[Solo Leveling//Sung Jinwoo x Reader]

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Jinwoo finally spoke, his voice steady and expressionless. "Just how expensive is The White Tiger Guild's building?" His gaze shifted from the brown tabletop to meet Sangmin's eyes, unblinking.

"Excuse me?" Sangmin stammered, caught off guard. He forced a chuckle, but beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. 'What does he mean by that?' he wondered, his mind racing.

Sangmin tried to recover, nodding as if the question made perfect sense. "We're currently not using the entire building, but if you combine all the floors, the value amounts to about 50 million won."

"Then are you saying the guild is willing to give us all of that?" Y/n asked, her voice calm but laced with subtle challenge. She brought one arm up to rest just beneath her chest, while the other hand supported her chin, her fingers framing her face as she fixed Sangmin with a blank, unwavering stare. The duo waited, silent and expectant.

"Sorry? I'm having trouble understanding what you're trying to say..." Sangmin replied, his confusion plain. Sweat trickled down his temples, his brows knitting together as the forced grin on his face began to falter.

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SOLO LEVELING

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37

"Th-Thirty billion won?" Sangmin bellowed, his voice booming through the cozy café. He shot up from his seat so abruptly that his chair screeched against the floor, and the palms of his hands slammed onto the wooden coffee table with a resounding thud.

Every head in the café turned toward him, conversations halting mid-sentence. Curious eyes and raised brows bore into Sangmin, making him shrink back. Sweat trickled down his forehead. He cleared his throat awkwardly and brought a fist to his mouth, forcing himself to sit back down with as much composure as he could muster.

"Yes. Yoojin Construction has offered both of us a building worth thirty billion won each," Jinwoo said, folding his arms across his chest. His gaze was sharp, his eyes half-lidded as he stared directly at Sangmin.

"You've offered us double that," Y/n added, arching an eyebrow and raising two fingers to indicate herself and Jinwoo. "So, it sounds like you're willing to give us the White Tiger Guild's building, which is worth fifty billion won." She shrugged, her expression unreadable as she watched Sangmin freeze in place.

Sangmin's mind raced. 'Yoojin Construction offered them thirty billion won? Each? Are their skills truly that exceptional?' They haven't even been re-evaluated yet. His lips pressed into a thin line, his face flickering between confusion and doubt—emotions that did not escape Y/n and Jinwoo's notice. 'C-Could they be lying because I have no way of fact-checking this?'