Solo Panicking

BBQ and Talks

The world outside was changing.

Dungeons were cropping up more frequently, and the city buzzed with the tension of hunters preparing for their next raid. There was an unspoken heaviness in the air, something that seemed to creep into the corners of everyday life, but within the apartment building where Y/N, Jinwoo, and Jin-ah lived, there was still a strange sense of calm. It was as if they had created a small bubble of peace amidst the chaos. A bubble that Y/N feared would soon burst.

It had been months since Y/N had first stumbled into this world, and though she was more adjusted now, there was always a nagging voice in the back of her mind reminding her of what was to come. She had built a small life here, working at Sweet Crumbs, becoming close with Jinwoo and Jin-ah, and finding a rhythm in her day-to-day interactions, but the looming shadow of the Double Dungeon was making her nervous.

Tonight, though, all of that was pushed aside. They were having dinner together at a small barbecue restaurant just down the street, a cozy place with sizzling meats and warm, comforting smells. Jinwoo had been able to take the evening off, and Jin-ah had suggested the outing as a way to relax before their hectic schedules resumed. It felt normal, easy.

Y/N sat across from Jinwoo and Jin-ah, watching as the siblings playfully bickered over who got to cook the next round of meat. Jinwoo, ever the responsible older brother, had already taken charge of the grill, but Jin-ah was stubbornly trying to wrestle the tongs away from him.

"I swear, oppa, you always burn it," Jin-ah teased, reaching across the table with a mischievous grin.

"I don't burn it! I just like it a little crispier," Jinwoo shot back, but the small smile tugging at the corners of his lips betrayed his amusement.

Y/N chuckled softly, the sight of the two siblings lightening the heavy feeling that had been sitting in her chest all day. It was nice to see Jinwoo relaxed like this, with his usual worries seemingly forgotten, even if just for a little while.

Jinwoo caught her eye and raised an eyebrow. "You think I burn it too?"

She smiled, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "I'm staying out of this one."

Jin-ah shot her a grateful look, finally managing to steal the tongs from her brother. "See, Y/N's on my side."

"Traitor," Jinwoo muttered under his breath, but the fondness in his tone was unmistakable. He handed the tongs to Jin-ah without any real fight, leaning back in his seat with a small sigh of defeat.

Y/N couldn't help but smile. These moments were what made her heart ache the most. The simplicity of it. The warmth. The way Jinwoo's walls seemed to come down just a little bit when he was with his sister, and the quiet companionship they had all developed over these last few months.

But as the evening wore on and the sun began to set outside, casting a warm golden glow through the restaurant windows, Y/N's mind wandered back to the plot she knew was coming. She couldn't stop thinking about the double dungeon. The raid that would change everything.

She looked at Jinwoo, watching as he reached for a piece of grilled pork belly and placed it on her plate, a gesture so casual, yet filled with the quiet care he always showed her. Her chest tightened.

Could she really let this happen? Could she stand by and watch him go through what was coming, knowing the pain and suffering that awaited him? Part of her had convinced herself that she could. That she had to. But moments like this made her doubt it. Made her want to change everything, consequences be damned.

"So, Y/N, how's work been lately?" Jinwoo asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

She blinked, realizing she had been staring at him a little too long. "Oh, it's been good," she replied, forcing a smile. "Sweet Crumbs has been pretty busy with a lot of cake orders, so I've been learning a lot about cake decorating."