Solo Panicking

A Change is Coming

The soft hum of the bakery's bell echoed in Y/N's ears as she locked the door, signaling the end of another day at 'Sweet Crumbs'. She stretched her arms over her head, feeling the satisfying pop of her joints. The summer air outside was warm but carried a slight breeze, making it the perfect evening to take a leisurely walk home. The familiar sounds of the neighborhood, the distant murmur of traffic, the chirp of crickets, brought a sense of peace as Y/N made her way down the street.

Today had been... eventful, to say the least. The attempted robbery at the bakery was still fresh in her mind, and she found herself replaying the scene over and over. Cha Hae-In's swift takedown of the thieves had been nothing short of incredible, but it also served as a harsh reminder. That the story would be starting soon and Y/N still didn't know what her role is supposed to be here.

Y/N was lost in thought, her mind buzzing with a mix of emotions, when a familiar voice pulled her from her reverie.

"Y/N?"

She blinked and looked up to see Jin-Woo walking toward her from the opposite direction, his black hoodie pulled over his head as usual, but there was something softer about his expression tonight.

"Oh, hey Jin-Woo!" Y/N greeted him with a smile, her heart doing a tiny flip at the sight of him. She hadn't expected to run into him, but there he was, as if the universe had aligned in her favor.

"Heading home?" he asked, his voice low and casual as he fell into step beside her.

"Yeah, I just finished up at the bakery. What about you?"

"Same. I finished a quick raid and was just heading back," Jin-Woo replied, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his hoodie. "Jin-ah's at home, probably doing her homework... or pretending to, at least."

Y/N chuckled at that, easily imagining Jin-ah procrastinating on her studies. She had grown fond of the younger girl in the time she'd spent with her, but tonight, the dynamic felt different. It was just her and Jin-Woo walking together, no Jin-ah to serve as the bridge between them.

As they walked, a comfortable silence settled between them, the soft sounds of their footsteps echoing in the evening air. Y/N stole a glance at Jin-Woo, who seemed more relaxed than usual. There was always an air of quiet strength around him, but now, with the faint light from the streetlamps casting shadows across his face, he looked... serene.

Y/N cleared her throat, breaking the silence. "So... something crazy happened at the bakery just an hour or two ago."

Jin-Woo raised an eyebrow, turning his head slightly to look at her. "Oh? What happened?"

"There was an attempted robbery," Y/N said, her voice carrying a mix of disbelief and humor, as if she still couldn't believe it had actually happened. "Two guys tried to rob us, but they picked the wrong time to do it."

Jin-Woo's eyes sharpened with concern, his posture straightening. "Were you hurt?"

Y/N shook her head quickly, sensing the worry in his voice. "No, no, I was fine. But Cha Hae-In was there."

"Cha Hae-In?" Jin-Woo repeated, clearly surprised.

"Yeah, can you believe it?" Y/N laughed softly, her eyes lighting up at the memory. "She was just trying to buy some cinnamon rolls, but when those guys tried to pull something, she took them down like it was nothing. It was over in seconds."

Jin-Woo let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head. "Seems standard for an S-Rank hunter."

"It was impressive," Y/N added, still slightly in awe. "But also a bit surreal. One minute I'm serving pastries, the next I'm witnessing an S-rank Hunter in action."