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墨書 Inktalez
The sea wind howled at Incheon Port. A man, dressed in shabby clothes with a scruffy beard, wore a pair of exquisite gold-rimmed glasses, suggesting he might have once held a prominent position.
An old, dilapidated boat approached the deserted shore against the sea breeze. Some people were already seated on the boat; some had their heads down as if sleeping, while others were drinking, their faces flushed with drunkenness and displaying fierce expressions.
This was a smuggling boat where only life and death mattered, with no rules in sight.
The Bald Man was the captain, wearing a black tank top adorned with tattoos on his chest and arms. He looked at the hesitant man on the shore with impatience, furrowing his brow and asking, "Hey, Old Man, are you getting on or not? If you're discovered later, you'll die here!"
The man surveyed those aboard the boat. He glanced back at the deserted Incheon in the dead of night. He was indeed hesitant—not out of fear of the thugs on the boat or the dangers of leaving—but because at that moment, he realized he was reluctant to part with the hard-earned achievements he had built up bit by bit.
He felt unwilling.
Even if it meant death, he could not accept it.
"Ashi, are you getting on or not...!"
"Old man, can you do this or not? Are you reluctant to leave your old lady at home?" The people on the boat began to jeer.
The man clenched his fists, turned around, and took a step away from the shore. He was indeed walking towards the direction away from the coast; he could not leave. If he did, it would mean losing everything.
How could he easily walk away after falling into such a miserable state?
Even if it meant being trapped like a fish caught in a net, he would rather not live in shame than give up his former high status.
"Hey! Old man! Where are you going... ah, he's leaving! Old Man is really wasting time; damn it!"
No longer listening to the voices behind him, in this final moment, the man's heart became incredibly resolute.
Anna never expected to receive a call from KAI; it was truly unexpected. The first thought that crossed Anna's mind was that Park Chan-yeol might be in trouble. As she arranged to meet, when passing through the living room, Andy asked where she was going so late. Anna simply lied, saying it was something related to the Task Force, and hurried out.
"Chan-yeol is leaving." This was the first thing KAI said after Anna got into his car.
Anna was indeed taken aback. Although surprise and sadness flashed by, KAI, who had already considered everything in his heart, caught on to it all.
KAI was now more certain of his suspicions.
"He has been very depressed these days, so he decided to go to Australia the day after tomorrow," KAI said.
"Why are you telling me this?" Anna tried to pretend to be calm and smiled slightly as she asked, "KAI, did you call me just for this? But when will Park Chan-yeol come back? I thought it was..."
KAI interrupted her, "Anna, you also thought about it because of Chan-yeol's situation, which is why you rushed out, right?" KAI said with a smile.
Anna was momentarily speechless, her expression starting to stiffen.
"What does that mean?"
KAI let out a long sigh and said, "Anna, I'm also interested in a girl, so I can probably understand your concerns. However, I think you're the only one who can keep him here now. Am I wrong?"
Anna lowered her head and remained silent.
KAI awkwardly smiled and said, "Ah, I used to be such a fool; I thought the person you liked was me. You must have laughed at me many times."
Anna quickly waved her hand and said, "No, no."
"Ah, you two are really good at hiding it. Now that I think about it, Park Chan-yeol often mysteriously goes to the bathroom to make phone calls. It seems like it's all about you."
Anna smiled helplessly and tacitly agreed.
"Daytime activities are always too conspicuous, so he comes out at night. Aside from the one time I happened to visit where he currently lives, it seems no one else knows."
It was then that Anna realized the car had been driving in an unfamiliar direction.
"Where are we going?" Anna asked.
"To Park Chan-yeol's apartment in Busan."
"What?" Anna widened her eyes in surprise. She couldn't see Park Chan-yeol; she would definitely soften her heart, and that would only make things worse. Anna instantly began to feel anxious and said, "No, I can't see him!"
KAI hadn't expected such a strong reaction from Anna and asked in confusion, "Why?"
Anna pleaded but remained firm in her stance.
"There are many things I can't explain to you right now; you'll understand later."
"Then you'll just watch him leave. I've asked him, and once he leaves, he might never come back. Park Chan-yeol has no plans to return to Korea at all," KAI said, feeling a bit anxious as well.
"No, he will come back."
"What reason do you have to come back?" KAI parked the car by the roadside, staring at Anna, who was clearly holding back her emotions. "What reason is there for him to stay here now? His dream as a singer has shattered, all those years of hard work wasted. The fans who once liked him are extremely disappointed, and you—don't tell me his current state of despair has nothing to do with you."
"KAI, you're wrong. It's precisely because I know that many things are related to me that I won't see him again. Every time I get closer to him, it only causes him more pain. In your eyes, love and family ties are pure emotions, but for some people, they are merely possessions," Anna said. "To obtain one thing is like going to any lengths to acquire everything."
"What do you mean? What do you mean by many things being related to you? What do you mean that emotions are just possessions?" KAI was even more astonished.
Anna couldn't say anything more; she sighed.
"KAI, thank you. Seeing how good you are to him makes me happy, but the person who can walk alongside him won't be me. He is originally a dazzling star; watching him shine from afar is enough for me. If I selfishly try to put that star in my pocket, it will only cause him to lose all his brilliance. As for Park Chan-yeol's reasons for staying in Korea... there will be reasons... His dreams and all his efforts over the years will not be in vain."
"Anna..."
"I'm already very happy to have accompanied him for such a short distance. But his wings will return; they will definitely come back, and he will soar again, surely..."
"Do you have any plans? Or do you know something? Tell me; maybe I can help you?"
Anna shook her head and said, "No one can help me with this matter..." Anna smiled faintly, full of melancholy. She looked at KAI and said, "Please take me home."
KAI sighed and restarted the car, heading back the way they came.
"He has a flight at 8:45 PM the day after tomorrow," KAI said.
Anna did not respond; the car was filled with silence. Perhaps within that silence were mixed feelings of regret, sadness, and resolution—yet no matter how complex the emotions were, they ultimately made no sound...
"Anna, Anna... Anna!" Dong Wan called out to Anna several times before she finally snapped back to reality from her daze.
"Oh, what's wrong?" Anna asked.
"Hey, what's going on with you lately? You're always so distracted," Dong Wan said as he sat down across from Anna, handing her the program proposal for the next episode.
Anna glanced at it and then shyly replied, "Maybe I should just let Yufei take a look. I've been a bit flustered recently. I'm afraid I won't do a good job." She handed the document back to Dong Wan.
"What's going on with you? You've always been so confident from the beginning until now; you've never been like this," Dong Wan said with some concern.
Anna smiled helplessly and said, "I'm really sorry. But I'll be fine in a few days."
"Alright, but I still want to tell you that I've included your suggestion about thanking the audience for their engagement and participation in this proposal. The viewership for the latest episode has increased by 1.3 percentage points. Although we're still a bit away from our target, at least we can see some hope," Dong Wan said.
"Yes, most of the games in Running Man involve interactions between the members and guests, with very little participation from the audience. As for Chase Battle, it's mostly held indoors in a closed setting. I think we can try to change that by openly conducting Chase Battle on the streets and allowing citizens to participate more in the games. This way, it feels more approachable. However, I’ll need your help to think about how to integrate these ideas," Anna said.
"Having good ideas is what matters most. I believe we can overcome this challenge," Dong Wan said with a smile.
During this time, although Anna had many chaotic thoughts in her mind, she had also considered what problems Running Man was currently facing.
The freshness and the almost unchanged format were indeed issues, but there was more to it.
In South Korea, there is no shortage of long-running shows that have been around for over ten years; these programs continue to thrive. The production quality of Running Man is not inferior to those shows, so why has it reached such a bottleneck?
At home, sometimes afraid of overthinking, Anna would browse through early episodes of the show online, carefully recalling what attracted her to it when she was just an ordinary viewer in front of the television.
Part of it was because it was fun, but another part was an issue that everyone seems to have overlooked: effort.
The audience not only enjoys watching a group of people having fun, but they also want to see the artists giving their all.
How long has it been since we saw Brother Jae-seok running until drenched and pale? When was the last time Ji-hyo hid herself, disregarding her image as a female actress, lying on the ground with disheveled hair? When did we last witness Jung Kook single-handedly battling against seven or eight others with all his might? Perhaps there has been too much betrayal in Running Man lately; it seems that without betrayal among the cast and guests in each episode, there are no laughs.
The image of "moving forward together" is often presented and might be more endearing.
"Can we do a special episode regularly, like once every six months, featuring guests who have regrets about their experiences in Running Man games? This could also be done through audience voting. We could select seven guests from these individuals to form a team to compete against the seven members of Running Man. Alternatively, we could choose the seven strongest guests from the past six months to form a team as well. This way, the show would have continuity, and viewers would feel that if they don’t watch every episode, they’ll miss out on what happens next. Unlike now, where each episode can be watched or skipped, and the topics don’t stay relevant for long," Anna suggested.
Dong Wan thought for a moment and said, "That could work; it should attract quite a bit of attention. Continuity is indeed something the show has always lacked."
"And if possible, let’s do a return-to-basics special soon. This way, both Members and long-time viewers of Running Man can reignite their enthusiasm to some extent," Anna added.
"Why don’t you just write these ideas into a proposal or talk to Miao PD about them?" Dong Wan asked curiously.
Anna smiled helplessly and replied, "It’s all the same; as long as Running Man can get back on track, it doesn’t matter who says it or writes it. Besides, I really haven’t had enough energy lately. I’ll just leave this to you."
"But do you have any good ideas for a return-to-basics special?"
"Let’s go to the Seoul Science Museum, where all seven Members first gathered. I was thinking that we could present tasks in a quiz format based on previous episodes."
Dong Wan considered this for a moment, nodded, and said, "Hmm, that sounds good. I’ll discuss it with Miao PD. Do you want to come along?"
Anna checked the time and said, "No thanks; I’m about to finish work and have some things to take care of. You can handle the rest."
Although Dong Wan found it strange that Anna, who used to be like a workaholic, suddenly didn’t want to stay even for a little overtime, he didn’t ask further. He said goodbye and went to find Miao PD in another studio.
Anna was lost in thought, sighed, and packed her things. It was just the end of the workday, and she hurried home.
Anna rarely appeared so rushed that when she walked out the door, she unexpectedly bumped into Kim Jong Kook, who was recording a late-night show at the company, surprising him.
“Oh, Brother Jae-seok,” Anna recognized the person in front of her and quickly bowed to greet him. “Hello, Jung Kook.”
Jung Kook smiled and said, “Anna, why are you in such a hurry?”
“It’s nothing, I have something to do, so I’ll be leaving now. Goodbye.”
After Anna finished speaking, she didn’t wait for Jung Kook to respond and hurriedly got into her car, speeding away from the SBS entrance.
Jung Kook felt puzzled; Anna’s expression seemed off.
She had never driven this fast before, especially during rush hour; it seemed even slower than taking the subway.
No, this was too slow; she didn’t have much time.
She needed to get home before Andy returned.
However, time passed second by second, feeling particularly swift while her car remained stuck in traffic, moving slower than the cyclists on the side of the road.
As dusk fell, Anna grew increasingly anxious. She could see her home just around the next corner. Checking the time, it was almost seven o'clock. Andy had been coming home around eight lately, leaving her with just an hour.
After thinking for a moment and disregarding everything else, she changed direction and parked her car by the roadside. She didn’t care whether it would be towed; all that mattered now was getting home as quickly as possible.
Running all the way home, Anna felt the curious gazes of passersby. When she finally arrived home, she was out of breath and drenched in sweat.
Andy still hadn't returned. She kicked off her shoes without even changing into slippers, tossing them aside as she hurried up to the second floor.
"389421," the six-digit code had become almost like a spell, swirling in Anna's mind for the past few days.
With her heart racing from the intense exercise and anxiety, Anna felt like it might leap out of her chest.
Wiping the sweat from her hands, she carefully pressed the numbers, hitting the confirmation button, but the heavy door remained silent.
Could it be that she had entered the wrong code?
Anna pressed it again, twice… If she pressed it one more time, the alarm would trigger, so she had to give up.
Why? Anna couldn't understand; it was definitely these six digits, there shouldn't be any mistake. Why couldn't she get it open?
Just as Anna hesitated, she heard the sound of a key turning in the lock. She quickly composed herself and rushed to the stairs, then slowly made her way down.
Andy walked in and saw Anna coming down from upstairs, barefoot and sweating profusely. He glanced at the password door with a slight smile before slowly changing into comfortable slippers. He poured himself a glass of water and sank into the sofa, relaxing against its back.
"You're back so quickly; you didn't even have time to put on your slippers?" Andy remarked as he placed a large paper bag on the coffee table.
"Oh, my stomach hurt, so I rushed a bit to get to the bathroom," Anna replied with a slight smile.
"Did you eat something wrong?"
"That should be it," Anna nodded, went to the door to put on her slippers, and sat down on the sofa, aimlessly flipping through the channels on the television.
"Here, take this," Andy pushed a paper bag towards Anna.
"What is this?" Anna asked, opening it in confusion to find several balls of black yarn inside. It suddenly reminded her that she had promised to knit Andy another scarf; she had indeed forgotten about it.
Andy smiled, "You used to always knit me red scarves. The girls at school said red is for girls, so I said I didn't like it. Now that I've grown up, let's make it black. I promise I'll wear it all winter."
"Yeah, I never asked you what you wanted before, just assumed you'd like a red scarf," Anna chuckled helplessly. "Andy, do you hate me?"
"How could I? You're my only family. Now that I have everything, I'm very happy," Andy replied with a smile.
"Everything?" Anna questioned.
"Yes, career, power, money, family, and a partner," Andy said.
"A partner?" Anna had never heard him mention that before and asked, "Your girlfriend? I don't think I've met her."
Andy set down his cup and smiled, "You can't meet her just yet; maybe in a while. We will definitely meet."
Anna nodded and said, "Okay. Is she someone you're going to marry?"
"Of course."
Anna smiled slightly and said, "Then remember to treat her well."
"Sure," Andy said. "I'm going to feed those two big ones upstairs. Do you want to come and take a look?"
"Me?" Anna was surprised; she had no idea what Andy was thinking.
"Yeah, come on," Andy said as he stood up and walked toward the second floor.
Anna thought for a moment and followed in his footsteps. The door leading to the attic on the second floor surely held secrets unknown to others.
This time, Andy didn't enter a code but instead pressed his finger on a small green-lit panel, and soon, the door opened.
Andy smiled and said, "I think numbers aren't secure; fingerprints seem safer."
Anna stiffly raised the corner of her mouth. No wonder he had so openly entered the code in front of her; it turned out he had been prepared all along.
What kind of precious lizard required such security measures?
The sudden light made the two Monitor Lizards restless; they hissed like snakes, their long tails swaying, and their pupils glinted coldly, sending chills down one's spine.
Andy took two pieces of meat from a nearby food storage cabinet and tossed them onto the sandy ground. Anna could faintly smell that the meat had begun to rot. The two Monitor Lizards were clearly excited by the scent, moving much faster than usual as they lunged at the meat, tearing into it.
The scene was truly chilling.
"They have billions of bacteria in their teeth. If bitten, you could get sepsis, and they will keep tracking your scent of blood until the person is completely dead before they can feast on the carcass."
Anna looked incredulously at the two cold-blooded creatures before her. They were completely different from Peter; their eyes always glinted with coldness and were filled with murderous intent. Even when faced with their owner who fed them daily, they showed no signs of emotion.
"Why raise something so dangerous?" Anna asked Andy.
"It's fun, and it doesn't waste time or emotions," Andy replied with a cold smile. "It's just a beast..."
Anna frowned. At that moment, it seemed to her that all people and all creatures had already been reduced to mere objects in Andy's eyes, becoming what he referred to as 'beasts.' Was that why he had always disliked Peter's existence from the very beginning? Because Peter was just a 'despicable beast'? Because his 'family ties' had been distanced by that 'despicable beast'? So, he sought to destroy?
You appeared so conveniently, so brazenly after Peter's death.
Did you really think Anna wouldn't realize that this coincidence was orchestrated by you? Or did you know all along that Anna was already afraid of you directing your anger at others? Afraid you would harm other innocent people?
How terrifying, Zheng Andy.
"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" Andy smiled, looking at Anna, who was frowning at him.
"Nothing, just thinking," Anna said as she turned her gaze to the two bloodied creatures. "These creatures are too frightening; I'm a bit scared."
Andy chuckled and said, "I still need to stay here for a while. You can go out first."
At this point, saying he wanted to stay felt a bit strange, so Anna could only nod and say, "Okay. Just be careful alone."
"Don't worry."
Anna walked out, and the door behind her slammed shut...
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