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"I can't just cry, can I? If I do, you will say I'm being pretentious. No matter what, it's wrong, isn't it?" Anna said.
"Ha, quite the temper you have. You can't even take a couple of words without getting defensive. I really wonder how your parents raised you to be so uncouth. If my daughter were like you, I would have smothered her at birth!" Minister Kwon's explosive temper and unfiltered demeanor made Anna truly understand the gravity of the situation for the first time.
"You are right. I grew up without parental guidance, struggling to figure out how to make money just to eat. Where would I find the time to think about the noble principles you speak of? All I want is to live well. But even if I'm as lowly as a cockroach, I still have my dreams. I want to be an outstanding program producer. My parents may not have raised me, but they gave me life. I may lack manners, but I know better than to casually insult someone else's parents. I hope you remember that well, Minister Kwon."
"What kind of attitude is that?! Is this how you should speak to me? Huh?!"
"I'm sorry, I forgot that I lack upbringing." Anna bowed but showed no sign of humility.
"Look at you! Is this the person you've chosen?!" Minister Kwon pointed at Director Zhao and then at Anna.
"Minister Kwon, Anna isn't usually like this," Director Zhao tried to mediate and quickly said to Anna, "Anna, can't you just soften your stance a bit? You’ve caused quite a bit of trouble. I know you're capable; don’t let your emotions get the better of you. The road ahead is still long."
Anna felt a sense of desolation; everything that had happened that day was suffocating her. Was this man, who was compromising himself, really the passionate and meticulous Zhao PD she once admired?
Even if it was for Anna's sake and everyone had their struggles, she still felt a sense of unfamiliarity. Perhaps this world was too different from what she had imagined; maybe her journey had been too smooth thus far. She didn't want to see Director Zhao suffer for her sake.
She didn't want anyone to go through that.
Knock knock knock!!
A series of knocks broke the tension in the room. Minister Kwon's anger still simmered as he said in a low voice, "Who is it? Come in."
The door opened, and in walked Yoo Jae-suk.
The moment Anna saw Yoo Jae-suk, she almost burst into tears. The anger she had been holding back turned into vulnerability and weakness in front of someone she trusted.
Seeing Yoo Jae-suk arrive seemed to ease the tension on Minister Kwon and Director Zhao's faces somewhat.
"Oh, Yoo Jae-suk, what brings you here?" Minister Kwon asked.
"I was working out at a nearby gym and heard that the Running Man staff had some issues, so I came to see if there's anything I can help with," Yoo Jae-suk said with a smile, glancing at Anna, who had her head down. "Isn't this Anna PD? It seems Minister Kwon has been looking for you to talk. Don't worry, Anna PD, Kwon PD is just saying things; he’s actually a very fair person. Can you explain these matters to Minister Kwon clearly?"
Anna remained silent.
Minister Kwon could tell that Yoo Jae-suk was trying to help Anna out. Although he wouldn't compromise, it wasn't easy to refuse Yoo Jae-suk either. Yoo Jae-suk had always prioritized work and rarely approached anyone with requests. Since he was doing so this time, Minister Kwon had his own considerations. It wasn't about fear or retreat; it was more about being slightly accommodating.
That "slight accommodation" was enough to ease Anna's situation significantly.
"Yes, if there's anything to explain or any wishes you have, feel free to say them. This way, everyone won't look at you through colored glasses or view Running Man or our SBS Variety Department negatively," Minister Kwon said sarcastically.
"I don't know how to explain," Anna said quietly, keeping her head down.
"You, look at your attitude! This is simply outrageous!" Minister Kwon was once again angered by Anna's calm demeanor.
Yoo Jae-suk showed a troubled expression; he knew the situation was difficult to handle now. Anna's reaction, combined with the noise he had slightly heard outside earlier, made him realize that Minister Kwon must have said many excessive things before he arrived.
"Minister Kwon, please don't be angry," Yoo Jae-suk tried to soothe him.
"You said before," Anna spoke again calmly, "that we should give Running Man six months. The new program is already in preparation; I will stay with Running Man until the end. When the time comes, without you saying anything, I will leave SBS."
"Anna," Yoo Jae-suk was surprised by Anna's words.
Anna slowly stood up and bowed deeply. "Please, Minister Kwon." She maintained her ninety-degree bow without raising her head.
Director Zhao, Minister Kwon, and Yoo Jae-suk were all taken aback by Anna's unexpected request.
"Just six months; regardless of whether Running Man's future is good or bad, I will leave. I ask for your understanding," Anna continued.
"Anna, why are you doing this?" Director Zhao said.
"Anna, Minister Kwon didn't say you had to leave," Yoo Jae-suk said.
"I feel sorry for everyone and have caused too much trouble. But in this situation, the bureau no longer values Running Man, and Miao PD has already moved on to another program. Even if I don't want anything now, I don't want to see Running Man fall apart. With budget cuts and staff reductions, I promised everyone I would stick it out until the end, and I want to keep that promise."
"Hmph, that's easy for you to say," Minister Kwon scoffed. "If Running Man can continue, wouldn't you just naturally stay on? I know what you're plotting in your mind. Or are you trying to sabotage Running Man as a form of revenge?"
"Minister Kwon, I can guarantee that Anna truly cares about Running Man; she wouldn't do that," Yoo Jae-suk said.
Anna straightened up and looked at Minister Kwon with calm determination. "Today, with Brother Jae-seok and Director Zhao here, please let them vouch for me. Six months from now, regardless of whether Running Man is thriving or struggling, I will honor my current commitment and leave SBS. I will never trouble you again."
Yoo Jae-suk and Director Zhao certainly wanted to persuade Anna to reconsider her decision, but ultimately the final say rested with Minister Kwon.
Minister Kwon pondered for a moment, then coldly smiled and said, "Fine, six months it is. After six months, I hope you will submit your resignation without me having to remind you."
"Rest assured, I will do it," Anna replied with a slight smile.
Why six months? She understood in her heart that if Running Man truly faltered after that time, she would leave. If through hard work and a miracle they managed to bring Running Man back to its peak during those six months, then leaving afterward wouldn't harm the show or her colleagues.
As for Minister Kwon's anger and reprimands, while Anna didn't fully accept them, she recognized that as a leader, it was indeed frustrating when her staff—especially those working behind the scenes—made headlines every few days.
"Come over for dinner at my place; Jing'en made dinner. Kwang-soo will join us after work," Yoo Jae-suk said.
"Okay, thank you, Brother Jae-seok," Anna replied.
Her phone buzzed incessantly with calls from Han Yoon-soo and Park Chan-yeol. After thinking for a moment and sighing, Anna chose not to answer and turned off her phone.
"Brother Jae-seok, why are you here?" Anna asked.
"I saw the news, and Kwang-soo is quite worried himself. He's recording a show in Chuncheon, and since I have the day off today, I came to check it out," Yoo Jae-suk said with a smile. "What a day it has been! Many stars would find it hard to dominate the headlines like you, Anna."
"This isn't exactly a good thing; I feel like I'm being skinned alive. Those reporters are really something," Anna replied with a wry smile.
"But, Anna, don't you find it strange? Your relationship with Kwang-soo was almost forgotten. Why are reporters so heartbroken about it? And even if they were following someone, they would choose to follow Kwang-soo instead of you, the behind-the-scenes staff. That doesn't make sense," Yoo Jae-suk pointed out.
Hearing this from Yoo Jae-suk, Anna suddenly realized. As an entertainment reporter, aside from being Lee Kwang-soo's girlfriend, she had little exposure value. With all this attention, the focus of public opinion was directed entirely at Anna.
"Someone is doing this on purpose," Anna murmured.
"Think about it, who could it be?"
"I really can't figure it out," Anna shook her head. Although she said that, she still had doubts in her heart. Could it be Andy? Had his revenge already begun? What benefit would he gain from this?
Seeing her lost in thought and clearly troubled, Yoo Jae-suk decided not to press further.
Jing'en had prepared a full table of dishes, but Zhihao was out traveling with his grandparents, so he wasn't home. Not long after sitting down, Lee Kwang-soo arrived, his makeup still not fully removed as he hurried to the bathroom to wash his face.
"Bro, give me some moisturizer," Lee Kwang-soo called out as he came back.
"It's in the cabinet next to the sink; find it yourself," Yoo Jae-suk replied.
"Okay," Lee Kwang-soo responded and went back.
Anna smiled helplessly, while both Yoo Jae-suk and Roh Jeong-eun found the situation amusing yet pitiful.
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Brother Kwangsoo," Anna said.
"Where's the trouble for me? If only Park Chan-yeol's statement had been released earlier, I wouldn't have mentioned our breakup news," Lee Kwang-soo said with a laugh.
Anna knew that she couldn't be serious with him for more than three seconds, so she didn't say anything more.
“Is Sister Jihyo coming later? It's been a while since we've all gathered for a meal,” Lee Kwang-soo asked.
“She said that if Gary is busy, it will be very late, so she won't come. We'll get together another day,” Brother Jae-seok said. “But Anna, you really need to be careful from now on. Even if you’re no longer on Running Man or at SBS, if there are always such bad rumors about you elsewhere, it will greatly affect your future.”
“I know,” Anna replied with a slight smile and a nod.
“What do you mean? What do you mean by not being on Running Man anymore?” Lee Kwang-soo asked.
Roh Jeong-eun also started to worry, “Does this mean you can’t continue working on the Running Man crew? Is it that serious? Can’t you just explain it clearly?”
“When I arrived at SBS today, Minister Kwon was already talking to Anna. The result is that there’s a six-month deadline; regardless of whether Running Man is good or bad, Anna will leave SBS,” Yoo Jae-suk said.
“Brother Jae-seok, I didn’t tell you to go; why didn’t you stop her?” Lee Kwang-soo said.
“I…” Brother Jae-seok hadn’t spoken yet when Anna interrupted him.
“It’s not that Brother Jae-seok didn’t try to stop me; this was something I proposed myself,” Anna said, raising the corner of her mouth. “In fact, no matter what, I have indeed caused too much trouble for Running Man. Now, at this critical moment, I’ve inexplicably found myself at the center of public opinion; it’s really frustrating,” Anna said.
“But we all know how this situation is,” Lee Kwang-soo said.
“What can we do even if we know? The key is how the public perceives it. While your romantic relationship hasn’t ended, rumors about you and Park Chan-yeol have surfaced. Although everything has been clarified now, since I joined Running Man, the troubles surrounding me haven’t stopped. Ha ha, if I were Minister Kwon, I would be angry too. I’m already very satisfied that he agreed to let me stay for another six months,” Anna said.
“And after those six months, where will you go?” Lee Kwang-soo asked.
“Well, we’ll just have to wait until then to see. If it really doesn’t work out, I could be your assistant and just need a little salary,” Anna forced a carefree smile.
“Not being a PD anymore? Didn’t you want to plan a show of your own?” Lee Kwang-soo asked.
Yoo Jae-suk and Roh Jeong-eun exchanged a glance. Seeing the worry on Roh Jeong-eun's face, Yoo Jae-suk gently patted her hand and sighed.
"I've caused so much trouble, and I was let go by SBS. I hope there will still be a production team willing to take me in," Anna said.
Lee Kwang-soo was at a loss for words; it was the truth. None of them could do anything, and no one could predict how things would unfold in the future. It seemed they could only take it one step at a time. Yoo Jae-suk wanted to help Anna, but he needed to think carefully about how to do so.
"Let's not talk about these unhappy things anymore. Let's eat; the soup is ready. I bought fresh clams today, clam miso soup. It's the best time of year to warm up with it," Roh Jeong-eun said, noticing the atmosphere growing increasingly serious as she stood up with a smile.
"Sounds good; I'm hungry," Anna said, temporarily putting aside Kwang-soo's words as she also stood up. "I'll help serve the rice."
"Great."
The two walked into the kitchen together, while Kwang-soo wore a worried expression, watching Anna's back. He knew she was putting on a brave face but felt helpless and frustrated about how to help her out of this predicament.
Yoo Jae-suk patted Kwang-soo on the shoulder and said, "There will definitely be a solution. Anna is very strong. We have six months; everyone has time to think things over. Let's eat first."
Lee Kwang-soo sighed and nodded.
It was already late at night, but the lights in the room were still on from afar. The fog had begun to envelop the night sky without anyone noticing when it started. After saying goodbye to Lee Kwang-soo, Anna walked toward Han Yoon-soo's home.
She was exhausted; even stepping out of the elevator felt like an effort. The hallway was quiet; at this hour, everyone was lost in their dreams, while those who couldn't sleep remained vigilant in the darkness.
In front of Han Yoon-soo's door stood a familiar figure leaning against the wall. Anna didn't know how long he had been waiting there. The overlapping shadows and faint, weary footsteps created an atmosphere she had never felt so hurried and lonely before.
Anna stopped in her tracks as bangs obscured his light, creating a hazy silhouette. For the first time, she noticed how much Park Chan-yeol and Hogga resembled each other.
"Why didn't you answer your phone?" Chan-yeol asked.
The sounds of reality pulled everything back; the space was no longer overlapping, and the haze faded away. His eyes were dark with fatigue—who could understand just how tired he truly was?
"I'm out of battery," Anna said lightly.
It was such a soft voice that, in the overly quiet corridor, it seemed somewhat loud.
"Did you see the statement?"
"Yeah, I saw it."
"This time, it seems there's really no way out."
"Yeah." Anna raised the corners of her mouth and looked into Park Chan-yeol's eyes. She felt so tired; she longed to embrace the man she had loved for so long. Despite everything they had been through, she still fantasized countless times about their life after marriage, about growing old together. But now, everything had completely turned to dust. There was no possibility left. All the possibilities between her, him, and them had ultimately been extinguished. In one turbulent whirlpool after another, they became the most tragic victims.
"Hold me," Anna said.
Park Chan-yeol opened his arms and pulled her into his embrace. Tears fell, disappearing into the warm fabric of his clothes, leaving only traces that were hard to trace.
Reaching the end, embracing at a dead end, she truly didn't want to let go of him like this. She always gazed at him but realized that even now, she hadn't seen enough of him. They had quietly and patiently waited for the day when their paths would cross again, but they would never wait for that day anymore.
Never again.
"Brother," Anna said softly. She could feel Park Chan-yeol's body tremble; in the next moment, his arms tightened around her. That helpless struggle was truly heart-wrenching.
What else could change the situation? No one could change anything. Now she realized how much luck had existed within those past misfortunes. When all that luck truly vanished, what would it feel like to be powerless?
"In the future, we won't have to hide our relationship anymore. Even if we're close, no one will criticize us because starting today, we are truly siblings," Anna said.
"I'm sorry." Park Chan-yeol had treated Anna secretly before because if their relationship was exposed, it would be Anna who got hurt. Now he truly regretted it; if they had announced it from the beginning, then all the ensuing troubles wouldn't have existed.
But life—who can say for sure? They chose this path at that time and walked a rocky road. Who knew that another path would definitely be beautiful and smooth instead of filled with thorns?
As a result, perhaps it was all the same.
"Let's go," Anna said. "It's late, you should go home and rest well. Come visit us whenever you have time."
Anna bypassed Park Chan-yeol and opened the door. She lowered her head and, in the end, lacked the courage to look at Park Chan-yeol's face one last time until the door was completely closed. The two of them, separated by a door, could no longer see each other, whether tears were streaming down their faces or they felt helplessly sad.
Han Yoon-soo, who had been waiting all day, felt relieved when she saw Anna return safely. However, it was clear that Anna had wiped away her tears. Although she smiled upon seeing Han Yoon-soo, her red-rimmed eyes could not hide the sadness from the day's ups and downs.
Every good and evil has its cause and effect; eventually, the consequences will come.
This misfortune, buried more than twenty years ago, would ultimately need to be tasted slowly by them.
"Anna." Han Yoon-soo didn't know how to comfort her. Her guilt and remorse were overwhelming; no matter how hard she tried for the rest of her life, she could not compensate for what she had abandoned. She had left them behind and shamelessly enjoyed many years of a comfortable and happy life, only to turn back now.
"Mom..." Anna said. She could see Han Yoon-soo's sadness and shock. Neither of them had expected to call out in such circumstances; it was so ironic. In the end, Anna still couldn't walk her own path at her own pace. Everything she planned was always disrupted by various events, leaving a mess behind. Just like now, she found herself once again pushed into this unexpected torrent; she needed to adapt to her new identity as Park Chan-yeol's sister and Han Yoon-soo's daughter.
"Anna... you..."
"Mom, it's okay now; it's fine." Anna raised the corners of her mouth slightly. "I'm tired; I'm going to sleep now. I have work tomorrow. You should get some rest too." After saying this, Anna walked into the bedroom she had just begun to adapt to a few days ago, closed the door behind her, fell onto the bed, and buried herself under the covers, sobbing endlessly in the darkness and suffocation.
Han Yoon-soo approached the bedroom door cautiously, wanting to open it. As soon as there was a crack, the light from the living room spilled in, and the sound of muffled sobs mixed with laughter from beneath the covers pierced her heart.
In the end, she remained silent and closed the door. All sounds ceased to be heard.
Han Yoon-soo sat in the living room until dawn began to break on the horizon. A night of worry had turned her hair gray at the temples. She stood up with a somewhat stiff and numb body and slowly walked back to her own room.
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