Chapter Text
The silence after the final blow was deafening.
All the built-up emotions from the past week had finally come to punch her in the gut, and despite the peace they’d longed for, there was a hollow stillness that clung to her. Rumi felt the arena blur into motion, and her legs struggled to keep her body standing. She would have surely tipped over on the stage if she hadn't kept focus.
Her eyes lingered over the crowd, analysing the people and double and triple checking for any longing for danger. However, that proved to be unnecessary. The crowd burst into a standing ovation, coming out of their longing trance. Hundreds of thousands had gathered at the hands of Gwi-ma. Although it was as though to them, it had never happened. The Saja boys were merely a new thing of the past. Something that created a new strength for Huntrix, to bond their everlasting connection to their fans.
She felt hands wrap around her, squeezing her tightly; she was convinced she would suffocate. But, inevitably, she hugged back. She took comfort from her friends, hushing the anxiety that dug into her mind.
“I love you guys,” Zoey assured, a tenderness in her voice, although Rumi was sure she was on the brink of crying. Rumi paid no mind to it, enjoying the moment for what it was.
And after a long and drawn-out moment of affection, they broke apart. The crowd's chanting drew back into her ears, whistling and an effortless encore. Rumi grabbed both of them, taking their final bow for a while. They all took the vote on a long (and deserved) hiatus after the Idol Awards. Now that it was finally in front of them, it felt surreal. But that’s because it was.
They escorted themself off stage, holding their heads higher than when they stepped on.
Rumi let out an extensive sigh, letting her shoulders relax momentarily. She felt the exhaustion in her bones and was honestly ready to bid adieu to their idyllic lifestyle. Just for a little bit, though. One thing that remained constant was the ideas circulating through her brain, keeping her busy with outside distractions. To let it go was merely excruciating. But it was mandatory for Mira and Zoey’s sake, more importantly, hers.
The two of them skipped to their dressing room, the topic going back and forth between the fight and how stunning Mystery was beneath all the hair, which seemed to be a thousand times more shocking than all three combined expected.
She dragged her feet behind them, creating a noticeable distance. She tuned herself in and out of the conversation, too focused on the whirl of her thoughts. If it wasn’t apparent on her face, an utmost sense of dread was plastered across her face. Her pupils dilated, and honestly, if someone asked the wrong question, she’s sure she wouldn’t be able to suck up the tears.
Mira was the one to break the formation, stopping in her tracks to face her. Rumi’s heart flounced as she looked around, questioning the source of the problem they were focused on.
“Rumi,” Mira said blankly, leaning towards a question rather than simply stating her name. She walked closer, analysing her face a little too closely. She kept her composure, subtly swallowing down the urge to freak out.
A broad and plastic smile spread across Rumi’s face, hoping that if she kept it there long enough, they would be reassured to keep walking and let her be content with sulking in the background.
“Ye-yeah?” She asked, taking a few steps back.
“Enough with the sulking, get excited!” Zoey encouraged, invading Rumi’s space. She placed her hands on either shoulder, a genuine grin on her lips. “We won the Idol Awards, we defeated Gwi-ma! That’s worth celebrating!”
“And the Saja boys,” Mira added.
“ And the Saja boys.” Zoey pouted, “The world will miss a beauty like Mystery.”
Rumi rolled her eyes, brushing the other’s arms off. “Come on, guys, I’m just as excited as you are. Seriously.”
The other two looked at each other, making the unspoken decision not to mention anything else about it. Both shrugged it off, nodding in confirmation.
“Okay,” Mira said, “No more secrets, Rumi, alright?”
The purple-haired hesitated, eyebrows narrowing at the question. She knew that was the least she owed them, especially after the big smack in the face today. Nevertheless, she hated lying to them, seeing the look of disappointment on their face—the fear when they saw her under the spotlight – nothing less than a demon.
She silently promised herself that she would never have to see that look again.
Rumi let the air out of her lungs before muttering a small “Okay.” Which seemed to be good enough for them. They backed off, continuing their walk down the hall, which was full of stage management. They hadn’t seen Bobby yet, not since before the concert. There was no doubt he was somewhere in the crowd along with them. There came the confirmation that she had managed to let everyone down.
Especially him. Rumi looked down at the blade that she let weigh down her hand. It glistened a dull blue, and she picked it up to properly hold it. Feeling a pang of guilt for letting it drag behind her. She was aware she probably looked half-crazy coddling absolutely nothing. But she couldn’t let it disappear from view just yet. Her eyes welled up with the same annoying tears from earlier.
I'm sorry, Jinu.
She thought, although the words never left her mouth. She couldn’t bear to say it out loud. Getting choked up was sure to be a sight to see on her end. So, she let the words run on the tip of her tongue.
Zoey was the first to speak up, “Rumi,” she whispered.
The sudden voice caught her off guard, causing her to drop the blade on the floor with a loud clang. However, no one else around them had much of a reaction. It withered out of view before she could pick it up, saving her the embarrassment.
“What?” She asked, holding herself with her arms.
Both of them cocked an eyebrow, leaning towards suspicion. Rumi didn’t bite, holding down the full story of the fight. They were too busy with the others; they weren’t sure what happened with Jinu. She never lied to them; she didn’t think there would be an appropriate time to bring it up.
‘Funny thing, guys, Jinu gave his soul to me and is in my sword! Surprise!’ She could only imagine the look on their faces, and there would be more questions than answers.
Her lips would be firmly shut – temporarily, anyway. She hadn’t yet devised a plan for her long list of problems. And she wouldn’t, there was no need to ruin their break before it had even begun. This was a slight problem for a later date. Besides, she had given them enough to worry about for a lifetime.
“...We were going to say put your sword away, but thanks.” Mira pursed her lips, “Also, don’t you think it grew a bit?”
“No.” Rumi hushed, “Must have been a trick of the light.”
The other thought on it for a few seconds longer, although she silently begged that she wouldn’t . And, for the love of God, they would walk to their dressing room.
Rumi insisted, “Let’s just go home, okay? Then we can get food, and…”
“Go to the bathhouse ?” Zoey gleamed; if you looked close enough, you would see the twinkles in her eyes.
“Go to the bathhouse!” Mira repeated, walking faster. “And you can’t say no, Rumi, you promised.”
She didn’t respond to defend herself. Of course, there was no reason to decline the offer. Not anymore, the thing that was holding her back had been brought to the light. But there was her anxiety involving it—the pressure to fully open herself toward what she had hidden from the two for so long.
Rumi wasn’t dumb; she knew there would always be a constant twinge of discomfort. Suppose she got too aggressive or breathed the wrong way. She wasn’t ready to carry that burden, but was forced to. Ultimately, it was time for her to learn to be comfortable with that.
Finally, they made their way back to their separate dressing rooms. Splitting off from each other to change into their outside clothing. They waved each other goodbye, closing their doors one by one.
Rumi took one last look down the hall before closing the door behind her.
She felt the numbness in her legs. Her knees buckled, sliding down onto the floor. For the moment passing, she could be alone with everything and thereafter. She did the best she could manage by controlling her breathing, but she was having difficulty with the shaking after every exhale.
“It's fine, Rumi,” She comforted herself, murmuring.
She hated how personal she was taking this. Her voice echoed in her head. How desperate she sounded, pleading with him not to go. That was what they had, so very real. However, there was no chance to prove that.
There never would be.
Rumi beckoned her blade to come forth yet again, watching it appear before her. She reached out with shaky hands to grab it and gently set it in her lap. The metal was no longer cold like she had grown familiar with. Instead, it became warm, though it had not been sun-kissed. There was a deep warmth, as though it had stricken life.
It still kept its glow, the colourful interior dancing around. Her hands hovered just above the blade, hesitantly. She released a low puff of air and grazed her hand across the weapon. The heat seeped into her, gentle, chasing the cold from her fingertips. As she threaded her hand across, a thin light bloomed beneath her skin, following as she traced the edge. It shimmered softly—alive, following her movement.
“Jinu,” She said softly, her breathing pattern beginning to steady.
She was offered a grace despite her inability to be next to him: to enjoy his every introspection, the feeling of his hand intertwined with hers. Unfortunately, this had to be the alternative, and she hated it.
Rumi questioned, “Why did you do this?” And as long as she waited for an answer, just for the opportunity to hear his voice, it never came.
A drop of water fell onto the sword, her vision going blurry. The calmness she worked on crumbled yet again. She felt foolish for crying, but the tears dripped down her face and into her lap. A hand clasped over her mouth, preventing the sound of sobbing from bouncing off into any of the girls’ rooms. They weren’t going to understand; she had managed to convince herself. All she had were remnants of what once was, which wasn’t good enough.
She closed her eyes, thinking over the previous weeks. Placing herself in the memories again, hoping they could console her enough to get off the floor. She couldn’t stay here forever, that’s for sure.
She held onto the doorknob, pulling herself up slowly. Working through the blubbering, she let the sword vanish from view again. She walked over to the mirror, sniffing up all the ugly. She removed her jacket, subconsciously moving to avoid her eyes in the mirror. She threw on an old shirt and took off her pants to put on some comfortable leggings.
There, after a few minutes, came the knock on her door.
“Rumi!” Mira and Zoey chirped, “You ready?”
Rumi wiped away the tears still lingering on her cheeks, cleaning up some of the noticeable mascara that had lost its position on her eyelashes.
“Yeah!” She called out, a noticeable rasp in her voice. “Coming, just… hold your horses.” Her voice trailed off, giving herself one last look in the mirror.
God, was she pathetic.
She trudged over, giving herself a few seconds to practice her poker face before whipping the door open to reveal herself to the two.
“Couch time?” She asked.
“What else?”
The three orcs flew out of the arena, racing each other back to their shared home. They saw plenty of fans on the street and gave all of them a warm greeting. Something that would never change is their undeniable love for each of their supporters. It almost convinced them to release the next song when they got home, giving each other multiple reminders to cut some slack.
Finding solace within their home wiped all other considerations out of the window, collectively taking in the presence of their resident. Never mind taking off their shoes, they sprawled out, sinking into the furniture.
There was a peaceful silence amongst them, realising how long it had been since they felt that way. Rumi was sure the other two were taking the time to bask in their thoughts as much as she was.
A few beats later, she opened her mouth to speak, “Look, guys–”
“No, Rumi,” Mira interrupted. I know what you’ll say. And we both want to say we’re sorry.”
Rumi was caught off guard but took the initiative to counter the apology. “No, it’s fine–”
“But it’s not fine!” Zoey affirmed, “We didn’t even bother to hear you out, we just…abandoned you.”
Once more, the previous conversation flashed through her ears. She found her body tensing up, a sudden adrenaline rush pumping through her veins. It wasn’t out of character to recognise the disbelief when they chose to turn their weapons toward her. The deceit extends from the same coin. However, their reasoning was recognised.
“It’s fine.” She repeated, eyes darting between the two. “I’m serious, I forgive you guys. I understand, I wasn’t perfect either.”
Mira rolled her eyes. “Girl, you were magnificent. You saved the world.”
Rumi shook her head. “ We saved the world.”
“Of course we did!” Zoey chirped, sitting up from her previous position. “We’re Huntrix, and there’s no stopping that.”
They all nodded in agreement, shifting the tone of the room. There was a moment of pause before Zoey continued, “Although I will miss competing with the Saja boys. It was kinda fun.”
Mira sat up, shooting her a look of confusion. “Getting possessed by a demon boy band was fun?”
“I mean, before that. It wasn’t all that bad.” Zoey sighed.
The other scoffed in response, getting up to sit next to Rumi, wrapping a tight arm around her. “ Anyway, we still love you. Half-demon or not, okay?”
The purple-haired nodded to the words, resting her head on Mira’s shoulder. “I love you guys, too.”
“That's Good,” Mira replied. You will be telling us everything. It’s mandatory.”
Rumi chuckled in agreement, causing a long and dramatic groan from Zoey.
“Ugh, you’re so pushy.” The black-haired girl clapped her hands together, standing up. “Okay! Let’s enjoy our vacation. We are going to the bathhouse.”
“Yes, we are!” Mira agreed, nudging Rumi off to stand up after Zoey.
From there, they bantered about how relaxing and reassuring a bathhouse was and how they felt inexplicably satisfied with their long list of experiences.
They rushed to the door, turning at the realisation she hadn’t followed behind them.
Rumi stood planted, looking around the room. “Uh, I’ll catch up. I’m not far behind.”
The other two squinted their eyes, scanning her face for any sense of a lie.
“Go!” She insisted, “If I’m lying… I’ll buy dinner for a week, okay?”
“You better!” With that, they were gone, closing the door behind them.
Yet again, the room demanded quiet. The only thing keeping her company was the low sound of air wafting through the fan. She looked out the window, leaning against the glass to grant herself a view of Seoul. The city always seemed much brighter at night, lighting up their living room from the signs and shops that remained open.
She escorted herself out of the apartment, too, but making one more stop, she climbed up to the roof. There, she saw the night sky in full view, painted with stars and a bright, full moon stuck in the middle.
She sat down, examining the more plausible view of the town below her. Something in particular caught her eye, although she wasn’t sure what it was. It kept her bound there, despite knowing that Mira and Zoey would quite literally kill her when she got home. Rumi was sure they’d understand; it would take a little more effort to force her in front of them in such a vulnerable position.
She would consider it. For now, she remained where she was seated. Enjoying the fresh air she was getting, especially from so high up. She found herself waiting for something, like there was anything other than herself.
The problem was that she felt the lingering presence of someone else. Someone familiar. She twisted her neck, looking from all sides. Assuring that, if she looked fast enough, there would be someone waiting for her. Maybe he would be waiting for her. And it was no surprise when she was proved wrong. Her eyes narrowed, facing back in front of her.
And yet, it still lingered, which was no surprise considering the number of buildings behind her. Still, she couldn’t escape the feeling that someone was watching her.
Rumi knew she would have to confess to this issue of hers eventually. She weighed the options in her head, considering whether the better option was to keep this to herself. Who was she kidding? It had to be; she knew that if she fessed up, there would be the chance they would twist her into getting rid of the blade altogether.
But she, herself knew she wasn’t prepared for that – honesty be damned. She made the executive decision herself, but that was it for her; no more lies.
The suspense of another presence turned into consolation—a reassurance. Knowing she did not need to panic, she relaxed, basking in the sounds and enjoying the night in all its glory.
Well, maybe just one.