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墨書 Inktalez
Quietly, while Andy was not at home, Anna went to the villa to retrieve her necessary belongings. Anna had never felt so downcast, but as she completely left this place, she felt an unprecedented sense of peace. Even close relatives would eventually grow up; once they matured, the people they encountered and the experiences they had would differ, leading them down different paths. No one has the right to bind each other's lives.
At this moment, Anna only hoped that no matter what choices Andy made, he would not lose his conscience.
Anna was certain that although Andy had been drinking that night, he was very aware of his actions. Otherwise, a whole day would not have passed without him calling her. Moreover, Andy should have been quite aware of his situation; everything indicated that there were matters Anna did not know about that had already reached a breaking point for Andy, causing him to explode in such a manner.
Was it because of the Century Group issue? Did Jin Yu Cheng's anger over Kim Mi-kyung's situation spill over onto Andy? Now it seemed this might be the only reasonable explanation.
Weary and holding a fully packed suitcase, she just wanted to get home, but there was already someone waiting at the door.
They exchanged glances without speaking. Anna silently opened the door, and they both entered.
After placing the suitcase on the table, Anna busied herself with unpacking. Peter was somewhat excited to see Park Chan-yeol, whom he hadn't seen in a long time. However, the prominent wound on his head and the exaggerated Elizabethan collar could not hide the fact that they had just gone through an ordeal that Park Chan-yeol could not have imagined.
"What happened?" Park Chan-yeol was the first to break the cold silence.
"Nothing much, just returning to my original life," Anna replied.
"What about Peter? What happened to his injury?"
How should Anna respond? Should she tell Park Chan-yeol that it was Andy who hurt him? That would make things even more awkward. Suddenly feeling warmth from behind her, Anna realized that Park Chan-yeol had embraced her from behind.
"It's my fault for not coming when you needed me most," Park Chan-yeol said.
What kind of grievances could not be melted away by such an embrace? Hot tears fell onto Park Chan-yeol's hands as all her stubbornness and defiance crumbled.
Look, truly loving someone is so helpless; a simple hug and a gentle, sincere word are enough to resolve everything. Those resolves she had planned in her heart vanished in an instant.
Anna turned around and leaned on Park Chan-yeol's shoulder, crying freely—not out of fear or pain from before, but from the emotional release that had been suppressed in her heart over the past two days.
Park Chan-yeol gently patted Anna's back as if soothing a crying child.
"I promise you, unless it's absolutely necessary, I will never put down my phone. I will definitely answer your call as soon as it comes in," Park Chan-yeol said.
Hearing this, Anna instinctively nodded happily, but after thinking carefully, she quickly shook her head and said, "No."
"What's wrong?"
"You can't bring it while recording. It will affect things," Anna said with a bitter smile. "Since the first day we were together, we both knew each other's professions, so I won't blame you."
"Then why are you so angry?"
"I'm angry because you didn't ask me for the reason and just started getting mad. I felt wronged... But it's all in the past now. Let's not argue anymore in the future."
"Okay." Park Chan-yeol smiled reassuringly.
The two embraced each other, and time became warm and beautiful. This was their first argument, and the matter had long been forgotten in such a sweet atmosphere. Out of the corner of her eye, Anna felt someone staring at them. When she looked over, she realized Peter had been sitting next to them for who knows how long.
They both burst into laughter at the sight of him with his head encircled by Elizabeth and a confused expression.
"I'm hungry..." Anna said.
"Let's go eat," Park Chan-yeol replied.
"Where are we going this time?" Anna asked.
"Don't worry, just follow me. Does Peter want to come?"
"Do you want to go?" Anna asked with a smile.
Peter seemed to understand, happily wagging his tail and darting to the door to sit and wait.
Seeing his eager expression to go out and play made them both laugh.
"I'm going to wash my face; wait for me a moment," Anna said.
"Okay."
Indeed, it was a restaurant with very few people. Sitting in the corner, Park Chan-yeol wore a hat, so he didn't attract much attention.
"Eat slowly," Park Chan-yeol said with a smile as he watched Anna wolfing down her bibimbap.
"You don't understand, I'm about to starve. I didn't eat enough at lunch," Anna mumbled with rice in her mouth.
"Does the Running Man crew not care if you guys are full?" Park Chan-yeol joked.
"Not at all. During lunch, Miao PD specifically treated us to extra food, but there was no time to eat. It's just the beginning of spring, with various specials and many idols promoting their new albums. Just from your company, there are so many who will come on the show to promote; the schedule is too tight," Anna explained.
"That's true. We are also preparing for our new album comeback. I wonder if we'll be recording for Running Man again soon."
"Isn't it especially tiring to release a new album?" Anna asked.
Park Chan-yeol thought for a moment and replied, "Every song has to be practiced many times. Sometimes it takes several days just to record one song, not counting post-production. Practicing dance at home means I have to get my own moves right first, and then coordinate with the members. If some members are absent, the formations and movements will change. It is indeed quite complicated."
"It’s tough, but knowing that so many girls are looking forward to your comeback is also a happy thing, right?" Anna smiled.
Park Chan-yeol leaned closer and asked with a grin, "Let me ask you, who did you like the most in our group before?"
Anna hesitated for a moment and asked, "Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
"Of course I want the truth," Park Chan-yeol said.
Anna took a sip of seaweed soup, put down her spoon, and cautiously said, "The truth is... I used to like KAI the most..."
Park Chan-yeol looked at her in disappointment and said, "Ah, I knew it. I still remember when we were recording Running Man; you were staring at KAI while dancing."
"KAI really is charming on stage..." Anna laughed and looked at Park Chan-yeol. "But in real life, I only like you."
Hearing this, Park Chan-yeol couldn't hide his smile and playfully pinched Anna's cheek.
"This is the right choice," Park Chan-yeol said.
At the company entrance, Anna was a bit surprised to see Brother Jae-seok. Checking the time, she noted that the scheduled filming time for the Members was at 9 o'clock, yet Brother Jae-seok had appeared before 7.
"Brother Jae-seok? Good morning," Anna greeted him.
"Oh, Anna," Jae-seok replied with a smile. "You look great this morning."
Anna smiled shyly and asked, "Why did you come so early when there's still a long time before filming?"
"I went for a morning run nearby and came straight here afterward," Jae-seok explained.
In the lobby on the first floor, a large screen displayed news that had gathered a crowd discussing it. Yoo Jae-suk and Anna glanced over to see a photo of Andy in a suit, while the news content left everyone stunned.
"Chairman Jin Yu Cheng of Century Group is critically ill; all work and shares have been transferred to his adopted son Zheng Andy. There is turmoil within Century Group, and its future direction remains a mystery!"
"Andy..." Anna murmured. Why had Andy suddenly become Jin Yu Cheng's adopted son? What had happened between Jin Yu Cheng and Andy that led to such a massive industry being handed over to him? It was hard to believe.
Andy was just an adopted son and quite young; how would he command respect over such a vast enterprise?
"Zheng Andy..." Yoo Jae-suk also pondered. He glanced at the shocked Anna and realized why he felt familiar when he met Andy before. Seeing Anna's reaction made him connect the dots—Zheng Andy, Anna Zheng; Yoo Jae-suk finally understood.
"Mr. Zheng Andy, how are you related to Anna?" Yoo Jae-suk asked.
"He is my twin brother," Anna replied. "Brother Jae-seok, have you met him?"
Yoo Jae-suk was shocked internally but maintained his composure as he shook his head. After all, what had happened before was in the past. Seeing Anna's reaction, it was clear she didn't know that Andy was also involved in the Yoo Jae-suk incident. Not wanting her to carry any more burdens, he smiled and said, "I just noticed the names are quite similar. But Anna, your brother is impressive; achieving such heights at a young age means he has a bright future ahead."
Anna nodded thoughtfully and said, "I hope so."
"The elevator has arrived; let's go," Yoo Jae-suk said.
The two hurried a few steps and entered the elevator.
Brother Jae-seok went to the lounge first, while Anna entered the studio to meet with the members of the Task Force.
As soon as she entered the studio, she saw Park Soo Eun anxiously pacing with her phone, seemingly trying to call someone. Everyone looked worried. Anna bowed silently and carefully walked over to sit next to Kwon Ryeol, whispering, "Brother Kwon Ryeol, what happened?"
"The name tags were supposed to arrive yesterday, but they said there was a delay. They promised they would definitely be here by six-thirty this morning, but now it's past that time, and not only can we not see the items, but they aren't answering the phone either," Kwon Ryeol explained.
"But isn't the first game this morning based on the bounty amounts from One Piece for the name tags?" Anna asked.
"Yes, that's why everyone is getting anxious," Kwon Ryeol replied.
Park Soo Eun hung up the phone and cursed under her breath, throwing her phone onto the table. "Still not answering."
"Since that's the case, why don't we just go pick them up ourselves like before?!" Miao PD was clearly starting to get angry, and the atmosphere was tense.
Indeed, in the past, for name tags and some special props, Sister Park had an obligation to personally check on the production situation at the site for safety reasons. After confirming everything was fine, she would bring back the props and other special items. This was certainly part of her job. However, since they had been collaborating for a long time and had sent items several times before without issue, Sister Park didn't pay much attention this time. No one expected such a mistake would occur.
Sister Park worked hard at her job; she certainly didn't want any problems to arise. She lowered her head and remained silent.
Anna's mind raced. Blaming anyone wouldn't help now; the only way to resolve this situation was to quickly think of another solution. She glanced at the time—there was still more than an hour left...
"Miao PD, I have an idea," Anna said.
Everyone's gaze turned toward her simultaneously.
"Oh? What idea do you have?" Miao PD asked.
"I remember there are many colorful sports outfits in the prop room that Members and guests have worn before; we can use those," Anna suggested.
"But what about the name tags? Those clothes only have half of the Velcro on them now. Name tags get wrinkled after being used once and can't be reused," Miao PD pointed out.
"We can just have Sister Park neatly write out the names of the Members and guests on the Velcro with a black marker," Anna proposed.
"Are you joking? How would we tear off the name tags then?" Park Seok interjected.
"Don't Name Tag Ripping," Anna said.
"What?!" Everyone looked at Anna in surprise.
Anna smiled slightly and asked, "Sister Park, are there any balloons and slingshots left in the prop room?"
Sook-eun thought for a moment and replied, "There are balloons, but no slingshots. However, I remember that the crew of Jungle Law has slingshots; we can borrow some from them."
Anna nodded and smiled, saying, "That's great. Since the opening of this episode's Chase Battle is based on the anime One Piece, one of the main characters in One Piece is Usopp, who is skilled with a slingshot. We can fill the balloons with water and turn them into small water bombs. Each person will get two water bombs, and anyone hit in the back will be eliminated. Moreover, those who hit someone can collect the eliminated person's bombs."
After Anna finished speaking, everyone fell silent. Although they thought this idea was feasible, no one had ever tried it before. After all, in previous game designs, the Task Force members would test the feasibility and time control of the games first. This proposal left everyone uncertain...
Miao PD thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let's do it this way."
They understood that there were no better options available.
"Anna, you, Dong Wan, and Park Seok go prepare the water bombs. Sook-eun, you go get the costumes ready and make sure to label them correctly. We have two guests this time, Nichkhun and Yunhao, both of whom have been here before. Kwon Ryeol, you're familiar with the Jungle Law crew; go borrow a slingshot. If you can't find one, buy it from a store and I'll reimburse you when you return. Everyone else, please get ready for your respective tasks," Miao PD instructed.
"Okay, got it," everyone replied as they scattered to attend to their tasks.
Despite Anna's earlier confidence, she was also anxious until the first game ended when Yunhao launched the last water bomb that eliminated a momentarily careless Jung Kook. The total recording time for the first game reached nearly four hours, which was quite sufficient for post-editing standards. Seeing that the game concluded successfully, Anna finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank you, Anna; otherwise I would have been the villain of the production team," Park Soo Eun said, feeling somewhat guilty about her earlier mistake.
"It's alright, Sister Park; you're so talented that it's inevitable to have an occasional slip-up. This is all thanks to your excellent teaching," Anna comforted her with a smile.
Seeing that they hadn't delayed filming after all, Sook-eun also relaxed a bit. Anna had initially worried that this incident would upset Sook-eun; however, in the next moment, Sook-eun received a call from the prop supplier and instantly returned to her former self.
"The sun is almost setting; you finally woke up and called me... Oh dear, please don't say that; I can't handle it... I only know this is your promise to me; why aren't you fulfilling it?!... We ordered a smaller quantity? So you sent it to others first?... Alright, alright, I understand. Don't worry; you'll soon receive a notice regarding breach of contract compensation from me. I always keep my word; goodbye!"
After hanging up the phone, Sook-eun finally released her pent-up frustration from the day; her complexion brightened considerably. Anna gently patted her back to help Sook-eun calm down while wanting to laugh but holding back.
"Are we going out for dinner after this?" Lee Kwang-soo ran over to ask Anna.
"Gathering?" Anna looked at the time; it was already ten o'clock in the evening.
"Yeah, Jung Kook and Brother Gary released a new album, so they're treating everyone to dinner," Kwang-soo said.
Anna thought for a moment and replied, "I won't go. Peter is still at home."
"Peter...?" Kwang-soo took a moment to understand. "Ah, that's your puppy. No, it should be a big dog by now."
Anna smiled and said, "Yes, that's him."
Kwang-soo said, "But isn't Andy at home? He can help feed him."
It's better not to mention this to Brother Kwangsoo, Anna thought bitterly and smiled, saying, "He's too busy; he doesn't have time."
"Yeah, that's true. I saw the news this morning; he's doing so well now. I'm really envious. Congratulations on having such a successful brother; half of Korea's money must belong to your family," Kwang-soo said with a smile.
"Hehe, not really..." Anna said softly.
"However, next week there will be a three-day holiday. Jung Kook's American friend lent him a yacht, and we agreed to go play at Jeju Island together. Do you want to join us? You can bring Peter along."
"I..." Anna really wanted to go play, but she wasn't sure if one of those days would coincide with Park Chan-yeol's day off. So she smiled and said, "Let's talk about it later."
Kwang-soo said, "Alright then. Let me know once you've decided. Sister Jihyo and the others really want you to come along."
Anna nodded and smiled warmly as she said, "Okay, I understand."
After work, Miao PD talked with Anna about some things. She had done something impressive today that caught everyone's attention. Miao PD's praise made Anna feel very gratified. Even though she didn't attend the gathering, Anna still headed towards the subway station; her beloved Peter was waiting for her at home.
The cherry blossoms in Chuncheon had already bloomed for the first time this season, but the cherry blossoms in Seoul still showed no signs of blooming. As she walked quietly, she suddenly began to feel nostalgic. She took out her phone, unsure if it was appropriate to call him at this moment.
"Hello?" Park Chan-yeol's voice on the other end was somewhat noisy, with boys' and girls' voices mixed together.
"Chan-yeol... what are you doing?" Anna asked.
"There's a new group of trainees at the company, and they invited us to dinner," Park Chan-yeol said.
"Chan-yeol sunbae, Brother Canlie? ... Who are you calling? ... The barbecue is ready for you..." A cheerful girl's voice came through the receiver, and Park Chan-yeol responded to her a couple of times.
Anna sighed and smiled, saying, "Then you go ahead and eat. I'm hanging up now."
"Are you upset?" Park Chan-yeol asked.
"How could I be?" Anna replied with a slight smile. "I'm just a bit tired. Ah, the subway is coming; I have to get on. Talk to you later, bye."
After saying that, Anna hung up the phone and put it back in her bag. She looked ahead and realized she still had some distance to cover before reaching the subway station. The night air was getting a bit chilly, so Anna sniffled and continued to lift her weary feet to move forward.
"Anna Zheng, you really are pathetic; your jealousy is so obvious..."
Anna lowered her head in self-deprecation. She had originally wanted to tell Park Chan-yeol about her three days off next week, but as soon as she heard there was another girl around him, she immediately held back her words. What was she thinking? They had been through so much together; what was there to doubt?
"What are you thinking about? So lost in thought?"
Anna jumped in surprise and realized Hogga had been walking beside her without her noticing.
Anna smiled slightly and said, "Nothing." Then she remembered something and began rummaging through her bag, taking out 300,000 won and handing it to Hogga with both hands. "Here’s your money back, and thank you."
Hogga smiled slightly and accepted the money.
The two continued walking.
"Why do you always show up here?" Anna asked.
"I used to come to see you; today, I'm here to say goodbye," Hogga replied with a smile.
"Goodbye?" Anna exclaimed in surprise. "Are you leaving?"
"Yes, I'll be gone for a while. When I come back, I'll know what I need to do," Hogga said.
"Is it like seeking the truth?"
"No, it's about accepting the judgment of fate," Hogga said.
Hearing these somewhat harsh words, Anna looked at Hogga in surprise and asked, "Did something happen to you?"
Hogga lowered his head and smiled, saying, "It's the first time I've seen you care about me. I'm really happy. Just like when you called me for help instead of him, it truly makes me happy."
"That's because..." Anna wanted to explain.
"Regardless, it doesn't matter," Hogga said with a smile.
Anna thought for a moment and finally spoke up, "Hogga, I know that for some reason, you always seem to understand everything about me. So I believe you should also know that I love him..."
Hogga raised the corner of his mouth and said, "Anna, it's precisely because I understand you, and I understand him even more. Whether you two are truly in love or if you've just been through too many coincidences and hardships that make you feel compelled to cherish this relationship will soon become clear..."
Anna frowned, looking at Hogga in disbelief.
Stopping at the entrance of the subway, Hogga smiled slightly and said, "Goodbye, Anna."
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