ARISE: A Solo Leveling Collection
by Laura-chan
IMPORTANT: There will be SPOILERS from the novel.
The stories – most of them one-shots – will take part after Jin-woo & Hae-in's date: I'm moving into a "what if?" realm, that is "what if they had more time to spend together, what if all the chaos with the Dragon Emperor and so on happened a few months after the date and not almost immediately after that?"
I will probably also write some mature scenes: because, even though Jin-woo seems to be hormones-less, I can't imagine a healthy 25 years old not wanting to have a physical relationship with his (beautiful) girlfriend. Of course, if I'll write mature scenes, the rating of the story will change.
I'll try not to make them OOC.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Everything belongs to Chugong and Jang Sung-Rak.
I'm Italian, so English is not my first language: forgive any mistakes I may do.
P.S. – The stories won't follow a chronological order.
WARNINGS: Language, mention of death and of sex.
III. FAMILY
Cha Hae-in cracked her neck and sighed softly: she was tired.
She had spent her day off at Master Song Chi-yul's gym, as she normally did, but had trained harder than usual. She had felt Song Chi-yul's worried eyes on her, when he noticed her going on for hours and defeating every opponent before her.
He had tried to talk to his pupil, but Cha Hae-in had stopped his every effort, assuring him that she was fine.
But in truth, she wasn't fine at all: it was that time of the year again and monsters were becoming more vicious than ever and the only person who seemed to make her feel safe was away, she didn't know where, fighting against them.
Hae-in leaned back against the headrest, her fingers tapping nervously on the wheel, waiting for the traffic light to turn green so she could just run home and have a good cry: it wasn't something she usually did, but she felt really out of control at the moment. Moreover, since she wasn't in a right state of mind, she had taken the wrong way from the gym and she had not only lenghtened her travel back home, but was also in a neighbourhood of Seoul that she didn't know very well.
The S-rank hunter turned her head and smiled when she saw two women, presumably mother and daughter, walking and talking to each other while holding groceries bags: she missed those normal days, without gates, without monsters hunting and killing humans, without risking her life every day. The daughter, a pretty teen with long hair, was gesturing animatedly and the older woman was laughing politely: they seemed truly happy and Cha Hae-in was enveloped by a strong feeling of nostalgia.
She was starting to turn her attention back to the road, when a sudden movement caught her attention: the mother and daughter had stopped, four young men in front of them.
The young woman couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was clear from the body language that the two females were scared and that the men were trying to intimidate them. 'A robbery?' she thought.
Hae-in wasted no time in parking the car on the side of the road, speed-dialing the Hunter Association call center.
"This is S-rank Cha Hae-in." she said as soon at the call was answered. "Locate my cellphone and call the police, I'm going to stop a robbery now." she left the cellphone in the passenger seat of her car without listening to the panicked voice of the operator and without closing the call.
Grabbing her sword from the backseat, Hae-in moved quickly out of the car: one the men had now grabbed the girl's wrist and was waving a knife around, yelling to the frightened mother. "Give me all of your money NOW! Or I will hurt your pretty daughter!"
In an instant, Cha Hae-in was in front of him, gripping the wrist which was holding the girl's: she squeezed, hard, and the man yelped in pain, letting the girl go.
"What do you think you are you doing, bitch!?" He growled. His companions backed him up, surprised by the sudden apparition and the obvious strenght she had shown.
"Stopping you, of course." Hae-in said coldly, positioning herself in front of the two women and raising her sword. She quickly assessed her opponents: they were all civilians but for the man who held the knife, who was a Hunter, probably a low grade from the smell of his mana.
The ruffians laughed loudly at her answer. "Hey guys, guess what, we may get some company tonight." one of them leered, while another one shouted "Hey missy, you better beg for mercy, leader is a strong D-rank Hunter, you can't beat him." A third one guffawed "She'll beg on her knees in front of us!"
Disgusted by the vulgar insinuations, that she was weak since she was a woman and what they planned to do with her, Cha Hae-in let her mana envelope her and her eyes flashed golden.
"I dare you to say that again." She said in a voice that would have frozen hell.
The men stopped laughing, looking at her more carefully: the Hunter could feel the power surrounding her and what starting to realize how powerful she truly was, while the other three could clearly sense her killing intent.
The one who had talked about 'getting some company' suddenly blanched: "B-b-boss... she is... She is the Vice-Master of the Hunters! S-rank Cha Hae-in!"
Blood disappeared from the faces of the others as they understood who stood before them and who they had been making fun of.
"P-p-please, we're sorry." the Hunter whined.
"Sorry doesn't cut it. You deserve to pay for what you almost did and what you said." Cha Hae-in had no intention of seriously harming them, but she couldn't forgive what they did.
The four men turned tail and started running, but Hae-in was too fast: with her lightning speed, she hit them on the head, one after the other, with the hilt of her sword, making them fall unconscious. Finally, she turned towards the two women, who had fallen on their knees on the ground and were watching her amazed: the Hunter kneeled down to grab some of the groceries which had fallen from one the bags, dropped by one of the women when the assault began.
"Are you alright?" Hae-in asked softly, giving the groceries to the daughter and extending a hand to help the mother standing up.
"Thanks to you, we're fine." The older woman said, pressing a hand to her chest. "Jin-ah, how's your wrist?"
The girl had a slight bruise where the ruffian had held her, but other than that she was fine.
Cha Hae-in turned to the sound of sirens and saw a police car and an ambulance making way toward them: she raised her arm to attract their attention.
"Really, that is not necessary." Cha Hae-in repeated, feeling embarrassed. "I did nothing special."
"Oh, you just saved my daughter and I." The mother, who had introduced herself as Park Kyung-hye, laughed. The three of them were in Cha Hae-in's car: after giving their testimony to the policemen and after Jin-ah had been visited by a paramedic, the S-rank Hunter had offered to bring them home. And so started her predicament.
"Inviting you to dinner is the minimum we could do. Please, join us."
Hae-in sighed, but she knew that keeping rejecting the offer would be really offensive: moreover, it wouldn't be bad to spend this day with someone.
"Ok then, I'll accept."
"Great!" Park Kyung-hye clapped her hands happily. "Maybe my son will be home too, so I can introduce you."
"Mom, please." Jin-ah rolled her eyes. "She's already embarrassed enough, you don't need to start matchmaking her with oppa."
"I wasn't!" her mother protested.
"She was." Jin-ah stage-whispered to Hae-in, leaning forward from the backseat.
For the first time in days Cha Hae-in laughed genuinely: the two women were simply too adorable not to enjoy the warmth they exuded.
"Thank you for your interest, but... I'm already seeing someone." She couldn't stop her cheeks from reddening.
"Oh, that's too bad." Park Kyung-hye pouted. "I hope he treats you right."
"He does." Hae-in smiles. "Even though I don't see him often, since he's... traveling a lot for work." she finished in a hurry, not knowing how to explain Jin-woo's activities.
Jin-ah had perked up at the mention of the S-rank Hunter seeing someone and she smiled secretely. She took out her phone and quickly wrote a message; after a few minutes, she got her answer and she smiled widely.
"Mom, oppa's coming home tonight."
"Oh, that's good, I don't know what he is doing and where he is these days." Park Kyung-hye sighed in relief.
"Oppa is a Hunter too." Jin-ah explained to the confused Hae-in.
They soon arrived at the apartment building and Cha Hae-in helped Kyung-hye with the groceries bags, while Jin-ah called the elevator and then opened the door to their house. Hae-in looked around discreetly and smiled: while it was quite smaller than her apartment – and she loved the view of the skyline from her windows – this was truly a home, with pictures on the walls and on the furniture, tidy but with some objects scattered on the table and the couches, showing it had been lived for a long time.
"Please sit down, I'll start preparing dinner." Kyung-hye smiled, tying up her apron.
"Oh, do you want some help?" Hae-in hurriedly offered, she didn't want to be a burden.
"No, no, don't worry. You're a guest!" The older woman laughed and disappeared in the kitchen.
"Ah..." Hae-in turned towards Jin-ah, who was fiddling with her phone, embarrassed. "Unni... can we please take a selfie together? I want to send it to my friends... one of them is an E-rank Hunter and she really admires you!"
Hae-in smiled softly, finding adorable how shy the younger girl looked when she was for asking something so simple. "Of course!"
They took some pictures and Jin-ah was glowing while sending them in her group chat. She knew that her brother was stronger than Hunter Cha, but watching her being so chilvarous and seeing how she dispatched those ruffians made Jin-ah feel a bit starstruck.
"Do you play videogames, Hae-in-Unni?" she asked, smiling.
"Ah," Hae-in sighed wistfully. "I once did, now I don't have time anymore... I'm a bit rusty."
"Well then, you just need to exercise!" Jin-ah exclaimed, taking the older girl's hand and leading her to her room, closing the door after them.
Soon, noises and small shrieks of victory and defeat could be heard from within.
Jin-woo entered the apartment, expecting nothing out of the ordinary: however he was surprised by the sounds coming from his sister's room and the slightly familiar energy he could sense.
"Mom? Who's with Jin-ah?" he wondered out loud, entering the kitchen.
"Oh, Jin-woo!" Kyung-hye greeted him, stopping what she was doing and hugging him hard.
"Mom?" the Shadow Sovereign was atonished, because of the unexpected behaviour. "What's wrong?" He reciprocated the embrace, noticing – not for the first time since her reawakening to be honest – how frail and smaller his mother seemed.
"Today Jin-ah and I were attacked." Kyung-hye tearfully explained.
"WHAT?" Jin-woo tensed and his eyes flashed dangerously: he put his hands on her shoulders and watched her carefully "Are you alright? And Jin-ah?"
"Yes, yes. We were coming back home after grocery shopping, when some criminals harassed us for money. However, a young Hunter came to our rescue and she defeated them: she also called the police and the ambulance, so we're fine. We've invited her to dinner, you see."
"Of course." Jin-woo nodded, relieved. He really had to thank this young woman for saving his family.
"Jin-ah, your brother is home!" Kyung-hye called out loud.
"Ah! Oppa!" Jin-ah said, smiling widely. She turned to Cha Hae-in, who looked now a bit nervous about meeting someone new. "It's alright if we stop the game, Unni?"
The Hunter laughed. "Of course! Go out and see your brother, I'll follow you."
The younger girl grinned and in a blink of an eye was standing and running out of the room. More calmly, Hae-in followed her: it was heartwarming to see a family so close-knit.
As she walked out of the room and to the kitchen, the S-rank Hunter started smelling something strangely familiar: she stopped in the hallway and sniffed delicately the air. 'T-this smell...' her eyes widened and she couldn't stop her blush. 'I know this smell!'
There was only one person she knew that smelled this good.
Hae-in entered the kitchen, mouth already agape: Jin-woo, who was hugging his sister, stared back at her looking as startled as she was. As soon as she had stepped out of Jin-ah's room, he had sensed and recognized her energy, but still hadn't been prepared to actually see her appear.
"Ah, Jin-woo..." she greeted, hand on her mouth, still stupified.
"Hae-in..." he answered back, unsure how to handle the situation. In a way, he should have expected it: it was just Cha Hae-in's character to help those in need.
"Oh, so you two know each other." Park Kyung-hye said wide-eyed.
"Of course they do, mom, they're both S-rank Hunters." Jin-ah interjected matter-of-factly.
Hae-in felt a bit betrayed by the younger girl, since she hadn't said anything about the real identity of her brother.
Jin-woo released his sister and walked to Hae-in, rubbing the back of his neck. "Seems like I need to thank you... you saved my family. Thank you, really." His grey eyes were serious and she could see how much that meant for him.
"Please..." she shook her head, lowering her eyes, "...I just did what was right. They needed help and I was there."
"Still, thank you." Jin-woo wanted to move to grab her hand, but then remembered his sister and mother were both there. Cha Hae-in and him hadn't talked about making their relationship public: they didn't quite hide it, but neither they had made a declaration or something similar.
Watching the two of them together, Jin-ah was sure there really was something going on with them: she giggled internally, because they looked cute together. How could someone as cool as Hunter Cha go for her boring brother she wasn't sure, but she enjoyed the outcome.
"It's ready, guys." Kyung-hye smiled. The four of them sat down at the table and Hae-in watched hungrily the amazing-looking plates in front of her: she hadn't eaten anything at lunch, so she was quite famished. Still, she felt quite self-conscious, as she sat beside Jin-woo.
"Dive in please."
"Oh, I will!" Jin-ah exclaimed and the tension in the room seemed to lift a bit.
After a few minutes of silence while they were starting to eat – only interrupted by Hae-in's polite "Kyung-hye-Nim, this is delicious!" - the oldest woman in the room looked at the younger one in front of her.
"So, Hae-in-Nim, how long have you been a Hunter?"
The person in question cleaned her mouth with a napkin and then smiled. "It's been a little more than two years. I entered the Hunter's Guild immediately after my evaluation."
"Jin-ah said you're a S-rank... so you must be really strong, but also you must face dangerous situations everyday... aren't you scared?"
Cha Hae-in closed her eyes and thought carefully for a minute. "Sometimes it's scary." she admitted in the end. "It happened once or twice that I though I was going to die... however most of the times we're prepared and there is nothing to fear. Above all, I'm afraid of letting my comrades down: I can't stand the idea of someone getting hurt in front of me without me doing everything I can to protect them."
Hearing this, Jin-woo smiled: just like he learned the first time they met, she really was a cautious and careful person with a big heart.
"But what about your parents? You're young, they're surely worried about you." Park Kyung-hye couldn't imagine that anyone would let their child get in danger without a second thought.
Hae-in's eyes widened and her breath caugh: a lump formed in her throat and she couldn't speak. All the pain she had been keeping inside was fighting to break the strong dam she had built. The family noticed the obvious change in her behaviour and looked alarmed by that: Jin-woo's hand twitched on the table, but he refrained from doing anything.
"Ah..." Hae-in tried to calm down, breathing deeply. "Well..." she tried, and failed, to smile. "My parents are dead. They've been killed in a dungeon outbreak not long after the appearance of the gates."
Silence fell on the room as the other three truly didn't expect that answer.
Jin-woo particularly was stunned: he knew she lived alone, he had been enough times at her apartment to know that, but had thought she had just moved out of the parental home. Instead she had lost both her parents, much earlier than he had lost his father.
"I'm... I'm so sorry." Kyung-hye said finally, eyes teary, taking one of younger woman's hands in hers. "I didn't mean to make you remember such painful memories."
"Oh, it wasn't you, really." Hae-in shook her head. "It's just... today is the anniversary of their death. So it's a difficult day for me."
Hearing that, Jin-woo didn't stop himself from grabbing her free hand and squeezing it. The young woman didn't look at him, but interlaced her fingers with his.
"My uncle took me in and I grew up with his family... they have a daughter, my cousin, who is like a sister to me." Talking about her adoptive family made her truly smile. "So, it really wasn't that bad. I didn't lose everything. Please, don't cry." Hae-in pleaded to Jin-ah, who was in fact doing that.
"But... that's so sad, Unni." Jin-ah was sobbing openly: it had been hard without both her father and her mother, but she had her brother and her mother had been asleep, not dead!
Hae-in stood up and both Jin-woo and Kyung-hye released her hands: she moved near Jin-ah and kneeled down. "Sad things unfortunately happen, however it's important how we react." Hae-in took the younger girl's hands. "Yes, today it's a bad day for me and I'm heartsick: but I live a good life, I still have a family and companions and..." she trailed off because she really didn't know how to describe Jin-woo. "...and good things happen too. So you must treasure those important moments and keep your precious people close. It's important to live."
Jin-ah sniffled and nodded. "Can I hug you?" she asked shyly. Hae-in smiled. "Of course." The two girls embraced and the atmosphere became lighter.
Dinner continued in a better mood and the four of them chatted cheerfully. Kyung-hye decided to stick to more neutral topics and asked what Hae-in did before becoming a Hunter. "Oh, I ran. I was an athlete." was the answer.
Jin-woo had been mostly silent after Hae-in's revelation and was deeply in thought: what she said, about treasuring good moments and keeping important people close, really struck home. He looked at the three women around him, now talking and laughing: together with Yoo Jin-ho, they were the most precious people in his life and he didn't want to keep secrets from his family.
Hidden into his shadow, his soldiers cheered.
[This is truly wise, my liege]
Igris nodded approvingly.
Jin-woo rolled his eyes, but smiled.
He coughed a bit to call for attention and the three women turned to him.
"Okay... since good things also happen... I don't want to keep this from you anymore." he said sincerely, looking at his sister and mother. "The truth is..." he grabbed Hae-in's hand from under the table and laid their entwined hands on the table. "Hae-in and I also know each other because she's my girlfriend."
In the same moment in which Jin-ah stood up and yelled "I KNEW IT!", Cha Hae-in gaped at him stunned. "I am?"
Jin-woo frowned at the fellow Hunter. "Of course you are."
Hae-in huffed and crossed her arms. "Of course nothing, it's not like you said anything about it. Do you know how long I've been wondering what we are?"
"And what did you think we were?"
"I didn't know!" she answered, a bit exasperated.
Jin-woo was truly confused about that, he was sure he had made his intentions clear: they went out on dates, they kissed, they talked, they were intimate, how more limpid could that be?
"You actually never asked me to be your girlfriend." Cha Hae-in answered his inner question. "You just can't decide by yourself."
'Well... she's right.' he admitted to himself, rubbing his chin.
"Then, I just have to ask, mmm?" Jin-woo grinned. He got closer to her face and Hae-in felt her cheeks redden. "So, will you be my girlfriend?"
She was blushing so hard she was sure her face was on fire: she hid it in her hands and after a few moments nodded. "Of course, you fool." Jin-woo wrapped his arms around her and Hae-in continued to hid her face in his shoulder, while his mother and sister cheered.
"Oh my, that was so embarrassing." Hae-in said when they separated, fanning herself. "Sorry." she smiled sheepishly to the other women.
"No problem!" Kyung-hye exclaimed, laughing. "I don't need to play matchmaker now!"
"I told you she wanted to!" Jin-ah grinned to Hae-in.
They all laughed out loud.
The evening continued in a pleasant manner for all of them: however, Jin-woo soon noticed that Hae-in was starting to nod off. The day have been grievous for her and the roller-coaster of emotions and the physical exertion had taken a toll on her.
"I need to go back home." Hae-in announced tiredly, smiling softly. "Tomorrow I have to go to the Guild in the morning."
Jin-woo observed her and scowled. "You're sleeping on your feet... I'm not letting you drive." The young woman glared at him for that declaration, but her would-be speech was interrupted by a yawn. Embarrassed, she coughed. "I need my car tomorrow..." She was talking about the fact that he could bring her home using his abilities.
"I can drive you and then come back." he shrugged.
Kyung-hye frowned at that. "And then, how are you coming back exactly? It's simpler if she just stays here for tonight. I'll feel better. I don't think it will be a problem for you to sleep in Jin-woo's room, right dear?" she asked slyly, turning to Hae-in.
The girl's eyes widened and she stammered. "K-K-Kyung-hye-Nim... I-I don't think..."
"Oh please." The older woman rolled her eyes and then pushed gently her daughter out of the kitchen, "Go get ready for bed, Jin-ah." "But mom!" the girl protested. "I want to listen—" "To bed! You'll say goodnight to Hunter Cha-Nim later."
Then Kyung-hye turned to the couple, both of them blushing and not looking at each other. "I was young too once, and you're both adults who can do whatever they want, so I don't think there will be a need for Jin-woo to sleep on the couch in the living room... however please remember that this house isn't big and that there are two other people, one of them underage." she winked while Jin-woo chocked out a shocked "MOM!"
Cha Hae-in wanted to hide under the table, but since she couldn't, she just put her hands on her face once again, blushing hotly. She really hadn't expected a talk about her sex life with her boyfriend's mother.
The older woman chuckled and went to clean the dishes.
"C'mon, I'll give you some clothes to change into." Jin-woo stood up, cheeks still a bit red. "Ah, I have a spare change in my gym bag in the car..." She hesitated.
"No need, I have enough shirts and they'll be big enough for you." He grinned slyly.
Hae-in glared at him, feeling like he was enjoying the situation in the end.
"You're quite enjoying this, aren't you?" she asked with narrowed eyes when they went to bed. She was wearing one of his t-shirts, a black one, which was indeed long enough to cover her legs down to her knees.
"I must admit, I was quite curious to see you wearing my clothes." Jin-woo said, still grinning. He wasn't a possessive person by nature, however seeing Hae-in in his shirt made his temperature raise.
As she walked to the bed, and the grinning man in it, she glanced curiously around the room: she had never been in a man's room and she found it quite fascinating. There were lots of books and manhwa, the desk was unexpectedly tidy and the bed was smaller than hers. Hae-in stopped in front of it, ignoring the man looking at her expectantly, and assessed the situation: with both of them, it would be a tight fit.
She yelped as two arms wrapped around her waist and brought her down on another body. "Jin-woo!" she exclaimed angrily, slapping a hand on his chest.
He shrugged. "You were thinking about it too much. We'll be fine."
Hae-in huffed and just laid down on him, his arms still wrapped tightly around her.
One of his hands started stroking her back up and down and the gentle, repetitive motion was making her fall asleep.
"You never told me about your parents."
His soft whisper caught her attention and made her open her eyes: Jin-woo was looking at her with understanding eyes, he wasn't accusing her of hiding something from him. He knew how she felt.
"I try not to think too much about them." she admitted, nuzzling his neck: his smell, as always, brought her comfort. "Of course they're always in my mind, but if I concentrate on them... " she bit her lip, struggling to explain.
"...you wouldn't be able to do your work. I know." Jin-woo nodded. He cupped her cheek, to make her look at him. "Someday, if you'll want and if you'll be able, you could tell me about them. I'll be happy to know them through you."
At those words, Hae-in felt her heart grow with feelings she wasn't sure she could restrain. Jin-woo was alarmed when he saw tears in her eyes. "Hey, I didn't mean to make you cry." he said, using his thumb to brush away her tears.
"No..." Hae-in shook her head. "I'm happy." she smiled, even if a bit tearfully. Jin-woo didn't look convinced, but she just kept smiling. "No one, not even my cousin, had ever asked about my parents. It was like, since they were dead, they had never existed. No one had ever wanted to know more about them... but I want to talk about them, it's the only way to remember them, even if the good memories are bittersweet."
Hae-in had never been so sure of something in her life, that is, she loved the man in front of her: this strong, stubborn, handsome, compassionate man, who was able to understand her and make her feel safe and cared for.
"Thank you, Jin-woo. Thank you." she said, crying in relief into his shoulder.
Jin-woo let her cry, just hugging her smaller frame to his body, every once in a while caressing her hair: he was surprised every day by how strong and resilient and wise she was, and he was sure she was his perfect fit. She muttered something into his shoulder, so softly that even he with his greater hearing couldn't hear it.
"What?" he asked, pushing her head back a bit so he could listen to what she was saying.
Cha Hae-in's eyes were shining, both with tears and something else: she took a deep breath, as if to gather her courage and then looked straight into his eyes.
"I love you."
Jin-woo's own breath caught into his throath, surprised by the sudden confession, but he could sense the sincerity in her words: his heart swelled up and he laughed in happiness.
"Wasn't I supposed to tell you first?" He joked, moving closer to her face.
Hae-in frowned. "Which century do you live in? Now women can-!" she was interrupted by his lips crashing on hers. Jin-woo cupped the back of her head to hold her still and continued to kiss her hard: Hae-in wrapped her arms around his shoulders and quickly reciprocated.
After a few moments, he pulled back, staring deeply into her eyes: "I love you too."
"Ah!" Hae-in exclaimed in surprise: she truly wasn't expecting him to say it back. She smiled and said "Good." while diving back for another kiss.
They kept kissing lazily but passionately, however when Hae-in felt legs entwining with hers and hands roaming over her back under the shirt, she stopped. "We can't." she said disappointed.
"Not even a little bit?" Jin-woo tempted her: Hae-in really looked good in his shirt, but he knew she looked better without anything on.
"Your mother warned us." She told him sternly.
"Actually, she didn't say we couldn't do anything, just to be careful." He grinned.
"Jin-woo." Hae-in deadpanned. "We're not having sex with your mother and sister in hearing distance. And no, pouting won't help you."
She was right, but he didn't want to end the evening like this. "Well, kissing is allowed, right?"
Hae-in rolled her eyes, but smiled, wrapping once again her arms around his shoulders. "Kissing is ok." she whispered against his lips and they started doing that again.
Usually Hae-in could kiss Jin-woo for hours, however that night her body was giving her signals that it was reaching its limits. "I'm sorry." she said after a while. "It seems like I'm a bit tired."
Jin-woo had sensed that she was getting sleepy again, so he just smiled. "It's been a hard day for you. Go to sleep. You'll feel better in the morning."
"Mmmm." Hae-in was already half-asleep. "Love you." she murmured, as she leaned her head on his chest.
The young woman was already deeply asleep when Jin-woo kissed the crown of her head. "I love you too." He switched off the lamp on his nightstand and closed his eyes, feeling content that all the people he cared the most were safe and sound.
Well, that was a long one.
I want to explain some things:
1- Yes, in my headcanon Cha Hae-in's parents are dead in the first lifetime. We always see her alone (contrary to Yoo Jin-ho) and it fits her character, always careful and wary and mindful of her comrades' safety.
2- Ok, we never see Hae-in and Jin-woo declaring their love to each other in the novel, however love is often mentioned- especially in the side stories- i.e. when Jin-woo is searching for reasons to remain on Earth after the time reversal. And, to me, it's not casual that the first person he sees after returning from the gap between dimensions is Cha Hae-in (except for the Rulers' emissary). Hae-in is often mentioned as an important person to Jin-woo and he actually says to Jin-ho's father he has someone he likes.
Quoting the novel: "Before he answered, Jin-Woo quietly closed his eyes and thought of the important people in his life. His mom and young sister were holding each other's hands with worried faces, anxiously watching the news coming from Japan on their TV.
Cha Hae-In had her eyes deeply closed as if she was ardently praying to someone."
And: "In that case – a question suddenly popped up in his head. 'In the end, have I become an existence surplus to this world?'
When the chain of his thoughts reached there, he spotted a certain familiar face jogging past the ice cream shop. As if he was entranced, Jin-Woo got up, pushed open the front door, and stepped outside. (...) 'As long as there is a reason for me to stay, even if it's just one, then….' A teenage girl kitted out in an athletics uniform stopped jogging and turned around to look behind her. At the place where the scent she really liked was coming from, she discovered an unfamiliar teenage boy standing in front of the wide-open exit of an ice cream parlour. (...) Seeing her departing back, a brief smile formed on Jin-Woo's face.'There are still people that I love in this world. And also, those who love me, and those who used to love me exist in this place, too. That is more than enough reason for me to stay here.'"
It's clear to me how it points to the fact that he loves Cha Hae-in (and his family of course) and that Cha Hae-in "used to love him".
So I wanted to present the 'confession scene' how I imagined it, since we'll probably never see it in the manhwa.
Hope you liked it! If you did, please leave a review!
Thanks to Frankie Andrei Felia and YMCM for their reviews to the other chapters!