Chapter Text
Most children stopped believing in monsters when they were bold enough to walk to the closet and check for themselves if anyone was hiding. Minjeong wasn’t too different in this regard.
“What did you think of the party, Minjeong-ah?” Her mother called out from the driver’s seat as the car wound down a narrow part of the highway.
She was only a year younger than her cousin – ten where Chaewon was eleven – and had scared the poor older girl deathless. Chaewon was like that, flighty and easily spooked, clumsy and screaming whenever Minjeong jumped out of whatever corner she’d hidden in to surprise her.
“A little boring…” The young girl pouted as her father’s boisterous laugh shook the vehicle.
Minjeong thought if monsters did look real, they’d look ridiculous. Colourful amorphous creatures with fur in odd places and multiple eyes alongside mismatched teeth. Like those silly pictures in the books her parents bought for her when she was five. But she was ten now! Monsters weren’t scary.
“Honey…” Her mother muttered, concerned, “Is that someone–”
That was until she saw a real one.
The screeching of metal was followed quickly by the deafening scream Minjeong let out. The car tumbled, Minjeong’s world shaking before it all came crashing down. She felt someone amidst the tumbling grab onto her, throwing their body around hers. She’d later learned it was her father, who managed to fling himself out of his seat in time to protect her one last time.
When Minjeong came to her senses again, the first thing she smelled was the suffocating scent of fire and smoke. The first thing she felt was an unconscious and bloody body on top of her, and the pain of her own broken bones.
Her eyes would open – the car was toppled over, upside down. She could hear herself faintly cry as she saw her mother’s lifeless body thrown over the dashboard and steering wheel. She glanced to the side, shattered windows letting her see the outside world, burning.
And soon, she saw it. It approached so human-like, a slight stagger in its walk, as if it didn’t fully know how to use the legs of a human. As it’s body lowered, Minjeong noted two things. One – the red of its fur, and two – the cackling laugh it made when Minjeong met its eyes of fire.
-
Minjeong lurched forward, gasping for air like she’d been drowning. She could feel a body hugging against her, trying to whisper words of comfort as her eyes scanned her surroundings. There was no fire, of course there wasn’t. The accident had happened years ago, so long ago that Minjeong had gotten so close to forgetting the details of the accident, so many times, until it would return to haunt her nightmares.
Her eyes glanced around, the sterility of her bedroom coming into focus. Plain white walls, shelves empty save for a few framed photos. Her inhaler was thrust into her face as she took it, steadying her breathing. “You’re okay, Minjeong, just breathe.” A voice whispered beside her. Her eyes eventually focused in on Chaewon, who’s relief became evident as she watched her cousin come out of whatever nightmare plagued her that night.
When she was done with her inhaler, she let the older girl wrap her arms around her tightly, pulling her into a hug. With the way she was holding her, Minjeong could feel the fear that was coursing through Chaewon, like if she didn’t hold on tight enough, Minjeong would disappear.
“I’m fine, Chaewon.” She tried to reassure the girl, only hearing her sigh. The girl told Minjeong to wait as she got up. In the meantime, Minjeong picked up her glasses from the bedside. As she wiped them and put them on, her eyes zeroed in on the only other thing on her nightstand.
A photo – one of Minjeong and Chaewon, both their families side-by-side. Minjeong’s mother was Chaewon’s aunt, Chaewon’s father being her brother.
Ever since the accident, she soon found herself living with Chaewon and her family. They may have only been her cousin, aunt and uncle, but to Minjeong they felt much more than that. Chaewon was her sister, the one person who’d always stayed in her corner throughout their lives. Her aunt and uncle had also been an immense help, and Minjeong was forever grateful she had a second set of parents ready to take her in.
Chaewon returned, a glass of water and some medication in hand. Minjeong thanked her as her cousin sat beside her. “Something tells me you won’t be going back to sleep anytime soon.” Minjeong swallowed the pills with the water, shaking her head. She took another sip, trying to clear whatever dust was in her throat.
“How bad was it?” Minjeong asked as Chaewon glanced down, a sad laugh escaping her lips.
“You were thrashing so hard I thought you’d break a bone.” She muttered, and Minjeong found herself mirroring her cousin’s earlier laugh.
Chaewon waited for a moment, “...Was it about the acc–”
Minjeong sharply inhaled, “Chaewon, I’d rather not.” The other woman put her arms up defensively, as if in surrender.
“Fine, fine…” She sighed, throwing herself back and lying down on Minjeong’s bed. She frowned. “Why is your’s comfier than mine?” Minjeong rolled her eyes, flicking her cousin’s forehead.
“Pretty sure you surrendered this one to me after some… support.” Her eyes darted to the walking cane beside her bed as Chaewon grumbled to herself.
“The only thing that cane supports is you beating my ass.” Truly, she didn’t need to hit Chaewon’s foot with it when they were deciding which rooms in the apartment they’d take and which mattress was who’s (Chaewon would’ve given them to Minjeong in a heartbeat), but it definitely helped her argument.
“You’re the rich CEO, buy yourself a better mattress.” Minjeong shrugged as Chaewon glanced at her.
“Betrayal…” she whispered, turning to face her cousin, “You’re the rich surgeon, buy yourself one so I can take this one.” She said, patting the mattress for emphasis.
“Speaking of surgeons,” Minjeong groaned, “I should probably get ready–”
“No,” Chaewon interrupted, glancing at her nails. “I called mom, you’re getting today off.”
Minjeong, bewildered, gave her sister a look. “Wha- Chaewon?! Since when?” Chaewon had the audacity to giggle as she met her sister’s eyes. Knowing that her aunt (Chaewon’s mother) was the one who owned the hospital and also ran it, Minjeong tried to make sure that nepotism was kept at a minimum. Most people weren’t even aware the pair were related.
“I’ve been talking to mom for a while, and we both agreed you’re basically carrying the hospital on it’s back. So, you’ll have like two days off a week now,” Minjeong gave her sister an unimpressed look. “Oh come on, you’ll appreciate this. Besides, it means everyone else has to actually work harder and not rely on the brilliant Minjeong Kim.” Her cousin rolled her eyes as Minjeong only sighed.
“And I was going to be told about this..?”
“Today,” Chaewon shrugged, “I was going to catch you before you left and surprise you, but this works too.” Chaewon got off the bed and stood, the short woman now pushing her sister back into the bed. “So lie down, catch up on whatever sleep you missed. I’ll even call Sakura to pick up breakfast from somewhere when she comes to pick me up.”
Minjeong shook her head, “No, it’s fine, I’ll just message Gaeul. She and Wony wanted to get brunch and I want details on the date she went on.”
Chaewon’s brow furrowed. “The one with that guy from the coffee place or the one with that girl from the bar? I get mixed up sometimes.” Minjeong suppressed a chuckle. “I’m serious, Gaeul can’t date someone for more than a week, it's crazy.”
“I don’t know if you’re in any position to talk, what with Minju and all.” Chaewon gasped.
“Betrayal again?! You’ve got me rethinking my life choices now…” Chaewon turned around, crossing her arms, “For the record!” She spun around, raising a finger in the air, “I am more than over Minju! Why do I even live with you again?” She grumbled as she walked off.
Minjeong smiled, “Because you love me!” She called out as Chaewon reached the doorway.
“Unfortunately so!” She said, tossing her arms up, only to hit them against the frame. As the girl hopped away in pain, Minjeong let the laugh bubble up and out of her. She let her eyes close. Not wanting to let the pain guide her dreams again, she thought of Chaewon, and the love that now surrounded her.
Life wasn’t perfect – the doctor’s who’d spent weeks in the hospital with Minjeong, monitoring her and her every move, had informed her that things would be more difficult from then on. At first it was just a leg injury that would be fine in a few months, then it was a psychosomatic condition believed to have been caused by the trauma of the accident. Then it was needing glasses, and then it was trying to get into med school.
Despite it all, she thrived, and Minjeong continued to strive to make sure she kept thriving.
=====
“Do we have a location on the target?” Jimin muttered.
Her eyes snapped up as she glanced around. The group had decided to reconvene at the rooftop of a building, the same building two of the group’s friends owned together. She noticed Rei and Jiwon in the corner, Rei bundled up in Jiwon’s arms as the blonde rested her chin on the pink-haired girl’s head. She couldn’t help the small smile as she watched them, the pair of shamans’ love for each other so evident.
The Gumiho also never expected the human pair to be so useful to them. She watched as Ryujin – fellow Gumiho – grumbled. “No, the bitch somehow escaped our sight. Jiwon thinks some Shaman might’ve given her a seal to hide herself with.” A Gumiho’s ears and tails were normally invisible to humans unless they wanted their true forms to be seen. But when the moonlight hit you a certain way, a Gumiho could always see another Gumiho.
The moonlight seemed to reflect off the blackish-purple fur on Ryujin’s ears and tails, and lit up the green slits of her fox eyes. When she shifted slightly to the left, her ears and eyes became less visible, only her tails now lit. The moonlight was truly a spectacle.
“Why would a Shaman help a Gumiho?” Yujin asked, Jimin’s eyes now locking onto the Werewolf. Perhaps all Supernaturals shared Jimin’s fascination with the moon – Humans certainly seemed to think so. The moon wasn’t full, not yet, but it wouldn’t be long until Yujin was forced into her wolf-form rather than being in control of it. Not that it would be an issue, Wolf-Yujin acted more like an oversized puppy than a monstrous hound of the night.
“Some Shamans try to gain favour with them,” Jiwon helpfully supplied, “We all commune, channel and worship different spirits and minor deities after all.”
“They could’ve also been threatened,” Yizhuo added, sitting beside Jimin. “Or worse…” The young vampire trailed off as Jimin frowned. The vampire rested her head against the Gumiho’s shoulder as Jimin hummed to herself.
“Could’ve also been a Dokkaebi,” Ryujin muttered, “Hard to keep track of who hates who and who’ll work with who. Maybe we’re dealing with two rogue Supernaturals.”
Jimin groaned, massaging the bridge of her nose. “I hope not. Makes things more complicated.”
“Regardless,” another voice called out, masked in the shadows, “We need to find her. This rogue Gumiho stands guilty of working alongside demons and killing several humans. She’s a high-profile target.” Jimin’s eyes met his.
Jeong Chaemin.
The older of the three Gumihos. When your ages are measured in how many centuries you’ve lived, seniority becomes less of a concerning factor, and from what little information he gave about himself, all Jimin knew was he was older than her by a hair.
“You know,” she started, “You almost sounded professional there. Almost.” A foxish grin broke out on Chaemin’s face as he gave a cackle.
“Gotta make some effort, the Alliance has been on my ass about ‘etiquette’ and ‘the proper way to carry myself as a senior agent’. Makes me sound ancient.” He laughed, stepping out from the shadows. The moonlight lit up his features – despite his age, he looked no older than a human in their early-twenties. Youthful, devilish some might even say.
“Plus,” as his eyes opened, the moonlight illuminated the amber slits of his fox eyes, “She’s run from us so many times. I just don’t wanna be denied another kill.” Ryujin chuckled at that whilst Chaemin leant against the railing behind him, his eyes returning to their soft brown, more human state. “I’m almost tempted to use Yunjin as bait again, it worked pretty well last time.”
“She’s not going to be happy about that.” Yizhuo added with a smile as Chaemin blew a raspberry. If Jimin didn’t know any better, she’d assume the two were closer in age.
“Maybe she should’ve joined us here instead of playing at that bar.” He commented, “Her gay ass is still pining for the ‘cute girl in the audience’.” Jimin tried not to cackle as Ryujin did, Chaemin’s voice having shifted to sound almost identical to Yunjin.
Jeong Chaemin. The Golden Gumiho, the Alliance’s strongest killer. He was a boogeyman to demons and creatures alike, and yet here he was, relaxed, a devil-may-care attitude on full display. Jimin’s eyes darted to Yujin, who also seemed to be stifling a laugh.
“Chaemin’s right–” Jimin said, standing up as he smirked.
“Always am.” He grinned as Ryujin rolled his eyes.
“Do not feed his ego anymore than this Yu.” Ryujin muttered as Karina rolled her eyes at her fellow foxes.
“–This one’s a high-profile target who’s ducked us too many times. I have some intel on who her next target may be, and that’s why I asked us to meet here.” Jimin said, crossing her arms as curiosity played across the group’s expressions. With the way Ryujin and Chaemin glanced at her, she knew they could see it. The moonlight likely made the blue fur of her ears and tails glow, almost as if she was made from an aurora.
“The target’s a regular here?” Yujin asked, echoing the question on the group’s mind as Jimin nodded.
“Frequents this place regularly. I say we camp inside – the seals Jiwon put up around the place means not only will she not enter, she also won’t sense our presence.” The others nodded, and Jimin noticed the uneasy looks on Jiwon and (the now awake) Rei’s face. She doesn’t blame them, she’d feel the same way if the target was someone close to her.
Her eyes caught Chaemin’s, and as the older Gumiho stepped forth, Jimin watched as the moonlight illuminated his golden ears and tails, the light so strong she was sure even the non-Gumiho members of the group could see them. “O captain, My captain,” Chaemin called out, “And who is this target?”
“Kim Minjeong.” With that, she watched recognition snap in Chaemin’s face, a flicker of red darting across his tails and ears, so brief she doubted anyone else picked up on it. Ryujin’s posture also seemed to straighten, Rei huddled closer to Jiwon as Yujin’s eyes darted between the Gumiho’s.
“I’m guessing this is someone you all know?” Yujin mumbled as Chaemin scoffed.
“Try someone I saved years ago.”
=====
Yunjin sighed, clearing her equipment as a staff member approached. “Miss Huh, your performance was amazing as usual.” Yunjin froze, her fingers over what appeared to be a large guitar case. She plastered on a smile, spinning on her heel to greet the man. This man happened to be a manager here, and whilst Yunjin was sure he was a lovely person, he really didn’t seem to take the hint.
“Thank you!” She let the smile fade ever-so-slightly, “I’ve gotta get going soon but I’ll let you know when I’ll play again?” The man tilted his head.
“Oh? Are you busy this week?” Yunjin thought back to the meeting she was skipping out on, already more than aware of the lecture that awaited her.
“Very,” she chuckled, “Just some business to take care of.” The man gave a sympathetic nod.
“Oh,” he noticed the case, “Let me get that for–”
“No!” Yunjin rushed out as his hand approached the case resting against the wall behind her. The man froze as Yunjin coughed into her hand. “Sorry, er, that thing is very expensive and… it’s a gift.” The man met her eyes and apologised, giving a slight bow.
“A-ah, sorry, I forget how attached musicians are to their instruments,” he rubbed the back of his head, “But, I must say, it does seem quite… slim, for such a guitar.” He crossed his arms, a thoughtful look on his face.
Stop asking so many questions. Yunjin mentally panicked as she kept her face in that warm smile she knew disarmed so many. “I know! Just a trick of the light though, it does fit.” The man merely shrugged.
“Well, give us a call so we’ll know to expect you. Have a good day Miss Huh.” As he walked away the girl sighed.
“He really hasn’t stopped, has he?” A girl muttered from her left as she sighed.
“Lovely to see you too, Xinyu.” The Chinese woman gave a bright smile as she hugged her friend.
“You know,” she said, pulling away, “If he keeps bothering you, Sohyun would be more than happy to have him fired.” Yunjin laughed.
“If it gets that bad, I’ll let her know.” Xinyu sighed, dropping down onto the seat beside the pair.
“How was the shoot in… what was it, Thailand?” Yunjin asked as Xinyu nodded, the model rolling her shoulders.
“Flying from America to there for just a few days, and then flying back here, is not for the weak.” She moved her neck, cringing at the clicking noise it made.
Yunjin tried to fight the smirk almost making its way onto her face. “Why don’t you ask Sohyun for a massage or something?” Xinyu dramatically sighed, leaning back in the seat.
“She needs one as much as me – she’s been cooped up in her office. Apparently running several successful franchise bars across the country is hard work.” Yunjin rolled her eyes. Leave it to Xinyu to somehow find a way to brag about her rich girlfriend. “You know, you should join me one day. My agency saw you one time with me, they’ve been begging me to get you to talk to them for a while now.”
Yunjin pretended to think about it. “No,” she said, cherishing the deflated look on the Chinese woman’s face, “I don’t think I’d like the attention.” Plus, The Alliance would get on my ass about it. She thought of the golden necklace around her neck, and the golden emblem attached to it, hidden beneath her shirt.
Xinyu sighed, “Shame. Aeri not come out tonight?” Yunjin shook her head.
“Said she had a shift in the morning – probably didn’t want to work on brains when she was hungover.” Xinyu made a face as Yunjin chuckled.
“Honestly, surprised you’re even still here. You always play so late into the night, for so long. I thought the bar closed ages ago?” Yunjin shrugged, eyes falling onto the staff clearing the place up.
“I like playing for them, it makes their jobs less miserable. Plus, I know how to clean up after myself, so it’s not like I’m making their jobs harder.” Xinyu clicked her tongue at that.
“Spoken like a true musician… Well, I need to head back. Just came out to say hi.” She gave the girl a side-hug as she walked off. Yunjin picked up her case and guitar, likely getting some looks from the remaining staff members for not just putting it into the case.
She escaped through a door, entering a back alley as she let out a sigh of relief. She rested her case on the ground, opening it to reveal what truly hid inside. The golden staff seemed to gimmer as Yunjin’s fingers approached it gingerly, the lights at the tip of it glowing a faint green. “A Dokkaebi is nothing without its Bangmangi.” Yunjin said quietly to herself, recalling the words of many before her. With two strikes on the ground, her guitar disappeared in a puff of green fire.
As the Dokkaebi got to her feet, she stamped the staff on the ground again, a handbag materialising from another puff of green flame. She hid the staff back into the case as she fished for her phone.
Karina: Target is Choi Yejin. Species: Gumiho. Her next target is a girl called Kim Minjeong. We’re at Love Dive Café and Trinkets. Get here ASAP.
A smirk made its way onto her face. We’ve got you now.