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“Dong Wan, I'm going to S.M this afternoon. I've made an appointment with Yunhao's manager to discuss things,” Anna said to Dong Wan, who was checking the recording schedule for tomorrow.
Dong Wan paused what he was doing and asked, “How did yesterday's discussion go? I haven't had a chance to ask you yet.”
Anna shook her head helplessly. “Not great. We'll have to keep trying today.”
Dong Wan nodded and remained silent.
“I've already prepared everything for tomorrow's recording. Do you need to check anything else?” Anna asked.
“No need, I trust you to handle it,” Dong Wan replied with a smile. “The new FDs have been performing well, and I'm looking forward to their first recording tomorrow.”
“Really? That's good to hear,” Anna said with a smile. “Tomorrow's guest is IU; she hasn't been here in a while. Brother Kwangsoo and Brother Jae-seok are going to be thrilled.”
“Hey? I have to say, you two really broke up peacefully; your relationship is still so good. But when you were dating, you didn't seem that close. If someone didn't know better, they might think you were just pretending,” Dong Wan teased.
Anna shrugged and smiled nonchalantly. “Alright, you get back to work. I'm going to tidy up and head to S.M now.”
“Okay, go ahead. Let me know if there's any good news.”
“Yeah, I'll try to wrap it up before the end of the day,” Anna said. “See you later.”
Just as she turned around, she saw Park Soo Eun walking in with her head down. Anna asked, “Sister Park, what's wrong?”
Park Soo Eun plopped down in a chair and sighed. “Ugh, don't even mention it. I heard that the new show has already entered the recording test phase.”
“Is that the show that's going to replace Running Man?” Dong Wan asked.
“Of course! Otherwise, why would I be like this?” Park Soo Eun replied.
Anna lowered her head, feeling a weight in her heart, but still managed a slight smile as she patted Park Soo Eun on the shoulder. “It's okay; if our ratings improve over the next few episodes, won't that be good?”
"That's easy to say," Park Soo Eun said.
"Well, just do your best," Anna replied with a smile. "By the way, I need to go to S.M to meet Choi Min-ho. Miss IU will be coming to record tomorrow, so could you please communicate with her about some details? I'll leave it to you."
Park Soo Eun nodded and said, "Okay, got it. Don't worry."
"Then I'll be on my way," Anna said as she left the studio. As soon as she stepped into the elevator, the confident and carefree demeanor she had been trying to maintain crumbled. At that moment, a text from Andy completely froze her already icy mood.
'I don't have much patience, dear sister. You better hurry up.'
Anna closed her eyes and sighed deeply before replying, 'Understood.' She then put her phone back in her bag.
She didn't expect to see the filming crew of Infinite Challenge at S.M. Company, including Brother Jae-seok and Haha Brother.
"Brother Jae-seok, what are you doing here?" Anna asked in surprise.
"I recorded an episode before and was told to come here to train as an idol trainee. Kim Tae-ho PD is persistent and wants to evaluate again," Yoo Jae-suk whispered to Anna. "The recording content must be kept confidential."
"Got it. I'll be leaving now," Anna said to Jae-seok, then waved goodbye to Haha Brother in the distance before quickly heading back into the elevator.
Manager Miss Yoo and Yunhao were waiting in the office. Anna had met Miss Yoo a few times before but had never talked in detail; she only knew that Miss Yoo was a particularly gentle lady.
"Hello, Miss Yoo, Mr. Choi Min-ho," Anna greeted politely.
"Hello, Miss Anna Zheng. Please have a seat," both Miss Yoo and Yunhao greeted her warmly.
"Well... I believe you both have a general understanding of why I'm here, regarding Running Man looking for a new fixed member. We have high hopes for Mr. Choi Min-ho, but I also know that Running Man is not as popular as it used to be. We will definitely work hard to continue producing great content. So, I wonder how you both view this matter," Anna clearly articulated the current situation.
Miss Yoo nodded with a slight smile and looked at Yunhao, saying, "Yunhao, why don't you share your thoughts?"
Yunhao smiled brightly as always and said, "Personally, I really like Running Man. If I could participate, I would feel very honored. However, I'm worried that my entertainment quality isn't very good and that I might struggle to find my place on the show. Of course, this isn't an excuse for not wanting to participate; it's just my honest opinion."
"Working with Mr. Yoo Jae-suk on the show, I think this concern should be alleviated," Miss Yoo said with a smile. "Right, Miss Anna?"
Anna smiled slightly and replied, "Of course, I personally have great confidence in Mr. Yoo Jae-suk. Although I really want to invite Mr. Yunhao to join us, I don't want to deceive you by saying that Running Man will bring you a lot of benefits. The current situation is that if Mr. Yunhao joins us, he will indeed need to go through this tough time with us, and we still don't know if we can truly succeed again. What I can guarantee is that as long as the show exists, we will definitely work hard until the end."
The two fell silent. Miss Yoo thought for a moment and said, "I respect Yunhao's wishes. If he is willing, I will arrange the schedule here. It's always good for artists to increase their exposure, and since Yunhao has participated in so many episodes of Running Man with such positive feedback, it all depends on your decision, Yunhao."
"I..." Yunhao hesitated a bit. "Can I take a few episodes to adapt first? If I feel comfortable, I would definitely be willing to join."
"That's not a problem," Anna felt much relieved because discussing this point meant they had already succeeded halfway, and Yunhao's willingness to participate was quite evident.
Miss Yoo's phone rang, and she stood up, gesturing that she would step out to take the call.
Although Miss Yoo was much more easygoing than most managers, her departure made Yunhao noticeably relax. He grinned and asked, "Miss Anna, was it you who got thrown to the ground while learning martial arts with Jung Kook at the gym?"
The sudden change of topic surprised Anna. After thinking for a moment, she realized it was true and smiled awkwardly as she nodded. "Yes, that was me; it was quite embarrassing."
"What's embarrassing about that? It's great!" Yunhao said with a laugh.
"So, Mr. Yunhao, what are your thoughts on joining Running Man?" Anna asked again, wanting to see if there would be any different answers in the absence of the manager.
"I really want to participate; as long as I can adapt in the next few episodes, there shouldn't be any problem. Don't worry; Miss Yoo has no objections when it comes to things she thinks are good for us. Plus, Miao PD has already talked to her about this; they were classmates in middle school and have been friends for many years, so there won't be any issues."
"Oh, I see," Anna said with realization.
"How did the conversation go?" Miss Yoo returned after finishing her call and asked with a smile.
"Pretty well," Anna stood up. "I will arrange the plans for the upcoming filming attempts properly. Thank you." Anna shook hands with Miss Yoo.
"Great, then I'll leave it to you," Miss Yoo said.
Surprisingly smooth progress made Anna feel much happier; the original gloom had finally dissipated somewhat. However, the fundamental issue had not yet been resolved. She took out her phone and scrolled through her contacts until she stopped at Kim Mi-kyung's name, unsure of how to proceed next until the screen went completely black.
It was supposed to be a drive back to SBS, but for some inexplicable reason, the car headed towards the Century Group, a place I had only visited once or twice. After going in circles, I still couldn't avoid this towering pillar of the Korean economy. For an ambitious man, it indeed possessed an irresistible charm. Whoever controls this place holds half of Korea's power. No matter how impressive or influential one might be, offending this place could lead to ruin.
Thinking back to the incident with Brother Jae-seok still stirs my heart. It was partly luck and partly the fearless boldness of youth that prevented Brother Jae-seok from truly becoming a casualty in the power struggle.
See, reputation can vanish in an instant; it can be tarnished just as easily.
Only power endures.
Andy’s obsession with the Century Group stems from his experience of the limitless thrill that power brings—life and death, punishment and reward; with just a flick of a finger or a signed check, one can imprison someone or ruin their reputation, making them disappear without a trace from this world.
Countless amounts of money buy greater power, and greater power brings even more money—a never-ending cycle. You might argue that even the tallest and strongest buildings will eventually collapse, so why fight so fiercely? But that's human nature; like us, we know we will die one day, yet when illness strikes, we still spend all our assets on treatment.
This is human nature, perhaps even a flaw.
Anna felt conflicted. Regarding Kim Mi-kyung, she couldn't bear to harm her any further. However, when it came to Jin Yu Cheng, Anna felt no particular reluctance. She had witnessed how ruthless Jin Yu Cheng could be. Just like how he could easily eliminate Hogga, who posed a potential threat to him...
Anna didn't believe she had the capability to protect herself like Jin Yu Cheng could; she was self-aware. Killing Hogga would eliminate the potential threat and completely repay Anna's debt to him—what's not to like?
But what exactly was this potential threat? Did Hogga possess some secret about the Century Group? Or...
Anna didn’t know that Hogga had completely vanished and that Cat was also nowhere to be found. No one could help her now, nor could anyone protect her like Hogga did.
Her thoughts began to spiral again when suddenly a familiar figure emerged from the towering building of the Century Group.
“It’s Han Yufei…” Anna muttered with a furrowed brow.
Han Yufei walked to the roadside and got into a taxi, quickly leaving. Instinctively, Anna started her car and followed.
The car drove further away into increasingly sparse areas but headed towards a familiar place. Anna could never forget this road; traversing through the woods led to the place where Hogga once lived.
Who was Han Yufei looking for here?
Anna felt her body tense up, an ominous premonition spreading from her feet to her hair.
She slowed down the car and parked it around the corner, ensuring she wouldn't be discovered. After a while, a taxi drove back from the opposite direction. Anna quickly lowered her head to take a discreet look; inside the taxi, only the driver remained.
Once again, Anna started the car and took a detour behind the villa before carefully getting out. The sky was darkening, and the area around the villa was surrounded by trees, making it appear particularly eerie.
At the back door of the courtyard, Anna climbed onto her car, cautiously observing the situation inside the villa. The grass in the backyard was overgrown, showing that no one had stepped here for a long time, with some traces of night creatures on the wall. However, through the window, she clearly saw Han Yufei's figure engaged in what seemed to be a heated argument with someone.
Anna held her breath as that person stood up, slowly coming into view.
In an instant, Anna felt a tightness throughout her body. She crouched down and took a long moment to calm herself before slowly getting back into the car.
Starting the engine again, Anna just wanted to escape this place quickly.
It was Andy...
Now everything made sense. It must have been Han Yufei who informed Andy about Jin Yu Cheng's serious illness. She had left SBS; given her personality, how could she let this go so easily?
It seemed that the rumors about her and Park Chan-yeol that had surfaced days ago were also her doing. Anna suddenly felt a wave of nausea. How much hatred must she harbor to still be fixated on revenge?
What about Andy? He must know this was Hogga's former residence. It had become desolate, like a haunted house, where no one dared to step foot easily. It was indeed an excellent hiding place.
Or perhaps there were secrets left behind by Hogga hidden here.
Which one was it for? Or were both reasons why he chose to hide here?
What should she do?
She finally realized how useless she felt. She was terrified—terrified to the core. Even now, her hand gripping the steering wheel trembled uncontrollably, devoid of warmth. At that moment when she saw Andy, all she wanted was to flee quickly; she feared being discovered and couldn't imagine the consequences.
They were together... and Han Yufei was still within Century Group. With her cunning nature, how much did she truly know? Anna couldn't estimate it.
However, she now clearly understood one thing: the existence of these two together was extremely dangerous, not only for herself but also for Kim Mi-kyung, Century Group, Jin Yu Cheng, and everyone around her that she wanted to protect.
They had nothing left and were reckless, which was the most terrifying aspect. Han Yufei was actually able to secretly investigate Andy and accomplish so much; Anna dared not think any further.
Moreover, the most important thing, which was also a must-do, was to protect Han Yoon-soo and her mother. Anna's time was running out.
Finally emerging from the woods and seeing the glow of the streetlights, Anna suddenly slammed on the brakes. The sharp screech of the brakes was startling. She steadied her breathing, clenched her fists until her knuckles turned pale. After an unknown amount of time, she slowly relaxed and took out her phone to call Kim Mi-kyung.
“Miki, how is Mr. Kim Yoo-chung's condition? I want to see him.”
...
Two days later.
“Mom, I'm going to work now; I don't have time for breakfast.” Anna hurriedly came out of her bedroom while adjusting her clothes.
“Cough cough…” Han Yoon-soo, who had just placed milk on the table, coughed again.
Although the weather had warmed up, Han Yoon-soo showed no signs of improvement. In fact, many times at night, Anna could hear her coughing even more severely than before. However, after taking her to see a doctor and undergoing tests, nothing could be determined; they only advised continuing medication and keeping warm.
“Mom, why are you coughing so badly?”
“It's… cough cough… nothing… cough cough.” Han Yoon-soo held her chest, struggling to speak fluently, her face turning red from the effort.
Anna could not leave like this; she quickly ran to get some medicine, poured a glass of water, and handed it to Han Yoon-soo. Han Yoon-soo slowly took the glass and the pills, drank a couple of sips, then coughed again. This time, the water in the glass instantly turned bright red.
With a thud, the glass fell to the floor, shocking Anna. “Mom! How could this happen?”
Han Yoon-soo weakly leaned against the sofa, her complexion unusually pale and her breathing rapid and labored.
“Wait here; I’ll call an ambulance.” Anna quickly grabbed her phone and prepared to dial for emergency help.
"Don't... no... don't." Han Yoon-soo tightly grasped Anna's hand, cold as ice.
How could it be this serious? How could she be this ill? Why didn't Anna notice? Why was she unaware of everything? Even if it had worsened, why didn't the tests reveal anything?
"Why?" Anna asked, confused. She couldn't understand why Han Yoon-soo was stopping her from seeking help.
"My illness is beyond cure. I have a little time left, and I want to talk to you," Han Yoon-soo said, her pale lips and the blood at the corners of her mouth particularly striking.
"I know... you blame me... Andy blames me too..."
"No, no." Tears streamed down Anna's face like heavy rain.
"Everything that's happening now is because of me... I know why you don't want Andy to come here... but he is also my child... I can't help it... I've already owed him too much. And I know how much you like Chan-yeol, how much he wants to be with you... but it's also because of me that you both ended up like this... it's all because of me..."
"Mom, it's all in the past. If you want Andy to come here, I can bring him over. If you miss him, I'll have him come right away," Anna pleaded.
Han Yoon-soo shook her head and said, "No need. I've already entrusted a lawyer to dissolve my marriage with Park Anqing after I die... So there won't be any more gossip then... cough... As for Andy, Mom wants to ask you one thing: no matter what mistakes he makes, remember that he will always be your brother..."
"Mom, Mom, please don't leave me! Don't leave me! I've finally got a mother; please don't go! I'm begging you! Mom, I'm begging you!"
Han Yoon-soo stroked Anna's hair and smiled gently, "Before I die, hearing you call me 'Mom' and saying these words makes me very happy... I need to go find Anqing and explain the divorce to him; he will definitely be angry... I need to explain it well..." Han Yoon-soo's voice grew softer and softer...
"Mom, why? Why is this happening? I'm begging you, don't leave me! I've already lost so much; I can't lose you too. Mom!"
"My child, my precious one. You will have more. I will always watch over you."
"No! I just want you not to die; please don't die!"
"Anna... my child... I'm so tired... so very tired... I just want to sleep..."
"Don't, don't." Anna broke free from Han Yoon-soo's embrace. "I’m going to call an ambulance; we must save you! We must bring you back! I won't let you leave me again! I won't."
Anna trembled, tears dripping onto her phone. The call finally connected, and the operator began asking for the specific address, as well as the age, gender, and symptoms of the person needing assistance. Hearing that voice made Anna incredibly happy, as if she had finally found a lifeline. But just as she turned her head, Han Yoon-soo had already closed her eyes...
A blinding white light flashed before her eyes, accompanied by a buzzing sound in her ears, leaving her in a daze. The sand in Anna's hand ultimately slipped away.
"Miss, may I ask for the age and gender of the person needing assistance, and your address...?" The operator continued to wait patiently.
"No need..." Anna hung up the phone.
Dong Wan's call came in immediately. Anna replied, "Dong Wan, I can't go today. Please help me take a leave." Dong Wan sensed something unusual in Anna's tone, but before he could ask, Anna hung up.
At that moment, her tears seemed to slowly solidify. Anna went to get a towel to wipe the blood from Han Yoon-soo's face, tidied her hair, and wrapped her in the scarf she had bought for her but had been reluctant to give. Han Yoon-soo lay on the sofa as if asleep. Anna sat on the floor, holding Han Yoon-soo's hand and resting her head on her shoulder until noon sunlight poured through the window, and Han Yoon-soo's body grew cold...
Anna lifted her head; it was somewhat blinding.
Sadness had reached its peak; after feeling numb from the pain in her heart, all that was left was to bury her feelings.
Helplessness had also reached its limit. How could death come so suddenly? Why had Anna not sensed anything? She was so heartless to leave according to her own will, leaving behind Anna to bear what would happen next.
The bond of blood cannot be severed no matter how much time passes or how far apart they are. Anna truly regretted not telling Han Yoon-soo while she was alive, "Mom, I don't blame you. I'm very happy with you by my side." Perhaps Han Yoon-soo died believing that Anna and Andy's resentment towards her had never faded.
Everyone says love should be kept in the heart, but if it's not expressed, no one will know.
When a loved one is still around, love them well and express your feelings to them so that those who love you know that love is a beautiful thing that happens simultaneously.
The room felt empty. If one had never received love, perhaps they wouldn't feel such sadness. It was precisely because she had never hoped for maternal love that when it appeared beside her, she felt so anxious and bewildered. Yet deep down, she was truly joyful and happy. If only she had known earlier to embrace her mother sooner and call out "Mom"...
"Mom!!"
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