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Several times, Anna wanted to ask Park Chan-yeol who the girl was that he talked to on the phone that day. However, she always felt it was a bit strange to ask such a question, so despite her lingering curiosity, she never brought it up. Moreover, she didn't want to waste the late-night phone calls they had on such matters.
Regarding the trip to Jeju Island, Anna mentioned it to Park Chan-yeol, who seemed to hesitate for a moment before happily reminding her to be safe during her travels.
So, on that Friday morning, Anna, Kwang-soo, Ji-hyo, Haha with his wife Go Eun, Gary, Jung Kook, Brother Jae-seok, and Roh Jeong-eun were all there, along with Peter, who had just removed the Elizabethan collar from around his neck and was already quite big.
When Anna saw the yacht, she was stunned; it was incredibly cool. After Peter boarded the yacht, he was also very excited. He raised his front half and kept looking at the swaying sea water. After a while, he ran to the deck and started blowing at the salty sea breeze.
As they slowly left the shore and picked up speed, Peter excitedly barked a couple of times and stuck out his long tongue.
“Peter! Come here!” Brother Jae-seok called out loudly in broken English.
Peter instantly perked up and ran over, nearly knocking Brother Jae-seok over. Brother Jae-seok was startled and lost his earlier composure, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
Haha secretly grabbed Kwang-soo's sunglasses that were set aside and said to Peter, “Come here, Peter. Sit down.”
Peter looked at the sunglasses in Haha's hand and realized they were for him. He grinned widely and obediently sat down while wagging his tail.
Haha and Go Eun exchanged smiles as they placed the sunglasses on Peter's face. He didn’t resist at all; instead, he seemed to enjoy it as he lay down, looking incredibly cool.
“Wow, it's really amazing; he understands everything,” Yoo Jae-suk exclaimed.
“Time for some fruit!” Anna and Kwang-soo came out holding two plates of cut fruit. When Kwang-soo saw Peter wearing the sunglasses, he initially laughed joyfully but soon realized those sunglasses looked familiar. He rushed over to reclaim them but missed as Peter dodged him and ended up falling to the ground.
“Ah, Brother Kwang-soo!” Anna called out.
After a long time without a relaxing trip, everyone eventually got a bit tired from all the fun and sat down in a circle on the deck. Peter lay down on one side and fell asleep, still wearing the sunglasses that Kwang-soo had not managed to retrieve.
"Ah, this is really nice," Kwang-soo exclaimed.
Jung Kook also set the boat to autopilot and then sat down with everyone.
"Yeah, I never expected we could travel together like this," Yoo Jae-suk said with a smile, knowing he was reminiscing about recent events.
"Now that those things are behind us, Brother Jae-seok, can you tell us what really happened? Did Lee Ji-hyun really want to use you to influence the presidential election?" Gary asked.
Yoo Jae-suk knew who the real mastermind was behind the scenes. Now that Jin Yu Cheng had lost power, he still had no idea what kind of person Zheng Andy was. Plus, he was already aware of Anna and Andy's relationship, so there were some things he couldn't say.
"Yeah," Yoo Jae-suk said with a smile. "But I thought Mr. Lee Ji-hyun would come to his senses. What could my simple words do? But I didn't expect he would really hold a grudge."
Anna glanced at Brother Jae-seok and the silently smiling Sister Jingeun. To this day, they still appropriately concealed certain matters for everyone's best interest.
"Ah, it's really true. Thank goodness someone like that didn't become president; otherwise, it would have been a big problem," Gary said.
Jung Kook didn't continue the conversation, and Haha also smiled silently. Perhaps after so many years of friendship with Yoo Jae-suk, they had already sensed Brother Jae-seok's other intentions.
Only Kwang-soo, lacking awareness, began to ask inappropriate questions out of curiosity. "Brother Jae-seok, what was prison like? Were there gangsters? Was there a boss? Did newcomers get bullied? Just like in Hong Kong movies?"
"Hey! Lee Kwang-soo!" Before Anna could get angry and hit him, Ji-hyo's hand had already landed on Kwang-soo's head.
Anna looked at Sister Jihyo with admiration, giving her a thumbs up.
"Sister! What did I do wrong?!" Kwang-soo said aggrievedly.
"Who wants to recall being in prison? Besides, Brother Jae-seok was wronged!" Ji-hyo looked at him disdainfully.
“ Ji-hyo,” Jae-seok said with a smile, “It’s okay.”
Haha, feeling intrigued, mischievously said, “Then Brother Jae-seok, why don’t you share?” Go Eun cautiously pinched him, causing Haha to grimace in pain.
“Well, there’s not much to it. I usually sleep alone in a separate room; we only eat together, and there’s always someone watching. I’ve imagined scenes like those in Chow Yun-fat movies, but it’s just a bit dull—nothing really happens,” Yoo Jae-suk thought for a moment and said with a smile.
His smile was genuine and carefree, without any pretense. Perhaps everyone was too sensitive; for Brother Jae-seok, the past was already behind him, becoming an interesting memory. When recalling it, the bitterness seemed meaningless, so he turned it into a distinctive memory.
However, hearing him speak so blandly caused everyone to lose their enthusiasm in an instant.
“Ah, this is so boring,” Kwang-soo lamented.
“Hasn’t anyone thought about escaping?” Gary asked innocently.
“Are we going from Hong Kong movies to American dramas now?” Ji-hyo teased.
“Brother, don’t you hide a spoon or something and then read a Bible?” Haha joked.
“We also need a poster and a pendant,” Anna chimed in with interest.
“Am I in Shawshank Prison…?” Yoo Jae-suk helplessly pointed at them and laughed.
As they approached Jeju Island's port, the weather was exceptionally clear today; the sunlight was almost overwhelming. The closer they got to the bay, the calmer the sea surface became.
“I really want to go swimming~ After all, it’s the sea of Jeju Island; it’s so nice,” Kwang-soo said while standing at the edge of the boat.
Before he could finish his sentence, Haha and Jung Kook grabbed both of his arms. With a scream, Kwang-soo didn’t have time to struggle before being thrown overboard. After creating a huge splash, Kwang-soo finally surfaced.
"Ah, it's so cool! Ah! Kim Jong Kook! Heo Dong-hoon!" Lee Kwang-soo said with a laugh.
At this moment, Anna and Ji-hyo had already prepared behind Jung Kook, and with Brother Jae-seok's cooperation, Kim Jong Kook was successfully pushed into the water. Lee Kwang-soo splashed around while Haha laughed heartily. The sea women nearby, who were gathering abalone, cast puzzled glances at their voices, but since they couldn't see clearly who it was, they didn't pay much attention.
Seeing the ladies staring at them fiercely, the remaining gentlemen jumped in one by one without hesitation.
"Ah! It's so cold!" Brother Jae-seok said with a smile.
However, they quickly adapted to the water temperature and began to play joyfully.
Peter was excitedly eager to try jumping from the boat but hesitated since he had never swum before. Anna encouraged him, and Peter jumped into the water, clearly enjoying the sensation.
He swam back and forth among Kwang-soo and the others.
After playing crazily for a while, they all shivered and climbed back onto the boat. Go Eun and Jing'en took out thick towels to wrap around them, including Peter, who was wrapped up like a white sausage, lying motionless on the deck.
"Don't move; let me dry your ears," Anna said as she tried to clean the water out of Peter's ears, but he was uncooperative, shaking his head left and right.
"Hey, if you could treat me like you do Peter just once, I would feel a bit comforted," Kwang-soo complained to Anna while drying his hair.
"Ah, brother, his IQ is only six even as an adult. If you were six too, I would take care of you," Anna joked.
Kwang-soo mysteriously squatted next to Anna and whispered, "Hey, who is that person you like that Brother Jae-seok mentioned last time?"
Anna glanced at him and replied, "The girl I had late-night snacks with after filming last night—who else could it be? I think it was my first time meeting her."
Kwang-soo looked at her with a frown and said, "Anna Zheng, I suspect you're my personal paparazzi. No, you're even better than paparazzi; they never catch those things, but you seem to run into them every time like a ghost."
Anna smiled proudly and said, "Well, look at you. You were caught dating girls when you were young, and even now that you've grown up, it's still the same. This shows..."
"That fate runs deep?"
"No, it shows that you've been a flirt since childhood," Anna replied. "I really wonder why those girls liked you, especially that Miss Choi from before. She almost took my life for you; it wasn't worth it at all."
"Hey, after knowing me for so long, how can you think of me like that? It should be said this way: look, so many girls like me; it proves I'm quite charming," Kwang-soo said.
Anna finally pulled out Peter's somewhat damp earwax and held the cotton swab with the earwax in front of Lee Kwang-soo's eyes. Thinking she was going to touch his face, Kwang-soo quickly stood up and stepped back.
Seeing his reaction, Anna chuckled, turned around, and threw the cotton swab into the trash can before sitting down next to Peter.
"From my years of observation, Brother Kwangsoo, you're the one who doesn't understand love," Anna said while gently touching Peter's ear.
"Oh? Then teach me," Kwang-soo replied playfully as he sat down beside Anna.
Anna glanced at him and said, "You are too submissive to your instincts. Your instincts will only lead you to continuously destroy everyone around you who might love you."
"Is it that profound?"
"Submitting to instinctual feelings is not love," Anna said seriously. She didn't know if she was speaking to Kwang-soo or to herself during this time. Ever since she confronted her own feelings, she had started to experience more repression and restraint. Sometimes she felt exhausted; all the longing, meetings, and embraces between loving couples were emotions she could only suppress or redirect. This was her way of loving Park Chan-yeol, the best way to protect everything about him now.
"Brother Kwangsoo, one day you'll understand what I'm saying. You'll meet a girl who makes you willingly suppress your primal urges and instincts. Don't ruin that relationship; otherwise, you'll truly face a tragic fate," Anna said with a slight smile.
The oil tanker set sail again as the wind blew, causing Anna's short hair to float in front of her eyes. Kwang-soo smiled as well.
In the sky, a white seabird screeched as it flew by, followed by a longer period of silence.
"Wow, what a big house! Is this really yours, Jung Kook? I had no idea you owned such a property," Heo Dong-hoon exclaimed, gazing at the seaside villa with front and back yards.
"What are you talking about? Of course, it's not mine," Jung Kook replied with a smile.
"Huh? Whose is it then?" Heo Dong-hoon asked.
"It's Zhang He's. I often borrow it to have some fun," Jung Kook said.
"I didn't know Heo Ge was so wealthy," Heo Dong-hoon remarked.
"Everyone take a break, pack your things, find your own rooms, and then we'll go buy ingredients. How about we have grilled seafood and barbecue in the yard tonight?" Yoo Jae-suk suggested.
"Sounds good." As they agreed, everyone scattered to find suitable rooms. Ji-hyo and Anna shared one room, Brother Jae-seok and Sister Jingeun another, Haha Brother and Sister Gao shared a room, while Kwang-soo and Jung Kook took one together. It was said that Brother Gary liked to sleep naked, so he had a room to himself.
"I might snore when I sleep," Sister Jihyo said with an embarrassed smile to Anna.
Anna chuckled in response, "I might too. And I might even grind my teeth."
After packing their things, they sat downstairs for a drink and some chat before heading out to buy supplies for the barbecue that evening.
"I'll go to the market with Anna to buy seafood!" Sister Jihyo volunteered eagerly.
Anna nodded enthusiastically; she loved browsing markets and could bring back lots of delicious food.
"I want to go to the market too. I'll go with Sister Jihyo and them," Kwang-soo said.
"Why do you want to tag along with us?" Ji-hyo complained.
"I can help you carry things," Kwang-soo said with a flattering smile.
Ji-hyo thought for a moment and replied, "Alright then."
"Brother Jae-seok probably can't go out, right? The public can tell who you are just by your voice. You should stay home with Sister Jingeun and prepare the fire," Haha said.
Yoo Jae-suk felt a bit helpless but still smiled and said, "Okay, then Jing'en and I will prepare the fire here."
"It's fine, tomorrow we will go out to sea and visit a nearby island. There, everyone won't have to worry," Jung Kook said.
"I'll go buy some drinks," Gary said.
"Alright, then I'll go with Go Eun and Gary to buy drinks," Haha said.
"Okay, let's all head out," Jung Kook said with a smile.
"Wait, hold on, Jung Kook, what are you doing?" Ji-hyo asked.
"Me? I've prepared such a fun trip for everyone, so I should be excused from working, right?" Kim Jong Kook said with a grin.
"No way!" Ji-hyo pulled him over and said, "Then I'll go with Kwang-soo to help us carry things."
They noisily headed out. Seeing them wearing masks and hats while looking relaxed, Anna smiled proudly.
The seafood market seemed to be quite far away. Jeju Island has many mountainous roads, and there were very few people on the bus, mostly elderly. The four of them sat in the last row—three wearing hats and one with an awkward expression, Anna. The elderly passengers cast strange glances at them. If they made any more odd movements, they might end up calling the police.
Just thinking about it made Anna cover her mouth and laugh.
Three people glanced at her with disdain.
In the afternoon, there weren't many people buying seafood; locals usually preferred to come in the early morning to purchase freshly caught seafood. By the afternoon, although it was still fresh, it couldn't compare to what was available in the morning.
"What do you like to eat, Sister Jihyo?" Anna asked.
"I like abalone and sea cucumber," Ji-hyo replied, continuously asking for prices while filling her bag with items and naturally handing them to the visibly frustrated Kwang-soo and Jung Kook behind her.
Before long, both of them were carrying bags full of items.
"Is that enough?" Jung Kook asked.
Ji-hyo thought for a moment and said, "Yeah, that's about right. Let's go to the supermarket and buy some fruit; I just saw a supermarket across the street."
"Sounds good! I want to get Hallasan Oranges and maybe some apples."
"Okay, let's go."
Watching the two of them walk away without a hint of fatigue, Jung Kook and Kwang-soo exchanged helpless looks.
As they entered the supermarket, a figure flashed by in front of the shelves. Jung Kook happened to see it and felt it looked familiar, but after thinking it over, he dismissed the thought.
"What's wrong? Did you see something?" Kwang-soo asked, following Jung Kook's gaze but seeing nothing.
"Nothing. I think I saw someone," Jung Kook said.
"Who was it?"
"Looks like EXO's Park Chan-yeol, and there's a girl too," Kim Jong Kook said.
Lee Kwang-soo, still unclear about the situation, wondered if it was Kim Mi-kyung whom he had seen earlier, so he stretched his neck to look around.
"Oh, it can't be. I must have seen it wrong. Let's go," Kim Jong Kook said, patting Lee Kwang-soo on the shoulder.
Kwang-soo nodded in confusion and followed Jung Kook as they caught up with Ji-hyo and Anna.
"Which one is sweeter?" Ji-hyo asked, examining the oranges one by one.
"Look at the circles at the bottom; the smaller they are, the sweeter they are," Anna said, placing the selected oranges into her pocket.
Jung Kook and Kwang-soo also gathered around.
"Where have you guys been? Why did you just arrive?" Ji-hyo asked.
"Jung Kook said he saw Park Chan-yeol earlier, and he was with a girl," Lee Kwang-soo said mysteriously.
Anna's heart tightened, nearly dropping the orange she was holding. Kim Jong Kook noticed Anna's reaction and quickly smiled, saying, "You must have seen it wrong; upon closer inspection, it's not him."
"I saw Park Chan-yeol with a girl when Anna and I were there for Running Man filming. Isn't that right, Anna?" Kwang-soo asked, still out of the loop.
Anna forced a stiff smile and nodded.
"They're saying it's not true; stop talking," Jung Kook interrupted Kwang-soo before he could say more.
"Anna sister~" a girl's voice called from behind. Anna felt that the voice was somewhat unfamiliar yet oddly familiar.
Turning around, a girl he had never met before was smiling at him, looking to be around 20 years old. Her long black hair flowed down her back like a waterfall, and her bright eyes and gentle, lovely smile made her quite likable. Beside her stood Park Chan-yeol, with his hat pulled low.
They greeted each other politely. Kim Jong Kook glanced at Anna, his expression calm, though the orange in his hand had already been squeezed into a different shape.
"Isn't this Mr. Kim Jong Kook, Mr. Lee Kwang-soo, and Sister Jihyo?" the girl said with a deep bow and a smile. "I am Jang Bo-Yeon, a trainee about to debut. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Hello! Did you all come out to play together?" Kwang-soo asked with a smile.
"Yes," Jang Bo-Yeon replied, her eyes forming crescent shapes as she smiled, her fair face and red lips indicating that she would surely become an idol for many in the future.
Anna smiled and said, "What a coincidence."
Seeing Anna's selected oranges, Jang Bo-Yeon happily walked over and said, "Hallasan oranges? They're my favorite! But we’re in a hurry. Sister Anna, could you let me have this bag of selected oranges? Please?"
Anna glanced at the quiet Park Chan-yeol and smiled. "Sure." She handed the oranges to Jang Bo-Yeon.
"Great! You're so kind. Thank you, Sister Anna," Jang Bo-Yeon said with a smile.
"Are Miss Baoyan and Anna close?" Kwang-soo finally asked curiously.
"Ah, Brother Canlie told me he has a friend named Anna, so I knew about her," Jiang Baoyan said as she walked over to Chan-yeol with a smile.
Anna turned away from them and continued selecting oranges. This was her favorite fruit, so she wanted to pick out the best ones.
"We're having a barbecue tonight; do you want to join us?" Ji-hyo asked with a smile.
"Sure..." Jiang Baoyan began to respond but was interrupted by Chan-yeol. He smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, Sister Jihyo, but no thanks. The members need to catch an early flight to America tomorrow."
Anna didn't know if Park Chan-yeol was saying that to himself, or if he was telling himself that the Trip to America wasn't a deception. She couldn't absorb anything right now, didn't dare to think about anything, and just wanted to leave quickly, or for both of them to leave soon.
"Oh, is that so?" Ji-hyo said.
"Then we'll be on our way. Goodbye," Park Chan-yeol politely bid farewell.
"Goodbye," Jung Kook replied as well. Anna turned around, lowering her head to say goodbye.
It wasn't until she became curious again about Park Chan-yeol and the girl that Anna realized they had already left. She let out a sigh of relief and smiled slightly, having broken into a cold sweat.
"You see, he's switched girls again. Just like I said before, good-looking men are all fickle; you still don't believe it," Lee Kwang-soo said to Anna.
Anna forced a stiff smile but didn't stop what she was doing.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Newcomers often participate in their seniors' music videos at the company. An album is coming out in spring; what's so impossible about shooting a music video here together?" Jung Kook said.
"Ah, that's true," Lee Kwang-soo replied and asked Anna, "You and Park Chan-yeol are the same age and good friends; there aren't any scandalous rumors to share?"
Just when Anna felt embarrassed and didn't know how to respond, Sister Jihyo slapped him on the forehead and said, "Hey, Lee Kwang-soo, why are you being so nosy like an old lady? Hurry up and pick some; I'm starving and want to go back for dinner."
Lee Kwang-soo could only sulk in silence, secretly glancing at Ji-hyo before obediently going to pick oranges.
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