Solo Levelling: Perception

After school, Jinah was invited to hang out with her friends as they always do, but like usual Jinah politely declined them. Not because she had anything particularly important going on with her life, but because she just doesn't feel like it.

Jinah's father had disappeared in a dungeon gate about ten years ago, and since then she and her oppa, Sung Jin-Woo, have been trying to lift her mother's burden as much as they could. But in an attempt to help her, both siblings have majorly messed up the work most of the time.

The burnt mark on her mother's neck was proof of that.

Four years ago, when their mother fell into eternal slumber because of her intolerance to mana, her big brother was the one who worked and played the role of the man of the house and took most of the responsibility on his shoulder to give Jinah proper environment so she could grow up in the best possible way.

Her brother, despite being one of the weakest E-rankers did his best in dungeon raids to gain as much as he could and keep the survival of the family steady. Jinah's heart sank every time she saw her brother returning home all tattered and broken or when Jinah received a phone call that her brother was hospitalized some days ago, Jinah felt her world drowning in front of her eyes.

Fortunately, he was okay and was just spouting some hallucinating nonsense-related game menu and other stuff.

Nowadays her brother has improved it seems since he barely gets injured which undoubtedly was a good serendipity. However, unlike her oppa, their mother was not improving at all.

Gazing at her mother's sickly yet peaceful sleeping face, Jinah felt her eyes moistening slightly but to not look weak Jinah held herself as she took her mother's hand delicately and whispered about their well-being.

"W-We are fine mom...I and oppa are getting along and oppa is getting less and less worked up these days... He has gotten taller as well. My school is going all good as well. I-It's just you are not here to praise us...that's all..."

Her chin trembled and her vision began clouding with tears as Jinah held her mother's hand fondly and begged inwardly to see any movement from her but alas...

Wiping her tears Jinah got up and after bidding her farewell to her mother, she walked out of the hospital, with clouds of gloom still surrounding her aura.

She tried her brother's phone once again but it was still unreachable, dropping a pang of slight anxiety in her heart. But like always Jinah stayed strong and assured herself that he would return soon, as he always does.

It was already evening time when Jinah walked out of the building. There were not many people around the area since the hospital was made at a location slightly far from the main city.

Jinah was walking with her head hung low and her thumbs stuck in the straps on her bag as she walked aimlessly for a few meters when suddenly a voice she was barely familiar with, called for her.

"Sung Jinah?"

Halting in her steps, Jinah snatched her gaze to her right where she found a boy she knows about and was pretty much occupied with after lunch break during schooling hours.

A long and lean physique which was complimented by the white shirt and grey trousers uniform of the same school she goes to. His hair was not long but the bangs over his forehead made them look that way. And also, the all-time blindfold was still there around his eyes yet he spotted her under the thin illumination of the streetlight, perfectly.

Jinah never thought she would meet him out of the blue when she has never come across Haruk after school even once in the past. Curiously, she walked up to him as he also did and came to halt some feet away from the boy.

"Nanase Haruka? Odd meeting you here."

"Oh, I was just stalking and waiting for you to come out so I could pretend to be passing across and coincidentally meet you here."

Jinah blinked but soon her eyes widened in shock as his words registered to make Jinah perplexed and uneasy as well since stalking could never be partaken for a good cause in any day or age.

And him chasing her...why?

Thankfully before Jinah could have dwelled deeper in her thoughts, she saw Haru's shoulders trembling and his lips pressed to suppress his laugh.

Jinah crossed her arms with her gaze narrowed as she heard his hearty laugh finally let loose, as Jinah realized how easily she got fooled.

"You are done with your prank. Now tell me, why are you here?"

Hospitals are not the place where someone wanders casually and coming here means some bad thing has occurred just like in her case. And as she thought Haru replied in her expectation as he finally calmed down.

"My uncle is admitted here. He met with an accident a week ago and since there is no one visiting him, I took up the job to keep the company of the old man."

Jinah dumbly nodded as she heard his words with slight concern written over her face, instantly erasing her previous annoyed expression.

****

[Haru's POV:]

It certainly was a lie that Haru just came up with right three seconds ago and uttered without hesitation like lying was his second job. But he knew, telling Jinah the truth would ruin his image right off the bat.

He knew she would be visiting her mother and to strike up a conversation and cheer up the girl, this was the best time to score.

"Are you going home now?"

"Yup. Gotta work hard for the finals."

Haru wanted to say 'take it easy nerd' since the finals were five months away but he held back and walked along with Jinah on his right.

Truth be told, Haru was slightly nervous and entirely overwhelmed by the feeling of excitement to see the girl, of his dreams and the only person for whom he chose this world, walking beside him.

She looks pretty way above what was portrayed in the manhwa. She indeed has the same aesthetic with big grey eyes and brownish-black hair which has tied in a ponytail, typical Sung Jinah style but even so, she looked beautiful and made Haru glance at her every now and then.

Her slender yet perfect figure was adorned in the school uniform which consisted of a white shirt with a black ribbon around her collar and a grey skirt which had long black stockings beneath, covering her long legs which nearly drove Haru insane.

He loved every part of her body and face. Her voice and nature, he fell in love with each and every component of Sung Jinah. Once again he was reminded that he had nothing to regret about choosing this life in this world.

"If you are free...then would you mind coming to a cheap restaurant I know which sells best-fried chicken? My treat."

Hearing the word 'fried chicken' made Jinah's eyes sparkle since it was one of the things which she could eat for the rest of her life and might ask for extra at the time of her last breath.

But soon she dismissed her greedy thoughts since it was getting late and going with someone she was barely acquainted with was...not something Jinah prefers.

Haru sensed the hesitation she had as she soon nailed the last resort he had in order to push Jinah off the edge.

"Since I have no one back at home to eat with...I thought why not eat with a friend today..."

Sensing the subtle sorrow in his voice Jinah felt slightly guilty for some reason even though she herself was mostly alone back at home as well.

And thus, she fell for it.

"I won't hold back with the treat just because we are friends, okay? Now lead the way~"

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A/N: - I won't be forcing romance and take development moderately. I am trying to not make characters OOC but don't expect much from me.

If you are a fan of fast-paced stories then my fiction might bore you since I will take the pace this way and describe everything in detail to maintain the beauty of the story.

Anyway, drop a comment if you are hyped for the next chapter~