Are you drunk? Are you drunk!

Park Ra Jin sighed as she looked at the shattered wine glass. What kind of trouble was this?

“Are you alright?”

The man who had clearly been in front of the refrigerator seemed to have teleported, as he was now helping Park Ra Jin to her feet.

He quickly checked Park Ra Jin’s face to assess her condition, then examined her legs and feet. Fortunately, her legs were fine thanks to her long pants, but her right hand looked as if it was wearing a red glove.

“I’m sorry. I’ll buy you an identical wine glass to replace it.”

“There’s no need to apologize. The injury is the problem.”

His words, implying that the wine glass was of no consequence, reminded her of breaking her mother’s teacup as a child. The feeling of that time when her mother hugged her tight, saying it was fortunate she wasn’t hurt. Why was that day coming to mind now, so needlessly?

“Let me hold your hand.”

He took out a handkerchief and quickly wrapped it around Park Ra Jin’s hand.

The sky-blue cloth peeking out between his large hands was rapidly stained with red paint.

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“Ugh, a little.”

“We’ll stop the bleeding and apply medicine.”

Her hand quickly became damp, as if it had been deeply cut. It was worrying enough to consider going to the emergency room for stitches.

Every time Park Ra Jin moved her feet, a rustling sound could be heard, and Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho’s gaze dropped sharply. The wine glass had shattered into so many pieces that invisible glass shards crackled under her slippers.

Just then, Ji Ho looked around and pointed to the sofa.

“It would be dangerous if you fell here.”

“This is my mother’s studio, I’m so sorry.”

With the cream-colored marble floor in such a mess, she had no words even if she had ten mouths.

She needed to wipe it with wet wipes before it stained, but she couldn’t move with her injured right hand. Feeling helpless, Park Ra Jin could only pour out apologies.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“But still…”

“Here, hold this.”

As Ji Ho’s hand slipped away, Park Ra Jin’s left hand covered her injured hand, as if passing a baton.

“Press hard even if it hurts. Excuse me for a moment.”

“?”

“This is safer, even if it’s uncomfortable.”

Before she could protest, Park Ra Jin’s body was lifted, and she let out an involuntary scream.

“Oh, oh. I can walk…”

“We don’t know where glass shards might be embedded.”

At his firm words, Park Ra Jin flailed her feet, not knowing what to do.

“Is the physical contact unpleasant?”

“No! It’s not that, I’m worried I might be heavy.”

“Not at all. If you move like that, we’ll both fall.”

Even so, this was too much. To be carried like a princess by Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho to the sofa? With both hands immobilized to stop the bleeding, and being pulled close to prevent falling, Park Ra Jin stiffened her body, unable to lean into the man’s embrace.

The result of carelessness that couldn’t be blamed on anyone. It was the height of embarrassment.

“I’ll set you down slowly on the sofa.”

“Not the sofa. It’s a white sofa!”

“It’s fine.”

“I don’t want to. Not the sofa that can’t be cleaned, the floor, the floor!”

As she shook her head, insisting she absolutely wouldn’t sit on the sofa, he chuckled. The moment his warm breath touched her forehead, Park Ra Jin’s hair stood on end.

“I’m going to put you down now. Lean on me so you don’t fall.”

At his words about falling, she relaxed her awkwardly stiff body. Park Ra Jin was drawn into the man’s embrace as if pulled into a black hole.

Warm and firm. The ample, rather than broad, embrace felt awkward, and she absently bit her lip. As she was gently set down on the floor, Park Ra Jin rubbed her left cheek where his warmth had disappeared.

“Any stabbing pain or discomfort?”

“…No.”

“There might be glass embedded. Let’s stretch out your legs.”

He turned on his phone’s flashlight and shone it closely on her pants. Park Ra Jin wiggled her toes at the man’s thoroughness, feeling like a baby bird being cared for.

“Can you see this?”

“Oh!”

“It was stuck in the seam.”

He spoke as he picked out a thin crescent-shaped shard from the hem of her knit pants.

“I’ll get the vacuum cleaner, stay here.”

He leaned Park Ra Jin against the sofa and moved busily.

He vacuumed the hem of her pants, then brought a towel to cover her hand. Then he started cleaning up the messy marble floor.

Not satisfied with running the vacuum several times, he even brought tape and rubbed it over the area repeatedly.

Watching silently felt so embarrassing that Park Ra Jin, clutching her hand, could only repeat, “I should be doing this.”

Each time, Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho would smile slightly and put the empty dishes in the dishwasher.

“Let’s take a look at that wound.”

He approached swiftly, having finished cleaning.

Large, neat hands damp with moisture. Park Ra Jin alternately looked at the back of his hand gently lifting the towel and his prominent nose bridge.

‘Is it badly hurt?’

As the man’s brow furrowed instantly, Park Ra Jin recalled her next schedule.

‘At least for the historical drama, I can cover it with hanbok. That’s fortunate.’

Just as Park Ra Jin was trying to think positively.

“The wound isn’t deep, but it’s bleeding a lot.”

A short sigh escaped his lips as he showed the size of the wound with his thumb and index finger.

Soon he stood up and went to the white wall. When he pressed it firmly, a storage compartment opened with a click. He rummaged through the neat shelves and pulled out a fluffy wool blanket.

“It seems my mother didn’t leave any emergency medicine.”

Adding that she doesn’t come every day, he draped the blanket over Park Ra Jin’s shoulders. Casually, with a thump.

In that moment, along with the soft touch settling on her, a faint lavender scent brushed her nose. It felt as if the throbbing pain had disappeared.

A man cold yet warm, indifferent yet attentive.

It was too early to say he was unexpectedly different, as she didn’t know him well. What was his true self? Park Ra Jin scrutinized him out of curiosity.

“I’ll have to go to the convenience store on the first floor.”

“I’m leaving soon anyway. It’s fine.”

“Jung Ha Eun asked me to send you back safely. I can’t send you covered in blood.”

At his words implying concern about a top star being scarred, she had nothing to say. It was all her own fault, so who could she blame?

“I’ll at least buy some bandages.”

“What if someone comes?”

As he pulled up the blanket that had slipped down, he gently raised the corners of his mouth.

“It would be a nice surprise fan meeting.”

“What?”

When Park Ra Jin startled, he raised both hands as if to calm her.

“I’m joking. My mother left for a trip today.”

Only then did Park Ra Jin’s shoulders relax.

Like a parent leaving for work, he handed Park Ra Jin her phone, an opened bottle of water, and a cushion in order. Saying he’d be right back.

Click―.

As the door closed, a heavy silence immediately descended. More than the awkwardness of the unfamiliar space, the absence of the large man’s presence felt somehow empty.

Now their fourth meeting.

“Haa. Really.”

She muttered softly, “What is this?”

Unable to say what she had intended, making such a mistake instead. What would the man who went out to buy bandages think inside? All sorts of thoughts crossed Park Ra Jin’s mind. Then she absently gazed at the artworks hanging throughout the living room.

From vibrant pop art to Korean paintings imbued with the passage of time. The diverse eye-catching pieces spanning genres were both disparate and harmonious.

“What does the prosecutor’s mother do?”

Using this huge penthouse as a studio, and all the mix-matched furniture and accessories being luxury brands.

Park Ra Jin rubbed her cheek against the wool blanket and blankly stared at the clock embedded in the art wall.

It had already been 20 minutes since he left.

Why wasn’t the man who said he was going to the convenience store on the first floor back yet?

Park Ra Jin, having finished looking around the living room, plopped her head against the sofa.

On the way back from the 24-hour pharmacy.

Kang Ji Ho’s eyes settled calmly as he drove down the quiet road.

Ji Ho’s emotions, which had relaxed during the comfortable conversation, instantly became taut. Yeo Ho Jin’s message reminded him of the purpose of today’s meeting.

Honestly, Ji Ho hadn’t expected much from today’s meeting. Park Ra Jin, who had been unusually cautious since the last request. Knowing how burdensome it must be for her, he fully understood.

So he hadn’t hoped for much. Just checking necessary information here and there during the conversation?

The moment he confirmed the industry norm that 50 billion won couldn’t be quietly overlooked, it was time to casually drop TJ Pictures’ name.

The wine glass shattering with a crash. It was like a warning not to rush.

“Let’s move according to the situation.”

The vivid wound on her already small hand came to mind, and Ji Ho unconsciously muttered.

How much must it have hurt that white, delicate flesh? He still felt the trembling vibration every time he pressed her hand to stop the bleeding.

“I only went to the pharmacy. It took 40 minutes.”

Wondering why time passed so quickly, she who was alone flashed before his eyes.

Suddenly impatient, Ji Ho increased his speed.

Like someone being chased, he hurriedly finished parking and grabbed the small bag of medicine, running without thinking.

“Ha, so slow.”

Why was the studio on the 31st floor of all places? He sighed at the elevator that seemed like a slowpoke today.

Ding―.

At the clear bell sound announcing arrival, Ji Ho’s body sprang out like a spring.

Entering the eight-digit passcode in one breath and entering the apartment.

“Park Ra Jin.”

He called her name as soon as he entered the foyer. But there was no sign of response. Her shoes were there, but what if? Thinking of the terrible word ‘excessive bleeding’, Ji Ho roughly kicked off his shoes.

“Are you oka…”

Curled up in a round shape on the hard floor. With her face half-hidden in the white, fluffy blanket, she was asleep.

Did I come too late?

As if she had been waiting for contact, her phone had fallen in front of her left hand.

A round forehead without a single blemish, neatly drawn eyebrows below, and deep eyelashes fluttering with her breath.

‘Should I wake her? Let her sleep?’

Ji Ho pondered for a moment.

Even if she had fallen asleep, it had only been about 20 minutes. She said she was resting because of her condition, was something hurting?

But he couldn’t carelessly touch her forehead. He just got up, putting his hand on the bare floor. He raised the room temperature and carefully covered her with a blanket he took out. The most he could do without her permission.

Then he quietly cleaned up things cluttering the floor. How tired must she have been to fall asleep, when she was always on guard like a startled rabbit?

‘Just one more hour.’

That should be enough to let her sleep. Ji Ho sat down next to Park Ra Jin with a thump and looked up at the clock.

Her right hand with dried blood caught his eye, but it wasn’t serious enough to disturb someone in deep sleep.

Ji Ho checked on her repeatedly, even while replying to Yeo Ho Jin’s message or looking at documents received by email. If he hadn’t heard her regular breathing, he would have checked her consciousness immediately, as she didn’t move at all.

‘Was she very tired?’

She was sleeping so soundly that even Ji Ho, exhausted from daily overtime, yawned.

Massaging his dry eyes, Ji Ho slowly turned his head. When that didn’t help much, he stretched silently to chase away sleep.

The square white screen and small black letters, the warm floor heated by the efficient boiler.

Ji Ho’s posture unconsciously relaxed.

‘Myungjin Securities’ Mexico branch investment details… investment… inv.’

The clear letters gradually blurred and eventually disappeared.