‘What should I do?’

Ra Jin couldn’t take back the words she had already uttered. No, she didn’t want to.

But the longer Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho’s silence stretched, the more anxious she became. Is it too burdensome for him?

If he comes to my home, there’s no need to bother Ha Eun to give me a ride, and I don’t have to worry about any variables that may arise on the way to the meeting place.

I just overlooked one thing – the burden that comes with the space called home.

He’s a cautious person, so it must be weighing on his mind even more. Should I try explaining more to Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho? Unable to hold back any longer, Ra Jin broke the silence first.

“Is it because of the tail?”

[No, it’s not that.]

Then it meant he felt burdened. There were more than enough valid reasons why it had to be at her home, and Ra Jin intended to calmly explain them.

“I’m also tired from the emotional drain today.”

[It must have been very difficult for you.]

“It was so scary when Kim Yu Jun came out with that big dog.”

[You had a tough time.]

For a moment, warmth seeped into his usually flat voice.

“And the way he was shouting. My hands and feet are still shaking from trying to read both of your reactions.”

[You’re not hurting anywhere, are you?]

The illusion of being cared for, even his simple words felt full of emotion.

“I want to talk about the details at home.”

[Won’t it be uncomfortable?]

“About what?”

[Going into your private space, Ra Jin.]

“We don’t have to be conscious of this and that. Umm, it’s nice not having to be mindful of people’s gazes. Uh, so umm. I prefer our home!”

Why was her voice trembling like a goat even as she bravely poured out the words? Her voice kept rising higher and higher until it cracked. This is driving me crazy, really.

“Of course, you can refuse if you’re uncomfortable, Prosecutor.”

She wasn’t desperate to invite him home, but like a lawyer preparing a final argument, she added all sorts of reasons. Even after that, Ra Jin regretfully tapped her forehead.

Around the time red marks were being stamped on her white forehead, he cleared his throat as if flashing his turn signal.

[What time?]

“Whenever is convenient for you, Ji Ho.”

Even with her heart pounding, she tried her best to appear calm.

[I’ll be there within two hours.]

“You can park right in front of the house.”

[Since an unfamiliar car might stand out, I’ll take a taxi.]

“Ah, yes. Then please let me know when you leave.”

Ra Jin didn’t forget to tell him to be careful as she ended the call with him.

“Ahh!”

As soon as she hung up, Ra Jin threw herself on the sofa with a sharp scream.

“I’m crazy! I’m crazy!”

She flailed her limbs in the air, then tapped her cheeks, asking herself if she was in her right mind. Then she covered her flushed face with both hands.

“‘It must have been very difficult for you.'”

She mimicked Prosecutor Kang Ji Ho’s words exactly and then chuckled. Why did those words make her feel so reassured? Ra Jin giggled for a long time, then suddenly sat bolt upright.

“Ah! Do I have anything to eat at home?”

Despite the abundance of food Kim Yu Jun had sent, sharing it with Kang Ji Ho would be absurd. Moreover, she couldn’t just serve plain water to an important guest.

3:00 PM. Since he said he’d arrive within two hours, it was a good time to have an early dinner together.

“Now’s not the time for this.”

Ra Jin, who had instantly become frantic, dashed into the kitchen.

[This is the timeline separator]

Ji Ho could express his current emotions in one word. Very clearly and precisely.

“This is driving me crazy.”

While he didn’t see Ra Jin in a romantic light, her unwavering trust in him was sometimes baffling.

Moreover, as she listed all sorts of reasons in a trembling voice, he couldn’t… no, he couldn’t even bring himself to say that he felt burdened because he had never been to a woman’s home before.

“Ha.”

What was there to be excited about just because she told him to come over, as if he were some teenager? Ji Ho shook his head vigorously.

“Get a grip. Get a grip!”

“What? What’s wrong?”

Ho Jin, who had been labeling documents right outside the door, flung it open.

“Oh, nothing.”

If he wanted to take on big projects with her in the future, he would have to go to even more challenging places than this. No, they had already been in a hotel room together, even if it was a residence. Assigning meaning to each of these trivial things was a waste of time.

If she invited him, he would go, listen to what she had to say, and come back. It was that simple. Ji Ho forcefully suppressed his wavering heart.

“Ho Jin. Did you contact the other departments today?”

“Yes. We got the warrant from them, and we’re going to dig into Oh Jong Hyuk’s foreign exchange transaction records.”

Ji Ho nodded lightly and turned his gaze back to the monitor.

“It seems something suspicious has turned up.”

“There won’t be any issues arresting him at the airport, right?”

Ji Ho asked as he organized the documents spread out in front of him.

“No. Not in the current situation.”

Unable to focus on his work, Ji Ho abruptly stood up from his seat. While standing, he shuffled through documents, stared at the monitor, and then gazed out the window, prompting Ho Jin to tilt his head quizzically.

“Why are you acting like this?”

“Huh? It’s nothing.”

“Did the goddess call you by any chance?”

When asked about what he wanted to know, Ji Ho slightly loosened his tie.

“It seems something happened at Myung Jin today. I’m going to meet her and hear about it.”

“Shall I give you a ride?”

Normally, he wouldn’t refuse, but since the meeting place was Ra Jin’s home, he was cautious. Ho Jin already showed exceptional interest in her, so he couldn’t mention her home. A barrage of questions would surely follow.

“Don’t bother. What for?”

“I want to get some fresh air too.”

Ho Jin was ready to grab the car keys immediately, saying how sweet the flower-scented air would be. If he was going to Ra Jin’s house, he should probably bring something. Would it be better to seek advice from his junior colleague? Ji Ho momentarily pondered whether he should say something to Ho Jin or not.

“Uh, Ho Jin. Do you happen to know any shops?”

“What kind of shop? A great restaurant?”

“A flower… shop.”

“Why flowers all of a sudden when you said you were going to meet the goddess…”

“She asked me to come over to her place for a bit. Do you know one or not?”

He asked about flowers, thinking they would be the most innocuous, but Ho Jin’s eyes turned into crescent moons. Stifling his laughter, Ho Jin quickly sent a link.

“Next to this flower shop, there’s an even more famous macaron shop. They make authentic macarons, the owner studied in France.”

“I’m going for work. Why are you talking about macarons?”

Ho Jin muttered to himself, needlessly snickering.

“Is there a reason flowers are okay but macarons aren’t?”

Ji Ho pretended not to hear and shuffled through documents.

“When you eat something sweet together, even serious conversations become more pleasant. It naturally leads to good feelings too. Isn’t that how it goes?”

“I told you, I’m going for work. Why are you bringing up good feelings here?”

“When you work together, good feelings naturally develop, don’t they? Don’t you know about office romance?”

“I don’t know.”

“Anyway, you’re on the same team now, aren’t you? A team where office romance is possible!”

Ji Ho couldn’t be dragged into Ho Jin’s meddling any further. Telling him to stop, Ji Ho waved his hand dismissively, but Ho Jin approached him with a chuckle.

“Heh. Even if you work yourself to the bone, the country will only give you a piece of paper as a commendation.”

Ji Ho didn’t react at all to Ho Jin’s grumbling remark that romance was self-service.

Responding or reacting seriously would both be embarrassing.

Soft emotions in front of a cliff. Ji Ho shook his head at the absurd notion.

“Investigate and have a romance with the goddess. Wouldn’t that be great?”

Whether Ho Jin openly snickered or not, Ji Ho finished organizing the documents. However, time flew by so fast that he almost missed his appointment with her.

[This is the timeline separator]

Ji Ho shook off the tail first.

15 minutes before the appointed time, he slowly walked from a place far from Ra Jin’s house. He looked around to check for suspicious movements, then glanced down at what he was holding.

“Hah, what is this?”

He must have been thoroughly entangled in Ho Jin’s scheme.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t be holding a bouquet of flowers in his right hand, a pink shopping bag in his left hand, and even rainbow-colored macarons inside. Ji Ho kept sighing as if his battery was drained before meeting her.

‘Ha, I can’t go empty-handed to someone’s house. Let’s not attach special meaning to basic etiquette.’

Suppressing his awkward feelings, Ji Ho quickened his pace. It didn’t seem like lingering longer in Ra Jin’s neighborhood would do any good.

Ding dong—.

As soon as Ji Ho rang the doorbell of Ra Jin’s house, the door opened as if she had been waiting. As if on standby inside the gate, she waved her hand for him to come in while leaning against the wall.

With a thud, the door closed, and Ra Jin smiled more brightly than the flowers.

“You’re punctual. Exactly 5 o’clock.”

“Is that so?”

Ji Ho inexplicably felt the urge to cough, as if his throat was ticklish, at the sight of Ra Jin pointing to the clock.

“Actually, I came out and waited 10 minutes early.”

“Did you?”

He had words of gratitude for the invitation and remarks about her hard work today clearly in his mind. But the words that came out of Ji Ho’s mouth were all useless interjections.

Perhaps it was inevitable to become a scatterbrained person in an instant. In front of a woman who exuded the same fragrance as the roses he held, it would be stranger to remain composed.

Embarrassed by his unusual behavior, Ji Ho quickly held out the flowers he was holding.

“I thought it would be rude to come empty-handed.”

“You must be busy. You went and bought all this.”

Even as she said that, Ra Jin’s eyes curved into crescents as she opened her arms wide.

The pink roses shone softly in her embrace, as if they had found their rightful owner. To be precise, it was her holding the roses that sparkled brightly.

“I thought you might like flowers.”

“I like them. Very much.”

Is this why people give flowers to women? Just how much does she like flowers to smile like that?

It was confusing to tell who was the flower and who was the person. No matter how objectively one assessed, the two lifeforms were indistinguishably fresh.

Even as they passed through the cozy garden, Ji Ho couldn’t take his eyes off Ra Jin. Then suddenly, feeling like he was staring too blatantly, he struggled to turn his head away.

“There are quite a lot of flowers in the garden.”

“My nose is a bit sensitive, contrary to how I look.”

“?”

“Actually, I should be the one sniffing. I have a really keen sense of smell.”

When Ji Ho flinched and took two steps back, she took one step closer and asked.

“Because I like the scent of nature, I planted these flowers myself… Why, why are you doing that?”

As she took another step closer, Ji Ho retreated three more steps.

“I sweated a bit from walking.”

“Are you worried I might sniff you?”

Instead of answering, Ji Ho moved one step further away. Then she closed the distance again with a smile.

“Even if I don’t intentionally smell it, there’s a scent that only comes from you, Ji Ho. A citrusy scent.”

Ra Jin, who claimed she could distinguish people by scent alone, looked quite delighted.

Her eyes, as if stars were embedded in them, melted smoothly. There should be a limit to how much a person can smile. What was he to do if she smiled to the point where he couldn’t maintain his composure?

Ji Ho crumbled helplessly under Ra Jin’s smile attack.

‘Was I originally… someone who smiles so much?’