The number one playboy on the Peninsula!

Chapter 270 The Mingjing Nan Family

"Senior, is it okay if I don't attend the opening ceremony?"

The next day, the Las Vegas-Tokyo flight landed... Gong Cheng lay wearily on the hotel bed, smiling as he asked Bong Joon-ho on the other end of the video call. The background noise sounded chaotic; the crew was bustling about...

Bong Joon-ho called out twice through the megaphone, then turned around, waving his cigarette-holding hand, "It's alright, you go ahead with your work, just come back and join the crew. We'll shoot the other people's scenes first, and some simple location scouting."

"Has Dahyun been causing you any trouble lately?" Gong Cheng took a sip of water and asked with concern. He figured even if he asked Lieutenant Kim directly, "How have you been lately? Has anyone been bullying you on set...?"

She would shake her head and say it was fine.

She's not the type to cause trouble for others...

Hearing this, Feng Junhao smiled and said, "What trouble could she possibly cause? The girl is a very nice person, hardworking, diligent, and perceptive. She keeps Su Dan and Ru Zhen happy..."

"Understood. I'll treat you guys to drinks when we get back to Seoul, senior."

"Get lost! Come back and get on set first..." Bong Joon-ho said with a laugh.

Gong Cheng chuckled, then suddenly remembered a funny little incident. "By the way, senior brother, what was on the altar at the opening ceremony? It wasn't an iPad again, was it? Haha!" As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Feng Junhao in the video, and his face visibly turned embarrassed…

The opening ceremony for film crews on the Korean Peninsula is similar to that in mainland China. Offerings include a pig's head, fruit, snacks, and wine, as well as paper and pens for writing messages and envelopes for placing those messages. Some crews may also prepare traditional peninsular ritual items, such as rice cakes…

Offerings involve placing prepared items such as a pig's head and fruit on an offering table. The pig's head is usually placed in a prominent position, and money may be placed on it as a prayer for the film's box office success. All the main cast and guests face the offering table, offer wine to the gods and spirits, and kneel in deep reverence to show their piety and pray for smooth filming and the film's success…

It's quite feudal and superstitious, but overall it follows the basic principles of praying to the gods for blessings, uniting the team, and promoting the film project.

A few years ago, when this senior was filming "Snowpiercer," the cast was full of big names, including Chris Evans as Captain America, John Hurt, Tilda Swinton, Song Kang-ho...

But somehow, this guy didn't get the pig's head from the altar, so he got an iPad with a picture of a pig's head on it instead...

Electronic pig head...

Adding to the fact that the opening ceremony required a deep bow to the gods, several foreigners looked at each other blankly and then knelt down, gesturing towards the pig's head on the iPad. When the video circulated, Gong Cheng thought that the "Captain America" ​​actors were probably completely bewildered when they knelt down...

……

The entire prefecture is a comprehensive film shooting location.

After being mocked by Gong Cheng for a while, Bong Joon-ho hung up the phone. He led the main cast and crew to the altar and held the opening ceremony in front of the media.

Aside from some filming locations in Mapo-gu and Dongjak-gu in Seoul, the majority of the scenes for "Parasite" were filmed in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, and at the Jeonju Film Complex located right here.

"..."

In the afternoon, an explanation of the opening ceremony was given.

On the set of "Parasite," Kim Da-hyun sat under a makeshift awning, script in hand, pondering her character. Bong Joon-ho and Song Kang-ho sat to the side, watching the crew build the set, occasionally picking up the microphone to offer suggestions for improvement, "Go and make the basement walls look a bit more aged..."

"Director-nim, Tarot sent a food truck as a support gift, and TWICE also sent a coffee truck as a support gift." A staff member approached Bong Joon-ho and said with a smile.

Bong Joon-ho nodded, put down the megaphone, and glanced at the support food truck that had just stopped not far away. On the side of the food truck were posters of the "Parasite" crew, and a banner that read "Wishing 'Parasite' a successful start to filming." It was a bit corny, but directors believe in these things.

After all, they've already worshipped the gods...

"Xiao Cheng, are you treating the whole crew to dinner? Haha..." Song Kanghao picked up his water glass, took a sip, and said with a smile.

“It’s alright, he won’t go broke. He’s one of the highest-earning celebrities in the world.” Bong Joon-ho smiled, glanced at Kim Da-hyun who was still pondering her role, and called out, “Da-hyun, your members sent a coffee support truck. Go check it out and acknowledge it. Don’t let them down.”

Having worked on film sets for so many years, I've seen plenty of mutual support among actors. The purpose is to maintain interpersonal relationships, express support and encouragement, and help with promotion. After all, support trucks have eye-catching posters and banners, which can, to some extent, promote new dramas or movies and attract the attention of the media and fans.

So, Bong Joon-ho reminded Kim Da-hyun, who was still looking at the script with her head covered, so that the young girl wouldn't be completely clueless.

"Yes, Director-nim." Kim Da-hyun snapped out of her reverie, put down her script, and glanced at the coffee support truck that had just arrived at the film set. It displayed a solo poster of Kim Da-hyun, and next to it was a prominent banner: [Beautiful Da-hyun X T Arot X Director Bong Joon-ho X Song Kang-ho X Lee Sun-kyun X ... Movie 'Parasite' Fighting!]
As one of the most popular girl groups right now, sending a coffee truck as a support gift is no big deal for them.

Kim Da-hyun was stunned. She didn't know beforehand that the members would send a coffee truck to show their support. After all, she was only playing a small role and didn't need such a grand gesture. She was a little touched, but she didn't dare to move!

I haven't told my sisters-in-law about the kissing scene yet...

Afraid of being kicked to death by the hot-tempered unnies.

Taking a deep breath, Kim Da-hyun picked up her phone and had her manager take a few photos for verification. Then, she grabbed a cup of coffee, sat down, and muttered in the group chat, "Why didn't the unnies tell me...?"

"I wasn't prepared at all..."

Thank you everyone (I'm touched)

Since you're not going to say anything, then I won't either. I'll just surprise my sisters-in-law later. I think they'll understand, right?
It was just a dedication to art; the kissing scenes were merely necessary for the plot...

Don't be so petty...

In TWICE's 10-person group chat—

Lim Nayeon: "Aigoo! Dahyun, you'd better do it well! When the movie comes out next year, all the unnies will go to the theater to cheer you on!"

Yoo Jeongyeon: "Yes, that's very well said, Nayeon... We have money now, we can book the whole venue next year..."

Sana Minatozaki: "Dahyun, good luck! Give me a surprise! Let us be amazed by your acting skills, the future Blue Dragon Film Award winner~"

……

"..." Surprised?

Kim Da-hyun's fair face twitched, her expression quite unnatural. What Blue Dragon Film Award? Even Yoona, after all her years of hard work, hadn't achieved that. How could she possibly? Then, she remembered something and tagged the still-lurking [time bomb], "Oppa, I wanted to ask if having a support truck would be too conspicuous? After all, I'm not a main character..."

"I see that Senior Kang Hao and Senior Su Dan haven't received their support vehicles yet..."

[Time Bomb]: "What's so flashy about it? The food truck I delivered was for the whole crew, wasn't it? Don't worry..."

"You'll see about their support in a couple of days. Their friends and family are coming to the set to visit and check in. This not only helps them establish their image as having a very close relationship with Bo, but also allows them to ride the wave of popularity of 'Parasite.' Compared to them, you're all just honest kids, so there's no need to overthink it."

"Besides, the staff have all drunk your coffee, so they'll take good care of you. They're obligated to help you out..."

After reading through several messages, Kim Da-hyun felt a little more at ease. She was afraid of overshadowing the senior actors in the crew, after all, she was new to acting, and so many veteran Chungmuro ​​actors hadn't even made a name for themselves yet, and she was already...

It doesn't seem like a good idea no matter how you look at it.

[Time Bomb]: "Knowing you're meticulous, that's why I had the members secretly send you the support truck. If you don't believe me, just wait until filming officially starts tomorrow, and you'll see. Kang Hao's friends are all coming over for a trip..."

Lim Nayeon, not quite understanding, asked, "Won't the director be offended by those things? Aren't you afraid it will affect the filming schedule?"

[Time Bomb]: "Ani, putting aside the relationship between my senior brother and Kang Hao, any actor, as long as it doesn't affect filming, the crew wouldn't care. Even if others are riding the wave of popularity, it's still a way for the crew and the new movie to gain exposure and maintain traffic; it's mutual..."

"If you're interested, I'll be back in Seoul in a few days, and you can come visit the set. I'll just keep you trending on social media for a few days."

"There have been a lot of rumors lately, so we need to keep them down..."

"It's ridiculous. It was one thing to say that I was in a love triangle with Yoona and Taeyeon before, but now they're saying that I'm back together with Joo-hyun? Seriously... mullet roe."

Kim Da-hyun's eyelids twitched, as if she had smelled a hint of gunpowder, and sure enough...

Sana Minatozaki: "You're aware you have quite a few scandals? (smiles)"

Lim Na-yeon: "Your scandals are truly outrageous. There isn't a single girl in the entire entertainment industry who has a clean relationship with you..."

Son Chaeyoung: "Oppa, how are you feeling today?"

Chou Tzu-yu: "(May photo), the child misses you so much, brother..."

Hirai Momo: "Master, if there are any more ridiculous rumors or if anyone tries to seduce you, call me! I'll help you get rid of them!"

"..."

After a while, [Time Bomb] shamelessly complained in the group chat about how tiring the more than ten-hour flight was and that he was going to sleep. Only then did the unnies let the big handsome general go...

“…Dahyun, come and let’s try out the scene…” Park So-dam chuckled, clinked her coffee cup with hers, and sat down next to Kim Dahyun. Putting aside her relationship with Gong Cheng, she quite liked this junior; she was very good at handling things, and anyone who didn’t know better would think she was a proper white-collar worker from a large company… “Okay, unnie…”

Bong Joon-ho and Song Kang-ho, who had just gotten two servings of pork rib rice from the support food truck, smiled when they saw this. "Da-hyun, learn from So-dan. Don't hesitate to ask her if you don't understand anything..."

In the acting profession, whether you can act well or not, whether you have talent or not, you'll know once you try.

Seeing that Park So-dam had offered to act alongside Kim Da-hyun, the two became curious. They opened their lunchboxes, sat down on chairs nearby, and began to observe. Although Kim Da-hyun's role in the movie "Parasite" was small, it was still very important...

Park So-dam looked at Kim Da-hyun's scenes, thought for a moment, and pointed to one of them, "Da-hyun, shall we rehearse this scene? It's the one where you and Gong Sung, who plays Kim Ki-woo, are jealous of each other? Because the first scene where you and Kim Ki-woo meet should be easy to act out..."

"The part I'm referring to will really test your acting skills. It involves a mix of unrequited love, jealousy, and expressing your feelings, a kissing scene, and being with Kim Ki-woo. There are several levels of acting involved, and you need to work on them repeatedly."

“Yes, pretty much. Da-hyun’s character is partly defined by this scene and the super long kiss scene at the end.” As one of the screenwriters, Bong Joon-ho naturally had his own understanding and interpretation of the character. “And you have to portray Park Da-hye’s inner loneliness and her jealousy and resentment towards her younger brother being favored by their parents…”

Kim Da-hyun carefully absorbed the teachings of her two seniors, then took a deep breath to prepare herself. Her fair face began to look a little unnatural and nervous, and even her eyes darted away cautiously. "Ki-woo oppa, is Jessica, the teacher outside, your girlfriend?"

"..." Park So-dam recited Kim Ki-woo's lines and acted out the scene with Kim Da-hyun...

"..."

The performance, which lasted less than a minute, impressed Bong Joon-ho and Song Kang-ho.

Bong Joon-ho, without any regard for his image, wiped the rice grains from the corner of his mouth with his thumb and smiled with some surprise. "Aigoo, Dahyun acted well, but there are still areas that need adjustment and improvement."

This wasn't because of his junior's relationship or any kind of flattery. Just look at Kim Da-hyun's eyes just now—no other actor could pull that off. He remembered his teacher's most frequently repeated phrase: "Have acting in your eyes, have acting in your eyes!"

This unrequited love performance was truly superb! But the way he expressed his feelings later on felt a bit unnatural, perhaps because he was too nervous? After all, he's not a professional actor with much experience and not from an acting academy. But in that brief moment, he still showed a lot of talent.

"The beginning was good, but when she pulled Su Dan's wrist later, wasn't Da Hyun a little too nervous?" Veteran actor Song Kang-ho analyzed with a smile, feeling that Kim Da Hyun was quite talented. It was her first time acting, and she wasn't stage-frightened at all. Her performance had its strengths and weaknesses...

But that's okay. The worst thing about acting is having a disadvantage. What's worse is a mediocre performance. You can't say what's good or bad about it, but you can't bring out the character's arc or make a memorable impression. If you do that, you're definitely not going to become famous...

How can you become famous if the audience can't even remember the characters you play?
Compared to others, actors have both strengths and weaknesses. Weaknesses can be honed, and even if all else fails, they can rely on their strengths, such as their temperament and image. Just like some people can only act in idol dramas and can't do anything else, but it's still a way for them to make a living.

Kim Da-hyun nodded, her fair skin slightly flushed, "Yes, I was too nervous..."

"Ani, don't be nervous, you'll get used to it. Filming officially starts tomorrow. If you're not too busy with work at Twice, you can watch how the seniors perform." Bong Joon-ho smiled as he closed the lunchbox, took out a cigarette from his pack, smiled, and then turned to leave.

Park So-dam clicked her tongue in amazement as she looked at Kim Da-hyun, then chuckled and teased, "Aigoo, Da-hyun, the way you looked just now... I thought you had a crush on me, haha..."

"..." Kim Da-hyun gave a polite smile, but her heart was pounding.

Was my acting really that good?
But just now I felt so nervous that my mind went blank, and I didn't use any of the acting techniques I learned from books...

……

May 23rd...

Nissan Stadium is located at 3300 Kokicho, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Formerly known as Yokohama International Stadium, it is Japan's largest multi-purpose stadium, with a maximum capacity of over 7 people.

The 02 World Cup final was also held here...

As the stadium and concert venue with the largest capacity in all of Japan, after the last rehearsal in the afternoon, Gong Cheng came to the area near the rooftop seating area, leaned on the railing, and took out his phone to take pictures of the stadium's scenery...

The stands are arranged in a tiered pattern around the green field, with over 7 indigo blue seats arranged in a precise matrix. Along the circular aisle, food and beverage areas are located on both sides, offering everything from Japanese takoyaki to Western hot dogs...

The open-air dome is surrounded by advanced and well-equipped facilities for the concert, including 288 sets of color-changing LED light strips and hundreds of speakers.

Gong Cheng flipped the camera on the video recording, his silver-white, tousled face beaming with a smug smile in the dim sunlight, "I beat you guys to it. This place is really nice. If you ever have the chance to hold a concert here, I'll cheer you on..."

With that, he ended the recording and sent the video to TWICE's group chat. He knew that the members had always dreamed of holding their concert here, but as for whether it could be done, who could say for sure?

However, judging from TWICE's current momentum, their market in Japan is much larger than that in the Korean Peninsula...

He just wanted to show off.

Then, Gong Cheng glanced at the time: 4:21 PM. There were still a little over two hours until the Nissan concert began. The plaza outside was packed with tens of thousands of people, a truly massive scene…

As soon as he stepped off the rooftop seating area, he took a bottle of Coke from the vending machine, took a sip, and then his cell phone rang in his pocket.

Gong Cheng glanced at the caller's contact name, "[Mingi Minami's Mother]", in surprise. "So early?"
"Auntie...have you arrived yet? Okay, I'll come pick you up..."

After hanging up the phone, Gong Cheng greeted the members who were getting their makeup and hair done in the dressing room, "I'm going to pick up Mina-chan's family..." He said this simply, also to let the members know so they wouldn't say anything inappropriate...

"Meeting your parents so soon?" Wu Sehun, whose outfit was last in line, was bored at the moment. He leaned over and asked in a cheeky voice, "Can I go with you?"

"Ani, don't talk nonsense, I just couldn't get tickets..." Gong Cheng muttered speechlessly, then thought for a moment, going alone would really be like meeting his parents, "Then let's go together."

As the two walked down the corridor, Wu Sehun asked in a irritating tone, "Maknae, with so many female relatives, won't you feel pressured meeting so many parents in the future?"

“You get used to it after a while. I'm pretty resilient.” Gong Cheng chuckled, taking a sip of his cola, then glanced at his smirking expression. “What’s it to you, bro…”

"I didn't mean to learn a few tricks from you... Sigh, the girl I've been dating lately, how should I put it, I feel really uncomfortable around her," Wu Shixun said honestly, his face somewhat bitter. "I feel like I'm being a bit subservient."

"Have you finally evolved into a simp, bro?"

"Oh my god, why are you saying such awful things? Do you have any ideas?"

"..."

A dozen minutes later, Gong Cheng, with his tall figure, saw several security personnel at the back door passage. Standing outside the door were four figures of varying heights, two men and two women...

The two men were very distinctive and looked alike; they were Mina's father and brother. The short, intellectual-looking middle-aged woman with short hair was someone Miyako had seen in Seoul—Mina's mother. But he had no recollection of the other middle-aged woman beside them…

I've never heard of Mina having an older sister, but she probably doesn't. The woman looks quite old, and appears to be from the same generation as Mina's parents...

"Is that Mina's brother?" Wu Sehun looked at the burly man outside the door in shock. He looked disheveled and, although not as tall as Wu Sehun or the maknae, he looked fierce. "He looks ruthless!"

"Shut up, stop gossiping about others..."

"I was worried about you. If you bully Mina in the future, won't her brother twist your head off?"

"Sehun, remember to avenge me. I don't want to die at the hands of a man."

"Are you out of your mind? You'd make a joke like that? I can't beat him..." Wu Sehun gave him a disgraceful shove on the shoulder. As the two of them got closer to the group outside the door, he shut his mouth, a smile on his face, and fell silent...

"Auntie..." Gong Cheng called out affectionately, then glanced at the man next to him wearing a baseball cap, with a clean-shaven back of his head and a stubble of white hair around his chin, "Is this Uncle?"

This was the first time he had met Mina's father. Her father and brother had visited Mina-chan in Seoul a few times before, but their visits always coincided with his schedule.

“Shin-chan, it’s so good to see you again.” Mina’s mother, Hoshi, smiled and hugged Shin-chan. Of all the family members present, she had the most interaction with the boy in front of her. “It’s such a pity you weren’t here when I went to Seoul to see Mina in April. Nayeon’s mother has been talking about you too…”

Although the boy in front of us is a boy and not a member of TWICE, it's hard to imagine that he was so well-liked by the children at a dinner party with TWICE members and their parents! Coupled with his background, he's truly endearing and heartbreaking…

"Auntie, you look great. It's good that you're healthy." Gong Cheng released the hug and smiled brightly.

Mina's mother's smile froze for a moment, then she patted Makoto on the back earnestly, "Yes, as long as you're healthy!" She then changed the subject, introducing the people beside her, "Makoto, this is Mina's older brother..."

After her father and brother introduced everyone, Mina's mother finally pointed to a middle-aged woman with long hair standing to the side. The woman was dressed casually but seemed very capable. "This is Mina's aunt, and she's a fan of yours..."

"Hello, Auntie..." Gong Cheng smiled but didn't say anything.

Mina and her family were all here. They were exchanging pleasantries as they walked towards the lounge. Actually, he had met almost all of the TWICE members' parents. To be fair, the members' families were all well-off.

Take the Minami family as an example. They are from Nishinomiya, Hyogo Prefecture, which has two wealthy neighborhoods: Nishinomiya City and Takarazuka City. The grandfather is the vice president of a major paint company, and the father is both a doctor at Osaka University Hospital and an adjunct professor at Osaka University. In Japan, such families are considered very prestigious, and major companies and foreign corporations prefer to hire employees from these backgrounds.

When looking for a job in Japan, the bigger the company, the more likely they are to ask you to fill out your educational background starting from elementary school, in order to judge your family background and social environment...

Standing to the side, Minami, affectionately known as "Auntie," subtly inquired after observing the situation, "..."

(End of this chapter)