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"How did you end up here?" Andy first expressed confusion, standing up and glancing at Anna, who was also shocked on the ground. A moment of realization crossed his face as he smiled, "Right, I almost forgot. My dear sister is the reason for your appearance, isn't she?"
Hogga raised the corner of his mouth but remained silent as he slowly walked over.
Andy approached him, pulling out a dagger and grinning mischievously.
In an instant of their encounter, Anna couldn't see what happened clearly; the dagger was already in Hogga's hand, firmly stabbed into a nearby pillar. Then he swiftly picked up the wooden stick that Andy had just held and brought it down heavily on Andy's head. Andy collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.
"Andy!" Anna instinctively felt worried.
Hogga walked over to Anna and helped her up.
"He's fine; he just fainted. Don't worry," Hogga said. "He'll wake up soon. If we don't want to attract more trouble, we should leave here quickly."
Anna hesitated for a moment before nodding.
Every time Hogga appeared or disappeared, it brought too many questions, and this time was no exception. Why was he here at this moment? And in America? Also, his skills—were they those of an ordinary person? Although Anna didn't understand much, she at least knew how bizarre it was to snatch a knife from someone's hand so quickly, and how much skill and strength it took to stab a knife into a concrete pillar. When he said he wanted to leave, where exactly had he gone during that time?
"Let's rest for a bit; I'll take you to the hospital for a check-up soon. You'll understand your doubts later," Hogga said with a smile, glancing at Anna, who looked disheveled in the passenger seat.
"Why are you here?" Anna asked.
"I told you, when the time comes, you'll understand everything."
Suddenly, the phone rang. Anna took out her phone and wiped off the bloodstains on it; it was Andy's call.
"Hello, Andy."
Over there, a cold and maniacal smile appeared. "You won't have a good ending. I am just waiting to see that day come. Your relationship with Park Chan-yeol was doomed from the start to be a difficult struggle, and there are many cruel truths ahead. I can't wait for my dear sister Anna to learn the truth; I look forward to seeing you both in despair! You really have no idea..." The call was suddenly interrupted, and the sound of the line disconnecting came through the phone.
"Andy! Andy!" Anna shouted.
"There's no need to be so agitated. It must be my partner arriving," Hogga said calmly.
"Partner?"
"Don't worry, they will take Andy to a safe place. Of course, this safety is mutual; he will be safe, and we will be safe."
"Who exactly are you?"
Hogga smiled, "I am Hogga. You've been asking this question since we first met."
"Fine, then who are your partners? What kind of people are they?"
"I think what you should be considering right now is not that, but rather how you will manage your work tomorrow in this state. Perhaps you should report the situation to your superiors in Korea," Hogga suggested.
"Why do you always seem to know so much about my situation?"
"That's a good thing; otherwise, you wouldn't know what would happen today, would you?" Hogga replied.
"Will Andy really be okay?"
"Don't worry, after he's settled, I will let you know."
Once she relaxed, the pain throughout Anna's body made her reluctant to say anything more. She knew that even if she asked, Hogga wouldn't provide any answers; otherwise, she wouldn't still know nothing about this person after all this time.
It was just superficial bruises, but it would still take some time to recover. Her body was fine, as her clothes concealed the marks, but the bruises on her face were impossible to hide. Anna thought about how she would explain this to Allen tomorrow.
"Miss, you should rest for a week," the doctor advised.
"I understand, thank you, doctor," Anna replied as she walked out of the treatment room. Hogga was sitting on a chair in the hallway and came over to support her when he saw her.
"Do you want me to carry you?" Hogga asked when he noticed Anna limping.
"No need," Anna said. She glanced at Hogga; after all, it was thanks to his presence today that things hadn't turned out worse. "Thank you, Hogga."
"Only now do you remember to say thank you?" Hogga smiled. "No need to thank me. By the way, did you call Korea?"
"I did. I told Miao PD that I fell down the stairs and need a few days to rest," Anna said.
"What did he say?"
"What could he say? It's not great that something like this happened right after I arrived, so he might be a bit unhappy. But Miao PD has always been good to us, so he'll personally explain it to the Task Force here in America. It will delay my return home by a few days," Anna explained.
"No wonder you're working so hard for this job and for Mr. Yoo Jae-suk and the others," Hogga said. "It probably wouldn't be very convenient for you to go back to that lady's house right now. Why don't you sleep in the back of the car for tonight?"
"What?"
"I figured you wouldn't feel comfortable with me taking you to a hotel."
Anna awkwardly lowered her head and said nothing.
Hogga parked the car in front of Mrs. Smith's house, and Anna was too tired to ask how he knew where she was temporarily staying in America.
"You go ahead, I'll be in the driver's seat," Hogga said.
Anna looked at Mrs. Smith's house, which was completely dark, thought for a moment, nodded, and lay down in the back seat. Hogga turned up the heater slightly.
Lying there, Anna wasn't sure if it was because her emotions were still unstable or due to the pain all over her body, but she couldn't fall asleep. With her eyes open, she looked through the sunroof and saw the starry sky of America. It seemed particularly bright because there were hardly any lights at night due to Mrs. Smith's house being in such a location.
"Your relationship with Park Chan-yeol was doomed from the start to be a difficult ordeal, with many harsh truths waiting for you. I can't wait to see my dear sister Anna when she learns the truth; I can't wait to see you in despair!" Andy's words echoed in her ears. Just then, Park Chan-yeol's call came in. Anna glanced at his name on the screen but ultimately didn't answer and turned off her phone.
"Why didn't you pick up?" Hogga asked.
"I was afraid I wouldn't be able to help but tell him what happened tonight," Anna replied as she turned over. There were many things she didn't dare to think about. If those people really died because of her, when Park Chan-yeol learned about it, would he still want to be with her without hesitation? Even if he never knew, how could she face Park Chan-yeol with a clear conscience?
"Hogga, can you keep what happened today a secret forever?" Anna said softly.
"Sure," Hogga replied without hesitation.
"Thank you," Anna said.
"Anna, you never have to thank me," Hogga said.
Anna closed her eyes and unknowingly drifted into a light sleep, waking several times from nightmares. Yet outside, the starry sky remained unchanged, and Hogga maintained his silent posture. This continued until dawn when Jack came in with a newspaper and handed it to Mrs. Smith, who had also come into the yard.
"Oh my goodness, what happened? Anna, why are you here? And why are you hurt? Who is this gentleman? Your boyfriend?"
Before the yard door was fully opened, Mrs. Smith's barrage of questions came pouring out.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Smith. I went out last night to take care of some things and encountered some danger. This friend of mine helped me out, and I didn't want to disturb you, so I rested in the car last night," Anna explained.
"Hello, Mrs. Smith, I am Anna's friend, you can call me Hogga," Hogga introduced himself.
"Hello, Hogga, you're really handsome, the most handsome Asian man I've ever seen," Mrs. Smith said happily as she greeted Hogga.
"During this time, Anna won't be able to work, so I hope you can take good care of her," Hogga said.
"Don't worry," Mrs. Smith replied.
Jack had been standing at a distance, looking down and sizing up Hogga. When Hogga glanced at him, Jack instantly stood on end and lay down on the ground.
"Well, I'll come back tomorrow. You should rest well," Hogga said to Anna.
"No need, you don't have to come over. Mrs. Smith will take good care of me," Anna declined.
"Let's see. I'm leaving now. Goodbye, Anna, goodbye, Mrs. Smith."
"Goodbye." Mrs. Smith still wore a bright smile as she bid farewell to Hogga.
Before heading to work in the morning, Allen came by to check on Anna's condition. Simple reminded her to rest well and then hurriedly left. Anna had originally wanted to take a good look at some of their post-production work today but didn't expect such a situation to arise and that she would have to stay in America for a few more days.
"You can just sit on the sofa and rest. But Anna, why didn't you tell me when you went out last night? It was really dangerous," Mrs. Smith said seriously as she sat across from Anna. Anna knew that she wasn't blaming her; it was just out of concern and a sense of responsibility for having Anna staying in her home.
"I'm really sorry; there are some things I just can't bring myself to mention," Anna apologized again.
"I'm not asking you to apologize; I'm just worried about you. After all, this isn't your country, and I'm afraid you might run into trouble," Mrs. Smith said.
"Thank you, Mrs. Smith. It won't happen again; I promise," Anna said.
"That Mr. Hojia from earlier is very handsome and quite the gentleman. I thought he was your boyfriend," Mrs. Smith said with a smile as she placed a glass of juice on the table in front of Anna.
"No, he's just my... friend," Anna replied, taking a sip of the juice and feeling a bit refreshed.
"Well, I'm going to buy some eggs now. I think you should take a shower because you smell like ointment, even Jack doesn't want to come near you," Mrs. Smith joked.
Anna chuckled and then realized that Jack hadn't been following them like usual since earlier.
"Where did Jack go?" Anna asked.
Mrs. Smith stood up to look around and found Jack standing at the gate of the yard, staring intently in the direction where Hogga had left.
"I think he doesn't want your handsome and gentlemanly friend to leave," Mrs. Smith said with a laugh. "Jack! Come back, we're getting ready to go buy eggs."
Seeing Mrs. Smith lead Jack out of the yard, Anna finished her juice and went back upstairs. She really needed a hot shower; she felt as if she was covered in a layer of sticky grease.
----------------------------
"Are you going to see your little friend again?" Cat asked, sitting on the sofa and smoking a cigarette.
"When did you arrive?" Hogga asked as he took off his trench coat and hung it on the rack, but he didn't remove his leather gloves.
"I went to Berlin yesterday, but Frank said you were already in America, so I came here. I waited for you all night; it seems it was in vain," Cat replied.
"I told you, you don't need to come looking for me. We can talk when I get back to Korea," Hogga said as he sat on the sofa and pulled Cat closer, who then lay down on Hogga's lap.
"Did she not notice anything unusual? Like how you've been wearing gloves all day?" Cat asked.
"At that time, she wasn't in the mood to care about this." Hogga raised his hand, looking at his gloved hand, and smiled helplessly.
"Frank said the situation is not ideal."
"I know, ha, I've known in my heart for a long time."
"Even like this, you still want to rush over to help her."
"There’s no choice; she can't handle it on her own, and I have to go for this matter," Hogga said.
A long silence ensued as Cat gently held Hogga's gloved hand.
"Injured?"
"No choice," Hogga replied with a helpless smile.
"Hogga, have you fallen in love with that little girl?"
Hogga was silent for a long time, as if deep in thought. "Don't worry about this matter."
Upon hearing this, Cat sat up and looked at Hogga, a flicker of emotion passing through her eyes.
"Let's head back to Korea in the afternoon; help me take care of things over there," Hogga said.
"And you?"
"I still have things to do here."
"Your little friend?" Cat smiled and said, "What will you do now that Frank is no longer around?"
"It's fine, I have it under control."
Cat stood up and smiled, saying, "Alright, I'll trust you."
Park Chan-yeol called, always wondering if something had happened to Anna, but Anna chose to keep quiet about Andy every time. She was just hoping that the coming month would pass by busy yet peacefully. Once she returned to Korea, she had her dreams—dreams about Running Man and Park Chan-yeol.
Hogga used some method that Anna didn't know and couldn't inquire about to send Andy to a small island in Italy called Rogue Island. According to Andy's own confirmation, he should be able to live there quietly for the rest of his life.
Every evening, Hogga would come over with authentic Chinese or Korean dishes he somehow acquired. Mrs. Smith was very fond of his visits because she liked him as a person and it saved her the trouble of cooking dinner. However, after many visits, Jack remained quite wary of Hogga, appearing timid as he lay on the side, not daring to approach.
Anna knew she couldn't drive him away and truly felt no malice from him; it was just that continuously accepting his kindness made her feel a certain guilt. Whether this acceptance of goodwill was active or passive, Hogga had indeed given too much.
Anna maintained politeness and distance while constantly expressing her gratitude. She couldn't even think of how to repay him.
Though they were called friends, how could they truly be considered friends? A person who knew nothing about her yet seemed to understand her completely filled her with unease while also fostering unconditional trust at certain moments. This person had provided her with so much help.
Anna found herself trapped in this cycle of contradictions, deeply troubled.
However, what she didn't expect or fully comprehend was far more than just this matter.
Mistakes never come alone; they arrive in pairs, catching one off guard.
That evening, Anna sat in a wicker chair in the yard, enjoying the last rays of sunlight while Jack lay under the eaves with his eyes gently closed. Unbeknownst to her, the sky quickly darkened. Mrs. Smith instructed Hogga to bring out a blanket for Anna.
Thus, Hogga came out with the blanket and draped it over Anna's shoulders just as a light rain began to fall quickly and chillingly.
Standing up and lifting his head, the ambiguous scene before him revealed Park Chan-yeol's emotions plummeting to the depths. Light rain dampened his forehead, his jaw clenched tightly, fists clenched, with a small suitcase by his side.
This was not the encounter they had both anticipated.
The three of them stood still in the light rain, frozen in time.
“Chan-yeol…” Anna was at a loss for words, even forgetting to explain.
Hogga smiled slightly, nodding at Park Chan-yeol in silent greeting, then quietly said to Anna, “I’ll take my leave now. Goodbye.”
As Hogga met Park Chan-yeol's gaze and walked past him, he reminded softly, “She’s hurt and can’t get wet. Please take her inside.” After saying that, he got into his car and slowly drove away.
Park Chan-yeol picked up the suitcase from the ground, walked over to Anna, took her hand without saying a word, and led her inside.
“Wow, who is this?! Am I seeing things? Why does Hogga look so different all of a sudden?!” Mrs. Smith exclaimed.
“This is my friend who just arrived from Korea, named Park Chan-yeol,” Anna introduced awkwardly.
“Hello, I’m Park Chan-yeol,” he said with a furrowed brow, unable to smile as he greeted Mrs. Smith.
“Hello, I’m Eileen Court Smith; you can call me Mrs. Smith.” Mrs. Smith greeted them, noticing the troubled expressions on their faces. She smiled and said, “I think you two have things to discuss. Why don’t you go upstairs? I’ll call you when it’s time for dinner.”
“Okay, thank you, Mrs. Smith.”
Anna said as she walked upstairs with Park Chan-yeol to her room.
Jack curiously followed them but was called back by Mrs. Smith and stayed in the kitchen with her.
Closing the door and putting down her suitcase, Anna sat in the chair, unsure of how to break the current situation.
Park Chan-yeol glanced over and walked to the bathroom, taking out a dry towel and gently wiping Anna's damp hair. Anna felt a sudden sting in her nose, almost on the verge of tears.
"How's your injury? Why were you so careless to fall down the stairs?" Park Chan-yeol asked.
"It was an accident," she replied.
"Are you feeling better now?"
"Much better."
"That's good." Park Chan-yeol returned the towel to the bathroom.
Anna bit her lip, troubled about how to explain what Park Chan-yeol had just witnessed.
"Chan-yeol, that person…"
Park Chan-yeol half-sat on the desk beside Anna, interrupting her stammering words.
"I've seen that person before; this isn't our first meeting… Anna, is it because of him that you didn't want me to come to America?"
What was meant to come would eventually arrive; no one could turn a blind eye to such scenes, and everyone would be filled with questions about the unusual occurrences of these days.
"I told you it's not what you think; believe me," Anna said somewhat helplessly.
"I believe you."
The unexpected and straightforward answer, however, once doubt arises, how could it be so easily erased?
"His name is Hogga. He has helped me many times. That's all I know," Anna said.
Park Chan-yeol smiled bitterly and said, "It seems like I should reflect on myself. Every time you find yourself in trouble, I haven't been there for you... I can see that he treats you well."
"To be honest, his kindness makes me feel indebted to him."
Hearing this, Park Chan-yeol smiled and said, "You've said something similar to me before."
"But now I don't feel that we owe each other anything."
"Why?"
"Because I know that what we have is love."
The rain outside had unknowingly intensified, and a faint light began to filter in through the window, illuminating the two faces smiling at each other.
Because it is love, everything can be forgiven, everything can be accepted, and everything can fade away.
Love is never equal. Because when love runs deep, it becomes humble. This humility is not a degradation that discards all boundaries but a willingness to bow for each other, a willingness to silently protect one another, even if this 'silence' is never known by the other party. As long as he appears, as long as she smiles, as long as he holds her hand, as long as she embraces him, it is enough to bring lasting happiness.
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