Chapter Text
“Thanks for coming!”
“We’re so happy you made it!”
“Get home safe!”
The bright camera flashes of the fan meetup group momentarily blinded all three members of Huntrix. Rumi politely eased the door shut as more and more of their fans screamed their names.
“WE LOVE YOU HUNTRIX!”
“And we love you all!”
The door shut and Rumi let herself crumble to the floor, Mira and Zoey joining her. All three of them took a breath in unison, looked at each other, and immediately groaned like they were trying to make a new harmony for their next hit single.
“I’m never doing that again,” Mira swore. Her pink hair had started to come undone from her mini pigtails, her mascara drooping in a clumpy mess when her makeup had melted from all of the selfies she had taken.
“Same,” Zoey agreed, trying to fix the sleeve of a jacket that a fan had accidentally pulled when they’d squeezed her too hard. The fabric was a lost cause, half the sparkles falling victim to the grabby hands that wanted a memento for meeting their favorite idol. “Never again. Bobby’s got to screen the next fans that see us.”
Rumi wasn’t fairing any better, her own braid starting to unravel when a group of kids tried to get her attention by pulling on it. They didn’t mean it, but it still really hurt.
“Sure it wasn’t the best,” Rumi started. “But it’s all for the fans. We can’t disappoint them.”
“Yaaaay. You’re so right, but right now I want some food in this belly.” Mira’s belly growled on cue like it knew she was complaining. “Kimbop. Stat. Now.”
“Oh! Can we get Lee’s?” Zoey asked. “It’s soooo good!”
Mira sighed through her nose, sarcasm evident in every word she said. “If only last time they hadn’t gotten my order wrong and then tried to get me to do a photoshoot to promote their new products. No.”
“It wasn’t so bad,” Zoey tried to smooth over. “At least they gave us those wontons?”
“You mean the soggy ones I ate while thinking of anything better?” Mira stood up to brush off the imaginary lint on her skirt. “Pass.”
Zoey followed her. “But the bibimbap!”
“Pass.”
Zoey groaned in defeat.
Rumi helped her up, trying to think of her own way out of this, even as her tummy also started to rumble.
“You girls go without me,” Rumi said. “I…have a headache.”
“Aww what?” Zoey pouted. “You can’t not go, Rumi. It’s gonna be so fun!”
“That’s the lack of food talking,” said Mira. “No food equals migraines. Learned that the hard way.”
“Yeah, but I seriously think I should sit this one out. Turn in early.” Rumi headed for the door, her escape route. “Besides, we have that big tv interview tomorrow, and I don’t wanna be a zombie for it.”
“We should totes see a zombie movie after dinner,” Zoey chimed in. “Like the really funny ones. Oh! They have a new slasher comedy coming out!”
“Comedians, bleh.” Mira pulled a face like she had eaten something moldy. “Sometimes I think they’re worse than demons.”
She held the door to the backstage open and they all filed out. The twinkling lights of the city settling into the busy night life greeted them. Zoey laughed cheerfully at the joke. Rumi tried to crack a forced smile.
“Yeah,” Rumi said. “They’re just as bad all right.”
So, so bad.
As Mira and Zoey headed one way, Rumi attempted to lose their line of sight by cutting through an alley on her way to their ‘apartment’. She said that in quotations because she wasn’t really going back. Sure, she was tired enough, and her voice definitely still needed some vocal rest after that show, but she had already promised someone she’d be there, and she never, ever broke promises like that.
Especially when she was running early, and she could wipe the salacious smirk off of Jinu’s face by scaring him.
Rumi grinned, practically flying down the street as she did a light jog to get to their rendezvous point. They were supposed to meet on one of the rooftops overlooking the biggest park in the city. The sidewalks to get their were packed, people gathering in large groups for picnics and stargazing around this time of year. Rumi herself loved to sit on her balcony and watch the hustle and bustle of other people enjoying their time outside too. If she closed her eyes, she could almost pretend she was enjoying a relaxing night alone in the peace and quiet.
Too bad she caught sight of a blue tail waving at her. Rumi slowed her jog just to see what the blue spirit tiger would do. When it stepped though the side of the large skyscraper building it apparently wanted Rumi to follow, she groaned.
Fine fine, she’d run up the side of the building. Just this once.
Who was she kidding? Running up buildings was super fun, made even better when she pushed her body to the limits, matching the speed of the wind trying to slow her down. Rumi leapt up from one of the very expensive looking windows to land gracefully on a fire escape. She took the stairs two at a time, her sneakers squeaking on the metal framework.
Jinu was waiting for her at the top of the tower. Rumi narrowed her eyes when she approached. This was all normal. Too normal.
“Ah, you actually showed up,” Jinu said, smug smile already gracing his very symmetrical, very punchable face.
“Yeah, I’m here.” Rumi balled her hands into fists by her sides, keeping her cool to not start a fight all the way up here. “You called me, so what do you want? This isn’t a pleasant trip for me.”
“Isn’t it?” Jinu moved his chin so his head tiled away. The demon was sitting on the edge of the rooftop, one foot dangling off the side while he gazed at the powerless humans below. “I see a guy can’t ask for the company of a lovely lady.”
Gag. Gag her right now.
“I think I threw up a little,” Rumi said truthfully. She made her way to the edge too, keeping her distance just in case. “So that’s it? You called me here to compliment me?”
“Among other things.” Jinu wasn’t looking at her as he spoke. “You gonna stand there or come sit?”
She sat, six feet apart very clearly marked between them. Jinu sighed.
“Must you be so difficult?”
“Must you be so awful,” Rumi shot back.
“I can be very awful,” Jinu said. The way the wind whipped his hair like they were in some rom-com really bugged Rumi the wrong way.
She covered one side of her face so she didn’t have to look at him. “So where’s your army? Let me guess, they’re off terrorizing your fans? Taking selfies and then sucking the poor souls out of old ladies?”
“The others don’t know I’m here. Just like your friends.” Jinu leaned back on his hands. The loose jacket he was wearing swirled around him. Rumi knew his demon marks must be stark against his skin under those sleeves. Dark and evil runes.
Rumi took a deep breath. “Yeah. I can kill you whenever I want. I don’t need them to back me up to do it.”
Jinu’s throat bobbed when he swallowed. His piercing eyes flashed a vibrant gold. “So why don’t you?”
That was the question of the century it seemed.
Rumi shrugged to avoid it. “Since when has this become an interrogation?” She quickly stood, wiping her hands on her jeans as she got to her full height. Like this she towered over Jinu’s hunched form. “If you’ve got nothing to say, fine. I’ll see you at the arena.”
She turned her back on him and the skyline, but she would never turn her back on the people she’d sworn to protect. No matter what, Rumi knew she had a duty. It eventually would have to catch up to her.
“Wait.”
It was faint, unlike any other tone Jinu had used with her.
Rumi paused, one foot off the ledge, ready to drop down. “Why?”
“Just…” Jinu trailed off. Rumi let her foot dangle a second longer. “Sit with me. No more questions. Just this once.”
Just this once. Huh.
Rumi stepped away from the ledge, backtracking to her original sitting position. Still apart, still on opposite sides of the same war.
“Fine,” she acquiesced, trying to make it sound more like a chore than it already was. “Just this once.”
The skyline twinkled as the sun fully disappeared on the horizon to be replaced by the great, full moon. The colors and shapes cast by the technicolor lights of flat screens, cars, and pedestrians made everything bolder, better. Rumi could barely make out a flock of birds landing on one of the billboards boasting about the Saja Boys’ new song debut. She outright chuckled when she saw a white streak when the birds moved on.
Beside her, Jinu laughed too.
“Seems we’re more alike than you think.”
He was wrong, of course, and they both knew it. But…
Just this once she’d spare a demon. Rumi swore this could not continue any further. The space between them too vast. Next time, she’d be ready.