitting opposite, Park Jihyo took a sip of her drink, her eyes quickly sweeping between the two of them with a knowing look and a faint smile, but she said nothing.

Sana Minatozaki's cheerful voice paused, her delicate eyebrows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and her gaze was fixed on the two people who were talking close by.

But she hid her reaction very well, so that no one noticed.

Kim Se-jeong was still smiling, but she keenly sensed a subtle change in the atmosphere on this side of the table. Her gaze drifted toward the two people talking in hushed tones, a hint of curiosity and the interest of an outsider to observe flashed through her mind.

Chou Tzu-yu seemed completely absorbed in her conversation with Kwon Hyun-hyuk, oblivious to the ripples her approach had stirred in the hearts of others.

She continued to look at Kwon So-hyuk with those bright eyes, sharing her feelings in a low voice, while Kwon So-hyuk remained attentive, occasionally responding, as if the two were in a small, temporarily closed bubble of conversation, with the surrounding noise becoming background noise.

"I was thinking, we don't have any plans for the next few days, so if we have some free time..."

Tzuyu's voice was as light as a feather, and only Kwon Heonhyuk could clearly hear it amidst the clinking of glasses and laughter.

Her knees almost touched his calves, and when she looked up at him, her eyes shone with undisguised anticipation.

That subtle sense of intimacy, amplified by alcohol and the relaxed atmosphere of returning home, felt exceptionally intense and direct.

That's what Chou Tzu-yu said, and the meaning behind it is self-evident; those who understand, understand.

She was very proactive.

At this moment, Quan Xuanhe was thinking about how he should navigate among these women.

As soon as I heard that he had finished filming, I felt like a shark surging up, wanting to smell blood.

Could you please issue the signs one by one in turn, without rushing to be first?

Chou Tzu-yu sat beside him, hugging her knees, her eyes filled with hope, her body subtly close to his.

With such a blatant and affectionate look, who could ignore her? It was as if Quan Xuanhe was the only one in the world in her eyes.

"Tzuyu, can you come and help me?" Park Jihyo casually poked her head out from the kitchen, holding a bottle of red wine, struggling to open it with a bottle opener.

"The strong ones, come and help me open this!" Her eyes swept over the two people who were standing very close together, her smile carrying a hint of knowing mischief.

"I come."

Kwon Seonhyuk stood up, stepped over Chou Tzu-yu, and walked towards the kitchen.

She glanced quickly at Kwon Hyun-hyuk, then got up and went over as well, "Ah, yes, unnie."

In the living room, Boo Seungkwan and Kim Sejeong were telling a joke from a variety show, Lim Nayeon and Momo were arguing about which American potato chips were better, and Mina was quietly eating the snacks that Kwon Heonhyuk had brought. The background noise was still loud.

Sana Minatozaki watched the two figures disappear into the bedroom and out of her sight, her eyes narrowing slightly as she felt a little uneasy.

"Come quickly and help me take a look."

Park Jihyo was holding a bottle of red wine, which Kwon Heonhyuk took from her. "Let me see."

She glanced at Kwon Hyun-hyuk, then at Chou Tzu-yu who was standing quietly beside her, and with a cunning mind, she pretended that someone outside was calling her.

"Ah, here I come!"

As Park Jihyo said this, she winked at Chou Tzu-yu, and then walked out with a knowing smile.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk looked down at the bottle, while using the bottle opener in his other hand to spin it, appearing quite focused.

With her back to the center of the noise, Chou Tzu-yu leaned down slightly, as if she were watching his movements intently.

A few strands of her long hair slipped onto his arm, causing a slightly itchy sensation.

Then, she did something extremely bold, yet clearly clumsy.

She turned her head abruptly, quickly and with a clear target in mind.

Soft, warm lips, carrying a slightly moist, sweet scent of rice wine, unexpectedly and accurately pressed against the corner of Quan Xuanhe's lips.

A stolen kiss, light as a touch of water, yet burning hot. So fast it felt like an illusion, hardly even a complete kiss.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk froze completely, every muscle in his body tensing up instantly, and he even forgot to put down the cup in his hand.

He could clearly feel the warmth and softness of that instant contact, and... her slightly rapid breaths brushing against his cheek.

Chou Tzu-yu stepped back a little, but they were still close enough to feel each other's body heat.

She didn't even look into Quan Xuanhe's eyes; her long eyelashes trembled rapidly, like the wings of a startled butterfly. Her cheeks were flushed, even her small earlobes were tinged with pink, whether from alcohol or something else, it was hard to tell.

At this moment, she was completely devoid of the serene and composed demeanor she usually displayed in front of the camera. She awkwardly tried to continue "seducing" him, or rather, she was mustering up the courage to get closer, but didn't know what to do next.

Chou Tzu-yu bit her lower lip slightly, her eyes darting around, exuding immense shyness and a reckless, almost naive, seductive air. She leaned forward slightly again, her nose almost touching his chin.

The tip of her nose almost touched his jawline, and her rapid, warm breath, carrying the scent of alcohol, sprayed onto the side of his neck, sending a slight shiver down his spine.

Have you been thinking about me lately?

The gesture of approaching and the expectant expression are themselves the most direct invitation and test.

Her courage and naivety at that moment created a strange and irresistible allure.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk could smell the faint scent of shampoo in her hair and the sweet aroma of alcohol in her breath.

Chou Tzu-yu didn't even give him a chance to react.

Chou Tzu-yu launched an even bolder attack.

Her body suddenly leaned forward, no longer a fleeting touch, but a real crash into his arms.

With a slightly flustered yet unusually firm strength, her arms wrapped around his waist and back, holding him tightly.

Kwon Hyun-hyuk could even clearly feel her heart pounding wildly against him, as if it wanted to break free and leap out.

Immediately afterward, before he could fully react to the close contact brought about by the hug, Chou Tzu-yu tilted her head back and bravely pressed her lips firmly against his again.

This time, it wasn't a light tap like before.

It was a burning kiss.

Chou Tzu-yu's lips, moist and sweet with the scent of alcohol, pressed against his lips with a slight pressure.

Only intimate, ambiguous sounds remained in the kitchen, along with the increasingly rapid, almost synchronized beating of hearts.

Tzuyu was completely engrossed, but Kwon Hyunhyuk remained somewhat conscious. He realized there were other people outside who might burst in at any moment and see them kissing passionately in the kitchen.

It's a bit dangerous.

It might be a bit exciting, but we should still stay away from people safely. Did a trip to the US make you so enthusiastic and unrestrained?

"Is it okay?"

The distant shouts from Park Jihyo prompted Kwon Heonhyuk to subdue Chou Tzu-yu, giving her a meaningful look.

There are still people outside.

Chou Tzu-yu has indeed gone a bit too far when she gets bold. She's reckless and barbaric, and she even dares to secretly engage in ambiguous relationships with people outside the marriage. What's next?

No longer carrying people on your back?

This was not part of Quan Xuanhe's plan. One look from him calmed Zhou Ziyu down considerably. Although her breathing was still a little unsteady, at least she obediently listened to him.

"Let's go, there are still people outside."

Quan Xuanhe gently stroked her waist, gave her a word of advice, and noticed her extremely volatile state of mind.

Chou Tzu-yu simply lowered her head slightly and responded softly. After hearing the sounds coming from outside, she calmed down and realized that she couldn't act impulsively anymore and needed to calm down.

She nodded slightly, then, with her ears turning red and her eyes looking slightly dazed, she lowered her head and quickly walked out.

Watching Zhou Ziyu walk away, Quan Xuanhe picked up the bottle of wine in his hand and suddenly felt that tonight was going to be an unsettling night.

Tonight's party has suddenly become a bit... hot potato.

(End of this chapter)