Solo Leveling: Sung-Jin-Woo x Cha-Hae-In

II.Him

"Really now? You can always tell me who that person was that you always wanted to meet at this university, but you decided to tease me that day." Haein expressed her complaints to her boyfriend of two years now, Sung Jinwoo.

"What? Can't I have a bit of fun by teasing you? You look adorable, don't you know?" Jinwoo grinned to himself as they kept walking back home. He looked at the woman beside him while they walked, then he added, "Well, then how about this? Let's eat anywhere you want right now. My treat."

Haein just sighed. 'Till now, she still gets flustered over him and his compliments. Her ears were red with embarrassment, but she still looked at him. "Fine. Then, at that ice cream parlour, I saw you that day. Is that okay?"

Jinwoo nodded and smiled at her.

[Khieeek! [My king is pretty happy these days.][Of course, we know how Lady Haein makes him feel, right?]Go, my king! [We'll support you always with Lady Haein!]

Jinwoo heard three of his marshals talking, and he just shook his head amusingly. 'Stop gossiping about me, and Haein, would you?'

[My liege, pardon us.]

After walking for a good few minutes, they arrived at the ice cream parlour, where Jinwoo and the emissary of the Rulers met. It was the place where Jinwoo told them his decision.

"Well? Let's go in, oppa." Haein smiled gently as she pulled the man inside.

Jinwoo looked around; it has been awhile, but the place seems the same. It feels like it hasn't been long since he went here after getting back to this world.

"Reminiscing, oppa?" Haein poked his side, then nudged his shoulder. "What flavour do you want?"

The woman went to the counter to order. Glancing at her side, she saw the man going to one table to sit down. She looked at him amusingly before walking back to him with their ice cream.

"You do know that you'll have your track competition soon, right? And yet you wanted to eat ice cream?" Jinwoo stared at the woman in front of him.

"Yeah, but I wanted to go here ever since I learned everything you know... Go to the places you went to alone, so you can have other memories with the place...but now, the difference is that you have a companion." Haein looked at him and nodded.

Jinwoo smiled inwardly, suppressing the grin about to show on his face. 'Really, ah. This woman is something else.'

Haein just stared at him and smiled as she ate her dessert. With other people, she is usually expressionless, but with him, she can express herself easily. 'I am really thankful...' She continued staring at the man until something caught her eye, and her smile quickly disappeared. It was something that has bothered her since then. The glove on his left hand.

She reached out her hand and quickly pulled it off him, exposing his skin. Now, you can see the burn scar he got from fighting the Dragon Monarch. A scar that can never be healed by his magic or any means.

Jinwoo blinked at the sudden contact and looked at the woman in front of him. 'What is she doing?'

Haein caressed his hand gently with her slender fingers, and slowly she brought his hand closer to her face and softly pecked his scar. Jinwoo's heart thumped loudly at the sudden action. His brows rose in surprise. "Ah, what are you doing?" He stuttered on his words, and his Shadow Soldiers could not help but snicker secretly.

[Oh, the liege is flustered.][Yee! [The king is getting shy!]

Haein blinked, and she gave out a gentle smile at the man. Jinwoo felt warm all of a sudden at the sight.

"I... I was just thinking of how you always hide this from everyone, even at school, but when you're with me, I just thought that you don't need to hide it from me." She suddenly stopped finishing her sentence as her face got red from embarrassment. It was because Jinwoo was staring at her with those eyes.

That eye will make you melt. That gaze that's so full of affection for your beloved.

"You really surprise me badly sometimes, you know that? Ahh, seriously, someday you might be the death of me, Haein." He laughed, then he patted her head gently."But thank you, really..." He smiled widely at Haein, prompting the latter to smile back. Jinwoo felt like he could just be himself with the woman. Something he has not found in anyone in the past. And surely, he felt free. His heart felt free. He felt that the walls he built up to hide all his feelings for the sake of others crumble down whenever he's with her. And that's something he would always be thankful for.

The couple enjoyed eating their dessert and chatting with each other. One found fun by teasing the other. One found her entertainment when she smeared some ice cream on the other's cheek.

When the sun's about to set, they decide to go home already. Hand in hand, they walked with their hearts full of happiness.

"Hmm... I love you, Haein..." "I love you too, Jinwoo."

The shadow soldiers hiding in their master's shadow cheered.

To be continued...