Work Text:
Rumi pushed back against Gwi-ma's fire attack with all her might, her sword taking the full brunt of the hit but barely shielding her. He only cackled mockingly, increasing his force. Rumi felt tears gather at her eyes from the strain. This couldn't go wrong, she couldn't lose. She couldn't let her fans and her friends down. Again. In the background, she could faintly hear Zoey and Mira shouting her name in worry, trying to reach her while battling Gwi-ma's demon minions. Everything felt like too much and for a split second she didn't think she'd make it out of this alive. Her feet slipped, and her heart dropped as she felt her balance falter. It all felt so sudden. When she hadn't been immediately obliterated by pink flaming fire, she cracked her eyes open. There, right in front of her, was Jinu, blocking the fire with his back.
Her wide, hazel eyes met his calm, almost serene brown ones. "J-Jinu?" She whispered, her hands shaking as she attempted to touch him. She couldn't even fathom what was happening, what he was doing for her in that moment.
He grunted, his eyes closing in pain before he opened them again to give her a small smile. When he looked at her, it was with resolute determination. "Rumi. I'm sorry...for everything."
Rumi shook her head, feeling tears well up in her eyes. "No. No, I..I wanted to set you free." She said, her voice feeling achy and strained. "You did." He said, looking at her so softly, his gaze full of longing. It was like he was trying to commit every tiny, miniscule detail about her to memory for one last time. "You gave me my soul back. And now, I give it to you."
Rumi couldn't stop the tears from falling, making her vision blurry. She quickly tried to blink them away before urgently reaching for Jinu and pressing their lips together. Both her hands cupped his face as she cried into the kiss. She felt a single tear drop run down the demon's face which she wiped away, sobs and all. He continued looking at her with a soft smile when they parted, almost as if trying to assure her that everything would be okay.
Blue wisps of his soul swirled around her as Jinu's body disappeared, almost like it was disintegrating before her very eyes before he was gone. She could almost feel Jinu's soul merge with her own, making her stronger and grounding her. This had to end, now.
Rumi pushed through the grief in her heart—purely powered by the adrenaline coursing through her veins at Jinu's sacrifice. She materialized her sword into her hands, the once purple, iridescent blade now a shiny blue. It felt heavier yet lighter at the same time. Swifter and more powerful. Just like him, she thought.
With one strong blast she sliced through Gwi-ma's fire wall, her friends joining her from behind as they sang with their true hearts to build up the honmoon once again. Slowly, the crowd of people in the stadium broke out of their trance by the hunters song and the girls could feel the barrier between their worlds strengthen, before one strike of their weapons and voices defeated the demon king once and for all.
It all felt surreal when the trio descended back onto the shimmering stage, the crowd cheering joyously at the reunion of their beloved idol group. The wild energy from their performance and the fall of Gwi-ma at long last after centuries of battle felt truly like a fever dream. But to Rumi, the illusion of their victory shattered into a million pieces once she remembered what or rather who she had to give up for it. She felt nauseous and wanted to cry until her voice gave out.
Her smile faltered and Zoey and Mira immediately pulled her in for a hug, trying their best to comfort her. "We're so sorry, Rumi. It's going to be okay." Zoey said quietly, her eyes sad. Mira didn't say anything, but her silence was well interpreted by her friend. Rumi's eyes had filled up with tears once again—or maybe she had never stopped crying in the first place. "I miss him already. I'll never see him again." She sobbed.
To the crowd, it might have looked as if these were tears of joy. In the obvious, harsh reality, they were tears of mourning. Rumi felt herself break down in the arms of her best friends, uncaring of who might see or what they might think. She felt incomplete, like an unfinished puzzle with a missing piece which is forever lost.
They were so close to having their happy ending, yet fate decided to play it's cruel hand. Why did Jinu have to be so selfless? Did he not know that Rumi couldn't live without his lighthearted teasing, his jokes, his awkward yet adorable personality? His handsome face?
She dropped her sword onto the floor of the stage, curling up in Zoey and Mira's embrace and allowing herself to just feel.
Suddenly, behind them, the crowd began gasping in shock, and Rumi broke away and turned around. The shiny blue blade of her sword had started glowing brightly, a blinding light that forced everyone in the stadium to squint or close their eyes to shield themselves from the intense glare.
A distinct yet also familiar coughing sound was heard, before a body hit the ground of the stage with a soft thud, a couple feet in front of the girls. As the slight fog and shiny bright light dissipated, it revealed none other than Jinu, his black hanbok slightly torn up and his hat missing. His face was no longer purple, but his demon patterns remained. His eyes were slightly disoriented as he stood up, looking around before they settled on Rumi.
Rumi in turn, didn't register that she was even running until she collided into his chest, tears streaming down her face. Jinu stumbled back from the force of her hug, but quickly regained his balance before returning the embrace and tightly wrapping his arms around her.
"Missed me?" He asked teasingly, his voice slightly hoarse. Rumi kicked his foot, before holding onto him impossibly tighter. "You- you stupid demon! How could you do that to me? I thought I lost you-" She hiccuped, feeling like the big burden that weighed her down all the time was finally alleviated for the first time in her life.
"I couldn't let you die, Rumi. I'm here now, I'm okay. Please don't cry." Jinu whispered into her hair, his own eyes glossy. She sniffled, pulling back slightly, just enough to see his face. She cupped it, connecting their foreheads. Her breath hitched as she asked. "You're really okay?" He nodded, pulling her back into him and burying his face in her neck.
She cried into his chest, choking out a muffled, "Don't you ever do that to me again or I'll kill you myself." She tried her best to sound at least a bit intimidating but it didn't really work. Jinu laughed wetly, nodding anyway. "Of course, of course. We wouldn't want that, now would we?"
They pulled away once again, gazing into each other's eyes, their patterns no longer a reminder of their shame—instead, now serving as a reminder of their true selves and their devotion to one another. Rumi felt whole when Jinu leaned down to kiss her, and in that moment, nothing else mattered. Not really. It was them against the world, forever.
"You're my soul, Rumi." He whispered. She smiled at him before replying, "And you're mine."