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墨書 Inktalez
Calming down, she realized how tired she was. Park Anqing's words and Andy's curses felt like a heavy shackle, pressing down on Anna as if they would crush her during the quiet moments.
She didn't know whether to talk to Park Chan-yeol about these things. She was afraid because it had been so difficult for them to come back together like this. Although they still had few opportunities to meet, she could always feel their hearts were close.
No matter how hard she worked during the day or how happy she felt talking to Park Chan-yeol on the phone, once she was alone, those annoying tangled emotions would invade her mind and linger.
Just after parking her car and getting out, she vaguely saw a strange man standing at her doorstep, staring intently at her. How terrifying that was! Just when Anna didn't know how to react, the man quickly walked towards her. She couldn't remember to scream; an instinctive voice in her mind warned her of danger, urging her to run away.
Anna was so scared that her legs went weak, and she took a step back, almost falling to the ground, but was caught by a strong pair of arms.
"Don't be afraid."
Anna turned around and was surprised to see Hogga.
"What are you doing here?" Anna exclaimed. Turning back, the strange figure had already vanished.
"Let's go; it's better not to stay here for now," Hogga said.
Anna quickly steadied herself. "How did you get here? When did you come back to Korea? Who was that person? Do you know him?"
Hogga smiled and replied, "I've been back for many days... As for who that person is, I can only say I don't know him, but he has his own intentions, and those intentions are likely not good."
"Hogga, why do you always seem to know everything about my situation? And why do you always help me?" Anna asked in utter confusion. "What is the reason? Is it because you like me? If that's the case, let me tell you that I love someone else, and that person is not you. If it's not that, then what is your reason for helping me?"
Hogga looked at Anna, who appeared somewhat tired and anxious, and smiled, saying, "Anna, you've been too exhausted lately. Once this period passes, I will tell you everything."
"Everything? Will what you tell me be what I want to know?" Anna replied with a wry smile as she turned and walked toward her home.
Why did it seem like everyone around her knew everything? Were these people so insightful that they could foresee the tragic downfall awaiting her and Park Chan-yeol? And here they were, foolishly hoping for a bright future because they were oblivious to the truth.
If that were the case, it would be better if those unknown truths remained hidden from them forever.
Anna knew Hogga had followed her into the house. She didn’t turn back but poured herself a glass of warm water and took a few sips, feeling her stomach finally settle down.
"You should leave. I won’t be going anywhere," Anna said.
"If you still want to be with your little friend when he returns, it's best to listen to me and leave this place first."
Anna turned around to look at him. "Didn’t you see the news about my public relationship with Lee Kwang-soo?"
"I did. But you know how things really are; I don’t need to repeat it," Hogga replied, smirking as he sat on the sofa, still wearing his leather gloves even while lighting a cigarette.
Anna smiled helplessly and asked, "Why is it that you seem to know everything about me?"
Hogga exhaled a puff of smoke and said, "It's nothing, Anna. It's because I understand you. I know who your heart is drawn to."
"But it's really unfair; I know nothing about you," Anna said.
"You will know soon enough."
"Does that include everything you mentioned?" Anna scoffed.
"Yes, everything," Hogga replied. "So, leave this place for now."
"Leave this place? Where to?" Anna felt an unprecedented sense of helplessness.
"I've arranged a place for you to stay. Just trust me and come with me."
"You've arranged it again? I really want to know, has everything from the beginning until now been arranged by you?"
"I wish I had that kind of ability; it certainly wouldn't be like this now... But right now, if you want to continue being with your little friend, you need to come with me."
The wind stirred the curtains; it was late at night, and the air had grown colder. Anna felt goosebumps rise on her skin.
"If I go with you, can you really guarantee that I can stay with Chan-yeol?" Anna asked.
"Think carefully about who that person was earlier; you should be able to figure it out. Whether you can be together depends on both of you. I can only guarantee that you won't just disappear for no reason. When your little friend comes back, he will still be able to find you," Hogga said.
Why has a simple relationship become so complicated? What exactly did their encounter violate that required such elaborate measures and trials to overcome?
This was just a simple relationship; why did it have to become a perilous journey like a pilgrimage?
When the time truly comes for all truths to be revealed, will there still be the strength to maintain this relationship? When everything is known, can they endure the facts and judgments that follow?
"Okay, I'll go with you," Anna said. "But Hogga, can I ask you one last question?"
"Go ahead."
"Are you truly benevolent or malevolent?" Anna looked at Hogga.
Hogga was silent for a moment, then smiled. "Anna, do you think there's a clear boundary between good and evil? After everything we've been through, do you still believe there’s a line between them? Do you think Andy is a bad person? Yet he did save Jin Yoo-cheo and Kim Mi-kyung's lives. Do you consider Mr. Yoo Jae-suk, whom you admire, to be a good person? But how many people in his industry have lost their footing because of his excellence? And what about Jin Yu Cheng? Can you still define him purely as a villain?"
Anna was speechless. After a long pause, she helplessly shook her head and sighed, which then turned into a smile. "I understand now." Anna turned and slowly walked toward the window, closing it. The curtains instantly stopped swaying, and there was no longer a breath of air flowing.
"Wait a moment; let me tidy up a bit," Anna said.
It was a single apartment of about forty square meters, exceptionally tidy, with no traces of anyone having lived there. It was very close to SBS, just a ten-minute walk away.
"Thank you, Hogga," Anna said.
"No need to thank me," Hogga replied. "Also, if you don't want Park Chan-yeol to know that this place is lent to you by me, just lie and say you rented it yourself."
Anna was surprised but suppressed her emotions. She gently nodded and paused for a moment before asking, "When can I leave?"
"That's up to you. But my suggestion is to wait until your little friend's parents leave Korea or leave this world."
"What?" Anna asked in surprise.
Hogga smiled and said, "You should understand what I mean." He glanced at the clock on the wall and added, "It's late, I should be going."
"Okay," Anna replied.
As the door closed, Anna weakly sank into a chair, feeling the warmth of the environment that still felt strangely unfamiliar. Was this a hasty escape? Was that shadow from earlier someone sent by Park Anqing? Was she really unable to tolerate her own existence any longer?
Anna chuckled to herself, recalling Park Chan-yeol's words about wanting to introduce her to his parents. It seemed that would never come to pass. When they finally met, who knew what kind of uncontrollable drama would unfold?
"How ridiculous, Anna Zheng..." Anna murmured to herself.
How long had it been since sleepless nights began again? She couldn't tell if it was the change of scenery that kept her awake or if her heart simply couldn't find peace.
Before she knew it, dawn broke on the horizon, and it was time to go to work. Work was always a bit better; engaging in something she loved and keeping busy allowed her to enjoy moments of tranquility in her mind.
After all, no matter how challenging work might be, there was always a way to tackle it—much simpler than other matters.
"Anna! Anna!" As soon as she entered the studio, Park Soo Eun pulled Anna aside with a mysterious look.
"What's wrong?" Anna asked, puzzled.
Park Soo Eun noticed Anna's dark eye bags and smirked, "What happened? Didn't sleep well? You weren't out all night with Brother Kwangsoo, were you?"
"Not really, I just can't sleep," Anna said.
"But I have to tell you, you all are in trouble today," Park Soo Eun said.
"What trouble?"
"It's that 'Father of Comedy' Mr. Li is coming to record again next week."
"What?!" Anna frowned, as if her motivation had vanished in an instant. She had hoped to regain some stability through work, but it seemed even less likely now. "How do you know? I haven't heard any notification."
"Yesterday, Miao PD called me and said that Mr. Li is about to start a new show, so he's coming on our program for promotion."
"Oh my gosh..." Anna felt a bit frustrated. "Why is he coming again..."
"I heard Miao PD isn't too happy about it either, but there's not much he can do. After all, it's an SBS program, and if he says he wants to promote it, how can Miao PD refuse?"
"That's true," Anna nodded.
"But you look so out of it. Miao PD is already unhappy; you better not mess things up," Park Soo Eun warned.
"I know, thank you, beautiful and generous Sister Park," Anna replied with a smile.
This 'Father of Comedy' Mr. Li was someone Anna had just thought about the day before because of Mr. Lee Jung-jae, and now he was suddenly showing up. It was truly frustrating.
I wonder what kind of trouble he will bring this time for the recording.
"Come on, everyone, focus up." Miao PD has arrived at the studio, looking quite troubled. Park Soo Eun nudges Anna's arm and raises her eyebrows, indicating that she guessed correctly.
Everyone quickly sits back in their seats. Seeing Miao PD's expression, they think something bad is about to happen. However, having Mr. Li as a guest isn't exactly a good thing either.
"The guest for next week has been decided," Miao PD says.
"What? Usually, if it's not a special episode for a particular guest, shouldn't we plan the game format first before selecting the guest?" Dong Wan exclaims. The others are equally puzzled.
"Yes, this time is a bit special. The guest is Mr. Li JK. We basically don't need to plan anything because Mr. Li wants to design some games himself. We just need to make minor adjustments, so everyone should have an easier week," Miao PD explains.
"What? How does that make sense?" Anna responds, speechless.
"It doesn't make sense, but he has been good friends with the current deputy director for over thirty years. Who can reason with him?" Dong Wan replies. "Besides, he's been in this industry for so long and is older; who would dare..."
"Alright, no need to say so much," Miao PD interrupts Dong Wan.
Dong Wan shrugs helplessly and closes his mouth.
"This time, Mr. Li will lead six team members himself. He will find these six members on his own, so we don't have to worry about that. The main goal is to compete against the seven members of Running Man, symbolizing that they must win against the Running Man team. Although he is designing the games this time, you still need to be aware of the general direction of the program so that we can refine the feasibility of the games he designs and ensure smooth recording. After all, this is our Running Man program that we've worked hard on for so many years; we just have to endure this time and not ruin our own reputation," Miao PD says.
"Okay, got it..." Everyone has never seen such a low atmosphere in the studio before; even when work was tiring in the past, it never felt this depressing.
"Everyone, don't be so discouraged. Just record as you normally would. Think about the positives; they design the game, which means our workload is significantly reduced. Let's take a moment to relax."
"Okay..." The voices of the others remained dull.
Seeing that he couldn't lift everyone's spirits, Miao PD initially wanted to offer more encouragement, but feeling frustrated himself, he sighed and decided not to continue on that topic.
"Mr. Li should be able to send the few game ideas he came up with to Park Soo Eun via email this afternoon or tomorrow morning. Park Soo Eun, please organize them into a physical document for me and the FD team. Understood?"
"Got it, Miao PD," Park Soo Eun replied.
"Also, Anna, have you finished organizing the materials from your study in the U.S.?" Miao PD asked Anna.
Anna nodded and said, "I'm almost done; I should finish it this afternoon."
"Once you're done, send it directly to me, and I'll distribute it to the relevant departments for analysis," Miao PD instructed.
"Okay, I understand," Anna agreed.
"…So, what should we do now? We don't need to think about game ideas since the guests are already confirmed, and we can't write the game plan," Dong Wan asked.
"How about giving you all a day off? You can go home," Miao PD suggested with a smile.
"Sounds good! Yes!" Dong Wan quickly nodded.
Others also laughed happily.
"Miao PD said, 'Think beautifully; you don't need to think for this episode. Just think about the next one. If we can finish the program plan for the next episode this week, I'll give you two days off.'"
"Really?!" Everyone's faces lit up with joy.
"This time it's definitely true," Miao PD replied.
"That's great! Everyone, hurry up and pull out those wild ideas from your minds. Let's work hard for our vacation!" Dong Wan said excitedly.
Miao PD chuckled, "You little rascal, you're the most enthusiastic about this."
Wanting to meet but fearing that when Park Chan-yeol returns, there will be even more troubles to face. In this tangled conflict, she unknowingly received the news that he was coming back.
"After I return, I’ll have a day off. I’ll come find you," he said.
"I've moved; I relocated to the W Single Apartment near SBS," she replied.
"Why did you suddenly move there?"
"It's closer to work, much more convenient."
"Then I'll wait for you at the SBS company entrance."
"Okay." She smiled happily, glad to see you back.
As such, when work ended, she deliberately stayed a little longer. Stepping out the door and seeing the familiar car across the street, her worries vanished in an instant. Because there, her beloved was waiting.
"Are you that happy?" Park Chan-yeol asked.
Anna nodded, "A bit."
"Want me to take you somewhere?"
"Where?"
"You'll know when you get there."
"Alright."
The car drove on, and they no longer needed many words between them. A song played softly, and there were a few lines they could hum together, enough to bring joy. In this moment, it was hard to tell if it was fate or coincidence; the warm voice from the television station introduced the next song. It was Anna's favorite song, "For You," sung by Jaejoong. After listening to it countless times, hearing it again wrapped around her ears was still enough to immerse her in the story told by the song.
"It seems we are entangled in a complicated fate. I carry an unpayable debt every day, bearing too much. Sometimes we are like lovers, sometimes like strangers. Is it okay to live like this? Even after experiencing so many mistakes and separations, you are still there..." Anna couldn't help but hum along with the song.
Park Chan-yeol looked at her with a smile, "You remember the lyrics so well; do you really love this song that much?"
Anna nodded and said, "I liked TVXQ in high school. When I heard Brother Jaejoong sing this song, I instantly fell in love with it and still love it now."
Park Chan-yeol sighed unhappily, "Hey... Brother? You've never called me brother before."
Anna knew he was being jealous for no reason, so she smiled and said, "You're only a year older than me, why should I call you 'brother'?"
"A year older still makes me 'brother,' okay? Hurry up and call me brother," Park Chan-yeol insisted.
"I don't want to," Anna said with a mischievous smile, deliberately saying so.
"Hey, Anna Zheng, you like this song so much because the singer is handsome, right?"
"He's handsome and sings well; of course, there's a reason for that."
"I'm also quite handsome."
"You haven't even sung this song..."
"Well... fine. Next time there's a concert with a solo performance, I'll sing this song, and then you can call me 'brother.'"
"First, you have to sing it," Anna replied.
Park Chan-yeol muttered helplessly, "Hey... when did you become so cunning..."
The number of people outside the car was dwindling, and even the lights gradually disappeared, leaving the surroundings dark except for the glow of the car lights. Anna looked around; they seemed to be heading towards Jungqing Road, which is located on the outskirts of Seoul and borders Jeonju. Anna had been there once and only remembered that the bean sprout rice was delicious.
"Where are we going?" Anna asked.
"I'm not going to sell you," Park Chan-yeol said with a smile. "But remember that time we met in Beijing a long time ago, also late at night? I took you to the outskirts of Beijing, and there was no one around. You looked so scared."
"You even said that if you weren't an artist, I would really suspect you were going to sell me to some gang," Anna replied.
"But back then, you liked me, didn't you? When I held your hand, your face turned as red as if it had been scalded by hot water."
"I did not!" Anna instinctively retorted. "That was just because I wasn't familiar with you."
Park Chan-yeol found her somewhat flustered reaction amusing and couldn't help but chuckle quietly.
Seeing him trying to suppress his laughter, Anna asked, "Why are you laughing over there?"
"I'm not!" Park Chan-yeol denied shamelessly.
The car turned onto a small road, and the lights dimmed. In the distance, a large but simple courtyard came into view. As they got closer, the faint sound of barking dogs gradually reached their ears. The car stopped at the entrance of the courtyard.
"Get out," Park Chan-yeol said.
"Where is this?"
"You'll find out once you get out."
As they approached the front yard, an elderly grandmother opened the door, holding a small mixed-breed Chihuahua in her arms. Upon seeing Anna, the dog bared its teeth in a show of defiance.
"Don't be rude to our guests," the grandmother said to the little dog, which obediently stopped its unfriendly behavior. "Hello, I am Lin Fengying. Chan-yeol, who is this?"
"This is Miss Anna Zheng. Anna, this is Grandma Lin Fengying," Park Chan-yeol introduced.
"Hello, Grandma."
The barking did not cease, but Lin Fengying's gaze was particularly calm and serene under the moonlight as she looked at Anna, finally revealing a slight smile.
"Good, good, come in," Lin Fengying said.
After speaking, Lin Fengying turned and walked into the house with a somewhat unsteady gait. Her back was slightly hunched, and she appeared very thin, with gray hair and dressed in gray clothing. Anna glanced at Park Chan-yeol, who reassured her with a nod before she slowly followed him inside.
Inside the yard were two enclosed pens filled with dogs of various colors and sizes. Upon seeing visitors, they all began wagging their tails, trying to present a friendly demeanor, their eyes filled with a certain hope. Upon closer inspection, Anna noticed that some of these dogs had patches of missing fur, some had physical deformities, and others were old and no longer had their cute appearance.
Lin Fengying did not enter the house but instead sat on a simple wooden porch. Park Chan-yeol took Anna's hand and sat beside her.
Seeing the puzzled look on Anna's face, Park Chan-yeol smiled and said, "All these dogs were abandoned by their owners. Grandma Lin Fengying rescued them."
"Abandoned?" Anna asked.
With a somewhat frail voice, Lin Fengying sighed lightly and said, "These little ones were abandoned for various reasons: some because their owners found their personalities undesirable, some due to physical disabilities, some because of family issues, and others because they grew old or sick... I felt sorry for them. I started by rescuing one or two, and then it just kept growing until it became what it is now; I couldn't bear to part with them."
"Old? Sick? Is that really a reason to abandon them?" Anna found it hard to believe.
"Child, when humans want to give up something, even a gust of wind can become a reason. They do not care at all why they decided to let it go in the first place, while dogs see their owners as everything."
In Anna's mind, Peter's figure suddenly flashed into her thoughts; that life which once regarded her as everything had tragically departed.
"Child, do you have your own dog?" Lin Fengying asked.
Anna nodded, but soon began to shake her head. She glanced at Park Chan-yeol and then said to Lin Fengying, "I used to have one, but it passed away."
"Did you bury him?"
"No, I scattered his ashes in the river because I didn't want him to wait for me in one place. Although his life was short, he spent most of it waiting for me in solitude until the end..."
"So you wanted him to be free?"
"Yes."
Lin Fengying smiled gently, her aged face reflecting the kindness bestowed by time and compassion. "Have you ever thought about what made him the happiest?"
Anna pondered for a moment and suddenly realized. "What made him happiest was the moment I came home, being with me, playing with me..."
"Since all his happiest moments were spent with you, why would you let his soul be unable to wait for you and instead drift aimlessly?"
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