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Chapter Text

     Rumi slowly opened her eyes to her room- and jerked back, shrieking in surprise as her friends leaned low over her. Zoey's golden eyes turned to crescents as the demoness grabbed Rumi and pulled her into a hard hug.

     "Oh, good, you woke up!" Zoey held onto her a little too tightly and refused to let go even when Rumi patted her hands. "I totally didn't think you might be dead or anything!" Beside them, Mira stopped fidgeting with the stitching of her black hanbok to sigh.

     "There are a hundred different ways you could've phrased that," she said. Rumi felt Zoey's small chin press down on top of her head. She both felt and heard the other girl speak.

     "Yeah, but like, I was super worried about that, so I said it."

     "I'm not dead, Z." Not yet. Rumi shook herself out of her friend's grasp. She was careful not to put too much strength behind it.

     "Besides," Mira continued to feign casual indifference even as her golden eyes tracked Rumi's every move, "you think Gwi-Ma would still be chilling out on his fire throne if she were- If she wasn't here like that?" Zoey rubbed her chin and then smiled brightly.

     "Good point! He'd be, like," she made claws with her fingers and rolled off of Rumi's bed to stomp around the half-human's room, "Rawr! Ra!" Zoey swung her arms about. "I'm so mad! My only daughter!" Rumi couldn't help but giggle at her friend's antics. Her smile faded as she thought about it. How would father react to her death? She wasn't sure. She did know how he'd reacted to her mother's, how he still consumed any demon who dared breathe mother's name, but she couldn't tell if he'd be as sad for her.

     "Hey." Mira gently socked her in the shoulder. The long-haired girl got up from Rumi's bed. "Why the long face? Your dad isn't gonna go for the plan if you're moping when we show up." The half-human immediately put on her most confident smile. "There we go. Besides," the taller girl flicked her in the forehead, "why were you still sleeping? We're gonna be even more late! Up, up!" Rumi rubbed the sleep from her eyes- And froze as the morning really caught up with her. Her dad! The plan!

     "Why didn't you wake me up sooner!?" She hissed at her friends as she ran to her dresser. The girl threw the doors open and rummaged through her clothing for- There! Rumi tugged her pajamas off and began to pull on her finest black hanbok. 

     "We thought you were gonna make a fashionably late entrance!" Zoey told her. "You're always so good at those." Rumi smiled at the dark-haired girl as she thanked her.

     "And then time kept going by and you still weren't there, so we came and found you," Mira told her. "Still asleep!" Rumi readjusted the dark fabrics until they fell smoothly around her. She plucked her wide-brimmed hat from her nightstand and put it on. Standing there, wearing her best clothing, it made her plan feel way more real than it had before. She took a shaky breath.

     "Hey." Zoey laid a hand on her shoulder. The purple markings that wrapped around her fingers shimmered in the low light. "We've got this!"

     "Let's go! We've got Hunter butt to kick!" Mira encouraged them. Rumi let herself be turned and hustled toward her door. She stepped out into the quiet palace grounds. The usual bustle of her father's demons was silent. Everyone had been called to his meeting place to see if the latest attack on the Hunters had proven successful. Rumi already knew it hadn't. If it had, the silent grounds would've been overrun by cheering. And, she squinted in the low torchlight, made bright by the light of thousands of claimed souls. Since neither of those things was happening, her father was probably busy punishing the demons who'd failed him. Good, Rumi thought to herself as she and her friends made it outside. He'd never see her plan coming. She repeated that to herself again and again as they hurried out across the dark grounds.

     The half-demon could see her father's elevated pink and purple flames not far ahead. They were smaller than they'd been when she'd first arrived in the demon world. Rumi's caretaker, an old demoness with long pure white hair, had told her that long before, her father's flames had warmed all of the demon realm and lit the sky with glowing purples and pinks. When she'd been younger, when she hadn't fully understood what such a sight would mean, she'd wished that she could see it. The old demoness had merely smiled at her. Now, though...

     Stick to the plan. Just stick to the plan, she told herself as she reached the outer circle of the gathered demons. Her friends shouldered their way into the thick of it as she made her way toward the raised pillar. All it took was a running leap, and the girl scaled it quickly. Maybe a little too quickly. Was she really ready for this? Rumi looked down. She couldn't spot Zoey, but Mira's long reddish-pink hair stuck out from the demons and demonesses around her. No, she was ready for this. She totally had to be. The girl closed her eyes and counted down from ten. Once she reached zero, Rumi took a breath. She let it out. 

     "There once was a mighty demon king," she began to sing. The demons closest to her turned and looked up. "Totally in control,"

     "Control," Mira and Zoey echoed in song as they began to walk through the gathered crowd toward her father. She leapt from her place above and focused on keeping her descent toward him as smooth as possible.

     "The feaster of souls, feared by all," she continued to half-sing, half-speak, "save for a daring few. Maidens of the bright, singing in the night-"

     "Singing in the night," the friends echoed her again. They all reached the foot of her father's steps at the same time.

     "Bearers of the light," they sang as one. Behind her, she heard the demons hurriedly shuffle back. "And now," she spoke, "his flames run cold as he starves in the dark. Is this the end of him now? Will he let our fire go out? The dying king with his crumbling crown- will he let our fire go out?"

     "Go out," her friends repeated her for the last time. She stopped and waited. A chilly silence filled the air. Rumi tried to ignore the sweat that beaded on the back of her neck. The marks on her friends' bodies suddenly flared brightly. Rumi forced herself to remain calm as her father yanked Zoey and Mira away from her and pulled them up his steps. She instead took each step one at a time, trying her best to appear utterly casual. Mira grunted as the two other girls were forced to their knees before her father's fire.

     "Rumi," her father spoke softly. She heard the subtle fury in his voice and held herself tighter. She wouldn't flinch. She couldn't. Not when so much rode on her appearing confident. Rumi reached the spot where her friends knelt and bowed low to her father. "You use the voice your mother gifted you to threaten me?"

     "No. I know how to destroy the Hunters," she said. Her father paused. His tight hold on her friends loosened. Zoey gave a quiet gasp of relief. Mira stayed silent and unmoving. "I wanted your attention, and," she purposefully glanced back at the many demons watching her, "I've got it."

     "You will always have my attention, daughter," her father said. Even after all their time together, she still couldn't tell if he meant it as a loving promise or a threat.

     "With each passing day, the Hunters get closer to sealing the Honmoon in gold," Rumi raised her voice. "Our home will be plunged into darkness when they do."

     "And you think you can stop them?" her father asked.

     "I know I can," she replied.

     "How?"

     "We'll go after their fans. If we steal their followers' hearts and minds, the Honmoon will weaken and tear." Her father chuckled. The fire around him shook with it.

     "And how will you break a tradition hundreds of years strong?" And now came the scariest part of her plan. She put on her most confident smile.

     "My mother's voice stole the demon king's heart." Behind the fiery mouth, she caught a brief glimpse of her father's tall form as his flames fluctuated. Rumi clenched her hands and hoped that no one noticed. "The humans won't stand a chance against us." Rumi waited. Either her father would say yes, or he'd say no. If he said no... Well, that would make her plan almost impossible. Not totally, but close to. He had to say yes.

     "You may try, daughter," her father finally spoke. Rumi's heart soared! She had to fight the urge to grab her friends up from the floor and shake them in relief and excitement! Yes! Yes!

     "Thank you, father. I won't disappoint you," she said instead.

     "We will see," father replied. Her friends stood and bowed alongside her. She caught Zoey's eyes excitedly darting to her and Mira's. Mira gave a subtle shake of her head and a glare to keep the other girl from acting out. Rumi bowed lower so that no one would see her hopeful grin. Finally, she could start righting her wrongs. "Go now," her father instructed her, "and we shall see how you perform." She straightened and turned to walk back down the stairs. Her friends walked by her side. The other demons parted for them. A few demonesses wiped at their eyes in despair. She confidently smiled at them. She could do this. She would totally do this - no one would stand in her way! Head high, Rumi started back toward the palace grounds. They'd need to collect their stuff before they went to the human world.

     Maybe she could convince her friends to bring along more than they usually would. They'd need it. After they reached the humans, after she won- Rumi smiled to herself. No one would be able to stop her plan. Not the Hunters, her father, or her friends. All she had to do was win.

Chapter Text

     He'd seen it! As he sang on stage, surrounded by his fellow Hunters as they raised their voices in unison, a patch of the Honmoon drifting along the upper stage had turned gold. Jinu had wanted to fall to his knees and kiss the blue strands of energy beneath his feet. Finally!

     "So, you're finally being truthful, right?" Abby clapped a hand to Jinu's shoulder. The Hunter winced at their most muscular team member's strength. The team continued onward into the narrow hall of VIP concertgoers. Their mega fans cheered from behind marked lines as Jinu and the others strode across the pale pink carpet before them.

     "Wait." Jinu pulled himself from his dreams of golden energy. "What?"

     "You know." From beneath his pale blue bangs, Mystery smirked at Jinu. "We saw you on stage."

     "How could you have," Romance leaned forward to whisper in his ear, causing the fans closest to them to squeal, "hidden it from us for so long?" Jinu's blood chilled. His numb fingers slid down his narrow, long sleeves. They couldn't have slipped down during the performance. Then how had the team found out? His gaze darted to their adoring fans. Were the girls the only reason they hadn't run him through with their Honmoon weapons yet? Jinu looked back the way they had come. Did he fight his way out of Abby's hold or wait until they had stepped past the other door to try to make his escape?

     "I-" He thought he'd have longer. The Honmoon was so close to going golden. Every step that he took felt like walking closer to his grave. Why now? After everything, why-

     "Your smile!" Baby told him as he gave a wide smile of his own. Off to the side, a fan swooned. Jinu felt much like her in that moment. Not the adoration. But falling unconscious? Yes.

     "What do you-"

     "Come on, smile again!" Baby encouraged him. Jinu tried his best. His teammates cringed back collectively and then hurriedly pushed him toward the exit. "Not like that!" Baby stamped his foot once they were out of sight of the fans. "Your smile!"

     "I don't know what you're talking about." Jinu shook his head. His heart hammered in his chest. He was certain that if he were a normal human, he would've collapsed by now from stress.

     "On stage- when we saw the Honmoon turn gold!" Romance covered his heart with both hands. "I didn't know you could smile like that."

     "I smile all the time!" Jinu's relief was quickly turning to anger after terror.

     "Not like that," Abby insisted. "Like... Help me out, guys."

     "Like you saw a beautiful goddess," Romance clenched his hands over his heart, "and you were envisioning your brilliant future with her. It was so romantic." Jinu grimaced. As if he deserved love.

     "I was just happy about the Honmoon." He shrugged off Abby's hand. "That's all."

     "Hey, man, we're sorry. We didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. We just like seeing you happy, is all." Abby rubbed the back of his vibrant pink hair. The others gave little shrugs under the weight of Jinu's frown. The demon rubbed the end of his sleeve and then sighed.

     "Want to see me smile like that again?" The others quickly nodded. "Then practice your vocals and dance moves. I'll be happy when the Honmoon is gold." His teammates collectively sighed.

     "Of course, you'd turn it into a training session. We should've seen this coming," Romance muttered. Jinu smirked. They should have. Behind them, the door burst open. Jinu flinched and turned, as did the others. Bobby stared at them in wild confusion. What was-?

     "Come back! Our totally wonderful ultra fan didn't even get to talk to you boys, what were you thinking leaving so quickly!?" Ultra fan-? Oh. He remembered now. A special ticket that Bobby had listed as the front row seat, complete with an aftershow picture. Jinu looked back down the hall. He closed his eyes and envisioned that beautiful golden glow once more. He didn't have time for just another fan when he had to tell Celine what had happened.

     "Hey." As the others began to follow Bobby back outside, Jinu tapped Abby's shoulder. The taller man looked back at him. Jinu gestured with his thumb toward the hallway that led to Celine's temporary office. "Cover for me?" Abby gave him a thumbs-up and a nod. The demon ducked away and started for their mentor’s door. Now that his fear of discovery was fading, Jinu felt his excitement rising again. He stopped outside her door and took a moment to fix his clothing, brushing away the wrinkles at the hem of his shirt and making sure that his sleeves firmly covered his markings. The man knocked. Only when their mentor called out for him to enter did he open the door and let himself inside. As always, Celine’s room was sparsely decorated. A few posters of her sisters lined the white walls. And there, in the middle of her room at an easy to set up and take down desk, sat the long-haired woman.

     "Celine-" Jinu started. She raised a hand to cut him off.

     "I was watching the show. I saw," she told him. She clasped her hands together and lowered her head to her crossed fingers. "I saw. "

     "We're so close," Jinu said. He couldn't help but smile. Finally.

     "How are the boys?" Celine raised her head. "Are they ready for Golden?"

     "Golden?" The woman had worked on it for a decade. It was her celebration of victory, humanity's final farewell to demonkind as the Hunters sealed the Honmoon for good. He'd never thought she'd let the band sing it. Not while he was with them. "Are you sure?" Celine met his gaze.

     "This is the best chance we'll get," she told him. "The Honmoon is so close. If Huntrix can finish our fight, our song..." She trailed off. The woman reached out and touched the silver photo display on her desk. Jinu looked away. He knew whose face she touched. "Yes." Celine sat back and met his gaze again. "Your voices will seal the Honmoon." Jinu bowed to her.

     "We will," he promised. That she trusted him, a demon, to finish what the Hunters of old had started. He wouldn't fail her, he swore to himself. Not like he had his mother and sister. He could only pray that the gold would strip him of his markings and his guilt.

     "You think you'll earn your forgiveness?" Gwi-Ma's voice, cloaked in his own, whispered in his ear. Jinu winced. "You're just leaving them behind again." His sister's tear-streaked face flashed before his eyes. His mother's quiet, accepting grief. Jinu covered his eyes. He felt his fingers elongate into familiar claws.

     "Stop it!" He hissed out.

     "Jinu?" He heard Celine's chair scrape across the floor.

     "Only I can take away your pain. You know the price."

     "No!" Jinu stumbled back from the Hunter's desk. "Get out of my head!" Blue shimmered through his closed eyes. He heard boots hit the floor before him and felt the cool presence of Honmoon against him.  Jinu opened his eyes. Celine stood before him. Her gleaming blue blade lay pressed against his shoulder. Their gazes met. All it would take was a single slice and he'd be thrown back down into Gwi-Ma's clutches. Neither of them moved in the weary silence that descended.

     "-and I said she-" Abby's loud voice broke the silence as the rest of the team filtered in. "Uh. Are we interrupting?" Jinu didn't take his eyes off Celine. Her cautious gaze remained fixed on his.

     "Do you yield?" she asked.

     "Yes," he replied, not knowing what she was doing. Celine withdrew her blade and let it sink back into the cool depths of the Honmoon by her feet. The woman smiled at the other Hunters.

     "Jinu sought me out for training," she said.

     "You're always training, Jinu." Romance complained. "If you keep that up, I'm going to get abs just from watching you!" The boys joined Jinu and bowed to Celine.

     "You should all be training as hard as he is," their master told them. "We cannot afford to let our guards down. You were attacked today."

     "And we dealt with it, just like any other time," Romance casually said.

     "Do you think that will be the last time?" Jinu fought back a shiver at Celine's coldly serious voice. "The demons will have sensed the change in the Honmoon. Gwi-Ma will send more after you. We must never underestimate his desperation, understood?" Jinu bowed alongside the others again. "Make your two-week vacation one week." Jinu remained bowed as the others straightened and groaned. "Remember your sworn duty." His sister. His mother. He finally straightened. She smiled again at the others. "Once you've sealed the Honmoon, I'll give you a celebration only a Sunlight Sister could throw." That got her excited claps from the band. "Now go, Huntrix, you have a break to enjoy. Once you return, we'll see gold."

     The team wished their mentor well before filing out of her room. Jinu split off from them and made his way to his private changing room. The walls between them were thin enough that he could hear how the others planned out the various things they wished to do over their seven days of freedom. He leaned against the wall and listened to their laughter. See gold. Jinu sighed as he changed out of his tight, long-sleeved shirt for something more loose. He did it quickly, trying to ignore the faint glimmer of his markings as he covered them up.

     Once the Honmoon was gold, he wouldn't have to see his shame anymore. He'd be a human once again. Maybe then he would be free of the voices of his mother and sister. He hadn’t saved them, but surely they’d be pleased if he saved humanity. You know the price. Jinu shuddered at the memory of Gwi-Ma’s smooth voice. He cursed the day he’d ever listened to those honeyed words.

     “Never,” he promised himself. He’d never again fall for the demon king’s promises.

Chapter Text

     “Do you think they're still making Princess Byeol's Wonderful Escape?” Mira asked as they packed their bags. Rumi didn't know what that was. She looked at Zoey.

     “What is that?” the dark-haired girl asked.

     “What?” Mira snapped her case shut. Rumi ducked beneath Mira's long hair as she whirled to face them. “You've never heard of Princess Byeol?” Zoey shook her head. “How? It's only the greatest cartoon ever!”

     “U.S., remember?” Zoey said.

     “Rumi?” Rumi shook her head as well. From what little she remembered of her human aunt, Celine had never watched a lot of TV.

     “This is horrible. The worst!” Mira covered her face and then threw her hands up. “We're so renting the whole show when we get up there!”

     “Yes!” Zoey cheered her on. “T.V.! T.V.!” Mira joined her in the chant. They paused then and looked at Rumi. “Um…” Rumi tried to keep a straight face. It crumpled as she laughed, raised her hands, and chanted with her friends. She could understand their obsession with shows. She couldn't remember much of the few movies she'd watched with her human aunt. Since the demon realm didn't have electricity, she'd grown up reading books in the light of her father's flames. On their first trip back into the human world, her friends had snuck her into the nearest movie theater. A Romance of Knives. She could still quote the movie front to back. Maybe she could talk them into renting it to watch again.

     “We could certainly arrange that for you, miss.” They all turned at the sound of Auntie's voice. The older demoness, dressed in dark furs, stepped into Rumi's room and greeted her with a bow. The girls got up from Rumi's bed and bowed in return.

     “What're you doing here, Auntie?” Rumi asked her caretaker.

     “Our king wished for you to have a chaperone above ground, my Lady.” Oh. Rumi glanced at her friends. She hadn't planned on taking anyone else with her. But she couldn't make Auntie refuse her father. No one but she herself could do that. Rumi didn't think father would consume the elderly demoness if Rumi denied her presence, but it'd no doubt make things really awkward for Auntie.

     “That's actually a really good idea,” Mira said. “The humans would think it's weird that we don't have a manager.” Good point, Rumi thought.

     “A... manager?” Auntie looked between them. “I don’t know what that is.”

     “It’s someone who helps bands set up tours and marketing,” the reddish-pink haired girl explained. “There are a ton of other things,” at that, Auntie swallowed in uncertainty, “but since we’re not really a band, we might not have to worry about those things.” Rumi felt a little bad when the older demoness didn’t look so sure.

     “You got this, Auntie,” she encouraged the older woman. “You can always just smile and nod until we get back to you.” Auntie tried to smile confidently for her. Well, she definitely couldn’t say no to the elderly demoness now, not when she was looking at Rumi like that. The half-demon reached out to touch the woman’s shoulder. A spark of thought was all it took to transform the woman’s fur clothing into a teal and black dress that wrapped around her now thin human form. Mira and Zoey clapped for her.

     “So pretty!” Zoey fawned. “Now do me!” The girl raised her hands high as Rumi touched her elbow. A teal crop top and black pants with teal belts materialized in place of her normal black hanbok and hat. “Oooh,” Zoey rubbed her hands over the material. “I look fab!” Mira shoved the rest of her things into her case and then turned toward Rumi. The half-demon took her hand. A puff of pale pink and purple energy swept over Mira before dissipating. In place of her dark clothing, Rumi had dressed her in a golden skirt paired with a black crop top.

     “Oh,” her friend admired her thigh high boots. “You know me so well.” Rumi smiled at her. The girl brushed a hand along her own dress. With a puff of magic, it changed to a pair of comfortable shorts and a white top. She paired the top with a golden jacket to match her friends. Yeah, she thought to herself as they all admired their clothing. They were so totally ready to kick Hunter butt. Temporarily, she thought with a smile. Their outfits highlighted her friends’ beauty- how would anyone be able to resist them? The Hunters would fall head over heels for Mira and Zoey. And if they didn’t? Well, she could always help things along.

     “Are we ready?” she asked.

     “We’re so ready,” Mira replied.

     “So, so ready!” Zoey agreed.

     “I almost forgot! One last touch.” Rumi snapped her fingers and color matching half masks appeared before her friends. They caught them as she took her own. The half-demon put hers on, taking a few moments to adjust it. Good, she thought to herself. No one would recognize them now. Rumi reached out toward her friends. She took their hands in hers. Mira took Auntie’s hand as well. Rumi closed her eyes and thought of the surface world. Its bustling streets and multitudes of humans. She stretched her senses outward and pulled.

     One of the few weak spots in the Honmoon let them slip through together, and she opened her eyes to a dark alleyway. Rumi heard the casual conversations of the humans just ahead. Someone like father would’ve done more planning. Had everything set up prior to their arrival. He always left no loose ends. Rumi looked at her friends. She already had the people she wanted with her. Now they just needed to catch the Hunters’ attention. She looked up and squinted in the pale morning light. They’d gotten here a little earlier than she’d intended, but human time was always so hard to tell in the demon realm. At least she was certain this was the right city. She’d spent the weeks leading up to this thinning the Honmoon at small points around the Hunters’ location. And hadn’t that been exhausting, sitting along the bottom of the Honmoon and pulling at blue strands, all while praying that none of the humans would notice her work. Her prayers had been answered, given that they weren’t being attacked right now by said Hunters.

     “Good job, Rumi,” she whispered to herself. Phase One, complete. Now for Phase Two! “Are you girls ready for this?” she asked her friends. Both Mira and Zoey gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up. Good. Now to find the Hunters and give them a taste of their own medicine.

Chapter Text

     Jinu woke long before the other Hunters. He’d never needed much sleep after his turning, both due to his nature and his nightmares. He was half convinced that Gwi-Ma plagued him with them out of pure spite. The thought made his lips curl. Jinu eyed the shimmering blue beneath his feet as he finished setting out breakfast for himself and the others. Once the blue turned gold, he’d be free of the demon king’s influence. Free to see if it was truly Gwi-M’sa touch against his mind, or the work of his own conscience. He knew which one he’d prefer it to be, and which one it likely was. Jinu sighed as he sat down at the table. The demon ran his hand over the Honmoon that shimmered over the wood. The strands shifted beneath his fingertips.

     He looked up as Baby slunk out of the group bedroom. One after another, the other boys filed out after him. Mystery yawned as he took the seat closest to Jinu. The Hunters each sat and, after brief stretching and more yawning, dug into the food he’d made. Jinu ate as well. It was a quiet breakfast as the other boys gradually warmed to the day. The demon was content to listen to their planning for how the day would go. He didn’t add his voice to the mix, instead finishing off his meal and then collecting his plate along with the others.

     A quick trip to the local street vendors followed by a day full of movies? Not bad, he thought to himself. Maybe he would skip training afterward and let himself really have this day for relaxation. Jinu paused in placing the dishes in the dishwasher to fully think about it. A day purely for himself. How long had it been since he’d really let himself just… breathe? He knew what the other boys would say. Too long. And if they knew how long it had really been…

     “That sound good?” Romance leaned back in his chair to call out to Jinu. Jinu finished placing the plates away and nodded.

     “Yeah, sure.”

     “Yes!” Abby raised his hands in victory. The muscular boy leapt up from his chair and hurried back to their room. The others joined their tall friend as Jinu headed for his separate room. The demon eyed his clothing. He picked out his most casual clothes- a pale pink long sleeve shirt paired with dark pink jeans. Jinu checked the sleeves. Loose, but not loose enough to fall back if he lifted his hands high. The demon shook his arms. The sleeves stayed in place. He nodded to himself and then went for his wallet. He tucked it into his back pocket and stepped out just as the others finished getting ready as well. Everyone wore differing shades of pink mixed with white. Maybe he’d try to talk them into shopping for other clothes as well. His teammates definitely pulled off their looks, but seeing pink every day for as long as they’d been together did get tiring sometimes. Maybe they could try out red or teal. Teal would look good with Romance and Abby’s hair colors.

     “Are we ready, boys?” Romance asked the group. Jinu and the others nodded. “Good!” He clapped his hands together. “I’m going to buy so much chocolate.” Jinu let the others take the lead as they filed out of their apartment. It didn’t take long to reach the bottom floor, and he took a breath of fresh morning air as they stepped outside. He looked up at the rising sun and couldn’t help his smile. They had an entire week to themselves. The Honmoon had shown golden strands. Every day now was taking him closer to being pattern free and fully human. It would be a good morning, he decided.

     He smiled at several people as they passed by and waved to a child. The little girl went bright pink and hid her face against her mother’s leg. Jinu chuckled as they walked onward. It wouldn’t take long to reach the local market area. There would only be a few pop-up stalls open this early, but he was looking forward to what they’d have. Maybe he’d buy a few things for his teammates as well. They deserved his appreciation and gratitude for, albeit unknowingly, helping him come so much closer to regaining his humanity.

     Perhaps there would be a few blind box sellers setting up. The mystery boxes had become increasingly popular over the weeks, and he knew of several collector items that Baby and Mystery were trying to get. He pulled out his wallet and checked the amount of money he had. If anything was too much, he’d just use his card. He thumbed through his options- And stumbled to the left as a purple-haired girl collided with him. The girl fell to her knees as surprised gasps came from behind her. A girl with warm pink hair and another with dark hair frowned at him as- Oh no, was that the girl’s grandma? As the older lady with them covered her mouth.

     “I’m sorry, I wasn’t looking,” he apologized as he quickly offered the fallen girl his hand. He wondered why she and the others were wearing masks. Were they stage performers on their way to work? Her head tilted back to look from his extended hand to his face. With a smirk, she reached up past his hand and instead curled her fingers around the back of his lower arm. Um? Jinu clasped his hands around her arm and pulled her up. She rose smoothly to her feet, but when he let go, she let her hold on him linger. “Are you alright?” Still smirking, the girl finally let go of him.

     “Of course. Watch yourself, I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.” She tilted her head to slide her hidden gaze from his head to toe and back up again. Uh. Without another word, she stepped away and strode ahead of them. The girl’s friends and her grandmother joined her.

     “‘Watch yourself,’” Romance repeated once the women were far enough ahead. The boy gave an amused chuckle. “Aren’t you supposed to be the one with smooth moves?”

     “I’m not buying anything for you today,” Jinu informed him. He had smooth moves, okay? He had the smoothest of moves. He’d had four hundred years to perfect those smooth moves, thank you very much, he’d just been surprised.

     “Guys?” Abby’s voice drew their attention. The taller boy pointed ahead of them. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Jinu cocked his head at the pink and purple cloud of mist that spread across the street and fluctuated higher. It almost looked like… A dark form with their hands raised high stood in the middle of the mist. He heard whispers of curiosity and confusion from the other people around them as the mist drew more attention. Several people pulled out their phones to record the strange-

     “Listen to your heartbeat,” a hauntingly beautiful voice came from the mist. Wait. Was that-?

     “Beat, beat, beat, beat,” two more voices joined hers. The colors in the mist pulsed in time to their voices.

     “Listen to your heartbeat,” the voice repeated as the figure lowered its arms. The girl he’d run into stepped out of the mist.

     “Beat, beat, beat, beat.” The two girls who’d been with her stepped out to stand by her side. They placed their hands over their hearts and moved in rhythm.

     “You know the sound of my voice,” the purple-haired girl sang as she strode forward. Her friends walked alongside her.

     “Whispers in the dark,” they sang with her. She reached for the nearest person and stroked the back of her hand along his cheek. The man flushed as she drew closer.

     “You know I’d never lie to you- all I ask is this one thing. Dance with me, dear, dear, dance with me.” She took the man’s hands in her own and spun him along with her across the street. The mist followed at her heels, sweeping up to cover them both. When it swept down, she was gone from the man’s side. Where-?

     “Take my hand, I’ll hold you close,” the dark-haired girl sang as she stepped back into the expanding mist. Mystery startled back hard as she stepped out toward him. The girl took his hand before he could back away, using her other hand to run her fingers up his sleeve. How had she gotten-? “Let me guide you through the night.”

     “Let me hold you closer, dear. Listen to your heartbeat.” The pink-haired girl disappeared into the mist as well. She stepped out before them just as the other girl had and leisurely circled Romance and Abby, trailing her hands across their shoulders as she grinned. “You know I’d never lie, lie. Listen to your heartbeat, listen to your heartbeat.” Across from them, a woman who was recording began to fan herself. Jinu wasn’t expecting the hand that emerged from the mist to take his own. Caught off guard, and how had that happened, he stumbled forward as the purple-haired girl pulled him along with her. She swayed, her other hand going to his hip to guide him, and Jinu stared in utter surprise into her mask.

     “It quickens when I grow near. Beat, beat, beat, beat,” she sang. “Listen dear, listen here. I alone can snare your fears. All your whispers, all your cries, all your sorrows in the night. I’ll never leave you. Always by your side- I’ll make you mine, make you mine.” Her eyes flashed golden behind her mask as she smirked at him. Demoness! Cold shock fell over him like a frigid wave. Demonesses, here, out in the open! The girls raised their voices as one.

     "You know I’d never lie to you- all I ask is this one thing. Dance with me, dear, dear, dance with me. Let me take you in my hands,” they sang, “I’ll guide your steps, just close your eyes. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Listen to your heartbeat. Beat, beat, beat, beat. Listen to your heartbeat. Beat, beat, beat, beat.” The purple-haired girl released him as she twirled, and he stumbled back into Baby. His hands shook with the urge to call Honmoon into them and form his sword, but his teammate gripped his wrists.

     “Don’t! There are too many people!”

     “They’re demonesses! They have to die!” he hissed.

     “Not now!” Baby said in a low, strained voice. The girls moved as one back into the mist. Their patterns flared bright as their eyes glowed golden, illuminating the darkness around them.

     “I hear your cries in the night,” he heard the purple-haired girl’s voice rise. “Dance with me, dear, you’ll dance with me. I’ll take your hands and guide you through the night. Give me your despair- I’ll be your only star, light your way through the dark. You know I’d never lie to you. All I ask is this one thing.” She raised her hands and then brought them down. The mist dissipated. Their patterns were dark again, as were their eyes. She reached for the crowd and smiled as she finished. “Take my hand, close your eyes, listen to your heartbeat.” They all stood in silence for a moment. Cheers erupted from the crowd as men and women clapped. The girls bowed.

     “Thank you, thank you all so much for listening!” The purple-haired girl called out. Behind her, the other girls waved to the clapping people. “The Saja Girls will be performing again soon, so keep your eyes out!” Her mask turned to him, and she smirked. “You’ll never know where we’ll strike next!” Jinu shook his way free from Baby and strode toward the demoness. He didn’t know what he was going to do, but his blood rushed in his ears as he got closer and closer. Her smirk widened, gold flashing behind the shadow of her mask, and all four women disappeared in a puff of mist.

     “That was so cool!” Jinu was dimly aware of a woman calling out to her friends. “Did you get a recording too?”

     “The Saja girls? Have you ever heard of them?” a man asked his companion. Jinu stared at the spot where the demoness had stood. He’d let her get so close. Let her touch him, when he should have realized sooner what she was and put a stop to-

     “Jinu!” Abby’s hand on his arm snapped his attention to the taller boy. “Come on.” He looked ill at ease. “We’ve gotta tell Celine what happened.” Jinu let himself be guided back toward his teammates. Confusion and weariness weighed down on him as he joined them. No one spoke as they started back the way they had come. Demonesses. Ones so brazen as to openly walk in the sunlight and appear before them. Jinu clenched his hands into fists. He felt his fingertips elongate into tipped claws. He didn’t care if they pierced his skin. Whatever that had been, it was never going to happen again, he swore to himself. They’d hunt these demonesses down just like they had every other demon who’d slipped through the Honmoon, and return them to Gwi-Ma’s side.

Chapter Text

     “Did you see their faces?” Zoey laughed as she fell back onto her friend's bed. Rumi chuckled as she recalled the Hunter's face who she’d danced with. He'd been so shocked. Rumi sat beside her friend as Mira joined them. Rumi thought back to the Hunter's brown eyes.

     He'd been kinda cute. The way his gaze had darkened after their song, how he'd walked with such deadly purpose toward her. Rumi had to look away from her friends. Was that what it felt like to be hunted? She- Rumi shook her head. Maybe she'd incorporate that feeling into their next song.

     “They were kinda cute,” Mira said. Rumi glanced at her friend. The pink-haired girl flexed her fingers.

     “Oh, good, you thought so too?” Zoey turned a grin on them. “His hair was soooo perfect. Like, how'd he even do that?”

     “And that one's abs.” Mira sighed dreamily. “I could cook a meal on them. And the other one's face- so handsome.” She sighed again, this time more sad. “It's such a shame that they're hunters.” She looked at Rumi. “Your father's totally gonna eat them first once the Honmoon comes down.”

     “Second,” Rumi corrected her. The first, if Rumi had planned on actually going through with the plan she'd pitched to the girls, would've been Aunt Celine. She… didn’t like to think about that. It would be justice for what the woman had done to their family, but Celine had tried so hard to care for her in their short years together. Rumi shook the thought away. If her plan succeeded, her father would never have a chance to strike at the human. Rumi would never have to face such a thing. Mira scowled.

     “He’d have to beat me to it,” she said.

     “Same,” Zoey agreed. Rumi smiled at her friends. It was sweet of them to think that way. She looked to Auntie to see how the elderly demon was adjusting to her trip to the upper realm. Oh? Auntie held a white piece of paper in her hands.

     “What have you got there?” Rumi asked. Auntie handed her the paper. Rumi read through it. “An invitation to tonight's showing of Play Games With Us! for 8:00?”

     “I smiled and nodded, Miss,” Auntie said, “just like you said to.” She wrung her claws together when Mira and Zoey shared an awkward look. Rumi gave the woman a thumbs up.

     “Good job, Auntie!” They wouldn’t need to roll out their next song so soon, and they'd get even more exposure. The older demon gave a timid smile at that. “We'll eat here and then go back-” Rumi choked. She doubled over and clutched at her chest. The half-demon gasped for air.

     “Rumi!” Her friends were instantly by her side. Hot, everything was both too hot and too cold. Being in the upper realm had strengthened the half of her that was human, and re-adjusting to the thinner air in the demon realm hurt. She took large breaths, trying to get as much oxygen as possible. “Gwi-Ma!” Zoey cried out.

     Her golden eyes flared brighter. Both of her friends jerked, their patterns shining brightly as her father reached through their connection to him. The two placed their hands on her. She squinted in the light of the purple flames they poured into her. She wanted to pull back and cry out at the heat, but she endured for her demonic half. Just… a little more… Rumi felt the shift. Her next gasp brought enough air for her to breath and she slumped against her sheets.

     “Daughter,” her father spoke through Mira.

     “I…” She took another breath. “I’m fine. I’ll be fine.” She reached out to touch Mira’s arm as she looked into blazing golden eyes. “Thank you.” Mira’s other hand reached for her cheek but stopped just shy of touching her. Those brilliant golden eyes faded back to a paler yellow as her father released her friends. Mira shuddered as Zoey sagged against her. No one spoke for several long minutes.

     “It’s going to get worse, isn’t it,” Zoey whispered.

     “Yeah.” There was no use in denying it. Especially with how much they were intending to go between the two realms. Her friends hugged her. Rumi ran her hands through their hair. “I’m fine,” she assured them. Mira eyed her in obvious doubt. Rumi put on her best smile. “Come on.” She disentangled herself from her friends. “We’ve got a show to prepare for.”

     Their mentor’s office was dimly lit when they reached it. Celine had closed the blinds to the room. She sat at her desk. The light of her laptop screen illuminated her severe expression. Jinu bowed with the others and then straightened. 

     “A demoness girl band.” Their mentor quietly said. Jinu heard the faint sound of the girls’ singing come from her laptop. He couldn't help but focus in on the voice he knew belonged to the purple-haired demoness. She'd been so bold. He'd never had a woman take such liberties with him before. Not in his human life, and especially not as a member of Huntrix. “I've never seen anything like this.” Celine looked at them. “Did they lure anyone away? Did you see them steal any souls?”

     “No,” Romance replied. 

     “They were just singing and dancing,” Mystery said. The boy gave a baffled shrug. “That's all they did.”

     “They didn't even hurt anyone,” Abby added.

     “Yet.” Jinu said. The other boys looked at him.

     “Whatever their plan is, they need to be taken down,” Celine told them. “Did they give any hints about where they'd be next?” The boys collectively shook their heads. She sighed.

     “Break time's over?” Baby asked.

     “Break time is over,” Celine replied. Everyone slumped at that. “Get ready for patrols,” she told them. “I want the demonesses found.” After everyone had agreed, she spoke again. “I must speak to Jinu alone.” They nodded and left the room. Jinu and his mentor waited until several moments had passed. “These demonesses,” she said, “do you recognize them from your time… before.”

     “No,” Jinu said. “And trust me, I know I’d remember them if they had been there.” Celine closed her eyes. “I’m sorry.” He wasn’t sure why, but he felt the need to apologize.

     “It’s fine,” the woman murmured. She took a deep breath, rested her head in her hands, and let out a bitter sigh. “We’re so close. I knew Gwi-Ma would act, but I expected more attacks, not-” She waved her hand at the image of the three demonesses. “Whatever this is. Why are they singers? What is Gwi-Ma after?”

     “We’ll figure it out,” Jinu assured her. “Demons have never been ones for deception for long.” She raised an eyebrow at him. He decided to ignore that, because he didn’t know what to say in response to her unspoken point. “They feel strongly. If we can anger them, we could trick them into revealing their goals.”

     “Killing them would solve our problems faster,” she pointed out.

     “They wouldn’t stay dead for long.” Not if Gwi-Ma had approved whatever plan they were making happen, and he had to have for them to appear so confident. If they died, their spirits would return to the demon king’s flames. He’d simply remake their bodies and send them back to the human realm. Even with his decreased power it was still well within Gwi-Ma’s ability to do so.

     “No,” she agreed. “If we move up the release of Golden, we might be able to close the Honmoon before they returned. We-” Celine's phone dinged. She unlocked her screen and looked at whatever she had gotten. “We know where they're going next, at least." They did? “They'll be attending Play Games With Us! during the 8:00 slot.” She met his gaze. Jinu didn't need her to elaborate further.

     “I'll get the others.” It looked like they'd be hunting instead of relaxing tonight.

     “Jinu.” Celine stopped him when he reached the door. He looked back at her. “Be careful. If you're killed…” He'd be trapped in the demon realm again. Jinu nodded to her. He turned and left. Huntrix would wait until the show had ended. Once it did, their hunt would begin.

Chapter Text

     She’d have to thank Auntie when they got back. This had been so much fun! Sure, Rumi had had to make up some things about her past, but those were little details she was sure she wouldn’t have to remember. That aside, the hosts were so kind and funny! She didn’t really understand why they were in a chugging competition now. She’d bowed out first and now watched as her friends continue. They were less in a competition with the host and more in a competition with each other. The host choked, set his bottle aside, and frantically fanned himself.

     “So spicy,” the man gasped out. “So spicy!” Mira clenched her free hand into a fist. Zoey gripped the edge of her seat with her fingernails. They both continued to drink, eyes locked on each other.

     “Wow,” the other host whispered into his mic. The chanting from the crowd for her friends to keep drinking got louder and louder as the girls continued. Both Zoey and Mira finished their bottles at the same time. They slammed the empty bottles down on their desks.

     “Wow doubled!” The host who had declined to drink turned to his audience. “We have a first in Play Games With Us! history! Zoey-” The dark-haired girl stood when he said her name, “and Mira,” Mira stood as well, “finished their bottles!” The masked girls bowed to the cheering crowd. Rumi clapped along with the humans. “Well, we hate to end the fun tonight, but the Saja girls probably want to head out and plan their next hit song!”

     “Dance with me,” the crowd cheered, some taking the hands of those nearest to them and swaying together, “dance with me!” Out of the corner of her eye, Rumi caught something bright move in the shadows. Spotting dark pink hair led her gaze to the rest of the Hunters crouched in the darkness. She nearly laughed. If Huntrix had wanted to ambush them, they should have covered their bright hairstyles first.

     “Thank you, everyone!” Rumi raised her voice as she faced the crowd. “It was such an honor to be here tonight!” Together, she bowed toward the humans alongside Zoey and Mira. She listened to the cheering go on for a bit longer before she straightened. “It was such a pleasure to meet you,” she thanked the two hosts. “Thank you for inviting us on. Our manager will get in touch with you later. Maybe we could visit again?” Both hosts lit up at the idea. She gave them a parting smile and then glanced from her friends toward the exit. With a quick wave back to the hosts, she speed walked through the doors. Mira and Zoey followed at her heels.

     Come on, she thought, take the bait. What was more romantic than a fight? That was how her parents had fallen in love, after all. They’d trade blows with the boys for a bit and then disappear back into the under realm. Give the Hunters a taste of their moves- something to look forward to.

     “Hurry,” she urged her friends as they made it down the hallway to the exit. She heard the door they’d gone through open.

     “Why’re we-” Mira began.

     “Hey!” the dark-haired Hunter called out after them. He and his teammates burst out of the door they’d gone through. Rumi giggled as she pulled her friends through the exit.

     “There!” Mira pointed toward a building not far away. Zoey gasped in excitement as they ran toward it.

     “A bathhouse! Yay! Those are the best!” They really were. So relaxing! Rumi held the door open for her friends and stepped inside. Together, they moved further inward. The warm mist was pleasant to breathe in. She saw a few patrons in the farthest tubs, but they were laying back with their eyes closed. The door that she had come through smacked open as the boys followed them in. Rumi stopped and faced them.

     “We’re putting an end to whatever you’re up to!” The dark-haired Hunter declared as he pointed his Honmoon blade at her. Aw, how cute. They were playing right into her hands, and no one but she herself knew it. As one, the boys attacked. Mira and Zoey sprinted ahead of her and dodged cuts and swipes as they punched and kicked their opponents. Rumi ran toward the closest empty tub to her right and pushed off of it to leap over both groups. She landed behind the Hunters. The one with crazy defined abs swung around to face her. Nope, she thought, wrong opponent! He and Mira would be so pretty together! Not him and Rumi. He thrust his gleaming pole forward and she took a step back. She took another step away and glanced behind him to where Mira fought the other pink-haired boy. If she angled just right… Rumi ducked the gleaming pole and dipped her hand into the bath water as she danced away. She flung it into the face of the muscular Hunter, and he cried out in surprise. As he stopped to rub at his eyes, she struck. Rumi pushed him as hard as she could toward Mira. The boy collided with her friend and they both went down. Oops!

     “Rumi!” Mira tried to shove the boy off of her, but he grappled her and they ended up struggling on the floor. Oh good, he’d be able to match her friend’s energy!

     “Sorry!” Rumi ducked the dark-haired boy’s sword. She leaned down to trail her fingers over the Honmoon. It felt like dipping her hand into ice. She ignored the way her hand tingled as she pulled the blue strands tight and formed her own glittering purple sword. The half-demon grinned at the way the Hunter’s dark eyes widened.

     “You can use the Honmoon? How?” he demanded. She pressed a finger to her lips. Celine had taught her how to wield Honmoon when she was younger. The woman has always been fearful that demons would come for them. Led by her father, they had, and now she used her Aunt’s techniques against the woman’s replacement student.

     “That’d be telling,” she said with a wink. The dark-haired boy gritted his teeth in frustration. They traded blow after blow as both groups continued to fight. This was all going so well! Rumi was so pleased with herself- The dark-haired Hunter surprised her by lunging forward. His Honmoon blade clipped her side, easily cutting through the cloth she wore and slicing a line of pain there. She cried out and jerked back, covering the cut with her hands. The Hunter didn’t make a move to follow her. He instead stared at his pale blue sword. Her blood ran down it.

     “Rumi!” Zoey kicked each of the other blue-haired hunters away and ran to her side. Her friend tugged her further back before stepping in front of her. The dark-haired Hunter looked from his blade to her side.

     “Blood?” he whispered in horrified confusion. “How- Ugh!” He dropped his blade and clutched his head. The boy went to his knees as he cried out in pain.

     “Mira!” Zoey called out to their friend. The pink-haired demoness sidestepped the other Hunters to dash to Zoey’s side. They took Rumi’s arms and yanked her further away. The dimly lit bath house disappeared from Rumi’s sight as her friends teleported them away. Familiar dark skies expanded across her vision as the demonesses re-appeared in the under realm. They landed hard, all of them going down. Several demons wandering not far away gasped in surprise at their sudden appearances. Mira recovered first. She got to her knees and grabbed hold of Rumi again. Zoey reached for her as well. Together, the two teleported her across the barren lands around them as they aimed for her father’s distant light.

     Several more quick teleports brought her to base of her father’s flames. Rumi landed hard. She curled in on herself, tears in her eyes as her father emerged. Her side burned hotter than any of his flames. Her father pressed his hands over hers. His eyes flared a golden so bright she had to shut her own. That flaming heat was all she could focus on. Between the pain of her father’s flames and her wound, Rumi pulled her hands free to slam them against the stone. She cried out as tears wet her cheeks. The pain gradually decreased from horrific to increasingly manageable. Rumi gasped in relief as it continued to fade. She relaxed against the stone and focused on breathing. Her father straightened. He snapped a clawed hand out. Rumi was dimly aware of a distant shriek of surprise. The girl tried to catch her breath as something dark shot over her toward her father.

     “Where were you?”

     “I-” Auntie’s voice was thin with panic. “I’m sorry! I-”

     “What excuse do you have?” he thundered.

     “Gwi-Ma, please-!” Mira tried to intervene, but he pushed her friends back with a flick of his hand. Rumi’s father gripped Auntie’s neck harder. No, she thought. Auntie hadn’t done anything wrong!

     “Another niece gone while you were preoccupied,” he said. “I see that you learned nothing from your past mistake. Perhaps I should remind you.” The elderly demoness wailed, her claws covering her eyes as she thrashed in his grasp.

     “Haeun,” the demoness cried out. She was lost to her memories. “Haeun, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

     “Stop it,” Rumi gasped out. Her father ignored her. She inhaled, the stone beneath her reflecting the gold of her eyes, as she shouted at him. “Stop it!” Her voice echoed out across the barren lands. The Honmoon flickered red high above them. “It wasn’t Auntie’s fault! I told her to stay! Let her go!” Her father turned his blazing golden eyes on her. “Let her go!” Her father lowered Auntie so that the elderly demoness’s feet touched the ground. He finally released her. Auntie collapsed, huddling in on herself as she rocked back and forth.

     “Auntie.” Rumi reached for the woman. The demoness flinched back at her touch. The elderly woman wordlessly disappeared in a flash of purple. Mira and Zoey had recovered enough to make their way back to Rumi’s side. The half–demon pulled back her sliced clothing to check her side. Where there had once been her wound, now a purple pattern decorated the healed line.

     “Are you all right, daughter?” Rumi’s father crouched by her side. He touched the purple line.

     “I am now,” she replied. “Thank you.” Father touched her cheek and then drew her close. She let him, hesitantly placing her arms around him in a hug. He’d never been one for physical contact, but it seemed like he wouldn’t be letting her go any time soon. Below them, the gathered demons and demonesses quickly dispersed.

     “We are going home,” father told her. She closed her eyes and opened them to her room. Her friends appeared in a puff of smoke several feet away. Neither of them tried to get closer. Her father continued to hold her as he sat on her bed. Her eyes went to her newest pattern. She’d never been hurt like that before. She reached down and brushed her hand over it. “The Honmoon is too strong for me to go with you to the human realm. I’ll send the gumiho twins with you. We have much to discuss before then, understood?” She nodded, knowing better than to argue with her father now. That he hadn’t ended her plan right now was proof enough of how desperate he was feeling. This, she thought to herself as she touched her pattern again, was a small setback. Totally small, very much not big. Her hand trembled. She clenched it into a fist. It was fine, she told herself. Everything was fine. What was coming would hurt a lot worse than this. She could handle this. Rumi let herself relax in her father’s hold. She tried to ignore how her hand continued to tremble. This was fine.

Chapter Text

     “-nu! Jinu!” Jinu jerked free of his memories. The sounds of his sister’s cries faded from his ears as he looked into four sets of confused, concerned eyes. He put his hands to the warm floor and tried to focus on catching his breath. Where was… What had… The demonesses. He shivered as he remembered the feel of his blade catching on flesh. That was impossible. Demons and demonesses didn’t bleed. Their wounds “bled” red bits of demonic energy, not- Her blood had ran down his blade like thick, red water. He looked for his sword. Without his will to keep it in its form, the Honmoon had rejoined the blue strands beneath his knees. The demoness's blood lay spilled on the floor.

     “She bled,” was all he could say. The demon pointed at it.

     “What?” Baby looked back at the red. 

     “Demons don’t bleed,” Abby insisted.

     “She did.” The catch of his sword against her skin. Jinu shuddered. In all his long years of life, he’d never hurt anyone like that before. It shouldn’t have mattered, she was a demoness loyal to Gwi-Ma, she had to die before the demons succeeded in stopping them, but- Her pained cry rang in his ears. Despite the warm steam around them, he couldn’t stop himself from shivering. Blood. Demons didn’t bleed. They couldn’t. But she was a demon, he’d seen her patterns and eyes, so how had she bled? How had she sounded so in pain?

     The boys helped him up and hustled him out of the bath house. Mystery and Romance discussed how the demonesses they had faced had fought. How the dark haired one favored energetic takedowns while the pink-haired one excelled in acrobatic heavy hitting moves. No one spoke about the demoness he’d faced. Rumi - he remembered how the other demonesses had called out her name in panic. And past his horror, that further confused him. Demons fought together, yes, but they didn’t defend each other. Any who died returned to Gwi-Ma’s side to be re-made. There was no use in fighting protectively for each other. Yet they had. He just. He couldn’t make sense of it.

     The trip back to their band’s temporary home base passed in a haze as questions plagued Jinu’s mind. He could all too clearly imagine his blade in his hands and picture the demoness’s blood against shining blue.

     “Jinu.” Celine’s voice was pitched low and calm. The demon blinked. When had they reached Celine’s room? “Jinu, talk to me.” She stood before him. The boys were still by his side. “I need you to tell me what you saw.”

     “The demoness. We fought. I cut her, and she-” The feel of his sword catching against her side instead of smoothly sliding through. The unexpected sight of impossible red on his blade; on her shirt. “She bled.” Speechless, Celine stared at him. Demons didn’t bleed. It was one of the fundamental truths for Hunters. Demons never bled. Ever.

     “What?” The woman found her voice. She looked to the others for confirmation again. The other boys shrugged. They hadn’t seen, but Jinu had.

     “I swear, Celine.” What could he say to make her believe him. She needed to know. To understand. “I swear by my past loved ones.” It was the most serious pledge he could make. The one he would never make lightly, or dare to break. “The girl,” and he tried to remember what the other demonesses had called her, “Rumi-” Celine staggered back. She covered her mouth with a hand that shook.

     “Celine?” Romance reached for her. His eyes were bright with concern.

     “No,” their mentor whispered. “It can't be. She- You misheard.” To Jinu's left, Mystery shook his head.

     “I heard her name, too. The other demonesses called her, Rumi, right?” The other boys nodded in agreement. Celine reached for her desk. She leaned against it and then slid down to her knees.

     “No,” she whispered to herself. “No! You're wrong!” Jinu shared a look with his teammates. He couldn’t understand why she was reacting like this. It felt… wrong, to see her like this. It brought back uncomfortable memories of their earliest encounters with each other. Jinu decided that he didn’t want the others to see her like this. They were still so young. It wouldn’t do for them to look at Celine and recall her sitting lost on the floor.

     “Give us some space.” Jinu nodded toward the door. The boys hesitated. “Whatever this is, she needs time. She can’t get that if we’re all here around her.” Mystery chewed at his lip. He was the first to nod and turn away. The boy took Baby’s hand and pulled on it. Baby let himself be guided toward the door. Both Abby and Romance hesitated. When Jinu nodded to them, trying his best to look completely confident, the two finally nodded back. The team wordlessly left them. Jinu waited until the door had clicked shut before he turned back to Celine.

     “Celine.” He kept his voice low. “Celine, can you hear me?” The woman shook her head and then covered her face. Jinu moved to sit before her. He didn’t scoot closer, instead letting the woman have her space. The demon fell silent. Celine would speak when she wanted to. It felt too awkward to wait for her while completely still, so he tapped his fingers twice against the floor before him. He shook away the mental image of blood on his fingers.

     Derpy answered his call. The tiger slowly emerged from the floor in a pool of fluctuating blue. It rubbed against his shoulder and purred. Atop its head sat his bird. The bird gave a little squawk. It cocked its head at Celine before facing him again. It jumped onto his head in a flurry of feathers, turned in a circle several times, and then settled firmly in his hair. Jinu relaxed as best as he could under the comfort of his animals. The other demonesses had taken the girl away. They’d probably taken her back to Gwi-Ma. Jinu didn’t know what the king of demons could do for a demon who bled, but surely he had some way of healing her. He had to. Jinu didn’t know how to react if he didn’t.

     “Celine?” The dark-haired woman finally met his gaze. Her expression was open, vulnerably raw as jagged glass shattered underfoot. “Who is she?” he asked.

     “Rumi,” Celine whispered. She didn’t wipe away the tears that slid down her cheeks. “She was my niece.”

Chapter Text

     “He’s a demon?” Rumi hadn’t been expecting that. A full demon who could use the Honmoon? Who was working with Celine? Rumi… She didn’t know what to do with that.

     “I offered him power,” Gwi-Ma continued. “And he took it only for himself. He is selfish, daughter. In my nearly four hundred years of knowing him, never once has he done a thing for someone else where it did not benefit him.”

     “Then why is he working with the Hunters?” Why was he working with Celine? Why hadn’t her aunt run him through yet? That’s what she’d done to father, after all.

     “They do not know that he is a demon.” Rumi gaped at her father. Jinu had managed to trick-? “That woman,” her father’s eyes gleamed briefly, “knows what he is, but the others do not.”

     “But why is he with them?” Why was he trying to seal the Honmoon? Her father’s expression went sharp and bitter.

     “He thinks sealing it will absolve him of his sins. As if that gold will wipe away his regrets.” Did Celine think that too? Was that why she was working with a demon? Rumi thought back to her quiet days with her aunt. How Celine could never completely meet her gaze, the woman’s hands always hovering just shy of touching her. Could Celine look him in the eye? Rumi’s lips pulled downward. Her shoulders hunched and she pulled her knees to her chest. Why was he different? He wasn’t even half human. Why was Celine- Rumi tightly shut her eyes. No. She didn’t want to think about Celine anymore. She wasn’t doing this for the woman in any way.

     Rumi opened her eyes. She tilted her head to look over her father’s shoulder at her friends. The two girls sat side by side as they watched her in return. She was doing this for them, not her aunt. Nor, she thought with a touch of sadness as she looked at her father, her mother. What would he say if she confessed that when she tried to remember mother, all she could see was Celine? Rumi leaned forward to adjust her sheets and hide her expression from her father.

     “Jinu’s body will return to me should you manage to kill him. Now that you know he’s a demon, you will be more careful in fights. He’s stronger than his human teammates.”

     “Thank you for telling me,” Rumi replied. Not that she was going to kill the Hunter. That’d go against everything she was striving for. Her father got up from her bed. He turned to face her friends. The man stretched a hand out. His patterns gleamed in the low light. The patterns on her friends brightened in response, and both girls grunted as her father dragged them forward to his feet.

     “My daughter trusted you. You allowed her to be hurt.” Zoey and Mira flinched as his voice deepened. “I will consume you if you continue to be so weak.”

     “Yes, Gwi-Ma.” Mira didn’t dare look up at him.

     “We won’t fail her again,” Zoey promised.

     “There will be no second chances.” His warning finished, the demon king turned from them and made his way out. Zoey and Mira shakily got up from their places on the floor to finally rejoin her on the bed.

     “You okay, Rumi?” The dark-haired demoness quietly asked. She hesitantly touched the new pattern across Rumi’s side. “It doesn’t hurt, does it?” Rumi put on her best smile.

     “This? Nah.” She flicked a dismissive hand. “Barely a scratch.”

     “I’ll give that dirtbag traitor a scratch the next time we see him,” Mira promised.

     “We’re not there to fight them.” Rumi reminded her friends. “We just need to focus on their fans. Once we steal the humans’ hearts, their souls will be ours.”

     “Yeah!” Zoey paused then and cocked her head at Rumi. “Wait, wouldn’t they be your father’s?” Rumi ignored that.

     “The Idol Awards are our best shot at taking them down for good.” And her best shot at turning things in her favor. They’d have a little bit of time before then. Enough to push her friends at the boys and let good looks on both sides do the work for her. She already knew about the Huntrix boys’ upcoming fan meeting thanks to her father. And now that she knew Jinu was a demon, how her father knew so much about the meeting made so much more sense now. Not for the first time, Rumi was grateful that her human side kept her father from her mind.

     “We’ll show them how it’s done!” Zoey exclaimed.

     “Yeah!” Mira cheered with her.

     “Yeah!” Zoey joined in with the pink-haired girl. They both paused and looked at Rumi. She couldn’t let them down by not matching their energy. They were trying so hard for her.

     “Yeah!” Rumi raised her clenched fists high. The other girls jumped up and down as they shouted their determination skyward. Still shouting, still energetic, the two rushed from her room to start planning their next song. The moment her door clicked shut, Rumi lowered her hands. Her excitement swiftly faded as she sat back down on her bed.

     How much longer would she have with them? She was better than trick questions, Rumi thought to herself. She knew exactly how long she had left with them. She clenched her hands in her sheets as she tried to control her breathing. The half-demoness blinked hard. Don’t cry, she told herself. She couldn’t cry. Not when- A knock at her door made her look up.

     “Zoey? Mira?” Rumi called out.

     “Your father sent us, my lady,” a girl’s voice she didn’t recognize replied. Rumi patted her sheets down. It wouldn’t do to look unhappy before demonesses hand picked by her father.

     “Come in,” she told them. Two demonesses with long, curly orange hair stepped into her room. They moved as one toward her. Rumi stood from her bed to face them. They wore the same black dresses and hats as she and her friends did.

     “My lady,” the two girls greeted her as they bowed. She considered them. They shared the same thin features and dark green eyes. The half-demoness looked over them toward the door. She was sure her friends hadn’t lingered. They had a boy band to beat, after all. Rumi looked back down at the two demonesses. Two. That made her pause. Rumi reached up to run her hand down her braided hair in thoughtfulness. The longer she stared at them, the clearer she could see a better way forward unfolding before her. But first…

     “Rise,” she said. The twins straightened. She walked forward between them to circle each of the girls. They looked a little bit older than her. Neither moved as she inspected them.

     "Nari," the girl on her left said.

     "Duri," the other one said.

     “Are you loyal to my father?” she asked.

     “Yes, my lady,” they replied simultaneously.

     “Will you be just as loyal to me?” Rumi questioned them. Their gazes stayed fixed on hers.

     “We would never betray you, daughter of Gwi-Ma,” the one on her left answered. Rumi paused when she stood behind them.

     “Would you do anything that I asked?”

     “Of course, my lady,” the one on her right replied. The girl’s twin echoed her. Rumi reached out. She rested her hands on their shoulders. The half-demoness curled her fingers into the fabric of their dark dresses.

     “Anything?” Rumi relaxed her grip and let her hands drop back to her sides as she waited. They both turned to face her. Instead of bowing, the two moved down to their knees and knelt before her.

     “Yes, my lady,” they promised her in two voices as one. Rumi covered her mouth to stifle her disbelieving laugh. If she did this right, if the twins followed her orders to the letter, then her plan had such a better chance of succeeding.

     “Stand,” she told the twins. They got up. “There are humans who I want you to visit. Don’t hurt them,” Rumi emphasized, “and don’t steal their souls.” She grinned as she saw the beginnings of her plan coming together. “It’s time that they knew I have what they’re missing so much. Return to me after that. We’ve got a lot to prepare for, girls.”

        Her friends wouldn’t be ready for this. Neither would the Hunters. She'd thought she hadn't known what to do with the Hunter's demonic secret, but now? Now she'd have his help whether he wanted to give it or not. Her cheeks ached as she widened her grin. It was either grin or cry. She’d made her choice.

Chapter Text

     “Niece?” Jinu stared at Celine. The woman gave a small, miserable nod. “She's- How,” he asked. The girl had patterns. She was unquestionably demonic.

     “My sister always had a soft heart,” Celine quietly said. “A demon used that against her. It tricked her into thinking that she loved it and it loved her. If I'd known what it was doing-” Her hands clenched into fists against the floor. “It was the only thing she ever hid from me. When I found them…” Celine looked away. “I discovered Rumi afterward. She was so small. So… She looked so much like my sister… Then I saw her patterns. Everything I’d been taught told me that she was wrong, but I couldn’t finish my duty. I just couldn’t.” The trembling in her hands gradually stilled. Jinu wondered which demon had dared to approach a Hunter in such a way. How had they come together? How had the demon escaped Gwi-Ma’s influence long enough to do so? Had Jinu unknowingly met the man, or had the rogue demon been burned into non-existence as soon as the demon king had discovered his treachery?

     “Then why is she with the demons?” Jinu asked. There was no way Celine would have given the girl up. His mentor would have fought to the bitter end to keep her niece out of demonic hands. Celine finally wiped the tears from her cheeks. Jinu could sense the raw emotions from her gradually pulling back behind her mask of ice.

     “Gwi-Ma broke through the Honmoon. He found us and took her from me.” And hadn’t killed the girl? And the demon king had let her stay partially human? It made no sense. Gwi-Ma didn’t tolerate those he couldn’t completely control. “I spent so much time thinking that she’d died, that the under realm had killed her, but-” Celine shifted away from him. Stood and wiped away the last traces of her tears. “He has to be controlling her somehow. If we free her, I can bring her home. I could make up for what happened.” Her hands gradually curled into determined fists. “We’re canceling the vacation. You and the boys need to rest. I’ll release Golden tomorrow morning.” Tomorrow? She was moving up their schedule that quickly? “The stronger the Honmoon, the less control he’ll have over Rumi. If we can get rid of the demonesses with her and seal the Honmoon while she’s on this side-” Celine looked at him. He saw another wave of vulnerability go through her dark eyes for a moment.

     “We can save her,” he agreed. Jinu stood. His bird squawked and jumped off his head to land on the back of his tiger. He waved the two away and they sank back into the ground through their pool of blue light. His mother and sister would’ve wanted this. His mother would’ve fully supported returning a lost niece to her aunt. This was one more way he could atone for leaving them behind. “I’ll tell the others. We’ll be ready to go in the morning.” He nodded to her before leaving.

     Her niece. A girl who was half-human, half-demon. Jinu shook his hands out and tried to wipe away the memory of his sword catching the girl’s skin. Man, he really owed her an apology for that. Would she even want to look at him after what he’d done? He’d apologize the next time he saw her and explain that he hadn’t known what she was. After they’d sealed the Honmoon, he’d have time to really talk to her. A half-human in the demon realm. What was that like? Would she feel just as cold as he had upon being in the upper world? Maybe he could buy her blanket as a welcoming gift. Jinu made his way down the hallways toward the boys’ changing room. When he opened the door, he saw that the boys had gathered to sit around their center make-up table.

     “What happened?” Baby asked.

     “Rumi is Celine’s niece,” he bluntly said. Every boy’s mouth dropped open at the same time. “Gwi-Ma took her from Celine. We’re going to rescue her by taking out the demonesses with her and sealing the Honmoon so that Gwi-Ma can’t take her again.”

     “Celine has a niece?” Abby asked.

     “But what about her patterns? How does she even have patterns?” Romance questioned.

     “They…” How did he want to spin this? Did he tell the boys the truth, that the girl was part demon? What if they didn’t want to save her then? No. Jinu didn’t want to hear their response to that. Not when his own patterns itched in agitation beneath his clothing. “They’re more of Gwi-Ma’s tricks. She’s human- she bled.” And demons never bled.

     “Gwi-Ma can do that?” Mystery leaned forward in his chair out of utter disbelief. Jinu nodded.

     “Celine’s releasing Golden tomorrow, so,” he gave them as best a light-hearted smile as he could manage. “I hope you enjoyed our break.” Every one of the boys groaned just as he’d expected.

     “Hey, we’re saving humanity and  a girl. What more could you ask for?”

     “Sure,” Abby rolled his eyes. “We’re saving her, but you’re getting her.” What?

     “Come on, we all saw how she danced with you,” Romance said.

     “Are we sure the other girls are really demonesses?” Mystery asked. The other boys looked at him. “What?” Mystery crossed his arms. “I’m not the only one thinking it!” Romance sighed as he leaned back in his chair.

     “That pink-haired girl was a really good fighter,” he said.

     “Yeah,” Abby agreed. “I think she could’ve bench pressed me if she got mad enough. She was so good at grappling.”

     “The dark-haired girl had such pretty hair,” Mystery wistfully sighed. “It looked so soft. I wonder if we use the same hair conditioner.” Jinu looked between the boys. No, no, they were not doing this! They were not falling for the demonesses! Jinu slapped his hand down against the table. The boys startled and fell silent.

     “They’re demons. You guys have to stay focused. Sleep,” he held a finger up, “Golden,” he held a second finger up, “Rumi, and no more demons. Or demonesses!” He held his third, fourth, and fifth fingers up to then jab his pointed flat hand at every one of them. Baby shrugged as the others all sighed. Jinu covered his face. How had he gone from Celine crying before him to this? Humans were even more ridiculous than demons at times. Jinu straightened and smoothly turned on his heel to leave the boys’ room. The sooner he went to sleep, the sooner tomorrow and Golden came, the sooner he’d be free of his patterns.

Chapter Text

     “-down, down, down!” Rumi sang with her friends. It was the morning of the Huntrix Boys fan club meeting. She’d wanted to run through the routine one more time before she and her friends ascended to crash the meeting. “We got you now, now, now! We show you how, how, how!” She leapt alongside the other girls, waving her imaginary mic in time to their beat. “Saja Girls don’t miss! How it’s done, done-” Her throat closed on her and she staggered. The girl coughed. Her friends stopped in an instant and helped her sit on the edge of her bed. Rumi pressed a fist to her chest as she focused on taking deeper breaths.

     “Rumi? Can you talk?” Zoey asked her. Rumi took another painful breath.

     “Yeah,” she managed. “I’m fine.” Her next breath came easier. “I’m okay.” She was, dang it. “We should finish-” Mira pulled her back down to her bed when Rumi tried to stand.

     “We’re practically done. We’ve got this in the bag, Rumi.”

     “Yeah, relax.” Zoey flashed her a smile. “The Huntrix Boys are going down! So maybe you could lay down for a little bit? Maybe? Please?” Zoey widened her eyes in that infuriating puppy dog expression she knew Rumi found near impossible to resist.

     “No.” Rumi pushed Mira’s hands off of her shoulders. The other two girls shared an uncertain look. The half-demoness stood from her bed. “I don’t have time to rest. We’ve got a meeting to crash, remember?”

     “Of course.” Zoey sounded hesitant. “But-”

     “Then let’s go.” Rumi took both of their hands in hers and teleported them up toward- Only the run smack into the Honmoon. The other girls bounced off the glowing blue lines. All three sighed. It was getting harder and harder to get through to the surface world. Nari and Duri had barely been able to squeeze through in the earliest hours of the morning to do her bidding. Zoey and Mira had wondered where the twins were, but Rumi had thankfully been able to distract them from that question with more practice.

     The half-demoness growled in frustration as she pushed her hands harder against the Honmoon. Come on, she thought. Just come apart. Just a little bit. Just, just- “Open!” It flared wavering red beneath her fingers and she managed to slip her hands through. Rumi struggled up through the Honmoon and then turned to haul her friends up into the alleyway. They watched as it sealed shut into soothing blues.

     “Ow.” Mira rubbed at her shoulders. Zoey ran a hand through her hair. “That’s such a pain.”

     “Yeah,” Rumi half-heartedly answered as she looked around. There! The line for the Huntrix Boys meeting stretched around the block across from them. She grabbed her friends’ hands and hurried them out into the light of the early morning.

     They took their place at the back of the line and listened as Huntrix fans chatted amongst themselves. Rumi smirked as she caught sight of Nari and Duri’s matching orange hairstyles further up the line. To keep Zoey and Mira from noticing them, she took hold of her friends’ hands again.

     “So, what’re you guys going to do when…” She glanced at the humans ahead of them and lowered her voice. “When the you-know-what comes down?

     “Get copies of Princess Byeol's Wonderful Escape and have a marathon watch party with you guys.” Mira replied without a second of hesitation.

     “Get all the kimbap I can get my hands on! And french fries!” Zoey said as she excitedly clapped. Mira shot her a light hearted glare. “And eat it all while we watch the series?”

     “Acceptable.” Mira told her.

     “Are you sure you wouldn’t want to do anything here?” The line before them began to funnel forward. Rumi walked alongside her friends. “Nothing at all?”

     “Why?” Mira asked.

     “Yeah,” Zoey agreed. “We’ve got each other. That’s all that matters, right?”

     “You really don’t miss anything from before?” Rumi asked as the line continued forward. She could see the entrance ahead of them now. Nari and Duri’s vibrant matching hair disappeared from her sight as the twins made their way inside.

     “Uh, Princess Byeol's Wonderful Escape. Which is why we’re going to watch it. Several times.”

     “I can’t wait to have kimbap and fries again,” Zoey gushed. “I’m gonna get so much ketchup!”

     “Why’re you asking?” Mira questioned.

     “Well.” Rumi shrugged as they got closer to the entrance. “That divide coming down will be everything we’ve ever wanted, right? So we should think about what we want to get afterward.” Mira frowned as she cocked her head at the half-demoness. “Hey, look!” Rumi tugged her friends along through the entrance. “Ready, girls?” She tugged her hood down and let her long braid spill free. Her friends joined her in discarding the dark outer wear they’d worn over their outfits. It took only seconds for their actions to start drawing attention.

     “Look!” A human girl pointed. “It’s the Saja Girls!” Rumi grinned at her. The people parted before them as she and her friends strode to the front of the line. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught both Nari and Duri whispering to those they were with. Rumi let her smile slide into a smirk as she eyed the surprised Huntrix Boys before her.

     “I hope you don’t mind,” she demurred. “Our manager isn’t feeling well, so she wasn’t able to book us a fan meet up. Surely us being together isn’t a threat.” Rumi fluttered her eyelashes at the boys. They all looked at her with varying degrees of uncertainty. A short man wearing a pale blue jacket stepped forward and greeted her and her girls with a slight bow.

     “It’s an honor.” Rumi glanced at the lanyard that dangled around his neck.

     “Thank you, Bobby.”

     “You’re welcome.” He turned sharply from them and clapped his hands together. “Table, now!” Assistants of his quickly procured one and set it up. As she and her friends started for it, she heard a rush of feet. Rumi smiled when she saw that half of the Huntrix Boys fans had moved to stand before the Saja Girls table.

     “Bobby.” Jinu stood from his seat. “It’s fine. The Saja girls can sit with us.” They could? Rumi cocked an eyebrow at him. She hadn’t been expecting that. Staff pushed the two tables together and got three more seats.

     “We saw the new release,” Rumi said as she sat beside Jinu. “Golden. Such a catchy song.” Zoey snorted from her right.

     “Sure.” Her friend muttered. “Golden. Like that’ll ever happen.”

     “It’s a good song!” Mystery told her.

     “Yeah,” Abby spoke. “Way better than your dance song.” Mira laughed. She reached out to trail her fingers up the man’s too tight shirt before flicking him in the jaw.

     “In your dreams, muscle man.” The fans at the front of the line fanned themselves. Rumi smiled to herself before turning her gaze on Jinu.

     “‘I’m done hiding,” she quietly quoted the boys’ song, “‘now I’m shining.’” She leaned forward into his personal space and smirked. “But are you really?” Jinu frowned at her.

     “Of course-” He stiffened when she casually slung her arm around his shoulder and pulled him close.

     “Don’t lie to me, demon,” she whispered to him. The boy went pale at her words. “If you’re really done hiding, then I can tell your friends about you, right?” Rumi glanced at the fan who stood before them. Some woman with dark hair and a heavy blush across her cheeks. Rumi picked up her pen and gestured to the table. The fan put a small poster of Jinu down and the half-demoness signed her name across his neck. “Well?” Rumi offered Jinu her pen. The boy snatched it from her and scrawled his signature in the corner. The fan blushed even heavier as she snatched the poster up and scurried away.

     “Don’t talk to them,” he snapped. She grinned.

     “See? Then you’re not really done hiding, are you.”

     “Is Gwi-Ma forcing you to do this?” Jinu whispered his question to her as more fans passed before them. They took turns signing posters and pictures. She laughed at the question.

     “This is all me,” she assured him.

     “Then you’re lying to yourself too,” he murmured back. “Celine told me-” Rumi clenched her hand in his shirt and dragged him close. He looked at her with wide eyes as she whispered into his ear.

     “Never talk about that woman to me. She doesn’t matter.”

     “She has to,” the Hunter insisted. “She cried when she talked about how Gwi-Ma took you-”

     “He rescued me,” Rumi corrected him. They signed another poster together. “I just didn’t know it at the time.”

     “He’s brainwashed you,” Jinu insisted. “He doesn’t care about you. He doesn’t care about anyone.” That wasn’t true. She could remember her father’s arms around her when they’d returned to the underworld together. How he’d held her close as she’d cried for Celine and sprinkled her hair with his own relief filled tears. He hadn’t shied away from looking her in the eyes. He had been able to hold her without any hesitation. That was more than Celine had ever managed!

     “Hey, boys,” Rumi began to raise her voice, “Jinu just told me-”

     “Don’t!” The demon lowered his head. Desperation made his voice so pretty. She shifted to face him.

     “Then don’t talk about things you know nothing about.”

     “Cel-” Rumi narrowed her eyes at him. “Our manager,” he quickly corrected, “told me about you. I know what you are. Who you are.”

     “I’m my father’s daughter.” How was he not understanding what that meant? Her father would’ve never lied to her about the boy’s demonic nature. He’d met her father. He knew what life was like below the Honmoon. “And I know exactly what you are, you selfish traitor.” Not that she could cast any stones there, but no one needed to know that yet. The line of fans began to thin. “You want to talk about me? No. I want to talk about you.”

     “Gwi-Ma lied to me too-” Jinu tried to begin. She cut him off with a laugh.

     “Try better. Or were you really going to try to lie to me,” she leaned closer again, “about your mother and sister?” He flinched back from her. She smirked at the hurt that flashed across his face. “You really don’t have any familial faithfulness, do you? Pathetic.” Rumi signed another poster. She swallowed back the bitter taste in her mouth. She'd never liked digging into people's pain, father had a stronger stomach for it than her in that regard, but she had to do this. “I know you, Jinu. I know what you are, and that,” she turned another smirk on him, “is why you’re going to help me.”

     “I want to!” Jinu scrawled his name across another poster. “Come with me after the meeting. If you can slip away from the demonesses, we can talk.”

     “Are you sure you won’t stab me again?” Rumi ran her hand across her side. The boy looked gutted. He was so easy to toy with. This was going to be much easier than she’d planned.

      “Never. I’d never hurt you. I promise.” Rumi cast her gaze over the few remaining fans. Any moment now…

     “Mira?” The family beside Nari hesitantly stepped forward. Mira stiffened as she recognized the boy who’d spoken her name. “Is that really you?” He’d grown up a bit since Rumi had last seen him through Mira’s eyes, but there was no mistaking the familial resemblance.

     “Zoey?” An older man and woman left Duri's side. They approached the table. The woman tightly clutched her hands together. “Zoey!” Zoey’s father took his daughter’s hands in her own before the girl could move. “Oh, oh, Zoey. It’s okay, honey, we’re here now.” The woman’s eyes watered. “We finally found you.” Rumi flattened her expression into one of utter disinterest. As expected, her friends looked at her in sharply growing nervousness.

     “Well?” Rumi stood from her seat. She let her pen flop down on the table. “Come on, girls.” Both of the girls’ families looked at her.

     “Who are you?” Mira’s father demanded. Rumi didn’t reply. She instead grabbed Jinu’s wrist and pulled him up from his seat.

     “Follow me,” she hissed into his ear, “or I’ll tell everyone that you’re a demon.” The boy paled as he immediately fell into step behind her. She guided him toward the exit. “Well?” Rumi raised her voice at her friends. “I’m not repeating myself. Follow. Now.” As expected, they didn’t.

     “Hey!” Mira’s brother pointed a shaking hand at the half-demoness. “Don’t you dare talk to my sister that way!”

     “Rumi!” Zoey had tipped from nervousness into full on panic. “Wait!” Rumi didn’t. She dragged Jinu out into the hallway with her and pulled him along as she weaved her way down several hallways. The half-demoness tried her hardest to ignore the queasy cramping in her stomach. She could do this!

     “What was that?” he asked her. “Who were they?”

     “People,” she dismissively stated. Knives, she thought. “So,” she changed the subject. “You were lying.” Jinu shot her a confused look. “In Golden.” Rumi moved and pushed his sleeve up to reveal his patterns. He jerked back from her and hurriedly shoved the fabric back down. “You’re still hiding. Good.” The half-demoness patted his sleeve as she smiled. “I like that about you.”

Chapter Text

     This was Celine’s niece? Jinu’s skin crawled as her eyes gleamed out at him from beneath her mask.

     “What do you want?” he demanded. She smiled at him.

     “Not much,” she replied. “My friends,” the girl continued, “are going to be your friends too.” What? “We’ve got a few days before the Idol Awards. We should get to know each other.” Jinu didn’t understand. By the Honmoon, what was she doing? “Korea’s two hottest bands together?” Rumi stepped closer. She took his arm so that he couldn’t pull away and laid her head against his shoulder. The half-human’s left eye shone golden up at him. “You pick the place. You-” Her confident expression slipped for a moment into something more uncertain. “I… Uh, don’t really know a lot of places.” Jinu managed to extract himself from her grasp.

     “Just come with me,” he said. “We can protect you. If the other girls come for you, we’ll-” Her hand snapped out to dig into his shoulder. Jinu winced at her strength.

     “You’ll what?” Jinu hesitated. “Mm? Celine got your tongue?” She leaned forward into his space. “Touch them and I’ll scream your secret from the rooftops.”

     “Why are you protecting them?” he asked. “They’re just like Gwi-Ma, keeping you in the underworld!” She tilted her head.

     “You think they’re the ones pulling my strings?” The girl laughed. “No.” She took his hand before he could step further back. The half-human placed her other hand on his hip. She swayed them both together just like she had during their first meeting. “They’re dancing to my tune, Jinu. Just like you are.” Her hand turned to smoke in his, and Jinu stumbled as she reappeared several feet away. “Remember. You, me, our girls and boys. Pick a place before the Idol Awards. I’ll be waiting.” She disappeared before he could speak again.

     Jinu rubbed his shoulder. She made no sense. How was this the girl that Celine had been raising? What lies had Gwi-Ma used to twist her in such a way? He sighed as he ran his hands through his hair. There had to be a way to reach her; bring her back. He’d speak with Celine about her niece, then start planning their meeting. Huntrix would close the Honmoon for good with Golden. He had to make sure that she was on the right side before the way between the two realms closed forever. If he could get her to Celine, their mentor would be able to break whatever control Gwi-Ma held over the girl. Maybe, he thought as the door ahead opened and his concerned teammates rushed to him, he could use their meeting in his favor.

     Both Zoey and Mira were gone. Had they fled back to the demon realm? Good. Rumi glanced around the room. The two families were the only ones left. She smiled at them as she stepped inside. Mira’s father noticed her first.

     “You. Who are you?” Mira's father demanded.

     “Me?” Rumi smiled at them. She let her eye and patterns glow. “I'm the demoness who took your girls’ souls.” She patiently waited as they all expressed varying degrees of disbelief. Once the room had quieted down, she extended her hand. The half-demoness focused her power. Fluctuating purple and pink flames burst to life in her palm. The two families before her paled. She smirked at their expressions as she toyed with the flame. She let the fire flicker up her arm. It warmed her as she wound it down her form. Thoroughly wreathed in fire, Rumi looked back at the families. “Believe me now?” Mira’s brother stepped protectively in front of his parents. How cute. Like he could do anything if she wanted to hurt them. Rumi dissipated the flames with a snap of her fingers. “Do you know why I invited you here today?” Zoey’s deathly pale mother shook her head. “I’m feeling… generous.”

     “Just say what you mean!” Mira’s father demanded.

     “You’re getting your daughters back.” She smiled and showed her teeth. “Free of charge. I know, so kind.”

     “Why? Why would you take them and then-” Mira’s mother began to ask. The half-human cut her off.

     “Oh, you’re not getting them back immediately,” Rumi said. “They’re useful to me for a little bit longer. Once that’s done? I don’t need them anymore.”

     “When?” the brother asked her. “When will we-”

     “My people will get you when the time is right. Be good humans and wait your turn.” Rumi flicked her fingers in a show of disinterest before she refocused her power and returned to the underworld. Good. This was all going well. The families had come. Mira and Zoey had seen them. Jinu was going to be firmly under her thumb. The heat of the demon realm pushed down on her. Rumi wiped the sweat from her brow. She sat against the wall instead of trying to make it to her bed. Just breathe, she told herself. In, out. In, out. She clenched her hands together to avoid touching her neck. Every breath took effort. Father would be able to help, but she didn’t want him to come. His presence would alert Mira and Zoey. She wanted them to be more focused on themselves than on her. She curled in on herself and tightly shut her eyes.

     “I can do this,” she told herself. “I can.”

Chapter Text

     Jinu watched from the sidelines as his teammates pondered the newest turn in events alongside Celine. Before them on the woman’s work table were two missing child posters. The two girls that looked out at them were clearly Rumi’s teammates.

     “So they were people before becoming demons?” Mystery picked up Zoey’s picture and turned it this way and that. Baby tapped the boy’s shoulder. Mystery handed the photo and included info to him.

     “I thought all demons were ancient,” Romance said as he studied the little girl who glared out at them from her photo. Mira’s crossed arms and hunched shoulders would’ve been cute if Jinu didn’t remember the smirking demon she’d grown up into.

     “They should have been.” Celine murmured. She frowned as she looked between the two pictures. “The stronger the Honmoon gets, the weaker Gwi-Ma’s influence on humans grows.”

     “Then how’d he reach them?” Abby asked.

     “I don't know," Celine reluctantly admitted.

     “Maybe Gwi-Ma took them.” Romance put forward. “Like he did your niece, Celine.”

     “Then we could save them too!” Mystery took back the picture of Zoey.

     “We don't know anything yet,” Jinu cautioned his teammates.

     Truly, this felt like stepping out onto a stone bridge before checking it. He was missing context that would explain the Rumi’s baffling moves, but who could he talk to about that? Celine? They’d worked together for years, but would she take the word of a full demon that cast mud on her niece? He doubted that. Could he discuss it with his teammates? No. Not with how they were looking at the girls' pictures. No one became a demon for good reasons. Jinu found that he didn't want to know what bargains the two girls had made with Gwi-Ma. He didn't want to discover how his friends would react. The memory of his own desperate selfishness felt like rotten food souring in his stomach. Jinu abruptly pulled away from the group. He covered his mouth. Don't think about it. Don't think about them. If his family had survived his abandonment of them, had they gone on to have more family?

     He remembered the way the two girls’ families had reached for them in desperation. Had his sister escaped poverty through marriage? Did he have family out there somewhere, people he didn’t know about and didn’t deserve to interact with? Jinu’s stomach ached. He clenched his hands into his shirt and twisted the fabric tight. It felt hard to breathe. He couldn’t be there anymore. Not with Celine and the others. He couldn’t- Jinu crossed to the door and pushed his way out into the hall. Blue strands flickered in warning of a demon trying to breach the Honmoon. Good. He felt like sinking his claws into something other than himself. Jinu barely took the time to call out that he’d take care of whatever demon had crossed over. He shut his eyes as soon as the door clicked shut and teleported away.

     She’d thought coming to the surface would help! Every breath felt like ice in her throat instead. Rumi couldn’t even tell where she’d clawed her way up into. Somewhere outside. She couldn’t hear any humans close by. Going back down wouldn’t help. She was trapped between the suffocating heat of the underworld and the bone-chilling cold of the human realm. Rumi dug her nails into her arms as she fought to calm down. This would pass. It always did. She just had to outlast it.

     An unwanted thought wormed its way into the back of her mind as she struggled to control her emotions. Was this what it would be like when the Honmoon went golden? She’d always known what that would bring, but knowing and feeling it, or something as close to it without dying as she could get- True cold flashed through her at the thought. Rumi couldn’t stop her tears. She wanted her dad and Zoey and Mira. She wanted everything to go back to the way it had been when she’d been younger, so happy with her newly turned friends before she’d matured enough to realize what exactly she’d-

     “Mrrrr?” The loud purr of a cat made Rumi’s eyes snap open- That was no cat! Rumi shrieked in surprise at the massive blue tiger before her. She pushed herself up and scrambled back, but she didn’t move fast enough. The huge thing leapt onto her. Pinned her down. Rumi felt her fingers elongate into claws as she drew in another breath to- The tiger licked her. Her scream died a confused death in her throat. The huge cat licked her again. Its rough tongue cleaned her cheeks. Rumi lay frozen as the beast briefly widened its stance to tower over her. The thing then lowered itself down to cover her entirely, trapping her against the ground. Its massive paws rested near either side of her head. It purred again as it rubbed its cheek against hers. A disgruntled squawk drew her wide eyes to the- Did that bird have three eyes? And a little hat? The bird fluttered down off the back of the tiger to land on the middle of her forehead. It cocked its head and blinked its many eyes down at her. What the-

     A puff of purple smoke made her start. As much as she could start beneath the warm, unmoving weight of the tiger. Jinu solidified to her left, his eyes gleaming gold and his patterns showing as he raised a clawed hand high- And froze. And stared at her. She stared back at him. For a long moment, no one moved.

     “Oh,” he said.

     “Oh,” was all she could echo back.

Chapter Text

     They sat together on a high, tiled rooftop. Celine's niece shivered under the blanket he'd gotten for her. Jinu waited by her side. She'd warm up eventually, he knew.

     “They don't realize how cold it is up here,” he said as he nodded down at the humans going about their midday work below. “When I went through my first snow-” He gave a small laugh. “I thought I was going to die again.” That had been a miserable time. He'd only had a distrustful, heartbroken Celine for company back then. She'd thought he'd been deceiving her until he'd made her touch his chilled skin.

     He glanced at Rumi. She didn't look at him. She hadn't looked at him since he'd gotten Derpy to finally roll off of her. Speaking of his tiger… Jinu tilted his head to catch Derby's large eyes. He made subtle shooing motions. The large cat slowly blinked at him. No comprehension shone in those vibrant eyes. Jinu glared. Liar, he thought. The tiger leaned further against Rumi and the girl continued to pet its fur. Rumi looked from the tiger to the magpie nestled on her knee.

     “Why does your bird have a hat?” she finally broke her silence to ask.

     “I made it for the tiger,” he said, “but the bird keeps taking it.” The girl snorted.

     “You’re a terrible liar.”

     “Hey, I'm a great liar,” Jinu protested. “I work with demon Hunters every-”

     “Do you like being here?” She suddenly interrupted him. “The human realm, I mean.” Jinu felt his heart lift at her question. If he could start to sway her from Gwi-Ma’s side this way…

     “I do,” he answered. Being in the demon realm had been a daily undeniable reminder of his past. His deal with the demon king and what he'd gotten in return. Thinking back to those early days dampened his emotions. It was so easy to remember his horror and regret. His fear.

     The terror that any morning he'd find his sister or mother amongst the demonic horde. He'd left them to poverty and starvation. He wondered, not for the first time, if the demon king had reached out to his family. If Gwi-Ma had whispered hopelessness in his sister's ear as their mother weakened. Promised his mother food and warmth for his sister. Jinu shuddered. He felt a light touch on his arm and jumped. Rumi startled when he jerked back.

     “Are you okay?” she asked.

     “I'm fine.” Jinu shook his head. He had to focus. The boy softened his voice. “I should be asking you that.” It hadn’t been hard to see the signs of stress on her when she’d been pinned beneath Derpy. “Did Gwi-Ma hurt you?”

     “What?” Rumi dropped her hand from Derpy’s neck. The tiger rubbed his large head against her shoulder. “No. That was just…” she hesitated. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

     “Then we won’t.” He didn’t want to press the issue. She could flee down to the underworld if he did. Jinu never wanted to step foot in that place again. “You asked if I liked being here? I do. The humans have so much great food here. They have air conditioning.” He couldn’t help his smile at that. “The others don’t get how amazing it is. Being able to walk into a building and feel the cool air? I wouldn’t give that up for anything.” Jinu glanced at her. She had a slight smile on her face as she stared out at the skyline. 

     “When I was younger,” the girl slowly started. “Celine had this giant tree at her place.” Jinu knew what she spoke of. He’d trained in the shadows of its branches during Huntrix’s rare breaks. “We’d sit by its trunk, and sometimes she’d do my hair.” The girl ran her fingers over her braid. Her smile faded. “Why?” She looked at him. “Why are you different?” What did she mean? “She could barely look at me, and I’m half-human. I’m her niece. Why can she look at you?”

     “When she first saw me, she tried to run me through,” Jinu told her. “She chased me for months,” he continued. “I didn’t know where to go. Everything was so different from what I remembered. So, I tried to go home.” Home hadn’t been there. Seeing pristine houses and happy families where there had once been squalor and his family… He shut his eyes and pushed that memory down. “She found me there, and then-” He hadn’t moved at the sound of the Hunter’s approach. He’d stayed on his knees and continued to weep at the cold reality that he couldn’t fix what he’d ruined. That he couldn’t save his family and make everything right. “She said that I was the second demon she’d ever seen cry. She didn’t like that. It went against what she’d been taught- that we were unfeeling monsters.” Rumi shivered at the word. “She’s had time to change.” Mostly. Compared to what she’d been like back then. Jinu’s gaze drifted downward. It was easy to see how much more at ease the woman was around Jinu’s human teammates, but she relied on him enough to trust them all with Golden. She’d obviously trust her niece more. Jinu just had to bring Rumi around to the thought.

     “If you say so,” Rumi said.

     “For a long time, hope only hurt. Now,” he looked at her, “we’re so close to sealing the Honmoon. It’ll change everything. The human realm won’t need Hunters anymore. We’ll be free to be whatever we want to be.”

     “Free,” she murmured. The girl pulled her knees to her chest. She leaned her chin on her arms. “I-” She glanced away and then back at him. “I want to be free of what I’ve done.”

     “I do, too.” Jinu agreed. He lifted his hand and let his patterns flare across his skin. “The only way we can be free is if the Honmoon is sealed.” Rumi turned her head to rest her cheek on her arms. She faced away from him.

     “What about Zoey and Mira?”

     “What about them?” he asked.

     “I feel bad for them.”

     “They were the ones who made deals with Gwi-Ma, not you,” Jinu told her.

     “But they’re my friends,” she insisted. “I can’t leave them behind.”

     “Then you don’t have to.” He was taking a risk by saying that. Celine had somewhat accepted him. Could he convince her to accept two more? He would. If it would get Celine her niece back… He could talk his mentor into it. “We can make sure that all three of you are on this side when the Honmoon goes golden.” Rumi finally looked at him.

     “Promise?” she asked. Jinu nodded. She smiled at him. “If you break it, I’ll break you, got it?” He couldn’t help but chuckle.

     “Got it.” The Honmoon beneath her turned red and she wordlessly slipped away back into the underworld. He waited until it sealed shut again to stand. All right, Jinu told himself. He just had to bring Celine and the others around to the idea of rescuing two demons along with Rumi. He could do that. Totally. Jinu thought back to how the boys had looked at the girls. Okay. He’d start with his teammates first and then work his way up to Celine. Warmth pressed to his leg and he looked down at Derpy. The tiger blinked his massive eyes up at the demon. “Yeah,” he said as he ran a hand through the tiger’s fur before reaching down to adjust Sussie’s hat. “I can do this.” He took a deep breath and teleported away.

     A flash of pink and purple flames was the only warning Rumi got before her father’s arms wrapped around her. Her gentle glide downward abruptly stopped. The dark underworld blurred and then came into focus again. He’d teleported them both to the top of his throne. Father let her go and then stood to his full height. Rumi shook her head as she tried to get her bearings.

     “‘I want to be free from what I’ve done,’” he quoted. Rumi froze. She hadn’t been thinking about how her father could see through Jinu’s eyes and hear his words. And her words. “Do you have regrets, daughter?” Think, she told herself, think.

     “I do.” Rumi relaxed her posture as she leaned back and looked up at him.

     “Then tell me, Rumi. What are they?”

     “Mira and Zoey.” He waited. “I’ve been thinking about what happened in the bathhouse. You’re right. They’re weak. We won’t win this with weakness.” Or her own doubts and growing fears. “We’ll win it with strength.” She had to shut it all away and aim with everything she had toward her goal.

     “Ah.” He nodded. “I was curious about what you were doing with the twins.” She’d wondered how much of her practices with them he’d been watching. It was good to know that he knew. Another reminder that she couldn’t afford any slipups.

     “Zoey and Mira are going to suffer for their incompetence.” Her father’s smile held pride in it. “And after they fall, Huntrix’s fans are next.”

     “Good. You’re finally growing into your role. A princess cannot tolerate setbacks.” He waved his hand over her. For a moment, his flames wreathed her shoulders and flowed downward to rise around her. “And a queen cannot tolerate failure.” The flames dissipated. He crouched down before her. His fingers were warm as he cupped her cheek. “When the time comes for me to join your mother, you’ll be strong enough to survive your crowning.”

     She smiled to hide how her heart twisted at his words. Was he strong enough to survive her plan? This would hurt him so much. It’d be like mother all over again. The thought of that gave her the bravery to rise and hug him. He hesitated before wrapping his arms around her. I’m sorry, dad, she thought. He’d lived before her and mom. He’d live after them. Everything would be better. Everyone would get better. Even father would. He’d move on with time, just like they all would. Rumi drew back.

     “I have to practice.”

     “Go,” father told her. She vanished from his sight and returned to their home. Nari and Duri were already waiting for her. No doubt her father’s work. Rumi let out a breath to calm her nerves. There were only three days left before the Idol Awards. This had to be flawless. She had to be flawless.

Chapter Text

    Jinu had gathered his teammates in their changing room for this. The boys had nodded along as he'd filled them in on his conversation with Rumi. To his relief, none of them had outright said no yet.

     “Their families are probably so worried about them,” Romance said. The pink-haired boy looked between his friends. “Of course we've got to save them, right?”

     “Yeah,” Abby agreed.

     “But is that really okay?” Baby asked. The boy chewed on his thumbnail as he looked between the two missing children's posters. “How do we know they'd go with her if she joined us? This could be a trick.”

     “I don't know,” Jinu admitted. He leaned back in his seat to ponder it as the other boys looked at each other around the table. “When we had the fan meeting,” he began, “Rumi wanted me to set up a meeting between our bands before the Idol Awards.” He still couldn’t understand why she wanted that. “She wanted all of us to go. Maybe we could use that.” The boys exchanged looks.

     “Did you tell Celine?” Mystery asked.

     “Not yet,” Jinu reluctantly said. Better to go with the truth when his larger lies felt like they were circling ever closer. If he messed this up, would Rumi reveal his secret in revenge? He felt colder than any winter day at the thought. He couldn’t afford to make any mistakes, then.

     “Do we have to?” Abby asked.

     “Abby!” Baby shot the other boy an offended look. 

     “What? I mean, we just need to seal the Honmoon, right? She can’t say no if they’re on this when it goes golden.” Abby cast an uncertain look around. “Right?” Jinu wanted to reach over the table and hug his teammate. So simple! So obvious!

     “You’re-” Jinu started.

     “Genius? Yeah,” Abby settled back in his chair and kicked his feet up. “I get that sometimes.”

     “Would they say yes to that, though?” Romance asked. “We don’t actually know much about them.” What was the new saying? Ah, yes, a light bulb above the head. Jinu grinned at his teammates.

     “Like I said- we use our band meetup to our advantage. We talk to them,” he told the boys, “get to know them, and get them on our side.”

     “Where did they want to meet us?” Romance wondered. Jinu’s grin widened.

     “Rumi left it up to me to decide. So,” he looked between his teammates, “what’s the best place to lure a demoness to your side?”

     “A movie theater!” Baby offered. Too tightly crowded, Jinu thought.

     “My uncle has a Taekkyon studio,” Abby offered. No. Jinu didn’t want to fight them. Even if it was just friendly sparring.

     “My parents run an aquarium. I could get us a discount on group tickets,” Romance said. N- Mmm. Jinu rubbed his chin in thoughtfulness. Perhaps. He then leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table as his teammates continued their discussion. As the others talked, he began to mentally practice what he could say to Rumi.

     "Saja girls don't miss!" Rumi sang with her friends. The demonic test crowd before them, gathered before the tall walls of her home, waved lanky arms in the air in time to the rhythm.

     "How it's done, done, done," Zoey and Mira sang together.

     "Saja girls don't quit!"

     "How it's done, done, done," her friends repeated. They joined together and raised their voices.

     "Rule, rule, we rule the town! Whole world'll play all our sound! Turnin' up, it's-" Zoey stumbled out of line as her voice rose to human lightness. The break caused Rumi and Mira to falter, which threw off their song. The demonic crowd instantly fell silent. Rumi saw several of their watchers shiver in fear as they waited for her response. Normally, it wouldn't be an issue. Normally, she'd express concern for Zoey. Rumi mentally covered her heart with stone, letting a hiss of frustration fall from her lips instead. This was the second time her group had failed to sing the song. Mira's voice had nearly given out during the first time around.

     "What is wrong with you?" she turned on Zoey to snap at the girl. Her dark-haired friend cowered back.

     "Hey, don't-" Mira began. Rumi angled toward the other girl and snapped a hand out. She let her senses and power rush toward her taller friend. The patterns on Mira's skin glowed as Rumi jerked her forward a step.

     "Don't what?" she demanded. "Don't take this seriously? Don't want this to be perfect? Have you forgotten what's at stake?"

     "No!" Zoey took her arm and pulled it down. The glow faded from Mira's patterns. "No, never! We'd never! It's just-"

     "Just what?" Rumi leaned into her friend's personal space. "I hear humanity in your voices!" She slung the accusation at them both. Someone in the crowd whimpered. The other demons and demonesses teleported away to leave her alone with Mira and Zoey.

     "That's not- It's just- I don't know!" The look on Zoey's face made Rumi's eyes burn with unshed tears. "I don't know what's wrong!"

     "Yes," Mira spoke up, "you do. We all do." The pink-haired girl pulled back her own dark sleeve to show her patterns. Those once perfectly distinct lines had several smudges now. "It's them." Mira had an expression of distaste even as her voice wavered. "Our families. We should've never seen them. They should've never known about us! How did they find out?"

     "Our song trended. It probably wasn't hard for them to put the pieces together. I knew it was a risk," Rumi said. "But I never thought they would actually make you two falter."

     "We're not!" Zoey tried to reassure her. Rumi stepped back out of her friend's reach and watched as hurt flickered across Zoey's face. "We'd never leave you, we promise."

     "Your mouth says one thing-" Rumi let her power flare beneath Zoey's body. Smudged pinkish purple patterns surfaced along the girl's face. "But your skin tells another story."

     "Why are you acting like this?" Mira questioned her.

     "Like what?" Rumi faced her friend. "Like my life depends on us bringing down the Honmoon? Like the Idol Awards are the best shot we'll get at this?" Good, Rumi thought. Her friends were walking toward her trap. She just had to nudge them closer... And then shove them in when the Idol Awards came. "I'm depending on you. Maybe..." She pretended to hesitate. "Maybe that was a mistake."

     "What?" Zoey whispered. The girl's eyes were wide.

     "You don't mean that." Mira spoke confidently, but Rumi caught how her hands trembled. The half-demoness took several steps back from her friends. They followed after her. "Rumi?"

     "I-" A blue shimmer caught her eye. She turned and stared as pale blue light pulsed along the dark ground. Both Mira and Zoey gasped as Jinu's tiger emerged from the blue lines.

     "Is that a tiger!?"

     "Get away from it before it eats you!" Zoey shrieked. Both her friends grabbed at her arms. Rumi shook their hands off. "Rumi!"

     "It's okay!" Rumi raised her voice to cut through their panic. "I know the tiger!" She stepped forward and reached out, petting his soft head to show them that he meant no harm. The girls looked from her, to the tiger, and back again. "Why are you here?" Rumi asked, even though she knew she wouldn't get an answer. Or so she thought, until the tiger opened his mouth and let his tongue hang out. Huh. She hadn't expected a card.

     "How do you know a tiger?" Mira asked, confusion warring with fear. Rumi reached down and carefully plucked the card up.

     "Are we sure it's safe? Are we really, really sure?" Zoey clung to Mira's shoulder as she peeked out from behind the taller girl. Rumi wished she could smile to comfort the other girl, but that time had passed.

     "Hello, friend," Rumi read the front. A tiny smiling duck adorned the card. The half-demoness flapped the card to dislodge the saliva along its edges. She opened it. Three tickets fluttered to the ground. Rumi knelt to pick them up. They were advanced general admissions tickets? To an aquarium? She returned to the card. "Let's meet tomorrow at the aquarium. Jinu."

     "An aquarium?" Zoey asked.

     "Jinu?" Mira spoke a second after her. The pink-haired girl frowned. "What does that traitor want?"

     "He's doing exactly what I want him to," Rumi assured them. Her friends shared an uncertain look at that. Rumi, in turn, finally let herself smile. "Come on," she spoke to Derpy, nodding toward the door to their home. "I'll write my response and give it back to you." The tiger nuzzled against her leg before he followed after her. She left her friends standing outside. There would be more practice after the tiger left. They'd all go to the aquarium tomorrow, then have one more day left before the Idol Awards. Then, Rumi thought to herself as she stepped inside, the real show would begin.

Chapter Text

     Jinu rubbed at his arms. He hated the feeling of goosebumps there. This was going to go fine. Everything would work out. So why did he feel so bad about this? Jinu scoffed at himself. He knew why. They were purposefully keeping this a secret from Celine, the one human who knew everything about him. She'd given him a second chance, and here he was sneaking around behind her back. This was for her good. For everyone's good. If he and his teammates pulled this off, they wouldn't need to worry about Gwi-Ma and the other demons during the Idol Awards. Maybe he could even talk Rumi and her friends into not performing. If Huntrix sang Golden and healed the Honmoon, sealing it in gold all in one go... Everything would be perfect. He wanted that. Wanted it so badly that his chest ached. Jinu rubbed a hand against his button-up shirt as the others finally finished getting ready. The boys piled out of their room and started down the hallway. They waved to several passing workers, then continued on down the stairs. The exit was right ahead. They just had to get out before-

     "Jinu? Boys?" He turned at Celine's voice. She stood at the foot of the stairs with a stack of papers in her hands. "Where are you going? We have practice." Oh. His eyes darted to the others. What should he say? Hey, we're going to meet your niece behind your back? She knows my secret, and I don't have a choice in this? We're trying to turn the other two demonesses alongside her?

     "My parents are having an Ocean Day at the aquarium," Romance said. "We're going to surprise the guests with Golden." Celine considered that. She nodded.

     "Good thinking. Anything that takes the fans' attention from Dance With Me. I'll push back the practice time, but don't stay out too long, all right?"

     "Of course!" Romance herded the other boys toward the door.

     "We'll be right back!" Abby promised. Baby smacked the boy's side and shushed him.

     "See you!" Mystery waved back at her. Jinu couldn't think of anything to say, so he joined the back of their line out the door. He felt Celine's gaze every step of the way. They walked to the end of the block and then exchanged glances. Wordlessly, they hurried along to get as far away from the building as possible. Jinu ran back every line he'd thought about throughout the night as he speed walked beside Baby. Several blocks passed by in what felt like moments and all too quickly they stood before the aquarium entrance doors. Jinu and his teammates joined the small line that had already formed. As if the girls had been waiting for them, and perhaps they had been, the three Saja Girls emerged from around the corner to stand just behind them. Rumi's eyes were hidden by dark shades, but she smirked at him. Her friends were wearing matching shades as well. The two girls shot him smiliar scowls. Neither side spoke as the line before them gradually shrank. Jinu flashed a smile at the guest services woman behind the counter as he handed his ticket in. She scanned it and wished him well. He wanted to thank her. He needed all the well-wishes he could get.

     "So, an aquarium," Rumi spoke after the girls had entered behind him.

     "We're going to have so much fun," Mira blandly said. The last girl, Zoey, looked around.

     "Do they have turtles here?"

     "They do," Romance said. He pointed down the leftmost hallway. "If you go past the sharks-"

     "Wait, this place has sharks?" Mira cut in.

     "Why don't you girls go ahead." Rumi told her friends. "I won't be long." Jinu looked between his teammates. They nodded.

     "So, you like turtles?" Mystery asked as he joined Zoey. Baby followed after them.

     "What's your fave shark?" Abby questioned Mira as he and Romance walked alongside her down the hallway. Jinu and Rumi watched them go.

     "I have to say, I wasn't expecting an aquarium," she told him. "Why here?"

     "Romance's family got us a good deal on the tickets." Better to stick with the truth- it would be easier to remember than a lie. "Why did you want to meet us?" he asked.

     "I told you. You're going to help me," Rumi said as she wound her arm around his and tugged him forward, "whether you want to or not."

     "I do," Jinu insisted. How could he get her to understand that? She didn't need blackmail him into doing anything! He sincerely wanted to help her! As other guests walked past and children rushed about, Rumi guided him toward the nearest exhibit. They stopped before it. Several brightly colored fish that he didn't recognize swam past.

     "Have you ever thought about what closing the Honmoon would do?" He nodded. Of course, he had. It meant freedom. Redemption. Humanity forever safe from the whispers of Gwi-Ma. No one else would ever be lured into temptation again. "Really?" She looked at him. "Do you hate demon kind that much?"

     "I hate Gwi-Ma that much," Jinu told her. He despised the being who had shown Jinu just how far he could sink.

     "And what about the others?" He tilted his head at her question. "The other demons. You know what'll happen if Gwi-Ma's flames go out." Jinu scowled.

     "They could've gone against him too." They'd had their chance to escape the demon king's hold. Jinu had clawed his way to freedom. No one else had taken that opportunity. Rumi took off her shades.

     "So they deserve to die for being loyal?" Jinu couldn't help himself. He laughed. Loyal? To Gwi-Ma? That being was undeserving of even the thought. Rumi pulled her arm from his. "What about Zoey and Mira?" He looked away from her searching gaze.

     "They're different."

     "How?" Rumi asked. He knew them. He'd seen their family members. They had a better chance at being human again than the others did. The girl scoffed at him. "So, only you're worthy of the human world?" He gritted his teeth at her words. "What makes you any better than the others?"

     "I realized that I was wrong!" Jinu snapped "Why do the demons deserve to live? Tell me, then why do humans deserve to die?" It was her turn to look away from him. "You know that's wrong."

     "You don't know anything about me!" Gold flared through her left eye.

     "I know Celine," he told her. "I know that she would've raised you to value humans-" She grinned at him. It was a deeply unpleasant look, wrong and twisted with bitterness.

     "Celine would do anything to kill a demon. Even if it meant hurting your precious humans."

     "I told you, she-"

     "Changed?" Rumi's disbelieving laugh was sharp enough that he took a step back. Several guests looked at them. "She's just using you, like she wanted to use me. She'll drop you the moment the Honmoon turns golden."

     "She wouldn't," Jinu told her. He didn't know exactly what future awaited them when the Honmoon changed, but he knew that no matter what, he and his team would face it together alongside their mentor.

     "I don't want to talk about that woman anymore." Rumi crossed her arms as she turned from him. The girl walked over to another exhibit. Jinu followed her. She stepped away from him and walked down the nearest hallway. He let her go several steps ahead before following. They walked down a side hallway and into a room with several near-empty exhibits. A couple who had finished looking at the fish here moved past them to leave. Rumi made her way to the largest glass window and watched the few fish there circle each other. Jinu waited for several moments, but the girl didn't speak.

     "I've had time to think since our last conversation," he told her. She glanced at him but didn't speak. "Can you convince your friends not to perform? Or do it badly enough that the fans won't like it?" He caught the clench of her hands into fists.

     "Why should I?"

     "If you fail, the fans' souls will go back to strengthening our music. We'll be able to seal the Honmoon with all three of you on the right side." Her gaze drifted down to the floor. Her clenched fists relaxed to wrap around her elbows.

     "Promise me one thing," Rumi said.

     "Anything," he assured her.

     "You'll help Zoey and Mira."

     "I promise." The other boys were probably already working on winning the girls over to their side. She reached up to trace the path of a fish that swam by. He looked from her to the animals. They threaded their way through coral and then turned to swim back through it. Neither he nor the girl spoke for several minutes. He distracted himself by watching more of the fish. This had to be her choice. He'd made his. Now he had to hope that she would make the right one as well.

     "All right." Jinu stilled. He didn't dare move, holding his breath as he waited for her. "I'll leave when our song is almost done. They won't be able to finish it without me. Once that falls apart, Huntrix will be able to move in and steal back your fans." He glanced at her reflection in the glass. Her golden eye glimmered. "Deal?"

     "Deal," he said. The expression that passed over her face flashed by too quickly for him to name it. Jinu let his breath out. Good. This was good.  He let himself relax and truly watch the fish. Now that he had Rumi on his side, getting her friends to join them would be that much easier. She could help them adjust after the Idol Awards. He heard footsteps behind them. Rumi looked into the glass and then gasped. She turned, her eyes wide. What had-? Jinu turned to look as well. His stomach dropped to his feet. Celine stood on the other side of the room. Her gaze was for Rumi alone.