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

XVIII. Meeting

People who are meant for each other,

Always finds one another,

Each is a beholder.

No distance can be measured.

Every memory is treasured.

Both hearts were owned and captured.

.

.

'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 were entranced, Jinwoo got up, pushed open the front door, and stepped outside.

Without a doubt, when moving forward, there would come many occasions in the future where he'd have to ponder whether remaining in this world was a good idea or not.

However...

'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 athletic 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.

He stared.

She stared back.

'What's going on? Did ice cream smell this good before?'

The teenage girl tilted her head this way and that while glancing behind her, but in the end, she failed to solve her confusion and continued with her jogging.

Seeing her departing back, a brief smile formed on Jinwoo'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's more than enough for me to stay here.'

Jinwoo smiled and inwardly told himself to find other reasons to stay in this world.

"What? Track and field club?"

Younggil asked with a surprised tone, while Jinwoo nodded calmly in reply.

"Yep."

The reason why Jinwoo chose this school, far from his home, instead of those nearby was because it was only this particular one that happened to have a track and field athletics department.

.

.

"You haven't run track before, so why do you want to enter the team?" One of the seniors on the team asked.

Jinwoo's reply was rather simple.

"There's someone I'd like to meet during the athletic meet, you see."

.

.

He grinned slightly at the thought of her. She was still in the middle school division, but without a doubt, she possessed enough talent to participate in the regional competition.

Well, she used to be an excellent athlete before she had to give up on that dream after becoming a high-ranked hunter, didn't she?

If it were an athletic meet featuring participants from both middle and high schools, wouldn't he be able to naturally run into her there?

Jinwoo judged that, rather than forcibly get close to her and insert himself into her life that way, this might be a far better approach for both of them.