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墨書 Inktalez
"What's going on? I see that Miao PD doesn't look too good. Did he dislike your idea and scold you?" Dong Wan asked Anna anxiously.
"Dong Wan..." Anna felt a mix of grievance and anger inside, but she couldn't cry.
"What happened?" Dong Wan pressed.
Just then, the phone rang. Anna picked it up, and the name displayed was Park Chan-yeol. What a coincidence, not too early or late, but right at this moment.
"I'll take this call," Anna said, holding the phone and leaving the studio in a daze.
She found a secluded spot and answered the call.
"Hello, Chan-yeol..." The moment she spoke his name, all the longing from not seeing him for a long time and her grievances poured out, and tears fell instantly.
"What's wrong?" Park Chan-yeol noticed something was off in Anna's voice, but he sounded equally exhausted on the other end.
"Nothing... I just missed you. Why haven't you called in so long? Why? I thought..." Anna laughed through her tears, wiping her face.
"Anna..."
"Yes?"
"If I did something wrong, would you forgive me?"
"What? What did you do wrong? What happened?" Anna asked.
"Will you? Will you forgive me?" Park Chan-yeol asked, a bit anxiously.
"Don't scare me... What happened? Where are you?"
"I..." Park Chan-yeol paused for a moment after hearing Anna's worried voice, then smiled lightly and said, "I'm... I'm in the car, about to go record a show. I've been really busy lately and probably won't have time to see you. Will you blame me? I'm afraid you might blame me for not being able to see you, so I wanted to ask for your forgiveness."
Anna felt a bit disappointed but shook her head, sniffing as she stubbornly said, "I'm a little sad, but I won't blame you. Just don't disappear again and ignore my calls."
"I promise I won't anymore."
"Chan-yeol... Is your not answering my calls these days related to Jang Bo-Yeon leaving S.M. Company?" Anna asked cautiously.
"Why do you ask that...?" Park Chan-yeol seemed to chuckle.
"I just find it a bit strange."
"Don't overthink it. I need to sort out some family matters."
"Family matters? Is it about your father?"
"Sort of. It's quite troublesome."
"By the way, Lady Han Yoon-soo came to see me these days."
"What did she want from you?" Park Chan-yeol clearly became alert.
Sensing his tension, Anna quickly explained, "It's nothing. She treats me well; she's a nice person."
"Is she good to you?" Park Chan-yeol asked.
"Yeah, she said she really likes me and supports us being together," Anna replied with a smile.
"She... yeah." Park Chan-yeol chuckled. There was a sudden noise on the line, and they could vaguely hear someone telling them to get ready.
"Are we about to start recording? Then I'll hang up," Anna said.
"Okay, Anna... once this period passes, I believe everything will be fine."
"Mm, I believe so too."
"Goodbye."
Anna hung up the phone, feeling much more at ease. She turned around and saw Han Yufei looking at her with a smug smile, which startled her and made her break out in a cold sweat.
"What are you doing here? How long have you been here?" Anna frowned; there was no need for any false pleasantries between them now.
"Not too long, just right from the moment you sweetly called out 'Park Chan-yeol.' You were so engrossed in your conversation that you didn't even notice I was here," Han Yufei said with a smile, her eyes filled with a sense of triumph.
Anna's heart sank; she realized she had let her guard down this time and hadn't expected Han Yufei to catch her off guard.
"What do you want?" Anna asked coldly.
"It's not about what I want right now; it's more about what would happen if I accidentally leaked this news. Lee Kwang-soo, Park Chan-yeol, what would you do... Ah... now that I think about it, when EXO came to film the show before, it seemed like you had a particularly good relationship with them. So... what is Lee Kwang-soo then? Let me guess... is he just a tool to cover up the truth about you and Park Chan-yeol being together? Or is he just a distraction from that scandal with Miao PD?" Han Yufei slowly paced around Anna like a hyena sensing rotting flesh. "You really are something else; your real romantic interest is actually a member of the hottest group right now, while on the other hand, you're pretending to date the equally popular Lee Kwang-soo. Tsk tsk tsk, you really have some skills; I underestimated you. I couldn't tell at all that your relationship with Lee Kwang-soo was fake."
"Han Yufei, all these things you're stirring up are aimed at me. How did you even get hold of my creative document? You know more about it than I do," Anna glared fiercely at Han Yufei.
Han Yufei chuckled, "Haha, you really are naive. Don't you realize that what's important now isn't what the truth is, but what the outcome will be? Since you don't understand, let me tell you." Han Yufei met Anna's gaze without a hint of wavering. "The result of this matter is that you, Anna Zheng, will voluntarily admit your mistake, tell Miao PD, and tell everyone that you plagiarized my idea. Then, out of a shred of shame, you will resign from Running Man. Never let me see you in this industry again."
"Han Yufei..." Anna looked at the woman before her in disbelief, who had become utterly deranged at some point. "No matter where you are, there will always be someone better than you, someone more liked by everyone. Do you want all these people you think are better than you to leave forever? Must it be done in such a despicable way?"
"I don't care what happens in the future; all I know is that I just want you to disappear!" Han Yufei sneered.
"And what if I refuse..." Anna smiled helplessly.
"Hah, I originally just wanted Miao PD to be confused about who plagiarized whom and pretend to be the victim to see if I could stop your path. But unexpectedly, you've just given me such a great gift. Should I say you're selfless and kind or that you're seeking your own demise?!"
"You are truly beyond saving. I think I can guess what you'll do if I don't comply with your demands," Anna said.
"Yes, Anna, you're so clever; you must be able to guess. All I can tell you is that my guesses are definitely correct, so it's best not to take any risks. This time went so smoothly thanks to that phone call you just made; otherwise, who knows when I would have found such a big piece of evidence against you? You have no idea how pitiful and ridiculous you looked when you turned around and saw me..." Han Yufei laughed.
Anna could see that she was genuinely happy. Putting her phone back in her pocket, Anna suddenly felt a sense of calm. This time, she really felt powerless to change anything; it seemed that Lady Luck had cruelly abandoned her and no longer favored her. She could no longer pull off a miraculous comeback like before. There was no way out—no way at all.
She felt like a captive with a dagger pressed against her throat; at this moment, there was nothing she could do but submit.
Anna slowly lifted her feet and walked step by step toward the studio. "Before the end of the workday, I will clarify things with Miao PD. Han Yufei, congratulations, you've won."
In the afternoon at work, Anna did not appear in the studio; she turned off her phone and hid on the empty rooftop. Everyone must be worried sick; Miao PD would surely be furious.
But this time, Anna really needed to hide for a while and find some peace. In the two years since she came here, she had gradually transformed from an intern doing menial tasks into a recognized FD. Just as she was getting closer to her dreams, everything she had built was about to be overturned, and it was very likely that she would never recover from this path.
Anna, how did you become like this? Now in this state of failure. Not long ago, Jae-seok encouraged her by saying "Words hold power," and back then she was full of confidence; now it felt like she had lost everything.
Her heart felt empty; after countless days and nights spent working hard and seeing the shows she participated in being loved by so many people—how happy she was! Now it was all gone in an instant. What did she do wrong? Just because she unintentionally sparked someone's jealousy, did she have to accept such an ending? It was truly too cruel.
Thinking carefully, it seems that ever since I joined the Running Man Production Team, life has never been peaceful. Perhaps, leaving this place would truly bring peace.
One is a beloved, and the other is a dear friend. How can one endure the pain of loss?
So be it. This time, this choice has nothing to do with sacrifice or endurance; it is simply because there is no other way.
The sun set quickly today. My skin, which usually doesn't get oily, felt like my nose was starting to shine. I wiped it with my hand and checked the time; it was almost time to get off work.
Pushing open the studio door, I saw everyone looking concerned yet somewhat angry. Miao PD was indeed furious this time because today there were tardiness, plagiarism, and absences—everything had happened.
“Anna Zheng, where have you been?!” Miao PD shouted while banging on the table.
I really wanted to tell him, to tell this boss who has always recognized and cared for me that this would truly be the last time I would be scolded. I felt a bit reluctant. When leaving, I realized that even reprimands felt warm. After all, only those who care about you will scold you; those who don’t care will just smile and move on.
“Anna, where have you been? We’ve been looking for you for a long time. Where’s your phone? Why is it turned off?” Park Soo Eun was also in the studio and came over wanting to pull me away.
I gently dodged her hand.
“Anna Zheng, do you even want to keep working?! Your performance today has really disappointed me!” Miao PD said. “Park Soo Eun, don’t pull her; she’s an adult and needs to take responsibility for her actions!”
I smiled lightly and said, “Miao PD, you’re right. I don’t want to work anymore.”
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone except Han Yufei looked at each other in shock. Park Seok and Kwon Ryeol were also in the studio discussing the filming issues for the next episode and were at a loss in response to my reaction.
“What?” Miao PD was also stunned.
“What are you talking about?!” Park Soo Eun tried to pull me out again, thinking I was just throwing a tantrum. I shook off Park Soo Eun's hand once more and said, “Don’t pull me; I’m serious.”
"Anna, what happened? Are you upset because Miao PD said a few words to you this morning? Don't you know what kind of person Miao PD is? Besides, you've sacrificed so much for Running Man, how could you just leave?" Dong Wan quickly stepped forward to persuade her.
"That's right, Senior Anna, don't act impulsively. Let's talk things over," Zhang Yuanxiao and Liu Quan Town also hurriedly tried to convince her.
Miao PD was so angry that he couldn't find the words. God knows how much he trusted Anna in terms of both work and character. He was indeed upset about Anna's sudden disappearance, but he had never thought of dismissing her.
"Anna, you're not the kind of person to act so rashly. Think about it; didn't you tell me how happy you were to work with Brother Jae-seok? Is there some kind of misunderstanding?" Kwon Ryeol said.
"There is no misunderstanding," Anna replied calmly.
"Anna Zheng, you...!" Miao PD was both angry and anxious.
"Anna, have you lost your mind? Did you take the wrong medicine or drink too much? You were so desperate to stay on Running Man and insisted that you were just as good as the boys. You've come so far; how could you throw it all away? Have you hit your head? You must be out of your mind. Miao PD, don't stoop to her level," Park Seok rambled on.
"I'm not out of my mind; I'm very clear-headed," Anna said.
"Anna Zheng! Don't push your luck. Just know when to stop; otherwise, I'll have to scold you too. Do you think this is just any place where you can come and go as you please? Don't you think about us? Don't you think about everyone else?" Park Soo Eun said, growing anxious at Anna's indifference.
"You all..." Anna smiled coldly. "There's nothing worth holding on to."
"Anna?! Do you even realize what you're saying?" Dong Wan was shocked.
"I do," Anna said as she bypassed the stunned Park Soo Eun and slightly bowed to Miao PD. "Miao PD, I would like to speak with you privately."
"Go ahead, what's going on? Why do you feel the need to resign?!" Miao PD asked.
Anna sighed lightly, smiled, and said, "Miao PD, I really have to resign because the creative plan from today was indeed plagiarized by me."
"What?!" Miao PD looked at Anna in disbelief. "What did you say?"
"I plagiarized Han Yufei's idea, and now she has found out. I don't know how to face her. Moreover, I don't know how to confront the job I love, so I'm planning to leave," Anna said.
"Then why didn't you say anything this morning, but now you..."
"I had no face to say it back then, and besides, Han Yufei is usually easy to bully. I never expected her reaction would be so intense. Now, I really can't face everyone anymore," Anna thought she deserved a slap on the face for her situation.
"I've already talked to Han Yufei about this matter. Although I can't figure out who is at fault between you two, she promised that she wouldn't disclose it," Miao PD said.
Anna smiled faintly and said, "It's not just that; this job is too exhausting. I can't take it anymore."
"Why are you suddenly saying all these strange things, Anna?"
"I'm telling the truth. I plagiarized Han Yufei's project, and I've started slacking off at work. I don't want to stay here anymore; I have no face to continue."
"Anna Zheng, you're young; you're not afraid of anything. But do you know that if word gets out about your plagiarism, you'll never be able to survive in this industry again? Do you understand what that means? I still remember when I interviewed you; you said your biggest dream was to become the best variety show producer in Korea. What happened to you now?"
"Miao PD, I was just naive back then; I didn't realize how tough this path would be. I think, just like Sister Park said, I'm only suited for a glamorous life of leisure—finding a rich man to marry would be enough. I've come to understand that there's no need to make myself suffer so much."
"Are you sure this is what you really think?" Miao PD asked.
Anna didn't answer; her palms were already sweaty, and she could barely hold up her lies.
Miao PD glanced at her and sighed. "Anna, although we have a significant age difference and haven't communicated much outside of work, I've developed a basic trust in you over the more than two years we've worked together through all that has happened. I don't know why you've suddenly made this decision or whether what you're saying is true or false. But I understand that you must have your reasons for doing this. I respect your choice."
Upon hearing this, tears finally fell from Anna's eyes as she could no longer hold them back, quickly wiping them away with her hand.
Miao PD sighed deeply upon seeing the scene.
“Miao PD, can you promise me one thing?” Anna asked.
“Go ahead.”
“Please just tell the colleagues that I didn’t want to do it anymore, that I was tired, and that’s why I left. Is that okay? Even if it makes me seem like a coward or a deserter, at least don’t let them think I’m a thief.”
“I understand what you mean. Let it go; I know what to do,” Miao PD said. “However, if this really is something you had to do, then after these unavoidable circumstances pass and there are no more concerns, Anna, we will definitely welcome you back.”
Anna smiled tightly, trying hard not to cry. What beautiful words for a farewell; nothing could make someone feel more cherished than this.
“Miao PD, will that day come? Will that day ever arrive?” Anna asked.
“I don’t think I have as close a relationship with you as Brother Jae-seok and Kwang-soo, but I’ve probably heard some of the strange things that have happened to you over the past two years from Jae-seok. Those are all in the past now, everything is better, and this time will surely be the same,” Miao PD said.
Anna nodded and said, “Miao PD, there’s something I want to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“It’s about the upcoming promotion of two Assistant Directors. Do you already have candidates in mind?”
Miao PD replied, “To be honest, I discussed it with Director Zhao. We were originally thinking of promoting you and Dongwan. But now that you’re leaving, we’ll have to think harder about the other position.”
“Miao PD, if there aren’t any more suitable candidates, it’s fine to promote just Dongwan. Please take your time considering the other candidate; don’t rush into a decision.”
“Anna, do you know something? Is there a reason behind what you’re saying?” Miao PD asked, puzzled.
"Miao PD, please believe me, this is the last time. I will definitely do what is good for Running Man and for everyone."
Miao PD looked at Anna's unusually serious expression and nodded, saying, "I understand. I will have a good talk with Director Zhao about this matter."
"That's good... I will send my resignation to your email," Anna said.
"Do you want to say goodbye to everyone?"
"No." Anna quickly shook her head and said, "Miao PD, please tell everyone that I have already left. I will hide here until everyone is gone, and then I will pack up and leave." Anna smiled helplessly, "If I go out to say goodbye, I'm afraid I won't be able to bear it, and I'm also afraid that Sister Park will hit me."
Miao PD sighed, stood up, and said, "Alright then, you can stay here for now. Goodbye, Anna."
"Goodbye... Miao PD."
Goodbye, Running Man. Once I leave, I really won't be able to come back. It’s only now that I realize that although I've always said I loved it, what I've given is far from enough. I thought I could accompany this show until the end and achieve my dreams along the way, but at this moment, not only can I not walk with you, but even stepping onto this path in the future will only be a luxury.
After saying goodbye to Miao PD, there was only a sigh. Miao PD left the office and closed the door, leaving Anna alone to hide from everyone's questions, concern, reluctance, and attempts to keep her. She couldn't bear to see those expressions; they were so heart-wrenching that she couldn't bring herself to leave.
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