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墨書 Inktalez
“Anna Zheng! What has been going on with you lately? How did you write this proposal?! There are so many flaws, it's unreasonable. What is your situation?! Last time was the same; you even notified the guest of the wrong time, and the game duration allocation is also incorrect!” After repeated mistakes, Miao PD finally couldn't hold back his anger and threw the document in front of Anna. He had been patient enough with Anna, but if this continued, he really didn't know what kind of disaster Anna would cause. Moreover, they were currently in a low period for Running Man, and emotions were a bit sensitive.
Anna lowered her head, took the document, and looked over it again. She realized that there were indeed many basic errors, including overlapping time arrangements. Such mistakes had not even occurred with newcomers like Han Yufei.
“I’m sorry, Miao PD,” Anna said.
“Anna, I told you before that if you have been busy lately, I can grant you leave. Please do not bring personal emotions into work and affect the entire team. You have always performed well, so I have never been overly critical. However, recently, it has been too much,” Miao PD said.
Dong Wan rarely saw Miao PD this angry, and since Anna joined the Running Man Production Team, she had always performed well. Dong Wan quickly wanted to ease the atmosphere and said, “Anna asked me to help check it; it was my fault for not checking thoroughly. I’m sorry.” Dong Wan said apologetically.
Miao PD glanced at Dong Wan.
Anna knew that Dong Wan was trying to speak up for her, but this matter was indeed unrelated to him. So she said, “No, Miao PD, it’s my fault for not giving the proposal to Dong Wan, I went directly to you; it has nothing to do with him.”
“Anna…” Dong Wan looked at Anna with concern.
“I’m sorry, Miao PD, I’m really sorry,” Anna said with her head down.
“Alright, alright. I think we should let Han Yufei handle writing proposals and the entire program flow from now on. Han Yufei, learn well from Dong Wan.”
Han Yufei nodded silently, also worried about Anna’s situation.
Everyone knew that writing proposals and managing the entire program flow was a crucial task that related to the overall structure of the show. This work often required someone with a certain level of total PD capability to handle it. Now, Anna had undoubtedly messed it up; although there were no other punishments, this arrangement was the biggest reprimand.
“Anna, during this time, just follow Mr. Yoo Jae-suk for program shooting guidance,” Miao PD said somewhat disappointed.
“Okay,” Anna nodded.
She put in so much effort to gradually transition from running around doing odd jobs to being able to sit behind the filming machine and direct the crew alongside Miao PD. Now, everything has returned to square one.
Although she felt lost, Anna admitted that recently, she really couldn't focus on her work. For various reasons, it seemed like she was drifting further away from her dreams.
So, during the shoot, seeing Anna again in Chase Battle surprised everyone who was filming together. However, Yoo Jae-suk didn't show any unusual reaction; he simply said, as polite and humorous as ever, "Anna, let's do our best together."
Anna nodded reassuringly. Yes, not asking questions at this moment was the best comfort.
"Infinite Challenge went to L.A. I heard from Kwang-soo that Brother Jae-seok, you just got back to Korea last night. You must be exhausted?" During a break before the filming of Chase Battle, Anna chatted with Jae-seok.
Jae-seok smiled and said, "It's not just me who's tired. By the way, we ran into Jung Kook while we were in L.A."
"Why was Jung Kook there?" Anna asked in confusion.
"He was there hanging out with friends. We were also surprised to bump into him," Yoo Jae-suk recalled how amazing it was to encounter Kim Jong Kook on the streets of America.
"But now that Infinite Challenge only has five members left, isn't it tough?" Anna asked. "Will Mr. Liang Shiheng really join? Brother Jae-seok, you and Kim Tae-ho PD don't want Mr. Lu Hongzhe to come back? I'm actually looking forward to that."
"Do you also feel that new members shouldn't be used?" Yoo Jae-suk asked.
Anna shyly nodded and said, "A little bit. After all, I've watched Infinite Challenge grow to this point. I still miss the seven-member group with you, Brother Jae-seok, Mr. Park Myung-soo, Haha Brother, Mr. Lu Hongzhe, Mr. Kiseong Jeong, Mr. Jung Hyun Ho, and Mr. Zheng Hengtun. That felt like the most fun time."
"Yes, I miss it too, but..." Yoo Jae-suk smiled slightly and sighed gently, saying, "The development of many things doesn't always go as we wish. Just like if one day my presence causes discomfort for the audience, I think I would gradually disappear from everyone's sight. You should have experienced this before. That's just how people are. As public figures, we have to be prepared to endure as much dislike as we receive love. Understanding this is enough."
Out of the corner of her eye, Anna glanced at the VJ adjusting the camera in a corner and quietly asked Jae-seok, "Brother Jae-seok, if the ratings really don't improve during this short time, will Running Man really have to change its members?"
"Did Miao PD tell you?" Yoo Jae-suk asked.
Anna nodded slightly. "Yes."
Yoo Jae-suk thought for a moment and said seriously, "If that day really comes, we have to accept whatever the outcome is. No matter who replaces me, it could even be me. We have to accept it. Do you understand?"
Anna had never considered the possibility of Yoo Jae-suk being replaced, nor did she realize that he had already prepared himself for such an eventuality.
If the members of Running Man were replaced, would it still be Running Man?
The intercom crackled with commands for filming preparations. Kwon Ryeol turned on the camera and walked over to get ready to shoot. Anna stood up thoughtfully and walked behind Kwon Ryeol.
Yoo Jae-suk's face returned to a bright smile, a smile that could dispel all worries.
There was a time when Anna felt like she had everything: her dream job, a successful brother, and a loving partner. But now she realized that she hadn't managed to hold onto any of those things.
She indeed possessed all of them but had forgotten to protect them well.
After a long absence, they gathered for a meal again, a large group crammed into Barbecue Restaurant, filled with laughter and joy, leaving all worries behind.
Kwang-soo playfully nudged Anna with his shoulder and asked, "Hey, why aren't you in a hurry to go home and feed Peter today?"
A pang hit Anna's heart, nearly bringing her to tears. She quickly lowered her head, rubbed her nose, and smiled as she said, "Oh, he got sick recently and didn't make it."
"What?" Kwang-soo exclaimed in surprise. "What illness? I haven't heard you mention it."
"It was a viral infection," Anna bit her lip. "Also, I've moved back in with Andy."
"Why?"
"Well, that's just how it is," Anna said helplessly.
Jung Kook also heard the conversation and quickly gave Kwang-soo a look. This time, Kwang-soo was more perceptive and didn't press further.
"Anna, come have a drink," Jung Kook raised his glass and said to Anna.
Anna smiled and raised her cup as well, even though it contained juice.
Lee Kwang-soo finally understood why Anna seemed a bit distracted every time he saw her recently. He had been busy filming and hadn't realized all that had happened. However, things were not as simple as he thought; there were many tangled emotions in Anna's heart, forming knots that, if not carefully untangled one by one, would eventually become an unresolvable mess.
"Where's Gary? Didn't he come with you?" Jae-seok looked around.
"His girlfriend just called, so he left. He didn't want to disturb everyone, so he slipped away," Jung Kook replied.
"His girlfriend?" Lee Kwang-soo was surprised and glanced at Ji-hyo's expression.
Ji-hyo was focused on eating the grilled meat on his plate and seemed to have no extra reaction.
Anna leaned closer to Kwang-soo and whispered, "Why are you looking at Sister Jihyo's expression?"
Lee Kwang-soo leaned in closer to Anna and whispered back, "Because last time when Brother Gary and I were drinking, he got drunk and kept calling Sister Jihyo's name. You mustn't tell anyone!"
"Really?!" Anna's eyes widened in surprise.
"Hey! You two are whispering again. I'm really starting to suspect that you two are dating behind our backs!" Haha said suspiciously while eyeing the smiling Anna and Kwang-soo from across the table.
Anna nearly sprayed her juice out, almost splattering Haha in the process.
"Wow, Anna, why are you reacting so strongly?" Haha teased.
"Right, brother? We make a great match," Kwang-soo said as he put his arm around Anna's shoulders with a smile.
"Hey," Anna pushed his hand away and said, "Haha Brother, who would date someone who changes girlfriends 80 times a month?"
"Well, those 80 girls seem to be willing," Jae-seok joked with a laugh.
Everyone laughed along, and Kwang-soo quickly defended himself, "There aren't 80!"
"Exactly, there aren't 80; it's only 79," Ji-hyo added playfully, then turned to Anna and said, "Anna, you really shouldn't date a guy like this, you know?"
"Of course," Anna nodded in agreement.
"Ah, Sister Jihyo, how can you say that? Once I get married, I'll definitely be very loyal," Kwang-soo complained.
"Who would dare to try? You never know if you'd end up being the 80th one," Ji-hyo said with a laugh.
Since Ji-hyo had been drinking and Anna was driving home anyway, she took responsibility for dropping her off.
Anna glanced at Ji-hyo, who seemed to be asleep in the passenger seat, and cautiously asked, "Sister, did you drink too much?"
Ji-hyo's face was flushed as she opened her eyes and smiled, "What? Just this little bit of alcohol? I have a great tolerance."
Anna nodded. Seeing her look hesitant to speak, Ji-hyo perked up and asked, "What do you want to say? Are you too shy to ask?"
After thinking for a moment and taking a deep breath to gather her resolve, Anna stammered slightly and asked, "I... um... Sister, Gary..."
Before the conversation even began, it was abruptly interrupted by Ji-hyo.
"That's something you shouldn't ask. It's impossible between us."
Anna felt frustrated; she hadn't even asked yet. However, did this statement imply that there was indeed something between them before?
Anna continued along her train of thought, "Why is it impossible? Is it because Brother Gary has a girlfriend?"
A hint of bitterness flashed in Ji-hyo's eyes as she smirked and said, "That's one reason, but the main reason is that neither of us wants to date someone from this circle. As for why, I think you should understand."
Anna certainly knew what Sister Jihyo was referring to.
"Sister Jihyo, you and I are different. You have no idea how many people wish for you two to be together. Unlike me, being with him feels like a sin. You would receive so many blessings." Anna said.
"That's precisely what makes it scarier."
"Why?" Anna asked, confused.
"The people who love us do so with good wishes, hoping for us to be together. If we were to date one day, their hopes would become reality. But if we find ourselves incompatible and break up during the process, it would lead to deep disappointment for them. Ultimately, this disappointment could turn into aversion towards both of us. We could end up ruining each other."
This was something Anna hadn't considered; she only thought about how they would receive many blessings if they were together, without realizing the consequences if those blessings fell through.
Seeing Anna's puzzled expression, Ji-hyo smiled and said, "I've met Brother Gary's girlfriend; she's a wonderful person. Anna, when you reach my age, you'll understand that often the people who end up together aren't necessarily the ones they love the most."
"Don't you feel regret?"
Ji-hyo smiled helplessly and replied, "Many things aren't about what I want to do but rather what I should do. For instance, right now I should keep my distance from Gary. As for whether I'll feel regret or not, that's something we'll have to wait and see. Who knows what will happen in the future?"
Anna did not ask any further. Since Ji-hyo was performing so carefree at this moment, she decided to let it continue like this.
When did they really start to develop feelings for each other?
Ultimately, perhaps they had become too immersed in their roles. As they acted, they began to believe it was real. This current nonchalance would one day become true. No wonder those slightly intimate gestures seemed so natural and in sync; they were unaware that they had completely transformed into the characters in their minds. By the time they realized this, it was already difficult to break free.
Is there such a thing as "should or shouldn't" when it comes to feelings?
S.M. is set to hold its new shareholders' meeting next month. Kim Mi-kyung's shares have already reached nineteen percent. Currently, the largest shareholder of S.M. is the former president and artistic director Lee Soo-man, who holds twenty-eight percent of the shares. The second-largest shareholder is the current president Kim Young-min, with twenty-six percent. Besides Kim Mi-kyung's nineteen percent stake, she is still continuing to acquire more shares. If by the time of the next shareholders' meeting her shareholding exceeds Mr. Lee Soo-man's, then S.M. Company will undergo a complete transformation.
Where did Kim Mi-kyung get so much funding? Where is Jin Yu Cheng now?
Time is running out.
Returning home, it was already late at night. Looking at the shoes by the door, Anna knew that Andy must have returned.
Dragging her weary body, she walked straight to the bedroom and lay down on the bed, waiting for the bathwater to fill up.
Anna closed her eyes; the room was quiet except for the faint sound of running water from the bathroom. Suddenly, two faint 'thumps' echoed as if they had penetrated Anna's ears.
Startled, Anna sat up abruptly. Just then, there were two more 'thumps.' Although the sound was soft, Anna clearly heard that it came from the ceiling.
The attic!
This thought rushed into her mind.
Anna immediately got up and quietly walked out of her room. She glanced at Andy's tightly closed door and the empty living room on the first floor. Gathering her courage once more, she headed toward the attic.
The heavy metal door seemed to be sealed, locked with a six-digit code. Anna pressed her ear against the door, but apart from the coldness, she could hear nothing.
What is inside here?
"Still not asleep?"
Andy's voice suddenly echoed through the room. Anna was taken aback for a moment but quickly regained her calm smile as she turned around to see Andy standing in the center of the living room, holding a glass of wine and wearing a cheerful expression.
"Yeah, I heard some noise from the ceiling, which startled me," Anna replied.
"I brought back two Monitor Lizards from Australia and kept them inside. I didn't tell you because I was afraid you'd be scared," Andy explained.
"Monitor Lizards?"
"Yes," Andy nodded and slowly walked towards the second floor. He reached the door and said, "Want to take a look inside?"
Anna smiled and said, "Sure."
Andy smiled slightly, placed his wine glass on the railing, and without any hesitation, entered the code in front of Anna.
'389421'.
Although Anna found Andy's lack of discretion strange, she quietly took note of it.
After pressing the confirmation key, the door slowly opened, revealing a warm interior. As soon as she stepped inside, she saw two enormous lizards—one resting on the stairs leading to the loft above and the other lying not far from the center of the door.
Anna had been afraid of such creatures since childhood; her heart raced with fear, but she forced herself to appear calm and stiffly smiled as she said, "I didn't expect you to like keeping these kinds of things."
"There's no need to develop any feelings; just feed the meat on schedule. It's not about liking, it's just convenient. Since there's no need for feelings, it doesn't cause any trouble," Andy said with a smile.
He closed the door again.
"By the way, you used to knit me a scarf every year starting from summer. You knit slowly, so it would be ready just in time for late autumn. You haven't done that for the past two years. This year, make sure to knit me one early," Andy said with a smile.
Anna was slightly surprised and replied, "Didn't you always say that my scarves aren't pretty?"
"They're not pretty, but Anna, we are each other's only family now. I cherish that and hope you understand," Andy said.
Anna felt a slight tug at her heart, but the previous closeness seemed to have faded.
She nodded and wished him goodnight. When Anna returned to her room, she no longer heard the strange noises. Were those really the sounds made by those terrifying lizards?
If cherishing the people one wants to cherish ends up hurting others, does that become a sin?
Things always develop unexpectedly and are forever out of control. Waking up in the morning brought another shocking piece of news.
'Park Chan-yeol admits that he brought drugs to the dormitory; other members only ingested them by mistake. To express his remorse, he is willing to leave EXO and bear the consequences alone.'
This outcome was also confirmed by the police. Public opinion erupted once again, with various conspiracy theories emerging. The most prevalent theory suggested that S.M. Company made Park Chan-yeol the scapegoat to save the other members and the company's reputation.
Such opinions dominated mainstream discourse, leading to no improvement in S.M. Company's situation; instead, it worsened due to these actions.
The only somewhat positive aspect was that the other EXO members could basically resume their normal activities.
During their first comeback event at SBS, Anna saw the team missing only Park Chan-yeol and felt a mix of emotions inside her.
"Where is Park Chan-yeol?" Anna asked Kai quietly in an empty place.
Kai was somewhat surprised; he didn't understand why two people who disliked each other began to care about one another.
"He has an apartment in Busan; he must have gone there," Kai said. "Let's go find him, but he probably doesn't want to see us. Those things definitely weren't brought by Chan-yeol; we just can't say anything right now. If we do, it will only make things worse."
"I understand, but KAI, is there really no doubt about this matter?"
"There is, but we can't find it."
"What?"
"It's the cleaning lady who comes to our dorm every other day. I think only she could have done those things. But I asked my brother, and he said their investigation showed no motive for her to frame us, plus she's just a woman in her fifties from the countryside. Where would she get that much drugs?"
"What is the cleaning lady's name? Where is she now?" Anna asked.
"I only know that her name is Li Fengshun; I don't know anything else," Kai replied.
"Mr. Jin Zhongxi, do you know him?"
Kai nodded and said, "I think so. Chan-yeol is very down right now; I've never seen him like this before."
Kai still found it strange; he was just following Anna's lead without having time to consider why she was so concerned.
"KAI, where are you?" Sehun's voice called out from a distance.
"I'm here, coming over," Kai responded and said to Anna, "I have to go now, goodbye."
"Goodbye."
After saying that, she quickly walked towards Sehun.
"Hey? Isn't that Anna? What are you two talking about?" Sehun asked, puzzled.
"Nothing much, just about Chan-yeol," Kai replied, then thought for a moment before continuing, "Ah, weren't they supposed to dislike each other? Why does it seem like Anna is really concerned about Chan-yeol today?"
"Right? I only realized that during the time at Cat's Paw Bar. It seemed like they didn't actually hate each other," Sehun said.
"What?"
"That time, Anna was there for some reason and drank a lot. Chan-yeol was really worried and tried to stop her from drinking. He even rushed in to take her drinks away, which scared me. Plus, it seemed like Anna told Chan-yeol something very secretive. Later on, when Anna drank too much, Chan-yeol was so anxious that he took her to the hospital," Sehun explained.
Kai was extremely surprised and said, "Could it be…"
"What?" Sehun didn't understand.
Kai thought for a moment, smiled, and said, "It's nothing. Let's talk about it later." After saying that, he quickened his pace towards the parking lot.
"Hey, what is it? Clear it up!" Sehun caught up with Kai and continued to question him.
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