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"Did you not sleep well last night?" Dong Wan encountered Anna in front of the elevator and noticed her tired expression. He asked, "Did Director Zhao scold you yesterday? Is that why you didn't sleep well? I didn't see you before getting off work. Is everything okay?"
Anna shook her head, smiled slightly, and said, "It's nothing. We just discussed some program matters. He wants us to do a good job in the future since it's my first time as a PD, so he spoke a bit more."
"Oh, I see. That's good," Dong Wan replied with a smile. "But we don't need him to say that; we'll naturally do our best."
"Yes," Anna said with a smile.
"Today, a few new FDs will be joining us, so we'll have more to do. No matter the outcome, let's work hard," Dong Wan encouraged as he patted Anna on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, Dong Wan."
Due to a shortage of staff and recent personnel changes in Running Man, along with unsatisfactory program feedback, it was a good opportunity for some newcomers to hone their skills. Three new FDs joined, along with two filming staff and one person specifically operating the drone camera, so overall, they had enough manpower.
After a simple welcome ceremony, this meeting was also Anna's first time taking the lead as the program's Assistant Director.
"Okay, here's the plan for today. In the afternoon, we will consolidate the game scripts provided by the writers and establish the theme for our next recording. It's currently ten in the morning, and I hope everyone can share their thoughts on selecting new fixed members for the program. New colleagues are also encouraged to speak up. Of course, I hope everyone considers these aspects: first, whether the artist's qualities and conditions align with Running Man; entertainment quality is certainly one aspect to consider, but we also need to think about how well the artist can adapt to the other MCs on Running Man. For example, Mr. Park Myung-soo has strong entertainment quality but doesn't particularly fit into the atmosphere of Running Man. Second, as you all know, our budget is limited right now, so we need to consider the feasibility of inviting certain artists. Now, please share your thoughts on potential candidates," Anna stated methodically.
Dong Wan listened attentively and nodded in approval at Anna.
Everyone began whispering among themselves, especially the newcomers who hesitated to speak up.
Dong Wan looked at Liu Quan Town and said, "Quan Town, you go first. Didn't you mention someone you thought was good?"
"Oh," Liu Quan Town was surprised to be called out so quickly. "It's Mr. Liang Shiheng's brother, Mr. Liang Shizhan. He has already recorded two episodes, and I think he performed well like his brother did on the show. I've heard that Brother Jae-seok is quite fond of him too; I wonder if we can consider him."
Anna nodded and noted Liang Shizhan's name in her notebook. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Liang Shizhan performed fairly well in those two recordings, and I know he is interested in joining us. We should definitely consider him further."
Dong Wan said, "I can only say the performance is satisfactory, not outstanding. However, it's not completely impossible; it is indeed worth considering."
Park Soo Eun thought for a moment and smiled, "What about Yunhao? Isn't Miao PD quite optimistic about Yunhao? He performs very well every time he comes to record."
"Yunhao is definitely under consideration. Miao PD has always had a good opinion of him, but I don't know if our current budget can still invite him to participate, and we haven't discussed it with him yet, so we don't know if he has any interest," Dong Wan replied.
"The last time Yunhao came to record, Miao PD asked me to gauge his manager's thoughts. Many artists from S.M. Company only shift their focus to variety shows after returning from military service. After all, variety shows are not a quick way to make money and come with high risks. If successful, they can gain countless fans; if not, the carefully crafted image can collapse overnight," Anna said.
"What this means is that the possibility of Yunhao participating is not high," Dong Wan stated.
"I think that's the case. However, to determine the specific outcome, we need to discuss it further. Yunhao himself is very eager to join Running Man," Anna added.
"If Yunhao can come, that would be the best," Park Soo Eun said.
"What about Mr. Jung Yong Hwa?" Zhang Yuanxiao asked. "After Brother Gary left, there has been a lot of online support for him. But do we really have to choose from idols?"
"Choosing idols would be great; they come with built-in attention. We don't have much time and it's hard to wait for an unknown newcomer to establish an image from scratch. The problem is that popular idols have busy schedules and we also worry about costs being high," Liu Quan Town explained.
Liu Quan Town made a valid point, but the difficulties were unavoidable. Inviting a popular idol would pose a financial challenge. If they invited an idol with little popularity, it would seem redundant. For a moment, the studio fell into silence.
At that moment, Dong Wan slammed his hand on the table as if he had discovered something surprising, startling everyone.
Park Soo Eun clutched her chest and said, "Oh my gosh, you scared me! What are you doing?"
"I just thought of a great idea," Dong Wan said excitedly.
"What is it? Tell us!" Everyone's attention turned toward him.
Dong Wan looked at Anna, who seemed puzzled. "What's wrong? Hurry up and tell us."
"Dong Wan said, 'Wasn't it just revealed that Park Chan-yeol is your brother?'"
Anna felt a sinking sensation in her heart. She awkwardly wanted to laugh, but no smile would come, leaving her feeling at a loss.
"Well, so what?" Anna avoided the topic.
"You could just ask him to come regularly; it would also save a lot," Dong Wan said with a smile.
"That's not a bad idea," others chimed in playfully.
Anna quickly composed herself and said, "We're discussing serious matters here, not joking around."
"We're not joking," Park Soo Eun replied.
"Come on, you all know how busy EXO's schedule is. They haven't even had a chance to gather together as a group. Besides, even if Park Chan-yeol is my brother, he's still an artist under S.M. Company, and artists have to follow the arrangements of the company and their managers. If Li Agent were my brother or if Lee Soo-man were my brother, then that might be possible," Anna finished, letting out a sigh of relief internally.
"That makes sense," Dong Wan nodded and sighed. "Alright, everyone think again and mention anyone you feel is suitable."
A new FD, Gao Zhicheng, a chubby boy with black-rimmed glasses who was smiling yet somewhat shy, said, "I think Mr. Jin Jidong is quite good. Should we consider him?"
"Mr. Jin Jidong..." Anna felt a sudden realization; how could she have forgotten him? Although he was a bit unattractive, short, dark-skinned, and had small eyes, he was indeed a talented person buried in the variety show industry. If it weren't for the incident involving President Roh Moo-hyun's memorial back then, he would surely be among the top variety MCs now. Anna silently noted his name.
"Mr. Jin Jidong recorded a few episodes during the early days of Running Man," Dong Wan recalled from his time in the Running Man Production Team. "At that time, there was actually a thought to have him replace Mr. Chi Seok-jun's position, but Mr. Chi Seok-jun had his own niche, and there was no vacancy on Running Man. So eventually, no one brought it up again."
"Then this time, we can consider inviting Mr. Jin Jidong again soon," Anna suggested.
Dong Wan nodded and said, "Yes, I was thinking the same."
It was better when they were working; with only work-related thoughts in her mind, all the chaotic matters couldn't intrude. During lunch break, while others went out for a nice meal, Anna and Dong Wan ordered Jajangmyeon and resolved to eat in the studio.
"The sweet radishes here aren't as good as they used to be," Dong Wan complained while slurping his noodles.
"How can they be different? They still taste the same," Anna replied, sifting through the games just delivered by the writers.
"Finish eating first, it won't take long," Dong Wan said.
"You don't understand, I can't let myself stop," Anna laughed.
"What's up with that? Breaking up with Brother Kwangsoo hit you hard," Dong Wan teased.
"That has nothing to do with it; it's purely for work," Anna shrugged.
"But seriously, among the many people we've talked about today, who do you think is more reliable?" Dong Wan asked.
"Yunhao, Yonghwa, and Jin Jidong," Anna answered.
"I'm about the same as you. Do you want to meet with these people tomorrow?"
"Do I have to go again?" Anna said.
"You're good with words; I can't argue with you," Dong Wan joked.
"Oh please, you always leave the things that might offend people to me," Anna laughed.
"But why do I get the feeling that you really don't want Park Chan-yeol on our show? Is there some conflict between you two? I thought your sibling relationship was fine before?" Dong Wan asked.
"You don't understand," Anna thought for a moment, unsure of how to explain. She added a piece of sweet radish to her mouth and realized that the taste did seem a bit different.
"Well, after all, you didn't grow up together and there's no blood relation, so having conflicts is quite normal."
"Sort of," Anna said helplessly.
"Anyway, I'll leave the matter of negotiating their joining to you," Dong Wan returned to the original topic, and Anna sighed at his abruptness.
"Two barbecues and one army stew, or I won't take the mission," Anna said.
"One barbecue and one army stew," Dong Wan pleaded, "I really have no money left."
Anna smiled and said, "Alright, it's a deal."
After accepting the task, Anna felt a bit regretful. Although she had met Yunhao and Yonghwa a few times, she had never interacted with Mr. Jin Jidong.
It was rare that her calls to Brother Jae-seok were answered within three tries; she considered herself lucky.
"Hello, Brother Jae-seok."
"Oh, Anna! What's up?"
"I'd like to get Mr. Jin Jidong's contact information."
"Ji Dong?" Brother Jae-seok sounded surprised.
"Yes," Anna replied.
Yoo Jae-suk didn't ask further and directly sent Jin Jidong's contact information to Anna via text. After confirming it, Anna replied with a thank you, put her phone back in her bag, took out her house keys, and opened the door.
"Sis, you're back?"
Andy's voice suddenly appeared in the room. Anna froze for a moment but continued to act as if nothing happened as she changed into her slippers and walked into the living room. She had already mentally prepared for Andy's presence here, but when the moment actually occurred, she still felt a jolt of surprise.
"Oh, Mom." Anna put down her bag and took off her heavy coat.
"Here..."
"I'm here." Han Yoon-soo walked out of the bathroom with a smile on her face.
However, Anna was genuinely shocked. Han Yoon-soo's originally shiny black hair now had patches of white at the temples, making her look like she aged ten years overnight. How could this happen in just one night?
"Mom, your hair? What happened?" Anna glared fiercely at Andy.
"It has nothing to do with me," Andy said innocently, spreading his hands with a grin.
"It’s not Andy’s fault. It’s just... the hair dye faded, and the original color came out," Han Yoon-soo said, looking down and smiling.
"Why do you have time to come over today? Aren't you busy? If you're busy, you don't have to force yourself to come. I will take good care of Mom," Anna said.
"Anna, what are you saying?" Han Yoon-soo interrupted.
"Sister, you misunderstood. Mom said the medication for her asthma ran out, so I came to bring her some," Andy explained.
"Bringing medication? What medication?" Anna asked. "Let me see."
"It really is medication," Han Yoon-soo said as she took the box of medicine that Andy brought and showed it to Anna.
Anna examined it carefully and confirmed there were no issues before placing it on the table.
Andy stood up with a smile and said, "It seems like my sister doesn't really like me coming here. You don't want me to share Mom's love. Fine, I'll leave." As he spoke, he picked up his coat from the sofa and put it on. "Just remember to pay attention to buying medicine in the future. As for Mom, I’ll come see her when you’re not around to avoid upsetting you," Andy said before walking toward the door.
"Hey, Andy, why not stay for dinner first?" Han Yoon-soo said.
"No, I still have things to do. I'm very busy." Andy patted Han Yoon-soo on the shoulder and said, "I'm leaving, Mom, take care of yourself. Goodbye. I'm leaving, sister, goodbye." After saying that, he opened the door and left the room.
Anna weakly sat down on the sofa, and Han Yoon-soo looked worried. She glanced at Anna and asked, "Anna, why is your attitude towards Andy so bad? How can you treat your own brother like this?"
"Mom, there are some things you don't understand," Anna said with her head down, speaking in a muffled voice.
"What exactly happened?" Han Yoon-soo asked in confusion. "You two have relied on each other for so many years; it's all my fault. But weren't you two close? How could it come to this? After all, he is your brother."
"I know. Mom, please stop talking about it," Anna said. "I'm hungry; let's eat."
Han Yoon-soo looked at Anna, sighed, and started coughing again. "Cough cough, okay, I'll go serve the rice."
"Why are you coughing again? Haven't you been feeling much better lately?" Anna asked.
Han Yoon-soo raised the corner of her mouth slightly. "It's not cured yet; just a little wind and cold can trigger it again. It's an old problem; it's nothing. You don't need to worry. I'll serve the rice; you tidy up the table and wash your hands. We'll get ready to eat."
Anna nodded and said, "Okay."
The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, but Anna's attention was entirely on the white strands of hair at Han Yoon-soo's temples, clearly caused by worry. Regardless of how many there were, Anna understood that it was all related to what happened yesterday. Anna increasingly felt that everything and everyone she cherished around her was like sand slipping through her fingers; no matter how tightly she held on, she couldn't stop their loss...
She didn't know when her work would end. After handing over some matters to Dong Wan, Anna hurriedly drove to Yonghwa's agency. She had never met this manager before; it was a female manager with the surname Kim. After explaining her purpose, before she could continue, the manager had already dismissed Yonghwa's participation idea. However, she was still polite; after all, there would be many opportunities for cooperation in the future, and no one wanted to make things awkward. After saying goodbye, Anna quickly left.
Sitting in the car, Anna took out her phone and dialed Jin Jidong's number. The call connected quickly; glancing at the time, it was almost eleven o'clock noon, but Mr. Jin Jidong sounded groggy.
"Hello," Jin Jidong said.
"Hello, is this Mr. Jin Jidong?"
"Yes, who is this?"
"Hello, I am Anna Zheng from the SBS Running Man Production Team."
"Um, huh? Running Man, is there something you need from me?" Jin Jidong seemed to sit up.
"Do you have time today? I have some things I would like to discuss with you," Anna said.
"Isn't Jae-seok coming to see me soon? Would it be inconvenient?" Jin Jidong asked.
"Is Brother Jae-seok going too?" Anna felt a bit relieved. She was worried about not having much to talk about with Jin Jidong and feared it might be awkward, but having Brother Jae-seok around would make it much better.
"Yes."
"It's fine," Anna said. "Then, see you later."
"Okay, goodbye."
After casually buying a burger from a nearby fast-food restaurant, she parked the car downstairs at Jin Jidong's place, waiting for Brother Jae-seok to arrive so they could go in together.
The weather was getting warmer, and the midday sun was particularly warm. After finishing her meal, she felt extremely drowsy. She hadn't had a good sleep in a while, and her eyelids kept drooping. Before long, she couldn't control herself and dozed off.
In her dreams, there were still those familiar faces.
But Anna knew that when it snowed, the people she missed would no longer appear.
Knock knock knock.
The car window was gently tapped. Anna woke up, groggily opening her eyes. Since she had applied light makeup, her mascara had smudged onto her lower eyelids, making her look a bit disheveled.
"Brother Jae-seok?"
A smiling face appeared outside the car window. Anna tidied her hair and stepped out of the car. Seeing her, Yoo Jae-suk smiled even more happily. "Anna, you should really look in the mirror at your face; Ji Dong might laugh his head off later."
"Huh?" Anna was confused. She took out a mirror and realized her makeup was smudged. She smiled awkwardly and wiped her face clean with a tissue.
"By the way, Brother Jae-seok, how did you know?" Anna asked.
"Ji Dong told me that our Running Man crew's Anna PD was coming to find him. I saw your car parked here and looked inside to see you sleeping, so I woke you up," Yoo Jae-suk replied with a laugh.
As they talked, they walked towards Jin Jidong's house.
"Did you come here about the fixed member situation?" Yoo Jae-suk asked.
"You already knew, Brother Jae-seok?"
"I guessed," Jae-seok said with a smile.
"So what do you think, Brother Jae-seok?" Anna asked.
"I've thought about it before and talked to him about it; he just isn't very willing to participate right now," Yoo Jae-suk slowed his pace and sighed. "The changes in this industry over the two years Ji Dong has been away have been immense. It's like this for everyone; look at Brother Tiger Dong—he was so popular before, but one incident has kept him from bouncing back. Hongzhe is the same, and so is Ji. One day, if I encounter something like that, I might end up with the same result. Ji Dong and I have both experienced this; I'm just luckier than him to have a friend like you who won't give up easily."
"Does that mean he doesn't want to participate anymore?" Anna asked.
"Participating is definitely not an issue; as for being a fixed member, I don't know if he'll change his mind," Jae-seok said.
"The production team is considering Yonghwa, Yunhao, and Jin Jidong as options. I just went to Yonghwa's place, but his manager turned us down. I'm not sure if they would be willing."
"Running Man isn't what it used to be; in the past, many people would want to join, but given the current situation, it's understandable if they choose not to be fixed members."
Anna nodded bitterly and said, "I understand that."
"Who knows, as long as we work hard until the last moment, that's enough," Yoo Jae-suk encouraged Anna.
"Yes, definitely."
Anna pressed the doorbell, and after a moment, the door slowly opened. The room had little decoration, and without heating on in this season, it felt a bit chilly. Mr. Jin Jidong was eating what looked like either breakfast or lunch; it was just a box of instant noodles and a plate of kimchi. Had she known it would be like this, Anna would have brought some good food.
"Hello, I’m Anna Zheng, the one who called you earlier," Anna said with a bow.
"Oh, hello. Please come in."
Jin Jidong showed no intention of cleaning up the remnants on the table.
"Ji Dong, is this all you're having for lunch?" Jae-seok joked. "Aren't you always working out? How can you eat instant noodles?"
Jin Jidong poured them some water, and Anna politely accepted it before sitting on the sofa.
"That's Kim Jong Kook; I’d rather not work out like him for my whole life," Jin Jidong said with a smile.
The three of them laughed.
Jin Jidong looked at Anna and Jae-seok, thought for a moment, and said, "You two aren't here together on purpose, are you? I thought Jae-seok came to check on me as a lonely person."
"Aren't there many women who like you? It's just that you don't want them; why make yourself sound so pitiful?" Yoo Jae-suk replied. He glanced at Anna and continued, "Anna, if there's something you two need to discuss, just treat me as if I'm not here."
Anna smiled lightly, thinking it was typical for Yoo Jae-suk to interject, but she could only nod in agreement.
"Mr. Jin Jidong, you know that Running Man is currently considering looking for a new fixed member. I wonder if you would be interested?" Anna said straightforwardly.
Jin Jidong didn't respond immediately; he just smiled slightly. As Jae-seok had mentioned, he probably understood Anna's intentions the moment he received her call.
"Jae-seok, didn't I tell you about this before?" Jin Jidong said.
Yoo Jae-suk nodded, "Ji Dong, you might want to reconsider. Although Running Man isn't what it used to be, still..."
Jin Jidong smiled lightly and sighed, "Today, I might as well speak some truth. Running Man is indeed an opportunity for my current situation; a skinny camel is bigger than a horse. But what would it mean for me to join, Jae-seok? You know that my strength lies not in physical comedy but in stand-up and hosting. If that's the case, wouldn't it overlap with your role? Yet my presence isn't as strong as yours; how would I cope then?"
Yoo Jae-suk remained silent.
Jin Jidong looked at Anna and said, "I really appreciate Miss Anna Zheng coming here today, but I truly lack the confidence to do well on this show."
Anna had actually anticipated that Jin Jidong would refuse during her earlier conversation with Yoo Jae-suk. She also understood that this matter couldn't be resolved in just a day or two.
No matter how suitable someone may appear to others for the show, if they themselves feel otherwise, then it certainly won't work.
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