The all-knowing Player (Solo Leveling)

The Demon Castle (1)

Jin-Ah is the one who greets me at the door as I ring the Sung's apartment bell. "Come in!" she greets while stepping aside to let me through. "Jin-Woo should be ready soon."

"Thanks." I step into the entrance.

My gaze drifts over the small hallway and the familiar beige color of its walls. It opens into a living room pooled in the morning sun. Its window is open, letting in a spring breeze that plays with the corners of a few sheets lying on the coffee table.

"You can fully enter, you know," Jin-Ah says while lifting her hair to tie it into a ponytail.

"Yeah, but I'm too lazy to take my shoes off." I shrug and sit down on the small step dividing the entrance from the hallway. "We'll be leaving as soon as Jin-Woo comes out anyway."

The wooden floor creaks lightly as she plops down next to me. She spreads her legs to the floor and leans on her arms as soon as the hairband is in place. "How long will you be gone?"

"Around a week. I don't think I can last much longer sleeping on the ground."

"Oh yeah, Song-I complained about her sore back for days after you took her to the Red Gate. And that only lasted for four days! But it sounded fun when she told me about it."

"Well, the monsters apart, sometimes it really felt like we were just on a camping trip with a few friends—you know, just playing in the snow, fighting over who's in charge of lunch, or complaining about how loudly Song-I snores." A fond smile spreads on my lips at the memory.

She bursts into a loud laughter. "Glad to know I'm not the only one who's been subjected to the torture of sleeping in the same room as her. She's the worst snorer I've ever known!"

"That's not what she told me, though! Apparently, you're even worse."

"Come on!" she scoffs, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "At least the walls don't tremble when I sleep! I can't believe she actually said that. And to think that she even got to call you Unnie before I do!"

My smile widens. "You can call me Unnie if you want. I'd love that."

"Hm..." She stares at me for a moment, her gaze roaming over my face with a playful glimmer, before she shakes her head. "Nah, I'd rather switch to 'sister-in-law' directly."

A large hand slaps the top of her head, ripping her pained yelp from her lungs. Her hands fly up to rub the hurt part as she turns around to glare at Jin-Woo. The latter stares back with a severe gaze, holding a filled camping bag with his other hand.

"Jin-Ah, quit saying nonsense. You'll make Hee-Jin uncomfortable," he warns.

"Have I ever said anything wrong?"

"You're taking your dreams for reality."

"But are these really my dreams?" she fires back, a knowing smile plastered on her lips.

He grunts. "That's enough. If you're bored, busy yourself with your own love life. We're leaving."

She rolls her eyes to the ceiling, but he simply ignores her. He pushes her to the side to take her place next to me. Yet her gaze never leaves our side, glinting with amusement on seeing how his knee ever-so-subtly brushes mine as he bends down to lace his shoes.

Soon enough, we close the apartment door behind our back after having bidden Jin-Ah goodbye and make our way out of the building. Our footsteps echo in the hallway as the white light drizzles over our heads, projecting long shadows on the walls.

"I'm sorry about Jin-Ah," he says upon reaching for the door, his low voice barely covering the hum of the elevator.

I shrug. "There's no need to apologize. I know she's just teasing—I mean, I'm your only female friend, and we do spend a lot of time together. It's understandable for her to get the wrong idea."