Chapter Text
Jelly has never felt so nervous before, even standing before Gwi-ma didn’t make his hands sweat, or his eyebrow twitch like standing in line with Bobby by his side. The moment that Jelly saw Bobby he was blown away, stunned by the gorgeous man in front of him, his shiny black hair, kind sparkling eyes, and his smile when he introduced himself is enough to make Jelly want to run away.
After getting advice from the Huntrix girls, Jelly had finally managed to muster up the courage to ask Bobby out.
Jelly remembers going up to Bobby as he worked on some paperwork in his office, before Bobby looked up seeing Jelly there, the smile he gave made Jelly shake from the nerves that were growing more and more inside of him.
“Hi, Jae, I’m just finishing up the quarterly report. Did you need something?” Bobby asked, his eyes shining in the lights, Jelly felt his heart pound in his chest. He didn’t know what blessing he received to be able to leave the demon realm and be able to stay on this side when the Huntrix girls sealed the Honmoon but he thanked everything that he was.
“Oh, I just wanted to see you, uh if you needed any help?” Jelly bit his tongue at the fumble of his words but Bobby didn’t seem to notice.
“Hm I should be okay, just let me finish this up and then I’m all yours,” Bobby’s words filled Jelly with confusion but also so much excitement and hope. He would be his?
Shaking his head, Jelly deflated for a moment, this must be another one of those “metaphors” that Zoey was teaching him about. But the thought of having Bobby as his sent his heart racing, Jelly remembers startling as Bobby stood up, putting the papers in the folders.
He was always so organized, everything had a place and Jelly loved watching Bobby rearrange his papers once again, Jelly always felt content watching the most mundane things that he did. Jelly found himself appreciating the smaller, more mundane things in life now, something he didn’t do in his past one.
He couldn't help it, taking a walk in the park made Jelly feel such wonder and excitement. Bird song. Sunshine warming his skin. Fresh water. He could explore the whole world, take in what it has to offer, try a new food or drink, or talk to someone new. The world was beautiful.
And he wanted to experience it with people who liked him, and who he liked. Like Zoey, and Mira, and Rumi, and the Saja Boys. But especially, with Bobby.
“Well I’m off now, did you want to grab a bite to eat Jae? We could try that new ramyeon place just down the road?” Bobby offered and Jelly found himself nodding ecstatically, wanting to spend as much time with Bobby so he could gather his courage and ask him out.
“Like a date?” Jelly froze as the words came out of him, his eyes had widened as he watched Bobby stiffen for a moment before looking at him. His bright eyes made Jelly shriek softly, he covered his face in his hands.
“Did you want it to be a date?” Bobby asked quietly, hesitation in his voice, Jelly peeked through his fingers in shock as he saw a soft pink hue on Bobby’s cheeks making Jelly feel hope brewing in his chest.
“Yes? I mean yes! Unless you don’t want to do that, I had a whole plan but just couldn’t focus, you’re so prett- uh nice!” Jelly rambles before he feels a hand on his shoulder, fully looking at Bobby, Jelly stares at him as Bobby nodded slowly.
“I would like that,” Bobby’s voice was soft, and a smile formed on his face and Jelly watched starstruck. Jelly brushed his hair behind his ear, the smile on Bobby’s face blinding as he stood back.
Jelly found that the human realm was so much different from the demon realm, he didn’t remember everything from his past life, only the thirst, searching desperately for water but finding nothing, then the flood and then Jelly found himself in the demon realm.
In the demon realm, everything was hot, reminding Jelly of the thirst, the anger of Gwi-ma bearing down on everyone as they were forced to work endlessly for him. The one joy he found in the realm was when the Saja Boys first started, it was the first thing that let Jelly let out his excitement that he kept hidden deep inside of him.
Jelly would never forget when he was faced with Gwi-ma’s wrath one time only, after they failed to defeat the hunters in the bathhouse, he told Jelly that he was one of the lucky ones. Not all demons were humans before, some had their lost souls drift into demon forms.
Shaking out of his thoughts, Jelly looks in front of them seeing the instructor waving them forward, getting to the date, Jelly had nervously held flowers, the girls telling him that it was important to make a good impression.
Jelly had smoothed his hair in front of Bobby’s door, now pulled into a low ponytail and couldn’t help but play with the hem of his blue jacket. Mira and Zoey insisted it was the “perfect look” to match with rhinestone jeans.
Bobby had opened the door, he looked surprised with a soft look, as he placed them in his apartment before they came to the date. Jelly thought he looked fantastic, in his own black pants and a pink sweater that looked like it came from a magazine with how effortless it was.
Jelly listened intently as the instructor told them how to operate the hot air balloon, before they both got in, easily lifting off and finding themselves in the sky. He couldn’t help but stare at the sky in amazement, in the demon realm everything was dark and full of smoke, no fresh air like here, no heat to claw at his throat.
Looking around excitedly, Jelly turns to see Bobby looking out of the hot air balloon, Jelly feels his breath catch in his throat, Bobby’s expression was soft, so alluring that made Jelly want to touch it.
“It’s beautiful,” Bobby says softly, Jelly feels his heart throb in his chest, bringing his hand up, Jelly rubs at his chest as he smiles at Bobby, unable to look away.
“It really is,” Jelly says, Bobby glances at him, his eyes widening as he sees Jelly looking at him.
“Sorry,” Jelly says, looking away, he can feel his cheeks heat up, a soft hand touches his. Jelly gasps, his eyes finding Bobby resting his hand on Jelly’s.
“No, no you didn’t do anything wrong, I haven’t been on a date in a long time, I’m not exactly sure what to do,” Bobby says with a laugh, rubbing the back of his head, making his luscious black hair sway in the wind.
“Me neither,” Jelly begins, feeling panic build up in him as Bobby looks at him softly, “I don’t remember a lot, from before, but I remember all of my time in the demon realm.”
Jelly looks at the fire opening up into the balloon, his heart racing, feeling Bobby squeezing his hand. He grips the side of the balloon basket, grounding himself, “There was water there, but it wasn’t deep, or clean, or refreshing at all. We all had to make do with it. Gwi-ma used it against us sometimes, to get us to do what he wants.”
“And I used to wonder if I was just born always thirsty," he says quietly. “Like that was all I was, chasing something I couldn’t have.”
Jelly finally turns his gaze back to Bobby, heart pounding. “But here, here, water is everywhere. It falls from the sky. It pours from fountains. It sparkles in the sun. I can swim in it. I drink it without being scared. I feel it on my skin and I remember I’m alive.”
His voice wavers, and he laughs nervously, trying to catch his breath.
“And when I saw you, Bobby, it felt like that too. Like water. Gentle. Something I didn’t have to earn, or beg for. Something I could just… feel.”
He swallows. “I know that probably sounds weird.”
But Bobby doesn’t laugh. He’s still looking at him, eyes wide and bright, not with pity, but something softer. Warmer. Like sunlight caught in the shallows.
Jelly swallowed, trying to catch his thoughts, “I thought you would hate me, when the girls told you about demons, I mean I know you can’t see me, my true form, but I wouldn’t have blamed you if you didn’t like me, you just were so warm but not burning like it was down there, where everything is watched, controlled.”
Jelly doesn’t know how he feels so comfortable around Bobby, to talk about these types of things. He never liked to think about the demon world, but, with Bobby, it felt okay. THere was something about the man calming him down, making him want to do everything right.
“Hey,” Jelly’s attention moves back to Bobby’s sparkling eyes as Bobby steps closer to him, the wind soft, brushing their hair to the side, “I was just shocked, I never knew what my girls were doing but I knew that I would support them no matter what.”
Bobby pauses, letting out a breath before continuing.
“You being a demon doesn’t bother me, I know that you are working hard now, being the Saja Boys manager, the rest doesn’t matter to me, you were so excited, that day we first met, I thought that you didn’t like me because you could barely talk, but I wanted to know more.”
Jelly feels himself vibrating with excitement, Bobby likes him, even though he’s a demon, it’s more than he had ever hoped for in the demon realm, and now he doesn’t want to let it go.
“I wanted to do good, to impress you,” Jelly whispers, Bobby smiles, his thumb rubbing the back of Jelly’s hand.
“I don’t tell a lot of people this, but I was an idol before I became a manager, I was in a boy group, we were called Hi5ive,” Jelly watches as Bobby explains, his eyes full of emotions, a deep sadness in them.
“The public was brutal at times, once I made a mistake because I was so tired and I missed some steps to the choreography, our fans said that it would make them stop liking us. Our manager got so angry at me, screamed at me, and made me practice for a straight twelve hours after that.”
Jelly feels a small spark of anger grow in him, how could they do that to the sweetest man he had ever met?
There was this one night,” Bobby continued, “I collapsed backstage. Just, blacked out. My body gave up. I woke up at the hospital, but our manager kept it quiet, the fans never knew. They told us to smile, to get through it.”
“They kept pushing us, and we were so tired, all of the time, so we would get irritated with each other and snap at each other, practicing constantly, sometimes our manager wouldn’t let us eat until we did a run through perfectly,” Bobby said with a small shake of his head.
Jelly had his own many problems and his time in the demon realm was like a nightmare. But the thought of Bobby passing out, because he wasn’t eating and practicing constantly, his small warm spark of anger only made it flare brighter.
Jelly feels himself moving without thinking about it pulling Bobby into his arms, holding him tightly. Bobby feels warm and solid in his arms, and Jelly felt like he never wanted to let go.
Bobby gasps, Jelly can feel a flicker of fear in him but relaxes when Bobby hugs him back, in the cool air, Jelly sighs laying his head on top of Bobby’s.
“That’s why I wanted to be a good manager for the girls, the best manager I could be where they would never have to worry about being treated like that,” Bobby says softly into the air and Jelly hums.
“You’re the best manager, and the best teacher, I never would have been able to figure out all of this stuff without you,” Jelly says, hoping to cheer Bobby up, feeling his heart light up as Bobby laughs softly.
“You picked it up fast despite having been living in a demon realm for years,” A teasing tone comes into Bobby’s tone as he pulls away slightly, Jelly shivers, feeling their bodies close together still.
Staring into his eyes, Jelly can’t stop the nerves from racing through his system taking Bobby all in, his beautiful night sky dipped eyes, Bobby looking at him, a soft look in his eyes.
“All of those years, and they were worth it to be here with you right now,” Jelly whispers, his cheeks burning but he can’t help but smile seeing Bobby turn bright red at his words.
Jelly sees Bobby staring into his eyes, slowly Bobby lifts his hands cupping Jelly’s face, pulling him forward gently, Jelly moves without resistance, he knew that he would do anything as long as Bobby was there with him.
Bobby’s thumb traced the line of Jelly’s cheekbone, featherlight and slow. Jelly forgot how to breathe. The only sounds left were the wind, the occasional crackle of flame, and his own heartbeat, loud and unrelenting.
Feeling Bobby’s lips brush against his, Jelly shivers gently kissing him back, his hands gripping Bobby tighter pulling him into him more. Bobby makes a soft sound into the kiss, Jelly pulls back staying close enough to feel Bobby’s breath against his lips.
“I actually hate heights,” Bobby says, Jelly nods before the words register looking at Bobby nervously.
“Oh my god! And I brought you up here and you didn’t say anything?” Jelly asks, looking away and quickly reaching up for the balloon to begin their descent. Hearing Bobby laugh as he pulls Jelly back to look at him.
“But this was the perfect first date, I would like to do another again, preferably where we’re not so high up,” Bobby says, the hope in his voice as he smiles at Jelly makes him relax and nod energetically.
“Of course, anything you want,” Jelly says, and he means it, he used to think his future wasn’t that bright, but here with Bobby, everything feels calm. As a water demon, he used to believe water only meant thirst, a thing to chase and never truly touch.
But here, in Bobby’s presence, his mindshift shifted. He felt that water was more like renewal. Like peace. He was learning how to be still. How to belong.
______
Rumi steps onto the set, smiling as the cheers come from the audience, multiple cameras face them as she walks out with Jinu at her side. They wanted to do an interview together as an article came out about the Saja Boys living in the Huntrix penthouse.
The last thing Rumi wants is for her family to be bombarded with questions all of the time whenever they go out into the public. She felt that it was her duty to protect them, Jinu immediately agreed, kissing her hand softly and told her that he would always support her and back her up no matter what.
The interviewer greets them energetically and Rumi smiles at them, sitting down on the couch, close enough she can feel the heat of Jinu next to her without actually touching.
“Rumi and Jinu, thank you so much for coming out and joining us on Talk Seoul, we’re happy to have you here,” The interviewer says and Rumi smiles as Jinu responds.
“Of course, thank you for having us,” He says in his serious Saja Boy voice, Rumi can’t hold back the look she gives him before turning to the interviewer.
“It is an honor,” Rumi says nodding to him, the interviewer jumps into the questions right away.
“Now Rumi, you’re the leader of Huntrix, how have you found that responsibility having been a group for five years now?”
“I love it, we are very lucky to have such an amazing manager like Bobby who is always there ready to help us, Mira, Zoey, and I are all very close so it doesn’t feel like work at all,” Rumi answers, smiling thinking about her girls. The interviewer nods before turning to Jinu and raising his eyebrows, making Jinu laugh.
“Jinu, you’re the fresh new group on the block having just performed your new song ‘Comeback’, is there any trouble so far overseeing the new up and coming Saja Boys? You can be honest here, they definitely won’t see this,” The interviewer winks at the audience making them laugh, Rumi smiles but looks back at Jinu quickly.
“No, no, we all have come together as a group and we are extremely excited to release our album that we’re working on right now, we just hope that all of the fans love it as much as we do,” Jinu finishes, the crowd awwing, the interviewer asks them a few more questions, about the Saja Boys comeback and if Jinu can give them any hints on their album, the Huntrix break, how long they plan before coming back to the spotlight, eventually the interviewer turns serious giving them a sly grin.
“Now for our next question, as we all know, there was some talk about the Saja Boys having moved in with the Huntrix girls, is this correct?”
Rumi clears her throat, she was prepared for this question, this was the whole reason why they came here.
“The Huntrix girls helped us out a lot, we lost our old studio that we were working in, but they became our knights in shining armor to help us out, we’re extremely grateful for them,” Jinu says with practiced ease, Rumi watches the interviewers reaction.
“It was nothing, we were happy to help and we knew that the Saja Boys were going to make it far, if we were in the same situation, we would only hope that someone who help us out too,” Rumi smiles at Jinu, meeting his eyes for a moment, love shining in them, Rumi wants to lean on him but she doesn’t facing forward.
“I guess it would make it easier for practicing and album writing. Tell me, is there any love in the air? I remember social media going for crazy numbers with your groups interacting,” The interviewer stresses the question, Rumi lets out a deep breath, she can feel her heart racing, she can feel Jinu’s hand sliding into hers and she looks at him.
“As fun as the rumors were, there definitely was some truth to them,” Jinu says, the interviewer looks at them shocked for a moment, Rumi feels her cheeks heat up as the audience gasps, murmuring to themselves.
“Are you saying that you are together now?” The interviewer’s eyes gleam, the excitement of being the first reporter to get an inside scoop.
“Yes, we’ve been dating for two months now,” Rumi confirms, smiling up at Jinu who matches it back, feeling his hand squeeze hers.
“Well congratulations, let’s give it up for the happy couple huh?” The audience cheers and claps as the interviewer stands up, Rumi and Jinu following suit, shaking hands with the interviewer, they exit off the set.
Standing in a private corner, Rumi lets out an exhale, Jinu’s hand still intertwined with hers as she leans against the wall.
“That went good,” Jinu says quietly, Rumi nods as she smiles up at him.
“The fans are going to be upset that you’re off the market,” She teases as she hears some of the producers walking past, talking about the show and the numbers that are going to come from their interview.
“Good, I love you,” Jinu says, gently turning her face toward him, his soft smile making her melt, leaning down Jinu presses a gentle kiss to her lips and she smiles and presses closer to him.
Rumi always thought that she would be alone, she would have her girls, but space between them, a distance that could never be crossed until she completed her goal, but now she knows there’s so much more than dark rooms, staring at herself in the mirror afraid, and feeling totally and completely alone.
“I love you too,” She says quietly, her voice strong.
And she wouldn’t have it any other way.
______
“And now please give a warm welcome to this week's guest on Idle Idols, we have Mystery from the Saja Boys and Zoey from Huntrix!” The game show host calls out introducing them to the stage, Zoey laughs excitedly as she and Mystery walk out together.
Zoey waves to all of the audience, some fans cheering and screaming happily, as a clip of the Saja Boys’ song ‘Comeback’ plays. Mystery waves to the audience nodding to them seriously.
“Welcome, welcome, we are so happy to have you both here with us,” The host greets them both, Zoey smiles brightly.
“Thank you for having us,” Mystery says, the audience cheering, Zoey can’t stop the quiet chuckle at Mystery’s reaction to their applause.
“We’re so excited to be here, I’ve watched all of the episodes of Idle Idols!” Zoey says, the host nodding, beginning to lead them over to two seats in the center of the set, facing each other. Coming onto the show was Zoey’s idea, something fun for them to do together and since Rumi told the girls her plan to go on an interview with Jinu tonight, she wanted to do something similar, that matched her more.
“Are you ready to hear what game they’re going to be playing?” The host calls out to the audience who cheers as the screen behind them lights up revealing the name ‘Same-Same’.
“The rules are simple, picture this as a game to see how well you two know each other? Can you win points and defeat the other?” The host says as Zoey and Mystery are passed two whiteboards.
Zoey immediately uncaps her marker, drawing a small flower and showing it to Mystery who smiles at her before she shows the audience who clap, a few fans in the front giving her thumbs up.
“For the first round, we’re going to be seeing how well Zoey knows Mystery!” The host announces, the first question coming on the board.
“What is Mystery’s favorite snack?” He asks and Zoey smiles, beginning to write on her board even before Mystery begins. The host laughs, the ten second countdown ending.
“Let’s see, Zoey, what did you say?”
“I said… Churro Turtle Chips!” Zoey turned her board around where she wrote down the answer and tried to draw the bag as well. Mystery nods, turning his board around and revealing the same answer.
“Zoey showed them to me and I’ve been hooked ever since,” Mystery explains, Zoey can see the host raise his eyebrows for a moment before the game continues. Zoey misses a few of the questions, groaning each time.
The game switches and it’s Mystery’s turn to guess Zoey’s answers.
“If Zoey had to switch styles for a day with the other Huntrix girls, who would she choose?”
“Rumi, easy, they’re pretty close anyways so it would make the most sense,” Mystery flips around his board, every answer he has gotten right, sending Zoey into a panic at how much he pays attention.
“Now for the final question and to determine the winner of Same-Same, where does Zoey go when she’s stressed out?” Zoey frowns at the question, trying to think about what she should put down.
She didn’t really have a place that she would go to when she was stressed, sometimes her room, or the roof, not sure what to put down, she quickly writes her room down on the board when the countdown ends.
“Zoey, you seemed to be struggling there with that last one, do you think that Mystery was able to guess the same place as you?” The host says coming to stand by her seat, Zoey laughs tucking her hair behind her ear.
“I panicked,” She laughs softly and the host laughs with her before turning to Mystery.
“Alright, Mystery you answered extremely fast, are you confident with your answer?” He asks and Mystery nods.
“Yes, I am confident,” He says simply and the host goes to the middle of them.
“Alright, for the final point, on the count of three, turn your boards around and we will see who is our winner.” The host says, the board lighting up with a countdown, Zoey looks at Mystery unable to hold back her smile, the tiny voice inside of her whispering that he had the answer right, no matter what it was.
Three!
Turning her board around, Zoey’s jaw drops as she sees Mystery’s answer.
‘Me.’
Feeling her cheeks heat up, the crowd goes wild, the host looking between them, Mystery stands offering his hand to her. Zoey takes it and stands up with him, looking at him in shock.
“Zoey is my favorite person in the world, and I am grateful everyday that she has chosen to be with me,” He says so softly but his voice doesn’t waver, Zoey smiles at him. Warmth spreading through her, the Mystery she first met would have never stood in front of all of these people and spoken without tripping on his words.
“Surprise!” Zoey exclaims to the audience who erupt in cheers, Mystery bows to the audience, then to the host, before leading them both off of the set. Adrenaline rushes through her as she giggles as Mystery pulls her into his chest, throwing her arms around him.
“Was that okay?” Mystery asks quietly, Zoey leans back looking up at him, the bubble inside of her expanding more and more whenever he shows her how much he loves her.
“It was perfect,” Zoey says and he nods, ducking down and burying his face into the crook of her shoulder. Running a hand through his hair, Zoey smiles, the giddiness feeling not falling at all.
“You’re my favorite person and place,” She whispers to him, feeling Mystery shiver and he holds her tighter. Zoey meant every word, he was always there for her, solid and dependable, he listened to her no matter how much she talked.
“I love you,” He says back, his words muffled against her skin but she just squeezes him tighter, her heart racing in her chest.
There was no other place she’d rather be.
______
Lights flashing filled the back of the limo where Mira sits in the back seat, pulling up to the front of the line, Mira turns from looking out the window to Romance and Abby sitting next to her, kissing. Abby had Romance pulled forward leaning on his chest, as Romance ran his hands down his chest, heat spread through Mira as she watched Abby’s hand grips Romance’s hair.
“We’re almost here, Chul you’re messing up Ro’s hair,” Mira says and they pull away from each other, everytime Mira watches them together, she could help but feel pride and happiness seeing them, knowing that they were hers.
Romance laughs softly sitting up fully, Abby coming to try and fix Romance’s hair but Mira shooing his hand away, fixing it herself. She can feel Romance staring at her, a smile forming on her face.
“You’re so beautiful Mira,” Romance says quietly and Mira can’t stop the blush that grows even more, shaking her head as she meets his eyes.
“You’re lucky that this limo has blacked out windows,” She says and Romance’s grins tell her that he wouldn’t have cared if the paparazzi had seen anything.
“The tabloids would have loved it,” Abby chuckles in the corner, the limo finally coming up and parking in front of the event. Romance’s and Mira’s photoshoot came out and they had received multiple offers from brands to collaborate together.
They accepted one for a new perfume and cologne advertisement, now they were offered to attend a brand event as the new ambassadors of the company. Mira and Romance agreed as long as they could bring a guest with them.
“Let’s go dazzle them darling,” Romance says, opening the door and stepping out, the cameras flashing, Mira accepts his hand that he offers as Abby exits the other side of the car, coming to stand on the opposite side of Mira.
This wasn’t the first red carpet that Mira’s ever walked, but this was the first one that she was walking with her boys. Romance charms the cameras with his smile, that always sent her spiraling and made her feel weak in the knees.
Abby grins, offering Mira his elbow, she takes it smoothly, the familiar motion coming naturally as they begin to walk up the steps into the event. Celebrities of all calibers, idols from other groups, even some influencers are walking the carpet.
Reaching the steps, Romance rests his hand on the small of her back as she lifts her dress, she can hear the journalists coming up as they walk down the line. Eventually coming to the step and repeat banner.
Posing with Romance and Abby comes easily, giving the cameras a show, before heading off after their turn. Standing by the entrance of the event, where the next wave of attendees go through the line. A journalist came up to them.
“Mira, Romance, who are you wearing tonight?” Mira brushes her hair behind her shoulder and turns to the journalist.
“We’re both wearing Void Sense,” Romance says, smiling at the journalist.
“Oh I haven’t heard about them, are they an emerging designer?" She asks, Mira nods.
“Yes, I liked their style and reached out to see if they would style us for tonight,” Mira explains, she always loved to find the niche, independent designers for her formal looks. It used to be a way to create distance between her family and her but she grew to love working with the new designers, they always reached back out after her event saying how many orders they had received.
She wanted to be able to help them, knowing how hard it is to build something from the ground up.
“Your upcoming collaboration with Nonfiction has everyone on the edge of their seats, what made you want to start working with them, given all of the offers you received?” She asks turning to Romance, the camera pans out to show the three of them again.
“We decided to work with Nonfiction because we really liked the unisex fragrances, the concept of the photoshoot was so unique, I was personally looking for a signature scent and found that they were perfect for it,” Romance answers, his hand resting on Mira’s waist rubbing slow circles.
“And who’s your guest here, a friend of yours?” The journalist looks at Abby, Mira feels herself freeze seeing the flirtatious smile she sent Abby who wasn’t paying attention to their interview, content to stay back and listen to them. Mira can feel Romance stiffen where he’s next to her.
The Saja Boys weren’t as big as Huntrix was quite yet, Mira takes a breath to not snap, trying to shove down the feeling that was crawling up her throat to jump on Abby and hide him from the journalist from looking at him.
“He’s our boyfriend,” Mira says before freezing, realizing what she said, but before the panic could seize her Abby spoke.
“Byun-chul, I’m their boyfriend,” He gives the journalist a grin, taking a step closer to Mira who smiles up at him.
“Oh, how, uh I mean, how exciting, is this the first time you’re announcing your relationship to the press?” Mira scowls slightly, not liking the eagerness in the journalist’s voice, her eyes sparkling as she imagines getting the first stab at writing about them.
“Forgive us, I believe it’s time for us to enter,” Romance says, effortlessly guiding them out of the interview, heading into the event venue, Mira can’t shake the annoyance that built inside of her.
Mira feels Abby lift her hand up, pressing a soft kiss to it, she looks at him, as he gives her a smile.
“That was hot,” He says, a bright grin on his face, Mira just scoffs rolling her eyes but she can’t stop the smile from growing on her face.
“Shut up,” Mira mutters, as they take their seats, Romance leaning on the table toward them both as they sit down, waiting for the event to fully start.
“I want you to claim me like that,” Romance says teasingly, Mira groans kicking him under the table, Romance pouts rubbing his leg.
“Don’t get your hopes up,” Despite her words, Mira smiles, accepting as Abby grabs her hand on the table, Romance putting his hand on her thigh.
As the event begins, Mira takes in everything that happened not just tonight but throughout the entire time they got together. She didn’t regret telling the journalist that they were hers, it was the truth. Mira knows that the story will be out soon but she doesn’t feel fear, she feels comforted knowing that her boys were by her side.
______
“This is boring, why are we watching this?” Baby whines as he flops down on the couch where Min-ho was sitting. Looking at Baby for a moment, Min-ho turns back to the TV where he’s watching his sister walk down the red carpet.
Min-ho watches as the clips flick back to Mira, playing with his orange hair that he was obsessed with, it made him stand out, he didn’t fade into the background anymore. He smiles seeing Mira walk the carpet, confidently. When he was feeling really alone in that house, he would turn on interviews, music videos, quiet enough that he could barely hear it to see Mira.
Growing up, Min-ho felt like he had to be the best or he would face the wrath of their parents, his mother’s disappointed click of her tongue, his father’s screams in his face that he was worthless.
Some nights he still woke up, shaking afraid of thundering steps coming down the hallway, lying in fear that his door was going to be thrown open, exasperated looks, and sighs that said he would never live up to the legacy that his parents had made.
“I just want to see them go in,” Min-ho says when he realizes he hasn’t responded to Baby, who hums taking a bite of his popcorn in the large bowl that he had made.
“We should watch Twilight,” Baby suggests, Min-ho’s eyes stuck on the TV as Mira, Romance, and Abby get interviewed on the screen. They turn to walk into the event, Min-ho can see Mira’s tension in her brow, and he frowns.
They were always called twins growing up, being born ten months apart, and Min-ho had always felt protective of Mira growing up, wanting to shield her from the anger but he couldn’t stop the flash of shame that rushed through him when he thought about how he failed at that.
He’s so focused on the TV, in his own thoughts, that he's broken out of it abruptly when the red carpet glitches out, “Hey!”
The screen changes to loading the streaming service, Min-ho looks back at Baby who only gives him a smug grin, somehow snuggled under a blanket that Min-ho didn’t even feel him move to get into.
“They went in,” Was all Baby says and Min-ho grumbles sitting up, coming to lay on his back as Baby turns on Twilight, reaching for the popcorn.
Min-ho mind races, missing the beginning scene of the movie when a piece of popcorn hits his cheek, glaring at Baby, seeing him looking at him already.
“She’s having fun, you saw her go in with Namhae and Byun-chul, now you can relax,” Baby says, Min-ho pauses taking in his words. The emotions screwed tightly inside of him slowly unwinding.
“Another lesson?” Min-ho teases, watching as the main girl comes on the screen. Moving from Arizona to Washington.
Baby is quiet for a moment before he shrugs again, “There’s nothing wrong with checking in on them, but you can’t just sit here worrying about them for every second or you’re going to miss out on The Now,” Baby’s words make Min-ho pause.
“I don’t want to let her down again,” Min-ho confesses quietly.
“You won’t, because you’re learning how to not care about everything anymore,” Baby says, the words pulling a laugh out of Min-ho. Baby was determined to teach him how to not care, Min-ho still had trouble with it, he had to care so much and now he doesn’t have to hide his emotions anymore.
Hearing rustling, Min-ho looks over to see Baby eating chocolate candies, he reaches out to grab some but Baby quickly pulls them back.
“No, Byun-chul got these for me,” Baby says, hugging the bag to his chest, Min-ho laughs, reaching out to try and grab some.
“And Jinu told us to behave tonight, so we can’t fight,” Min-ho reminds him, Baby dodging him as he tries to grab some.
“Sung-ki said that I did good writing the new song, so I deserve them,” Baby laughs before Min-ho finally grabs the bag, Baby finally relents, letting Min-ho grab a few of the candies, glaring at Min-ho.
“Watch your movie, you said you’ve seen it right?” Min-ho asks, he never watched movies like this growing up but he didn’t want Baby to know that.
“Uh, yeah yeah, I’ve seen it- my favorite character is the werewolf, Emmett,” Baby says and Min-ho nods. He sometimes felt left behind but it wasn’t so bad, at least he got to experience it for the first time with his new friends.
They watch the movie in silence for a while. Baby laughs as the sparkly guy jumps through the trees. Min-ho finds himself genuinely interested, but Baby’s warmth beside him is comforting that his eyes start to drift closed.
Until Emmett finally appears on screen.
Min-ho sits up straight, jolting Baby and making him flail, popcorn flying.
“Wait, this guy is a vampire?” Min-ho says, pointing at the TV, “You said he was a werewolf!”
Baby starts laughing, nearly choking on candy, “Oh my god you believed me!”
Min-ho scowls, half-playful. “I was emotionally invested!”
“You were emotionally wrong,” Baby cackles, wiping tears from his eyes.
They laugh for a while, the sound echoing comfortably through the quiet penthouse. Min-ho leans back into the couch again, still shaking his head.
Then, a beat passes. Baby shifts beside him, quieter now.
“…I’ve never seen it either,” he admits, almost shyly.
Min-ho turns to him, surprised. “Wait, seriously?”
Baby shrugs. “I just… thought I was supposed to have. Everyone else has. So I picked a random name and hoped you wouldn’t notice. You know being a demon and all, died in the sixties so I haven’t caught up with all the pop culture.”
Min-ho stares at him for a second, then snorts. “So neither of us knows what’s going on?”
“Not even a little,” Baby grins.
There’s a pause. Then they both start laughing again, this time softer, easier. The tension melts off Min-ho’s shoulders. Min-ho had felt he was behind, but maybe he wasn’t behind, he was at just the right place for the people around him.
He reaches for another candy, tosses it into his mouth, and glances sideways.
“We could… watch it for real,” he says. “Like, from the beginning. No pretending.”
Baby bumps his shoulder. “Only if we can pause every five minutes to make fun of the sparkly guy.”
Min-ho smiles. “Deal.”
And just like that, the awkwardness is gone. The movie plays on, half-watched, half-mocked, but the comfort of sitting next to Baby who gets it, who’s figuring it out too, feels better than understanding any plot twist.
Reaching out to grab another handful of popcorn, Min-ho feels his hand brush against another.
His eyes dart over seeing his hand over Baby’s, a beat passes and Min-ho pulls back, Baby pulling away too. Baby grabs more candy, popping some in his mouth, and Min-ho settles into the couch.
Min-ho never imagined that he would be here, free, but it felt so good. And it was exciting. He didn’t have to be perfect, to have a great future ahead of him. He only had to be himself. And that was the best part.
______
“Okay,” Rumi takes a deep breath, Jinu’s arm around her is a steadying presence, “I brought you here because I need to talk about this.”
Rumi had called a group meeting in the Huntrix penthouse. She knew it was time to discuss everything with what happened with Celine. While they all already knew that Celine had killed her mother, Jinu had informed the Saja Boys after Rumi found him shortly after her conversation with Mira and Zoey. The whole group hadn’t discussed the second part.
Rumi was grateful for the boys’ support; Jinu cooking, Mystery making Baby help him clean, Romance and Abby trying to distract her with another chaotic cake baking session. They were a family, and having them all was her only way of making sure she didn’t spiral.
Abby was sitting on the largest couch, Mira and Romance on either side of him, with Baby tucked next to Romance. Mystery and Zoey were on the same couch as Jinu and Rumi, the room unusually quiet, the air full with unspoken questions.
Rumi held out the black demon totem, it glinted in the penthouse lights, glimmering red and black, “I found this in Celine’s things. She told me it belonged to my mother, or at least, she said it was in my blankets when she found me.”
Jinu had already examined it earlier, trying to make sense of its patterns, but he wasn’t sure what it was.
“It’s some kind of totem, from who, I’m not sure,” Jinu starts, taking it in his hand to study it.
“Definitely more than just a trinket,” Romance agrees, reaching for it, his fingers brush against it as Baby gazes at it curiously
“The ‘who’ part is the most important,” Mystery adds with a slight frown. Zoey nudges him, making his frown soften.
“Totems usually are only as powerful as the demon who made them,” Jinu says, “It’s old, I can tell that much.”
Romance now holds his hand out for it, and Jinu drops it to his hand. Romance held it up to the light.
“Your dad, he was a demon, right?” Abby finally says, watching Romance. “That would mean that maybe he was the one who gave it to your mom, and then to you.”
Romance lowers the totem slightly, his voice gentle, “I’ve made a few totems during my time in the demon realm, and none of them felt this powerful. If it did come for your father, he was powerful, this could be some kind of protection totem. Or possibly a glamour charm…or maybe even, a claim.”
Jinu makes a small noise, and Rumi couldn't help but look at Jinu, the concern on his face making her chest tighten.
Mystery’s arms were crossed, his frown returning, deepening. Abby’s eyes were locked on Romance, unreadable but sharp. Mira’s lips pressed into a tight line.
Zoey leaned forward slightly, like she was ready to jump in, her worry obvious, “What does that mean?”
“Demons mark what they want to protect, or possess,” Romance replied, “It’s one of a demon’s core drives.”
The weight of the room shifted, everyone feeling the same thing without saying it.
“So what does that mean?” Rumi asked, voice low. “That someone, my father, marked me? For what? To spy on me? To find me?” Jinu’s arm comes around her shoulders, bringing back that warmth, making her breathing even out.
Romance hesitated, his eyes flicking to Jinu and then back to her. “We don’t know yet. But if it’s a claim totem, it means someone intended to come back for you eventually.”
Rumi felt like the world was shifting. Had her father not abandoned her after all? Was he waiting somewhere, planning to come back and find her? But if that was true, then why hadn’t he? She didn’t know. She felt she had more questions than answers.
Romance returns the totem to Jinu, “It’s just hard to say with any certainty without knowing who made it.”
Jinu nods, “Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking too.”
“Who’s to say that Gwi-ma wasn’t watching the whole time, your parents,” Mystery adds, glancing at Rumi.
“Gwi-ma knows everything down there,” Baby says softly, “And up here, he had some spies too.”
Rumi hums, mind still racing. Zoey reaches over, her hand warm as it gently squeezes Rumi’s knee. “You’re not alone in this,” she says softly. “We’re here. We’ll figure it out, together.”
Abby leans forward from the couch, his usual teasing smile softened into something more sincere. “Yeah, Rumi. Whatever happened, whoever your father was, you’re our family now. And we’ve got your back.”
Rumi feels a surge of gratefulness, she puts her hand over Jinu’s, covering the totem with a gentle squeeze, “Thank you guys,” she looks at each of them individually, feeling a bit of tears well up in her eyes, “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
Mystery smiles his small, rare one at her as Zoey beams, her own eyes glassy, “We love you Rumi.”
Baby gives her a thumbs up, but then also reaches over to pat her shoulder whispering, like it was some kind of secret, “You’re doing great Rumi.”
Romance leans back with a grin, the serious energy he was giving just moments ago vanishing, “Well, I did teach you how to make a killer strawberry mochi cake, so that counts for something.”
“Barely,” Abby mutters, rolling his eyes. “It was 90% rice flour and vibes.”
“Only the best vibes,” Romance said but cut off with a gasp as Abby blew a breath of air in his face making him yelp.
Mira laughed and reached over to tuck a strand of Rumi’s hair behind her ear. “You’re allowed to fall apart sometimes, Rumi. That’s what we’re here for. To help you pick up the pieces.”
Jinu glances at her, his expression tender. “And you’ve done the same for all of us. Don’t forget that.”
Rumi took a shaky breath and let out a small laugh, wiping the corner of her eye. “Okay, okay. No more crying. For now.”
“Group hug?” Zoey suggested, already scooting closer.
“No- wait- ugh- Zoey-” Rumi yelped as everyone started to pile in.
Baby clambered on top of Mystery and Zoey shoving them to wedge himself against Jinu’s side. Romance jumped into the pile while Mira laughed, the one time she only did when she was around them, clear, simple, bright. Abby groaned dramatically as he came up behind the group on the couch, falling onto it, grabbing them all in one large embrace, holding them all tightly. Rumi felt she was being smothered, an elbow from Zoey digging into her side and Jinu’s presence making her feel safe.
And for the first time in days, Rumi felt like she could breathe.
She didn’t have all the answers.
But she had them.
And for now, that was more than enough.