Monarch of Luminescence || Solo-Leveling

𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟷𝟹

The light that penetrated through the tree's shade eventually landed on my face, making it hard for me to continue sleeping. As a light sleeper, I immediately woke up. The sky was trespassed by light blue as the night slowly retreated towards the other side. It was dawn.

'Hmm? Where are the archangels?'

Realising the answer, I checked my jacket pockets. Surely enough, they were there, sleeping peacefully. I chuckled. "Looks like you guys also fell asleep, huh?"

I opened my phone and called Jinwoo. There was still no answer. Looking around the area, there were also no new footsteps. If Jinwoo-ah really came back from the dungeon, then he would have at least woke me up or called me. 

It was only until the sun reached one-sixth of its path towards the horizon did the purple gate open again.

"Jinwoo!" I exclaimed, extremely relieved that he was back with no obvious injuries. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Any internal injuries?" I ran up to him and inspected him everywhere.

"Ah, hyung... I'm really okay. Did you wait for me all night...?" He grabbed me by the shoulders to keep me still, and I grinned.

"It's fine! I'm just glad you're alright. What happened? You took longer than I expected." He pulled away and looked elsewhere, with a somewhat guilty look on his face.

"Ah, it's just... I forgot to do the daily quest, so halfway through completing it, I was teleported elsewhere for a 4-hour penalty when it was midnight." He sheepishly said, pouting his mouth. 

'This adorable kid-' "Pfft, really? I told you to do it as soon as possible." I chuckled, doing the mom pose of 'see what I told you before'.

"Haha, sorry... By the way, are you okay? You look pretty scratched up..."

"Oh, yeah! Just got a few scratches here and there. Nothing too serious, and I'm a healer too, you know? Don't worry-" A growl emanates from Jinwoo's stomach. He flinches in surprise and looks down in embarrassment. "Shall we go home first?" I chuckle.

-

"You go wash first, I'll quickly go change into something else. I'll cook you something delicious right after." Jinwoo nods as I unlock my apartment door, with him stepping inside his own as well.

When I switched into something cleaner than the dust and blood-ridden clothes I had, I suddenly felt movement from my jacket. 'Ah, are those angels awake now?'

「Puwah! Master!」Raphael took a big breath and realised.

"Haha, good morning to you sleepyheads. So much for asking you to wake me up, huh?" I teased, placing a shirt on.

「I'm sorry, Master! It was just so comfortable in your pocket, so we accidentally fell asleep...」Micheal started profusely bowing, which I stopped. 

"Calm down, it's fine... It's not like I'm going to kill you for oversleeping. Everything ended well, so you don't need to worry." I patted them on the head, and they quickly burst into bright faces.

「You're really so benevolent, Master!」

「I'll follow you for eternity!」

「So will I, Master!」

"Ah, yes yes, alright... By the way, are you guys able to eat?"

「Oh, we are able to! We don't need to use it to sustain ourselves, though.」Uriel said, his index finger up.

「After eating it, it kinda just disappears.」Micheal pats his stomach, pouting.

"Can you taste it, though?"

「Ah, yes.」Raphael nodded, 「But why do you ask, Master?」

"Since I'm about to whip up something. I'd be nice if you could taste it, too." They start squealing again about serving me forever.

When I finally managed to calm them down, I stepped into the familiar place called Jinwoo's kitchen. I heard the shower head on, and decided what I'd be cooking. I had to make a couple trips back and forth from my apartment to his because of the ingredients, but when I had everything, I washed my hand and started swiftly chopping. 

Spicing the meat beforehand and placing it on the pan, it starts to sizzle aggressively. A savoury aroma wafts through the house, and the bathroom door unlocks.

"Smells good." He slung a towel around his neck and walked out with a simple t-shirt and shorts. They seemed to be his pyjamas.

"I'm nearly done. Have some before you take a nap." I started plating the food, and he hugged me from behind, placing his chin on my head. "Jinwoo?" I turned stiff at the contact and placed down the pan and utensils. Turning around to look at him and releasing his grip, his expression was mysterious. I couldn't figure out what he was exactly thinking, even though I've had tons of experience reading someone.

He mumbled something. "Thanks for everything, really." 

"Haha, where did this come from? I'm doing this because I want to..." I adverted my eyes and focused back on the food.

"I know. I just don't understand how such a kind person like you could exist. I'm just... genuinely grateful for everything you've done for Jinah and I. Really."

"..." I didn't answer. Instead, I picked up the plates of food and placed them on the dining table. "...Let's eat before it gets cold."

"Okay."



「No matter how much he denies it, Master is still affected by that specter...」Uriel converses with the other angels quietly, hiding away from the two who are silently eating at the table.

Micheal sighed.「Yeah... I want to do something about it... Seeing him so down makes me sad, too.」

「I agree. I don't think persuading Master to confess would do any good, since I believe it'll just make him feel worse.」Raphael placed a hand on his chin, observing the uncomfortable atmosphere in the apartment. 「Let's just slowly encourage him. It's him that needs the courage to do this.」

「Gahh, it's so frustrating!」Uriel ruffled his hair in annoyance, his long golden curls getting messy. 「It's so awkward I could die! Someone say something!!」

"So, hyung..." Jinwoo raised his voice much to Uriel's wishes.

He doesn't look up. "Yes?"

"What is your job?"

"Oh, originally it was 'Holy warrior', but then it upgraded to 'Lord of the Divine'... Cheesy name, right? I also earned a few skills that I have yet to check. How about you?"

"We have opposite-sounding jobs... The job it chose for me was 'Necromancer', then 'Shadow Lord' after fully promoted." Jinwoo cuts a piece of the medium rare steak, watching Hwan's reaction.

"Woah, a necromancer? How did you get such a mage-like job, anyway? What about your high strength and agility?" He brightened up, which Jinwoo sighed relievingly at.

"That's what I wanted to ask too, you know. You're a healer and a mage with barely any strength stat, so how did you get a 'warrior' job? Is it because you did a bit of martial arts before?"

"Haha! That's horribly ironic. Should we switch jobs? Hehe."

"Hm. Weirdly, the jobs suit us. I could see you being a job related to something divine."

"Same for you, you edgelord!"

Jinwoo covered his face with his hands. "That was a phase... It only lasted a month, anyway..." 

"Oh, but I remember everything so clearly. Black coffee, please. Something sweet does not suit my- pfft, tastes. Pfff, hahaha!" Hwan cracks into laughter, holding his stomach. "You were- 20- wheeze, when you said that!"

"Ah! Hyung, please! I regretted everything when I came back to my senses, okay? Plus, the dark coffee actually didn't taste too bad." He hid his face with his arm and reached out the other in an attempt to shut the other up.

"Haha, ha, okay, I'm sorry." Hwan took Jinwoo's hands off of his mouth and took deep breaths, the memories still pressing on his funny bone. "I just couldn't help it, when I, pfft! remembered that!"

"Hyung!"

"Sorry, sorry! I'll put on a serious face now." He said as he changed his expression into a stern one. He used a fork to stab into a piece of sliced meat, but he was shivering so intensely to contain the laughter he had as he continued to remember some of the details of that phase.

"Are you... okay...?" Jinwoo asked, concerned at the frequency at he was shivering at.

 Hwan fell off the chair, causing Jinwoo to stand up in a hurry. "Yep! All good!"

"You... Is it really that funny..."

"Pfft, yeah! Heh, hehahaha!"

Jinwoo has just decided to let him be.