Chapter 82

On the afternoon of July 27th, the VIP premiere of "The Uncle" was held at CGV Wangsimni in Seoul.

As expected by the media, there wouldn't be many guests, after all, this movie was almost entirely carried by Park Ji-hoon, who wasn't particularly popular and hadn't been known to have deep connections with other actors.

Even director Lee Jeong-beom thought so, and he specially invited a few of his own friends. Tiffany had previously said she would come to support him, also for this reason.

However, the actual situation left everyone speechless.

The first guest to arrive was Yoon Eun-hye! Then came Kim Ah-joong, Seo Jeong-kyu, Cha Tae-hyun, Ha Ji-won, Choi Sung-kook, Kim Sun-ah, and a host of other popular actors.

What was going on?

Seeing the grand lineup before them, all the reporters widened their eyes. Wasn't it said that Park Ji-hoon had almost no friends in the industry?

After that, Liu Zaishi, Kim Je-dong, Kim Jong-kook, Haha, and others also arrived one after another.

It became even more confusing.

Moreover, five members of Girls' Generation—Tae-yeon, Sulli, Yoon-a, Tiffany, and Krystal—f(x)'s Krystal, Kara's Nicole, and IU, who had recently gained immense popularity with the song "Chatterbox," all came. Originally, "The Uncle" was rated as not suitable for viewers under 19 by the Film Rating Board, but after some content was cut and with the company's efforts, it was changed to be suitable for viewers 15 and older.

When did he get to know so many singers? And they were all popular idols!

The cast of the new movie tentatively titled "Sunny," including Shin Eun-kyung, Kang So-ra, and Yoo Hae-jin, also came to support.

"Is this for real?" Inside the cinema, Tiffany looked at the gathered popular artists and muttered in surprise for the umpteenth time. No wonder Park Ji-hoon said it would definitely be more than she imagined; it was way more than she expected!

She nudged Tae-yeon with her elbow and whispered, "Wasn't he supposed to have no friends?"

The others, including Sulli, also listened intently.

"I don't know," Tae-yeon shook her head slightly. She also looked surprised and felt a sense of guilt and failure. After two years of dating, she had never heard Park Ji-hoon mention these "friends." She didn't know if it was because he didn't say anything or if she was just not paying attention.

Tiffany sensed the guilt in her voice and quickly patted her shoulder. What's done is done; the most important thing now is to get along well.

Krystal also shook her head.

Tae-yeon composed herself, smiled, and asked, "Isn't Min-ah coming?" She didn't know who she was asking.

Yoon-a also blinked curiously. She had never truly met this "genius sister" who Jessica and Sulli praised so much.

"Min-ah isn't coming," unexpectedly, it was Sulli who answered, not Krystal. "She's waiting for the official release and will go to the cinema with Ji-hoon oppa." She and Park Min-ah were friends of the same age and often kept in touch.

"Oh," Tae-yeon responded softly.

At this moment, most of the guests and reporters had entered, and Park Ji-hoon walked onto the stage with a little girl, carefully taking care of her and letting her walk in front.

"Never noticed before, he's actually so handsome!" Tiffany couldn't help but mutter.

Under the lights and in front of the cameras, seeing Park Ji-hoon on the stage, she suddenly felt a sense of dizziness. Not just her, but Tae-yeon, Sulli, and others as well.

Although they had seen the posters, Park Ji-hoon usually dressed casually, never wore makeup, and his complexion wasn't good, so in their impression, he was just a decent-looking, good-looking man. However, now, in a black suit, with a clean-cut hairstyle, clearly fresh from the beauty salon, he had transformed into a super handsome man!

Moreover, Park Ji-hoon's personality used to be easy-going, quiet, and a bit soft, making him a good friend but not very popular with the opposite sex. Now, he had a firm mouth, his former quietness turned into determination, and standing in front of so many reporters, guests, and audience, he showed no signs of discomfort, his eyes sparkling with confidence, giving off a strong sense of "I am the protagonist."

He handled the interviews with ease, answering questions fluently, and even defused a few sharp questions with humor and composure... controlling the entire atmosphere of the scene!

At the same time, he didn't forget to take care of Kim Sae-ron.

It had to be said, at this moment, Park Ji-hoon was the ideal man in women's hearts!

In the audience, Tae-yeon watched him, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

After the interview, Park Ji-hoon held Kim Sae-ron's hand and walked down from the stage, the venue gradually quieting down, waiting for the film to start.

Tae-yeon quickly composed herself, preparing to watch Park Ji-hoon's first leading role in a movie.

The film began with the logo of the production company, CJ Group, the letters CJ and three colored rings, like unfolding petals.

The low murmur of conversation also faded, and the entire cinema became quiet.

In the darkness, the sound of a lighter suddenly rang out, a cigarette was lit, illuminating the face of an ordinary man, who made a phone call.

"Captain!"

"Where are you?"

The dialogue made the audience think of a crime thriller.

The lights came on, and the audience realized it was inside a car, monitoring someone, preparing to take action.

"That guy is ruthless, be careful, don't split up!"

"Why not call for backup?"

There were clearly six people, paired up, all armed, yet they were still worried, making the audience curious about the character who would appear next.

Would it be the protagonist?

Unfortunately, it wasn't. Instead, a man nicknamed "Big Bear" appeared, a fitting nickname, very fierce, able to take on several people at once! However, he was eventually subdued by the captain.

The fight scene was intense, giving a sense of "punching to the flesh," worthy of Director Lee Jeong-beom's work.

During the scene, a casual moment left a deep impression: the money from a shady transaction was stolen by a nightclub dancer. Although it wasn't clear who the money belonged to, the sneaky transaction, "Big Bear's" ferocity, and the police chase were enough to show that they were not good people.

Under the night sky, on the road, the dancer leaned out of the car, laughing wildly.

The scene changed, and the protagonist finally appeared.

Wearing a wrinkled down jacket, with a cap, his hair covering one eye, looking disheveled. He picked and chose, selecting a sausage, then bought a bouquet of flowers on the way, and returned home.

A dilapidated residential building, dark and dirty.

Another protagonist, Kim Sae-ron, also appeared in the building, her first line being, "I didn't steal anything."

A strange relationship.

In the movie, Park Ji-hoon had a cold expression, hardly speaking, seemingly indifferent to Kim Sae-ron, but some details showed his concern for her. Similarly, Kim Sae-ron told him everything, from stealing to her loose tooth, to her little girl's secrets.

Seeing this, Tiffany and the others couldn't help but glance at Krystal.

Krystal pursed her lips, watching very seriously.

When Park Ji-hoon and Kim Sae-ron skillfully avoided the search by the nightclub dancer, who was playing the role of "Mi," Krystal couldn't help but smile slightly.

The plot unfolded gradually.

"Big Bear" was released, the gang members were looking for the goods, and Mi's mother had hidden them... then, suddenly, a scene appeared where Park Ji-hoon was ironing clothes.

Tae-yeon, Tiffany, and Sulli immediately understood the origin of the sweater Park Ji-hoon wore in the first shooting of "We Got Married."

Mi came to the pawn shop run by Park Ji-hoon.

Krystal's body unconsciously straightened, becoming more alert.

The child's thoughts: first, she told Park Ji-hoon that his nickname was "Pawn Shop Ghost," then asked him to guess her nickname. When he asked, she said she wouldn't tell him, but when he ignored her, she voluntarily revealed it, calling herself "Trash Can."

"'Pawn Shop Ghost' and 'Trash Can' sound like nicknames, don't they?" Krystal liked this line for no particular reason.

Park Ji-hoon still showed an indifferent attitude towards Mi, but he let her sleep on the bed while he slept in a chair. After she fell asleep, he carefully got up to cover her with a blanket.

In the morning, Mi made breakfast for Park Ji-hoon and gave him a manicure. Of course, she didn't forget to write "I'm good, right?" on a note.

The next scene mainly explained the relationship between Park Ji-hoon and Mi, laying the groundwork for the subsequent plot. At the same time, the gang members found out that Mi's mother had stolen the goods and came to the door.

Park Ji-hoon—whose role name had not been revealed in the film, always referred to as "The Uncle"—found the pawn shop's lock broken and two strangers inside. Among them was the fierce and powerful "Big Bear."

All the audience members were on edge, expecting Park Ji-hoon to show his prowess.

However, the director cleverly played a trick, not directly revealing the outcome. Of course, he still gave the audience a taste—when the wallet was pressed, the audience hadn't even seen clearly, but the knife in the other person's hand was already taken away.

"Big Bear" appeared.

Under the night sky, a window in the room where the pawn shop was located suddenly shattered, and even the guardrail was loose. The gang leader, waiting below, called the "worker's" phone.

"Did you find it?"

"Well, the situation here has become more complicated." The worker, shivering and stammering, plus the motionless "Big Bear" on the ground, highlighted the protagonist's strength and further piqued the audience's curiosity.

Mi and her mother were kidnapped, Park Ji-hoon was used to transfer the goods, and the gang leader simultaneously notified the police, betraying his boss, achieving two goals at once.

The police arrived, and Park Ji-hoon was brutally beaten and thrown from the building.

In the rain, Park Ji-hoon fell on a net, his mouth bleeding. Although they knew it was a movie, Tae-yeon and the others couldn't help but feel a slight tightening in their hearts.

Sulli couldn't help but think of a time during the "We Got Married" shooting when he fell asleep on her shoulder. No wonder he was so tired then! He must have suffered a lot while filming these scenes.

However, this faint sour feeling was quickly replaced by a strong impact.

Yoon-a reached out to cover her eyes.

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