Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

After the defeat of Gwin Ma, demons no longer seem to be a threat anymore. The Honmoon now shines in beautiful iridescence as if the northern lights are reflected in the sea of fans. Rumi, finally able to show her real self to her friends, can properly enjoy the life she has been dreaming of. Going to the bathhouse with Mira and Zoey, wearing short sleeves in the middle of summer, getting her well deserved couch time instead of stressing about the safety of the world. For the first time in forever, she is completely free.

But there is always a lingering feeling in her heart whenever she looks at her demon marks she now proudly shows.

And this unresolved emotion is what led to one of her most embarrassing moments.

“I’m so glad the Saja Boys and Gwin Ma are finally gone, our fans are now completely safe from danger.” Zoey says as the girls walk out from another satisfying trip to the bathhouse.

Mira smiles, “I can’t believe we managed to convince people what happened at the Idol Awards was an elaborate stage collab. Though, some people are wondering why they haven't heard from them since.”

Trailing behind, Rumi doesn’t know how to feel about it all. Three months have passed since the Saja Boys incident. It has also been three months since the start of Huntrix’s long deserved hiatus. But unlike them who still have Bobby managing their social media, the Saja Boys have gone radio silent.

In the corner of her eye, she can see some of the Saja Boys’ merch peeking out of the trash can on the street which is nothing too out of the ordinary. Labeled as a one hit wonder, the fans quickly moved on. Against her better judgement, she walks towards it. Looking into the trash, Rumi sees a shiny photocard that seems to glitter brighter amongst the piles of bright pink merch, basically begging her to take it. Tempted, she digs and flips over the card, revealing a familiar face. Jinu, or at least the photo of him, smirks at her. The confident facade he presents in the photo card contrasts from the demon in her memories. The shame and fear he had whenever he talked about the voices he heard showed a more fragile self. It should have been the both of them, not just her.

“Have you gone cuckoo cause why are you digging in trash like some raccoon?” Mira's voice breaks her out of her trance, making her realize what she has done.

“Wow Rumi, I know you have been deprived from the awesomeness that is the bathhouse but chill girl. You just got cleaned fifteen minutes ago.” Zoey jokes as the two walk towards the trash can. Their faces comically morph into the same expression-a face that says “Are you serious?” when they catch Rumi failing to hide the photocard.

“I swear it isn’t what it looks like. It fell to the ground so I, as a good and responsible citizen, am preventing littering on the street…” Rumi rambles until she accepts the fact that she is convincing nobody, even herself.

“The Saja Boys? Rumi, what the heck are you doing? Sure they were hot but they are gone now.” Mira shakes her head but still takes peaks at the obnoxiously large album cover with the five demons in full display.

“Well they were total eye candy. Do you think there are any posters of the long haired guy or the one with the hot abs?” Zoey says as she visibly debates on whether she should also go through the trash or keep her dignity unlike a certain somebody.

It is strange for the Huntrix leader to do such a thing. Actually, it is weird in general to dig for a photocard but that's besides the point. She knows why she did it. Jinu’s face keeps haunting her everytime she sleeps. Some nights, she dreams about the late nights where they talk about their hopes and dreams for the future when they are freed from their demon marks. His laugh and witty remarks leaves her smiling when she wakes up. Other nights, she cries at the memory of him disintegrating right in front of her eyes. It tortures her yet it is the same nightmare where she can properly picture his gold eyes fading back to warm brown. The one person who she could truly express her inner worries and emotions to during the most stressful time of her life, the one person who in return shares his side and tells her she was not the only one hiding in shame, the one person who she finally lets in into her true world is now gone.

Rumi looks at her members who have started bickering about the demon boy band. She never told them about what she had with Jinu, mainly because it was forbidden at the time and she was too busy adjusting to her new life later on. But now, she vows to never let any secrets get between the three of them.

“Girls, there is still one more secret I haven’t told the both of you.”
“The fuck do you mean by that???”

“So you’re telling me the whole time we were writing a demon diss track, you were having late night walks with your demon boyfriend?”
“Wow Rumi, didn’t know you got that much rizz. Total enemies to lovers.”

Maybe telling them is a mistake. Rumi lies on her bed with her fluffy pillow covering her red face, feeling embarrassed for the second time today. It isn’t often that the Huntrix members can act like girls their age as even late night sleepovers like this only happen yearly. Being kpop idols and demon hunters, there is just no time for dating. So excluding the demon fighting and regular idol activities, innocent romantic escapades are the most fun to talk about.

“He wasn’t my boyfriend. We were…it was something. Here, I still have his invitation letters.” She reaches for a nicely kept box underneath her bed. As soon as she opens the box, Mira and Zoey quickly snatch the letters to read.

“Hello friend? Meet you? Well, I guess when you are handsome enough, that’s all it takes.” Mira sighs as she flips over the card to see if there were any more words she missed.

“Aww but the gesture is so cute. How does he send you these?” Zoey says as she rereads the letters, nudging Rumi every so often. “Does he fly up to the balcony and hand it to you? Wait, how did he even know where we live?”

“No, he sends his derpy looking tiger to…actually I never asked him that.I guess the building does have the Huntrix logo so maybe he just put two and two together...”

“Can we go back to the tiger thing? What do you mean there was a tiger?” Mira interrupts, joining Rumi and Zoey on the bed.

“And a crow with three eyes, or six. It always showed its side profile.”

“Mira, we aren’t asking the right questions!” Zoey kneels up before launching herself on Rumi’s back, giving her a tight hug, “So what else happens in these late night rendezvous? Did you do anything fun? Wink wink.”

“Come on Zoey, he was our enemy at the time. You and Mira would have killed me if I was associated with a demon.”

Rumi realizes her error the moment she feels Zoey’s embrace weaken and falter. Raising her head, she looks at both of her friends who refuse to look back at her. None of them mentioned the betrayal before, why should they bring up such a difficult topic? They have been too focused on making up lost time that they never really tried to properly process what happened that night.

“I didn’t mean it like that. It wasn’t your…it wasn’t our fault.” Rumi says to break the tension.

Mira’s eyes, Rumi notices, have become glossy. She keeps trying to speak but her voice fails her, “But we still raised our weapons at you. I did it so quickly. I just can’t forgive myself.” she finally manages to say.

“We have known each other for years, spent most of our lives together. Yet still…” Zoey chokes on her words, tears preventing her from continuing the sentence.

With the two of them crying, it doesn’t take long before Rumi joins in. Snacks lying all over the bed, the harsh light glowing on their bare faces, the fearless and strong Huntrix members have never felt so vulnerable. As the leader, it is her duty to keep morale up and say something reassuring. But, what could she say to them? They knew it wasn’t their fault but guilt and shame still runs through them. It is a feeling that she knows all too well but it has taken her years to finally accept them.

“There was one night where Jinu and I talked. We said to let the past be the past till it is weightless. It may not be now but one day I am sure we will overcome this. One of the main reasons I was able to face Gwin Ma was because I knew you two would break out from his spell. You both are why I had the courage to fight till the end.”

Rumi watches as the girls tremble before going for a tight hug all together. She relaxes at the sight of them slowly but surely smiling along with her. Every word she said rings true to her and she hopes that the two of them will also be free from guilt.

“You know what, I’m glad Jinu was there to support you during those stressful times.” Zoey says after breaking the embrace.

Mira follows along, “Me too,it must be comforting to have someone who understands your troubles. It’s something we couldn’t give to you when you needed it the most.”

Rumi sighs, recalling the memories of him. The way he persistently asked her out and told her she was not alone. Even the dorky moments where he would get flustered at the idea of people misunderstanding the relationship between them, not that she reacted any better, give her comfort during tough times. “He truly was someone special. I felt like we still had time but I didn’t even have enough to properly say goodbye.”

Mira and Zoey exchange a look with each other. Holding their leader’s hand on each side, together they lean on her shoulders. Not much is said but the message is clear and Rumi is thankful to whoever it was that sent them to her.

“You know, since we defeated Gwin Ma and the souls were released, maybe there is still a chance that he is still out there.”Zoey said, playing with Rumi's braid in an attempt to reassure her.

Rumi gives her a weak smile and stares at the balcony on the off chance that a familiar tiger and bird would suddenly appear , “I know you are trying to cheer me up but with how things ended, I doubt that there are any demons left in…no way.”

On the off chance, a familiar tiger does show up. It, with its wide eyes that appear to have no thoughts, keeps softly knocking on the balcony window over and over again. The big blue tiger believes that if it keeps going on, the door will magically open. The bird on its head believes it's companion has wasted enough time and starts to caw.

“What the heck is that big blue thing? Why is it making bird sounds? WHY ARE YOU OPENING THE DOOR?” Mira panics and drags an equally panicking Zoey to the corner of the bedroom, both drawing up their weapons.

Rumi ignores them,“I can't believe this.Jinu's familiars. But how are they even alive?” The tiger, not understanding her bewilderment, just pushes its head to her like how it did months before.

“Aww what a cutie!” Zoey runs over to the derpy creature with full force, crashing into its thick blue fur. “Sooooo soft.”

The bird turns out to be more interested in Mira, landing on her head comfortably. “Hey fella, nice hat. You wanna go to the Met with me next year?”

This is all so confusing. Just one minute ago, she was trying to convince herself that the demons were all gone and that there was no chance that Jinu could still be by her side. But now there is a glimmer of hope that…

“Girls, big news. Where are you?”

For the second time tonight, the girls are panicking because how do you explain a big blue tiger and a three/six eyed bird with a hat that are connected to demons to poor clueless Bobby.

Well, if Bobby decided to properly pay attention to his surroundings when he entered the room, he would have thought the moving furry chair Zoey was sitting on to be a bit suspicious and how Mira thought matching a very tiny hat with her pajamas to be very out of character.

But Bobby decides the news on his phone is more important.

“The Saja Boys are having their first comeback.”

Chapter Text

“Are you serious?”
“For real???”
“That is just impossible…”

How can they possibly be preparing for a comeback when they are dead?

“Bobby, are you sure about this or were you just looking at fan theories on Twitter again?” Mira asks, trying to sound as calm as she could be.

“No, it is definitely real. The Saja Boys said so themselves.” Bobby pulls out his phone. Sure enough, the Saja Boys’ official social media account shows a brand new video. All five members crowded together to fit into frame while attempting to do their iconic poses. Standing right in the middle is Jinu who, despite being squeezed by the other guys from all angles, flashes his signature smirk to the camera.

“Hey guys, do you mind coming just a tad bit closer. I can’t really see the screen.” Zoey says as she struggles to lean forward while maintaining balance sitting on a literal tiger’s head.

Bobby glances at her direction, “Why don’t you come over then instead of sitting…on a massage chair?” He tries to get a closer look which leads to Rumi and Mira grabbing and twisting his head in all different directions other than the mythical being.

“Why don’t you just sit down on the bed Bobby, your trip here must be exhausting.” Rumi suggested. Bobby is still confused,and very much dizzy, but one of his wonderful traits is his easy going nature. So he just does what he is told and gives Rumi the chance to desperately block the ‘massage chair’.

He plays the video and as expected, Jinu’s velvety voice is the one that rings from the speakers.

“To our dear fans. Did you miss us because we sure do miss you. We are sorry for not being here for the past three months but we hope to win you back by giving you what you desire. So please return to the pride and you will be rewarded with a comeback soon. We will be waiting.”

Bobby goes on a rant about how the Saja Boys’ comeback may hinder Huntrix’s steady popularity again but Rumi couldn’t hear any of it. All of her attention is on the clip that loops over and over again. Painful yet hypnotising, his voice leaves Rumi in trance and consumes her every thought.

He is alive.
He is free now.
He is going to continue being an idol.
He looks just as good as he did back then.
He has been back long enough to prepare for a comeback and didn’t spare a single minute to tell her.

Unbeknownst to herself, Rumi’s body starts to change. Her faint demon marks, which she has been playing off as tattoos to the public, morph into an ugly shade of red. And she doesn’t even register the taste of her own tears.

But Mira and Zoey do and know that what their leader needs is time to process her conflicting emotions.

“Ok Bobby, thank you so much for the info. We are gonna have a strategic meeting about what to do with them now.” Mira gives back the phone and pushes the puzzled manager out the door, “We are so gonna crush them on the charts and stuff. Great to see you again.”

“Actually, I wanted to ask you where you got your little hat from. I actually quite like…”

“Bye Bobby!” *slam*

The girls finally take a sigh of relief.

“How are you feeling?” Zoey asks as she gets off the tiger to sit next Rumi. But she stays dazed with all possible ideas of Jinu just running around in her head.

“Snap out of it Rumi. Look at your marks!” Mira takes her arm and brings it to her attention. The demon markings flash in a vivid red, in sync with their owner’s heavy breathing. She relaxes herself and the colour changes back to a faint iridescent shimmer. The Saja Boys’ return was one thing, but her emotions affecting her powers could cause great harm to the fans if she doesn’t know how to control them.

She needs answers. Grabbing one of the many blank silly duck cards they once used to communicate, she writes down her message to the demon hiding from her.

“Tomorrow at 11pm. Han River. I need to hear the explanation from your own lips.”

She keeps the lines short and her writing tone curt so as to not have her hopes be too high. But if his familiars are here and with the fact that he is willing to come back to the public eye instead of blending into the crowd.

Maybe, just maybe, he has been keeping his eyes on her this whole time.

“Did you just put your letter in its mouth?”
“That’s kinda gross.”
“Yeah, I'm used to it by now.”

“The Saja Boys’ comeback teaser is going viral. If they release another hit like Soda Pop, it will definitely hinder Huntrix’s new album. Also…”

Times like this are why Rumi sometimes wishes she isn’t the group’s leader because a board meeting about the demon boy band is definitely not the thing Rumi wants to think about right now. She wanted to drown herself with work to distract the fact that she asked for a meeting with Jinu who might not even show. But what else should she have expected, he has always been hunting for a place in her mind so why wouldn't he and his silly little boy band plague everyone else's as well. She yawns and subtly checks the clock every few minutes, hoping time would go faster by drilling holes into its soul.

“Which is why we have to match their pace and push the album release by the time they do.”

“What?” Rumi’s attention finally snaps back after that ridiculous suggestion. “We can’t do that. We were supposed to have three more months to prepare for it. Some of the songs aren’t even finished yet.”

The board member dismisses her concerns, “Make it a mini album, make a Japanese version of Golden, or even just add the instrumentals. Whatever it takes to finish it.”

“The fans would notice how much the quality drops. Do you think they would just eat up anything?” Rumi retorts.

“If you don’t come up with anything soon, there will be no fans to even listen to your music,” The board members start to pack up their documents and leave the tense room. “Your group already had a three month hiatus. Don’t be lazy because break time is over.”

Rumi fumes at the whole mess. Expecting an album in a short period is getting too much. Do they think these things come out of thin air?

“Calm down Rumi, you are normally not like this.” Rumi doesn’t even realize that she still has company. Unfortunately, it is the person she wants to avoid instead-Celine.

“You agreed to this? This will just add stress to the girls. We just defeated Gwin Ma. We formed a powerful Honmoon. Why is everyone pushing us to work on some half assed album when we finally have a break?”

“With the Saja Boys still alive, do you really think your new Honmoon really worked?” Celine asks with her eyes narrowed. “We need a golden Honmoon or demons will just take over again.”

Rumi’s heart crushes at the thought. Does her Honmoon really not work? She can’t deny that it obviously isn’t blocking the demon boy group but it can’t possibly mean that it doesn’t protect the people. Celine’s eyes soften yet they glance down at Rumi’s arm. Following the gaze, she notices her patterns are glowing red again and instinctively tries to hide them.

“The world would never be safe with demons around. Sparing them will only lead to suffering, just like your mother when she accepted the touch of one.” Celine puts on a brave face as she leaves but years of living as her adopted child tells Rumi that she still fears her demon marks, still fears her.

She should accept the fact that Celine could never love all of her if she never did in the first place.

Night falls and the meet up time is nearing. Rumi sits down on a stone bench near the side of the river, listening to the small splashing of waves in an attempt to ease her mind. The city lights twinkle like they had stolen the stars in the night sky and brought them down to earthly planes. She understands why couples usually go on dates here but this definitely is not one of them. Absolutely not. She doesn’t even know if the other party would even show up. But she chooses to believe in the slight hope that he will and let this be a reunion. So, she waits and plans to wait until daybreak.

“Rumi…” a voice comes from behind. From hatred to understanding to kinship to longing, she turns to finally see him fuelled with ecstasy.The man who has been on her mind since the moment she met him. He is in a disguise, similar to the ones he wore before but with a cap covering up his face. It bothers her, the way he still won’t let her see him despite the closeness. So she takes it off, revealing beautiful brown eyes that keep glancing both at her and the side of the road, as if he wanted to run away the moment he has the chance. His patterns are now barely visible even with a hunter’s trained eye. What happened to him? Is he truly free now? All these questions but the only thing she wants to do at the moment is to hold his face in her hands and look at him clearly. “Is it really you Jinu?”

Jinu looks back at her with conflicting emotions. But he settles on holding her right hand and moving it to his chest. “It is. My heart is alive and beating.”

Rumi wants to hold onto him for longer to properly reassure that her mind isn’t playing tricks on her. But a noise from the bushes distract her train of thought. Both of them put their guards up and only relax after ensuring the coast is clear. In the back of Rumi’s mind, she thanks the distraction as she probably won’t remember her goal due to overwhelmingly close proximity and intimacy.

“But how? And why didn’t you tell me? Why did I have to find out through the internet? Was I never part of the freedom you were wishing for? I… I thought we were closer than that.”Her voice is cracking and later registers her questions becoming way more personal but she doesn’t care. All that matters is his answer.

The demon breaks at her expression. He was and still is a coward, fearful of tainting her light when she is shining perfectly on her own. But he knows he owes her an explanation to all the events that have happened.

“Gwin Ma is basically powerless. His flames can’t even be compared to a candle’s. All the souls as you know have returned back to where they belong, but it also has affected the demons.We barely have any powers left, most of them can’t even collect souls or teleport. Demons that hunters defeat don’t die but they do if Gwin Ma kills them as punishment. So most of them who simply returned to the demon realm, including the rest of the Saja Boys, have been given back their original forms and a second chance at life.The only reason I am still alive is because you have taken my soul before my body was destroyed.”

“The demon realm, in a way, is gone and no one can go back. Yet unlike before, the Honmoon doesn’t reject us. So every demon is stuck in Korea right now. The earnings from the Saja Boys were somehow enough to buy a building to accommodate everyone. But we now have basic human needs and are running out of money to support our food and water supply. I refuse to let them have the same fate as…my mother and sister. That’s why we hope with the Saja Boys’ return, we can survive for a bit longer.”

After hearing that long story, Rumi has to sit down and slowly process it all. Demons are not blocked by the Honmoon and have possibly become human. Is the Honmoon ineffective or are hunters no longer needed anymore?

As if he read her mind, he adds, “But not all demons are happy with the situation. They gave up their humanity for their desires and were happy with Gwin Ma. Their human forms are reminders of their failures and most of them left to possibly form a revolution. I was planning to tell you and your team about the threat but with everything going on, it has been hard to find the time.”

Rumi’s head spins even faster with all the new information, she should have known to not be naive to believe that the Honmoon could solve every problem. But his answer also explains another question at the back of her mind. “Well, I guess that's why you were not able to tell me that you are alive for three months. All that responsibility must have taken a toll on you. Remember to not work yourself too hard. My members always scold me for being too much of a workaholic.”

She tries to sit up and leave but Jinu immediately grabs her wrist, forcing her to stay. “No, if I said that’s the case, then I would be lying. The truth is…I can’t let myself see you.How could I possibly meet you when I don't even deserve it. I lied to you. I betrayed you.I went on with my plan to steal everyone’s soul and in return you gave mine back to me. You are the embodiment of hope while I am four hundred years of repressed shame.” Jinu kneels to the ground and looks down. He switches between loosening and tightening his grip on her hands, debating whether he wants to let her be free without him or selfishly hold onto the only light he has ever known.

Rumi decides for him as she leans forward to hold his face. His cheeks are warm to the touch and she can tell that his patterns glow in a faint shade of blue. Lifting up his head, she tenderly wipes aways the tears forming in his eyes.“You are an idiot. Why can’t you understand that you are the reason why I can see the beauty in my jagged marks, the reason why I could even sing again. I wanted to be free but I wanted it with you. Please, don’t leave me again.” She pulls him into an embrace, resting her head on his shoulder. They don’t speak. They don’t need to. Their quicken breaths and rapidly beating hearts told them just how much the other missed them.

Unfortunately, the moment is ruined by another rustling sound from the bushes. This time, the two of them decide to properly teach the eavesdroppers a lesson. Getting closer to the sound’s source, they start to prepare an attack until they realise that the six figures look a bit too familiar.

“Oh shit they found us. Quick, stand up and flash them with your abs.” Zoey panics as she pushes the demon with hot pink hair.

And of course this is the only time where the wind decides not to cooperate, leaving him to look the most modest he has ever been. Frustrated, Zoey blows on the gaps in between of the shirt’s buttons while the long hair puppy like saja tries to help by pulling on the shirt collar. But even with the buff demon’s own attempt at flexing his muscles, the shirt sticks on his body stubbornly. Mira can only sigh at their miserable plan and sigh even more whenever the mullet hair demon next to her cheers them on. Mint hair saja just giggles and shrugs at everyones antics, getting more pleasure at the sight of the leaders’ unimpressed looks.

“So is this what you had to deal with everyday?”
“I think the Huntrix members made it worse actually.”

Rumi continues to roll her eyes at the ridiculous situation but she also couldn’t hide the smile that escapes her mouth. Demons hanging around with humans like a group of friends, it is like there is hardly a difference between the two species. She wonders if that means one day in the future, they can coexist together in peace.

“Huntrix will definitely help you fight those revolters if they ever cause any harm to both humans and the demons in your care. And I can help fund some of the supplies with my own money if they ever need it.”

Jinu looks at the girl in surprise but quickly gives a smile of his own. “Thank you. We deeply appreciate the support.”

“Your soul is truly beautiful.”He adds underneath his breath.

Chapter Text

“We are following her right?”
“Oh absolutely, 100%”

Which leads to Mira and Zoey dressing up like they are in some noir film. Trench coats, sunglasses and fedora hats, the two look like they either jumped out of a detective novel or ready to sell things that would risk their idol career. The only difference between their getups is that Zoey has put on a tiny moustache which seems to be her favorite part of the outfit.

“I got one for you too Mira.” Zoey says as she pulls out a pink beard out of her pocket, ruffled since she did put it in her pockets instead of packing it nicely like a normal person. Then again, normal people don’t carry around pink beards in the first place.

“This is so stupid…I love it. Hand it to me.” Mira replies as she is also not a normal person.

On any other day, Rumi would have most definitely noticed their terrible attempt at stalking but she is a bit too distracted by other more pressing thoughts. The two members continue to follow the leader, maintaining a safe distance behind. But just as they are about to walk out of the alleyway to continue pursuing her, a hand stops to grab Zoey’s shoulder. Zoey flinches at the touch and makes eye contact with a tall buff man…chest?

“Excuse me sir, have you seen a guy walking past here? Tall, black hair, wearing a cap?”

With the two's attention off her, Rumi slips out of their line of sight which leaves Mira extremely pissed off. Just as she is about to give the disturbances a piece of her mind, she completely stops at her tracks at the four figures. Zoey, barely able to stop her popcorn eyes from staring at the muscular body, also gives a proper look to their faces.

“It’s the Saja Boys!!!”
“Wait…do we have to pose now?”
“I don’t know. Usually Jinu gives us the cue.”

The four Saja boys get in their various poses but without their leader and the strange music that somehow plays, it falls a bit flat.

“Umm well. No, we haven’t seen anyone like that. On a totally unrelated note, have you seen a girl with long, braided purple hair pass by?” Zoey, getting off her state of shock, awkwardly asks. Her fake mustache starts to randomly itch.

“Sorry but we didn’t. Good luck though.” The demon with the heart shaped hair replies kindly, though his eyes keep wandering Mira with strange interest.

“Are you people stupid or what?” The mint hair saja boy said before going up to pull down the awfully disguised facial hair, making the girls screech in pain. Instantly, the rest of the Saja Boys get defensive with one of them even starting to bark like a rabid dog.

"Whoa! Heel saja boy, heel.” Zoey says frantically.

“I guess we have to do this the hard way.” Mira glares as she slowly takes out her scythe, ready to send the demons back to the depths.

“Hey hey hey. We don’t have to do this. I mean we did kill you guys but we can put that in the past right?” Zoey stops Mira, trying to diffuse the tension in the small cramped alleyway. She could tell none of the Saja Boys are convinced which is fair since they each killed half of the group.

“Why should we trust you?” The puppy-like saja boy snakes up to Zoey’s right side and grabs her wrist. Though she can’t see his eyes, she can tell he is staring right into her soul. Goosebumps forming as his thumb slightly traces the veins on her wrist.

“Yeah, how would we know if the little huntress and her friends won’t just attack us while we are distracted?” The buff demon says while blocking the other side with his thick arm, kabedon style. Body shadowing her smaller figure, he lifts Zoey’s chin to look at her flushed cheeks, redden more when she takes another peak at the man’s open chest.

Being trapped between two men is too much, Zoey thought. On one side is the gorgeous long haired man who she is close enough to feel his breath tickling her neck, while on the other is the fiery hot demon who immediately caught her eye. His touches, the extreme eye contact and the nickname are too much of an overkill. Is this how the fans feel with fanservice? Zoey might have to rethink the times she cheekily flirted with the poor boys and girls during fansign events.

Luckily, or unluckily, her knight in shining armour Mira comes in, “Get off of her you piece of abs!” and with one strong kick, the muscle demon is sent flying and the other demon runs off to catch him. “Fucking hell does that hurt.” Mira complains as she holds on to her leg, annoyed at how kicking the steel like abs caused her so much pain. Though, the person who looks like he is seeing heaven’s pearly gates seems to have it worse.

“I thought you wanted to settle this peacefully. Though, I do love a woman who has an aggressive side. Makes you even hotter.” The light pink demon suddenly appears next to her, giving a smirk and a gaze that makes Mira both flustered and very much annoyed.

“Can it Romeo, I am not here to play with you.” She settles on saying as she would rather die than admit that she is ever so slightly happy with his compliment since her wild side was why she was labeled as a problem child.

“It’s Romance actually.”

“Wait…that’s your name? That’s not just a stage name but your actual legal name???” Zoey interrupts, eyes widened with bewilderment. “Wait, what were your names again?”

“Well that’s Romance. I’m Baby, and those two are Abby and Mystery.’ Baby answers, looking back at the two other mentioned demons. Mystery, using up all his strength, tries to lift up a rather dazed Abby. A very sad and pitiful sight that resembles a pomeranian attempting to drag a husky.

“You are joking. That can’t seriously be your name? You guys really need new ones cause imagine seeing an ID card that says Baby Saja would literally make me cringe.” Mira shakes her head. There are a lot of strange idol names in the world but these definitely take the cake.

Mystery finally joins in with a somewhat awake Abby. “We don’t know what to call ourselves. It has been so long since someone said our real names.”

“The only reason why Jinu knows his is because Gwin Ma tortures him with his family crying out to him.” Romance adds.

The air becomes solem and neither of the Huntrix girls know what to say to make things right. After being taught so long that demons do not have feelings, seeing them having such human-like qualities is such an emotional whiplash. Are the other demons like them? If they are not monsters like how Celine taught them, were they just killers at this point?

“Don’t feel sorry now. It’s not like we didn’t know what we were getting into,” Baby saja eventually says. “We did a lot of things we regret both as humans and demons but it doesn’t change what we have done. You were just doing your job.”

Though the tension still lingers, everyone secretly thanks him for relieving a small part of it.

“Isn’t that Jinu?” Abby, now fully conscious, points at a figure in a cap who keeps pacing around on the road. The man keeps moving two steps forward before taking three steps back, kneeling on the ground and scratching his head until he finally just straight up runs to the park entrance.

“Oh yeah that’s definitely him. Follow him.” Baby leads the group, carefully walking behind lampposts, mailboxes and various other random things on the road to avoid getting caught. Though it is a tight squeeze to have six idols hide behind each obstacle, they manage to not get caught by Jinu. But then again, it is more likely that a certain purple haired hunter on his mind is what made him not notice something so obvious.

And that is how, despite all the signs that should have guided the two species away from each other, the Huntrix girls and the Saja boys band together to stalk their leaders.

“We keep meeting in these undesirable situations. How about a date next time instead?”
Romance says as he plays with one of Mira’s long pink pigtails, twirling it between his fingers in amusement.
“Please just shut up.”

“Sorry about barking at you earlier.” Mystery pouts.
“Yeah, sorry for trapping you in the middle like that. Forgive us?” Abby flashes a sunny smile.
“Oh no I was totally fine. I actually really like it ehe.”
“What was that again?”
“Nothing at all I swear.” Zoey says before fainting in embarrassment. Abby carries her bridal style in his arms despite him being knocked out literally one minute earlier. It isn’t like Mystery is able to help since his poor arms have completely become jelly after carrying the way too big demon.

Chapter Text

“Stupid company making us promote immediately after our break.” Mira mumbles as her makeup artist applies more glitter on her eyelids.

With their album pushed early, Huntrix has to do more promotions than they intended. Which leads to them having to do an interview live in the early morning much to their dismay.

“Yeah! And I’m still not sure which song should be the title track.” Zoey slums down on the couch, flicking the pages of her songbook rapidly.

“Sorry guys. I really tried to convince the higher ups but they just won’t budge.” Rumi sighs. With them discussing new choreography, writing lyrics and now promoting an unfinished project, the week has been tough on the Huntrix members.

“It isn’t even your fault Rumi. I’m just ranting. It’s nothing we can’t handle.” Mira reassures her, though her tired eyes tell a different story.

Although their makeup is put on perfectly, Rumi can tell the cracks are starting to leak out under the heavy concealer. But weakness can’t be shown to the public or else they would worry. It isn’t like they can reveal that Huntrix is a play on words of them actually being hunters. Not like they can just say they have been guarding the world while singing to prevent people from dying. At most, they can only say they have been working too much on their album but it isn’t the best look to say that after a considerably long hiatus. The fans can’t see the secret ugly side of Huntrix, it isn’t what they want. They want the beautiful parts shining underneath the spotlight, entertainment that brings joy and comfort to people during their tough daily lives, three idols who would be there for the fans when they need them.

Even if they didn’t mind seeing the broken pieces, how much breaking and failing would they really want to see?

Rumi tries to change the subject as they walk towards the broadcasting set. Something lighthearted, something that could ease their minds, something like…

“I still can’t believe you guys followed me yesterday. With the rest of the Saja Boys too.”

“Yeah sorry about that. In our defense, we didn’t see too much.” Zoey giggles.

“Don’t lie. We literally heard you all messing around in the bushes since the beginning.” Rumi rolls her eyes.

“Not possible. We only made it there when you two were hugging. So cute by the way.” Mira gives a teasing shove.

“Wait, if you guys arrived that late. Then who was…”

“Girls, you are on,” Bobby suddenly appears. He puts on his usual energetic smile as he pushes the girls on the stage. “I know it has been a while since you last promoted on live TV but don’t you worry. You girls always kill it so show them how it’s done done done.”

The Huntrix members barely manage to thank Bobby before they are doused with bright lights, blinding them alongside the over the top poppy music. But it is still the same familiar scene they have known since they debuted. The crowd cheers as they walk on the stage, all dressed in their merch with some waving their lightsticks. The camera crew nearby had cameras facing all sorts of directions, ready to catch every action and reaction. The host sits in the middle with his back facing the big screen, the Huntrix logo covering it with pride.

The only thing that is strange is the other big couch opposite theirs.

“Welcome all the fans here in the crowd and those watching back home. IT’S LIVE SUNDAY WITH CHAD! And joining me today is our nation’s number one girl group. HUNTRIX!”

“Hunt your hearts! Hello, we are Huntrix,” the girls chant. The crowd goes even more wild, various screams ring the set. Along with some…crying? Maybe a three month hiatus is way longer to the fans than the idols.

“We are so glad to be here,” Rumi starts off, “It has been a while since we have seen our fans and the wonderful energy we are getting is amazing. I am sure the other girls are…”

“Yes yes. Everyone is so happy to see you. But the thing is. You guys aren’t the only surprise I have for our audience. Cameras, face to the left!”

Being rudely interrupted, it takes all of Rumi’s facial muscles and willpower to not look like she wants to shove a gimbap up Chad’s throat. Though with Mira and Zoey suspiciously wide grins, she isn’t the only one.

A gust of fog appears on the stage and what are the odds? Who else could appear on stage?

“It’s BTS!”
.
.
.
“Girl you blind or you can’t count. Do you see seven?”
“IT'S THE SAJA BOYS!!!”

The crowd roars, with even more tears flooding out. Fuck their truce and whatever tender moment she had with Jinu days ago, seeing them now just reminded Rumi how much they annoy her whenever they showed up in every idol activity.

And oh does Jinu know it. Facing away from the camera and the fans, he sticks out his tongue, a teasing glint in his eyes. What happened to Mr I Can’t Show My Face To You? Unable to keep her proper facial expressions, she scrunches her face in a rather unflattering way which only makes him smile more. Inwardly, she smiles back, relieved that they could go back to the same pattern as they did before.

“Saja Boys. Welcome to the show. It has been a while since you showed your faces to the internet. The moment we knew we could book you, we had to put you guys in with Huntrix. Ha ha ha.” Chad's obnoxiously loud voice blares in everyone’s ear.

“It is good to be back and it is an honor to share the stage with our sunbaes. We have missed the fans terribly and we hope they still love us the same.” Jinu winks at the camera. On cue, all the Saja Boys blow a kiss to the audience, killing a few of them in the process.

“It is way too much of a coincidence that both groups went on hiatus at the same time. We all deserve an explanation!”

“Well, Huntrix has been promoting non-stop for the past five years. We decided to take some time to reset and take a break. However, the fans have always been on our minds so we can’t wait to give them new music soon.” Rumi answers while holding hands with Zoey and Mira. The two girls squeeze hers back in reassurance.

“I see…And what about you boys? It’s like you disappeared out of thin air. Did you forget that you were idols?”

“Nothing like that I promise. We just had some internal conflict with our…management. So it took us a while to regroup. Nothing too serious as it is all solved now.” Jinu said calmly.

“Is that so…” Chad rubs his chin, looking like he doesn’t believe a word he says.

Rumi doesn’t like this. Something is wrong. The way the host drags his lines, the way the corners of his mouth rise a bit too high to be kind. Call it a hunter’s or a seasoned idol’s intuition but with this line of questioning, nothing good is going to happen.

“Our sources tell us another story. One that our leaders here might be familiar with. Are you sure this isn’t the real reason why both groups were on hiatus?”

The large screen flickers. All eyes watch as the logos disappear and a photo replaces it. Rumi pales when she registers what it displays. A candid photo of a man being gently caressed on the cheek, seemingly melting at the touch of the girl. The girl’s face isn’t shown but how many girls in Korea have long purple braided hair?

How many times has the crowd screamed today? The deafening sound is getting way too much. Add the bright lights that still are blinding her, overly cheery music and that disgustingly smug face on the host, Rumi wishes to run away.

“CUT THE CAMERAS. TIME FOR EVERYONE TO GO TO BED NOW!” Bobby suddenly appears out of nowhere again.
“But it’s 10am in the morning.” The cameraman pipes in.
“GOOD NIGHT KOREA!!!” Bobby pulls out a blanket that is most likely for the girls and covers the main camera. Heading towards the girls, he drags them backstage, pulling out every comforting word from the dictionary.

Rumi doesn’t get to see his face when she leaves. Is he shocked? Angry? Disappointed? Disgusted?

Maybe she doesn’t want to know.

“This is all kinds of messed up.” Zoey says after leaving the stage. The roaring crowd and overbearing pop music still rings loudly in the corridors, reminding the trio exactly what just happened.

“The nerve of them, this fucking show. We’ll sue! An invasion of privacy, stalking, taking photos without consent, we can definitely build a case.” Mira clenches her fists, itching to take a swing at the person who took the photo. Or the host who just wouldn’t stop smiling at them when he asked that question, she isn’t very picky right now.

Rumi couldn’t properly listen to them. Another thing to worry about now. All the gossiping and endless theories on something non-existent. She can imagine how the company is going to reprimand her when she gets back.

But what’s waiting for them in their dressing room is something way worse than some executives scolding her on what she can or cannot do.

Posters, specifically Rumi’s, are torn to shreds, scattered all over the floor. Fan gifts left for the girls earlier today are all destroyed to the point where it is hard to tell what they were in the first place.

But the most terrifying part of the scene is the mirror.

Bold lipstick leaving a certain message directed to the Huntrix leader.

Stay away from Jinu you demon. You think he would even like you? Don’t you dare take him away from me.

On the other side of the building, it is a whole different mess.

Did you really think you can be free as a human? We won’t stop until every other demon suffers the consequences of betraying our eternal Lord Gwin Ma.

Jinu reads the letter over and over again. He thought the revolters would try to physically attack them, at least he would be prepared for that. But this… this is a completely different level.

Look at what you did. She wouldn’t have to suffer if you just stayed dead.

The other demons aren’t safe either because of you. But isn’t this what you are best at?

Letting people suffer in misery. Just like your mother and sister.

The voices carve themselves into his brain. Even when he knows the other Saja Boys are trying to pull him out of it, it doesn’t stop the painful symphony of new yet familiar words from consuming him.

The problem is that they don’t sound like Gwin Ma anymore.

They sound like his own voice.

Forbidden Idol Romance Revealed: The real reason why the Saja Boys went on hiatus
…
-Knew my ship was real!!! And you all called me crazy
-Look at the way he looks at her<333
-So you think every person standing next to each other is dating. Delusional
-They could just be friends
-Please, friends don’t look at friends that way

-Noooooo, Jinu is mine TAT
-Can’t believe this. First she takes away every line in all of Huntrix’s songs and now she takes away our man??? Greedy bitch.
-I never liked her. Who keeps their hair that long anyways?
-Speak for yourself. I can’t believe my wife is taken by some basic pretty boy
-They didn’t confirm anything so there is still hope

-Huntrix’s manager is so funny lmao
-GOOD NIGHT KOREA!!! He is so silly, love him
-Glad they have him to rely on. They need to sue that stupid show

Rumi massages her head in an attempt to get rid of the burning pain in her head whenever a new comment pops up in the THISPATCH article. The public divide on the whole situation is another layer to her things to worry list. She should have been more wary. Five years of hiding big secrets and she tumbles into problem after problem the moment she thinks she is free.

“Don’t worry about it Rumi. I can fix this,” Bobby pats her shoulder, giving her a confident smile. His bluff is obvious to the three girls but they give him a silent thanks through a tender group hug.

“Thank you Bobby. This whole thing…it is just based on something out of context. Jinu and I…we are just friends.” Rumi says. Bobby looks at her with an expression she can’t quite pinpoint but he doesn’t elaborate on it.

“On the bright side. Bobby is totally going viral. His voice is now a trending sound. Most people are just having fun with it.” Zoey shows an endless scroll of videos. People cosplaying as Bobby with his blanket, making silly skits about the show, all of them having a high amount of engagement. The girl couldn’t stop giggling at their fans’ creativity.

A light bulb flashes in the manager’s mind. “That’s it! That is what we need. A distraction. Something to bury the photo scandal. And to sell the idea that Jinu and Rumi are just friends…”

The Huntrix girls share a confused look with one another, eyes basically asking “What the heck is this guy talking about?” as the manager’s seem to gleam even more.

“What we need is the Huntrix members to interact more with the Saja Boys, to show that it is nothing too out of the ordinary. I call it Operation Friendship: Santrix!”

“HUH???”
“That is a terrible ship name.”

Chapter Text

“Ever-evolving K-pop! The heart of the Korean wave! With the world watching…It’s Music Bank!”
“Mystery.”
“Abby!”
“Zoey! And together we are…”
“Zo.Ab.Stery!!!”

Sometimes Jinu wonders whether or not it was a mistake to get a TV for the apartment lobby. On one hand, it is the cheapest source of entertainment that could accommodate over hundreds of demons. On the other hand, it is almost impossible to get out the front door with them crowding over the little box.

“I LOVE YOU ZOEY!!!”
“You traitor! You should be cheering for the Saja Boys.”
“AGHHHHHH!”

Still, it is very endearing to see all of them doing fanchants and holding on to their Saja Boy light sticks. They are truly a supportive bunch.

“Why are we still keeping these stage names? We have actual names now.” The mint hair saja boy asks as he pulls up the famous K-pop profiles site, now displaying the updated names of Myst, Romeo and Bami.

“The fans are used to those stage names anyways. Plus, our trio works better when we all rhyme.” Abby puts his arms around his fellow co host who keeps his eyes on the screen as he practices his aegyo.

“Easy for you to say, you have a somewhat normal name to begin with. You are still keeping yours.” Bami rolls his eyes and decides scrolling twitter would be better than arguing over something stupid.

“We get such great memes with these stage names though.” Romeo says as he looks over Bami’s iPad, grinning whenever he sees a flattering fanart of himself.

“Can’t wait for your photoshoot with Mira to come out so we can get more. Have you seen the ones where they put the McDonald sign in your hair?” And for that, Romeo finds the nearest chair to yeet at Abby. Myst attempts to protect the muscle demon but fails miserably at hiding the man’s wide frame. The wise youngest just moves a bit further away from the chaos.

Why did Jinu decide to make a boy group again? And why did he choose to be the leader? Better question is why did he choose four idiots?

He shakes his head. If only these questions can be the only ones occupying his mind. But sadly, these are the least of his worries. Jinu moves towards the exit as if he were dancing because trying not to step on every demon requires the flexibility and precision only an idol’s ruthless training could provide. He considers that maybe drilling more dance practices could actually be good against the revolters.

“Jinu hyung. If you are going to go out. Help me stock up on some beer ok?” Bami calls out before going back to more tweets.

“Oooh and some chicken breast for me.”
“It isn’t healthy of you to be just eating chicken breast Abby.” Myst reprimands, giving him a disapproving look. Though his bangs basically covered two thirds of it.
“How else am I gonna keep these abs everyone loves? I know you do hyung.” Abby throws a wink at Myst as he lifts up his shirt, making the older member and the various onlookers flush.

“Since you are doing that, get me some magazines,” Romeo adds.“Need to learn what’s trendy in the 21st century. I’ll even let you borrow it, old man.”

Jinu decides to run before he becomes the whole building’s errand boy.

Besides, he has more pressing matters to attend to.

Like the blue invitation card he has in his hands.

“You want to meet out here in the open, even after our dating scandal? You must be out of your mind.” Rumi says when she finally gets to the meeting place.

Jinu looks at her. Somehow she managed to hide her floor length hair in her hoodie which made her cheeks more cute and puffy. He couldn’t help but chuckle. “And yet you still came. No teddy bears or choo choo trains this time?”

She scoffs at the remark, “This could have been a text, you know?”
“What is a text? Is it something you can do on an iPad?”
“What? I mean technically…ugh you really are old.”

Rumi decides that she should teach the four hundred year old demon modern technology another day, opting to take in the scenery instead. She has been here before, ran by here before. The bridge where hardly anyone passes by. But it is the same place where the view of the city is most prominent.

Jinu follows suit. Cars pass underneath them in a zoom, making them appear to be blurs of colour. Flashing street lights alongside neon signs. Nothing tranquil like relaxing on a tropical beach or being surrounded by Mother Nature, far from it. However, the charm is in the sound. Engines roaring, drivers honking, the city feels alive. “I came here often when I was first released three months ago. Usually alone. It is somewhere I can process my thoughts on the whole destroyed demon realm thing. It’s ironic but the sounds give me peace of mind.”

Rumi agrees. Being a hunter is a fast paced job which means there weren’t a lot of times where she could properly appreciate the city’s beauty. Times like these are rare but they always remind her of what she is fighting for.

And that means doing anything to protect it.

“Any updates on the revolters’ situation?” Rumi watches as Jinu’s whole demeanour changes, his soft smile fading as he looks back at her with a serious face. “They were behind the photo.”

Rumi tenses at the revelation. She wonders what possible reason could lead them to do such a thing. Something that is hardly related to reviving Gwi Ma’s power. Something that is hardly related to demons in general. Something that could only really affect the two of them.

“But why? Isn’t that just petty revenge at this point?” She asks. Looking at him, she realises that he is just as lost as she is. Sure it has garnered a lot of unnecessary hate towards the two but are they just targeting them? However, the same hate has provided a new problem.

“There is another thing to worry about. You and I might be also dealing with a sasaeng,” His face tells her he is now even more confused, “A sasaeng is basically a stalker who is obsessed with celebrities. They came to our dressing room after the show and left a message, telling me to back off of you.”

Horrified, Jinu grabs Rumi’s shoulders with his hands shaking. “Hey, it’s ok. I have dealt with my fair share of obsessive fans during my idol career. None of them ever got too close. I am more worried about you…” Rumi tries to calm him down but she knows it isn’t working from the way his lips tremble, trying to form words. His eyes speak volumes to her.

It wasn’t the first time someone had worried for her. Celine always looks at her differently whenever they go to her mother’s grave. And she notices the way Mira and Zoey share knowing glances whenever she practices her singing late at night.

But when it is him who shows such a concerned expression, it is strangely different. Why does it feel so embarrassing?

She needs to look anywhere but straight at him. The stars in the sky. The bright big billboard behind them. The convenient stores that are still open late at night. The people at the bus stop. The three creeps in the alleyway…

“Wait, something is up over there.” Rumi says before jumping off the bridge, leaving Jinu with a different kind of concern.

Thankfully the bridge isn’t high to begin with. Rumi lands safely on the sidewalk, her hair escaping her hoodie in the midst of it. Swift as the wind, she sneaks to the alleyway. Three people who keep sneaking glances at passersby. Upon closer inspection, jaggared marks can be seen in their exposed skin, malice clear on their faces.

“Revolters…” Rumi mutters under her breath. She prepares her blade, ready to strike. However, one of the demons detects her presence, quickly signaling the others to move further into the alleyway.

The back alleys are full of twists and turns, making the chase much harder. Even though she reaches a wider area, the demons were able to blend the shadows.

Leaving her completely alone.

Until a sound from the top rings clear.

Rumi manages to block the sneak attack, slashing the demon’s chest in the process. But unlike how they used to disappear in pink sparks, a fresh flesh wound appears. If the flashing demon patterns and claws weren’t clearly visible, she would have thought she had harmed a normal civilian. What in the world?

Further questions would have to be pondered later as the other two demons join in the fun. Just as if they are making up for the loss of their teleportation skill, the three beings’ movements are much more swift and difficult than any enemy she faced before. Every kick and swing barely glazed them. Faster, stronger, a genuine threat.

No good, she would risk getting tired before pinning them down.

It turns into a battle of strength and willpower. Rumi concentrates on predicting her enemies moves, eventually blocking claws with her sword on her left while using her leg to push away the demon on the right. However, her front became her blind spot, giving the last demon the chance to send her flying backwards.

Luckily, Jinu made it just in time to catch her in his arms.

“Nice catch. Now throw me.”
“Are you serious?”
“Very.”

Despite his doubts, he spins her around before swinging her towards three demons. Boosted with momentum, Rumi’s final kick leaves them all down on the floor groaning in pain. Sword in hand, she holds it against one of the demons, “Tell me, what were you trying to do to those people? ANSWER ME!”

The two other demons look at each other with no clue on what to do. The one who is pinned down however turned out to be more enthusiastic, or some would say overly proud.

“You think we would just tell you filthy hunter. And working with your lover I see. How typical of you to take away Gwi Ma’s favourite. Our plan is absolutely foolproof. Once we are done, you’re…”

”MY SODA POP. MY LITTLE SODA POP!”

Apparently, the group had fought a bit too close to the alley exit, close enough to be near a bunch of passing fans. By the time Rumi finished hiding her weapon and hair, the two demons managed to drag the overly cocky one away. Said demon is still going on with his monologue and laughing hysterically.

“Wait. You can’t just leave like ugh…” Rumi tries to chase them but quickly falls down to her knees, the bruise on her stomach starting to act up after the adrenaline rush. She coughs as fatigue comes rushing in like a tidal wave. Why now? She thinks as she tries to get up. Why do things always escape her within reach?

“Here, let me help you,” Jinu helps her up on her feet, letting her lean onto him for support. “They wouldn’t have told you their plan even if you threatened them, you know.”

“But still, it was our only lead.” Rumi coughs some more, using both of her hands to grab onto him. Her legs feel like twigs, ready to break any second.

Jinu watches her weak body falter and pulls her in closer. He gently pats on her back, hoping it would help steady the heavy breathing. Realising the best course of action is to send her back home, he summons his tiger further back in the alleyway and places her on top of it. The blue creature nuzzles the exhausted girl’s head, hoping it could provide some sort of comfort.

“And you told me not to overwork myself. Maybe you should follow your own advice.” He whispers as he lets go of her hand.

“I never said I was a good example, did I?” Rumi softly laughs, too tired to properly give a witty comeback.

Jinu watches as Derpy takes the huntress away. The wind blows out her hair, the moonlight highlighting her braid. He couldn’t see her face but he imagines her smiling as she pets the tiger’s fluffy fur, holding onto it to distract her from her injuries.

See what you did? She wouldn’t be in pain if it weren’t for you.

You couldn’t sing to save your family. You couldn’t protect her from danger.

You couldn’t do anything right.

Chapter Text

Even though they aren’t enemies anymore and technically he isn’t exactly a demon anymore, Mira still wants to smash that stupid smug face. The stupid face that still stares at her all lovey dovey without meaning any of it.

But she is a professional. An idol with years under her belt. She can get through one photoshoot with no issues.

“The shots turned out great. You two together are literally a match made in model heaven. Though Romeo, you can tone down the posing. You are selling lip tints, not clothes for ZARA.” The photographer laughs as she tells everyone to take five. Romeo chuckles back but Mira can see the question marks floating above his head.

She smiles as the makeup artist comes up to changes her lip colour. The crew for this brand always treated her nicely and she uses their products daily, so being their ambassador is an absolute dream. But damn Bobby and his friendship plan, why did they push her with him of all people.

Speak of the devil, Romeo comes up to her with a smirk that Mira registers as trouble. “Excusez me. You are so beautiful today. Hair red like the tteokboki. Well it’s more pink actually…”

Mira can only roll her eyes as the makeup artist tries her hardest not to laugh.

Confused by the lack of interest, Romeo’s confidence obviously falters.“But I thought this is how people flirt nowadays. It’s all over the app Bami likes scrolling on,” he turns to the makeup artist, “Am I wrong?” He asks which only makes her laugh out loud and run away.

Romeo’s face drops even more but quickly recovers, slipping into the space next to the other pink hair model. “It doesn’t matter. I have done my fair share of research on how people flirt nowadays. Bami’s app also had a lot of book recommendations too.”

”God, you’re on booktok?” Mira groans, cringing at the idea of him trying to act like some rich CEO who is also a mafia boss. She would rather have the Hongdae guy.

Romeo awkwardly laughs, losing all of his cool composure. ”Not that I like reading those books or anything. I am a guy after all. It’s just research.”
“Why are you even focused on that bit?” She sighs.

Romeo hesitates, “You don’t think that it’s strange? For a guy to like…read romance?”
”No, that’s not weird at all,” Mira groans, shaking her head. “What’s weird is that you actually want to apply those flowery words in real life. Zoey has shown me stuff that made me want to pull my eyes out and throw them to the moon.”

Romeo doesn’t immediately respond. He stands there looking at her with a new expression. It is as if he is trying to study her face, trying to find lies within her. She hates it. It takes her back to her childhood and teenage years, when people much older than her would gauge her potential without saying anything, making up ideas about her.

“Well those flowery words are what makes people happy. Everyone loves compliments. That’s how people like you,” Romeo goes on but Mira doesn’t hear his voice, too focused on her own frustration. “That’s how you sell yourself. If I don’t learn how to, then no one will…”

“And I can’t stand people saying all these flattering words without meaning any of it. I have heard enough of it when I was with my so-called family and even now as an idol. It makes me sick.” Mira finally snaps, releasing all the pent up anger boiling within her. Though, she immediately regrets it when she sees the heartbroken face on him. Why is he doing that face? He is just playing a character, it is his whole idol concept. Why is he making her feel all guilty when his eyes droop, mind seemingly going back to a long forgotten past.

”I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make this awkward. Just ignore what I said alright.” Mira says, trying to clear the tension she created. But the Saja boy just shakes his head.

“No, I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable. I’ll say less of it in the future.” Romeo stares at her, regret pooling in his eyes. He pauses for a moment before looking straight at her, “But I really do think you are beautiful.”

”Ha, you and millions of other fans. I am the visual after all. But thanks.” She smiles. “I don’t mind teasing, just do it in moderation ok?”

Romeo winks at her, making Mira roll her eyes again. But this time, she does it as a playful response rather than out of annoyance.

Maybe working with him won’t be so bad after all.

”Ok back to it guys. Now you two, we want some candid shots. So act normal ok?” The photographer says as she starts snapping photos without warning.

What a vague prompt. And Mira can see Mr ZARA model struggling to do so with his face contorting to all sorts of expressions.

“So why Romeo? Your name I mean. Why did you choose it?” Mira lazily asked, trying to make conversation so that he could relax a bit. Settling on the box prop, she sits down to make herself more comfortable.

“You called me Romeo that night when we met again. I named myself that because of you.” He answers before sitting at the other box next to her. It worked wonders for him as he pulls out a longing face that the photographer clearly loves, but it has backfired completely on her.

“You can’t just decide these things on a whim. People are going to call you that forever now.” Mira whispers out, acting natural has never been more difficult. “It’s a nice name but still…you should have thought this through.”

“But I liked the way that name sounds coming from your mouth.” He casually replies, leaning closer to the point where their faces are inches away from each other. Mira subconsciously moves backwards.

She had fans tattooing her name on their bodies and thought it was totally cool. But choosing a name based on what she said off hand is something else. No one actually does that, do they? Mira looks into his eyes, looking for that teasing glint he loves giving her. But they lack any indication that he is just messing around, only a soft gaze that she rarely ever sees in people.

Oh no. This man is serious.

The camera shutters and the idol can only imagine what kind of face it has captured. “You are a stupid, stupid man.” She barely mumbles out, refusing to make eye contact with him. Her fists clenched, itching to punch at something to save her from this embarrassment. God what is this sudden confession. It isn’t even a romantic one. She was the one who complained about fake people in the industry.

She hates people who can say cheesy lines so easily.
She doesn’t know what to do when they truly meant them.

The shoot becomes a blur to her. Mira doesn’t notice it is over until the photographer keeps on singing their praises without breaks. One look at the monitors and Mira knew why the photographer couldn’t stop. The black background makes the pair’s pink hair pop, drawing more attention to their glowing visuals. Her makeup, bold with heavy eyeliner and mauve lipstick, contrasts with the lighter colors on his cheeks and lips. A perfect representation of the brand’s duality.

However, one of the photos catches her eye.

The photo shows Romeo looking at her, which isn’t much of a surprise at this point. What shocks her is her own face, cheeks tinted red with her mouth slightly agape. Eyes wide glancing downwards, as if she couldn’t bear to look at the man next to her.

She was flustered, she was flustered because of him.

That expression triggers a memory, a time when she was just a young teenage girl, a time when she feared nothing as she rebelled against her father, a time when she always wore such a face with…no, stop it.

It doesn’t even matter if it is just an act or he genuinely means everything he says. The concept of romance is dead to her. She has been to too many parties, seen too many sycophants and has enough people in her life betray her to believe in it. She is lucky to find friends to call family and that’s enough for her. Love in a romantic sense? She would rather not go through that again.

But those stupid eyes…

Mira concludes she needs a drink and plenty of couch time when she gets back home.

Chapter Text

“It's time for a new strategy.”

Out of nowhere, Zoey pulls out a whiteboard with a mindmap on how to defeat the demon revolters, alongside some cute drawings. Why is there a whiteboard in an idol dorm room? Rich people can do whatever they want with their money.

“Alright, this is like the thirty seventh idea. How about we put our acting skills to the test and pretend to be an innocent bystander ready for their soul to be taken. Then, we jump on them and take their souls instead.” Zoey says as she draws out the plan, getting excited by the minute. “It is almost poetic justice.”

“As much as I would like to do that, the demons probably recognize us by how much we fight them now.” Mira says in frustration, sloping further deeper into the couch, “Why is this all so hard? We have fought demons for so long. Can’t we just do what we usually do and strike them head on?”

“Our usual tactics won’t work anymore. They don’t disappear and are almost human. If we ever get caught, the situation may become ugly.” Rumi adds, shaking her head as she glances at the city view. The Honmoon has gone weak again. However, unlike last time with the Saja Boys where it shone in a mixture of blue and pink, the glow of the barrier is now faded. Her members join her, each having an equally worried face. If they don’t fight the demons who threaten peace, who knows what will happen to the world? But if they do fight these human-like demons, the future is equally as uncertain.

“You’re right, we do need to think this through. It is just so much to handle sometimes.” Mira sighs. Rumi pulls her into a side hug, leaning her head on her shoulder. “I know, but we are hunters, voices strong. We will get through this. I promise.”

“Guys, I hate to ruin the moment but I got a notification. The Saja Boys just uploaded their music video!” Zoey squeals as she drags the two back to the couch. Squeezing herself between the other girls, she excitedly presses the play button to the new song-Angel in Gold.

The concept for the music video seems to be racer themed. The golden hour sun makes the perfect highlight on their leather jackets, showing off a cool and unseen side of the boy group members. And if those shots didn’t kill all their fans, the ones where they wore sleeveless shirts, skin glistening in sweat definitely will.

“God, Abby is in a crop top! Myst is in one too! THEY ARE ALL IN CROP TOPS!!!” Zoey cheers as she makes a waterfall of popcorn.

“And they stopped wearing skinny jeans.” Mira mocks but isn’t able to hide her small smirk whenever a shot of abs appears on screen, adjusting her glasses to get a better look. “Didn’t know Romance was hiding that underneath as well.”

Rumi rolls her eyes at her friends’ antics, “You guys are just gross.”

“Don’t be sad that they haven’t done a close up on Jinu’s abs.” Mira jokes which earns an annoyed glare from the Huntrix leader.

Much like Soda Pop, there is an addictive quality in the melody that hooks people in. Though, the new song showcases their vocal talent even more so. Adding the fresh yet still seductive visuals, the girls can tell this song will definitely be a hard rival to beat.

The chorus starts with all of the members sitting in a car with an open roof, looking up at the camera above them as Jinu mouths the lyrics.

A touch that feels like freedom
Oh what have I become?
Midnight secrets untold
My angel in gold

“Have you ever noticed how suggestive their lyrics are?” Zoey randomly says in the midst of the song.

“Oh definitely. Full of innuendos.” Mira agrees,“I mean Soda Pop had ‘fill me up’, ‘every sip makes me want more’ and basically the whole of Bami’s rap verse. And now this? Very literal.”

The chorus continues as the camera slowly zooms into Jinu. The idol stares directly into the lens, with eyes that could lure one into the scene inside the screen.

But if you forgive my dark desire
And take in this heartless liar
My soul is yours to own
My angel in gold

Rumi bites her cheek, “Yeah, it’s oddly specific.”

She turns her head away, trying to give attention to the ceiling instead. The song and video are well produced for a group with a low budget. The members must have a lot of musical talent themselves and have worked extra hard. Jinu is the lyricist of the group, she knows that much. So that song is most likely written by him…

She isn’t doing a good job at distracting herself.
But the window view is.

“The Honmoon! It’s turning golden!” Rumi exclaims, garnering the attention of her members. The three of them watch as the Honmoon shows a hint of gold, reminiscent of how it did three months ago.

“But how? No way, is it because of the Saja Boys? Toned muscles and catchy suggestive lyrics can make the Honmoon gold?” Mira says in disbelief, scoffing at the ridiculous scene.

“That means we aren’t the only ones responsible for it now. The barrier has always been linked to our bond with them. If the fans love us, the Honmoon strengthens. Now that our Honmoon welcomes demons, maybe that’s why the Saja Boys are strengthening it as well?”

“Isn’t this great? If both groups can power the Honmoon, then the revolters won’t be able to do anything too bad!” Zoey suggests. “All we have to do is release our album and get our fans excited.”

She isn’t wrong. Rumi thinks to herself. But with this new variable, the hunters are truly reaching uncharted territory. Fighting demons with our song no longer sounds correct anymore.

“On the topic of releasing music, we need to talk about our album.”

“What do you mean Zoey? We finished filming and decided on our songs. What else is there to talk about?” Rumi questions, completely clueless on the maknae’s train of thought.

The girl just smiles as she does one strong flip on the whiteboard, revealing another detailed plan with drawings. In the middle, the words “RUMI’S SOLO” are written in bold. Zoey pulls out pieces of crumbled up paper from behind the board.

“I was trying to find you days ago but you weren’t in your room. Then, I saw these in your trash can. You always throw away your best lyrics and this proves I’m right. Rumi, you have to keep working on this. This has so much potential to…” Before Zoey could finish her sentence, Rumi snatches the papers away, hugging them close to her heart.

“No way, these are just some silly things I wrote on a whim.”

Sneaking up on her, Mira quickly takes the lyrics away, ignoring the way Rumi protests. “I have only just skimmed a bit of it but I agree with Zoey, it has potential to be a solo on the album. The fans would be in tears.”

“See see. I knew you would get me.” Zoey cheerfully gives Mira a hi-five, “We still got time. We are only releasing the pre-release track so we can still add it to the album. It looks like it is almost done and it seems like you have an idea of how you want it to go.”

Rumi takes back the music sheet from Mira, giving her writing a proper look. It is the rawest lyrics she has ever written, all of her feelings of the past years compressed into one song. She thinks about the two people who had the greatest influence when she wrote it.

One who she thought loved all of her.
And the one who taught her how to love herself.

“It’s not ready. And there are some…undertones within it that I don’t want others to analyze.” Rumi sighs deeply, feeling her heart getting heavy. Mira and Zoey don’t push it any further, opting to surround her warmly instead.

“No pressure then, let’s just focus on the songs we have now.”
“Yeah, we can just do Bobby’s friendship plan. Santrix or whatever it’s called.”

Rumi smiles back at them. It is what's best for the fans, for the Honmoon. As long as they continue performing and maintain a good PR relationship with the Saja Boys in public, the world will be safe. No need for a vulnerable solo that is obviously directed to someone, a solo that definitely conveys more than what two friends have. It is unnecessary and damaging to the Honmoon.

The perfect friendship.Nothing more, nothing less.

Just friends.

“With how suggestive the lyrics are. Do you think that four hundred years has made Jinu deprived of-”
“Mira, please don’t finish that sentence.”

Chapter Text

Doomed as my prey
Know there’s no escape
When you are hunted in my mind

“Don’t these lyrics remind you of Your Idol?” Abby says as he watches Huntrix’s stage performance through the little TV box in their dressing room. Myst gives a small nod, humming out the harmony.

“And they call us parasocial.” Bami scoffs, earning a smack from Romeo for moving. As the Saja Boy’s resident make-up artist, Romeo can’t tolerate whenever the boys move when he tries to reapply their eyeliner. Maybe he would be less annoyed if he isn’t the one worrying about smudging their makeup but such is the life of independent artists.

The way your eyes trace
It’s already too late
I am now the only thing on your mind

Jinu stares at the screen. Contrary to the powerful performance she just gave, the purple haired idol does a cheek heart pose for her ending fairy, pairing with an adoring smile that reaches her eyes.

What cruel words you are singing.

“That was awesome, performing in front of fans is such a rush.” Zoey cheers, singing the pre release single they just performed.

“You better go get changed quick. You still have to host the rest of the broadcast.” Mira’s reminder causes Zoey to go into a frenzy, quickly running ahead. The two watch as their maknae turns to the corner and somehow flies back into view. Though by how two familiar pink and gray hair demons run over to get her, it really isn’t all that hard to guess what happened.

One by one, the Saja Boys appear. Judging by the direction, they probably came out of the toilets. “Wow. Did the whole crew need a bathroon break or does Jinu not know how a urinal works?” Mira teases. The rest of the Saja Boys laugh as their leader gives her a death glare which obviously has no effect whatsoever. “He thinks flushing is the most fascinating thing ever.” Romeo joins in, causing the group to laugh louder.

Quickly moving on, the MC trio say their goodbyes before heading towards the Huntrix dressing room so that Zoey can change into her matching outfit. Mira, Romeo and Bami go on their own discussion, leaving Rumi alone with the poor embarrassed leader. Taking pity on him, she changes the subject.

“See the way both Abby and Mystery offer their hand to Zoey? See the way they actually helped her up? That's how you treat a lady. You know that?” She says, the memory of her anticipating a helping hand still remains to be a low point in her life.

Jinu chuckles and leans on the wall, “You want to be treated like a princess? Maybe show me that cute side you had on stage.” He then makes hearts towards her, recreating her ending fairy. Very annoying. What’s more annoying is how well his stage costume fits him, the leather racer jacket hugging his upper arm, giving off bad boy vibes. The way his white shirt is slightly wet because they performed a bit before them, sweat sticking on his muscles dangerously.

“Unfortunately for you, those are reserved for my dear fans.” She manages to tear her eyes off his body, looking back at him. But by the smug face, he definitely saw her checking him out.

“Come on, I slept on the streets for your fan sign and was the first one in. Some would say I’m your biggest fan.”

“You did that just to annoy us. Being so extra for what?” Rumi rolls her eyes. She has never related to Mira so much at this moment, with his face looking so punchable. “What are you trying to prove? Do you want me to call you oppa or something?” When the man goes suspiciously quiet, Rumi realises the power she suddenly has. “Wait, do you actually want that?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You aren’t even my type.” He scoffs but turns away from her, the tips of his ears turning red.

“Lies! I’m everyone’s type.” Rumi pokes his face, smirking at his annoyed face, a taste of his own medicine. “Just admit it. Don’t you want to hear it? Jinu oppa?” The moment the words came out of her mouth, cringe consumed her. Rumi covers her face out of embarrassment, banging her head against the wall. Why did she do that? What was going on in her head. Woo Jinu is nothing compared to this. This. This is her low point.

Here lies Huntrix’s leader Rumi. Age 24. Cause of death? Cringy aegyo.

At least, she couldn’t see the other man fighting his own inner battle. Her words repeating like a mantra in his head. Look closer and you can see the soul he got back after four hundred years fly out.

“Dressing room. Yes, I need to go grab something. Very important.” The girl stutters robotically, stiffly grabbing the nearest door.

“Rumi, that is our…” Not able to stop her, the door swings open. But what shocks her isn’t the fact that she obviously opened the doors to the wrong dressing room.

“WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!” Rumi’s outburst catches the attention of the members of both groups, everyone peering inside to see something, someone unexpected.

A girl hugging Jinu’s familiar checkered jacket.

Stunned silence falls, too shocked at the gall of some people. “Fucking hell there is a creep here.” Bami cries out in utter disgust. The girl finally notices she isn’t alone anymore. But instead of panicking, she runs towards them.

“Jinu oppa! Oh my god. You are here. I have been waiting for you. Oppa! What took you so long? I had to drink some water just from how long I waited. Luckily, your bottle was just on the table. Sorry for drinking it all oppa.” Jinu’s stomach hurls at the thought of his water bottle, deciding it is best to never touch it again. And how can the same nickname have such a different effect? He wants to puke whenever that high pitch noise calls him that. He barely manages to avoid her forceful pounce, thanking whatever that is above them for not letting her successfully hug him.

Rumi steps in, blocking the girl away from Jinu. It is almost instantaneous. Rumi tells herself it is because of her hunter instincts that made her reflexes work so quickly. But, if she thinks deeper, maybe there is another layer of possessiveness in her actions. A voice telling her that she doesn’t want Jinu to leave again.

“YOU! You are getting in the way again.” The sasaeng fumes, reaching to pull out Rumi’s long braid but fails. Being more experienced in combat, Rumi easily pins the girl down on the floor. The crazy fan screams, still trying to fight back despite it all.

“Security! Come on! Someone get over here!” Mira shouts out. Releasing the actual trouble she is in, the stalker knees Rumi’s stomach, which unfortunately is not fully healed from the attack days ago, and manages to escape along with Jinu’s jacket.

Rumi runs after the stalker, dismissing the shouts of everyone else telling her to stop. The rational leader, the girl who listens to what she is told. Fuck it all. Security won’t make it in time, this is the best way to deal with it.

And maybe some people are worth being reckless for.

The chase leads her to the back entrance with barely anyone around. With one wrong turn, the sasaeng ultimately drives herself to a dead end.

“Fuck off you crazy bitch. What kind of person chases someone like that? And how the hell are you so fast?” The girl glares at the hunter, using Jinu’s jacket as some sort of protective shield. Upon closer look, the stalker appears to be rather young, probably just turned eighteen not too long ago. “You are still all over Jinu oppa huh? Get off him. Was the warning not enough last time?”

“So you admit you were the same person who wrote the message.” Anger rushes over Rumi, how dare someone be so shameless? “I don’t care how young you are. You have to face the consequences of your actions.”

“Stay far away from me. You disgust me. Jinu isn’t yours to take. He is for the fans, for me. As an idol, you should know that. No one on the internet likes you and I will ensure that…what the hell? Why are your tattoos glowing?”

Rumi looks down at her patterns, the faint marks turning red. No, why now? In front of a civilian. In front of someone who is more than willing to expose her.

Calm down, cover them up. Don’t let your weaknesses be seen.

Suddenly, the crazed fan falls to the ground. Surprised, Rumi doesn’t even know whether she should immediately take her away or check if she is still fine. Doesn’t matter because a figure from the dark comes out and grabs the fainted girl in one arm, treating her as if she is some sort of package from the post office. Rumi looks up to see a blond haired man with a relaxed expression, acting like he didn’t just knock someone out cold. The marks and gold eyes immediately send her to the edge, instinctively reaching for her weapon.

“You probably shouldn’t do that out in the open, Miss Huntress." The unknown man grabs her forearm with his free hand, pulling her closer. “You are even more gorgeous in person. I have always wanted to meet you, to fight you. Your patterns, how I wish to trace them out with my claws.”

“Get off of me.” Rumi grits out, wincing at how the claw digs in her skin.
“But I don’t want to.” The demon replies, “I’ve told you. I have been longing to meet you for so long. The hot topic amongst demons. The child of Gwin Ma’s first traitor.” Her eyes widen. She has never heard anything about her father, it is a topic Celine refuses to bring up. How? Who is this person?

“Let go of her.” Jinu suddenly appears, pushing the demon far back. The unknown demon falters a bit, quickly regaining balance whilst holding onto the stalker.

“Jinu. It has been a long time.”
“I have no idea who you are.”

The demon takes no offense at his words. “So harsh. Then again, you have always been so high and mighty. You don’t care for anyone other than yourself.” Jinu tenses at the words, his own marks turning red. The demon smiles wider, taking another step closer, “You know, I always thought we are so similar. But oh how you have fallen. How can a selfish man like you be so willing to protect a hunter? Gwin Ma’s favourite has now become our enemy. Betrayal really runs in your blood, doesn’t it.”

“Quit the chatter and give the girl back.” Rumi glows angrily, sword pointing towards the man’s neck. This only fuels his twisted sense of humour, laughing as he grabs onto the blade, nuzzling his face on the sharp edge. The man ignores the way his blood flows out and trickles his face, seemingly exciting him further. His patterns turn into a dark shade of black, contrasting his ghostly pale skin. He has lost his sanity. No, more so he never had any to begin with.

“No can do. This toy right here shows promise. I can’t just give her up that easily.” The demon grins before leaving, too quick for the two idols to properly register.

“Ugh, I let them slip away again.” Rumi frustratingly yells out. “Who the heck is that psycho?”

“I don’t remember.” Jinu says, still looking at the direction where the demon just left. “Nothing good I’m sure.”

Rumi picks up the jacket that has fallen in the midst of the chaos. She turns to him, concern washing over her. The sasaeng, the revolter and the comeback all at once, she can imagine just how stressful everything is. “Are you alright?” She asks as she hands over the jacket.

The cold air picks up. Jinu looks at the girl shivering. Why is she wearing a sleeveless top in the middle of October? Though he can’t deny how well it defines her figure and displays her marks beautifully. He shakes those unnecessary thoughts out and wraps her in the checkered jacket. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about it. Instead, I hope you take care of yourself Rumi.”

Rumi feels heat warming up her cheeks. She blames it on the new layer of clothing.

Nothing more than friends. You are not allowed to be anything more than friends.

People hate the idea of them together. To the point of stalking and threatening them. If they actually had something between them…

No. Happy fans. Happy Honmoon.

Rumi needs to remember that.

So no blushing as he wraps his arm around her shoulder when they walk back in. No blushing when he gives that worried look. And definitely no blushing when he softly calls her name.

“Uhm, what happened here. Why is Zoey fainted on the floor? And the crowd is going crazy.” Rumi asks, staring at the interesting scene before her from the side of the stage.

“Let’s just say, you missed a very special episode of Play Games With Us.” Mira laughs, “Bobby is going to have a field day with this.”

Chapter Text

“What do you mean she isn’t here? The award ceremony is next on the program.” Zoey panics when Mira updates her on the situation. Deeply concerned for her friend, she prays that Rumi won’t come in harm's way while chasing the obsessed fan. But now with both nominees gone, the show can’t go on. Sure, they could just do it without them, it just definitely won’t help with rumours circulating on the internet. Zoey can imagine the headlines: Rujinu ditching award nominations for secret time backstage. Mira shakes her head, obviously also stressed at the current predicament.

“You, Abby and Myst have to do something.”
“Huh? What can we do about it?”
“You three are the only ones that can distract everyone without it being weird. Bami is back at their dressing room to see if anything else is tampered. Romeo and I can protect the fans from the wings if the crazy bastard decides to show up.”

Everything she says makes sense to her but Zoey couldn’t help but fiddle with the sleeves of her jacket. Can she really do this? And can Abby and Myst handle the pressure with something so sudden? Even though they have been doing idol activities for quite some time, they are still rookies. But Zoey is still a people pleaser at heart and can’t say no to anything, “Ok, I’ll pull out an idea somehow. You can count on it! You guys go ahead, I’ll tell the other two about this.”

The fake smile she gives doesn’t fool Mira though.

Opening the door to the Huntrix dressing room, Zoey accidentally walks into a rather private conversation between the two demons. Gone was Myst’s calm and gentle voice, his words are sterner than anything Zoey has ever heard from the man, though it is still laced with a hint of worry.

“There isn’t a magic medicine that could make you forever buff Abby. I think that's what people call steroids.” The idol crosses his arms, walking closer to the vanity, “This isn’t healthy.”

The buff man just sighs as he checks himself out in the mirror, not satisfied with the other demon’s answer. “You know I have to keep this shape. It is what the fans like about me.” He lifts up his shirt to take what's probably the fifth look at his abs. Hard to imagine that this is the same flirty and bright person with how he blankly stares at his own body.

“That’s not true. Looks aren’t everything.”
“Funny coming from the guy who covers half of his face.”
“Believe me, the shallowest form of love is from those who only judge by appearances. I remember that much…” Myst unconsciously pushes his bangs away, the mirror reflecting his beautiful face and empty eyes. Abby scoffs at the irony.

“Hah, this kind of love is the only kind I get. A pretty guy like you wouldn’t understand it.”
“And you won’t understand me no matter how many times I tell you.”

When the two catch Zoey in the reflection, they morph into soft smiles and kind expressions as if they weren’t about to have a heated argument.
“Hey beautiful, what took you so long?”
“Is it time to get back on stage now?”
Even though she knows it is best to resolve this tension, there are unfortunately more pressing issues.

“Listen, the short version of the story is that we need to keep the audience and viewers entertained for a while since Rumi and Jinu are out chasing a stalker. I’m thinking we can get some props from the variety show set next door. Don’t worry, it will totally work out.”

Thankfully, the pair do not have many questions to ask and are willing to just go with the flow. “I’ll go ask the producers if they have something in hand.” Myst volunteers before leaving the room.

Zoey turns to Abby who stays silent. Should she bring up what he and Myst were talking about just a bit earlier? Or will that be too noisy? It dawns on her that she doesn’t really know either of them well enough to bring up such a heavy topic. And by what she overheard, this isn’t the first time they discussed this.

“Hey, I know a doctor who sells all kinds of health tonics. He even helped with Rumi’s voice! Maybe the three of us can go there together sometime?” Zoey suggests in the end, “They have glowing reviews online. I’ll send the location to our group chat.”

Without Myst to disapprove, Abby smiles and agrees for them. However, Abby thinks his hyung wouldn’t have refused because at least it would be an excuse for them to see the cute rapper outside of work.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances, the award ceremony is going to be delayed for a bit. But don’t worry, our MC trio will keep you entertained! Get ready to PLAY GAMES WITH USSSSSSSSS!!!”

Although the audience and some of the camera crew are surprised, it is quickly washed away with enthusiasm. All the fans hold their various lightsticks up high, excitedly waiting for what’s to come. Zoey and Abby try their best to keep the crowd hype, flashing abs and pulling all sorts of aegyo, in hopes to stall enough time for Myst to find something, anything really to make everyone think nothing is wrong.

From the corner of her eye, Zoey can see Mira and Romeo on each side of the audience, subtly hiding within the shadows. That doesn’t mean she doesn’t notice Romeo cheekily giving Mira a wave, the pink-haired girl giving a small smirk in return.

Oh, she is so totally going to tease her for that when they get back home.

The crowd’s cheers bring her attention to the stage again where Myst shows up with a box in hand. “Look who it is. Our Mystery with our mysterious game.” Abby says to the mic as their third member walks up to them.

“The crew told me this is the only game they have in hand. I checked what's inside but I still don’t understand it.” Myst pants, tired from running around the building as he hands the box over to Zoey. At this point, Zoey thinks it is a relief that there is at least something or else she might have to go to Plan B and do a freestyle rap. Even so, she doubts that Myst or Abby know how to beatbox.

“Great job Myst. I’m sure I would at least know whatever game we have here. Let’s see here…oh!” Maybe not just anything would be fine. This game…this is going to be trouble, “Umm, maybe we can do something else instead. Do you guys know how to beatbox?”

But Abby couldn’t hear her hesitation in time because before Zoey could close the box, he takes the thing inside and lifts it up to the audience. The two demons’ curious faces just fuels her horror.

In his hand is a small stack of thin paper.

“No way! They are doing the paper kiss game!”
“My god, my ship is sailing!”
“Between two guys and a girl? Is that even allowed?”

“What are they so excited for?” Abby asks after lowering his hand. He exchanges a confused look with Myst, wondering why their co host is so red in the face.

“The game…the way you play it. You have to pass the paper within the time limit. The more the better.”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“With your lips.”
“Oh.”

Last time she played this game with the Huntrix members, she wondered if she had a thing for the other girls and went into the polytrix rabbithole. Although the small crush has faded, she still enjoys bookmarking fanfics and rereading them every so often. Now, playing the same game with two people she knows she is at least attracted to, she could see her future and it is drawing more fanart of the three of them in her secret notebook.

“Are you really ok with this?” Myst whispers, still guilty for unable to find another game. His small pout makes her go weak. If Zoey had any complaints about him, which she does not, they most certainly flew out the window now. She gives him a small pat on the head and a quick reassuring smile which makes the demon gleam happily. “Don’t worry. Since I have played this before, let me show you how it’s done.”

“It will be fine, Myst. And this game…” Abby examines the small piece of paper, the spotlight’s shine highlights how transparent it really is, “Seems really fun. An exciting challenge.” A smirk dancing on his lips as he plays with the prop in hand.

Zoey doesn’t answer as she turns her head away from the cameras, hoping it wouldn’t catch her blush.

Setting up for the game doesn’t take too long. The screen displays a timer with two minutes on the clock, big enough for the audience at the back to see. And other than the box of papers Myst holds, other props aren’t needed. With the crowd hyping up, Zoey finally registers how real all of this is. She is going to play the paper kiss game with two male idols in front of national TV. Two very attractive and popular idols who just so happen to be demons.

It’s fine. It’s totally fine. This will be so easy.

And definitely won’t make her heart stop, hyperventilate and go to the sketchy doctor for the cure.

Despite her worries, the first part of the game goes smoothly. Mainly because Zoey has completely emptied her head from all thoughts. The only words that are allowed in her brain are ‘paper’ and ‘pass’. It has taken every bit of her willpower to focus on the game and not the way Myst holds her waist to steady her when she takes the very thin piece of paper, the way Abby gently grabs the back of her neck to properly receive the very sheer paper and the noise coming from the very loud crowd. Did she mention how damn thin and sheer this paper is???

Zoey is fine, she can do this.

Until she can’t.

Somehow, Myst starts to lose the momentum, struggling to position himself correctly. Zoey can feel the outline of his lips pressing against hers, even more so with him getting more impatient. Myst’s moves become aggressive, the grip on her waist tightens as he desperately tries to pass the paper. The only thing between them is the small sheet of paper and it sends Zoey to overdrive. She knows she can be a flirt if she wants to, but even she has her limits, especially with cameras on her. It is rather hard to enjoy the moment with hundreds of eyes on her. By heaven’s grace or pity, she manages to take to the sheet separating them and move along.

However, Zoey must have lost the momentum too because she struggles to pass the paper to Abby as well. The wrong angle can truly mess up the whole thing. Strong hands push her neck closer to him, making her hold on to his chest for support. The height difference between them does not help at all as she feels herself leaning back due to the pressure. The close proximity also allows Zoey to see his half lidded eyes glance down before looking directly at hers, leaving goosebumps all over her.

With this literal paper thin tension, Zoey predicts she won’t be able to last any much longer.

Why is this piece of sheet so damn stubborn? Just leave already.

It leaves, but not in the way she wants to.

Suddenly, the paper drops to the ground, leaving a small gap between her and Abby. A gap so small that Zoey can feel his nose tickling her and his breath against her skin. Fortunately or unfortunately, Zoey moves away quick enough to not kiss him. But the ghost of his lips lingers in her mind. All this just leads her to stumble and fall into Myst’s arms who has another piece of paper in his mouth, ready for her. Zoey’s back presses against Myst’s chest, the sweater vest not preventing Zoey from making out the toned muscles he has.

Oh god, she almost got kissed. But then again, with how long her lips stayed on paper, she could say it was as if she kissed the both of them. Glancing up, she sees the demons look at her with a strange expression. She barely registers Abby teasing about continuing where they left off and Myst saying something about a second round before her legs give out, sliding to the floor with her head in a daze. Not to worry everyone, she waves from the floor to reassure both her co hosts and audience that she is totally fine. Maybe just a tad bit overwhelmed from the intense moment.

Even with Zoey on the floor and out of commission, the crowd still screams for more, counting down the last twenty seconds. And either it is pure genius or just wild behaviour but Abby decides to continue the game by pulling Myst in and sucking the paper from his lips. Myst follows his lead and puts more of the thin paper to his mouth, passing it urgently to his band member due to the decreasing time limit. Abby cups Myst’s face and in return Myst leans into the touch, both of them unaware of how intimate their actions are to onlookers.

If Zoey still had some sanity left, she definitely lost it all now. Though, judging by the roaring crowd, she isn’t the only one. Can this game even be played with only two people? Then again, no one seems to mind that at all.

By how passionate their movements are, Zoey can tell two things. One, they definitely were much more gentle and considerate when they played the game with her, slow and steady. Two, they must have practised all sorts of fanservice with each other, and are surprisingly really good at it. She does remember them being the most touchy amongst the Saja Boys so maybe that helps with it. Although, looking at them now, she couldn’t believe that they almost argued backstage.

The moment the timer rings, the two men immediately ask Zoey, still on the floor, if she is alright. She brushes the whole thing off like it was nothing and puts on the dazzling smile everyone is familiar with. But in the heart, it is a whole mess.

Zoey thinks the matter deeper while she continues hosting the show. Other than that one bi panic with Mira and Rumi, she hasn’t felt butterflies in her stomach like this in a long time. Back in America, people were more cruel than kind to her. In Korea, they look at her like some exotic creature and bring up how westernised she is every time they hit on her. It is like no matter where she goes, people can’t look past the cultural differences. She is either too much or too little and never enough.

Maybe she is just craving something more, the innocent love she wishes to have after watching K-dramas and rom coms. The most that she does is flirting with her fans for fun, but it is nowhere near the same. She would always feel jealous hearing other girls in high school talk about their relationships, saying how sweet their first dates are. Zoey never experienced any of that and probably never will with how people obsess either over her ethnicity or nationality. That’s why she is confusing herself with these unnecessary feelings, being too happy with fan service.

Don’t take this too far. Bobby is already stressing about Rumi and Jinu’s scandal. And for God sake, you like both of them too. Don’t be greedy, you are just confused. Fan service. This is all fan service.

But when Abby keeps sneaking glances at both her and Myst, playing with the hem of his shirt to distract himself. When Myst couldn’t keep his eyes off the script in his hands, even though Zoey knows he has the best memory out of the three of them. She instantly realises the game has changed whatever dynamic the three of them originally had.

Oh we are so fucked.

Chapter Text

There are hidden eyes looking at Rumi ever since that day at Music Bank. Shadows loom over her every time she steps outside, trapping her in a pitch black bubble. An invisible pressure reaches towards her, itching to grab onto her neck and drag her away. Chills manifesting to goosebumps as she finds herself choking on air.

Or at least that's what it feels like.

No physical evidence supports the suspicions but it doesn’t kill the paranoia. Unpleasant and eerie, Rumi can't help double checking every corner on the street, every person in the crowd. Looking for those eyes capable of crazed love and pure hatred.

That girl is probably watching but Rumi doesn't know where and how. Has she done this before and Jinu just so happens to be her next target? And is the psychotic demon also staring at her every move with perverted amusement?

Days pass and Huntrix has become increasingly busy. The list of promotions and scheduled performances unending. A variety show one day and a live performance on the next. The accumulating stress is getting to her so much so that sweet Bobby’s voice is just an alarm clock that won’t stop ringing. God she wants to pull her hair and puke and run and cry and scream and so much more.

But she can’t show it on her face.

Because the stalker isn’t the only one's eyes on her. The life of a celebrity is constant surveillance.

Rumi knows Mira and Zoey are worried, it wouldn’t be the first time. It doesn’t help that Rumi keeps looking out the car window for any signs of that figure.

“They aren’t here.” Zoey tells her, though she doesn’t know whether she believes in her own words, “It has been a while since you last saw the two.”

“Even Celine’s connection with the police is investigating them. It is one thing to keep your guard up, it is another to let the situation completely take over you.” Mira adds.

For a second, Rumi lets herself relax. But only for a second, “The sasaeng managed to slip past us twice, who knows if she has done more without us knowing.”

“Worrying would only make things worse though. How about we watch a movie when we get back? Or maybe the list of turtle reels I saved. Have you seen this one yet? ” Zoey says as shows her a clip of a turtle eating a banana, in hopes to calm her nerves.

And it really did help ease the car ride home. For a good moment, the web trapping her had given her an opening to escape.

That is until they open the doors to their penthouse.

A familiar scene, one reminiscent of the dressing room after the talk show but so much worse. Everything is destroyed, even their precious couch is torn to shreds.

The worst part is the writings on the walls, floor and windows. Hard to focus on one thing when the whole room is graffitied in bold and black. The words DEMON, STAY AWAY, KILL YOU and JINU are probably the only key words Rumi could pick up in her state of despair. It is obvious the person writing was not in the right state of mind with how the lines blur into some sort of scribble. Even so, the message behind it is still perfectly clear.

Rumi backs away from the door, further and further until she unknowingly crashes into the wall behind her and falls down. All her fears laid bare in front of her. And now, she has dragged Mira and Zoey into it.

“This is my fault. I couldn’t even see her even though I checked and checked. How did I not see her? I am so useless. And now, she came to our home. I should have caught her when I had the chance. Mira, Zoey…I am so sorry.” Her vision blurs, throat drying up. “Maybe if I didn’t try to find Jinu that day, this wouldn’t have happened. If I wasn’t so selfish…”

“Oh to hell with that shit.” Mira interrupts her self-deprecation, holding onto Rumi’s shoulders to make her face her, “How is it your fault? Some fucker decides to follow us home and trash our place and you are blaming yourself? Listen to me, none of this is your fault.”

“Mira is right, Rumi.” Zoey kneels in front of the poor girl, “You have every right to meet Jinu.”

The two girls sit on each of their leader’s side, not letting her break down into pieces. Slowly, the chills down Rumi’s spine morph into warmth, enveloping her into a comforting hug. She is not alone, not anymore. Hiding her weaknesses and fears just felt so natural and familiar that she forgot she could open up her doors. So Rumi lets the tears flow down, drip down to her thighs that could not stop shaking. Zoey starts humming to Golden, the soothing voice acts like a soft lullaby that steals away all the tension from her body. Mira plays with her knuckles which successfully distracts her from the mess at the doorway. Confining in them feels so good that Rumi once again wishes she told them about her demon marks earlier on because it is always them that would always be by her side.

“Steady now, deep breaths. We can go call Bobby about this. You probably should update Jinu.” Mira pats Rumi’s back before walking deeper into the corridor with Zoey to give their leader some space.

Leaning back against the wall, Rumi scrolls for Jinu’s contact info. Despite her trembling fingers, she manages to dial his number.

“Hello?”
“Jinu.”
“Well, I didn’t expect you to call so soon after I got this phone. Did you miss me that much?”

When Rumi doesn’t reply with a quick remark, Jinu changes his tone, “Rumi? Are you alright?”

“The stalker broke into our house. Trashed the place and everything. I just thought you and the Saja Boys should know.”

Silence. Rumi wonders if the call got disconnected until she hears Jinu’s quiet breaths. “Where are you going to live? You can’t stay there anymore.”

“I don’t know. Maybe a hotel for now? But patrolling may be harder now since civilians might see us going out and back. We don’t really have another house in Korea so this might be the plan for now…”
“Why don’t you three stay over here then?”
“Excuse me?”

“The place we have is rather remote so it is less likely for the stalker to find. And I haven’t sensed anyone in this area even though the sasaeng is crazy for me.” His voice sounds so calm for someone who has a sasaeng desperate for his attention.

“How is that even possible?”
“Like I said, security is tight here.”
“You are crazy.”
“I prefer the word confident.”

Why does he make it all seem so easy? Rumi softly smiles as she continues to listen to his explanation on why they should stay, unbeknownst to him that she is already half convinced. Celine might be right. This isn’t like her, to be so caught up in her emotions instead of thinking more rationally. When did this change start again?

Celine is going to hate this.

Celine is going to hate this. This will definitely turn into an argument. But Mira and Zoey already agreed and Bobby is helping them with the arrangements so no time like the present. Honestly, Celine probably already knows since nothing gets past her.

Time to face the music I guess.

“Come in.”

The office is just as clean and organised as she remembered. Prim and proper like its owner. Said owner sits at her office chair facing away from her, looking out at the window where the Honmoon barely shines, flashing every once in a while. The woman turns around, her furrowed brows and frown tells Rumi how displeased she is about the situation.

“I heard from Bobby and I disapprove of this. It isn’t safe and demons would be able to get close to you.” It is an expected answer, Rumi shouldn’t and doesn’t feel surprised.

Still, she can’t agree with her anymore, “Most demons want to live in peace. Have a second chance in life.”

“And some want to continue stealing souls. You said it yourself, they are trying to revive Gwin Ma. I told you they can’t be trusted.”

“That is just a small part of them, you can’t just generalize them all into the same category.”

“A demon is a demon, the less of them the better.”

“Then what am I?” Rumi’s voice cracks and it sounds more broken than angry. She doesn’t want to do this, it is supposed to be simple. They haven’t spoken about that night at the sacred tree, the moment she realised Celine couldn’t bear to look at her marks.

And she still can’t, “You are not a demon. You are a hunter.”
“You can’t still deny who I am. Look at me.”

Jagged patterns shine in the dimly lit office, making them the center of attention. Yet, she avoids them. What colour were Celine’s eyes again? Digging for approval turns into digging a grave. In hindsight, there is always a distance between her and the older woman despite how much they care for each other. Rumi just never considered how far it was.

“Rumi, you need to understand. The Honmoon…”
“What were you even thinking about the Honmoon? I was so obsessed with turning it gold that I didn’t even consider your reasoning. How can you be so sure that it wouldn’t have banished me in the process? Or did you want demons gone so badly that it didn’t matter whether or not it did. ”
“That’s not true Rumi-”
“The means justify the end, doesn’t it.”
“You know I love you.”
“It is hard to believe that now.”

Deep down, Rumi knows Celiene does love her like a mother. But the trust she has in her parental figure has fallen like a house of cards and she isn’t ready to put it back together. That night, Celine couldn’t even touch her, face her when she showed her what underneath the jacket. A shame that Rumi carried as a child, a shame reinforced by the teachings of the past. A shame that Celine can’t seem to look past.

“I will decide things on my own from now on. If it turns out to be a bad idea, I’ll face the consequences. But, I’m done blindly listening to voices other than my own.” Rumi says before leaving the room, not turning back to fight a hopeless battle.

A photo on the shelf catches Celine’s eyes. A magazine clipping that stands out from the minimalistic decor of the office. The framed page depicts three idols with bright smiles, matching blue dresses and stars in their eyes.

Sunlight Sisters-This Generation’s Shining Hope

Thoughtlessly, Celine reaches for the photo and the younger her who knew nothing of the future stares back. Refusing to face her past self, she moves on to the idol in the middle. The beautiful woman's braid sits perfectly on her shoulder and her gentle yet bright smile reminds her of an innocent angel. She was the ideal idol and the ideal huntress. Strong, brave but too kind, all the traits that made Celine love her.

“Oh Mi-yeong, she is so much like you. Why do you both have to fall for a demon?”

Chapter Text

True to his words, the Saja Boys do live in a very remote area. So remote that Rumi suspects that the demons didn’t lose their teleportation magic because who could possibly survive a three hour drive away from the city? And to think the Saja Boys have the same busy schedule. Do they wake up at 5 am? If that’s the case, they are suffering from a new kind of torture.

The building is quite large, perfect size to fit over hundreds of helpless demons. Is it totally out of place to put one single giant building on a hill? Yeah probably. But somehow, it is hidden so well amongst nature that it doesn’t totally stick out like a sore thumb. The ideal secluded area for demons to settle down before they join the rest of society.

“Welcome Huntrix, to our residence.” Jinu greets them as they walk in, “Nothing like your penthouse in the middle of the city but it is still a good place to live.”

“Chill dude, why are you acting so formal?” Bami pops up from behind, “You are welcoming them, not selling the property.”

“Give him some slack,” Abby joins in, leaning his arm onto Jinu’s shoulder, “He has been looking forward to this day. He spent like the past few days cleaning up his room for them, like Derpy had passed on its OCD tendencies to him. You know he is especially excited to see…” And that’s when Jinu had enough and shoves the annoyance away from him. Said annoyance takes no offense at his leader’s amusing reaction.

“Wait, are we staying in your room?” Rumi asks.

“Yeah. We don’t really have any rooms left here. I hope you three don’t mind sharing a room, mine is the biggest one amongst the Saja Boys.” Jinu replies, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Where will you stay then?”

“Oh, I would be sharing with Bami for the time being. I wanted to share with Romeo since his room is bigger but he is being all secretive about it. Won’t let anyone inside for some reason.”

“Hey, you weren’t supposed to say that,” Romeo’s cheeks turn as pink as his hair.

“It is the top secret of the building, even more mysterious than Myst’s face.” Abby playfully whispers but is still overheard by Romeo, earning himself another smack from his members.

“There are surprisingly not a lot of demons here.” Zoey says as she looks around the empty common area, not a single demon in sight.

Mira frowns, “Who can blame them? We send them back to hell every time we meet them.” The harsh reminder worries the three girls, uncomfortable at the idea of hostile eyes watching them, telling them that they are unwelcomed.

“Actually, they are very excited to see you.” Myst’s quiet voice speaks up, pointing towards a crowd of demons curiously peeking at the group, failing to hide themselves in the hallway. All of them resemble humans and both their excitement and nervousness reminds the girls that they are not much different from their fans.

“We may be idols too but most of these guys already got used to us.” Abby laughs as he gestures to the demons to come up to them, “You three are the real stars here.”

The demons share anxious glances, none willing to step up. It isn’t until the Saja Boys' persistent encouragement that one demon got the courage to come closer.

“Excuse me? Can I please get an autograph from you?” The nervous demon’s hands shake as he holds up the poster. From the long hair, it is obviously a water demon. But this one gives off a completely different impression from the ones at the men’s bathhouse, very timid but it is endearing. Similar to a little stray cat finally coming out of hiding.

“Of course, and who should I make this out to?” Rumi kindly asks, wanting to calm the fan’s nerves.

“Jelly.”

“Oooh like the dessert?” Zoey chirps in happily, picking up the pen to sign her signature, “That is such a cute name!”

“Would you also like a photo with us Jelly?” Mira asks, “No need to be shy.”

The sweet words from the Huntrix girls fill the water demon with absolute joy and tears when they take the selfie, chanting how lucky he is to be alive. This causes the other demons to form a line, all of them eager to meet the idols.

The sudden wave of fans becomes overwhelming. Rumi turns to Jinu pleading for help. But all he does is mouth the words “Have fun.” before leaving.

Jerk

“So this is Jinu’s room huh?” Mira says when the impromptu fan sign ends. “Feels weird.”

Zoey heads further inside the room, taking it all in, “Very. I mean, we don’t really know this guy. Besides Rumi of course.”

Jinu’s bedroom is simple, to the point of being boring. A bed, a closet, a desk, a chair and a window for sunlight to come in. But, the giant tiger and magpie probably benefit from this arrangement. If anything falls in this room, it is guaranteed that Derpy’s big paws would do anything to push it back up while the magpie rolls its eyes. Yes, the simplicity is probably for the best.

Rumi tries to make herself comfortable on the bed but just as Mira says, it feels weird. Even though the bedroom could be an ad photo for a real estate company, it is still Jinu’s room. She imagines Jinu working on lyrics at the desk, taking in the breeze by the window, lying on the bed that she is currently sitting on. It is intrusive and Rumi couldn’t shake how oddly intimate it felt.

On the other hand, Zoey and Mira quickly settle in the room, seemingly not sharing the same weird feeling anymore as they play with the familiars. Derpy looks especially happy with all the attention, twirling around and showing off all kinds of tricks that strangely a dog would do. Doesn’t really matter since it still looks cute doing so.

“Come play with us Rumi!” Zoey cheers as Derpy does another twirl.

“Maybe tomorrow, I think I’m going to get ready for bed.”

Hearing this, Mira stops playing with the tiger, “This early? It’s only 9 pm. Oh I get it. That excited to sleep on his bed huh?” Her smug face embarrasses Rumi immensely, Zoey not helping with her wiggling eyebrows.

“Shut up. The both of you.” Rumi says as she rushes to grab her things and heads for the bathroom, leaving the teasing duo behind.

“But I didn’t even say anything.”
“Zoey, your face says everything. But I agree with it one hundred percent.”

Rumi doesn’t sleep early. In fact, she couldn’t sleep at all.

So she explores around a bit since it might tire her out. Walking down the halls, she finds herself really enjoying the place. There is one photo in the main area that she partially likes, a group photo of everyone in front of the building. The Saja Boys stand front and center with the other demons surrounding them. From their expressions and the way they posed, the demons clearly have very distinct personalities. Even with how different they all looked, they shared the same bright smiles, jagged edges faintly iridescent.

Rumi wishes to protect their precious happiness, the other half of her.

Walking more, Rumi hears a voice singing from one of the rooms, the pleasing sound lures her closer. The door reveals a small recording studio. It isn’t anything too fancy, just the basics needed to make their music. Rumi notes that it is much better decorated than Jinu’s room, the purple walls with Saja Boys posters and little trinkets that most likely belong to each of the members. A bipa, which probably has seen better days given how worn out it is, sits next to the workstation.

Looking at a piece of sheet music, Jinu sits on the couch outside the recording booth section. He appears to be hyper focused on the lyrics. But the moment he hears Rumi enter, he turns and softens his gaze.

“You let your hair down.” Jinu says, entranced by the way it freely flows down to her knees.

Rumi doesn’t notice, “Got to let it breathe every once in a while.” She laughs but the realisation of how vulnerable she looks suddenly hits. Her makeup was wiped off earlier out of habit, leaving her now bare faced, hair down in her silly pajamas.

As expected, Jinu takes amusement in her interesting choice of clothing, “Kimbap patterns. Where do you even get these?” Jinu smirks as he takes another glance down at the colourful pants.

“Online, it was cheaper when you buy it in bulk…” Rumi mutters in hopes that he wouldn’t hear. His clear laughter tells her that she obviously failed.

Rumi sits next to the man who just can’t seem to stop laughing, “What are you up to anyways? You guys already released your album, didn't you?” She peeks at the paper in his hand.

“Just looking back at the lyrics that I have written for it. I always feel like changing them last minute but it’s too late now.”

“That’s how it goes I’m afraid. But the music your group puts out is good. I liked the title track best.”

“You do?”

Rumi recalls the lyrics of Angel of Gold, how familiar the words feel, “Yeah. For a rather poppy song, it felt rather personal.”

“It is. I had…someone in mind when I wrote it.”

“I do that too. Thinking about someone when writing makes the lyrics flow out easily.” Rumi thinks back to sheets of forgotten music, “Zoey suggested I release one of my drafts as a solo.”

“What is it called?”

“Bare skin.” When Rumi notices Jinu’s flushed face, she realises the unintentional suggestive insinuation and matches his red cheeks, “No no, it isn’t about…I wasn’t…It is about my patterns.”

Rumi takes a big sigh. Honestly, she came by on a whim. Maybe stop by and say thank you again to Jinu since he is here. But somehow, she always seems to be opening up to him every time they are alone. “It is about my shame over the past years. My mentor and basically my second mother, Celine, was one of the people I thought about when I wrote it. The whole time, I was taught not to let my faults and weaknesses be seen, to the point I felt like I lost myself. I hated demons. I hated myself.”

She feels his attention on her, intensely listening to her every word. It is the way he furrows his brows, how his eyes stare into hers. The soul searching gaze that tells her he understands.

It makes her confess everything she hides and brings it to light.

“But then you came along and taught me how to understand my patterns, taught me I wasn’t the only one who feels shame in their own skin. You gave me my voice and made me love myself again.”

Jinu stays in stunned silence. He never knew how much he impacted her life, how important his presence was to her. The huntress was the first person to ever bring out hope in him. And now, he knows she feels the same way.

“Angel of Gold is inspired by you.”
“I know.”
“Can I kiss you, please?” He shakes when he asks, even though they both know they are eager. But it is until Rumi’s verbal consent before Jinu dares to close the distance.

Jinu’s demon marks glow but he kisses like an angel. Soft, innocent and tender. The short kiss lasts for seconds and Jinu hesitates to go for a second one, making Rumi lean in instead to show that she is not the fragile hope he pictured. Small pecks turn into hurried passion, a kiss that conveys desperate begging. Begging to not stop and not leave.

The shyness from the start fades. Every break they take lasts milliseconds before they connect again like magnets. Rumi loves the way Jinu holds her waist, pulling her closer into his embrace. Her thin shirt makes her skin more sensitive, more aware of the fingers tracing her lower back. She loves entangling his jet black hair, him groaning every time she tightens her grip.

The heated moment makes them fall back onto the couch. Rumi lands softly on her back, unintentionally breaking the kiss. She looks up at the demon towering over her, patterns glowing pink all over his face and body. The huntress’s heart races, wondering what would happen if they let this continue.

Jinu looks at Rumi, studies the mess he made. Her lips red from the intensity, her unbraided hair all messed up, her rapid breaths and half lidded eyes. Temptation at its purest form. He did this. He made her become such a sight, a beautiful girl completely taken over by desire. Absolutely tantalizing.

This is wrong.
You ruined her, tainted her.
You don’t deserve her.

Rumi tries to go for another kiss but Jinu pulls back.
“Why?”
“I can’t. This is too close. You will get hurt.”
“I won’t.”
“You will. I am only capable of hurting others.”
“This isn’t what you want.”
“No, it isn’t”

Rumi doesn’t want to stop but she knows better to push someone unwilling. So, she sits up and reaches for his hand. Jinu finches away so she settles on placing hers near his, fingers inches from each other.

“I fought with Celine about demons a few days ago.” Rumi breaks the silence, “I never argued with her because I loved her and thought she knew what's best for me. I listened to everything she taught. How to fight, how to sing and how to hate all demons, including myself. She didn’t mean for this to happen but I lost my voice because I kept hiding and denying.”

“I realised, because of this stalker and all the noise surrounding me, that I returned back to my old ways. I hid from Mira and Zoey about my worries and I denied a part of me again. This time, it is about my feelings for you. I keep telling myself it was wrong to feel this since it could affect the fans and the Honmoon. But I don’t want to go back to hiding and misery.”

Jinu feels like he has returned to the past, the late nights where Rumi suggested being free from the voices. The hope of escaping hangs right in front of him but the darkness still creeps in, dragging him back into the ever burning fire.

“I hate that even though I am free from Gwin Ma, I can still hear the voices. My mother, my sister and even yours. I don’t want to ruin another good thing because of my selfishness. All I have ever done is regret and I don’t want you to do that too.”

Rumi cups Jinu’s worried face, his concern apparent but his desire equally so.

“Maybe listen to the voices around you instead of the ones in your head. The fans when they tell you that you have a beautiful soul, your members when they fool around with you because they care. And now, mine when I tell you that I want every piece of you no matter how broken and jaded they are.”

Then Jinu lets himself capture her lips once again, drinking in the beauty and hope. He is a sinner and she tastes like forgiveness. Kind and loving, Jinu never wants to give up such happiness.

His mind goes silent, free from all voices.

It became weightless.

Chapter Text

“So how long am I going to be here? My mom will worry.” The girl says this but blankly stares at her nails, lying down on the couch. Filthy and worn out, the seat is anything but comfortable. Though, it isn’t like the one she has at her place is any better.

The man turns to face her, smiling as he takes a sip from his glass of champagne, “I think you would rather stay here once you hear what I have to offer.” He walks closer in steady steps until he could stare down at her. “Besides, your mother seems rather occupied, staying over at any place but home.”

“Ha, what are you? A stalker?” The girl coldly laughs at the irony. Sitting up, she lazily looks at the bubbling gold, “You sure you can afford that drink? You sure don’t look like you can based on this shabby place.”

She doesn’t miss the way he clicks his tongue before going back to the same confident demeanor, “Once my plan is through, alcohol would just be another drop in the ocean.”

“Who are you anyways? A low budget mafia? You kidnapped and left me here to live with you and your goons. Even I find those fanfics weird and that’s saying something.”

“I don't know what a fanfic is but there’s no need to mess up your pretty little head on the details.” The man ponders for a good moment, “For convenience's sake, you can call me Hwan.”

“My name is Seo-ah. But you probably already know that from your little research.”
“It is a beautiful name for a beautiful lady.”
“Save it. That bitch googled the most popular Korean girl names and decided on the first one that appeared.”

Hwan chuckles lightly, out of amusement or pity is up to Seo-ah’s interpretation. Either way, it doesn’t really matter. “As I said before, you don’t have to know the details. Just follow my words and I’ll give you your desire.”

“You make it sound like I’m making a deal with the devil. Skipped your Chuunibyou phase perhaps?"

“You want Jinu to be yours, don’t you?”

Seo-ah pauses, her carefree attitude disappearing, replaced with something…crazed, “Jinu oppa? You can get me oppa? Seriously? My prince. Oh his kind smile and innocent eyes…only I can appreciate such a perfect human being. No, he is a god because there is no way someone like him can be human.”

“It’s like a switch flipped, darling.” Hwan smirks at her sudden change, “I can almost see myself in you.”

However, it is as if the girl has blocked all sounds, hands shaking and low hysterical laughter rings the room. All that Seo-ah could think of is the realm of new possibilities. A new gateway to him, to her beloved.

Jinu. Jinu. Jinu. Jinu. Jinu. Jinu. Jinu. Jinu. Jinu. Jinu.

Hwan leaves the girl be and looks out at the street view, too low for his liking. Not much is left in his fragmented memories but he remembers looking down from up high, where city lights look like specks of dust. His skin against soft silk and tongue tasting the sweetest wine. Yet, it was all absurdly dull. Faces were blurs of cigarette smoke and people were as predictable as a one way street. He could never forget the colourless feeling, how depressing boredom can be.

Until the voice promised him thrill. A kind that will only ever excite him.

The glowing Honmoon shifts in colours, gold glittering on the waves. Still, there are some cracks of black in the lines, one particularly large.

“Seo-ah. You hate Rumi don’t you?”
“That bitch. Of course.”

The crack starts to grow.

“You want to ruin her, give hell to the person who is in your way.”
“More than anything.”

The crack spreads.

“You would do anything to claim what is yours. Because you are deserving of love. Love that only Jinu can give you.”
“Absoulutely.”

A new crack appears.

“Nothing is stopping you from doing it. Listen to the voice of your desires. I will help bring them to reality. All you have to do is paint a narrative to the public.”
“...”

Hwan turns back to Seo-ah. Her face blank except for the uncanny smile that is all too wide. Marks, ever so faint, slowly begin to crawl on her skin. She doesn’t notice. She wouldn’t care.

Hwan smiles.

Gwi-Ma. My saviour from this dull world. I will return to you and give you back your rightful throne, burning all the hunters and traitors into ashes.

I even have a new demon for you.

Chapter Text

“Perfect. For this next scene, we want to go for something more sensual. Tension, intimacy and all that. Now look over here and…”

To be completely honest, Mira hates these kinds of concepts whenever she has a partner with her. The male models would either be too stiff and make the shoot longer than necessary, especially when Mira wants nothing more than rest after a full packed schedule. Or they would take advantage of the closeness and go too far. However…

Romeo, despite all his teasing, makes her feel comfortable.

Speaking of the man, Romeo slings his arm around her, foxy eyes slowly glancing down to her lips, “¿Cuántas veces debo mirar tus labios para que sepas que quiero besarlos?“

“Ok, hands off Gabriela. I don’t even know what you are saying.” Mira chuckles as she shoves his head away from her. Funny how she didn’t like his playfulness in the beginning but now his cheeky quips feel so natural. When did he even learn how to speak Spanish anyways?

“You two, please move closer together. Intimacy remember? Intimacy!”

Romeo smirks at her, stepping into a comfortable distance, “Intimacy huh? As my senior, can you show me how to pose? I’d love to see how you can be intimate with me.”

Mira scoffs at the comment but doesn’t have a comeback for it. She blames his new hair style. The half ponytail Romeo has going on did wonders on him, highlighting his androgynous face that embodies the best parts of masculine and feminine beauty. He still had the dorky heart shaped bangs but Mira always secretly found it endearing. The stylist chose another one of those loose shirts, the kind that gives everyone around him a sneak peak of skin underneath. It is instinct, a natural reaction. Yes, that is why Mira is feeling so flustered right now. Definitely not because she is developing some sort of attraction to him.

He truly is a soul stealing demon.

Trying to remain professional, Mira tugs on the man’s signature necklace, the blue heart shaped gem feels cool to the touch. Romeo grins at her actions.

“You’re becoming more bold with me.”
“It’s for the cameras. It’s the concept.”
“Sure it is. You can keep denying it but you know you like it.”

Mira trails her finger to Romeo’s Adam apple, watching him try to mask his shyness, breath hitching every so slightly.

“Maybe I do.”
“How sly…”

Mira thinks she should try to start getting used to the way Romeo watches her, those eyes that never seem to leave her face. But even now, his soft glances still give her this strange feeling inside. How long has he practiced in the mirror for this performance, this innocent act to seduce the fans to his whims. Yet, something behind the mask tells her a different story, one she does not know yet.

The shoot so far isn’t anything too hard. Romeo is a professional and Mira is pleased and impressed on how quick a rookie like him could keep up with her. The photos turn out great as well. From a professional standpoint, the both of them are absolutely captivating and it wouldn’t be hard to envision the magazines flying off the racks once they come out. From a personal point of view, Mira finds their intentional lipstick stains to be very enticing.

A great shoot with a great partner. Nothing could ruin her good mood.

“Why are they here…”

The words come out as a whisper but Romeo still hears it. He turns to where Mira has fixated her eyes to, wondering who is capable of making her hands shake so nervously.

A pair of men stand next to the director’s chair, well dressed in suits that radiates generational wealth. The younger man scans the studio but doesn’t look remotely interested, lazily talking out a pack of cigarettes and lighting them. Supposedly, he isn’t allowed to do so but no one is stopping him, letting him puff out small smoke clouds. The other older man looks directly at them, his lack of smile enhances his harsh sharp features. It doesn’t take a genius to know that he holds power, possibly a shareholder for this brand.

The proper etiquette would be to greet them, thank them for coming like how the director is shamelessly doing. Or maybe have some water since the shoot has been going on for quite some time, take the opportunity to have a proper break.

Mira couldn’t do either of that, her body froze the moment she saw them.

“Father?”

The younger man finally lays his eyes on Mira, a smug expression on as he walks towards her and Romeo, “Little sis, haven’t seen you in a while.” The smell of smoke irradiates her profusely, like how it did years ago.

“I intend it that way.”
“Mother misses you terribly.”
”Likely story.”

Her father doesn’t come up to her, rather exchange whatever pleasantries with anyone other than his daughter. Her brother notices her familiar gaze.

“He doesn’t bother with you anymore, you know that. You have just kept disappointing the family, especially since we know you rather play with girls than anything worthwhile.”
“I am bisexual. And Huntrix is the top girl group in all of Korea.You know that perfectly well.” Mira grits out.
“Same difference.” Her brother sighs, “Look at you, where is the sister I knew and loved. You were so innocent back then, you used to look up to me all wide-eyed and adorable. What has corrupted you so?”

“Excuse me sir. I think you are making my partner feel uncomfortable. Maybe we can step back a bit and focus more on our work?” Romeo walks in, trying to smooth the unbearable atmosphere. Mira doesn’t miss the way he actives blocks her away from the other man and thanks him in her head.

Her brother, however, takes no interest in his words, “So this is the new one huh? You finally found yourself a boy this time. Though this one looks so much like a girl with all that makeup and hair. Is this even a guy?”

Romeo pales as forgotten memories flood in, a throbbing pain pounding his brain.

“Guess you still aren’t over your little girlfriend from middle school. Disgusting. I guess you will never return back to a normal girl-”

Mira couldn’t process her actions until her brother lays on the floor, cheeks instantly bleeding. She tunes out the profanities he shouts, much rather focus on her own bloody fist. Is it so wrong to feel so relieved to finally punch the bastard?

But when adrenaline fades, reality kicks in. It makes her hyper aware of the crowd surrounding her, the murmurs people exchange and the soft shutter sound of a camera. Mindlessly, Mira turns to her father, wondering what he would even say. He doesn’t even look disappointed, just the same blank face he always wears. No more scolding, no more underhanded remarks, just silence.

As if something like this was expected from her.

Mira mumbles an apology towards the staff before running.

Hide. She needs to hide. The dressing room. Lock the door. Don’t let anyone in. They won’t see her like this. Faults and fears must never be seen.

Why? Why are the tears flowing again? She should be used to it. The whole world knows that she is a disappointment to her family. It became her brand. The wild child, the rebel, the black sheep. That man has already given up on her. So why is she still fucking crying for approval?

You are not my daughter anymore.

”Mira…are you alright?” The knocking breaks Mira out of her trance, barely registering Romeo’s voice.

“Oh yeah, I’m totally fine. Punching my brother is something I wanted to do for years. Feels good.” Mira chokes out.
“I would like to punch him as well.” She hears him laugh.
”You should’ve.” She tries to laugh back.

Mira leans her back against the door, still not opening it yet. Her tear stained face truly ruined her makeup. She feels sorry for the makeup artist who probably has to spend an extra hour on redoing it. To be fair, the shoot might need to be canceled. Mira wonders if Romeo would still say she looks beautiful like this. If he does, he is such a liar.

“Actually, I’m bi as well.”
“I’m sorry?”
“I am also bisexual.”
“I didn’t mean to make you come out.”
“No. I wanted to do this.”

Mira finally opens the door, “Come in, we don’t want prying ears.”

The male idol quietly walks in the dressing room and sits on the floor with her. Nothing is said for the first few moments. Mira settles her attention on the occasional squeak the fan makes as it spins, hoping the white noise can clear her head from the drumming echoes of the past. Romeo does eventually speak up.

“I don’t remember much about my past now. But attraction is innate right? There are a lot of good looking demons in the underworld actually, I am a perfect example of that. Though, some do look better than others. I would say I am open minded but one eyed demons may be too much for me. Don’t expose me when we get back ok?” Mira softly giggles at Romeo’s attempt to lighten the mood. The noise still lingers but her arms are no longer tight, her muscles relax and her throat slowly feels unclogged. She doesn’t know why but Romeo really does make her comfortable.

“She was my first and only serious relationship.” Mira begins, “When I was in middle school, I was rebelling against my father, not wearing my uniform properly, stopped caring about my grades and focused on music instead of business. Honestly, it was all so mild, didn’t really have the guts to do anything too crazy. My ex…she wasn’t part of my rebellion but my family didn’t see it that way.”

“I tried to run away with her once. Told her we can escape to somewhere we can be free. She couldn’t do it, she loved her parents so much and didn’t want to leave them, even if they wouldn’t accept her. We had an argument and broke up. Even so, I wasn’t really mad at her because I understood how she felt. The last time I saw her, she was in a band performing at some bar in Hongdae, kissing someone who I assume was her girlfriend. I never went back to that place.”

Romeo doesn’t say anything again. Mira picks up on how he goes quiet whenever he thinks deeply. A big difference knowing how chatty he could be when he is in a flirty mood. It is nice, Mira thinks, it makes him more real, more like a person.

“You know. I really admire you. You always seemed so fearless, not caring what other people think. The girl who is free and unashamed of herself.” Romeo finally says. Mira smiles, one that doesn’t reach her eyes.

“I must have shattered all of your expectations.”

“No. You are human in the end. No one can be that strong all the time.” Mira looks at the idol who just stares at the ceiling with a melancholy expression. She doesn’t expect to hear anything like this from him. The Mira from months ago would probably laugh at your face if you told her she would be sitting on the floor, crying and having a heart to heart with one of the Saja Boys. But here they are. “I wish I had even the slightest amount of strength you have. If I did, then in the past I wouldn’t…ugh!” The headache from earlier returns, his body weakening due to the pain.

”Romeo!”

Romeo couldn’t say another word, it is as if a million needles pierced through it, weaving in the missing threads of memories. Maniacal laughter rings in his ears, a faint buzzing sound that just wouldn’t leave.

Romance novels? That is so lame…
Oh…sorry no. I don’t really see you as a guy.
Honey, I think you should get into some more…things boys your age would like.

You will never be accepted for who you are. No man or woman would ever want you full heartily. But I can change that. I will give you the fairytale romance you have been craving for.

“Romeo? Please, can you hear me? Shit. I’ll go get the paramedics.”

Romeo feels her holding him in her arms, gently placing him on the sofa before leaving the room. It isn’t enough, longer.

Please. Don’t leave. Hold onto me. I don’t want to be alone…

Chapter Text

“This is the place!” Zoey excitedly says as she holds onto both Abby and Mystery’s hands, dragging them closer to the doors. The three of them stand in front of a hanok-style clinic that stands out amongst the other brick buildings surrounding it. A large poster of the owner barely sticks on the clear glass windows, one large gust of wind would easily blow it away. The doctor would probably just treat it as free promotion though.

The two demons couldn’t help but glance at every single thing when they entered the doctor’s office, every object sparking their curiosity. Myst holds up the hand model that he probably shouldn’t be touching to get a closer look, most likely because he couldn’t see with his bangs covering ninety percent of his vision. Abby stares at the various photos on the walls, eyes scanning every single one of them.

“Woah, this guy is really famous.”
“I didn’t expect Huntrix to promote his tonics.”
“You know, I don’t remember us taking that photo with him…”

“Zoey-nim, nice to see you again. And I see some of the Saja Boys have joined you this time. Sit, sit.” The doctor suddenly appears, grinning as he walks up to the three idols. The trio sit down as instructed and sit on the folding chairs near the door.

“Hey Dr.Han.” Zoey smiles, “The voice juices worked so well on Rumi! I was thinking you might have something to help Abby this time. Maybe another one of your health tonic?”

On autopilot, Abby lifts up his shirt but the doctor zooms into his eyes instead, the whites of his eyes comically growing large as he focuses.
“Zoey…is this supposed to happen?” Abby nervously laughs, unsure if he should still lift up his shirt.
“Yep! That’s how it works. Don’t worry, he’s really good.”

“I see…” the doctor drags out, “You have expectations for yourself, too high even. Because you are afraid of losing people if you don’t meet them, hmm?”

“Dude, you are freaky.” Abby leans away from the weird man.

“And you…” the doctor turns to Myst with the same overly focused look, “You appear to be quiet but you are much louder than that. Hiding all that color behind those bangs I see…”

The doctor flinches away when Myst starts barking, a certain pink haired woman comes to mind.

“Look man. I am just here for those health tonics to help build muscle. Not a therapy session.” Abby’s smile falters, the chipper attitude he had before entering the room fading. “Don’t you have any shit that would well…help you shit? Heard that’s good for losing weight.”

However, Dr.Han just continues to talk, “To heal a part, we must treat the whole. Including your mentality and how you view yourself. Most people also compare themselves with others, usually caused by pressures from social media, people of the same age group, family…”

Abby doesn’t let him finish before abruptly leaving the clinic.

“That’s really rude you know? Dr. Han was just trying to help.” Zoey says as soon as she gets out the building, Myst trailing not too far behind. Abby stays quiet, leaning against the brick wall with his arm crossed. He stares at the floor, lost in the words the doctor said earlier.

“Even though I think the doctor is a quack.” Myst gives Zoey a quick ‘sorry’ before going on, “He does have a point. I’ve told you before that fans would like you even if you don’t have your abs. You have so much more than that.”

“Yeah cause people are so nice when idols gain weight.” Abby’s uncharacteristic sarcastic tone catches both Myst and Zoey off guard, the cold gaze he gives them contrasts with his usual smug face, “I don’t want to hear this from you. You hide your face with those long thick bangs. You can have acne, crooked teeth, scars all over your face and the world would still love you. What do I have huh? Sex appeal. The moment I lose these abs, the moment I start looking plain and boring, no one would ever love me. Just like how they did before…”

He doesn’t really compare to his brother…
I mean, he is nice and kinda smart but nothing special really.
Who? Sorry, he just has this forgettable presence you know?

“The worst part?” Abby walk up and roughly grabs onto Myst’s hair, too angry to hear the pained groan, “You are fucking beautiful underneath all that hair! It is honestly so unfair. Do you think you are better than me, acting all high and mighty? Beauty doesn’t matter. Stop bullshitting with that face of yours!”

He has become mad, with a mind that could not distinct reality from memory. The complex and suppressed emotions he feels for the other man doesn’t matter, the attention of the girl he has learned to care for and adore doesn’t bother him. Any sound around him fall on deaf’s ears. All that matters is that a beautiful face is lecturing him about what has persistently haunted him for God knows how long.

Isn’t it tiring to always live in someone else’s shadow? Being ignored by your family, feeling unwelcomed by your peers? Don’t you want to be loved by everyone? I can give you that, I can make you unforgettable.

Abby’s mind goes blank when he feels a harsh slap on his face, the sharp sound ringing in the silent street of Seoul.

He focuses, Zoey’s pained yet firm expression in front of him speaks a million words.

Her slap clears the fog in Abby’s eyes, giving him a proper view of what’s in front of him. Myst’s legs give out and he lands on the concrete floor shaking, desperately holding on to his bangs to hide behind. Zoey goes to kneel next to him, switching from looking at the poor man with concern to looking at Abby with disappointed eyes. He notices the patterns glow on his arms, the red hue giving him a new shame. His hands and words have harmed people who he truly cared about. How could he do this? To the people who tried to help him with his concerns and supported him even when they didn’t have to. His precious partners onstage and friends backstage. It might be something even more than that, the ‘kisses’ they shared are still vivid in his mind. He might even…well he really isn’t deserving of that precious word, is he?

It is too much to handle.

“I…I’m so sorry. Myst…Zoey…I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I need to go. I’m sorry.” He walks away and Zoey has never seen a guy as big as him look so frail. Zoey wants to run up to him, plead him to talk things out with her and Myst. But now isn’t the time. Especially with Myst trembling on the ground, blue patterns all over his body.

He is so weird actually. But I keep hanging out with him because he is handsome.
You disgust me, your face and your nice guy act, I’m sure you look down on us common folks…
Such a pretty young boy.

“Myst? Are you alright?” Zoey tries to reach out but Myst instinctively backs away. When he realizes his actions, waves of guilt rush through. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

He doesn’t know that much about Abby. It is just that being with him on a constant basis makes Myst forget that fact often. For a moment, it is as if the man became a complete stranger. He knows Abby is nothing like them yet the whole situation still triggered a familiar memory. A time when he faced aggression hundred times worse than this.

You just wanted friends your age. But look at you, battered and bruised with no one you can turn to. All because of their expectations and pre-existing notions of you. It’s ok, I can cover your eyes from the cruel world. I can help you become faceless.

Myst slowly stands up. He turns to Zoey, wanting to explain his behaviour but the words stay stuck in his throat. “We will work this out some day. The three of us.” He says with a weak smile, “Just not today.”

Zoey watches as Myst also goes off alone, leaving her the only one left in the cold. She recalls back to the day when she first saw the Saja Boys, on this exact street. They were so bright and colorful, flaunting their beauty like how butterflies spread their wings. Abby and Myst have always caught her eye, both of them from the very beginning. They are demons, sweet and easy on the eyes. But perhaps it is truly the time to let go of the lens and realize how fragile their wings actually are.

She sits on the floor, wrapping her legs and tucking in her head. The tears welling up flow down easily.

So much for a great plan. You can’t do anything right. Way to ruin the mood.