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墨書 Inktalez
Coming out from Jin Jidong's house, it was already past three in the afternoon. Yoo Jae-suk was still there chatting with Jin Jidong, while Anna had to leave early to return to SBS.
Receiving a call from Andy was something Anna feared, but it was also expected. She knew that from the day Andy returned, there would inevitably be a meeting like this. Andy wanted too much; he needed absolute possession and obedience. Anna didn't know whether Andy felt complete hatred towards her now or if he still retained even a tiny bit of familial affection.
The car stopped at Han River Park. At this time of year, there wasn't much greenery by the Han River. The sun was about to set, and the wind began to pick up.
Andy had been waiting here for a long time. Anna looked at his back, feeling an unprecedented sense of unfamiliarity.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" Anna walked up beside Andy.
Once the closest people in the world, they now stood at an extreme distance of estrangement. They could hear each other's words but could not touch each other's hearts.
"It's been a while; we need to talk," Andy said.
"What about?"
Andy looked down and smiled, "Why are you so anxious? You don't seem happy to see your dear brother."
"You know why," Anna replied.
"I certainly do," Andy said. "This place... is where you used to bring your dog to play, right?"
Anna remained silent. The sadness of Peter had left her for too long, and even now, she didn't have the courage to raise another dog.
"I still remember the feeling of hanging onto his neck, hitting him with a stick, as he slowly spat blood. He wanted to scream, but couldn't make a sound because his neck was restrained," Andy recalled, immersed in that moment, intoxicated by it.
Anna clenched her fists. When Peter died, she already knew it was Andy who did it. She didn't know what to say to this person who was so close to her.
Seeing Anna's calm reaction, Andy smiled and said, "You knew all along. I really underestimated you back then, my dear sister Anna. However, you killed my two Lizard; I suppose we're even now."
"Andy, you want too much, which is why you end up with nothing."
"Nothing?" Andy sneered. "I'm afraid in the end, it will be you who has nothing... Hogga is already dead, and Jin Yu Cheng is barely alive. The Century Group will eventually be mine. What about you? What do you have left? Oh right, you still have our lovely mother. Just afraid..."
"Afraid of what?" Anna had a bad feeling.
"Nothing," Andy replied.
Anna glared at him. Andy casually smiled and said, "Don't look at me like that. Don't worry; no matter what, that woman gave birth to me. I won't do anything to her. I will listen to her, call her 'Mom,' obey her, and make her happy."
"That would be best," Anna said. "You didn't bring me here just to say this, did you?"
"Just catching up. I also want to know what your life will be like without Hogga's protection. If Hogga knew I was back in Korea, he would probably be so furious he'd die and come back to life," Andy said proudly.
"You and Hogga have known each other for a long time," Anna said.
"The consequences he faced were self-inflicted. I warned him to stay away from you, but he didn't listen. But you too; you didn't heed my advice either. So the outcomes for both of you are well-deserved," Andy said.
"What do you really want to do now that you're back?" Anna asked.
"I suffered so much on that damn island in Italy, of course I want to get a little bit back."
"Who tipped you off? Otherwise, how could you possibly know about Jin Yu Cheng's condition? That's clearly a secret among the executives of Century Group."
Anna smiled, "Sister, you are indeed smarter than I thought. No wonder I've lost to you multiple times."
"You didn't lose to me; it's just that you've done too many heartless things," Anna said.
"Conscience? Ha, that thing has long been gone. Not just me, sister, but you too," Andy said. "Do you know how much I wanted to share everything I had with you? But every time, you teamed up with outsiders against me. Tell me, between us, whose conscience is more thoroughly lost?"
"Why don't you understand by now? Why can't you see where the root of the problem lies? Andy, you want too much; it's not about sharing with me. In your mind, I'm just an object to you, a thing called 'family.' You want a perfect life. So you'll stop at nothing. Have you ever thought about how many wrong things you've done?"
"There’s no right or wrong. Success is right; failure is wrong."
"So, are you planning to succeed together? Planning to go against Century Group again? Andy, why don’t you think about Miki? She’s the girl you love deeply; for her sake, you should stop."
Andy smirked, "Kim Mi-kyung? Heh, Kim Mi-kyung is already dead in that fire. I really regret seeing her like that the other day. If she had been begging for pity in the glass house I built for her from the start, I might have considered it. But now, let her boyfriend enjoy her stiff face that can't even smile."
"Andy, how can you say that?" Anna was incredulous; she couldn't imagine Andy describing Kim Mi-kyung like that.
"Why not?" Andy retorted. He paused for a moment and smiled as he said, "By the way, Kim Mi-kyung's face is thanks to you and Park Chan-yeol. Of course, you wouldn't want me to bring it up."
Anna smiled helplessly. She used to think that if Andy had any softness in his heart, it would be for his love for Kim Mi-kyung. However, she was completely wrong; Andy repeatedly shattered the boundaries that Anna had perceived.
"Just tell me your purpose for calling me here. It can't just be to show off," Anna gave up her last shred of hope.
"Alright," Andy said. "Actually, I want to make a deal with you."
"Go on."
"I know that you moved in with Han Yoon-soo because you're worried about me having any negative influence on that woman. I promise you, unless she calls me first, I won't appear by her side again."
"And the conditions?"
"The condition is that Jin Yu Cheng has moved to a secret location for treatment, and I can't find out where. I need the specific address and details about his treatment."
"What do you want to do?"
"You don't need to worry about that. Just tell me if you agree to this deal."
On the drive back to the company, the sky gradually darkened. The weather, which had felt warm just moments ago, turned cold again as the sun disappeared.
Every step felt like progress. Anna finally understood why Han Yoon-soo's hair had turned gray overnight. She let out a long sigh but felt no relief.
How could she lift the burden on her shoulders? Anna was at a loss. Andy was right; she could easily gain Kim Mi-kyung's trust now and find out where Jin Yu Cheng was being treated. Even if she couldn't, Park Chan-yeol would definitely be able to find out. However, Anna Zheng also understood what this meant.
She didn't know how to choose.
With her head down, lost in thought, she walked forward and suddenly bumped into a tall figure.
"I'm sorry..." Anna quickly apologized, looking up to find it was Jung Kook and Kwang-soo. "Jung Kook, Brother Kwang-soo, what are you doing here?"
"We just finished recording a show with Kwang-soo and were about to leave," Jung Kook said with a smile. "What were you thinking about? You seemed so distracted. Kwang-soo just called your name, but you didn't hear him."
"Oh, just some random thoughts," Anna replied dismissively with a smile.
"Kwang-soo and I are going to grab dinner nearby," Kwang-soo said as he checked the time. "Since it's almost time to get off work, do you want to join us?"
"Sure, I'll finish my attendance and come down."
"Okay, we'll wait for you here," Kwang-soo said.
Kwang-soo and Jung Kook watched Anna's figure disappear into the elevator before sitting down on a nearby bench, staring at her as she came down.
"Anna seems to have a lot on her mind lately," Jung Kook said.
"Yeah, but when I asked her, she wouldn't say anything," Kwang-soo replied.
"She probably finds it hard to talk to us about it, so she's keeping it to herself."
Kwang-soo didn't say anything, rummaging through his things before sighing and pulling out a thousand won bill. He asked Jung Kook, "Hyung, do you have 500 won in coins? I need to change for two."
Kim Jong Kook was puzzled but still searched his pockets, taking out two coins and handing them to Kwang-soo. "What do you need this for?"
"It’s useful," Kwang-soo replied with a smile.
"Why are you being so mysterious?" Jung Kook said. "Besides, you just announced your breakup. What if you're spotted together later? The media will go wild."
"So what? Just say we got back together," Kwang-soo said cheerfully.
"I feel like you're acting strange right now. You don't seem to mind the rumors about you and Anna at all, and it looks like you're enjoying it. You’re not…"
"What? Are you starting to be paranoid again?"
"You’re not thinking of using this to blackmail Anna, are you?" Kim Jong Kook seemed quite sharp.
"Hyung, what nonsense are you talking about?" Kwang-soo innocently retorted. "I'm not that kind of person."
"What kind of person?" Anna had walked over and only heard Kwang-soo's last statement.
"Nothing, let’s go. I'm starving," Kwang-soo said.
The three of them went to a barbecue restaurant they often visited when they were part of the Task Force. It was a bit crowded at that time, but luckily the owner was familiar with them and arranged a private room for their meal. Since they were all close by, they decided to call Sister Jihyo, Brother Gary, and Brother Jae-seok over as well.
It's been a long time since so many of us gathered for a meal together. Recently, everyone has been busy, and aside from recording shows, we rarely get to see each other.
"Wow, the barbecue here is still so delicious," Sister Jihyo exclaimed.
Brother Gary was busy serving her food, leaving himself with much less to eat. Anna watched the scene and truly felt that this was the simplest form of happiness.
"What are you staring at? So lost in thought?" Lee Kwang-soo said as he placed a piece of grilled meat onto Anna's plate.
"Nothing," Anna replied, coming back to reality. She picked it up and put it in her mouth, but the strong flavor made her frown instantly. "Ah, brother, why did you put garlic in it?" Anna struggled to pick it out and spat it out, feeling both annoyed and amused. "Seriously, are we recording a show? You put three cloves of garlic in there! I was wondering why you were being so kind." As she spoke, she playfully slapped Kwang-soo on the head.
Everyone burst into laughter.
"By the way, Anna, where did you go today? Before I recorded the show, I took a stroll around the Running Man studio, and everyone was there except you," Kwang-soo asked.
Stone Nature knew where Anna had been that day but remained silent for now.
"I..." Anna hesitated for a moment but felt there was no need to hide it. She smiled and said, "Because recently the Task Force has been considering adding a new member, I went to meet some potential candidates today."
Gary chuckled but didn't say anything.
"Oh? Who did you meet?" Jung Kook asked.
"I met Mr. Jung Yong Hwa and Mr. Jin Jidong today," Anna replied.
"What's the result?" Ji-hyo asked.
Anna shook her head, "There doesn't seem to be any willingness."
"Hmm? Yonghwa is an Idol, so it's understandable that he doesn't plan to venture into variety shows. But what about Ji Dong?" Jung Kook wondered.
"Ji Dong...," Yoo Jae-suk said, "He has his own plans."
Anna smiled, noticing that Brother Jae-seok didn't want to reveal too much about Mr. Jin Jidong, so she said, "It's okay, I'll gradually approach Mr. Choi Min-ho tomorrow."
"Yunhao is great," Jung Kook said with a smile. "But if Yunhao's competitive spirit comes into play and he really becomes a regular, then there will definitely be some rivalry in the future."
"I think Yunhao is pretty good too," Yoo Jae-suk nodded in agreement.
"Yes, and he mentioned before that he's quite interested in Running Man. Of course, we can't hold onto a hundred percent hope; after all, we're worried about his schedule being too tight. If Yunhao can't manage his energy, and we also don't know what his company and manager think about it. Artists still have to listen to their company and manager."
"That's true."
"Oh no, the meat is getting burnt! Hurry and take it off," Kwang-soo said as he noticed the meat on the grill was getting dark.
Kwang-soo quickly got up and removed the meat from the grill.
There are too many worries; when it's time to eat, one should focus on eating well. Tomorrow and beyond will require more energy to face.
After dinner, everyone discussed going out to sing. Anna knew that if she didn't go home, Han Yoon-soo wouldn't be able to sleep, so she made an excuse about being too tired and left first. Lee Kwang-soo wanted to say something, but Anna had already gone to the parking lot, got into her car, and drove away. Yoo Jae-suk patted his shoulder and smiled, saying nothing.
It was still early, and passing by a snack street, Anna remembered Han Yoon-soo had mentioned he liked the Rice Noodle Rolls here, so she stopped the car and bought two servings. Anna had to admit that having a mother waiting for her to come home felt really nice.
'Give me the address for Jin Yu Cheng's treatment.'
In her mind, she recalled Andy's voice and this deal. Anna really didn't know how to resolve this situation. Did she really have to betray Kim Mi-kyung to preserve this rare peace?
Lost in thought, she didn't notice when the red light turned green; the cars behind her honked continuously, prompting Anna to quickly start driving again.
When she opened the door, she was surprised to see Park Chan-yeol there at this hour. Anna paused for a moment, then smiled and greeted him.
"Anna, you're back!" Han Yoon-soo said happily. She glanced at Park Chan-yeol, stood up, and said, "You guys chat for a bit; I'll go to the kitchen and cut some fruit for you."
"No need," Park Chan-yeol replied as he stood up. "I have to go now; I promised the members I'd practice late tonight."
"Stay a little longer," Han Yoon-soo urged.
"No, I really have to go. I'll come visit you another day."
After their brief encounter came an irreversible farewell; the door was gently closed, completely severing all connections.
Han Yoon-soo turned his face away and secretly wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes. Although the weather had warmed up quite a bit, he still coughed severely.
"Mom, why do I feel like your cough has gotten worse lately?" Anna placed the Rice Noodle Rolls on the Coffee Table and sat down with Han Yoon-soo.
"It's nothing, I probably caught a chill while out shopping during the day," Han Yoon-soo said, trying to steady her breath.
"I bought you your favorite Rice Noodle Rolls, and they're still warm. Hurry up and eat while it's hot," Anna said as she opened the lunch box. The Rice Noodle Rolls were still steaming, and the aroma was mouthwatering.
"Okay," Han Yoon-soo replied happily, picking up her chopsticks and taking a bite. "Thank you, Anna."
Seeing the white hairs at Han Yoon-soo's temples made Anna's nose tingle with emotion. She quickly turned her gaze away and said, "Mom..." Anna wanted to express how happy she felt living with her mother like this. Everything from the past seemed unimportant; this happiness was something she had always dreamed of. However, she ultimately couldn't bring herself to say those words. Some feelings, when buried for too long, become knots that cannot be untangled with words.
"What's wrong?" Han Yoon-soo asked.
"Nothing, I just want to say that you really need to take care of yourself," Anna replied with a smile.
Han Yoon-soo thought for a moment before putting down her chopsticks.
"Aren't you going to eat?" Anna asked.
Han Yoon-soo took Anna's hand and looked at her seriously. The serious expression made Anna feel a bit flustered. "Anna, tell me honestly, do you still love Chan-yeol?"
"Mom... why are you bringing this up?" Anna feigned nonchalance.
"Don't lie to me; I can see it. It's not just you; Chan-yeol looks the same way too." Han Yoon-soo sighed deeply. "How did it come to this? Why does life have to be so cruel?"
"Mom, don't think too much. Everything in the past is just that—the past. Now, you are our mother, and Chan-yeol is my brother. That is an unchangeable fact. Even without blood ties, others have already recognized us as siblings, and we need to slowly adapt to this identity."
"This is all ultimately because of me; it's all because of me."
"What does it matter to you? I'm already grateful that you gave birth to me. As for the path ahead, every choice is mine alone; how can I let you bear that burden?"
"I should have died earlier; then..."
"What are you saying?!" Anna interrupted Han Yoon-soo's words. "I don't want to hear such things anymore." Seeing Han Yoon-soo's extreme self-blame and guilt, Anna realized that everything that had happened had hit her even harder. All her suffering and sadness would be magnified a hundredfold onto Han Yoon-soo; she was truly being inconsiderate. Anna held Han Yoon-soo's hand tightly, her tone softening as she said, "Mom, I'm already very happy to have you by my side. Please don't worry about our future; just love us well like you do now and don't leave us again, okay?"
Han Yoon-soo didn't know what to do or say. She started coughing again, and Anna quickly got up to pour a glass of water for her. After taking a few sips, Han Yoon-soo felt a bit better; the rest was just silence and sighs.
"Mom, I'm going to take a shower now. Don't eat the Rice Noodle Rolls when they get cold; heat them up in the microwave before eating." Anna smiled as she went to get her clothes and entered the bathroom. She didn't dare continue talking with Han Yoon-soo; the pain in her heart couldn't be hidden too deeply.
However, how could she know that one person's sorrow cannot be concealed? Just as she could clearly sense Han Yoon-soo's regret, Han Yoon-soo would certainly not be oblivious to Anna's unresolved worries. Han Yoon-soo was not a foolish or ignorant woman; she was knowledgeable, cultured, and had her own principles. During Anna's recent meetings with Andy, how could she not feel the insurmountable gap between them? But since Anna didn't speak up, she felt it inappropriate to ask. Although Andy smiled, the darkness and coldness in his eyes were impossible to disguise. Yet he was still her child, her flesh and blood; she felt powerless. As for Anna, she also tried her best to appear nonchalant. Although she couldn't see the answer as to why Anna moved in with her, she still had some guesses in her heart. The tragedies of Park Chan-yeol and Anna, along with Andy's human tragedy, ultimately stemmed from Han Yoon-soo's selfish escape back then...
What could she do to slightly salvage this situation? What could she do to somewhat compensate for the guilt accumulated over the years?
Tears fell into the cup of water, creating ripples in the small glass.
All causes will eventually come to fruition; on judgment day, regardless of whether the outcome is fair or if the ending is too cruel, one must accept it all as it is. The seeds sown will bear fruit; the taste can only be savored by oneself.
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