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墨書 Inktalez
The gray walls and black iron windows offered no hint of vibrant color, creating a heavy and oppressive atmosphere.
This was Anna's first time visiting a place like a prison. The ups and downs of life can truly catch one off guard. Not long ago, Yoo Jae-suk was a beloved national host, shining brightly on stage, but now he found himself trapped in despair.
"Mr. Yoo Jae-suk, you have a visitor!"
Through the thick transparent glass with only a few round holes, Anna could no longer see the spirited expression on Yoo Jae-suk's face or hear his usual eloquence. This was not the Brother Jae-seok she had admired so much; in this sudden and overwhelming disaster, he had been brought down without any chance to fight back.
"Brother Jae-seok, was it worth it?"
Yoo Jae-suk still smiled and said, "You already know... there was no other way."
"Why? Just one word could have prevented today from happening."
"Reaching that enviable position was my dream. I put in so much effort for that dream; I didn't want it to be tainted by anything impure."
"The price is too high; you've lost everything."
"As long as I'm at peace with myself... Anna, do you know? Sometimes when a person tells a lie, they have to use more lies to cover it up. Similarly, when someone acts against their conscience, over time, they lose their conscience altogether." He smiled lightly.
Anna noticed the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and nearly shed tears. She fought back the urge and lowered her head to hide her reddened eyes from Yoo Jae-suk. However, as perceptive as he was, how could she escape his notice?
"Don't be sad. Once I've served my sentence, everything will be wiped clean."
"Brother Jae-seok... you’ve helped me so much, but this time, I can't help you."
"Anna, you all have done your best. Seeing how dedicated you are for me makes me very happy. Jung Kook has also told me how much you've done. It's just that this matter is beyond the capabilities of many people. Now, I can somewhat understand Ji Dong's situation and feelings over the years."
"Mr. Jin Jidong?"
"Yes, Ji Dong was suppressed because he boldly expressed his political stance out of passion. So for all these years, I have learned from this experience not to get involved in any political issues, but I never expected to encounter such a predicament."
Anna finally understood why there was a time when Brother Jae-seok always looked troubled after receiving phone calls, and why he sometimes seemed so burdened...
"Three years... and carrying such a stigma, what should I do?"
"Do nothing. No more hosting, no more variety shows, just be an ordinary person," Yoo Jae-suk said slowly. "I have never been able to take Zhihao to the amusement park. After three years, I should be able to. In three years, people will gradually forget me and will no longer care to know me."
Anna fell silent for a long time before she looked up and asked, "Brother Jae-seok, is it destined that a small light will be swallowed by powerful darkness?"
Yoo Jae-suk smiled and said, "Perhaps there will be a reversal, but that may require a Miracle."
"Can we expect a Miracle?"
"We can hope for it, but we cannot seek it; we can only wait."
"Wait?"
"Wait until they think everything is settled and accomplished; perhaps then there will be flaws to find."
"Then I'll continue to wait and see," Anna said with a slight smile.
"The visiting time is up," the guard said as he came to help Yoo Jae-suk stand up.
"Take care, Brother Jae-seok," Anna said.
Yoo Jae-suk nodded, "Take care."
As Anna walked out of the prison, she glanced back at the tall walls. The weather was particularly nice today; the sound of melting snow dripped rhythmically, and the eaves were adorned with many sharp yet crystal-clear icicles.
The sunlight was bright, but the wind remained biting cold.
Anna tightened her coat and put on her hat to keep warm.
It had been five days since she last returned home. She had intended to call Park Chan-yeol, but her phone had run out of battery long ago and was already turned off.
Upon opening the door, she was taken aback to find Andy sitting comfortably on the living room sofa, sipping coffee. Anna froze for a moment.
"What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" Andy smiled, as if nothing had happened during this time. Indeed, for Andy, the recent events were completely unrelated to him.
"When did you come back?" Anna asked expressionlessly.
"I just arrived this morning. I tried calling you, but your phone was off. Why do you look so pale?" Andy replied.
Anna looked at Andy's relaxed face, and once again, a strong sense of unfamiliarity filled her mind. This was not Andy...
This was not the Andy she knew... The old Andy would have rushed to defend a friend when they were wronged, would have charged in like a little beast when he saw Anna being bullied... But now, he clearly knew everything yet pretended that nothing had happened. This cheerfulness and smile were just another form of extreme coldness...
"Weren't you supposed to explain about Mr. Yoo Jae-suk when you got back?" Anna said.
"Ah... that matter? But isn't there already a conclusion? There's no need to discuss it further," Andy stirred his coffee and took a sip.
"Now, can you help me get into the Chill Hotel to take a look?"
"Is it really necessary at this time..."
Anna smiled helplessly, sighed, and said, "Yeah, it really was unnecessary to come back now..." Anna took a step forward; she felt so tired and just wanted to go to her bedroom and sleep well.
"You're not welcoming me back, Miss Anna. Don't worry, I have to go back to Australia in a couple of days. I'm only back for two days because of a meeting."
Anna frowned; she really didn't know how to talk to Andy correctly right now.
Andy looked up at Anna, stood up, smiled, and said, "Just kidding. Of course, I know my dear Miss Anna must have missed me a lot. How could you not want me back? You look exhausted; go rest. I need to tidy up and head to the office." After saying that, Andy patted Anna on the shoulder and went back to his bedroom.
Anna stood still until she heard the sound of Andy's bedroom door closing before she snapped back to reality and slowly made her way upstairs.
After charging her phone, Anna took off her coat and lay down on the bed. Although she was exhausted, she couldn't close her eyes and her mind was in chaos.
After a while, she opened her phone, which had some battery left, and the first number she dialed was Park Chan-yeol's. After waiting for a long time, it finally connected.
"Hello, Park Chan-yeol..."
"Oh."
"I've been discharged... Thank you."
"No need to thank me."
"And... I'm sorry."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. By the way, where's Peter?"
"He's with me for easier care."
"Thank you. When it's convenient for you, I'll come to pick him up."
"Do you know where our dorm is?" Park Chan-yeol asked.
Anna was at a loss for words.
"I'll bring him to you and call you before I go."
"Okay, thank you for your trouble."
"Goodbye."
"Alright, see you."
Still unable to sleep, as she lay there, her stomach began to ache again. Anna turned on her side and wrapped herself in the blanket. The doctor said she might be developing a chronic issue.
Suddenly, she heard Andy's footsteps in the hallway on the second floor. Anna didn't want to talk to him right now, so she closed her eyes.
Andy knocked on the door, and seeing no response, gently opened it. Noticing that Anna was still, he assumed she had fallen asleep and quietly closed the door again.
Anna opened her eyes as the footsteps gradually faded away, but they clearly weren't going downstairs...
Until she heard the lock being opened, accompanied by the heavy wooden door creaking, Anna realized that Andy had entered the attic that had been locked for so long.
This was the first time she had seen Andy open that door, and he had clearly come here to check that she was asleep before going to unlock it.
An accidental twist of fate had allowed Anna to confirm that Andy had something he didn't want others to know about, hidden behind that locked door...
Indeed, most people would keep important things in their study; who would think to put them in the attic...
What could it be?
Anna tiptoed barefoot to the door, hoping to catch a glimpse of something through the small crack.
Before long, Andy emerged, holding a yellow file folder, and locked the door again.
Anna quickly returned to her bed and lay down.
Sure enough, Andy's footsteps once again stopped outside Anna's room. He opened the door, looked inside, then closed it and went downstairs.
It wasn't until she heard the sound of the front door opening and closing that Anna finally opened her eyes and got up.
"Andy, what on earth is he hiding that requires such secrecy..." Anna murmured to herself, feeling a sharper pain in her stomach. She hadn't eaten all day. She got up and went to the now empty first floor, drank a cup of warm water, and felt much better.
Suddenly, many thoughts flooded her mind. She was very curious about what Andy's room looked like and what his study was like. She had never been inside or seen Andy's place... She was even more eager to know what exactly was in that tightly locked attic.
Even more terrifying thoughts swirled in her mind.
Yes, the timing of Andy's departures and returns was too coincidental. If Lee Ji-hyun had a powerful force backing him, could that force be the Century Group, which wielded significant influence over South Korea's economy...?
If that's the case, everything makes sense. Andy must have known something was happening, which is why he hurriedly distanced himself before Anna could say anything. It also explains why he didn't want her to continue investigating and why Anna, who should have remained unnoticed behind the scenes, seemed to be under constant surveillance.
Anna walked to Andy's bedroom door and tried it; it was locked. The study was similarly secured.
At that moment, the sound of a key turning in the lock startled Anna. The next second, Andy opened the door, and their eyes met, both harboring their own secrets.
They were momentarily stunned, but Andy smiled slightly and said, "I forgot something and came back. When did you wake up?" He walked over to the study while Anna took a step back to give him space.
"I just woke up because my stomach hurt a bit. I came to knock on your door to see if you had left," Anna replied.
Andy glanced at her, then lowered his head to open the study door. "Do you want to come in?"
"No, it's fine..." Just as Anna felt the atmosphere becoming extremely tense, Park Chan-yeol's phone call arrived like a lifeline. Hearing the ringtone from upstairs, Anna said, "I need to take this call."
"Okay," Andy replied, his face obscured in shadow, making it hard to read his expression. He watched as Anna ran upstairs before finally stepping into the room.
Anna let out a sigh of relief as she answered the phone. Park Chan-yeol was already at her doorstep, so she quickly threw on her coat and rushed outside.
It had been a while since she last saw Peter, and he was unusually excited. Breaking free from Park Chan-yeol's arms, he dashed towards Anna. She picked him up as he nuzzled against her and wagged his tail rapidly.
"You've gained weight again, Peter," Anna laughed. She looked at Park Chan-yeol and said, "Thank you so much for taking such good care of him. And thank you for helping me that day."
"I haven't seen you smile like this in a long time," Park Chan-yeol said. "Looks like he's the one who's really impressive... Is it because of Brother Jae-seok that you've been so tired lately?"
Anna nodded bitterly and said, "Did Jung Kook tell you everything? What a pity; in the end, it all came to nothing."
Just then, Anna noticed that Andy had somehow appeared behind her. Seeing Park Chan-yeol greeting him made her realize his presence.
Andy did not speak, only giving a slight bow to greet, glancing at the Peter in her arms, and then said to Anna: "I'm leaving now."
"Okay," Anna replied.
After that, there was nothing more said as she got into the car and quickly left.
"Andy he..." Anna wanted to explain the somewhat rude behavior from earlier, but Park Chan-yeol smiled slightly and self-deprecatingly said: "It's quite amazing that I can make both of you siblings hold a grudge against me."
Anna didn't know how to respond to his words because it was indeed a fact that couldn't be refuted.
"I... do you have time tonight? Let me treat you to something delicious as a thank you for saving me."
"Are you eager to repay your debt to me?"
Caught off guard by his half-guessing, Anna fell silent for a moment. Seeing her somewhat flustered demeanor, Park Chan-yeol chuckled and patted Peter's head, who excitedly stuck out his tongue.
"Should we find a place where this little guy can join us?" Park Chan-yeol suggested. "Leaving him alone at home seems rather pitiful."
Anna looked at Peter in her arms; this was certainly something she desired. She said, "Sure, but where should we go?"
"I know a place," Park Chan-yeol replied.
Anna could imagine that Park Chan-yeol would take her to some quirky places for meals...
"Hand him over to me for now; you go change your clothes, and I'll wait for you here," Park Chan-yeol said.
Anna handed Peter over to Park Chan-yeol, who thought she was abandoning him. Peter became a bit anxious, but Anna reassured him that she would be back soon, which calmed him down considerably.
"Please wait a moment, I'll be out soon," Anna said.
"It's been a long time," Andy smiled at Miki, who was sitting across from him.
Miki didn't look at him but took a sip of coffee, her eyes fixed on the window.
"If you didn't want to see me, you shouldn't have accepted my invitation," Andy said, not at all displeased.
"Just get to the point. Why did you ask me out?" Miki frowned, a bit impatient.
"Here, I bet you're interested," Andy said as he handed his phone to Miki.
Miki picked it up with confusion; there were several photos on the screen. In the pictures, Anna Zheng and Park Chan-yeol stood facing each other, both wearing warm smiles as they affectionately petted a small yellow dog.
Kim Mi-kyung scoffed, her fingertips trembling slightly.
"Hmph... your sister's skills in seduction are getting better and better..." Kim Mi-kyung looked at the smile on Park Chan-yeol's face. It had been so long since she had seen him smile. Every time she went to find him, he was either unavailable or coldly sent her away... Many times, Kim Mi-kyung even thought that her Brother Canlie would no longer smile behind the filming camera. It seemed she had been wrong about that.
"Why are you showing me this?" Kim Mi-kyung forced herself to remain calm.
"In front of me, there's no need to pretend. You can show how angry or sad you are," Andy said with a smile.
Kim Mi-kyung glared at him.
"You did this on purpose because you know that seeing these photos will make me restless and cause a scene. At that point, it will create more distance between your good sister and Brother Canlie, and make Brother Canlie hate me even more... Zheng Andy, what are you really trying to achieve? You're truly terrifying; you've used the same tactics before, which is why Brother Canlie won't even meet me now. And now you want to use the same tricks again."
Andy instead looked at the furious Kim Mi-kyung with even more delight.
"You've seen through me, but that makes it even better."
"What?" Miki looked at Andy in disbelief.
"Because you know this is my scheme, yet you have to go along with it. It's a strange feeling."
"Are you sick?"
"I am, but it's all because of you and Park Chan-yeol. I've been so good to you, yet in your eyes, there's only that Park Chan-yeol, and I feel like a piece of trash. And Park Chan-yeol, he stole my dreams, my life, and now he even wants to take away my family and loved ones. Tell me, how can you be so cruel to me without me getting sick?" Andy's smile was somewhat twisted.
"You really are an unreasonable pervert."
"Heh, well, this pervert is just waiting for you to hurry up and let the show begin."
"The show will start, but this time, I will write the ending."
"Is that so?" Andy lightly raised the corner of his mouth.
"It definitely will." Kim Mi-kyung fell silent for a moment as if recalling something and said, "I still remember our time in Australia, going to school together, riding bikes together, skipping classes together. Later when I got sick, Brother Canlie would come every day to take care of me... Although he always said that in his heart, I was just a little sister taking care of each other in a foreign land, I know he liked me. So as long as we return to Australia and get away from all this nonsense in Korea, we can definitely go back to how things were before..."
"Kim Mi-kyung, am I dreaming or are you dreaming? Ah... I see now; actually, we're both sick. That's why only we two are truly kindred spirits and should be together."
Kim Mi-kyung looked proudly at Zheng Andy and said, "I'll show you that this isn't a dream. And please stop comparing me to you; it really disgusts me."
"Heh, is that so? Let's wait and see who is right between us." Andy said with a smile.
Just as he changed into his clothes to go out, the doorbell rang. He went to open the door and found Park Chan-yeol waiting at the door with Peter in his arms.
"What's wrong?" Anna asked.
"The company has called an emergency meeting for the next album. I have to rush back, so I might miss our appointment today," Park Chan-yeol said.
Anna smiled slightly and said, "It's okay." Then she took Peter from Chan-yeol's arms.
"Let's meet the day after tomorrow. We can finish our schedule by then," Park Chan-yeol said.
"Alright, then it's settled for the day after tomorrow," Anna replied.
"I'll be on my way now. Goodbye," Park Chan-yeol said, patting Peter's head. "Let's go, little Peter."
As if understanding, Peter tried to grab Park Chan-yeol's hand with his paw and let out a couple of soft whines.
"Goodbye," Anna said.
After closing the door, she felt a bit hungry, and the sensation of stomach pain returned. She first filled Peter's bowl with dog food, then went to the kitchen. Seeing there was still some ramen left, Anna opened a packet and boiled some water.
Changes in life always come without warning. Just when one thinks things have come to an end, fate's path overlaps once more. It seems that only heaven knows where this road leads to a fork or an endpoint; no one can control it.
The water quickly came to a boil. She added the noodles and seasoning to the pot. At that moment, this ordinary bowl of ramen tasted better than any other food.
Amidst the rising steam, Anna recalled when the Running Man crew went abroad for filming. To avoid unfamiliar tastes, they would always bring plenty of ramen. When they were in Japan, Dong Wan brought a large pot, and Brother Jae-seok and Kwang-soo were in charge of cooking the noodles. With seven or eight people and over ten packets of ramen, they finished it all without leaving a single bite behind. Later, Brother Jae-seok tossed in various ingredients like cabbage, shrimp, and beef into the ramen soup, and surprisingly, it tasted amazing.
By the end, there was hardly any broth left.
Kwang-soo couldn't stop praising Brother Jae-seok's cooking skills, calling him a culinary genius...
Once, because Yoo Jae-suk always mentioned on the show that he liked eating ramen, a casual remark ended up causing distress for some parents of children.
These children and teenagers, who admired Yoo Jae-suk, began to follow in his footsteps and developed a fondness for ramen, which is not a very healthy food. As a result, parents left comments on Running Man and Yoo Jae-suk's homepage, pleading with him to stop saying he liked eating ramen.
Because of this, Zhao PD and Miao PD even had a special discussion with Yoo Jae-suk, which Kwang-soo and Ji-hyo teased them about for several weeks.
Thinking about those noodles brought a smile to her face.
Looking again at the ramen in the pot, which was already fully cooked, she quickly gathered her thoughts and picked up her bowl and chopsticks to serve the noodles.
A casual comment about liking ramen could lead to such consequences. Now Anna probably understood even more why people were so eager for Brother Jae-seok to say just one word for them...
With some questions in her mind, Anna thought that she should find an opportunity to meet Brother Jae-seok again.
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