It was certainly familiar words. She fully understood what meaning he conveyed.
But Park Ra Jin just looked at Ji Ho without saying anything. She just wanted to hear more of his thoughts.

“I’m not sure if today is the appropriate timing.”

“……”

“It also feels a bit ticklish to say ‘let’s date’ starting today when we’re over 30.”

Still, he added that it was something he had to say.

“I was originally planning to confess after the special investigation ended. But I can’t stand the anxiety anymore.”

To think he had been contemplating their relationship even in the midst of such busyness. Park Ra Jin’s heart wavered at his ever-serious attitude.

“It’s not something to say while eating ramen, but.”

Ji Ho chuckled and gently enveloped Park Ra Jin’s hand.

“To commemorate wrapping up our work, shall we think differently about our relationship?”

Park Ra Jin was trying to act nonchalant, but she liked his use of ‘our’ to define them. It felt like receiving an invitation into a large, reassuring enclosure.

“You’ll have enough on your mind today. I’ve added to that, haven’t I?”

“No, that’s not…”

Worried he might take the brief silence as rejection, Park Ra Jin hastily replied as if to clarify.

“From now on, I intend to be simple and clear about everything with you, Park Ra Jin.”

“Simple and clear?”

How could such rational, logical words, far from affectionate, make her heart flutter so? Park Ra Jin clenched her toes, finding it hard to believe.

“If I like it, I’ll say I like it. If I miss you, I’ll say I miss you.”

“You’re being… honest.”

“Yes. So you too, Park Ra Jin, express if it’s too fast or if it’s burdensome.”

Having only learned about love from drama scripts, Park Ra Jin had no sense of real-life romance. Is this how confessions normally go? Or is Ji Ho special? Should she answer right away? Park Ra Jin was at a loss in this puzzling situation.

As Park Ra Jin pondered repeatedly, he poured out his true feelings.

“Maybe because I got a proper shock today, I don’t want to be apart from you, Park Ra Jin.”

Even if it’s selfish, no, he said that the feeling of liking someone is ultimately bound to be selfish. Park Ra Jin found herself nodding at his honest courage.

Should she say yes right now? Or buy time saying she’ll seriously consider it? Then Park Ra Jin was caught in ambivalent emotions.

While his words were welcome, she worried if she might become a burden to him. Though she had decided to step away from Myung Jin’s matter, she feared becoming his weakness.

“Think about it thoroughly. For you, Park Ra Jin, there’s no time limit.”

“What if my answer gets indefinitely delayed that way?”

“Then I’ll just follow you around within the limits you allow. Like a puppy.”

“What?”

“Just don’t push me away. I may look tough, but I’m soft inside.”

The man’s cool eyes curved gently. Is he really serious? Park Ra Jin’s heart began to melt like chocolate in a pocket at his lethal eye smile.

“Ji Ho, look at the sky.”

Wrapped in a large blanket like a cape on the rooftop they had climbed, Park Ra Jin exclaimed in wonder at the dark sky.

“The stars are more visible than in Seoul, I suppose.”

“It’s not just more visible. They look like they might pour down any moment.”

Park Ra Jin ran around the vast rooftop, not even putting down the bag containing rustling potato chips and clinking beer cans.

“You can see well from here too.”

“Shall we wrap the blanket once more? I’m afraid you might trip if you step on it.”

He said, fiddling with the beam projector.

“I’ll hold the edge like this as I walk. Is that okay?”

Park Ra Jin smiled brightly, holding the blanket like the hem of a dress.

A sense of liberation felt after a long time.

Park Ra Jin reveled in freedom in a place free from sidelong glances and the threat of phone cameras.

“Ah, this is nice.”

The night breeze blowing from the low mountain, the scent of pine trees carried on it. Her long hair, swaying like a dance, tickled Park Ra Jin’s nape. Park Ra Jin rubbed her cheek against the fluffy blanket, wishing time would stop right there.

On this night when even the air felt sweet, in this space alone with a man who looked good in a white shirt. Everything was too perfect.

She inhaled deeply, pressing in the sweet air until she could hold no more. Then she exhaled with a whoosh, as if blowing up a large balloon.

Just as her vision began to spin, a blue shadow appeared on the ground.

“Park Ra Jin. It’s ready.”

As he adjusted the beam projector’s screen, an impressive movie theater was created in no time.

“Ji Ho, isn’t this too amazing?”

Park Ra Jin showered praise and applause like a regular panel member on a variety show. She was so captivated by this countryside house that she would have felt disappointed if he hadn’t brought her.

“Come sit over here.”

Ji Ho said, dragging over the rattan furniture placed at the rooftop entrance. Following his gesture, she sat in the chair and stretched her legs.

“How’s this angle?”

He adjusted the backrest button up and down so she wouldn’t have to look up uncomfortably or sit stiffly upright. He placed a plump cushion behind Park Ra Jin’s waist and covered her body with a cozy blanket in double layers.

“Yes. It’s perfect.”

“Oh, one ‘it’s nice.’ I’ll fill up nine more times from now on.”

“Actually, eight times left. I said it was nice earlier while looking at the stars.”

As she wiggled two fingers like rabbit ears, Ji Ho suddenly came closer.

“I’d like a reward for my hard work.”

“A reward?”

“Whatever reward Park Ra Jin wants to give.”

He whispered, already seated in the next chair.

“The reward I want to give first to puppy who cooked delicious ramen… hmm.”

After a slight pause, she kissed his neat forehead with a peck. As his bangs swayed with a faint smile, Park Ra Jin held his cheeks with both hands.

“This is the second reward for making a wonderful movie theater.”

She gently bit the end of his firm jaw, making his shoulders flinch slightly. Park Ra Jin, curling up the corners of her mouth, pecked his lips as if stamping a praise seal.

“May I give myself the third reward?”

Before she could even ask “What?”, his large hand grasped Park Ra Jin’s nape.

As if returning the playfulness, Ji Ho lightly bit the tip of Park Ra Jin’s chin. Then he kissed that spot again, as if applying ointment. A subtle citrus scent wafted from his chest, which brushed against her nose tip.

Whether intoxicated by the scent or melting into the atmosphere, Park Ra Jin’s body, which had been clinging to Ji Ho’s shoulder, was suddenly lifted.

The moment he gently held her lower lip, Park Ra Jin felt a chill. She hadn’t realized she was cold because of the blanket tied around her neck. Yet strangely, goosebumps rose at his warm breath.

The air touching her cheeks was cool, while his hand on her nape was hot. His heart, pressed close, was racing, and Park Ra Jin’s pulse pounding in her ears was intense.

Everything was contradictory, yet all the more perfect for it on such a night.

“Park Ra Jin.”

With a faint groan, he pulled back. He gently rubbed Park Ra Jin’s lips with his large thumb, then kissed her again with a peck.

“Are you okay?”

Instead of answering, she buried her forehead in Ji Ho’s shoulder. Then Park Ra Jin nodded slightly.

“Am I not too heavy?”

“Would you dislike watching the movie like this if I suggested it?”

“Not like this… but leaning.”

The bright light from the beam projector scattered across Ji Ho’s features. He smiled like a picture and returned Park Ra Jin to her place.

“Lean right next to me. How is it?”

“It’s nice.”

“Seven times left now.”

The man joked as he smoothed out the crumpled blanket.

Park Ra Jin agreed, showing her right hand, and he handed her a snack. Then in the blink of an eye, he adjusted his posture and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

“Shall we watch Park Ra Jin’s movie that was released last year?”

“No!”

“Why not? I want to watch it.”

“Next time. It’s a bit embarrassing today.”

When he asked if there was anything she wanted to watch, she had no other opinion.

It wasn’t bad to share each other’s warmth against the backdrop of a blank screen, occasionally looking up at the sky.

“When you go on blind dates and start dating,”

“Yes.”

“You usually go on movie theater dates, right?”

Whether in dramas or movies, there was always a scene of the male lead sitting in a movie theater.

“Due to copyright issues, they usually just flicker lights as if watching a movie, then close up on the main characters.”

“I didn’t know that information.”

It was quite useful at times like this to be doing completely unrelated work. He always listened well to whatever she said, but when unfamiliar topics came up, his eyes lit up with interest. That made her more excited to share stories only she knew.

“They always try to eat popcorn and their fingertips touch like this.”

As if in front of a camera, Park Ra Jin lightly touched Ji Ho’s pinky and made a startled expression.

“Or the busy female lead at work leans on the male lead’s shoulder and drifts off to sleep like this.”

She muttered, resting her round head on Ji Ho’s shoulder with a thud.

“Park Ra Jin, are you sleepy?”

“No. I’m thinking.”

“What are you thinking about?”

“What… movie we should watch.”

Park Ra Jin became distant the moment she leaned on Ji Ho’s shoulder. Was it his laughter or the gentle night breeze ruffling her bangs?

“I like all genres, so take your time thinking.”

Had she answered “okay” to his words? What happened to the snack she was holding? Did she put it down? Drop it? She clearly meant to say she preferred comedy movies over straight romances. As she tried to recall the titles of famous movies, she was sucked down.

Well, from this morning, no, yesterday morning, the schedule had been busy. Was she very tired? Before she could ponder if she was tired, Park Ra Jin’s power went out.

After a long perfect blackout, the faint voice gradually became clearer.

“Park Ra Jin… Park Ra Jin.”

His voice echoed in the silence that seemed completely closed off. Even when Park Ra Jin tried to answer, no sound came from her properly locked throat.

As she painfully lifted her thin eyelids, a world that seemed like night but not quite night unfolded before her eyes. Had she briefly fallen asleep while thinking of movie titles?

Park Ra Jin blinked her eyes that wouldn’t open properly, trying to grasp her mind that wouldn’t return easily.

“Are you alright?”

Unable to wake her, Ji Ho patted her back, and Park Ra Jin just nodded.

“What… time is it now?”

“11 o’clock.”

“Only that much?”

Just as she was relieved that she hadn’t slept too long, she thought, “Huh? It was clearly past 3 AM, how could it be 11 o’clock?” Unless time had reversed, the reason for the darkness before her eyes couldn’t be explained.

As Park Ra Jin squirmed and rubbed her eyes, his voice came from the sky.

“I’d like to let Park Ra Jin sleep more.”

“I’m awake. No, I’m waking up.”

“The phone’s been ringing constantly for a while now.”

At the mention of a phone call, Park Ra Jin furrowed her brow. A call on a morning with no schedule? Park Ra Jin reluctantly raised herself.

“Ugh! Sunlight.”

“Keep your eyes closed if it’s too bright. I’ll get your phone for you.”

His left hand shielded her from the sunlight, while his right hand rummaged through the snack bag.

“Whose call is it?”

Park Ra Jin asked with her eyes closed.

“……It’s your manager.”