A garage if it’s filled, what’s a garage without an owner? Park Ra Jin scrutinized Kang Ji Ho’s expression, wondering if this was just his personal joke.

“Recently, my maternal grandfather had surgery, so he’s staying at my parents’ house.”

“Ah, so that day you went to visit… Surely that empty house isn’t your grandfather’s?”

“There’s no place with better security than there.”

“What if your grandfather finds out?”

Like a mouse sneaking into someone else’s storage, going to a house without an owner? And that too, Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho’s grandfather’s house?

Thinking this wasn’t quite right, Park Ra Jin was about to suggest another place when.

He took out his phone as they entered the alley. After tapping it a few times, a mechanical hum sounded from somewhere.

She clearly alternated between shouting “No” and “Wait a moment”. When Park Ra Jin came to her senses, she was inside a garage overlooking a garden.

“Would you like to sit at the garden table?”

“No! I’ll just stay in the car.”

“As you wish.”

Rummaging through a shopping bag, he handed over a small paper bag and napkins.

“Here, chicken nuggets and french fries.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

What kind of picture is this? Not like detectives on a stakeout, secretly eating french fries in the dark garage of his grandfather’s house.

Park Ra Jin found the situation absurd, yet her mind was hazy from the savory smell of french fries.

Though she had eaten them before, it was a familiar taste she hadn’t encountered in a long time.

That crispy and salty flavor was so tempting, Park Ra Jin unconsciously licked her lips.

“Here. Have a shake too.”

He personally inserted a straw and placed the paper cup on the center console. Park Ra Jin was mesmerized by his attentiveness.

‘Is he usually this caring? Or is there some difficult request?’

While suspicious of the overly nice man, she couldn’t take her eyes off the cup containing the shake.

Park Ra Jin took off her mask as if enchanted by the ‘Pied Piper’.

Forgetting all about the drama press conference scheduled two days later, she grasped the paper cup full of calorie bombs with both hands. Then she sucked on the thick straw.

The vanilla flavor dissolved to just the right consistency, the coolness that made her head ring, followed by the sweetness that hit her, all danced in her mouth.

“Mmm.”

An involuntary sound of appreciation escaped her.

“It tastes even better if you dip the french fries in it.”

“In the shake…?”

“I eat it like that sometimes, it’s quite good.”

The attentive man even demonstrated it himself. Is it really delicious? Park Ra Jin glanced at him slyly and slowly moved her hand to follow suit.

“!”

As if discovering a new world, Park Ra Jin emptied the french fries in the paper bag one by one.

“It’s nice to see you eating well.”

Having already finished a hamburger, he said while crumpling the paper into a ball.

A compliment about eating well that she had never heard from anyone. Suddenly embarrassed, Park Ra Jin cleared her throat while covering her mouth.

“Actually, I hadn’t eaten dinner either.”

“Are you on a diet?”

“I have to manage myself, you know. But eating this after so long tastes like honey.”

As Park Ra Jin smiled softly, the man’s eyes, which had been as cold as midwinter, curved gently.

He didn’t make empty promises to buy her more next time. But he personally unwrapped the paper containing apple pie and smiled silently again.

The warm apple pie, the sweet and spicy cinnamon aroma, the casual exchange of trivial conversation.

The atmosphere was somehow warm yet peculiar.

Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho counted off the titles of movies he liked on his fingers, while Park Ra Jin listed the music she was currently listening to.

The man who seemed like he would be of few words revealed himself quite well, and time had already reached midnight.

“Have you finished?”

“Yes. It would have been a shame if I hadn’t eaten.”

Park Ra Jin said as they cleaned up the wrappers together.

For a moment, his expression subtly wavered. It was an enigmatic expression that seemed like he was smiling, yet not quite.

“About the matter I wanted to discuss earlier.”

“Yes. Please go ahead.”

“I don’t intend to burden you, Park Ra Jin.”

From the serious start, his already deep voice dropped even lower.

“Still, I hope you will consider this matter seriously.”

“What kind of matter is it…?”

“It’s a difficult request, so.”

As if taking a moment to collect himself, he gazed at the small light illuminating the dark garden. Then he reached out and firmly pressed the interior light on the car ceiling.

In that moment, shadows fell across the man’s prominent nose bridge. One side bright, the other extremely dark. He looked like the protagonist on a theater stage.

“As you may have heard, I’m in charge of the investigation related to the problematic fund.”

“Yes.”

“Particularly, I’m focusing on Myungjin Group.”

Is that why he brought up the story of being with Kim Yu Jun? Does he want something?

After making all sorts of excuses to explain in the hospital parking lot, she couldn’t react seriously to his burdensome talk. For now, listen to the end, judge later. Park Ra Jin gazed deeply and intently into his eyes.

“The cause of this problem doesn’t lie solely with Myungjin. However.”

“…”

“It’s true that Myungjin caused the biggest damage.”

The suspicious circumstances of a large corporation and numerous ordinary victims.

He explained this case at length, simply yet in a way that stuck in one’s ears.

“I’m not asking you to bring secret ledgers or anything like that.”

The more she listened, the more enormous the story became. Park Ra Jin nodded calmly on the outside, but her heart was pounding on the inside.

“In any case, only evidence obtained through proper procedures can be accepted, so there’s no need for you to overexert yourself.”

“Then what kind of…”

She trailed off without finishing the question of what he wanted.

It’s true that she had known Kim Yu Jun for a long time, but work-related matters were outside her realm of interest. What exactly was this man expecting?

“I want to know about the dealings between Kim Yu Jun and the agency.”

“My agency?”

“I fully understand that it’s difficult.”

Even though he was a stepbrother, his words about it being a ‘family company’ struck Park Ra Jin’s heart.

‘If the company is in danger, will I be in trouble?’

Since gaining the title of actress, work had always been with Oh Jong Hyuk. It’s true that the company, which used to be like a small shop, became impressively prosperous after meeting Kim Yu Jun, but.

That was Oh Jong Hyuk’s, not hers.

How much of an unreasonable share did they take under the empty name of family? Suddenly, a great wave rose in Park Ra Jin’s heart.

“If you could tell me about the financial connections with Executive Director Kim Yu Jun, it would help the investigation.”

“…”

“Is it burdensome for you?”

If Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho hadn’t brought up this matter, she wouldn’t have even thought about it.

When she felt empty after visiting her mother at the hospital, she had been pessimistic about reality, so why hadn’t she thought about breaking away from Oh Jong Hyuk? A hollow laugh almost burst from between Park Ra Jin’s teeth. To think there was such a method.

But thoughts were thoughts, and reality was reality.

Her mother’s frequent seizures, and Oh Jong Hyuk, the only person who could handle them. How could she deal with the aftermath if she moved rashly when her mother’s well-being was at stake? Park Ra Jin shook her head slightly.

“I’m not sure.”

“I know it’s sudden.”

“No, it’s just… I really don’t know what’s right.”

Park Ra Jin felt like everything went black, as if she had been hit hard on the back of her head.

“I’ll give you time to think.”

“How long?”

“Honestly, not much.”

His words about the urgent situation felt like a stone weighing down on her shoulders.

Goodwill for the victims.

That’s only possible for someone with some room in their heart. With a sick mother and a stepbrother pressing like a debt collector, what more could she do here? Lacking confidence, Park Ra Jin lowered her head.

“I… I.”

She bit her lip hard.

“I’m sorry. It seems it will be difficult after all.”

Park Ra Jin uttered both an apology and a refusal at the same time.

Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho didn’t say he understood. He just nodded with a momentary flash of regret across his expressionless face.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear about today.”

Suppressing her wavering heart, Park Ra Jin took a small breath.

“Shall we go now?”

“If you change your mind, anytime…”

“I’ll contact you.”

With a faint smile, Park Ra Jin gave the most neutral answer.

In a private room of a high-end shop in Cheongdam-dong.

A dark shadow fell over Park Ra Jin’s face as she looked in the mirror.

She hadn’t been able to sleep properly since the day she heard Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho’s request.

His words about giving her time to think had been circling in her head every night. When sleep wouldn’t come, she would search for articles as if possessed. About the problematic fund, the special investigation, and even the victims’ detailed stories.

Whether due to guilt or the regretful look in his eyes. Park Ra Jin’s head throbbed a dozen times a day.

‘I’m terrified just hearing Kim Yu Jun’s voice. In my situation, who can I help?’

Repeating ‘I can’t! It’s impossible!’, Park Ra Jin’s brow furrowed frequently. Just like now.

“Don’t you like today’s wave style?”

“No, I’m just feeling a bit dizzy.”

Whether she liked the style or not wasn’t important.

Whether her hair was tied up or down, whether her makeup looked good or not, it all looked the same to Park Ra Jin anyway.

“Should I bring you some headache medicine?”

“Would you? And it would be even better if you could call our coordinator.”

Since hair and makeup were finished, one of the nodding staff quickly left.

Park Ra Jin wanted to send away all the staff surrounding her and escape this terrible contemplation. In fact, if it weren’t for today’s drama press conference, she wouldn’t have stepped a foot outside her house.

“Director.”

“Yes, actor.”

The staff member who was tidying up the scattered brushes bowed her upper body.

“Could I trouble you for a warm cup of tea? I think I might be coming down with a cold.”

“Of course. I’ll bring it to you.”

Uttering words of thanks, Park Ra Jin gave a gentle smile.

Click, as the door closed, Park Ra Jin’s face reflected in the large mirror instantly hardened.

“Ha. I want to go home.”

Imagining sitting in a warm bathtub with her favorite music playing loudly, Park Ra Jin pressed her temples firmly.

“Unnie.”

As Park Ra Jin slowly turned her body, Jung Ha Eun, her coordinator and close friend, entered.

“Are you okay? Your face is pale.”

“You know. My chronic problem.”

“Don’t endure the headache. Here’s medicine.”

Feeling her head throb more, Park Ra Jin swallowed the pill Jung Ha Eun handed her without water. Soon after, she took a sip of the ginger tea she was given, and only then did her vision clear.

“Since the staff left, let’s change your clothes first.”

Jung Ha Eun approached the door and clicked the lock. Then she took down the clothes cover with the luxury logo from the hanger.

Ziiip, as the zipper came down, an aqua-colored dress shimmered in the light.

Park Ra Jin took off the robe she was wearing, loosely grasping it so as not to mess up her hair.

“Unnie, put your foot in here.”

Like a precious gift going into expensive wrapping, Park Ra Jin carefully stepped into the sleeveless dress.

“They said it’s this season’s new item, and it’s really nice.”

“The underwear doesn’t show through, right?”

“Not at all.”

She held her breath as the zipper tightened around her body.

Was it because of the late-night snack she ate with Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho two days ago? To lose this much leeway from just one indulgence. Yet Park Ra Jin recalled the savory and sweet taste of that day.

“Uncomfortable?”

“No, it’s fine now.”

Park Ra Jin answered, exhaling a breath that had become stuffy.

“You know, unnie.”

“Yeah?”

“Today’s event venue… has been changed to Hotel HS.”

“What?”

The hotel where Kim Yu Jun’s fiancée and Haesung Group Director Jin Jae Yi works, to hold it there. So shocking that Park Ra Jin clutched her head.