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

Early Morning

It was the vibration of the cellphone that woke her up.

Cha Hae-in had been sleeping deeply, a sleep without dreams, which didn't happen often: since her awakening two years before and her entrance in the Hunters Guild, she hadn't been able to sleep as peacefully as she was once used to. Hae-in had always been a cautious and responsible girl and that disposition just increased tenfold when she became a S-rank hunter.

So, at first she was confused: confused by the sound near her head and confused by being woken up so suddenly from a sound sleep.

Without moving her body, Hae-in lifted a hand and patted around slugglishly on the night-table near the bed, searching for her cellphone: when she finally found it, she opened one grey eye and checked the caller.

Cursing mentally, she answered with a sleepy: "Master Choi?"

"Hunter Cha, did I wake you up?"

She could feel the sardonic smile in his voice and aswered honestly. "You did. What happened?"

"I know it's early, sorry, but it's an emergency: the Hunter Association has found an A-rank gate near the Namsan Tower. We don't know how long it's been open, we need to close it today. Can you be here in 45 minutes?"

It took her sleepy mind a few moments to catch up with the news and calculate the time.

"It will probably take me a hour." Hae-in admitted "I need to get ready and get there, even if it's early..." she turned her eyes to look at the dawning sky out of the windows, "...there won't be much traffic, but still, probably a hour."

"Okay, arrive as soon as you can."

"Yes Master Choi."

Hae-in closed the call and leaned her head back on the pillow, eyes closed, trying to regain her bearings.

It was then that she realized there was something heavy on her stomach: she suddenly opened her eyes and looked down.

Her entire posture relaxed and she smiled sweetly when she saw the dark head of Sung Jin-woo, still asleep, resting just under her breasts: in her dazed awakening, she had forgotten he had slept at her apartment that night.

Hae-in took a few moments to admire his sleeping features as her fingers moved to caress his black hair: it was the first time she had been able to catch him unaware and she marvelled how much younger he looked when he wasn't awake.

Even at the amusement park and in the clearing in Japan there had been an underlying tension in his body, and the morning after he had woken up before her – as he usually did – so this was the first time she could look at him still asleep.

She stroked his hair, remembering how he had appeared like magic late in the night, looking exhausted, probably from overseas: Hae-in had long lost the battle of trying to understand, or even just follow, Jin-woo's movements all around the globe. She had experienced his way of traveling with the shadows and was still amazed by his ability.

The night before, Jin-woo had looked at her with that gaze he had sometimes, full of both loneliness and determination, and Hae-in truly wished he would trust her with his worries and let her help: however, he was always fighting alone.

So she had been surprised by his arrival, but concluded that he was, for once, seeking companionship: thus, she had put down the book she was reading and opened her arms. He had exhaled, relieved, and undressed quickly, before moving into her embrace on the bed, nestling his head under her chin, his long, strong arms enveloping her body.

Hae-in, if she had to be totally honest, wasn't actually sure what was this... thing... going on with Jin-woo: sure, he had asked her out on a date, they had went out for dinner twice, they chatted on the phone, he would come to her apartment and they would talk for hours, they kissed and had decided to take a step forward not long ago... Nonetheless, they had never talked about what they were and sometimes Hae-in was confused: was Jin-woo her boyfriend? Were they just dating and having some fun? Was there something more?