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

Chapter 72 Poker Kiss

Chapter 72 Poker Kiss (4K)

Zheng Xiuyan held the ace card and glanced back and forth between Jiang Zaixun and Zheng Xiujing:

"Change the punishment."

Kim Hyoyeon immediately protested:
"How can there be a change of punishment in the King's Game?"

Jessica Jung turned her gaze to Kang Jae-hoon, her eyes so sharp that they seemed to be able to scrape off a layer of his skin.

Jiang Zaixun felt a chill on the back of his neck and raised his hands silently:

"How about...I just drink three cups?"

"no!"

Kim Heechul immediately slammed the table:
"The cards have already been drawn, how can there be any reason to regret it?"

After that, he took out a playing card and handed it over:
"Come on, come on."

Krystal took the card and gently placed it on her lips.

Her eyes were wet and her eyelashes trembled nervously.

Jiang Zaixun took a deep breath, leaned closer, and carefully pressed his lips against the other end of the playing card.

——Too close.

Even through the playing cards, he could clearly feel the warm breath from the other end, with a faint sweetness of strawberry cake.

The moment Kang Jae-hoon came close to her, Krystal's eyelashes trembled even more.

"Walk around! Walk around!"

Kim Ji-won raised her phone to cheer, but under Jessica Jung's death stare, her voice gradually faded:

“…Just record it.”

"hurry up!"

Kim Heechul and Kim Hyoyeon were so excited that they banged the table and started to make trouble.

The two of them responded vaguely and began to move slowly.

Jiang Zaixun put his hands behind his back and stepped back cautiously. Zheng Xiujing followed closely, her cheeks as red as the strawberry cake on the table.

step.

Two steps.

Step 3——

"Snapped."

The playing cards fell.

Their lips touched each other without any obstruction.

Krystal Jung suddenly opened her eyes wide and Kang Jae-hoon's breathing stopped instantly.

The texture is softer than expected, with a hint of cream and soju sweetness.

The box was in an uproar.

"Wow!!!"

"Is this a foul?"

"..."

Zheng Xiujing suddenly came to her senses, covered her mouth and took a big step back, her voice trembling:
"I-I'm going to the bathroom!"

After saying that, he rushed out of the box without looking back.

"boom--"

The sound of the box door closing and the sound of a wine bottle hitting the table rang out simultaneously.

Jessica Jung stared at Jiang Jaehoon coldly:
"You deliberately?"

"No! Really not! Senior, I..."

Jiang Zaixun waved his hands in panic.

"drink wine."

Jessica Jung interrupted him without hesitation: "If you don't fulfill the king's request, you will be fined three cups."

The original punishment was one cup.

But at this moment, no one dared to refute Zheng Xiuyan who had a frosty face.

Jiang Zaixun resigned himself to pouring three glasses of soju and drank them all under her sharp gaze.

The liquid felt slightly spicy as it passed through my throat.

But it was nowhere near as scorching as the unexpected kiss just now.

"Humph."

After seeing Kang Jae-hoon drink three cups in a row, Jessica Jung stood up with a cold face.

"game over."

After saying this, she pushed the door open and went out to find her sister without looking back.

The box was silent for two seconds.

"Come on, come on, order some songs!"

Kim Heechul grabbed the microphone and walked towards the song request booth:
"Hyoyeon, can you sing 'Thrift Shop'?"

"Of course!"

The moment the music prelude sounded, the atmosphere became lively again.

Everyone swayed their heads to the rhythm.

Kim Hyoyeon jumped to the front and started dancing.

Jiang Zaixun's eyes were fixed on her dance, but his thoughts drifted back to the moment when their lips touched.

"Teacher Jiang."

Jin Zhiyuan had somehow moved next to him, her eyes shining suspiciously. She glanced around, making sure no one was paying attention, then lowered her voice and said,
"how do you feel?"

"How about what?"

"Play dumb!"

She took out her cell phone stealthily——

On the screen was the complete video of the "Poker Kiss".

Jiang Jae-hoon: “…”

“How can I delete this video?”

"That's impossible."

Jin Zhiyuan locked the screen with a smile: "This is precious information."

Jiang Zaixun was silent for two seconds, took out his mobile phone, and opened the album——

In the video, Kim Ji-won is holding her cheeks to puff up her cheeks and trying to hold back her laughter. Kim Hyo-yeon is reciting shameful lines with a look of despair on her face:
"Ji Won isn't pretending to be pretty, she's just naturally pretty~ huh~"

Kim Ji-won: “.”

"Delete each other."

"make a deal."

The two deleted the video in front of each other.

Kim Ji-won stood up to get a drink.

The moment she turned around, she quickly clicked on the [Recently Deleted] button on her phone and restored the video.

——Are you kidding? How can such precious material be deleted?
Jiang Zaixun watched her back as she walked away, silently clicked on his [Recently Deleted], and restored Jin Zhiyuan's shameful video.

——Are you kidding? How can we not keep this kind of evidence?
At the other end of the box, Kim Heechul and Kim Hyoyeon were already singing with great enthusiasm.

The close and passionate dance moves caused everyone to scream frequently.

at this time.

The door was pushed open, and Jessica Jung pulled Krystal Jung back into the house.

Her sister pushed her to sit in the seat farthest away from Jiang Jae-hoon.

The song just came to an end.

"Who's singing next?"

Kim Heechul asked while holding up the microphone.

No one answered.

Jessica Jung suddenly reached out: "Give it to me."

Kim Heechul raised an eyebrow, but still handed over the microphone.

The prelude sounded——

It's Adele's "Rolling in the Deep."

The light poured down from above Jessica Jung's head as she stood in front of the screen.

The first sentence I opened -

"There's a fire starting in my heart——"

Her voice is like a diamond polished by sandpaper, deep and bright.

Jiang Jae-hoon was stunned for a moment.

He had heard Girls' Generation's songs, but this was his first time hearing Jessica Jung's solo performance.

"We could have had it all—"

She didn't even try to show off her skills in the high notes, she just tilted her head slightly and let the sound rise naturally.

At this moment, the "idol" packaging feeling on her completely disappeared.

All that remains is pure, almost offensive charm.

Zheng Xiujing huddled in the corner, her eyes looking across the crowd and landing on Jiang Zaixun——

He was staring at his sister with an expression of concentration that was almost pious.

(…Prabhu.)
The phone suddenly vibrated in my palm.

[Kang Jae-hoon]: Your sister sings... so well.

Krystal stared at the phone screen and the corners of her mouth twitched.

(Is this the time to praise my sister?!)

Jiang Zaixun looked down and found that his phone screen had lit up.

[Krystal Jung]: Don’t tell anyone.

He looked up and saw Krystal pretending to listen to her sister singing attentively, but her fingers were tightly gripping her phone.

Jiang Jae-hoon types: What did you say?
send.

Krystal's phone vibrated. She glanced at it quickly and her ears turned even redder.

[Krystal Jung]: ...You know.

Jiang Zaixun stared at the message, and the soft touch on his lips suddenly revived.

He subconsciously touched his lips.

(What should I say?)

(Apologize? That's weird.)
(Pretend it didn't happen? Even weirder.)
(...)
Jessica Jung's singing voice echoed in the box, and the high notes made the glass tremble slightly.

Zheng Xiujing huddled in the corner, and caught a glimpse of Jiang Zaixun touching her lips.

Memories come flooding back uncontrollably.

Playing cards fall.

Warm touch.

The sweetness of shochu.

And his breathing suddenly stopped.

Her cheeks suddenly felt hot, and she quickly grabbed the iced drink cup and put it to her face to cool down.

"Om-"

[Kang Jae-hoon]: Yeah

【Kang Jae-hoon】Happy birthday
Krystal stared at the screen, her fingers hovering over the keyboard for a long time.

(What?)

(“Thank you”? Too polite.)
(“Just pretend what just happened never happened”? That’s too deliberate.)
(……never mind.)
In the end, I just replied with an emoticon of a nodding rabbit.

Locking the screen, she shoved her phone into her jeans pocket.

Jessica Jung's singing just ended.

The room erupted in applause.

Kim Heechul grabbed the microphone and looked around with a smile:
"Next song—"

His eyes moved back and forth between Jiang Zaixun and Zheng Xiujing, and suddenly he grinned:
“How about a live version of ‘Gravity’?”

"Wow! This is good!"

Kim Hyoyeon immediately clapped her hands in agreement.

Jessica Jung: “……?”

She slowly turned her head and looked at the two people she had called to "support the scene" -

Who are you guys here to help?! What Jessica didn't know was...

Kim Heechul made a guest appearance in the fourth episode of "The Heirs" and witnessed the chemistry between Kang Jae-hoon and Krystal Jung on the set.

——Especially the part with the doll veil, he hid behind the monitor and smiled like an aunt the whole time.

Kim Hyoyeon is a member of Girls' Generation who is ranked in the bottom three in terms of popularity.

I usually pick my feet at home until they are almost covered with mushrooms, but after hearing what Kim Heechul said, I immediately fell in love with it.

——It’s so interesting to watch my sister grow up.

Kim Heechul pretended not to see her death stare and stuffed the microphone directly into Kang Jae-hoon's hand.

Kang Jae-hoon held the microphone and looked at Krystal Jung at a loss.

(…Sing?)

(After what happened just now, wouldn’t it be even more awkward to sing a love song now?)

"Come on, come on! Soo-jung is coming too!"

Before Krystal could react, Kim Hyoyeon stuffed another microphone into her hand.

"I……"

Kim Hyoyeon started to cheer:

"Don't be shy! Don't you sing every day on the set?"

Krystal Jung: “…”

(Singing a ghost every day.)
(It was only recorded once.)
The light prelude flows out slowly.

Jiang Zaixun subconsciously sang the first line:
"It's a bit far from you, and my view is blocked."

"I had to stand on tiptoe and pretend to be closer—"

The drunken voice has a bit more bitterness from the soju than the studio version, but it surprisingly fits the anxiety of secret love in the lyrics.

Krystal's fingers tightened around the microphone.

When it was her turn, her voice was three degrees softer than usual.

"If I can't learn to act, I can only make faces"

"Be careful to test how you behave—"

When she sang "Ghost Face", she subconsciously wrinkled her nose at Jiang Zaixun, just like in the recording studio.

Then he suddenly seemed to remember something and quickly turned his face away.

The MV of "Gravity" began to play on the central screen——

Since the song was released less than 48 hours ago, the official did not have time to edit the scenes from the drama, so the MV directly used the studio recording version.

Jiang Zaixun frowned as he looked down at the lyrics book.

Krystal bit her lower lip when she peeked at him.

In the chorus, the two people look at each other through the glass window and then look away at the same time.

——All were honestly recorded by the camera.

"Wow~"

Kim Heechul and Kim Hyoyeon were cheering crazily on the side, more dedicated than the fans themselves.

Jessica Jung crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the MV on the screen with cold eyes.

The voices of Jiang Zaixun and Zheng Xiujing intertwined in the box——

"I guess it's the law of gravity."

"Find what you want to say to you"

"You and I have been slowly getting closer"

"..."

The two ended with the final harmony.

Kim Heechul and Kim Hyoyeon took the lead in making a fuss, and the sound of slamming the table made the wine glasses shake slightly.

"Wow--!"

"One more song!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Trouble Maker!"

"It has to be dance-led!"

"..."

Krystal's cheeks were flushed by the teasing. She dropped the microphone, turned around and threw herself into Jessica's arms, burying her face in her shoulder and pretending to be dead.

Jessica Jung looked down at her sister's red ears, then raised her eyes to look at Kang Jae-hoon who was standing there at a loss.

The latter was scratching the back of his neck, his eyes wandering, with a dull look as if asking "Should I say something?"

She pinched her eyebrows helplessly.

I originally planned to keep an eye on them the whole night to make sure that Jiang Jae-hoon and his sister kept a safe distance.

But that unexpected kiss just now, plus the two "traitors" acting as wingmen...

(never mind.)
(Today is her birthday.)
(Just this once.)
……

As the music in the box faded.

Kim Hyoyeon, who was tired of singing, suddenly suggested:
"Let's have something exciting?"

"what?"

"Truth or Dare!"

Kim Heechul immediately took out a stack of cards from the drawer and spread them out on the coffee table.

Jessica Jung frowned: "Childish."

"What else can we do at a birthday party if not this?"

Kim Hyoyeon pushed the card in front of Krystal Jung: "Start with the birthday girl!"

Zheng Xiujing hesitated for two seconds and drew a card at random——

【Tell me about the most recent heart-beating moment.】

The box suddenly became quiet.

Kim Hyoyeon smirked:
"Could it be that the poker cards just now—"

"Unnie!"

Krystal Jung quickly rushed over and covered her mouth.

After a while of playing around, she finally chose to take a big risk.

Kim Heechul immediately pulled out a replacement card:

[Interlock your fingers with the third person on your left and look into each other's eyes for ten seconds.]

The third person from the left——

Kang Jae-hoon.

Krystal froze.

Jiang Jae-hoon also froze.

Originally, Krystal Jung and Kang Jae-hoon's seats were at the farthest corners on either side.

But she didn't return to her original position after rushing over to cover Kim Hyoyeon's mouth.

"Change, change another one!" Krystal stuttered.

"No~"

Kim Hyoyeon shakes her index finger:
“Rules are rules.”

Krystal took a deep breath and turned to Kang Jae-hoon with a fearless attitude.

He laughed dryly twice and stretched out his hand with courage.

Kim Ji-won was almost going crazy looking at the shy looks of the two.

If it weren't for Jessica Jung suppressing him, I'm afraid that the vicious words would have come out of his mouth long ago.

"hurry up!"

Kim Heechul cheered.

Zheng Xiujing gritted her teeth and suddenly grabbed Jiang Zaixun's hand——

Fingers intertwined.

His palms were warm, his knuckles harder than she'd imagined.

Krystal lowered her head and didn't dare to look at him.

"Look at each other!!!"

Kim Hyoyeon reminded.

Only then did she slowly look up.

Jiang Zaixun's eyes looked particularly bright in the warm light of the box, and her reflection was reflected in his pupils.

one second.

two seconds.

Three seconds—

Krystal suddenly turned her face away.

"Ten seconds up?!"

"Only four seconds." Kim Heechul grinned.

"Whatever! It's over!"

She shook off Jiang Zaixun's hand, grabbed the drink and took a big gulp, but the cold liquid couldn't suppress the heat on her face.

Jiang Jae-hoon silently withdrew his hand, and the remaining warmth on his fingertips made him a little dazed.

(…So soft.)
"Next!"

Kim Hyoyeon pointed at Kang Jae-hoon.

He came back to his senses and casually drew a card -

【Tell me the person who most moves you here. 】

The air freezes.

Krystal tightened her grip on the drink and glanced at him secretly.

Jiang Zaixun's eyes slid across her face and moved to Zheng Xiuyan's cold expression——

(If I say something about Krystal Jung... her sister will kill me right there and then, right?)
(Speaking of others... is even stranger.)
"I choose dare."

Kim Hyo-yeon made an exaggerated "tsk" sound, pulled out a card from another deck, and read aloud:

"Call the third person in your address book and say 'I miss you'."

The moment Kang Jae-hoon took out his cell phone and unlocked the screen, Krystal Jung quietly peeked towards him.

The address book list expands——

1. Jin Dayuan

2. Hwang Jung-min

3. Lee Sung-kyung

Krystal's eyes dimmed for a moment.

"Fight!"

Others have already started to shout: "Hands-free! Hands-free!"

Jiang Jae-hoon gritted his teeth and pressed the dial button.

"Beep-beep-"