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

Chapter 87: Breaking up in the play, falling in love outside

Inside the production meeting room of "The Heirs".

On the projection screen, the ratings curve of "The Heirs" episodes 9-10 fluctuated like an electrocardiogram.

Average viewership: 15.2% (↓1.9%)

Peak ratings: 16.3% (Kim Tan confronts his father)

Lowest audience rating: 12.5% ​​(Choi Young-do's monologue)
Kim Eun-sook used a laser pointer to circle the valleys:

"The audience's tolerance for the main plot is lower than expected."

The head of the publicity team called up the word cloud chart of online public opinion——

[#Kim Tan Eun Sang's progress is too slow#]

【#Want to see Chanyoung Bona#】

[#Choi Young-do is about to turn evil#]

Director Fu Shengzhe flipped through the data report:

"Viewer feedback shows that the emotional conflict in episodes 9 and 10 wasn't strong enough, and the kiss scene in episode 8 raised the audience's threshold too high. Now, watching all the chaebol struggles seems bland."

Director Jiang Xinxiao frowned:
"But we can't rely on kissing scenes to boost ratings in every episode, right? We're making a TV series, not a dating variety show!"

Seeing the war reignited, the youngest member of the screenwriter team, Li Xiuyan, suddenly raised her hand——

"Perhaps... we can use the CP line to feed back into the main plot?"

"Tell me more specifically." Kim Eun-sook looked at her.

Li Xiuyan clicked on the plot synopsis she wrote:

"The plot of Yoon Seok-young (Chan-young's father) dying of a sudden heart attack has already been decided. If he loses his love before losing his father, his growth will be more layered. Therefore, I suggest adding a breakup scene between Bo-na and Chan-young in episodes 11-12."

"This arrangement has two advantages—"

Li Xiuyan's voice became more and more fluent:
"First, we strengthened the theme of 'Ordinary Heirs' and made Chan-young's growth more impactful."

"Secondly, reconciliation after a breakup can create more dramatic tension than simply sweet interactions."

The conference room suddenly became quiet.

After a moment, Jin Enshu suddenly chuckled:
"Not bad, there is progress."

She turned to two directors:
"What do you think?"

Fu Shengzhe touched his chin:

"You can try, but the reason for breaking up should be reasonable, not too dramatic."

Jiang Xinxiao still frowned:
"If we don't handle it well, the audience will accuse us of deliberately torturing the couple."

Li Xiuyan immediately added:
"The reason for the breakup was simple - it had been foreshadowed many times before, with Bo Na getting jealous because Yoon Chan Young defended Cha Eun Sang."

"The immediate breakup was triggered by Kang Ye-ryul's instigation. Kang Ye-ryul mocked Yoon Chan-young as the 'son of the secretary-general' (referring to his social care group identity) and hinted that Bo-na shouldn't date him. Bo-na turned hostile and demanded an apology. Chan-young, however, mistakenly believed that Bo-na was petty, and after both sides lost control of their emotions, Bo-na broke up out of anger."

After hearing this, everyone began to conceive of the picture in their minds.

After a while.

Kim Eun-sook looked around the conference room:

"Does anyone have any other opinions on this plot?"

The head of the publicity group raised his hand:
"If a breakup scene is included, the trailer can be edited into the topic of 'Chanyoung Bona BE', which will definitely trigger a lot of discussion."

"The kiss scene in episode 8 can be reused to create a flashback. Compared to the current breakup scene, the effect will be even more heartbreaking."

A representative from the editing team added.

"Then it's settled."

Director Boo Sung-chul concluded: "The conflict escalates in episode 11, the breakup officially begins in episode 12, Chan-young's father passes away in episode 13, and they reunite in episode 14."

Director Jiang Xinxiao sighed:
"I hope the audience can understand that this is necessary for the plot, and not stir up any more 'death to the screenwriter' talk."

"Don't worry, the more the audience curses, the higher the ratings will be."

Jin Enshu clapped her hands:
"Okay, everyone, let's get to work."

End of the meeting.

The staff left in twos and threes.
-
The next day.

Rest area on the set.

Krystal stared at the bold title on the script—

[Episode 12 Chanyoung & Bona's breakup scene]

(separate??)
(What the hell?!)

(We finally finished filming the kissing scene, and now we're breaking up again?!)
She suddenly looked up at Jiang Jae-hoon, only to find that he was concentrating on flipping through the script, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he was analyzing the character's psychology.

(This wood...)
(No reaction at all?!)
Krystal stomped her feet, deliberately making noise to attract his attention.

Jiang Zaixun then looked up:
"what happened?"

"Didn't you see the script?"

Zheng Xiujing pointed at the eye-catching title and raised her voice unconsciously:

"We're breaking up!"

After she finished speaking, she was stunned for a moment, and quickly added: "I mean in the play!"

Jiang Zaixun didn't notice her panic and analyzed the script carefully:

"The reason for the breakup was a very reasonable conflict."

Krystal flipped through the script gloomily:

“How many episodes will it be divided into…”

"Maybe one or two episodes."

Jiang Zaixun pondered the plot and analyzed:
"They will reconcile later. This breakup scene should be to boost the ratings. After all, we didn't have many scenes in episodes 9 and 10, and the ratings dropped a lot."

Zheng Xiujing pursed her lips and muttered softly:
"But you can't just break up the couple..."

She didn't know how to explain the inexplicable irritation in her heart.

(Are you saying you’re unhappy because you’re breaking up onscreen before anything has happened offscreen?)
(How embarrassing...)
Jiang Zaixun was scribbling on the script when he suddenly said:
"Actually, there's a reason why the screenwriter added this scene."

"Ok?"

"Chanyoung and Bona have very different personalities. One is rational and tolerant, while the other is emotional and impulsive. If they don't experience a real conflict, their relationship will always remain at the 'sweet but superficial' stage."

Jiang Zaixun's voice was very soft, but very serious:

"Breaking up is not the end, but an opportunity for them to learn and grow."

Krystal looked at him blankly.

(he……)
(I thought so much?)
She suddenly realized that she had always thought that Jiang Jae-hoon was a dull and wooden person, but his understanding of the role was much deeper than hers.

"so……"

Jiang Zaixun smiled at her:

"I believe in the screenwriter and also believe in our characters. A temporary separation is for a better reunion."

Krystal stared at the breakup scene lines in the script, her brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

(What a terrible line!)
She flipped through the script irritably, and the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

Seeing that her expression was not right, Jiang Zaixun asked tentatively:
"Are you worried about not being able to perform well?"

Krystal Jung hummed in a depressed tone.

"Actually, emotional scenes are much easier to act than intimate scenes."

"What do you mean?"

Krystal Jung suddenly looked up: "Are you dissatisfied with my kissing scenes having too many NGs?"

"what?"

Jiang Zaixun quickly waved his hands: "I didn't say that..."

"Hmph, how many NGs did you and Lee Sung Kyung have to do when filming the MV?" Krystal narrowed her eyes.

"Uh……"

Kang Jae-hoon answered honestly, "Just... once."

"Ah."

Krystal's expression froze instantly.

"Pabhu!"

She slammed the script shut, turned around and left, leaving Jiang Jae-hoon sitting there with a confused look on his face.
-
in the corridor.

Krystal Jung walked quickly with a huff and almost bumped into Kim Ji-won who was coming towards her.

Kim Ji-won nimbly dodged sideways:

"What's wrong? Who made our Baona angry?"

Zheng Xiujing gritted her teeth:
"Who else!"

Jin Zhiyuan understood instantly and came closer with a smile:

"What stupid things did Teacher Jiang say again?"

Krystal Jung didn't say anything, but her puffy little face already agreed.

Jin Zhiyuan immediately pulled her to sit on the bench at the corner of the corridor, her eyes shining as if she had discovered a new world:
"So, what did he say?"

Krystal slumped down on the chair, threw the script onto the chair, and repeated the breakup scene and the previous conversation.

Kim Ji-won blinked:
"That's it? There's nothing wrong with what Teacher Jiang said." "Huh?!"

Krystal glared at her: "Which side are you from?!"

"Don't hurt friendly forces."

Jin Zhiyuan raised her hand to cover her wide-open eyes:
"Kissing scenes require consideration of aesthetics, composition, etc., while the pure emotional performance of a breakup scene is much simpler in comparison."

Zheng Xiujing slapped Jin Zhiyuan's hand away:
"That's not why I'm angry!"

"Why is that?" Kim Ji-won tilted her head.

"He He……"

Krystal held it in for a long time, then finally slumped her shoulders in frustration: "Forget it, you won't understand even if I tell you."

"Oh~ I understand."

"What do you understand?"

Jin Zhiyuan patted her shoulder with an expression of "I understand everything":

"When you're filming later, put this emotion into the scene, and you'll definitely get it right in one take."

"What emotion?"

"Just what you have now."

Kim Ji-won gestured: "I misunderstood Chanyoung and didn't understand me. I felt wronged but couldn't say it out loud, so I could only lose my temper - it was a true portrayal!"

As she spoke, she immediately took out her phone: "Hold on, I'll take a picture and show it to Teacher Jiang!"

Krystal Jung reached out to grab it:
"Delete it!"

"Never!"

As the two of them played around, Krystal Jung's mood unconsciously became much more relaxed.

……

The clapperboard snapped shut—

"'The Heirs' Episode 12 Scene 23, Take 1!"

"Action!"

Yoon Chan-young, played by Kang Jae-hoon, stood facing Krystal Jung in the school garden, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with a mixture of disappointment and irritation.

Plot background——

Just after Jiang Yilu mocked Yoon Chan-young's background, Liu Rachel revealed that her mother was the owner of a nightclub.

(She has been flaunting her identity as a chaebol's daughter at school.)
Then they humiliated her by asking her to eat at a seat reserved for the "social care group".

(Social care group = students from ordinary families like Cha Eun-sang and Yoon Chan-young.)
When Yoon Chan-young appeared, he happened to see Kang Yi-ru crying in grievance, while Lee Bo-na and Liu Rachel with a wicked smile were sitting opposite and watching coldly.

"Hey, Li Baona, what's wrong with you?"

Lee Bo-na, played by Zheng Xiujing, bit her lower lip, looking aggrieved:
"It was Jiang Yi who first said that the secretary-general's son was nothing!"

"But how is your reaction different from hers?"

Jiang Zaixun took a step forward. The light reflected by the fill light plate gilded his outline, making his expression seem even more alienated:

"If you really don't care about my background, why do you defend it in that way?"

"I……!"

Kang Jae-hoon's slightly indifferent expression made Krystal's heart skip a beat.

The lines were stuck in my mouth and I couldn't say them.

The real feeling of grievance in her chest made her unable to distinguish between the play and reality.

"Crack!"

Behind the monitor, the director frowned: "Where are the lines?"

Zheng Xiujing suddenly came back to her senses and apologized hurriedly:

"Yes, I'm sorry..."

Jiang Zaixun immediately walked up to her and said:

"What's wrong? Baona is feeling wronged that he doesn't understand her, so her tone is more stubborn, with a hint of disappointment that 'you don't understand me'."

Zheng Xiujing looked up and glared at him:
"Do I need you to teach me?"

"..."

Jiang Jae-hoon silently returned to his original position.

"Episode 12, Scene 23, Take 2!"

"Action!"

This time, Zheng Xiujing adjusted her state——

Her voice was a little softer than before, and her eyes were fixed on Jiang Zaixun's nose to avoid looking at him and ruining the show:
"I did not mean that……"

"Has it ever occurred to you that taking the bully's place...would disappoint me?"

Krystal's expression froze instantly.

She clenched her fists and her voice suddenly rose:

"Ha! Disappointed? So you're really regretting dating me now?"

Jiang Zaixun was obviously stunned for a moment:

"You... your words are really harsh."

Zheng Xiujing gritted her teeth and pushed him away:
"Go away! I don't want to see you again!"

After saying that, he turned around and ran, his long hair drawing an arc in the air.

"Crack!"

The director called out, "Bo-na's emotions are on point, but don't lower your head when you run, or the camera won't be able to capture your face."

"Inside."

"Again."

"'The Heirs' Episode 12 Scene 23, Take 3!"

In this shot, Jiang Zaixun's performance is obviously much more restrained than before.

His tone was calm, but his eyes showed more emotion than before.

Krystal was moved by his emotions, and her tears were more natural than the previous two times, and even her voice trembled slightly:
"Go away! I don't want to see you again!"

"..."

"Crack!"

There was silence on the set.

In front of the monitor, the director and screenwriter looked at each other and saw surprise in each other's eyes - the emotional tension of this breakup scene far exceeded expectations.

Zheng Xiujing's Li Baona was wronged and stubborn, with tears in her eyes but she refused to bow her head:

Kang Jae-hoon's Yoon Chan-young is restrained and forbearing, but every subtle expression reveals heartbreak.

Even after running out of the camera, Krystal still couldn't control her emotions and tears fell uncontrollably.

Jiang Jae-hoon walked over to her and handed her a pack of tissues.

"Wipe it off, your makeup is all smudged."

His voice was soft, with a hint of awkward gentleness.

Zheng Xiujing took the tissue and wiped her face carelessly:

"Who wants you to care..."

"Well, whatever."

Jiang Jae-hoon nodded, but still stood there without leaving.

Jin Zhiyuan came over at some point and whispered a reminder:

"Teacher Jiang, you should say 'She's cute even when she cries'!"

"Ah? Oh..."

Jiang Zaixun turned his head to look at Jin Zhiyuan, then turned his head to look at the tearful Zheng Xiujing, and suddenly realized: "Xiujing is also cute when she cries."

Zheng Xiujing's tears suddenly stopped. She raised her head, her red eyes widened:
"You...what are you suddenly saying?!"

"Ji-won asked me to say that..." Kang Jae-hoon pointed to the side honestly.

Jin Zhiyuan sighed and held her forehead:
"Hey, hey, hey! I'm just suggesting something! Who told you to just copy it?"

Zheng Xiujing's ears instantly turned red. She angrily crumpled up the tissue and threw it at Jiang Zaixun:

"Pabhu!"

The paper ball landed lightly on Jiang Zaixun's chest. He caught it in a panic, but revealed a silly smile:
"But...it's really cute."

"..."

Krystal Jung stood there in a daze, even forgetting that she was angry because he said the kissing scene with Lee Sung Kyung was done in one go.

Jin Zhiyuan covered her mouth and laughed secretly, muttering softly:
“I’ve finally gotten it, I’ve finally gotten it…”

The afternoon sun shone through the gaps in the leaves and fell on the three of them.

Krystal Jung blushed and lowered her head to fix her hair, Kang Jae-hoon stood there at a loss, and Kim Ji-won made faces at the side.

At this moment, the BE in the play doesn't seem so sad.

(End of this chapter)