Ji Ho looked at Ra Jin’s slender fingertips.

“That’s a peach tree.”

“Do they grow peaches in greenhouses too?”

“I’m not sure about that. Should I ask?”

As Ji Ho took out his phone, intending to actually ask, Ra Jin shook their clasped hands vigorously.

“No, it’s fine. I was just surprised to see fruit when it’s not even summer. I’m a peach ghost, you know.”

“Is that so?”

Learning this new fact, Ji Ho stroked Ra Jin’s snow-white cheek. Ra Jin then alternated glances between the ping-pong ball-sized peach fruit and Ji Ho’s face.

“Ji Ho, I’m curious about something.”

“What is it?”

“On the count of three, answer right away.”

Wondering what this was about, Ji Ho nodded seriously.

“Hard peach or soft peach? One, two, three!”

Ji Ho burst out laughing at Ra Jin, who was counting off on her fingers.

“Is this important?”

“Yes. This will tell us if we’re destined for each other or not.”

“I’m scared to answer in case I’m not your destiny.”

Despite Ji Ho’s concern, she was beyond serious – she was grave. She pursed her lips and raised her eyebrows high.

“I’ll ask again. Please answer carefully. Hard peach or soft peach?”

“Soft peach?”

“!”

Like someone who had just won the lottery, Ra Jin leapt up and clung to Ji Ho’s shoulders.

She was so happy that her floral hat bounced at the nape of her neck. With this simple question, Ra Jin couldn’t hide her excitement, as if she had met her destined partner.

“I knew it! I thought you’d be like that, Ji Ho.”

Ra Jin’s cheeks, flushed with exclamations, looked like ripe peaches.

Is this really such a good thing?

Whether hard or soft, peaches were just fruit to eat if available, and forget if not. How fortunate that he didn’t say ‘hard peach’. Ji Ho let out a sigh of relief at his long-dormant skill of guessing correctly.

“Can I ask one more thing?”

“Go ahead. This is fun.”

“Hmm. If this matches too, we’re really destined.”

“Now I’m even more curious.”

Ra Jin took a deep breath, as if preparing herself. Then she opened her eyes wide, as if trying to send telepathic signals.

“White peach? Yellow peach?”

“Pardon?”

“White… Ah! Never mind. Just think about it. I’ll ask for the answer at an important moment.”

Saying she wasn’t ready yet, Ra Jin fanned herself to cool down. But this much of a hint should be okay, right? Ji Ho planted a quick kiss on Ra Jin’s forehead, who was as excited as a rabbit. Then he whispered, almost touching her brow.

“I’ll answer later, but I’ll tell you just one thing.”

“What?”

“This peach tree is a white peach tree.”

“!!”

Ra Jin’s reaction, covering her mouth, suggested she had already guessed the correct answer. She was so ecstatic that happiness seemed to drip from her already large eyes.

“I really like it here.”

“I’ll ask the owner to let us know when the peaches ripen.”

“Really?”

“We’ll spread out a mat under our peach tree and eat to our heart’s content. Like lazy people.”

She clapped her hands, saying it was better than any gift. Then she started counting the green fruits with her fingers. Did she say she felt like a real rich person?

How could someone who lived off public popularity with their dazzling looks be so modest? Ji Ho was always surprised to see this different side of Ra Jin.

In fact, Ji Ho came from an extraordinary background, enough to be called a gold spoon, no, a diamond spoon. He had always mingled privately with those in the highest positions and met various criminals officially.

Having a lot or having less than others didn’t determine a person’s true nature. The more he experienced, the more unpredictable people became.

Skepticism about humans, disasters caused by greed, and the resulting prejudices. Ji Ho’s prejudices, almost like an occupational disease, began to shatter since meeting Ra Jin.

Despite experiencing misfortunes that weren’t her fault, Ra Jin never blamed anyone. She just quietly persevered. Ji Ho found her both pitiful and admirable.

She who spun around the peach tree, declaring her happiness – if one couldn’t feel emotions for such a person, they’d be no different from a stone, as Ho Jin said. Ji Ho brushed past the fresh spinach, reddish-brown lettuce, and knee-high blueberry bushes.

“Ra Jin.”

He called her name as sweet as honey.

“My heart is pounding a lot…”

“?!”

“Will you hug me?”

As Ji Ho spread his arms towards Ra Jin, she approached with flushed cheeks. Then she embraced him warmly from behind. Like a real gift.

[This is the timeline separator]

The two played non-stop as if every second was precious.

Without anyone telling them to, they started picking strawberries like it was a game. Ji Ho, having no reason or desire to beat Ra Jin, lazily took his time.

“Ha! I win.”

As expected, she filled her basket first. Ji Ho graciously accepted the result and washed the strawberries at the tap. Holding the dripping basket, he ate strawberries until his fingernails were stained red.

“I feel like I’m going to burst. If I laugh now, strawberries might pop out.”

Ra Jin said, patting her still-flat stomach.

“Shall we walk to the entrance of the hill behind us? To aid digestion?”

“No, not walking.”

Sensing that she had something else in mind, Ji Ho gestured for her to speak up.

“Ji Ho. Shall I give you a bicycle ride?”

“I think I heard wrong. Who’s giving whom a ride?”

“I want to give you a bike ride for exercise. I may have a unused driver’s license, but I’m good at cycling.”

What an unexpected idea. Should he call it fresh or ingenious? A white, delicate woman who barely reached his chest wanting to give a ride to a man over 190cm tall.

Ji Ho couldn’t help himself at Ra Jin’s confident expression. He kissed her soft cheeks repeatedly until they were flat, then burst out laughing.

“Don’t you trust my driving skills?”

“I do trust you. It’s just… I’ve become heavy from eating so many strawberries earlier.”

Unable to pour cold water on her bold offer, Ji Ho came up with a decent excuse.

“Try it and then we’ll talk. If you really can’t do it, we’ll give up then.”

“Alright then. If it’s too hard for you, I’ll give you a ride instead.”

“Don’t ask for another ride saying it was fun.”

Ra Jin, sitting on a bicycle with a basket, gestured.

“Sit behind me.”

“Like this?”

“Yes. Absolutely no putting your feet on the ground.”

Ji Ho nodded as if promising to follow the riding rules. Then he pointed out the most important thing.

“I’m scared of falling. Can I hold your waist?”

“My waist?”

Seemingly conscious of her belly fat, Ra Jin rubbed her stomach and sighed. Hoping she wouldn’t change her mind about giving him a ride, the quick-witted Ji Ho made the first move.

“We should go to the waterfront while the sun is still up. Come on, let’s go!”

As he urged her to start several times, Ra Jin gripped the handlebars.

“Don’t hold my waist too tightly. I ate a lot.”

“Is this okay?”

Ji Ho wrapped his arms around her waist, barely touching, as if asking for permission. Ra Jin pulled his arms forward to make them more comfortable.

“You’ve lifted your feet, right?”

“Yes, I have.”

As Ji Ho showed his lifted feet, Ra Jin glanced back and started pedaling. She was exerting so much effort that the veins on her white neck bulged.

“Oh! It’s really moving.”

“See? I told you I’m good at cycling.”

“Let’s just go half a lap though. We need to play in the water too.”

“A promise is a promise, so I’ll go all the way. Hold on tight.”

Hold on tight, she says. At these most thrilling words he’d heard, Ji Ho pressed his cheek against Ra Jin’s back.

The strong beating of Ra Jin’s heart. The groaning sounds she made, like chanting a slogan, sounded like sweet music to Ji Ho.

“Ra Jin. Isn’t it hard?”

He asked as she picked up a decent speed.

“It’s hard. But fun.”

“This is the seventh lap. Only three more to go.”

“I, huff, I know.”

With half a lap left, Ra Jin’s breathing became labored, as if she might pass out. Ji Ho secretly lowered his feet and pedaled quickly.

“Hey, putting your feet down is cheating.”

“You must have seen wrong.”

“Liar, I saw it clearly. You were pedaling like this.”

“I told you before, didn’t I? I lie when necessary.”

Grinning, Ji Ho hid his face behind Ra Jin’s back. She insisted on completing a full lap, while Ji Ho openly pedaled.

Amidst their playful banter and laughter, Ji Ho’s phone rang.

“Ra Jin, I need to take a call from Ho Jin.”

“Ah! Okay.”

Ra Jin quickly applied the brakes as they approached their destination. Ji Ho rose from the back seat of the bicycle and pressed the answer button.

“Oh, Ho Jin.”

[Are you enjoying your vacation?]

“I told you to rest at home. Are you at the office?”

It seemed Ho Jin had insisted on going to work, even though Ji Ho had given the entire team time off, unable to rest alone.

[I slept in and did laundry, so it’s fine.]

“Good job. Tell me if you need anything.”

[A search warrant has been issued for Ra Jin’s agency.]

Ji Ho’s eyes suddenly gleamed sharply. It was worth subtly supporting other departments to ensure the warrant wouldn’t be rejected.

“When?”

[We’re meeting tomorrow at 8 AM and executing it from 9 AM.]

“We need to be careful about security. What did the International Crime Investigation Department say?”

It was frustrating not being able to take direct action, and there were numerous concerns. With Oh Jong Hyuk in custody, they needed to find a connection to Myung Jin somehow.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Ji Ho’s nerves were on edge.

“We need results this time to conduct a secondary search.”

[Yes, I’ll work closely with my colleagues.]

At 4 PM, considering the distance to Seoul, they needed to move now before traffic got heavy.

“I’ll try to arrive before dinner if possible.”

[Come tomorrow morning. There’s nothing you can do now except provide information anyway.]

“Still, I should do what I can.”

As soon as Ji Ho finished speaking, Ho Jin’s affectionate nagging poured out. Saying he needed to try harder to win a woman’s heart, and that if he failed here, he’d be destined to be a lonely old man. This was beyond caring for a friend’s sister – it was more than blood ties.

“Fine, I got it. I’ll score some points with Ra Jin before I come.”

[Absolutely do not come early!]

Ho Jin’s advice to stay together today and leave at dawn was tempting and sweet. But his conscience wouldn’t allow it while his junior was working hard.

“Good work, see you later. Hanging up now.”

With the end button, Ho Jin’s nagging was cut off. Ra Jin, standing at a distance, couldn’t bring herself to approach and just stared at the ground.

“Ra Jin.”

As Ji Ho approached, she only moved her lips without asking anything. Feeling sorry for her, he gently embraced her.

“Do you have a schedule tomorrow?”

“Nothing tomorrow, but I have a historical drama shoot on Tuesday.”

“…”

“Is something… wrong?”

She looked up at Ji Ho cautiously.

“Don’t be surprised, but listen. Things might get a bit noisy at your agency tomorrow.”