Chapter Text
DAY 1
sung_jinah posted a TikTok.
[Caption: This is an unexpected development??]
The camera focuses on a man pointing a laser toy around, and Void follows attentively with eyes all pupil. She darts after it, reflexive and energetic, and the man indulges her, expression amused.
The video cuts to the man sitting on the sofa, giving Void a generous amount of affection. He says, “Jinho told me it’s obvious I had a cat because I have fur all over me… I wonder who the culprit is, hmm?”
Void looks up at him, all innocence, and mewls.
The man sighs, but his expression is nothing short of fond. “I know, right? Couldn’t be you. I’ll blame the bears.”
“What bears?” Jinah asks, and the man looks up, his face going blank when he notices the camera pointed at him.
“Dungeon,” the man says, in place of an explanation.
Jinah flips the camera to selfie mode to give the camera a smug, uh-huh look as she turns around to run off with a wheeze.
“After I get back,” whispers the man, not to Jinah but to Void, “I’ll give you some treats, okay?”
The video cuts again to the man folding clothes and carefully putting them in a duffle bag. Jinah’s voice says, “So… you’re going now.”
“I am,” says the man with a nod. He looks at Jinah and blinks when he sees the camera but swiftly recovers. “I have something to give you, though.”
“Oh?”
The man digs into his pocket, pulling out a folded piece of scrap paper. “Since I’ll be gone, if you need anything… here’s a few numbers you can call. Just in case.”
Jinah accepts the paper, but the phone numbers have been blurred out for privacy. As the man walks off-screen, Jinah zooms in on the names written on the paper.
For emergencies
[NUMBER REDACTED] - JINHO
[NUMBER REDACTED] - JUHEE
Subtitle: No fucking way!!!!
When the man walks back into frame, he gives her a look. “What?”
“Nothing!”
Subtitle: ヾ(*‘ᴗ‘*)ゞ
“I’ll… be back as soon as I can,” the man says, pulling the now zipped-up duffle bag over his shoulder.
“Where are you going, anyway? Is it… a dungeon?”
“...kind of.”
“Kind of?”
The man sighs. “Okay, yeah. It’s a dungeon.”
Subtitle: Sus
Subtitle: What kind of dungeon takes 7 days to clear?? (´-∧-`)
“Can Songyi come over?”
“As long as you two don’t destroy the apartment.”
“Psshh. We would never. We’re angels.”
A snort. “Uh-huh. Well, I did stock up the fridge, but if you need extra, you know where the money is—”
“Yeah, I know,” Jinah says, with an exasperated undertone. “Now go. I’m sure your raid team is waiting.”
The man’s expression goes carefully blank. Unreadable. But he nods, re-adjusting his duffle bag. “Nn. I’ll see you next Sunday, Jinah.”
“Yeah, you better. If I get a call that something happened to you—”
“You won’t,” the man interrupts, with haunted conviction. “Don’t worry.”
“...alright,” says Jinah. “See you Sunday, then. Be careful.”
“Of course.”
He leaves, then, and there’s a pause as Jinah aims the camera at the apartment door as it closes. A few moments of silence pass.
Subtitle: 7 days, huh…
And then Jinah pans the camera to the little piece of scrap paper she’s still holding, lingering on the written names, and when she switches to selfie mode, she’s sporting a devious, feral grin.
The video loops.
729 likes | 10 comments | 26 favorites
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Comments:
hansongyeet
girl i’m already omwPeachycotton
Oh no Jinah I’m already nervous for what you are planning xDPainfxxl
THE KITTY TALK <33333xoxoMINSOOKS_WIFE07xoxo
Lmaoooo you caught him baby-talking void in 4khazbat
A dungeon breaks after 7 days, he’s gotta be lyingnaudalyke
Maybe it’s a big dungeon? So he’s saying 7 days as a precaution? Could come back sooner if his team clears it before that day1WhoDoesSimply
It’s against the rules to book a gate for that longsnowzardmusic0
SEVEN DAYS WITHOUT SEEING HIS HOT FACE ˚‧º·(˃̣̣̥⌓˂̣̣̥)‧º·˚MiSSKBG99
Jealous of the way he’s treating the kittyhoxle
What kind of dungeon is he going in
Jinwoo blinks in surprise as he enters the Demon Castle and hears the undeniable wailing of a soul.
It’s not hard to discern the source, but he’s stunned by it all the same. He assumed that the flames would’ve destroyed its carcass by now, would’ve sped up the process of decay. How long has it been since he slayed this beast?
NOTIFICATION:
Shadow Extraction is possible.
He can smell it, the foul stench that accompanies the rotting of a corpse. Jinwoo has smelled worse, though, so he pushes forward. He’s curious, after all. Has it been frozen in time like this? If so, why does he still smell the decay? Curious, curious, curious.
(Curious, and oh so greedy. This beast was almost as strong as Igris, when he fought it. He wants it.)
The wailing gets louder the closer he gets, reminiscent of a whining dog. Jinwoo doesn’t touch the corpse as he stands before it; instead, he studies the wisps of shadow surrounding it.
“Waiting for me, huh?” he asks the soul, eyes glowing foxfire blue as he grins, insatiable. Feral. “Or were you trying to guard the gate, even after death?”
It doesn’t matter. This one will be his, he can feel it. It will be part of his army, will join the rest of his soldiers in the endless abyss that is his shadow.
“Arise.”
Sung Jinwoo is not in a dungeon.
Not according to any records. Jinchul has checked three times just to be sure, and there’s no mistaking it: Sung Jinwoo is not in a dungeon.
He could’ve lied to Jinah, but… something about that feels unlikely. Hunter Sung tends to dance around the truth, sure, but he doesn’t seem the type to outright lie. Not to his younger sister, anyway.
Then again, Jinchul has been questioning his ability to read people since he met Hunter Sung. He survived the Red Gate—was probably the one to close the Red Gate, since the strongest hunters from the White Tiger guild had been killed. Who else could it have been, if not Hunter Sung?
He’s reawakened, contrary to what the measurement tool told him months ago. He’s reawakened and missing, if the lack of a paper trail tells Jinchul anything.
“What are you thinking, sir?” he asks the S-rank at the desk before him.
Chairman Go Gunhee doesn’t look angry. Not even the slightest bit nervous at the chaos the Sung siblings have been steadily creating over the past month and a half. Instead, his eyes gleam with excitement, and he throws his head back and laughs.
“I think,” says the chairman, smiling wide, “I want to meet them both.”
“Songyi?”
Songyi peeks sleepy eyes open, but there’s no point. The room’s too dark to see more than faint outlines. She indulges Jinah with a drowsy hum of acknowledgment nonetheless.
“I think… I’m gonna visit Eommeo-ni tomorrow,” says Jinah. “After school.”
“Mm… want me t’go with you?”
“It’s alright. I’m just gonna talk to her, tell her what she’s been missing lately.”
“About Ahjussi?”
“That, and just. You know. The TikTok thing in general. People have been asking about her. I miss her, and I haven’t visited her in a while cos I’ve been so caught up with social media and school.”
“Ugh, school,” says Songyi with a sleepy groan. “Tomorrow’s gonna be hell.”
A giggle. It’s really not funny, but Songyi supposes she did this to herself.
Hurry up and come home, Ahjussi, she thinks, as she begins to doze off. You left before I could ask you my question.
DAY 2
sung_jinah posted a TikTok.
[Caption: Shout out to the nurses for taking such good care of her hands]
Jinah sets the camera on a nearby counter, propping it up to its case’s kickstand to record openly. The sound of a heart monitor plays in the background, but Jinah is blocking the view of the room. She steps back and takes a deep breath.
“Oppa’s on… some trip,” she says and takes another step back, and another, until she turns around to pull up a chair.
This reveals a person in a hospital bed, with their face blurred out as if to keep their identity a secret. They lay peacefully, sleeping, but Jinah begins talking again like the person is wide awake.
“Hi, Eomma,” she chirps in greeting. “You have some people who want to meet you, isn’t that cool?”
No response comes, except the steady beeping of a heart monitor and the rhythmic thrum of a mana stone off-screen.
“I’m sorry I haven’t come to visit lately,” Jinah continues nonetheless. “I’ve been… indulging in a side hobby, kind of? That’s kind of no excuse, but it’s gotten a little hectic. I’m here to tell you about it.”
She shrugs off her little tote bag and reaches inside to retrieve something. After a few moments, she seems to find what she’s looking for and pulls it, along with a small pack of tissues, out with a triumphant hum.
“I brought your favorite color.” Jinah opens the package of tissues and gingerly lifts the patient’s hand to place one underneath. “Or at least—Oppa told me it’s your favorite color. I couldn’t… actually remember what it was, at first.” She laughs sheepishly as she says the words. “It’s violet, though, right?”
Again, there’s no response. However, Jinah doesn’t seem deterred as she twists the cap off her bottle of nail polish.
“I think I’ll get in trouble for telling you, but Oppa’s still hunting,” she says, delicately taking the person’s thumb to start painting. “I know you didn’t want him anywhere near dungeons, but Oppa’s stubborn. I learned the healer’s name, though—it’s Juhee.
“I think I’ll call her tomorrow. Maybe tonight?” Jinah inspects her handiwork on her company’s thumb before moving to the next finger. “I’m a little nervous, but I think it’ll be okay. Oppa wouldn’t have given me her number if they weren’t at least a little close, right?
“Maybe I’ll see if she likes TikTok.” A giggle. “That’s it—my side hobby. When you wake up, I can show you all that I’ve been filming…”
She continues her story, telling the slumbering hospital patient about her adventures on social media, including all of the shenanigans regarding her brother’s mysterious shadow. How he’s changed, not just in looks but also in personality. How he’s not coming home with bruises like he used to. She talks about her best friend, Songyi, another E-ranker; and she talks about the elusive Jinho. She talks excitedly about how a well-known Korean S-rank has noticed her account and is now following her, although she doesn’t divulge which one. She talks about the new addition to their family: little Void.
“She’s still in her destruction phase, since she’s young,” Jinah goes on, “but she’s so friendly and adores attention. You’d love her—oh, I think it’s time for your second coat!”
The video loops.
803 likes | 19 favorites
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DAY 3
“Jinah,” Jinwoo blurted without warning over the phone, days ago.
Puzzled, Juhee tilted her head slightly. Not like it mattered—he wouldn’t be able to see it. “Huh?”
“Jinah,” he repeated, slower this time. “That’s… my little sister’s name. You’d—you’d like her, I think.”
“Oh my god, you’re gorgeous.”
That’s the first thing Jinwoo’s little sister says to her, as she stands before her now. Juhee blinks and promptly flushes, but before she can properly respond, Sung Jinah ushers her inside a worn, very lived-in apartment.
Juhee tries not to allow her gaze to linger, but she has been wondering what kind of place Jinwoo’s been living in. It's not anything fancy, but it's not exactly run-down, either. Something about it feels homey, though. Comfortable.
“Oppa usually keeps it cleaner than I do,” Jinah says, and the smile she gives as she kicks aside some empty soda cans is unashamed. “He’s a bit of a neat freak.”
“Is he?” Juhee says, unable to stop herself from smiling back. She’s still learning more about Jinwoo’s personal life, after all—not that she wasn’t curious before, but she could tell when not to push for information, and unfortunately, when Jinwoo had been E-rank… that was all the time.
It hurt, yes, especially because she knew Jinwoo still trusted her in a way he trusted no one else, trusted her to heal him again and again and again. But she understood. Even… even as he changed post-double dungeon, even when she couldn’t—
Juhee forces herself to stop there. To keep her hands from trembling, she lifts the paper bag she’d brought with her. “I brought some pastries.”
“For real?” Jinah says and immediately makes grabby hands. “Oh my goodness. You spoil me already.”
“Well, I did want to meet you at a coffee shop or something,” Juhee says, and it’s true. She hadn’t really wanted to intrude on Jinwoo’s privacy, especially since he wasn’t here.
Then again, Jinwoo did give Jinah her number, with permission, and that opened up the possibility for this meeting: this piece of Jinwoo’s life that he’d kept secret for so long, this girl he’d been raising all on his own for the past four years.
It wasn’t that their relationship had been entirely professional, but… she’d always known that he’d lied about why he was hunting. It was so obvious. She knew he’d eventually stop lying about it, and understood that he had his reasons.
She hadn’t expected to learn the truth because of the dungeon that still haunted her dreams at night.
(She looks into this girl’s eyes and wonders if Jinwoo went into the double dungeon for her.)
(She looks into this girl’s eyes and wonders if she knows the violence that catalyzed Jinwoo’s reawakening.)
“The thing is,” Jinah says abruptly, pulling Juhee from her reverie, “I… wanted to talk to you in private?”
Juhee blinks as Jinah’s fingers crinkle the paper bag in her hands. She smiles, hoping that will put Jinah at ease. “Well, I’m here. It’s nice to officially meet y—”
She doesn’t get the chance to finish her sentence before Jinah bows low at the waist. “Thank you for looking after my brother!”
Juhee flushes again at the unexpected display, and her cheeks only grow hotter the longer Jinah stays bowed. She opens her mouth to say a variety of things—that it was no problem, that she was honored to be useful, that really, he’d looked after her as well—but when she hears Jinah sniffle, all she can say is, “Please… please stand up…”
And finally, Jinah does, and hastily wipes her eyes. Maybe it’s a little weird, because they just met, but Juhee can’t help herself—she’s drawn toward her, and she hugs her, and for a scrawny little fifteen-year-old (scrawny like Jinwoo used to be), Jinah squeezes back with surprising strength.
“Ugh, I told myself I wasn’t gonna cry,” Jinah says, her voice slightly shaky. “Gross.”
“Don’t worry,” Juhee says, blinking back tears herself. “I don’t mind.”
“He doesn’t—” Jinah stops. Takes a shuddering breath. Squeezes Juhee again. The paper bag with the pastries crunches slightly. “He never… talked about what it was like, but I know that he used to come home hurt all the time. But not as often, when he raided with you.”
If Jinah knew the truth—if she knew how much of a coward Juhee truly is, that she doesn't have the kind of grit that Jinwoo does—would she still hug her back like this? Juhee doesn’t know. A selfish part of her doesn’t want to know.
“He kept things… interesting,” she says anyway, with a soft sniffle. “A smart boy, but reckless for sure.”
Jinah laughs wetly. “That much hasn’t changed.”
“Oh, I totally believe you.”
Jinah pulls back, then, and wipes at her eyes again. “When’s your train leave? I can show you what we’ve been up to.”
“Not for another three hours,” says Juhee.
A grin. Jinah fishes her phone out of her pocket, gesturing for her to sit on the sofa with her while she peaks inside the paper bag Juhee had brought. From the hallway, a furry little head peaks out to look at the two of them curiously.
“Do you have a TikTok?”
You are now following sung_jinah!
Would you like notifications for each post?
[ YES / NO ]
✨ jinah ✨ sent you a Snap!
[image: In the Sung apartment living room, Jinah stands next to a redheaded woman with blue eyes and a beautiful smile. The redhead wears her hair down, dressed in a knee-length light blue dress patterned with daisies and a cream-colored cardigan. They make identical two-fingered peace signs. Jinah’s hair is in her usual ponytail, crimson ribbon sparkling.]
Caption: Met Juhee today!! She had to leave to catch her train to Busan tho （◞‸◟）
Opened, 1m.
Holy fucking shit, Songyi thinks in shock and promptly flushes bright red. She’s hot.
“Miss?” the male 7-Eleven clerk says, blinking at her. “Your change.”
“Oh!” Songyi remembers, belatedly, that she is very much in public. She’s having gay panic in public. “Right! Sorry! Thanks, bye!”
She grabs her purchase, her change, and rushes out of the convenience store, cheeks burning with embarrassment.
Why didn’t you warn me she was hot before you sent me a picture?!?!
DAY 4
Sprawled out on the floor on her stomach, Songyi blows out a long sigh. She rests her cheek on the textbook in front of her, her head spinning. She hasn’t even processed the last two pages she’s read, but she doesn’t have time to procrastinate. At least Jinah—
She squawks indignantly when she sees said girl at her desk, scrolling through Pinterest on her phone instead of working on her history homework.
“Hey,” she gripes, sitting up with renewed energy. “You said you’d study with me!”
“I was!” The unapologetic, cheeky grin on Jinah’s face as she spins in her chair toward Songyi says otherwise. “...I’m just taking a brain break.”
“Uh-huh.”
“It’s true! Besides, I’m not behind like you—”
“Ugh, please stop reminding me—”
“Hey, it’s barely even May,” Jinah continues, unabashed. “You’ve still got time to find a tutor or something.”
“Or drop out,” Songyi says. But then Jinah’s expression crumbles slightly, and she rushes on, “I’m just kidding!”
(She doesn’t know if she’s actually kidding.)
“Hold on a sec,” Jinah says and stands up to stretch. “I’ll get us some snacks. We can let Void back in here—she’s good at cheering people up! And then I’ll hunt down my notes from last month. You can use them.”
A small but genuine smile tugs at Songyi’s mouth. “You’re a lifesaver.”
DAY 5
“What if I called Oppa’s sugar daddy today?”
Songyi nearly chokes on her tea. “First of all, the captain is not his sugar daddy—”
“I’m going to call him that until Oppa says otherwise.”
“Second of all,” Songyi continues, “you probably shouldn’t unless like. You absolutely have to? He’s kind of a busy guy. Rich family and all that.”
“So he’s rich but he’s not Oppa’s suga—”
“Oh my god, Jinah, stop.”
DAY 6
captain sunshine
jinah’s onto u buddy
?? Yeah I know …
run while u still c
WAIT
u already know????
oh did ahjussi tell u
No I saw her Tiktok before hyung-nim left
I’m so glad Void liked the cat tree (๑´∀`๑)
omg first heejin-unnie and then u?!?!
actually why am i surprised
ur close to ahjussi
I… don’t think hyung-nim actually knows he’s being put on Tiktok
????
what does he THINK she’d filming him for??
Idk tbh
Anyway I’m super honored hyung-nim gave her my number for emergencies! (◕︹◕)
But I do want to honor the ‘for emergencies’ thing, soooo
gotcha
still i’m tired of hearing abt it
u guys better clean up this mess when ahjussi gets back (◣ _◢)
(-｡-;)b
Teens are so scary…
“Hi Eomma,” Jinah greets her mother warmly that Saturday, setting down her bag by the hospital bed. “So I met with Juhee…”
DAY 7
Jinwoo gazes skyward, at smoky, billowing clouds and a red moon. “I’ll die if I keep this up…”
Next to him, his newest soldier whines and noses one of its three heads into his hand. Jinwoo hadn’t made it fight in the dungeon it previously guarded, but here it sits now, checking on him.
“Yeah,” he says, giving one of its three snouts a gentle pat. “Time for you to see your new home.”
Time to return to Seoul, to his little sister.
Time to visit his mother.
Time to get re-evaluated.
sung_jinah posted a TikTok.
[Caption: Had this in my drafts from like December… Oppa really looks different doesn’t he? (/._.)/ ]
“Oppa,” says Jinah into her phone camera’s mic, “whatcha doin’?”
The camera quality is similar to what it was in her first TikTok video, but her voice and appearance are relatively the same. She flips cameras to rear view, revealing a boy who doesn’t look much older than her sitting on the sofa, sewing something by hand, with a mottled bruise under his eye and his left ankle propped up. A homemade bag of ice wrapped in a thin, well-worn towel rests on said ankle.
Subtitle: Hurt again smh. . .
“Fixing this tear,” says the boy as he pulls his sewing needle through another loop. Despite looking younger, his voice matches that of the taller man so often featured in her TikToks. “I managed to get the blood out.”
“...your blood?” Jinah’s voice is tinged with worry. “What happened to that one healer?”
“She wasn’t on my raid team this time. I’m fine, though.”
He doesn’t answer her about whose blood it is, however.
The camera zooms in on the boy’s face, which is pinched slightly in concentration as he works. His cheek is slightly swollen. The bruise is obviously fresh, less than a day old.
“Shouldn’t you be icing your face, too?” Jinah asks.
“I will,” the boy assures her. “I’m almost done with this.”
When he turns to face her, he’s smiling, but it soon falters. He blinks in confusion upon seeing the camera.
“Are you taking a picture or something?”
Jinah fumbles, then, and rushes to turn off the camera. “No. I’ll get you some more ice—”
The video loops.
701 likes | 23 favorites
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Comments:
Peachycotton
Wait you took this in December… like 5-6 months ago december?? How old is he here??creator reply
Yes :)) he’s 21 herePeachycotton
Ahhazbat
No way this is him, r u pranking us???1WhoDoesSimply
That looks painfulsnowzardmusic0
WOW TALK ABT A GLOW-UP1WhoDoesSimply
Very suspicious. Such a drastic change in such a short amount of time only happens with high ranksboaXXdumpling
He looks familiar..?Sam_bb5xx
Hey i remember that kid being on my raid team years ago and being weak asf lolboaXXdumpling
Oh your rightdndfan2659
Actually yeah I think I’ve seen him toodndfan2659
Never learned him by name but he did have a nicknameSam_bb5xx
Ya my raid buddies used to call him the weakest hunter ahahaha
Jinah stares at her most recent comment, brows pinched together in confusion. “‘Weakest hunter’…?”
She frowns. Refreshes the page once, then twice, just to see if any new comments have been added to the thread.
Only to find—
ERROR - Comments have been disabled
Jinah blinks and refreshes the page again. When the same message appears, she closes the app and reopens it, but that does nothing to help. She knows for certain it wasn't her.
“What the fuck?”