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One day without clarification, and I would be silenced like this. The atmosphere at S.M was clearly different from before; even the receptionist was much more sensitive, asking Anna numerous questions and repeatedly confirming her identification before allowing her to enter.
She was informed that they were in the recording studio. Initially, she thought about having someone pass along the items, but after careful consideration, she felt it would be more reassuring to deliver them personally.
Seohyun, YoonA, and Yuri were recording, while the other Members were waiting outside the recording room for their turn. Since they had met during previous recordings, Taeyeon smiled politely when she saw Anna standing at the door.
"Hello," Taeyeon greeted with a warm smile.
"Hello, Miss Taeyeon, I am Zheng Anna FD from Running Man," Anna replied with a smile and a bow.
"We've met before," Taeyeon said with a warm smile.
Anna sincerely admired how such politeness made her feel fond of them, whether on stage or behind the scenes.
"These clothes are for tomorrow's recording. Each piece has been labeled, so please find your outfits according to the labels. For tomorrow morning's shoot, please wear the clothes provided by the production team when you leave," Anna said as she handed the box to Taeyeon.
Taeyeon accepted the box and smiled, saying, "Okay, I understand. Thank you for your hard work."
"You're welcome. See you tomorrow," Anna bowed as she took her leave.
"See you tomorrow, goodbye," Taeyeon also bowed in farewell to Anna.
The unexpected smoothness of the encounter lightened Anna's steps. With her work done and not encountering anyone she didn't want to see, her luck seemed to be turning around.
Happily, she got into the elevator. Her luck had been terrible for over a year, but today was finally... Just as Anna was thinking this, before she could finish her thoughts, there was a loud clank as the elevator suddenly stopped, plunging her into darkness.
Terrified, Anna felt her body go limp and sat down on the floor, pressing her back against the wall of the elevator. In an instant, images of an apocalyptic scenario flashed through her mind; from such a height of over ten stories, if she fell, it would be a gruesome end.
Fear caused Anna to instinctively shut her eyes tightly. After a long while of calm, she slowly opened them, only to find complete darkness. Her bag was nowhere to be found. Lying on the ground, Anna groped around in the dark until she finally located her bag, pulled out her phone, and turned it on, bringing light into the space.
With the light, her heart settled a bit, allowing her to think about what to do next.
Call for help? But in this enclosed space, there was no signal on her phone. Spotting the emergency button in the elevator, Anna could only rely on that now, hoping it would summon someone to rescue her or that the elevator would suddenly start working again.
The space was small and stifling. She glanced at her phone; the signal flickered between one bar and complete absence. The emergency button had been pressed, yet there were no signs of anyone coming to assist her.
The heat and fear caused Anna to sweat profusely in a short time. Exhausted, she sat down and tried dialing multiple times, but the signal was too weak, as if it would vanish with the slightest touch.
Having never experienced anything like this before, Anna did not realize that her panic and anxiety in such an environment would quickly lead to oxygen deprivation and dehydration.
Sure enough, her strength gradually faded, and dizziness began to creep in.
Anna felt that if this continued, she would die here. Her sitting position unconsciously shifted to lying on the ground as one hand repeatedly pounded on the elevator door, hoping someone would hear her. With her eyes closed, she instinctively waved her arms.
Did no one in this company ever use the elevator? Anna felt increasingly uncomfortable. Little did she know that everyone in the company did use the elevator; it was just that with eight elevators serving each floor, those who had arrived at these two elevators before assumed that Simple's elevator was out of order and chose another one instead—who would have thought someone was inside?
If only she had started banging on the elevator door earlier, she wouldn't have ended up in such a desperate situation.
Fortunately, although she had no idea how much time had passed, Anna finally heard a thud from outside the elevator door. She quickly opened her eyes and mustered all her strength to knock twice more on the door.
The person outside must have confirmed that someone was inside; they pressed against the elevator and called out to Anna.
"Is anyone in there?"
Anna responded, "Yes... please help me."
She didn't know if he had heard her; suddenly, there was no sound outside the door. Anna thought that he might not have heard her voice, and now it was over...
Anna could only continue to hold onto a faint hope, relying on the next person who would arrive at the elevator, as she knocked on the elevator door.
As an FD from SBS, dying in the elevator of S.M. Company—what kind of story was that? How would the newspapers write it? "Running Man's Bad-tempered Female FD Found Dead in S.M. Elevator"? That was too unfair. What unfulfilled wishes did she still have? Anna's mind was filled with chaotic thoughts.
In a daze, she seemed to sense light, as if dreaming. She slightly opened her eyelids, and Park Chan-yeol's worried face appeared before her.
Anna smiled; how wonderful it was to see you in a dream. But why do you still have a frown and aren't smiling...
"I want to see you smile at me..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Anna fell into a deep sleep.
A faint snoring sound came from her; everything was not a dream. The rescuers around her were puzzled by Anna's reaction. Seeing her asleep and seemingly fine, they quickly took her to the company's emergency Medical Room.
"She's fine, just a bit dehydrated. She's asleep now; once she gets some fluids, she'll be okay when she wakes up," the doctor in the Medical Room said.
"Okay, thank you, Dr. Zhao," Park Chan-yeol replied.
"Chan-yeol, you have a schedule coming up," Li Agent said.
"Li Agent, can you help me cancel it? Just this once. Anyway, the audience isn't particularly eager to see us right now," Park Chan-yeol said to Li Agent.
Li Agent sighed, thought for a moment, and said, "Alright, just this once." After saying that, he patted Park Chan-yeol on the shoulder and left.
The room was very quiet; Dr. Zhao, who had little work to do, had already fallen asleep at his desk without even taking off his glasses.
Anna seemed to be dreaming, sometimes furrowing her brows and at other times appearing to smile foolishly.
Park Chan-yeol did not know that all the sadness and joy in her dreams were stories related to him.
It wasn't until after noon that Anna finally woke up. The first thing she saw was Park Chan-yeol's face, and she thought she was still dreaming. She turned over, closed her eyes again, and mumbled, "It's so nice to see you again."
Park Chan-yeol smiled and said, "Since it's so nice to see me, let's meet often."
Anna still hadn't realized what was happening. She grinned and said, "Okay..." But after saying that, she finally distinguished the difference from the dream and suddenly opened her eyes wide, sitting up to see Park Chan-yeol sitting beside her with a particularly bright smile.
Anna suspiciously reached out to touch his face. The real sensation came through, and she quickly withdrew her hand, wishing she could find a mouse hole to hide in.
Could it all be real? What had she just said?
Anna glanced at Dr. Zhao, who was still sleeping soundly beside her, snoring softly. Seeing him sleep so deeply, she felt relieved.
Although she had been mentally exhausted during this time, Park Chan-yeol appeared particularly happy at that moment.
"Was it you outside the elevator?" Anna asked quietly.
"Yes, but I only realized it was you inside after they opened the door," Park Chan-yeol replied.
Anna smiled helplessly and said, "Thank you for helping me again."
Park Chan-yeol smiled slightly and looked at her, saying, "But you just said..."
"What did I just say?!" Anna nervously interrupted Park Chan-yeol.
"Why are you so nervous? Look at you, your face is all red. Honestly, what did you dream about me?" Park Chan-yeol stared at Anna's slightly reddening face.
Anna quickly averted her gaze, turned around, put on her shoes, and stood up, intending to leave.
"Where are you going?" Park Chan-yeol's voice was a bit loud, waking Dr. Zhao.
"What's going on?" Dr. Zhao rubbed his eyes and put his glasses back on. With sleep marks on his face, he saw Anna and smiled, "Oh, you're awake."
Anna quickly bowed and greeted him, saying, "Hello, Doctor. Thank you."
"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Dr. Zhao. We'll be leaving now."
"Alright, take care... I need to get some sleep..." Dr. Zhao yawned. Just as Anna and Park Chan-yeol stepped out of the clinic, the door was immediately closed behind them.
The corridor was unusually quiet.
"Let's go, I'll walk you back," Park Chan-yeol said.
"No need, I can walk by myself. Thanks for today, goodbye." Anna kept her head down and didn't look at him. After speaking, she turned to leave.
"Hey, Anna Zheng." Park Chan-yeol called out to her and said, "If you don't want our company people to see us messing around here, just quietly come with me to the underground parking lot."
Anna hesitated for a moment but didn't stop walking. Park Chan-yeol quickly caught up and grabbed her wrist. Anna tried to break free but found she couldn't match his strength. Just then, she spotted two male interns approaching from a distance. Worried about being seen by them, Anna anxiously struggled and whispered, "Let go!"
Park Chan-yeol stubbornly refused to release her. Seeing no other option, Anna had to pull him around the corner until the two boys disappeared before she finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Alright, let's go," Anna said as she tried to step out from around the corner, but Park Chan-yeol pulled her back again.
"What are you doing?" Anna asked, surprised yet afraid of being seen, speaking in a hushed tone. Her posture and distance made her feel anxious. Just a few days ago, she would have embraced the person in front of her without hesitation, but after that phone call, Anna could no longer find any reason to indulge her own whims.
"Why do you always act like this? Anna Zheng, what are you really avoiding?" Seeing Anna's somewhat intense reaction, Park Chan-yeol furrowed his brow slightly.
Anna smiled helplessly and said, "The things between us can never be known by others, right? When we were together, we had to keep it secret; now that we're not together anymore, it would be too unfair if rumors spread."
"So, the reason you broke up with me was because of this?" Park Chan-yeol asked.
"It doesn't matter anymore," Anna replied softly.
"I thought you understood that if our relationship were exposed, it would have a huge impact on you. That's why I was being discreet. If you don't want to hide anymore, I don't mind going public," Park Chan-yeol said earnestly.
Both were making the most careful plans for each other. Little did Park Chan-yeol know that Anna had always understood his intentions, while he remained unaware of the truths hidden from him. Moreover, Anna still had an unresolved issue in her heart regarding Jang Bo-Yeon. Even in the most trusting relationships, repeated 'coincidences' could lead to corrosion and instability.
"What about Jang Bo-Yeon?" Anna couldn't help but ask this question.
"What?" Park Chan-yeol replied, confused.
"Jang Bo-Yeon, Park Chan-yeol, don't tell me you still see her as a sister," Anna said, clearly a bit angry.
Seeing her like this brought joy to Park Chan-yeol's heart. He smirked and asked, "Are you jealous?"
"I'm not," Anna said as she slipped her hand out of his grasp and walked toward the elevator. However, upon reaching the elevator and recalling what had happened earlier, she felt a pang of anxiety and decided to change direction toward the emergency exit instead.
Watching Park Chan-yeol follow her with a teasing smile behind her, Anna didn't intend to get entangled with him any further. She wasn't sure how many heartfelt truths she might reveal if they continued this back-and-forth.
Just as she was about to reach the first-floor exit, Park Chan-yeol quickly caught up with her again and grabbed her wrist, leading her down to the basement level.
"Let go," Anna wanted to shake free.
"This is a public place, and it's easy for others to overhear. If you don't want to be discovered, keep quiet," Park Chan-yeol said without turning around.
Anna glanced back and saw that there were indeed people passing by the exit on the first floor. She could only frown and close her mouth, choosing not to speak further.
The car drove in silence for a long time. Park Chan-yeol noticed Anna's worried expression but felt quite happy because he finally heard some sincere words from her today.
He looked at her and smiled, asking, "Are you still angry?"
Anna shook her head slightly, continuing to gaze out the window. After a while, she asked, "What’s going on with EXO now?"
"Didn't you read the newspaper?" Chan-yeol asked.
"They said all group activities are temporarily suspended, and solo appearances on public radio are also prohibited. It basically amounts to being blacklisted, right?"
Park Chan-yeol glanced at her with pride and said, "You care so much about me; this is the latest news today, and you already know."
Feeling exposed, Anna pale denied it, saying, "Everyone is concerned; I just happened to see it."
Park Chan-yeol chuckled and didn't press the matter further.
"By the way, Kim Mi-kyung..." Anna asked.
"The stock of S.M. Company has been falling recently, but Kim Mi-kyung has already bought up a large portion of the shares at a high price, and she is still acquiring more."
"Have you found her?"
"Her phone is turned off, and the company is trying to contact her, but they can't find her at all," Park Chan-yeol said.
Anna clenched her fists, a terrifying thought lingering in her mind.
"Chan-yeol, that day, with such a big fire, do you think she could have survived it?" Anna asked.
"What are you thinking? If she can do these things now, she must still be alive. Otherwise, do you think it's a ghost..." Park Chan-yeol paused for a moment, smirking as he continued, "Actually, when I found out she wasn't dead, I felt relieved."
"Yeah, otherwise it feels like carrying a life on your shoulders for the rest of your life," Anna said thoughtfully.
Park Chan-yeol said, "Actually, we've overlooked something."
"What?"
"You asked me to pull out the blue button on your watch. Do you remember?"
Anna certainly remembered because that watch was given to her by Andy before he went to film the Asian Special for Running Man...
"I asked you what pulling out the blue button meant, but you didn't have time to answer. I think it should be a distress signal sent to someone, right?" Park Chan-yeol asked.
Anna was left speechless in shock as an ominous premonition grew within her.
Park Chan-yeol continued, "If the person who received the distress signal had really rushed there at that time and we hadn't encountered them, and that person just happened to be the one who saved Kim Mi-kyung, then everything would make sense. But who was that distress signal actually sent to?"
The thought sent chills down Anna's spine...
This matter was still related to Andy. He must know Kim Mi-kyung.
"Why aren't you speaking?" Park Chan-yeol asked as he noticed Anna lost in thought.
"Nothing," Anna replied, clearly troubled.
"Don't worry, S.M. Company is working hard to address the situation and recover those stocks. There won't be any issues; the truth will definitely come out. For now, let's regard this as a vacation. Everything will be fine," Park Chan-yeol said with a smile.
Seeing him force a carefree expression, Anna could only smile faintly. She knew all too well how unlikely it was for the truth to come to light and for things to settle down. If they carried such a stigma, they might never rise in this industry again.
In the distance, the SBS logo was already visible. Park Chan-yeol smiled and said, "By the way, you mentioned wanting to see me often; I’ll remember that."
"What?" Anna responded. "I said that when I was feeling confused."
"I don't care; from now on, I’ll interpret everything you say in my own way. And Anna Zheng, if you're jealous, just say it. Remember, there’s nothing between me and Jang Bo-Yeon, and there never will be," Park Chan-yeol said seriously.
His earnest words left Anna at a loss for how to respond. Hearing such declarations made her genuinely happy, but why was it that every time she called late at night, it was Jang Bo-Yeon who answered? If one day the truth came out and Park Chan-yeol stood on stage again, would history repeat itself?
Anna felt a bit lost.
The car stopped in the SBS outdoor parking lot.
"I'm leaving now; thank you, goodbye," Anna said.
"Anna..." Park Chan-yeol called out to her.
"What is it?"
Park Chan-yeol hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's nothing. Goodbye."
Anna did not ask any questions, smiled lightly, and said, "Goodbye."
Watching the car leave, Anna felt a whirlwind of emotions. She was unsure about the path she should take next. In fact, up until now, she had never really taken the initiative in matters of the heart; fate had always pushed her to certain points. At those points, when it was time to love, she loved; when it was time to part ways, she parted...
Anna sighed and turned around, only to be startled by Lee Kwang-soo, who was smiling behind her, nearly causing her heart to leap out of her chest.
"Oh my," Anna gasped, clutching her chest and shooting a glare at Kwang-soo. "When did you get here? You didn't make a sound and scared me half to death."
"I've been here for a while; you just couldn't see me," Lee Kwang-soo replied with a smile before asking, "Did you two make up?"
Anna realized he must have recognized Park Chan-yeol's car earlier.
"What do you mean 'make up'? He just gave me a ride. I ran into him this morning when I went to S.M to drop off clothes for Girls' Generation," Anna explained.
Upon hearing Girls' Generation, Lee Kwang-soo's eyes instantly turned into heart shapes, and he nearly drooled as thoughts of Park Chan-yeol faded away.
"Girls' Generation?! Are they coming as guests?"
Realizing she had let slip something that was supposed to be confidential, Anna quickly lied, "No, it's just something left over from when they came to film a show before. I'm just returning it."
"Before? Wasn't that quite some time ago?"
Anna always felt a bit awkward when lying, but thankfully Kwang-soo seemed oblivious.
"Yeah... Sister Park just organized it a few days ago, so I went to deliver it today and thought I'd see if we could arrange for them to come back for another show," Anna said.
"Come on the show? Wow, that's great! Did it work out? When are they coming?" Kwang-soo asked excitedly.
Anna glanced at him helplessly, then stepped forward and walked into the building, with Kwang-soo following closely behind.
"I don't know, the manager said to check the schedule," Anna replied. However, after thinking for a moment, she realized it wasn't Monday, so why was Kwang-soo here? She asked, "Brother Kwang-soo, what are you doing at SBS today? Are you filming?"
"I'm not just on Running Man; I'm here for another show today as a guest," Kwang-soo said proudly.
"Ah, yes, yes. Just do your best, brother," Anna said. She felt a twinge of jealousy seeing him perform better on other shows than on Running Man.
Is this considered jealousy?
"By the way, have you two really made up?" Kwang-soo asked again.
Anna sighed and said, "Why are you bringing this up again?"
"Just checking in on a fellow companion. Come on, tell me, have you reconciled?" Kwang-soo pressed.
"You should focus on the women around you who change every day. If I were you, dealing with so many women would have driven me crazy and exhausted me. How would I have the energy to care about an inconspicuous companion like me?" Anna replied.
Kwang-soo laughed and nudged Anna's shoulder, saying, "I don't have time to care about you; you could care more about me."
Anna shot a glance at Kwang-soo's mischievous smile, shook her head, and got into the elevator. Kwang-soo followed her in and finally closed his mouth once they were inside.
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