Peninsula: A Max-Level Forward's Leisurely Life

A light drizzle was falling in the back alleys of Itaewon.

As soon as the call connected, a lively yet somewhat anxious voice came through the other end.

"Peach! Where have you been?!"

Lee Ji-eun's voice was very loud; even without speakerphone, Lee Ji-hoon could hear her clearly in the quiet bar.

"I went to your company today, and your agent said you've been out of contact for two days and haven't even returned to your dorm. Please don't look at those hateful comments online. Where are you right now? I'm so worried, I almost called the police!"

Choi Sulli bit her lower lip and subconsciously glanced at Lee Ji-hoon standing behind the bar.

She didn't know why, but deep down she felt a strong sense of resistance.

She didn't want anyone to know about Lee Chi-hoon's existence, and she especially didn't want anyone to know that she was currently hiding in a man's private bar.

This is her own secret haven, one that she can't share with anyone else.

She cleared her throat, her mind racing, and quickly came up with a seemingly plausible excuse.

"Ji-eun, I'm fine, don't worry."

She coughed lightly, feigning a tired expression.

"I've gone back to Gangwon Province, to my distant aunt's old house where no one lives. It's too stuffy here in Seoul, I want to be alone for a few days."

To increase credibility, she added a few more details.

"The internet here is really bad, and the TV is broken, so I haven't been using my phone much."

This reason is indeed perfect; it explains why she didn't go to the company and also blocks any way for others to contact her online.

Hearing this, Lee Ji-eun on the other end of the phone visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's good for you to go to the countryside to hide away. There's too much turmoil outside right now, and the company's senior management are all throwing tantrums. Just rest there for a while and don't think about anything."

When Choi Sulli heard that her good friend believed her, her expression instantly brightened.

Holding her phone, her beautiful eyes were fixed on Li Chixun, her fair face filled with barely suppressed smugness.

Lee Chi-hoon leaned against the wine rack behind him, gently swirling the ice ball in his glass.

Looking into the girl's bright eyes, he could understand what she was trying to say without even having to guess.

How about that? Am I smart? My little brain works fast, doesn't it?

Li Chixun found it somewhat amusing and raised the cup in his hand towards her as a gesture of appreciation.

But this smugness didn't even last three seconds.

Lee Ji-eun, on the other end of the phone, immediately threw out a fatal suggestion.

Send me the address of your aunt's old house. I happen to have a free day in a couple of days, so I'll go visit you in Gangwon Province!

Upon hearing those words, Choi Sulli's smile froze completely.

Her previously smug expression seemed to be paused, and the corners of her mouth that had just turned up immediately fell down.

"Huh? I don't think that's necessary..."

Shirley quickly tried to salvage the situation over the phone, her voice even stuttering.

"It's very remote here, and the roads are difficult to travel. It's too much trouble for you to come alone. I'll go back in a few days..."

However, Lee Ji-eun didn't seem to listen to her refusal, and her tone remained very firm.

"It's alright, I don't mind the trouble. I've been wanting to get some fresh air in the countryside anyway. I'll stay with you for one night and bring you some good food to help you recover."

Just as Choi Sulli was frantically searching for a new excuse, a burst of noise suddenly came from the other end of the phone.

"Peach! Excuse me, the director is calling me, we're about to start filming."

Lee Ji-eun's tone became hurried.

"I'm going to work now, it's settled then. I'll come see you in a couple of days, remember to send me your address!"

Before Choi Sulli could even utter the word "no," the dial tone of the receiver had already come through.

Choi Sulli stood there dumbfounded, holding the phone that had already been hung up on.

The words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat, her beautiful eyes widened, and her face was filled with disbelief.

Was this all it took to be arranged?

Lee Chi-hoon witnessed the entire scene, watching her expression shift from heaven to hell in an instant, and finally couldn't help but chuckle softly.

The laughter sounded particularly jarring in the quiet bar.

Choi Sulli was already anxious because her lie was about to be exposed, and when she heard Lee Ji-hoon's undisguised snicker, she immediately felt like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on.

She jumped up from the sofa, barefoot on the thick carpet, and stormed over to the bar.

She pouted, crossed her arms tightly to her chest, and glared at the man in front of her who seemed to enjoy watching the drama unfold.

"What's so funny!"

She complained angrily, her cheeks puffing up slightly with rage, like a ripe peach.

"I'm so worried, and you're just standing there laughing at me! Don't you have any sympathy at all?!"

Lee Chi-hoon shifted to a more comfortable position, a hint of teasing in his expression.

"I'm just happy for you. Your best friend came all this way to see you and even brought you delicious food. What a touching display of sisterly affection!"

Hearing his sarcastic remarks, Choi Sulli was so angry that she ground her teeth in anger.

"Uncle!"

She gripped the edge of the bar with both hands and sighed with utter despair.

"Stop making fun of me, okay? If Ji-eun really goes to Gangwon Province to find me, or finds out that I haven't even left Seoul, then my lie will be completely exposed."

At this point, his shoulders immediately slumped, looking as if he were facing imminent disaster.

"She'll definitely be angry if she finds out I lied to her. And if she keeps digging into it, how am I supposed to explain where I've been hiding these past few days?"

After saying that, she lay down on the bar counter, staring longingly at Lee Chi-hoon.

Those eyes, which had been somewhat angry, instantly became watery, just like a stray cat with nowhere to go.

This seemingly angry but actually coquettish tactic always worked for her when dealing with the strict agents in the company.

This was clearly a blatant attempt to subtly imply that Lee Chi-hoon should quickly come up with a solution.

Looking at her pitiful expression, Li Chixun shook his head helplessly and slowly put away his teasing expression.

He placed the antique glass in his hand on the bar counter in front of him.

He gently rubbed the rim of the cup, a signature gesture when he was thinking.

"Actually, you don't need to be so pessimistic."

Li Chixun looked at the girl with an expectant face and spoke leisurely.

Since the lie has already been told and there's no way to take it back, we might as well cover it up completely.

Upon hearing this, Choi Sulli's eyes lit up immediately, and she propped herself up from the bar.

"How can you explain this? Tell me quickly! Am I supposed to take a bus to Gangwon Province right now and find a run-down house to stay in?"

"There's no need for all that trouble."

Lee Chi-hoon casually pointed towards the back door of the bar and offered an interesting idea.

"A lie can be made by simply changing the location. Since your friend just wants to see you in a terrible state, then show her."

He paused briefly, looking at Choi Sulli's somewhat bewildered eyes.

"You don't need to go to Gangwon Province. Just say that the roof of your old house in the countryside is leaking and it's uninhabitable. Then find a very cheap, low-quality basement in Itaewon to stay in for a few days."

Lee Ji-hoon stretched out his finger and tapped it lightly twice on the bar counter.

"In the backyard of my bar, there happens to be a storage room that has been idle for a long time. There's nothing in there except for a few dusty, broken wine barrels and a rickety cot."

"If you dress up a little and hide inside, you'll perfectly fit the persona of a tragic female celebrity who's being cyberbullied by haters all over the internet and is living in a dilapidated rented room to avoid paparazzi."

Choi Sulli's mouth opened slightly, clearly stunned by this bold suggestion.

She blinked, her mind involuntarily following Li Chixun's train of thought.

"But……"

She looked at Li Chixun with some hesitation.

"What if my friend comes over and sees you?"

She knew very well who the man in front of her was: a striker for Bayern Munich and a top-tier rich second-generation.

If Lee Ji-eun sees Lee Ji-hoon here, this news is a hundred times more terrifying than the cyberbullying she experienced.

"I?"

Lee Chi-hoon couldn't help but laugh, a mischievous grin spreading across his strikingly mixed-race face.

"Of course I have to show up, otherwise who will get rid of your troublesome friend?"

He began to meticulously refine his script.

"When she arrives, I'll be the cold-blooded, heartless sub-landlord who rented you the storage room."

A mocking glint flashed in Li Chixun's eyes, and his tone turned stern as he deliberately adopted a fierce demeanor.

"You can tell your friends in advance that the landlord has a terrible temper, an eccentric personality, and is a money-grubbing bastard who will never allow tenants to bring any outsiders back."

"The moment your friend shows up, I'll immediately put on a black face and kick her out with a broom, citing it as a violation of the rental agreement."

He watched as Choi Sulli's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and continued to add details.

"With the aura I usually exude, as long as I put on a stern face and say a few harsh words, I can definitely scare that little girl away."

"At that time, all you have to do is cower in a corner, trembling, and act like you're being bullied by the landlord but don't dare to talk back. Your friend won't suspect you; instead, he'll feel sorry for you and take you away overnight."

After hearing the complete plan, Choi Sulli became very excited.

She couldn't help but imagine the scene in her mind.

Lee Ji-eun arrived with bags full of joy to visit him, but before she could even enter, she was stopped by a rude landlord who exuded an aura that kept strangers at bay.

Then the fierce landlord waved a broom and chased the top Korean female singer onto the main street.

Just imagining this scene is incredibly fun.

Not only did he perfectly cover up the lie, but he also managed to get rid of Lee Ji-eun, the troublesome visitor.

Most importantly, she gets to see Lee Ji-hoon, who is usually aloof and composed, playing a vulgar and unscrupulous landlord.

"Wow! You're so smart, sir!"

Sulli was so excited that she walked around the bar and grabbed Lee Ji-hoon's arm.

She shook his arm vigorously, showering him with praise and strongly supporting the suggestion.

"This idea is absolutely mind-blowing! You're amazing, sir!"

Li Chixun did not resist being shaken so enthusiastically by her.

He let the girl hold his arm, feeling the warmth emanating from her body.

He felt that this girl's mood changed faster than turning the pages of a book. One second she was so aggrieved that she was about to cry, and the next she was as excited as a primary school student who had gotten a perfect score.

Looking at her slightly flushed face, which was flushed with excitement, Li Chixun's gaze softened involuntarily.

"But acting requires the whole process."

He let the girl sway, and gently offered a reminder.

"To make your clever best friend believe you're having a terrible time, you'd better not wear makeup for the next few days, and try to make your hair a little messy as well."

He looked Choi Sulli up and down, observing the loose-fitting loungewear she was wearing.

"This outfit is barely passable, but you'd better put some ash on your face before your friends arrive to add a touch of real shabbyness."

When Choi Sulli heard that she had to smear ash on her face, she, who usually loves beauty the most, did not resist at all, but instead nodded heavily.

"No problem! As long as I can fool Ji-eun, I'll even roll around in the mud!"

She waved her little fist and made a solemn promise.

Seeing her serious expression, Li Chixun couldn't help but smile again.

He reached out and casually ruffled the girl's messy hair twice.

The movements were gentle and casual, as if it were a perfectly normal habit.

Choi Sulli didn't dodge; on the contrary, she seemed to enjoy being pampered like a child.

She leaned closer to Li Chixun and let out a soft, comfortable hum.

At this moment, in this unsigned bar, warm-toned lights flow quietly.

With psychedelic jazz music playing from the speakers, the female singer's languid voice echoed in the air.

If it were placed outside, it would be seen by paparazzi or fans hiding in the shadows.

You would definitely think they are a young couple deeply in love.

That kind of casual and natural physical contact, and the unspoken understanding, simply cannot be faked.

But the two people who were deeply involved were completely unaware of this.

Choi Sulli's mind was entirely focused on how to perfectly execute the plan to play the victim, and she was rehearsing her lines to Lee Ji-eun over and over again in her mind.

Lee Ji-hoon, on the other hand, simply treated this as a fun game to pass the time during the off-season.

Using such an absurd reason to prank the hottest female star in the Korean entertainment industry sounds exactly like his current state of mind.

It might be a long time before these two adversaries finally realize that their seemingly casual way of getting along has crossed a certain line.

Night fell.

The rain was still falling outside the window, and the bustling neon lights of Myeongdong were completely shut out by that oak door.

The only sounds in the bar were the melodious jazz music and the rare tranquility between the two of them.

This is the beginning of the nighttime push and pull for adults.