“……Would you like some fruit?”

“Ah, yes.”

Once the brothers left, Se Eun was left alone with Sang Hyun.

Fortunately, there was the fruit basket that Ki In Hyeok had just given, so it prevented the atmosphere from becoming awkward.

Meanwhile, Sang Hyun naturally took a seat on the living room sofa.

As his gaze lingered on the wedding photo hanging in the middle of the living room, Se Eun, feeling somewhat embarrassed, hurriedly rummaged through the basket of fruit.

Grabbing whatever she could, she suddenly found herself holding a beautifully ripe apple.

That’s good. She was confident she could peel this well.

Thinking so, Se Eun confidently picked up the fruit knife.

But only for a moment, Se Eun soon changed her mind, shaking her head and readjusting her grip on the knife.

Soon, the cheerful sound of apple peeling echoed throughout the kitchen.

*

“Here, have some apple.”

“Ah. Thank you.”

“You said you were… Reporter Kim Sang Hyun, right?”

“You can just call me Sang Hyun comfortably. I’m Sun Woo’s long-time senior colleague. Though I’m treated more like a junior. Haha.”

Joking around, Sang Hyun stabbed the apple with a fork.

“Hm? This apple…”

“Yes? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. It just looks very expensive.”

“Sun Woo’s elder brother gave it to us earlier.”

“Ah. Right, that’s true.”

An indescribable something flashed across Sang Hyun’s expression.

And Se Eun didn’t want to miss this chance.

When else would she have the opportunity to meet Ki Sun Woo’s closest acquaintance?

Moreover, the sense of trust conveyed by the title ‘long-time senior’.

He must surely be well-versed in Sun Woo’s past.

Se Eun stared intently at Sang Hyun, who was crunching on the apple.

Feeling her gaze, he entered interview mode first and opened the conversation.

“Is there something you’re curious about?”

Thinking it would be best to start off casually, Se Eun tried her best to feign nonchalance.

“……How long have you known Sun Woo?”

“We’re university senior-junior colleagues. It’s been almost 10 years. Now that I say it out loud, it’s really a persistent connection. Phew.”

Though he said that, Sang Hyun’s face showed a deep affection.

Perhaps due to her position as wife, he readily shared important stories.

“I’ve met Sun Woo’s mother a few times too, and she was truly an angelic person. Especially her piano playing, it was as if an angel had descended. If it weren’t for that incident, Sun Woo might have played the piano beyond just a hobby, but it’s a shame.”

“By that incident, you mean……”

“As you’ve probably already heard, Sun Woo’s mother passed away lonely and alone. She collapsed clutching her chest beside the piano. It was while Sun Woo was in military service, so he couldn’t even be there for her final moments.”

“……Ah.”

Half-new to this story, Se Eun gaped in shock.

So that’s why he had that expression when facing the piano……

“Even though that guy seems endlessly lighthearted, he lived with that guilt for years. Of course, he distanced himself from the piano too. He’s always smiling so you can’t tell, but after that, he closed his heart tightly. It was to the point where I thought it would be better to see him cry openly.”

“……I see.”

It was something she could empathize with.

Though he always seemed to speak lightly and laugh frivolously, a deep sadness occasionally shone through.

To someone like Se Eun who had lived with sorrow as a companion, it was an emotion visible no matter how much he tried to hide it.

“Anyway, from what I can see, it seems he’s opened up his heart a lot to you, Se Eun.”

“What? Where……”

“Sun Woo’s expression has softened a lot. Well… I’m not unaware of how this marriage came about, but at least his treatment of you isn’t fake.”

“Ah……”

For some reason her cheeks felt hot, and Se Eun hurriedly rubbed her face.

It felt as if she had just heard from someone else’s mouth that someone liked her.

As the temperature of the conversation rose slightly, Se Eun voiced the question she had been eyeing all along.

It felt like now she would get an answer without any concealment.

“Um… Sang Hyun. Since you’ve known Ki Sun Woo for a long time, have you ever seen his girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend?”

As if he had heard an odd word, Sang Hyun turned to look at Se Eun mid-bite of apple.

Though some embarrassment washed over her at his direct gaze, this was her only chance.

“Yes. Well, it’s absolutely not that I’m jealous or anything. I’m just curious. As you know well, Ki Sun Woo is quite handsome. He’s this tall, his shoulders are this broad, his limbs are so long, his eyes are big and deep even without double eyelids, and his skin is clear without a single blemish……”

Se Eun, who had been explaining enthusiastically with hand gestures, figured that should be enough and drove the point home.

“So he must have… dated a lot of girlfriends, right? Since he’s so overflowing with charm? Ah! Of course, his personality is also kind and very good.”

Thud!

Instead of the answer Se Eun expected, only the sound of a fork dropping to the floor rang in her ears.

Unaware he had dropped the apple, Sang Hyun stared blankly at Se Eun with a dazed expression.

As if he had seen something he shouldn’t have, heard something he shouldn’t have.

“……?”

Unable to understand his reaction, Se Eun stared back at Sang Hyun.

She couldn’t understand why he was acting like this when she hadn’t said anything wrong.

Perhaps the apple he just bit was unripe?

“……Ah. Aah……”

As if squeezing out a voice that wouldn’t come, Sang Hyun clutched his throat and let out a groan.

Wondering if he was uncomfortable somewhere, Se Eun was about to quickly get up from her seat.

Sang Hyun painfully gave an answer.

“So… in short, you’re curious about Sun Woo’s relationships with women?”

“What? Ah……”

Though she thought she had asked indirectly, having the core of it pinpointed made her cheeks flare up again.

But since that was correct, Se Eun nodded her head vigorously.

“That’s right. I was wondering if… he dated a lot before marriage. Just, for reference only. Really just for reference……”

“Yes. Reference. Reference. I understand.”

Now was not the time to back down.

With that in mind, Se Eun picked out another good-looking apple instead of the fallen one and handed it to Sang Hyun.

Clearing his throat with a hem hem, Sang Hyun finally revealed the truth.

“That guy is practically a virgin.”

“Whaat?”

This time it was Se Eun’s turn to drop her fork at the shocking declaration.

It was such an astonishing statement.

“You probably asked because you heard various rumors, but he’s never really dated anyone. From the start, all the women Sun Woo met were either the type that Im Ryu Ryeong… ah, Sun Woo’s stepmother had her eye on as a match for that elder brother earlier, or people entangled with the work of the subsidiary company his stepmother set up.”

“Then……”

“In short, it was to interfere. But… uh, as you just said, since Ki Sun Woo is so outstanding in appearance and has a good personality and overflowing charm, women clung to him.”

“Ah……”

Though surely even worse words had come out of her own mouth, hearing the same words from Sang Hyun’s mouth made Se Eun so embarrassed she didn’t know what to do with herself.

On the other hand, Sang Hyun giggled as if finding it amusing and more actively spilled Sun Woo’s past.

“At most it would have been a day, at longest 3 days. Just eating a meal together or having tea, that’s about it. You can think of it as basically a company interview. There weren’t any complicated relationships like the rumors, so you can rest assured. It’s just that the rejected women spread malicious rumors, that’s how it became like this.”

“Then……”

Gulp, Se Eun swallowed dryly and clenched her fists.

Though it was revealed that what Mo Na had said was a lie, she still wanted to confirm it again.

“……There was no sleeping together… or anything like that, right?”

“Pffft!”

“Ah… I’m sorry. You were surprised, weren’t you Sang Hyun? Here’s a towel……”

Se Eun quickly handed a handkerchief to Sang Hyun, who had sprayed apple pulp from his mouth.

This time his face had turned as red as an apple.

After wiping his mouth, Sang Hyun finally gave Se Eun the ‘answer’ she wanted.

“Forget sleeping together, he probably didn’t even hold hands. No wonder the women were furious. They tried seducing him while half-naked but it had no effect at all.”

Hands….. Recalling Sun Woo’s beautiful fingers playing the piano, Se Eun’s face lit up with joy.

To think no woman but her had held those hands.

There was nothing more reassuring and joyful than this.

Overwhelmed with happiness, Se Eun stood up abruptly.

“Sang Hyun. Would you like more apple?”

With a dumbfounded expression, Sang Hyun nodded.

*

Returning after seeing In Hyeok off, Sun Woo looked curiously at the pile of apple peels and alternately at the two people.

Sang Hyun looking full, and Se Eun looking happy.

It was impossible to know what had happened.

However, one strange thing caught Sun Woo’s eye.

The shape of the apples remaining on the tray were all regular apple shapes.

Se Eun’s specialty was peeling apples into rabbit shapes, so it was even more puzzling that she hadn’t showcased that.

While Sang Hyun was gathering his things saying he should get going, Sun Woo approached Se Eun and asked the reason.

Se Eun blushed deeply and replied like this.

“Rabbit apples are… only for Ki Sun Woo.”

“……”

At that loveliness, Sun Woo crumbled helplessly.

Even though he had just had such a heavy conversation with In Hyeok, it felt like spring breeze was blowing only in this place.

Chu, unable to hold back, Sun Woo lowered his body and kissed Se Eun’s clear cheek.

“……!”

Se Eun’s surprised cheeks turned even redder.

While the two exchanged heated gazes, Sang Hyun, who was picking up and putting on his coat, was dumbfounded.

The two, as if forgetting he was even there, were in their own world.

“……Ha. Newlyweds. They’re newlyweds.”