Jinah sat down on the couch, still cradling the pink phone in her hands like it was a precious artifact. The soft glow of the screen lit up her face as she began unboxing it. With each layer she peeled off, her eyes grew wider.
The phone looked like something out of a luxury commercial—sleek, seamless, with a texture that shimmered under the lights. The interface wasn't Android or iOS. No, this was… something else entirely. Elegant. Hyper-responsive. A.R.I.A.'s welcome prompt slid onto the screen with an animation that was too smooth to be anything from Earth's tech industry.
Jinah blinked. "This is… expensive," she whispered. "This is like those phones only chaebol kids flex on social media."
Her eyes narrowed as she turned the phone over, examining every inch. "No way this came from the Hunter Association's funds."
She looked up at Jinwoo, suspicion flooding her expression. "Oppa…"
"What?" Jinwoo played it cool, heading toward the fridge like nothing was amiss.
"Just how rich are you?"
Jinwoo smirked. "Rich enough."
[System: "You mean obscenely rich. Like, 'I could buy a country and name it Jinahland' kind of rich."]
Jinah's eyes narrowed further. "That was not the Association's money, was it?"
He chuckled, avoiding the question. "Did you eat dinner yet?"
As if on cue, her stomach let out a deep, dramatic growl.
"I'll take that as a no."
Jinah looked mildly embarrassed. "I was… studying. And kinda… worried."
Jinwoo's smile softened. "I figured." He flicked through a food delivery app—one enhanced by A.R.I.A.—browsing through a list of high-end gourmet places with delivery times faster than most humans could walk. "What do you feel like?"
"Mm… chicken kebab? Maybe KFC? Something simple."
Jinwoo raised an eyebrow. "Basic."
"Excuse me?" she said, half-indignant.
But instead of arguing, he tapped in an order for a Michelin-starred Middle Eastern fusion restaurant with imported spices and Wagyu-infused chicken skewers. The kind of dish that came with edible gold flakes and a velvet-lined box.
[System: "Oh sure, let's casually drop half a paycheck on a single dinner. Normal sibling bonding, right?"]
Jinwoo smirked. "She deserves the best."
As he turned around, Jinah was staring at him again—this time, not just with suspicion, but full-blown bewilderment.
She stood up and walked over, looking him up and down.
"You're taller," she murmured. "More… built. And your hair's all slicked back now like some K-drama CEO. Since when do you dress like this? When did you start walking like you own the room?"
Jinwoo laughed, brushing imaginary dust off his shirt. "Noticed, huh?"
"You used to look like a sleep-deprived otaku with back pain."
[System: "Ouch."]
"And now…" she waved her arms dramatically. "You look like a demigod. I'm gonna have to fight off fangirls at the door, aren't I?"
Jinwoo just grinned.
[Appraisal Activated.]
Target: Jinah Sung
Status: Healthy
Thoughts: ('Did Oppa get plastic surgery? Or is this one of those weird magical puberty awakenings? Wait—is he dating someone? Is he dating multiple someones? How many sister-in-laws am I supposed to expect? Do I need to start preparing wedding gifts??')
Jinwoo burst into laughter.
Jinah blinked. "What? What's so funny?"
"Nothing," he said, still chuckling. "You're just… adorable sometimes."
She rolled her eyes. "Weirdo."
[System: "I almost feel bad for her. She has no idea how insane her brother's life is right now. Like, try explaining 'interdimensional gacha system' at the dinner table."]
With dinner on the way and the storm of emotions slowly settling, Jinah excused herself to her room. "I need to test this phone out. It better have cat ear filters."
Jinwoo waved. "Don't overheat the AI. She's smarter than both of us combined."
[System: "Debatable. I'm still the most entertaining one in this trio."]
---
Jinwoo closed the door to his room and stretched with a tired sigh. The day had been a whirlwind—fighting monsters, dodging emotional frying pans, and now playing the role of the mysterious rich older brother.
He collapsed onto his bed.
The silence lasted all of five seconds before the System spoke again.
[System: "You're smiling like a proud dad. That whole scene downstairs gave you feels, didn't it?"]
"It's nice," Jinwoo murmured. "Having family like this. It's something I don't want to lose."
[System: "Aww. Touching. Who knew the cold-blooded assassin from another world could be such a family man?"]
Jinwoo smiled faintly. "Yeah… me neither."
He closed the door behind him with a soft click, the noise barely cutting through the silence of his room. His gaze wandered to the soft glow of the moonlight bleeding through the window, then shifted toward his bed. His muscles, taut from battle and movement, finally felt the weight of peace.
He let himself fall back onto the bed with a sigh, arms spread wide, eyes closed.
"Tired already, boss?" Aria's voice chimed in, as casual and smug as ever.
"Let me have one peaceful night," Jinwoo muttered, grabbing his phone from the nearby desk.
["You? Peaceful? You've got the charm of a napalm strike,"] System Added
He chuckled and unlocked his phone. At the top, a notification:
[Project Abyssal Core - Task Completed.]
"Report?"
"All data migrated. The passive AI security net is online. The lab's physical defenses are still under construction, but the initial barrier arrays are active. No signs of surveillance.Monitoring Whole Of Seoul."
"Good. I'll check it out tomorrow."
Aria's voice quieted, replaced by silence and the soft hum of the phone. Jinwoo tapped into his chat list, expecting the usual emptiness, but this time…
Three chats glowed.
1. Jinah [2 New Messages]
2. Lee Johee [1 New Message]
3. Choi Yoora [1 New Message]
He blinked.
[System:"Well well, look who's suddenly Mr. Popular...Should I prepare a dating simulator next? You've got a harem in the making, Casanova."]
------
A few seconds later, he pulled up Johee's chat.
Johee: "You reached home safe, right?"
Jinwoo: "Yeah. Miss me already?"
Johee: "...Maybe. You didn't forget I kissed you today, right?"
His lips quirked into a sly smirk.
Jinwoo: "Hard to forget. I'm thinking of getting a second one."
Johee: "...Idiot. Good night."
------
He stared at the chat for a moment longer, then finally tapped on the third one.
Choi Yoora: "Still waiting for that date, Mr. Handsome."
He just shook his head... Women..!
------
He tapped Jinah's chat.
Jinah: "Oppa!!! This phone is insane! It's literally like the ones those chaebol girls have in dramas!!Where did u find something like this. Its awesome???"
Attached was a blurry but adorable selfie of her holding the phone with wide eyes and a teasing pout.
He smiled.
Jinwoo: "Nah, just a Hunter bonus."
------
As the clock hit 12.00
[Ding!] [System Update – Daily Gacha Ticket Received]
"Time to spin, you emotionally constipated, socially awkward anomaly. Let's see what RNG gives the most single man on Earth today."
He groaned. "Really? Now?"
> "It's officially Sunday. You've survived another week without catching feelings—or catching a break. Here's your reward: use two daily tickets and get one guaranteed Uncommon."
> "Like a pity date from destiny."
"Y'know," Jinwoo muttered, opening the Gacha window, "you could just say 'bonus reward' like a normal system."
[ "And you could just have a normal personality, but here we are."]
Jinwoo scrolled through his 7 available tickets, then dragged two of them into the slot with a dramatic sigh. "Alright. Let's roll. But if you give me another 'slightly sharp rock' or 'collector's spoon of destiny,' I'm uninstalling you."
"Bold talk for someone whose most meaningful relationship is with me."
The Gacha machine flared to life.
Golden gears churned. A carousel of floating prizes spun with chaotic magic. Horns blared. Confetti shot out of nowhere.
[ "Here comes the RNG express! Choo-choo, heartbreak and hype coming through!"]
DING!
[Item Acquired – Uncommon: Staff of Verdant]
A sleek, green-black staff with subtle flames along its shaft materialized in his Inventory. Its details scrolled across the screen:
Boosts magic power by 35%
Increases range of spells.
Skill: [Protect] – Summons a barrier that blocks fatal damage.
Mana Cost 1MP -1MIN
Jinwoo raised an eyebrow. "Okay… that's actually solid."
[ "Oh look, an actual weapon. Now you can finally cast something without looking like a budget action figure."]
[ "Maybe girls will like you after this."]
He rolled his eyes. "I don't need magic to get girls. Girls love fists more loner system."
[..... Umm.."Right, right. Just raw charisma and that charming 'emotionally unavailable' vibe."]
The wheel spun again.
DING!
[Item Acquired – Common: Collector's Edition Box Set of A Song of Ice and Fire]
All volumes included
Bonus side effect: May trigger intense side-character attachment and disappointment with endings.
"…You're kidding."
A hardcover box set of Game of Thrones popped into his Inventory, wrapped in silver foil and sealed with a wax emblem of the Targaryen sigil.
Jinwoo stared.
["Congratulations! You now have something else that starts strong and ends in betrayal."]
"…You know, I already live a fantasy story. Why would I need another?"
[ "Because one of them actually finishes its plot."]
He sighed and placed the glowing staff neatly into his Inventory while tossing the book set onto his desk.This would Make a good début work in the entertainment industry..
["Maybe if you study enough fantasy endings, you'll learn how not to ruin yours."]
"I'm going to bed," Jinwoo muttered, pulling the blanket over his head.
["Sweet dreams, Prince of Plot Armor."]
["Try not to wake up in another multiverse. Or worse—another romance subplot."].
------
Author's Note:
Hey legends! Just dropping in from the trenches of exam hell to say—
I'm alive. Barely. Powered by caffeine, panic, and the faint hope of passing.
Apologies if I haven't been replying to comments fast or hanging out in the section as usual—finals got me in a Genjutsu, and I'm currently trying to solo-raid Math Dungeon with no healer, no tank, and a broken pencil.
But don't worry—once I escape this academic penalty zone, I'll be back to reading your spicy theories, chaotic memes, and ship wars like the unhinged gremlin author I am.
Till then, stay awesome, stay hydrated, and pray to the RNG gods I roll a passing grade.
Love,
Your sleep-deprived, overleveled writer.