Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Rumi…Rumi, wake up!” a soft voice enters her ears. Rumi groans, flipping over on the couch. She hears someone chuckling. 

“You gotta stop overworking yourself,” the voice continues. “Sleep all you want after we finish this show.”

Hands grip her arm and give her body a shake. Rumi sighs and flops onto her back. Opening her eyes, she finds Zoey hovering over her. A shit eating grin spreads ear to ear. There is a playful twinkle in her bright, brown eyes. 

“Good morning!” Zoey sings. “Or should I say good evening?”

“What time is it?” Rumi asks with a yawn. She pushes herself up into a sitting position. “How long was I asleep for?”

“Almost time for the show. We should be there soon. And a couple hours.”

“Ugh. I only wanted to shut my eyes for a little bit.” Rumi stretches out. She sighs in relief as bones pop and muscles loosen. 

“Mira and I were debating waking you up but we decided to let you rest. You’ve seemed extra tired lately. Are you feeling any better?”

Rumi rubs the back of her neck. If she is being honest, only a little bit. Zoey and Mira aren’t wrong. If the world tour wasn’t already draining enough, other things have zapped her of much of her energy. The nap has recharged some of her battery but only by a few bars. Rumi can still feel the tendrils of sleep wrapped around her bones. 

“Better enough to finish this world tour,” Rumi replies. “Can’t believe this is the final show. Feels like we have been on tour forever.”

“I know! I cannot wait to lie on the couch for the next month!” Zoey suddenly grabs Rumi by the arm and begins dragging her through the plane. “C’mon! Mira has all the snacks ready to eat before our show!”

“I’m coming! I’m coming! You don’t have to drag me!” Rumi laughs. She doesn’t put up much of a protest, though. She lets the smaller girl pull her all the way through the plane. Zoey only lets go when they reach the table. Their missing groupmate is already there, waiting patiently for the pair. 

“Did you have sweet dreams?” Mira asks. She is already digging into her ramyeon. “Rare to catch you napping.”

Rumi settles down beside Mira. She is pleasantly surprised to see her own ramyeon is ready to be eaten. “Thanks,” she says to her friend. “And so what? I deserve a nap here and there.”

“I never said you didn’t.”

“Alright girls! Let’s fuel up, perform, and prepare for our long awaited break!” Zoey shouts. 

The three begin tearing into the snacks laid out in front of them. Despite their mouths full of food, they chat away about their plans for the next few weeks. Relaxation is at the forefront. Zoey already has plans written down in her notebooks about places to see and things to do. Mira suggests some of her own ideas.

Rumi happily listens to them speak. She offers small ideas here and there but prefers to see what her friends come up with. Any plans she does have, however, are best not said out loud. Her attention is pulled away when her phone begins to vibrate in her pocket. 

“What’s up, Bobby?” Rumi asks after swallowing. She puts him on speaker.

“Rumi?!? Girls?!? Where are you guys?!?” Bobby shouts. His voice is almost drowned out by the roar of a crowd. 

“What do you mean? We’re heading to the show. Gotta enjoy our pre-show ramyeon first!”

“Pre-show?!? What about the show-show?!?”

Rumi blinks. She looks towards Zoey and Mira. Both have a look of confusion on their faces. All three peer out the nearby window. Down far below, they see the bright lights of the stadium…slowly getting further and further away. 

Rumi snaps her head around. The stewards are awkwardly trying to busy themselves. One is pouring coffee into a plant while another is struggling to latch a buckle. The pilot notices Rumi’s stare and nearly leaps out of his skin. He quickly begins to poke random buttons. The rest of the crew try not to make eye contact with either of the Huntr/x girls. 

Seriously?!? Now?!? Rumi thinks to herself. 

“Don’t worry, Bobby. We’ll be there in five,” Rumi says. The moment she hangs up on him, she pinches the bridge of her nose. Couldn’t he have sent the demons before?

Besides her, Mira and Zoey make their annoyance known. Angry groans fill the air and Zoey threatens murder with her mouth full of chips. 

Rumi stands, walks over to the closest stewards, grabs their arm. With a quick tug, patterns are quickly revealed. 

“Yup, demons,” Rumi says matter-of-factly. 

The demon pulls away. She, and the other stewards, reveal their true colors. Transforming from regular looking humans to creatures of the underworld. They hiss and snarl at the girls, who look at them with indifference.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Don't you know it's rude to disturb someone when they are eating?” Rumi says. 

The pilot—who now is twice Rumi's size in height and weight—scoffs. “Once we're through with you, there'll be no one to disturb us eating your fans.”

Zoey gasps, offended. “Our fans?!? You don't mess with our fans!”

“C'mon girls.” Rumi smirks. “Let's show them what happens when they threaten our fans.”

Mira cracks her neck and knuckles. “Don't have to tell me twice.”

Without uttering another word, Rumi signals for Mira and Zoey to attack. The two girls eagerly dart forward, eyes already locked on targets. Rumi can't help but smile as she watches them pin demons down to the ground. Her heart races at the sight of them fighting. If Rumi didn't have to lead and show off herself, she would simply watch Zoey and Mira with pride. 

Rumi reaches out towards the honmoon. A cold sensation brushed against her palm. Fingers begin to curl around a smooth metal object. In the blink of an eye, a shimmer sword is in her grasp. She throws it back over her shoulder, enjoying the heavy weight against her body. 

Mira and Zoey summon their own weapons. The demons cower in front of them. Neither girl misses a beat. They slice and dice, turning the demons into a puff of red smoke. Rumi pins one to the wall. They give her a dirty look before she stabs them in the chest. 

Suddenly, the plane jolts. Rumi is nearly knocked off her feet. She would be flat on her ass if it weren't for Mira catching her. 

“Thanks,” Rumi says. She steadies herself out. “What the hell happened?” 

The three walk over towards a window. On the wing of the plane, several demons tear up the metal. Exposed wires spark to life before setting themselves ablaze. Half of the plane then rushed past, a demon laughing maniacally. 

“Welp…This plane's trash…” Mira states.

The three finish up their food before leaping out of the plane. By the time they crash land into the stadium, several more demons are defeated while the rest lie beat up on the stage. As hundreds of thousands of fans scream and cheer at the sight of Huntr/x, the three girls finish their work as they sing. 

Rumi notices the honmoon beginning to glow. Nothing out of place. However, she then notices the flash of a new color. Gold. Rumi's heart races in her chest at the sight. A grin spreads from ear to ear. Looking behind her, Mira and Zoey have noticed as well. Their eyes shine with excitement. 

One more demon remains. Rumi walks up to him, her sword pointed right at his throat. 

“Send Gwi-Ma my regards,” Rumi whispers in his ears. 

“Screw you,” the demon snarls. 

Rumi cuts his head off in one quick swoop. The song ends along with the tour. Finally, the three can relax. Two more than one, however. 

“I can't believe it started to turn gold!” Zoey shouts. She jumps in the air, pumping her fist. “Did you see how cool it looked?!?”

“I was starting to wonder if we would ever see it,” Mira adds. “This better not be a dream!”

“It's not. The honmoon really is about to turn golden!” Rumi tells them.

She feels a mixture of excitement and annoyance at the thought. Finally, after a whole life of waiting, she can finally finish what she started. However, Rumi can already feel the heavy weight of responsibility pressing harder against her shoulders. The final task will be the most difficult. But once it's finished, Rumi will finally be free. 

A shaking snaps her out of her thoughts. Zoey has a death grip on her arm. “Oh I can't wait! I can't believe it! Aren't you excited?!?”

“Easy, Zoey! Don't shake her to death,” Mira laughs. “She needs to relax on the couch the most!”

Rumi can't help but chuckle as well. Her mood lifts and her heart flutters in her chest. The thought of spending alone time with her friends for a month sounds amazing. For a brief moment, Rumi lets herself imagine what that looks like. Relaxation on the couch, watching silly movies, and heading to their favorite restaurants. 

An odd thought quickly passes through her brain. She sees herself sitting between Mira and Zoey. A large blanket wraps around their bodies, keeping the three girls close. Mira and Zoey rest their heads on Rumi's shoulders, breathing slowly as they sleep. She stares at them, feeling like everything is right in the world. 

Rumi quickly shakes the thought from her mind, wondering where the hell it came from. Whatever it is, she cannot allow herself to fantasize. Even if she wanted to, he would never allow it. She’s shocked she even allowed to be this close to them anyway. 

Back at the penthouse, Mira and Zoey immediately undress, change into their pajamas, grab all the snacks that they can carry, and settle down on the couch. Both groan in relief. 

“Rumi!” Zoey sighs. Her eyes flick towards Rumi, who leans against the couch. “Why don’t you unwind and join us?”

“You have no excuse unlike the bathhouse,” Mira adds. She pats the spot between her and Zoey. “Sit. Chill out for once.”

Rumi smiles softly. “I am actually going to turn in for the night. I’m beat.” She forces a yawn. 

“Take a nap with us! C’mon, Ru!” Zoey whines. Her brown eyes become wide and puppy-like. She adds a small pout to her sad expression. 

Her heart sinks in her chest. “Sorry, Zo. Tomorrow, I promise.”

“She’s gonna hold you to that, you know that,” Mira points out. 

“I sure as hell am!”

Rumi laughs. “Alright, alright! I will see you guys in the morning. Enjoy!”

They wave each other goodbye and wish each other a good night. Rumi heads back into her room. Truth be told, she would love to do nothing more than watch silly turtle videos with her friends. But while they can kick up their feet and relax, Rumi still has a job to do. 

Ensuring neither Zoey nor Mira has followed her, she locks the door. With a tug, it confirms that no one will be getting in. Sighing, Rumi heads downward, literally. One moment, she is in the human realm. A world of bright lights, loud noises, and millions of souls waiting to be plucked out of bodies. The next moment, she is in the demon realm. A quieter and eerie place. The air is cold around her, causing goosebumps to form on her now purple skin. Those around her pay little mind to her. It’s a dog eat dog world here. And the top dog is waiting for her report. 

Rumi slowly makes her way towards the large pedestal. Other demons watch her. Some stare at her with contempt. They know if Gwi-Ma sends them to the human realm, there is a real possibility she will show up to kill them. Not like Rumi has much choice in the matter. She isn't the one who came up with this plan. If it was up to her, she would not make herself known at all. Rumi already is an oddity, why does she need more eyes on her?

A set of footsteps grows closer to her. She doesn’t need to turn around to know who has joined her. 

“Heard you saw the golden honmoon,” Jinu’s voice enters her ears. “Is that true?”

“Yes. I did. Zoey and Mira saw it too, so it wasn’t a trick of the eye,” Rumi replies. 

“How long did that take you?”

Rumi elbows him under the ribcage. “Whatever bet you have going on with the others, I am not going to be a part of it.”

“Even if that means Abby loses the bet?”

Rumi pauses for a moment before responding. “I think five or six years. I can’t quite recall.”

“I actually thought it would take you longer. Guess I lost to Romance.”

Another jab. Jinu hisses from the harder hit. He gives her a look, which Rumi ignores. 

“At least this will finally be over. We will both finally be free,” Rumi sighs.

“Do you really think Gwi-Ma will keep his word?” Jinu whispers in her ear. There is a hiss to his voice. 

“Once the honmoon is destroyed and he is freed, I really hope he will no longer care about me.” Rumi holds herself. The patterns against her glow with her shame. “I can finally not be reminded of what I am. And what about you? Don’t you want him to get rid of your memories?”

Jinu gives her a look. Rumi responds by sticking out her tongue. “That’s what I thought. Not like we have any other choice.”

They reach the steps. Gwi-Ma’s bright flames nearly blind her. For a moment, she looks back at Jinu, seeking the smallest amount of reassurance. He only motions for her to move forward, knowing that Gwi-Ma doesn’t like to be kept waiting. Summoning whatever courage she can muster, Rumi makes her way up the stairs. Upon reaching the top, she is met with a grinning King of the Demons. 

“Never thought I would be happy to see the honmoon turn gold,” he says. “You've impressed me, Rumi.”

“You really doubted me? I'm a little offended.”

“I see Jinu is rubbing off on you. Remember not to get too cocky.”

The patterns against her skin begin to glow, threatening to inject fire into her veins. Rumi tenses. Her body is held so tight, a single touch from a butterfly can shatter her. She feels her airways close shut. Every part of her wants to scream but she knows that would only make matters worse. Though…Rumi knows this is his milder threat. 

Gwi-Ma lets Rumi squirm for several moments. After having his fill, he releases her. Rumi gasps for air. Tears prick at the side of her eyes. She knows Gwi-Ma is enjoying himself. Rumi hates being this close to the demon king. The further away she is from him, the looser of a grip he has. One of the few good things about being part human. 

“What's next? Do I betray them now?” Rumi asks after recomposing herself. Saying those words leaves a bad taste in her mouth. She hopes Gwi-Ma doesn't notice her discomfort. 

“Not yet,” he replies. “As much as I am impatient with how long it has taken, I can wait a bit longer. Not until the hunters are as close as possible to sealing the honmoon should you act. Their shock, shame, and horror at being stabbed in the back will be all the more delicious as they watch the honmoon collapse from their failure.

“So sit back and wait. Continue to string them along. As the golden honmoon grows closer, you'll know when to strike. I'll be waiting.”

Rumi swallows and nods. “Yes, sir.”

She spins on her heels, ready to head back to the world above. Rumi, however, only makes it a few steps before Gwi-Ma's cold voice stops her dead in her tracks. 

“And don't forget what you did, Rumi. If you do this, I'll forgive you for your and your parents’ transgression.”

Rumi bites her lip. Her fangs threaten to break skin. “Yes. I'll make sure not to disappoint you.”

Rumi continues her trek downward. Jinu waits for her at the bottom. He gives a cocky grin. “Never seen him so happy. Sometimes I wonder if you're his favorite.”

“Shut up!” Rumi glares back at him. This only makes him laugh. 

“I will admit. I am intrigued how you will pull this off. I'll be watching with bated breath.”

“Don't you ever get tired of being his watch dog?”

“Not if it means seeing you try to keep up the charade. It's amusing at times.”

This earns him a heel to the top of his foot. Jinu lets out a curse and a growl. Now it's Rumi's turn to laugh. 

“I'm leaving. If you follow me, I won't hold back next time.”

Rumi returns to the human realm before Jinu can utter a response. In the safety of her room, she lets herself relax. Her body nearly collapses into a heap from how tight she had it. She catches herself on her dresser, gasping for breath. Claws dig into the wood as her mind races. Gwi-Ma’s laughter rings her mind. Rumi curses, wishing he didn’t have such a death grip on her. She feels her patterns glowing with her rage. 

Breathe Rumi. Breathe.

It takes over a minute for her to calm her racing mind and regain control of her breath. Another curse escapes her lips at the sight of deep scratches in her dresser. Rumi makes a mental note to cover the indents. With unsure feet, Rumi heads towards her standing mirror. 

Her skin is stained purple. The markings that cover almost every itch of her body continue to glow softly. Eyes shine a bright gold and fangs threaten to poke out of her upper lip. Rumi flexes her sharp claws, swearing she can still feel the wood underneath her nails. Small horns jut out from her forehead. Pointed ears flick in thought as she takes the sight of herself. 

Her true self, she reminds herself. 

If Mira and Zoey ever saw her like this, they would have every reason to strike her down like all the other demons they encounter.  

With an inhale, Rumi changes forms. Her skin becomes pale, sharp features sand themselves down, and her eyes become an earthy brown. The only things that remain are her dark patterns. They lie in wait under her clothes for someone to notice them. 

After ensuring none of her patterns will be seen, Rumi exits her room. She walks through the quiet halls into the living room. The TV plays turtle clips. Rumi wonders how many videos Mira and Zoey have gone through while she was away. Speaking of which, the two are passed out on the couch. Zoey’s snores fill the air, causing Rumi to chuckle. 

Slowly, she walks over to her groupmates. Rumi finds the remote and shuts off the TV. It takes her a moment to locate the blankets. One pink and one blue. Careful not to wake the others up, she tucks her friends in for the night. Zoey sighs softly while a small smile forms on Mira’s face. The sight warms Rumi’s heart. 

A hand reaches out towards Mira, the closest to her. It stops short, however. Inches away from her face. Rumi suddenly snaps her hand back, clutching it close to her chest. An invisible knife pierces her heart. 

C’mon Rumi…You have a job to do…

Part of her wonders if she can convince Gwi-Ma to spare them in some way. Not take their souls when the time comes. Even if they will hate her when they find out the truth, if they can live, that would be enough for her. 

Slowly, Rumi rises to her feet. With a heavy heart weighing her down, she begins to leave the living room. Something inside of her begs to curl up besides them. Yet, she knows she can’t. She can never allow herself to be that close to them. Taking one last look at her sleeping groupmates, Rumi allows herself to smile softly. With a wish goodnight, she shuts off the lights and returns to the solitude of her room. 

Chapter Text

It's an odd feeling, to be off. Rumi wakes up the next morning before the sun even rises, something she normally does. Now, there are no shows to go to. There is no practicing a new dance routine. There is no lathering on layers of makeup. Gwi-Ma's plans aren't moving forward anytime soon either. Rumi can do whatever she pleases. 

So Rumi busies herself. 

She grabs any clothes that litter the floors or are piled up in hampers, throwing them into the wash. Upon entering the living room, she finds Mira and Zoey missing. They must have woken up at some point and moved to their respective rooms. Rumi goes about tidying up the area, throwing out trash, folding up blankets, and reorganizing the space.

By the time the sun begins to claw itself out of the earth, Rumi is at the stove, preparing for breakfast. Since living in the human realm full time, she has learned to love a variety of activities. Baking and cooking is at the top. It can keep her busy for hours and everything makes her stomach growl. Growing up, she never had anything as good as freshly made food in the demon realm. 

Plus, when they are awake, she can spend quality time with her groupmates. They are the ones that showed her how to make everything she knows. Zoey loves to bake sweets. Always eager to add more chocolate chips or frosting to a dessert. Mira, meanwhile, loves to cook her own meals. She had to learn later in life, like Rumi herself, and loves to have that little bit of control of what's happening.

Those rare moments all three can be at the stove and hovered over a book, Rumi cherishes oh so deeply. 

You know you can’t keep this up. It is only a matter of time before you betray them and free Gwi-Ma. 

A low growl escapes Rumi’s throat. I can still do this. Besides, making them happier will only make it hurt worse, right? Gwi-Ma would love that…

Rumi groans. She never expected this part of her mission to be this hard. Honestly, joining Huntr/x without raising eyebrows was a hell of a lot easier than this. Things were easier back then, weren’t they? When Mira and Zoey were nothing more than obstacles in her way. Though, they still are, aren’t they? Who knew a half decade of spending almost every moment with them would cause such an issue. 

They will hate you for the rest of their lives the moment you betray them. You know it's true. Why are you bothering?

“Because I can do whatever I want as long as I finish the mission,” Rumi mutters to herself. She feels her fangs growing with her rising anger. They rub against her cheeks, itching to pierce the soft, tender muscle. 

“I thought we got past you trying to set the house on fire.” Mira’s voice enters her ears. 

“Huh?” Rumi blinks. She momentarily snaps her head around, spotting her groupmates standing several feet away. Mira has a wide, cocky smile on her face and there is a devilish glint in her eyes. While sleep lingers in Zoey’s eyes, she has her own shit eating grin on her face. 

That is when the stinging, choking smell of smoke enters her nostrils. 

Rumi eyes quickly return to the stove. Black smoke has begun to rise out of the pan. Rumi curses. Hands fumble for the dials. It takes her several seconds for her fingers to get a firm grip and shut off the flames. Rumi fans the smoke, hoping the smoke detectors don’t start screaming bloody murder.

Laughter begins to fill the air behind her.

“Are you okay?” Zoey asks. “What are you doing anyway?”

Rumi stares down at the burnt eggs below her. “I’m fine. I got a little distracted. I wanted to make you guys breakfast.”

“Have you ever looked up the meaning of the word ‘ relaxation’? I'm buying you a dictionary for your birthday.” Mira states. She grabs a plate of food without question. A twinkle forms in her russet eyes. “This tastes great!”

“What if this is how I like to relax?” Rumi shoots back. She stabs the spatula against Mira’s chest. “Do you not want a home cooked meal in the morning?”

“Hey, I wasn’t complaining. But, seriously. It’s day one of our break. You should be taking it easy.”

Rumi ignores her. She throws the dirty, burnt pan in the sink, making a mental note to clean it up later. Grabbing what is left of her own food, Rumi settles down at the table. Mira and Zoey join her, happily chowing down on their food. They chuckle when they notice Rumi eating the charred bits of food. 

Conversions about the weeks ahead begin. Out of seemingly thin air, Zoey slaps down a stack full of notebooks. She flips through the pages at lightning speed. The younger girl rattles off several ideas. Rumi barely is able to keep up with her. Even so, she does her best to hang onto every word. She is able to catch something about Zoey finally showing them around Burbank. 

Their conversation, unfortunately, is interpreted by the vibrations of Rumi's cell phone. Celine. 

“Hello?” Rumi says. She sets the phone on the table. 

“Did you three have a good rest?” Celine's voice crackles out of the speaker. 

“We did until Rumi nearly burned down the penthouse,” Mira jokes. Rumi shoots her a glare.

“I saw the honmoon flicker gold. I would like to discuss what you three have planned for next. In person. Would you be able to stop by at some point today?”

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey all exchange looks. This definitely was not in any of the notebooks. It's not like they have much of a choice. When their mentor calls about the honmoon, there is little room to argue. 

“We can come in an hour or so,” Rumi states. 

“I'll see you soon.” 

There is a click before the phone goes dark. Rumi feels the eyes of her groupmates locked onto her. “What? We can talk to her, see what she needs, then do whatever is in Zoey's notebooks!”

“Did not plan on seeing Celine today,” Mira sighs. She rubs her temples. “Was hoping for one day of rest before she wanted to talk to us.”

“Hey, like Rumi said, let's get it over with,” Zoey replies. 

“I hope she doesn't try to make us seal the honmoon right away. Even if it's her lifelong mission, the couch has been calling to me for ages. ”

“The best bet is the Idol Awards. We always strengthen it then.” Rumi points out. “It's not like she can move it up. I sure don't want that.”

“Good point.” Mira leans back in her chair. “Bad enough we still have to fight demons whenever they show up. No rest for the weary.”

“Don't worry, Mi. I already have an awesome idea for us to do today. And before you ask, no I am not telling. It's a surprise!” Zoey says.

They finish their meal, taking their time. Celine's apartment is a short walk away. Even when bellies are full, the trio enjoys some moments of rest before changing and heading out. 

The walk takes no more than ten minutes to transverse. In the brief time they are outside, the trio soaks in the sun. Zoey comments on the warmth. She never was one for the cold and cannot wait for the summer. Mira mentions how she is not ready for seasonal allergies. She has already stocked up on medicine. 

Meanwhile, Rumi enjoys watching the birds soaring in the sky. Her eyes occasionally watch the people walking by, wondering what they do in their life. The warm sun feels good against her body, the demon realm always is freezing. While Mira grumbles at the pollen, Rumi enjoys all the scents that will be coming soon. The demon realm is so dreary and lifeless compared to here…

They reach the apartment complex and waste no time in traveling up several floors. Celine's apartment is open, though she is nowhere in sight. Zoey shouts out for her. She is awarded by a voice from the closed off bedroom, telling her she will be out in a moment. While they wait, the girls wander around the apartment. 

Without fail, Rumi finds her feet guiding her towards the large poster of the Sunlight Sisters hanging on a wall. Eyes first fall on Celine. She, and the others, are about Rumi and Co's age. Her eyes are bright—full of life and vigor. She stands front and center, a warm, wide smile plastered on her face. To her left is Poppy. In all the photos Rumi has seen of her, she reminds her of Zoey. Always looking like she is about to burst into confetti from excitement or has a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. The only other thing Rumi knows about her is her untimely death by the hands of demons. 

Then…her eyes locked onto the woman to Celine's right. Mi-yeong. She stands slightly behind the other two, her smile softer but still full of warmth. In old interviews, she was always the quiet one but whenever she spoke, she made each and every word count. Every time Rumi sees a photo or watches video clips, she feels a tug on her heart. She never has understood why. 

Maybe it's because Zoey and Mira say she oddly looks like her. Maybe it's because Celine once said her braid reminds her of Miyeong. Maybe because Rumi feels sorrow for another untimely death by the hands of Gwi-Ma. 

The high pitch creak of the door brings her back into reality. Zoey and Mira snap their heads up as the solo surviving member of the Sunlight Sisters exits her room. “Sorry for the wait, girls.”

Celine looks nothing like she does on the poster. Hair has greyed with age. Heavy bags hang under tired, dark, dull eyes. An invisible weight presses down on her shoulders. In all the years Rumi has known Celine, she cannot recall ever seeing a smile on her face. Years of fighting demons have left many across her body, outside and in. 

“You wanted to talk about the golden honmoon?” Rumi says. 

“Yes. I know you three have begun your break. Before you ask, I am not going to ask you three to go out and seal it right this moment.” Her eyes momentarily look at Mira. “I wanted to check in and see what your plan was.”

“The Idol Awards are next month. That will be the perfect time to seal the honmoon once and for all.”

“I was hoping you would say that. Do you have a song set already?”

“We do.” Rumi looks back at the other two. “ ‘Golden’ , right?”

The others nod. Zoey takes a step forward. “It’s going to be the best Idol Awards ever! You don’t have to worry about anything, Celine. We’ll finally seal the honmoon and the demons will be no more!”

Celine sighs softly. A small twinkle appears in her eyes. Rumi nearly misses it, wondering for a moment if her mind was playing tricks on her. Celine clears her throat before speaking once more. 

“You three have done something generations of hunters have only dreamed of. I am proud of you. Well done.”

Rumi’s heart skips in her chest, swelling with a sense of pride. She lets herself savour the feeling washing over her. Gwi-Ma’s, the Demon King made of burning, bright flames, praises are always cold as ice. Even when she does good, he expects more or threatens her not to step a single toe out of line. Celine’s, despite her freezing, expressionless, and closed off personality, praises have a warmth of comfort. 

Remember that’s not your goal. Why are you enjoying her praises? Don’t be stupid. Don’t forget the last time you pissed Gwi-Ma off…

“Rumi, are you okay?” Zoey says. A gentle hand squeezes her shoulder. Rumi damn nears jump out of her skin at the sensation. She spins her head around so fast, she nearly snaps it off her neck.

“Woah! Easy!” Zoey replies, throwing her hands in the air.

“S-Sorry,” Rumi says, clutching her chest. Her heart uses her ribcage like a xylophone. “I was lost in thought…”

“Clearly,” Mira points out. “You totally zoned out there. Everything okay?”

Rumi runs a hand through her hair. Fingers squeeze against her skull in a feeble attempt to calm her racing mind. “Yeah. Just…Can't believe it's finally here. Feels like a dream, doesn't it?”

“I know what you mean,” Zoey answers. “But think about how much more free time we are going to have!”

“I honestly can’t wait for it. Going to feel odd, though, having all that free time,” Mira says. 

“You three deserve it. I have nothing else to say. Unless you have any questions, you are free to go. Thank you for dropping by. I will be waiting to hear from you as the Idol Awards draw close.” Celine waits a moment for a response. When she gets none, she bids them farewell before settling down at her desk. 

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey begin to exit the apartment. Rumi trails behind for a moment, hesitating in the doorway. She watches Celine typing away at her computer. The older woman's eyes are locked onto the screen. 

Rumi wonders what goes through her mind. For all the years she has known Celine, the older woman has always given her an odd look. She recalls how the first time they met, Celine's eyebrows knitted tightly together and her eyes never left her. It wasn't until Rumi told her bullshit life story did Celine look away for a brief time. It took many more weeks for her to regard her like Mira and Zoey. Though, according to them, Celine watched them like a hawk too when they first met. 

Her own dream of sealing the honmoon is within reach. Celine has worked tirelessly to avenge her fallen groupmates and make the world a better place. If only she knew who she let in to lead the Huntr/x. If only she knew how she has been unknowingly and unwillingly feeding her mortal enemy information.

Celine suddenly snaps her head up. Eyes suddenly are boring into Rumi. For the second time today, Rumi nearly jumps straight out of her skin. 

“Do you need something?” Celine questions. 

“No, ma'am.” Rumi rubs the back of her neck. Her brain scrambles for an excuse. The first thing she blindly grabs onto spills out of her mouth. “Do you really think the golden honmoon will defeat Gwi-Ma?”

Celine gives her a look. “I have no reason to think otherwise. If it doesn't, then nothing can stop him. Why do you ask?”

“Just…a thought…”

“Is that all?”

“Yes. Sorry for disturbing you.”

Without another word, Rumi joins Mira and Zoey at the elevator doors. They give her questioning stares, which are waved off. They have the whole rest of the day to spend together. No need to bug them with an awkward conversation. 

The trio head into the city. Downtown is bustling with life. Streets are packed, leaving little wiggle and breathing room. Millions of voices mix together in the air, each indistinguishable from the next. Hundreds of scents flood Rumi's nose, some making her mouth water. Her attention remains, however, on Zoey, who leads her and Mira down the sidewalk. 

Rumi grips onto Zoey's shoulder strap so tight, her knuckles are white. She knows if she lets go for a moment, she will lose the smaller girl in the crowd. Mira must feel the same way, as Rumi can feel nails holding tight onto her jacket. 

“Zoey!” Rumi whines. “Slow down! We can't keep up!”

“Hold on! Hold on! It's right over here, I promise!” Zoey eagerly replies. 

She shoves her way through a bottleneck. Rumi's grip tightens as Zoey pulls her and Mira through. For a brief moment, she feels pressure all around her as bodies squash her form. Rumi sucks in what little air her lungs can grasp onto. 

And then…

She pops out into a clearing. Rumi inhales deeply, releasing her grip on Zoey, who is finally standing (mostly) still. The smaller girl rocks on her heels in front of a store. A large, bold banner hangs over the door:

WELCOME TO OUR GRAND OPENING! 

“This is what you want us to see?” Mira asks. She tilts her head to the side. “A comic book store?”

Zoey nods vigorously. “Yeah, yeah! I've been waiting ages for it to open! They have a lot of stuff! Horror, superheroes, sci-fi, you name it! There's something for everyone! C'mon!”

Zoey darts into the store. Mira and Rumi exchange a look. Both of their faces soften. Seeing Zoey bright and bubbly always warms Rumi's heart. The warmth spreads across every inch of her chest. By the looks on Mira's face, she feels the same. Her own brown eyes are soft like velvet. 

Both girls chuckle lightly. 

“Let's go before we lose her,” Mira smirks. 

Mira enters before her. Rumi hesitates for a moment. She looks over her shoulder, scanning every body that her eyes spot. Each different piece she spots, she searches for any similarities. Despite not seeing anything out of ordinary, the hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention. Swallowing a hard lump in her throat, she enters the store. 

Zoey is not the only one who has decided to come here. The store, while not as crowded as the outside world, is packed. A long line has formed by the front desk with people carrying stackful of books. In the aisles, fingers brush against unbroken spines. A number of children circle stare up at the action figures waiting to be removed from shelves. The chatter from inside drowns out whatever pop song plays from the speakers. 

Rumi begins searching for her friends. Thankfully it doesn’t take long for her to find Mira’s tall frame. Rumi squeezes through the crowd, muttering several apologies, before she reaches her friend. Mira is currently looking at some small boxes. 

“Look, found us!” Mira smiles. She tosses one at Rumi. Sure enough, Huntr/x is written in bold against the cardboard. On one side, Rumi sees six images. All chibi versions of her, Mira, Zoey, Bobby, Celine, and a blacked out mystery one. 

“So what? You don’t know which one you get?” Rumi asks, tossing and turning the box in her hand. She gives it a small shake. 

“Guess we gotta check off ‘mystery boxes’ on things you have never seen before. But, pretty much. They can be pretty fun. Sucks if you don’t get what you want but that’s how they get you.”

“What’s the blacked out one?”

Mira shrugs. “No idea. Gotta open it to check it out. Get it and see!”

“I think I am going to do that.”

“Who do you want to get?” Mira leans forward, her mouth right next to Rumi’s ear. Rumi can hear the coy smile in her friend’s voice as she speaks. “Is it me?”

Rumi feels her face turn hot. It takes everything in her not to teleport away from Mira right there and then. Instead, she jerks away, nearly knocking over boxes behind her. Eyes are wide, like a deer in headlights. Mira is barely holding back her laughter. Tears prick at the corner of her eyes. 

“Your face! Oh man, where the hell is Zoey?” Mira wheezes. 

Rumi grumbles, shooting daggers at the taller girl. 

Mira wipes the tears from her face. That is when Rumi notices the slight red tint spreading across Mira’s face. “Anyway,” Mira clears her throat. “Let’s go find Zo.

It doesn’t take long for the two to spot Zoey. She’s not hard to miss while she wears a bright, yellow bucket hat. Rumi and Zoey push their way through the crowd. In the short time that they have been apart, Zoey already has a stackful of books in her arms.

“There you are!” Zoey says. She flips through her stack. Fingers latch onto something in the middle. In one swift moment, Zoey pulls out a comic book “Here! I think you might like this one!”

Rumi looks at the book in her hands. On the front cover is a muscular man, cladded in blues and reds. A large cape spreads out behind him. He flies around the sky, passing through the clouds. He has a bright smile on his face. 

“He’s big back in the states,” Zoey says. “I think you might like him. This is the first issue of the latest iteration.”

“Thanks! It looks interesting,” Rumi replies.

“Oh, here you go, Mira. I found the next issue of your comic!”

“Sick! Thanks!” Mira says, taking the comic from the smaller girl. 

The three spend some more time in the story. Mostly, it’s Mira and Zoey showing Rumi more comics, hoping to get a gauge on what she might like. They tell her all about their favorite stories. Zoey especially goes on about the American comics she read back home. After about a half hour, they check out and head back into the city. 

They return home after a few hours, totally beat. After a day of walking, all batteries are drained. Mira makes the executive decision to order take out for dinner. While everyone settles back in, Rumi drops off her items into her room. She also decides it's time to crack open the mystery box. 

Rumi tears open the box and is met with a plastic bag. Rightfully annoyed, she quickly rips that apart, finally getting to her prize. By some stroke of luck, she got the mystery item. It's the Huntr/x's logo as a small wand. Instead of the normal white color, the lines are evenly split between their three signature colors. Rumi's royal purple, Mira's loud pink, and Zoey's playful blue. 

Rumi gently rubs a thumb over the object, feeling the smoothness against her skin. Her heart twists inside her chest. On one hand, she is overjoyed this is what she got. She received their logo. Their band. For the past five years this has been her life. Yet, soon, it will all be ripped away from her by her own hands. 

Idiot.

Damn it, Rumi! Pull yourself together!

She slaps the sides of her face. That moment still is a while away, she reminds herself. Hell, who knows if they'll even be able to turn the honmoon gold at the Idol Awards. Maybe there is even more time!

Why are you lying to yourself?

“Rumi! The food's almost here!” Zoey shouts from down the hall. 

“Coming!” Rumi places the wand upright on her nightstand. She pushes her thoughts as far and as deep into her mind as she can. She locks them into a closet and throws out the key, hoping and praying they stay put. 

A deep inhale resets herself. Mind clear and heart calm, Rumi joins Mira and Zoey for dinner. 

Chapter Text

The world is cold. Every inhale feels like she is breathing in ice shards. Every exhale creates visible clouds around her nose and mouth. Her skin is covered head to toe in goosebumps. Every thin hair on her body stands at attention. Rumi kneels on the ground, her forehead pressed hard against the rough stone flooring. All muscles are taut. Sweat beads trickle down the side of her face, collecting at her chin before dripping to the ground. 

Gwi-Ma flames burn brightly. Despite eyes cast downward, they sting from the sheer intensity. Rumi swallows a hard lump in her throat. Her patterns start to glow. Fire begins to spread across her skin. Rumi bites her lower lip, tasting copper. 

“Do you ever learn?” Gwi-Ma fumes. “Look at me!” 

Rumi suddenly is forced upright. She is unable to hold back a cry of pain. Tears swim at the edges of her eyes. Patterns continue to burn . It feels as if molten hot lava is being injected into her veins. 

“Did you forget what happened the last time you crossed me?”

Rumi feels something hot, sticky, and wet splatter against her hands. Staring down, her claws are stained black. She knows who it belongs to. “Oppa…,” Rumi whimpers. 

“We don't want a repeat, do we?”

Rumi feels her body contort. Claws and fangs sharpen and elongate. Horns thicken and curl inward. Her mind feels like it's about to split into two. Saliva pools in her mouth as her thoughts shift towards violence. 

Just as her body and mind are about to be sent over the edge, Gwi-Ma releases his grip on her. Rumi collapses into a heap of strangled cries. Tears flow freely down her cheeks and she gasps for any semblance of air. Her body groans from the assault inflicted upon it. 

“Don't ever try to cross me ever again. You already murdered your parents,” Gwi-Ma begins, his voice as icy as ever. Inside his flames, pink and blue figures appear. What little air is inside Rumi's lungs catches in her throat as he speaks. “You don't want to do the same to them, now do you?”

Nonononononono-

“NO!”  

Rumi wakes with a start. Her ears ring, drowning out the sound of her scream. Her heart drums against the inside of her throat. Every inch of her body trembles as her mind races around. Rumi cannot tell if she remains dreaming, locked in a world of nightmares, or if she has broken free into reality. Nails dig into her mattress, breaking clean through the fabric. 

Shadows twist into the wicked smile of Gwi-Ma. The ring in her ears shifts in pitch, becoming the deeper laugh of the demon king. Hands slap over her ears. Cooper floods her mouth. Her thoughts continue to spin, one thought bleeds into the other. The patterns wrapped around her skin glow brightly, casting the area around her in a toxic purple. 

She feels another scream crawling its way out of her throat. The patterns grow like cracks on glass, threatening to break as such. Her body curls, ready to cave in on itself. The scream is about to break through gritted teeth and her cracks are about connect with each other when…

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK! 

“Rumi?!?! Are you okay?” 

Zoey's soft and worried voice slips through the wooden door. Rumi inhales a shaking breath, attempting to recompose herself. 

“I'm fine,” Rumi gasps.

“I heard you scream!” 

Rumi crawls out of bed. Shaking legs carry her to the door. A hand reaches out towards the brass doorknob, but stops when it comes into her field of view. Her arm is stained purple and fingers are curled into sharp claws. Her whole body mimics her arm—her disguise has faltered. 

“I'm fine,” Rumi repeats. She leans against the locked door, holding her shaking body tight. “I-I just had a nightmare. I need a minute.”

“Do you want me to come in?”

She hears Zoey's body thump against the door. So close yet so far away. 

“No! No. It's okay,” Rumi replies. 

“Okay…I saw the honmoon pulsate. I am going to wake Mira,” Zoey says. “I'll be right back “

Rumi listens as Zoey fades away. The moment they no longer echo inside her mind, she makes a beeline for the bathroom. She stands in front of the large mirror, taking herself in. Claws grip the marbled countertop, small cracks forming on the edges. Reflecting back at her, is a demon. 

She growls, bearing her sharp teeth. Gwi-Ma’s laugh continues to echo in her mind. She feels the heat from his powers against her skin. Her bones ache from the thought of being contorted again. Rumi shakes her head, refusing to let the memories from all those years ago implant themselves in her brain. Fingers release their grip on the metal and fumble for the faucet. The moment she twists the metal, hands cup the stream.  

Cool water splashes against her face. Droplets trace her patterns before landing in the sink below. Rumi inhales deeply, holding it in her chest for several painfully long seconds. Her heart begins to slow and her mind becomes quieter. It’s just a nightmare, she reminds herself. Gwi-Ma can’t hurt you when you are here…

Rumi eyes the nearby window. Nothing but the dark night sky. 

Hands slap the sides of her face. Pull yourself together! You need to get ready before they start asking questions. Rumi focuses all her energy on her body. Demonic traits fade, replaced by humanoid ones. The long finger-like patterns on her face pull away, stopping just past the base of her neck. Rumi grumbles, annoyed that she has to cover up more. Why won't they recede further?

A knock at the door snaps her out of her thoughts. Zoey is pounding, asking if she is ready and why she isn’t answering. Rumi grabs the closest turtle neck sweater, quickly pulls it over her torso, and finally opens the door. Zoey’s fist nearly connects with Rumi’s face. She barely has enough time to jolt back and avoid having a bloody nose. Zoey stares at her, wide-eyed and confused.

Mira stands behind her, sleep written all over her face. Her glasses are cockeyed and her hair is haphazardly put in twin pigtails. Despite being dragged out of bed, the confusion on her face isn’t directed towards the wide awake Zoey. 

“Rumi! What the hell was taking you so long?!?” Zoey’s brown eyes scan her. “I was knocking for almost a minute! Are you okay?”

“I, uh,” Rumi rubs the back of her neck. “Sorry, I didn’t hear you. I’m fine. Just still rattled by the nightmare.” She shakes her head again. “The honmoon flickered, right? We should get going.”

Zoey hesitates for a moment, studying her. “Right. Who knows what the demons are doing right now at this hour.”

The three waste no more time. Sleep slowly leaves their bones with each step they take. Rumi leads the way down the quiet, empty streets and alleyways, following the pulse of the honmoon. She looks over her shoulder, checking on the girls. For a moment, Rumi swears she sees the flash of pink and purple flames. With a shake of the head, the pale yellow streetlights return. 

The honeymoon pulses again, the colors disappearing down another alleyway. Rumi pivots, nearly slipping against the concrete. She quickly recovers and speeds down the corridor. Walls begin to narrow. There is barely enough room for two people to stand without bumping shoulders. Rumi turns another corner, coming face to face with a band of demons. 

“Found you!” Rumi quickly summons her sword. Fingers wrap tightly around the metal handle. Demons snap and growl at the sight of the hunters. With their own weapons and claws drawn, they leap forward. 

The narrow walls of the alleyway are both a blessing and a curse. There’s no worry of being overtaken by a pile of demons. They must twist their bodies to make enough room to fight and defend themselves. Yet, the same is true for Huntr/x. Blades occasionally slice against the brick walls, craving deep trenches into them. Shoulders bump against each other, not helping anything. 

Rumi slices down several demons. She groans, her lack of sleep catching up to her. Another demon pops up in front of her, club held high in their hands. Rumi barely has enough time to slash them. The moment they disappear into a mist of pinkish-red, another appears right behind them. Her body tenses as she sees a weapon poised to hit her head. 

There is the sound of something sailing through the air. Zoey’s blades pass over her back and shoulders and embed themselves into the demon’s chest. Thankfully, no one is behind the second demon. With a thanks towards Zoey, Rumi turns her attention towards the remaining targets. 

With each demon that falls, the more the anger inside of her grows. Her vision narrows, focused solely on what lies ahead of her. Each a constant reminder of her mission. A constant reminder of what is inching closer and closer. A constant reminder of who she is. Arms raise up high, ready to cut down the demon in front of her without a second thought. 

Then, it disappears. 

The blade of Mira’s gok-do slices through the demon’s abdomen, the tight corridor causing the tip to come dangerously close to Rumi’s stomach. Mira stands feet away, out of breath, and russet eyes locked onto her leader.  

“I could’ve stabbed you,” Mira huffs. “I shouted that I got this one.”

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you,” Rumi admits.The anger that had engulfed her now becomes a shimmer. In its place is a heavy tiredness. Curling up in her bed sounds great right about now. The threat of another nightmare, however, keeps her at bay. 

“You alright? Normally you're not that pissed off when you get woken up in the middle of the night.”

“Yeah that’s usually reserved for Mira,” Zoey states. The taller girl shoots her a glare. “See?”

“I’m fine. I just…” she rubs her eyes. 

“Was it your nightmare?” Zoey walks up to her, placing a hand on her back. “Must’ve been really bad if you took it out on some demons.”

“You can say that…”

Mira joins them. Her own hand rests against Rumi’s tense shoulder. The tender touch of her friends loosens her body. A wave of comfort washes over her. Rumi soaks in every second. Her arms, holding herself tight, wishes to wrap around her friends and pull them close.  

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Mira inquires. Her eyebrows knit together. 

Rumi opens her mouth, yet no words escape. She clamps her jaw shut, shaking her head. 

“It's okay, Rumi. You don't have to if you don't want to.”

“Do you want us to stay in bed with you?” Zoey asks. 

Muscles become tight like a spring ready to pop. An uncomfortable warmth spreads throughout her body, her stomach does barrel rolls, and hands become clammy. This isn’t an out of the ordinary suggestion. There have been plenty of times one or both girls have slept in someone else’s bed. From comfort to simply not wanting to walk down the hall. It’s almost second nature at this point. Yet now, the thought short circuits Rumi’s brain. 

“Ah!” Zoey suddenly backs away, scratching the side of her red face. “I mean! We don’t have to! Totally fine if you want to be by yourself! I can sleep in my own bed! It’s, like, no biggie!”

“No! No, it’s fine,” Rumi stammers. “It's just been a while since we slept in the same bed! But I would love that! Do you want to sleep with us, Mi?”

Mira hides part of her blushing face. Eyes peer over glasses as she speaks. “Sure. I'm down for it.”

Mira lies to her left, back pressed against her back. Zoey is curled up to her right side, her hand brushing up against Rumi’s. Both are sound asleep. Mira occasionally mumbles in her sleep, words only intelligible to her dreamself. Zoey, meanwhile, snores. All the sounds are like music to her ears. Rumi reaches forward. Fingers brushes against Zoey’s cheeks, tucking loose strains of raven behind her ear. The smaller girl mumbles something, burying her face further into the soft pillow. 

Rumi smiles softly. She presses herself further into Mira’s back, soaking in the warmth from her body. Her core temperature has always been like that of a lizard, sitting in the desert in the middle of the night. The threat of nightmares remains in the back of her mind, yet, Mira and Zoey act like a protective fort around her. Rumi burrows herself further into the bed. 

Rumi feels the sharp claws of negative thoughts at the back of her mind. She shakes them away before their nails can embed themselves into her brain. Not right now, she thinks. Let me have this. 

Eyes squeeze shut. She doesn’t want to fall asleep. She doesn’t want to have time speed forward. But sleep begins to creep its way through her bones and a thick fog surrounds her brain. The events of the last hour or so has drained her. It’s a losing battle against sleep. With the sounds of her friends pulling her deeper and deeper into slumber, Rumi stands no chance. Before succumbing to the darkness, she whispers a wish for a peaceful dream.

Zoey is nowhere to be found. 

Rumi looks down at her phone, checking the time displayed on the screen. The missing member of Huntr/x was supposed to be here almost an hour ago. Zoey being late isn’t anything new. She is known to lose track of time. Rumi recalls seeing about a hundred alarms on her friend’s phone for one appointment one time. Even then, when she realizes she is running late, Zoey is frantically calling or texting the person, apologizing and saying she will be there soon. Rumi’s voicemail and text messages remain silent. 

“Have you gotten anything from her?” Rumi asks Mira. 

“No. Nothing. Getting a little worried,” Mira sighs. 

The two rest against a wall. The three had planned on seeing a movie together. Zoey had said earlier there were things she needed to get done, and for Rumi and Mira to go on without her. She would catch up in a little bit. The last text message received was: i just need 5 more mins i will b there soon!!!

All other texts and calls have gone unanswered. 

“We should head back,” Mira says. She shoves her phone in her pocket and begins speed walking away. Rumi follows right on her heels. 

“What do you think happened? It’s not like her to forget like this.”

“I don’t know. I don’t like that she isn’t answering us.” Mira chews on fingernails. Pink nail polish chips away as teeth grind against them. 

Rumi tries calling again. Her phone rings, and rings…and rings. With each brief pause in the noise, she holds her breath, hoping Zoey has picked up. After about five or six rings, the phone clicks to Zoey’s unmistakable voicemail. 

Hey, it’s Zoey! You got my voicemail! Sorry I cannot pick up! Probably busy on stage or kicking some ass somewhere. Leave a message and I will get back to ya later! Peace!

“Damn it,” Rumi grumbles. She hangs up the line. “Still nothing.”

Her mind wanders back to her nightmare a couple days before. Gwi-Ma threats ring in her ears. Has he grown angry with her? It's barely been a week! Has Jinu told him about her spending more time with Mira and Zoey? She snaps her head over shoulders. Eyes scan for anything familiar. Nothing…

Would Gwi-Ma send someone to harm Zoey? They are so close to the golden honmoon! Without Zoey, they cannot come anywhere close to it! Even the demon king wouldn’t throw away decades of hard work just to spite Rumi. 

Would he?

No. No he wouldn’t. He just can’t! Rumi thinks to herself. Zoey’s fine. I’m sure she just…forgot!

Rumi wishes she could teleport away. In a blink, she could be at the last place Zoey said she was, the penthouse. At the pace she and Mira are going, it will take almost ten minutes for them to reach the building. Every part of her body and mind screams at her to get to her friend as soon as possible. She bites her lip, holding back an annoyed growl. 

Rumi and Mira continue on, their minds on a singular focus. The moment they get into the lobby, they break into a sprint. The elevator cannot move fast enough. Why the hell did they make their penthouse so big? Mira presses down against the ‘ closed doors’, her finger turning bright red. Rumi paces around as she is lifted higher and higher into the air. 

The moment the doors open, both book it into the main living area. 

“Zo? Zoey?!? Are you here?!?” Rumi shouts. 

“Answer your phone!” Mira snaps.

They enter the living room. Rumi’s pounding heart comes to a cold stop. Zoey sits by a coffee table, half her body leaning against the smooth wood. Eyes are shut and for once, she isn’t snoring like a bear with a sniffy nose. It looks like a bomb has gone off around her. Paper, scissors, glitter, markers, and god knows what else is scattered on the table and floor. 

“Oh thank god, she just fell asleep,” Rumi says, clutching her chest.

“We need to get her an alarm that she cannot sleep through,” Mira groans, rubbing a temple.

“Should we wake her?”

“Probably.”

Both Rumi and Mira walk over towards their snoozing friend. Taking a better look at the mess around Zoey, Rumi realizes what makes up half the ‘bomb’ are photos. She takes a few in her hands, memories flooding her mind at the sight. 

A photo right after their first training session together. Rumi stands in the middle, a shit-eating grin spreads across her face. Below her, Mira and Zoey sit defeated, glaring up at the camera in their leader's hands. The next is a candid snapshot of Mira, out like a light after too much to drink. Sharpie ink stains her face, the crude artwork all done by Zoey herself. Finally, there's a group shot from right before their recent world tour. Excitement is etched onto all their faces. Eyes sparkle as they prepare to enter the plane. 

Mira gives Zoey several good shakes before she finally wakes up.

“Huh? What?” Zoey snaps to attention. A thin layer of fog covers her brown eyes. Drool seeps out of one corner of her mouth and a photo sticks to her cheek. Zoey blinks several times, her brain struggling to reboot. “Girls?” 

“Morning, Sunshine. Sleep well?” Mira asks with a tease. 

“Huh? What time is it?” Zoey grabs her phone. All the sleep disappears from her eyes the moment she looks at the screen. She leaps to her feet so fast, she nearly flips over the table. “Holy shit! I didn't realize how late it was! I closed my eyes for a second! I am so, so, so sorry for ruining our plans!”

“Easy, Zoey!” Rumi replies. She places a hand on her friend's shoulder. “We're just glad you're okay. You gave us a heart attack when you weren’t picking up!”

“I'm sorry for scaring you. I didn't mean to pass out, honest!”

“What are you even doing?” Mira asks. She removes the photo from Zoey's cheeks. The polaroid is revealed to be of the time Rumi burned water the first time she cooked.

Zoey's face turns a bright, rosy shade. Her eyes turn downward, looking at the mess she has made. Hands reach for a handmade book, the binding half held together by string.

“I was gonna surprise you guys. I have been working on it for a long time now, I still need to make another one but…”

Without looking at either of them, she shoves the book forward. Mira takes it in her hands. Opening it up, she and Rumi find more photos of them. Some solo shots, others with each other or the whole trio. Zoey's handwriting sits next to each one, marking what the occasion was and the date. Some of these Rumi had forgotten about herself. 

“You're making a scrapbook?” Rumi asks. 

Zoey nods. “Yeah…for our…anniversary…”

“Anniversary?” Rumi and Mira ask together. They exchange puzzled looks with each other. 

“Yeah, like…us being Huntr/x ! We've been together for so long I…wanted to make you two something for it,” Zoey sheepishly admits. “I dunno what my life would be without you two in it. I was gonna give you each a book when it came up after the Idol Awards.”

Rumi's heart skips a beat. With everything going on, she had forgotten all about their anniversary. A familiar warmth spreads throughout her chest as her stomach twists into a tight knot. Her face becomes flush and unbearably hot. Rumi sneaks a quick glance at Mira. Judging by the wide eyed expression on her own reddening face, she is feeling the exact same. 

“I know, it's stupid,” Zoey mumbles. 

“What?!? No!” Mira snaps back. She flicks Zoey right between the eyes. “Say that again and I'll slap you upside the head! This is amazing, Zo! I can't believe you've been keeping it from us all this time!”

Rumi continues to flip through the pages, carefully taking everything in. 

Jun 17th: Rumi and Mira trying a new American styled restaurant!

Aug 5th: The time I fell face first on stage during a live performance. 

Oct 3: Penthouse nearly burning down from a cooking lesson, again. 

Oct 19th: Rumi passed out during the flight to NYC! 

Each page turn sends a flurry of emotions through Rumi's body. Amusement, joy, happiness, fondness, and comfort envelope her heart. The life she has spent up here stares right at her. All of these memories, it feels as a whole entire lifetime has passed her by. 

But a red, hot knife slices through the warm bundle in her chest, burning everything in sight. Replaced are feelings of sorrow, despair, fury, guilt, and helplessness that flood the gaping wound in her heart. Time is steadily marching on towards the faithful Idol Awards. 

“Rumi, are you crying?” Zoey asks softly. 

Rumi looks up. The world around her is a blur. With a blink, tears pour down her face. She finds Mira and Zoey staring at her, faces twisted into frowns. Her throat begins to close, trapping all the air in her lungs. Limbs tremble, as if they are in an earthquake. 

“I'm fine,” Rumi sniffs. She wipes her face. Tears continue to stream out her eyes. “It's just…This is amazing. I love it, Zoey. Thank you.”

Two pairs of arms wrap around her body. Mira and Zoey's teary faces stare at her. There is nothing but affection and tenderness in their eyes. 

“I love you guys so much!” Zoey sobs. 

“You guys are the best!” Mira cries. 

“I can't imagine my life without you two,” Rumi sniffs. 

The knife digs deeper into her heart.

Rain taps against the windows, creating a steady rhythm. The weather forecast calls for it to go on all night and into the early morning hours. The rest of tomorrow will be blue sky all around. 

Rumi sits on her bed, looking through the rest of the scrap book. Zoey allowed her to borrow it if she promised that when she gives it back, she doesn't look at the rest until it's done. Rumi chuckles lightly to herself as she reminisces. How could she have forgotten about half of these?

She can hear Mira and Zoey shuffling around outside. The former should be getting ready for bed. If anything, she might watch some trashy TV drama before sleeping. The latter, meanwhile, Rumi bets will be up until at least 4am, especially since she already had a power nap. Rumi herself thinks about going to bed soon. She can feel tiredness beginning to creep against her bones. 

Rumi realizes something taps off tempo against the window. She snaps her head up. Her eyes take a moment to adjust, honing in on the source of the rapping. Staring at her with three glowing yellow is Sussie. 

What the hell does he want now? Rumi groans. 

She snaps the book shut before trudging over towards the balcony. She slides open the door—Sussie flies out of the way, perching themself on the metal bar. 

“Are you really going to make me stand out in the rain?” Rumi asks the bird. 

Sussie grins. 

“What does Jinu want? Does he know what time it is? Or that it’s raining out?”

Sussie squawks loudly at her. Their eyes narrow and they puff out their feathers. Rumi groans, pinching her nose. 

“Let me grab a jacket. Did he tell you where he wants to meet? The usual?” When Sussie nods, Rumi continues. “Okay. Tell him I’ll be there shortly. I will leave a snack out for you tomorrow.”

Sussie grins, a twinkle in their eyes. Pleased, they fly away. Rumi huffs. The last thing she needed was for Jinu to call for her. She grabs the first hoodie she finds, a purple Huntr/x one, and slips it over her body. 

Before heading out, Rumi checks the hallway. Mira and Zoey are nowhere in sight. For good measure, she locks her bedroom door. With a sigh, Rumi pictures the meeting place in her head. The hilltop that overlooks the whole city. Not many people know of the area the pair like to meet up in. Most would rather stick to the main paths. It’s the perfect place to have their conversation. 

Rumi teleports away. The world around her becomes dark and damp. Leaves cover her field of view and the sound of rain fills her ears. Rumi lets her vision adjust to the low light before walking several yards into an opening. Jinu stands near the edge, unbothered by the rain. A grin is plastered onto his face. 

“What took you so long?” he asks. Sussie rests on his shoulder.

“Don’t make me shove you off this cliff,” Rumi fires back. “Why did you call me out here?”

“I can’t check up on you? I am hurt.”

Rumi gives him a look. The urge to push him is getting stronger. “Okay, Oppa.”

His smile twists into a scowl. “Don’t call me that.”

Rumi walks up to him, elbowing him under the ribcage. “You asked for it when you called me out here. Is Gwi-Ma really that bored he needs an update right away? He knows the Idol Awards are still a while away, right?”

“He hasn’t shut up about the Idol Awards since you left. Frankly, I needed to get away from it. I’ve been noticing you are getting more chummy with your friends. What is that all about?”

Rumi bites her lip. No way in hell she will tell Jinu. She doesn’t need him to report back to Gwi-Ma about her conflicted feelings. 

“It’s nothing. You’re overthinking it,” Rumi replies. 

“I’ve known you your whole life. You think I don’t know when you are lying?”

“What? I can’t enjoy time with them before I betray them?” Rumi snaps. Her patterns begin to glow, appearing through the fabric of her clothing. “Not like I spent about half a decade with them! Gwi-Ma can’t stop me from doing that. It’s part of our deal!”

“O…kay?” Jinu blinks. Even Sussie looks bewildered. 

Rumi growls. She kicks a large rock off the cliff. The anger disappears with the rock. In its place, is a heavy sadness. Try as she might, Rumi cannot keep her shoulders from curling inward. She walks to the edge, toes threatening to kiss the air. The city looks so small from this height. Neon lights flicker, creating a rainbow of colors. With her hearing, the sounds of the city creates a low hum in her ears. 

“It’s all going to be over soon,” Rumi sighs. When Jinu walks up to her, she looks up at him. “Can you believe that, Jinu? None of this feels real.”

“Not really. I honestly never thought that Gwi-Ma’s harebrained scheme would work.”

“Do you think he would let Zoey and Mira live? If I do everything right and destroy the honmoon, do you think I can ask him to spare their lives, Oppa? ”

Jinu’s face softens. “You know he wouldn’t allow that. He said he would do one thing in exchange and you asked for him to leave you be. Are you that attached to them?”

Rumi doesn’t answer him. She sits on the hard, wet ground, legs dangling over the edge. Jinu sits down next to her, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. 

“You can always ask him to erase your memories. That way, they won’t haunt you.”

“My memories, huh…”

Rumi shuts her eyes. The memories of the last few years are the most precious thing to her. Hell, most of them are waiting on her bed to be recalled. She had contemplated asking Gwi-Ma to do just that, erase them alongside Jinu’s own memories. It would make her life a whole lot easier if he snapped his fingers and removed Mira and Zoey’s existence from her mind. Yet, she never has found herself asking him that. 

As the rain begins to soak through her clothes, Rumi’s mind begins to wander. It heads backwards a half decade, back to that faithful day when Gwi-Ma put his lifelong plan into place. Back to that faithful day when he revealed why he kept her alive for so long. 

Chapter Text

Rumi stalks her prey, watching them saunter down the street. Ears are blocked by headphones and eyes are distracted by a bright screen. Rumi finds this hunt far too easy. She wonders why some of the demons complain about it. From what she understands, things used to be a lot harder. But with the next generation of hunters yet to appear. This is a walk in the park!

Rumi inches closer. Her prey continues to be blissfully unaware of what is to come. She pauses for a moment, ensuring no one else is around. Gwi-Ma always threatens severe punishment if she’s ever spotted in her act—more than any other demon. Alone, Rumi closes the gap between her and the human. 

Her mouth opens wide, her prey freezes. Slowly, the soul is pulled out of their back. Wisp begins to tickle her tongue. This soul tastes warm and sweet. Rumi pulls harder, sucking in the rest of the soul. Her stomach twists in a knot, like always does. In a few seconds, her prey is gone. The soul is en route to be chowed down on by Gwi-Ma. Rumi wipes her mouth clean of her deed. 

The knot in her stomach loosens. In its place, there is a growl for its own food. When was the last time she ate?

Rumi checks the money in her wallet. There is enough to get her a quick meal, hopefully one to fill her stomach. The note attached to part of the wons remind her who so graciously gave her it. 

Don’t forget to get me those hot sauce bottles. I’ll give you more cash next time if you get me the good shit!

-Baby

Rumi huffs. She wonders if he can get the money to buy things in the human realm, why doesn't he just come up here? Though, if she thinks about it, that’s for the best. No need for him to be annoying her. Jinu is already enough to deal with. She would actually like to enjoy her small moments of ‘freedom’. Shoving her wallet back into her pocket, Rumi heads into the heart of the city. 

The city is bustling with life, like always. Rumi knows the streets like the back of her hand. Since she was a kid, Gwi-Ma has allowed her near free access to the human realm. She has learned to stop asking questions about why this is the case. All he ever has said to her was of all his minions, she needed to learn the most about the world above them. Her best guess, having human blood running through her veins, she blends in the most. She’s seen how some of the demons act when they try to act human. Rumi will never get over the time one drank motor oil thinking it was a beverage.

Rumi enters the supermarket. Her eyes momentarily catch the fliers that hang on the cork board. The usual random handymans, things for sale, and events happening in the city. A poster in the middle catches her attention the most. Something about auditions for a k-pop group over the weekend. Her eyes remain on the paper for several seconds, letting her mind imagine what it would be like to have people look at her with awe and wonder. The demons back home do stare at her as such, but not in the way thousands of fans would. 

She would love to be able to sing without care and worry.

Some kids push past her, pointing and giggling at the sight of the poster. Rumi rids herself of the thought before returning to her errand. She passes through the aisles, looking for what Baby wants. A curse escapes her lips, wondering why the hell they rearranged the store. After about five minutes of wandering around, she finally finds the hot sauce.

Baby is lucky they have the extra spicy one in stock, Rumi thinks to herself. 

She gets as much as her backpack can handle. With one errand done, and her stomach growls becoming louder, Rumi heads onto her next. With the money she has left, she is only able to get a burger from a fast food joint. Beggars can’t be choosers. She makes a mental note to scrape together more won for next time. 

“Enjoying yourself?” Jinu’s voice enters her ears. 

Rumi jumps. She spins on her heels, glaring at her friend. 

“How long have you been following me?” she asks. 

Jinu shrugs. “Not long. Can I have a bite?”

Rumi hits him with the bag of hot sauce. “No. I need this, unlike you. If you really want to taste something, take one of Baby’s hot sauce bottles.”

Jinu scoffs. He attempts to take the burger from Rumi’s hands. Rumi is quick on her feet, teleporting out of the way. She appears just behind him, kicking him in the back. Jinu stumbles, almost falling flat on his face. He, somehow, manages to catch himself. With a glint in his eyes, he lunges again. 

Rumi leaps out of the way, sticking out her leg. However, Jinu knows her all too well. He himself teleports out of the way. Rumi can only brace herself as her friend reappears, pinning her to the ground. A growl escapes her throat as she flashes her fangs. 

“So are you going to give me a piece now?” Jinu smirks. 

“Go jump in Gwi-Ma’s flames,” Rumi replies. She shoves the rest of her food in her mouth, never taking her eyes off of Jinu. 

“How did you become such a brat?”

“I don’t know. You took care of me, so I guess it’s your fault.”

Jinu rolls his eyes. After a moment, he steps off of his friend. Rumi huffs as she gets to her feet by her lonesome. 

“Speaking of Gwi-Ma. He does want to talk to you,” Jinu says. 

Rumi’s shoulders fall, her mind races, and invisible needles prod at her limbs. What on earth does he want now? Most of the time, it never is anything pleasant. Not collecting enough souls, revealing her patterns to a human by mistake, stepping an inch out of line…so many things can set him off. What is he going to be pissed about now?

“Hey, if it makes you feel better, he sounded like he was in a good mood,” Jinu informs. 

“You know that doesn’t help. He could be in a good mood because he is waiting to make an example out of me.”

“He did say to tell you that he is finally going to make use of you.”

Rumi raises an eyebrow. What could Gwi-Ma possibly want out of an abomination like her? She has always wondered why he has kept her alive. Born to a human mother and a demon father, the moment she was born she was an error. All her life she has known her birth caused the death of both of them. Her mother, killed by the growing demon inside her belly slowly sucking away at her soul. Her father, killed as punishment for bearing a human infant. Yet, Gwi-Ma kept her around, reminding her of her transgressions. Maybe it was to make an example to other demons, maybe he gets some sick enjoyment out of it, maybe it’s some secret third thing. 

Whatever the case, part of Rumi wishes he did erase her like the mistake she is. 

“Well, I hope whatever he has in plan for you, he finally gives me my payment.” Jinu sniffs. “I didn't take care of you all these years for nothing.”

Rumi punches him in the arm. “If by ‘take care of’ you mean tying me to a pole whenever I bit you, sure you did.”

“You bit hard!” Jinu shoves a finger in her face. Without missing a beat, Rumi goes for his finger. Jinu jerks back as teeth snap together, meeting air. 

Jinu shoots her a glare. “Asshole.”

Rumi snickers. The dial controlling her anxiety turns down a notch. Needles lessen and her mind settles enough for clearer thoughts. She holds herself, though. Patterns flicker softly, in time with her heartbeat. 

“We shouldn't keep him waiting. Don't want to ruin his mood by being late,” Jinu says. 

Rumi doesn't argue. Rumi and Jinu head into the demon realm. They land on Gwi-Ma’s platform, staring out at the horde of demons below. They all look up at them with a mix of confusion, wonder, and nervousness. 

“Took you long enough,” Gwi-Ma says. 

Rumi turns, facing the demon king. His flames, glowing bright as ever, twist into a smile. 

“I hope I did not keep you too long,” Rumi begins. “Jinu said you wanted to see me?”

“Yes. Have you ever wondered why I kept you alive this long? I could have easily killed you the moment you were placed at my feet. But I didn’t. I saw the perfect opportunity in your parents’ transgression. There is a reason I made you spend your time in the human world. You are going to spend the next few years of your life up there.

“The sole surviving hunter is looking for the next generation to carry the torch. I want you to join them. Infiltrate their ranks, learn all about them, have them believe they can turn the honmoon gold, before destroying them from the inside out.”

“You want me to become a hunter?” Rumi blinks. “How do you know I can become part of their group?”

“Are you questioning me?”

Shit. “No. I…You have wanted to destroy the hunters for hundreds of years. If I fail to become a hunter, wouldn’t it be all for naught?”

“Oh, you won’t fail. They are looking for someone like you. Who can see and reach out to the honmoon. You know it reacts to your voice. They’ll be looking for that. I have no doubt in my mind that you will succeed.

“You will remain with them until the honmoon begins to turn gold. Once it is in their grasp, snatch it away from them. After that, I will give you whatever you want for a job well done. What would you like? Do you want your memories erased like Jinu?”

Rumi thinks for a moment. What does she want? Are there any memories she wants to rid herself of? Honestly, yes. Her whole life if she is being honest, but that doesn't sit right. She shuts her eyes in thought, searching her mind for anything of use. Gwi-Ma doesn't hand out offers willy-nilly. If he kept her around this long just to infiltrate the hunters, Rumi has to make it count. 

It hits her. 

“If I help destroy the hunters and the honmoon,” she begins, eyes open and staring at the demon king, “there's only one thing I want.”

“Do tell.”

“You kept me alive because of my heritage. Because I can pass as human and become a hunter, correct? Once I betray them and destroy the honmoon, I want to not be reminded of what I am. Of what my parents did. I will continue to obey your orders, take as many souls as you desire. All I ask is to no longer have that hanging over my head.”

Gwi-Ma chuckles. “Why am I not surprised? I don't have much use for you once you complete this mission, so I can allow that. Once I am freed from this accursed place, I'll forgive what your parents did—giving birth to something like you. Even mistakes can be useful in the end. Prepare yourself. You begin this weekend.”

Rumi nods. After being dismissed by Gwi-Ma, she reunites with Jinu. 

“Bold request,” Jinu states. “Now I see why he wanted someone to watch over you. Guess you're lucky you didn't end up with Baby. Can't imagine two demons chugging down hot sauce all the time.”

Rumi rolls her eyes. “You're still bitter he beat you that one time. At least I can finally be useful.”

“How long do you think it'll take?”

“Hopefully the sooner the better. If it means him getting off my back, I'll do whatever it takes.”

Rumi lifts the curtain slightly. Through the sliver of view, she looks out at the auditorium. Eyes land at the table at the front, three figures sitting and talking amongst themselves. The two at the end look about her age. The one to the left bouncing her leg as she talks. Meanwhile, the other seems bored. She lets out a large yawn. 

In the middle, sits an older woman. She scribbles something down in a notebook. From where Rumi stands, the woman looks annoyed. Rumi hopes it's from the fact the honmoon hasn't reacted to anyone yet. Good news for her at least. Rumi is the last one to audition. After so many people, hopefully the trio aren’t too tired for one last song. She just has to wow them. 

“Let’s get this over with,” the older woman says. She looks at the sheet below her. “Rumi?”

Here we go. 

Rumi inhales deeply before stepping out onto the stage. Bright, warm lights blind her. The microphone in her hand picks up the sound of her footsteps, causing an echo throughout the room. She stops in the middle of the stage. Stinging eyes blink back the lights. When the pain disappears, Rumi takes in the sight out in front of her. 

The girl to the left smiles from ear to ear, unable to sit still in her seat. The girl to the right leans back in her chair, glasses that were on her head now resting on her face. But what captures  Rumi’s attention the most is the older woman in the middle. An intense gaze locks onto her. Rumi jerks back, startled by the sight. Brown eyes watch every movement she takes. Even the two girls give the older woman a look. 

“H-Hi?” Rumi starts. She clears her throat. “I am here to audition.”

The older woman does not remove her gaze from Rumi as she speaks. “Yes…I am Celine, former Sunlight Sister. These are Mira and Zoey. They have been my students for about a month now. You must be aware we are looking for someone to complete this trio. Do you think you have what it takes?”

Rumi swallows. “Yes.”

“Then show us what you can do.”

Okay, let’s do this. 

Rumi inhales through her nose. She begins singing the song she picked out. One Jinu created and taught her. Rumi once asked who it was for, as it sounded like a lullaby, but he immediately clammed up, telling her it didn’t matter. At least she can put it to good use. It’s soft and tender with a hint of melancholy. The words slip out of her mouth with ease, knowing every verse by heart. 

For a moment, Rumi’s body relaxes. It has been a while since she last sang—she’s forgotten how much she enjoys it. When she was little, she and Jinu (when in a good mood) would sing whatever came to mind as he played on his pipa. Those rare moments are some of her favorite memories.

The honmoon begins to respond to her song, pulsing in tune with her. Rumi resists the urge to react to it. She has to sell the bit. Rumi continues her song, all the while eyeing the trio in front of her. Celine, Mira, and Zoey watch her in awe. Sparkles form in the younger two’s eyes. 

Perfect! 

Rumi finishes her song, gasping for breath. She gives a bow before asking, “So, how’d I do?”

“That was amazing!” Zoey squeals. She leaps to her feet, knocking her chair over. “Tell me you saw that!”

“Saw what?” Rumi tilts her head for added effect. 

“Did ya not see anything shimmer just now?” Mira asks. “Nothing looked a little weird to you?”

“Well know that you mentioned it. I think I saw something. I thought it was the trick of the light.”

“It’s called the honmoon. Only a lucky few get to see it,” Celine pipes up. She slowly rises to her feet, eyes still boring into Rumi. “I do have a couple questions for you.”

What’s her problem? “I will be happy to answer!”

Celine is quiet for a moment. “Why do you want to become an idol? You know it’s not easy work.”

“I don’t know. I thought it would be cool. I always loved to sing. I never got out much as a kid, so travelling the world while doing so sounds amazing!”

“What does your family think about all this?”

My family, huh? Rumi rubs the back of her neck. “Well…if you mean my eomma and appa, they died when I was little. I was raised by my samchon and oppa . They…They are supportive, I guess. But it’s something I want to do.”

“Sure are grilling her,” Mira says. “What’s the matter with you?”

Celine narrows her eyes before finally looking away. She settles down back on her chair. “It’s nothing. There is something that we left out. This isn’t only an audition to become an idol, but a hunter as well.”

“Hunter?”

Celine begins explaining everything that Rumi already knows. About how there are two realms in this world, how demons threaten to steal the souls of humans, and how their demon king wants to break through. The only thing stopping him is the honmoon. Only those born with voices that can connect with it can help keep him at bay. 

“...Generations have gone by, all in hopes of sealing him away with the golden honmoon. Now that you know this, do you accept? Not only will you be singing, you will be putting your life on the line for the sake of humanity.”

Rumi waits a moment to answer. She already knows her answer. She rocks on her heels, thinking about what to say. “That seems unbelievable. There really are demons out there? It’s not just fairy tales?”

“Trust us, Mira and I didn’t believe it at first but it’s true,” Zoey says. “We need three people to power the honmoon and you are perfect for it! You can see the honmoon and have a hell of a voice!”

“I-You really think that?”

“I’ll second her,” Mira says. “Have you ever sung professionally before?”

“No. I just like to sing, is all.”

“So, what is your answer?” Celine asks. 

“I’ll do it!” Rumi grins. 

Zoey suddenly bolts forward. The next thing Rumi knows, she is pulled into a hug by the smaller girl. Her whole body tenses, the sudden show of affection overwhelming her. Rumi’s brain lights up, screaming over an attack that isn’t happening. She bites her cheek, forcing her body to remain still. 

“I’m so excited!!!” Zoey squeals. “I can’t wait! I have a feeling we are gonna be besties!”

“If you’re wondering, she did the same thing to me,” Mira says. “Just let her hug it out.”

Rumi’s body remains tight as Zoey bear hugs her. She is telling her something but the half-demon fails to hear it. Her gaze finds Celine, who is looking back at her paperwork. The hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention as she watches the older woman. Her gaze from before is burned into Rumi’s mind. One slip up and this whole charade is done for. She must win Celine over.

Her room is small, not much to note. A bed, dresser, TV, closet, and mirror. By far it’s more than anything in the demon realm. There, Rumi had to find the softest patch of dirt to sleep on. Sometimes, when in a mood, she would come up to the human realm just to find a more comfortable place to rest. Now, she has a whole mattress with blankets to herself. For a moment, Rumi wonders if this is a trick from Gwi-Ma. 

She flops down on the mattress, sighing as she sinks into it. Rumi could get used to this. 

Her head rolls towards the side, looking at her alarm clock. The afternoon is still young and there are no plans on training until the next day. Celine wants everyone to get used to each other first, now that there are three of them. Honing her ears, Rumi can hear Mira and Zoey shuffling around the living space. 

I probably should go get to know them, huh? Rumi thinks to herself. 

Rumi sits up. Despite not changing her clothes all day, she ensures there are no patterns showing. Don’t fuck this up. Don’t fuck this up, repeats over and over again in her mind. Pulling open the door, she heads into the living room. 

Zoey rests on the couch, laying on her stomach. The sound of random videos blast out of her phone. Mira sits nearby on a chair, reading a book. She’s the first to notice the new presence in the living room. 

“Have you finally settled in?” Mira asks. She dog ears her page and sets her book aside. 

“I think so. So, uh…Now what?”

“What do you mean?” Zoey asks, snapping her head up from her phone. “We hang out and get to know each other! Mira and I already got, like, a month on you. Took us forever to find another person who could see the honmoon!”

Rumi blinks. “Oh, right. How long have you guys seen the honmoon?”

“For a while if I am being honest. I always thought I was seeing things.”

“Same. Good to know that I wasn't insane,” Mira adds. “What about you?”

“The same as you guys. Never really thought about it before.” Rumi replies. 

“So, what do you like to do?”

“Uh…” Rumi scratches the side of her face. 

“Do…you not have hobbies?”

You mean besides stealing souls? “Not really. My samchon’s pretty strict. He didn’t really let me do much.”

“I know that feeling.” Mira snorts. 

“We’ll find something for you to enjoy! There’s so many things to make a hobby out of!” Zoey shouts. To Rumi’s surprise, a notebook appears in Zoey’s hands out of thin air. “I got a bunch we can go through!”

Hands suddenly grab Rumi’s arm. Fingers touch the patterns hidden by her sleeve. Rumi jerks back, invisible needles digging into her arm. Eyes are like deer in headlights. Zoey has the same look on her face, though, her smile has turned into a frown. 

“Oh. I’m sorry…” Zoey’s shoulders fall. “That was too much, wasn’t it?”

“No…I mean…maybe? Sorry. I…I am not used to being touched.”

“I can ask next time, if I remember.”

“I would appreciate that, thank you.”

Zoey smiles softly. She flips through the notebook and begins rattling off random hobbies. Rumi rubs her arm, the sensation slowly fading away. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices Mira giving her a small look. When their eyes meet, the taller girl looks away. 

This is going to be harder than I thought, isn’t it?

The day slowly goes by with Zoey doing most of the talking. She asks the most questions about Rumi’s home life. Where she went to school (‘homeschooled’), if she has any other family members (‘no’), and what town she grew up in (‘moved around a lot’). The answers seem to satisfy Zoey and even Mira. By the time the evening rolls around, Rumi feels her battery dangerously close to the red. 

Soon, her stomach begins to grumble. That burger from the other day barely has sustained her.  Rumi begins scrolling through her phone, seeing what cheap places are nearby. Zoey stops her, saying to celebrate her joining the group, she’ll make dinner. She doesn’t give her a chance to argue. Pots and pans bang together as she gets to work. 

Rumi watches her Zoey get to work. The way she cuts up the vegetables and meats. As they begin to cook, her mouth waters and her stomach growls become so loud, Zoey and Mira hear it. Snickers fill the air, causing Rumi to turn red. To distract herself from the growing pains in her gut, she attempts to follow along by reading the nearby cookbook. Rumi eyebrows knit together, wondering what half the foods are and how Zoey knows how to create the meal. 

Eventually, the food is ready. The meal is set down on the table. Rumi’s mouth continues to water. She swears drool is slipping out of the corner of her mouth. “What is this?”

“Bibimbap. You’ve never had it?” Zoey blinks. 

“I can’t remember.”

“What the hell is up with your samchon?” Mira asks. “And here I thought my parents were strict.”

Rumi shrugs. “He’s… weird, for lack of a better word.”

“Clearly.”

“Well, try it out!” Zoey’s eyes light up. 

Rumi grabs a small bit. The moment the food touches her tongue, her taste buds light up like never before. The savoury food is like nothing she ever had before in her life. Forced to eat whatever she could grab, this is like heaven. Her chest warms at the sensation of fresh food entering her stomach. Rumi holds back the tears forming in her eyes. Zoey and Mira don't need to know the feelings welling up inside of her. 

Though that doesn't stop her from wolfing down the food and begging Zoey for seconds. 

“Never had that reaction to my cooking before!” Zoey laughs. “I only made enough for the three of us. I'll make more next time. But there are leftovers from dinner last night if you want those.”

With her stomach still growling, she takes her up on the offer. While not as wonderful as Zoey's meal, the warmed up food still is a wonderful sensation. By the time she is done with her good, her stomach oddly aches. 

To end off the day, Mira suggests watching some old VHS she bought. The moment Rumi mentions she had never seen any of them, an impish grin spreads across Mira's face. She grabs, what she says is, her favorite trash TV series. 

Mira pops it into the TV before settling down on the couch. Zoey joins shortly after with three bowls of popcorn. After handing them out, she takes her place near Mira. Rumi opts to sit on the chair, legs tucked under her. Even though her stomach feels odd, she can't help but enjoy the salty snack. 

Rumi quickly becomes engrossed by the video. She had seen clips of shows and movies when she passed buildings or if they were on the large, LED billboards, but she never had seen them from start to finish. Rumi couldn't care less if the show is weird or she doesn't understand why there was so much petty drama, she wants to see more. 

Zoey and Mira happily oblige, popping in one tape after the other. Eventually, the two nod off, leaving Rumi alone with the tapes. In a couple hours, she finished them up. All that there is to keep her company is the black and white static of the TV. 

Slowly, the half demon stands, shutting off the TV. The room is cast in a thick darkness. Concealed, she allows for her demon form to take hold. Her patterns and eyes glow softly in the blanket of black. Mira and Zoey remain sound asleep—blissfully unaware of the threat they have allowed into their lives. 

If she really wanted to, Rumi could kill them right here and now. She has the perfect opportunity right at her sharp finger tips. If Mira and Zoey are no longer around, the search for hunters will resume once more. After so many years without proper strengthening, how much longer can the honmoon last with only one tired hunter? With one swipe of her claws or suck of their souls, it can all be over. 

Nails over near their throats.

Wouldn't Gwi-Ma be happy with that?

A pang from her stomach stops her in her tracks. Her foot shifts, kicking a forgotten tape under the couch, clearing her mind. 

No. She must follow orders. 

Rumi reverts back to her human self, the darkness not fully engulfing the room. Zoey begins to snore while Mira shifts positions in her sleep. A curse leaves the half demon's lips. With nothing else to do, she sulks back into her room, readying herself for the long road ahead.

Chapter Text

Rumi yawns, her body longing for the soft embraces of the mattress. She cannot recall the last time she slept that well, if ever. If she had known this was part of the mission sooner, she would have asked Gwi-Ma herself to do it. Though, she can do without waking up before the sun. Looking to her left, Mira is in the same boat. Eyes half lit, shoulder slightly curled, and head far too heavy to keep straight.

To her right, Zoey, meanwhile, barely passes as awake. Her eyelids are cracked open, the lights not on. Jet black hair hangs loose, flowing down her shoulder blades. At one point, Rumi swears the smaller girl is snoring and blowing a snot bubble. She pokes Zoey just under her rib cage. 

“I'm up! I'm up!” Zoey snorts. Though, in a matter of seconds, she's back to snot bubbles. 

Rumi takes a sip of her coffee. Her nose scrunches up, her tongue sticking out of her mouth. The bitterness lingers on her tastebuds. Baby's hottest hot sauce tastes better than this. 

“How do you drink this all the time?” Rumi asks. She rolls the cup between her hands. At least the warmth is comforting. 

“It'll grow on you,” Mira chuckles. “We can add more sugar or creamer. We can try tea also.”

“Tea sounds nice.”

The high pitched creak of the door catches all of their attention—even Zoey snaps awake, her snot bubble popping for good. Celine enters the room. Greying hair is tied back in a ponytail. Heavy, dark bags rest under dim eyes. Her face remains neutral, a smile must be a foreign concept to her. When she spots Rumi, eyes narrow. Sweat beads form on Rumi’s brow. She snaps her eyes away, looking straight ahead. 

“Morning, girls. I hope you slept well,” Celine starts. “Today we will be starting your training. Have any of you had combat experience?”

“Only ever beat people up,” Mira says. “Does that count?”

“I know some taekwondo. Used it mostly to defend myself from bullies,” Zoey replies. 

Rumi pauses for a moment. The demon realm can be a dog eat dog world. Especially when Gwi-Ma is in a bad mood and demands a certain amount of souls. Some demons straight up just hated her guts, especially when Gwi-Ma wanted to keep her alive. Rumi learned early in life how to defend herself.

“Not much,” she lies. “Sometimes my oppa and his friends would gang up on me but that was about it.”

“That’s fine. When I started, I did not know much either. None of us did. You will learn, as did I. It will be a long road, and won’t be easy. There is no turning back, however. Now, follow me.”

Celine does not wait for an answer. She waves for the trio to follow her before walking in the opposite direction. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey exchange looks and shrug before following the older woman. Celine leads them down the hallway and into another room. 

They enter a dojang. Thick, rubber mats cover the ground. Training dummies, wooden weapons, and boxing pads among other things rest nearby. On one of the walls sits a large poster. Celine leads the trio towards it. Up close, Rumi sees three young women printed on the paper. She immediately recognizes one as Celine. A much happier Celine. One woman rings no bells but another makes her pause. 

The woman to Celine’s right is like staring into a reflection. Rumi has to blink, thinking sleeping continues to cloud her vision. Yet, the mirror image remains. Hands find her braid, fingers brushing against her soft, lilac locks. What are the odds both enjoy this hairstyle? Who is she?

“Wow. I guess what they say is true,” Zoey starts. “There are people out there that are your clone.”

“Ya know, I heard in some cultures, meeting your doppelgänger is bad luck,” Mira states. “When do we meet the other two?”

Celine’s face darkens. “They’ve been dead for nearly twenty years. Killed, murdered, by demons.” 

Faces and shoulders fall. Rumi bites her lips. This fact, she has known for many years. Gwi-Ma loved to boast about it. Now, with faces to the fallen, Rumi feels a heavy weight wrap around her heart. 

Why the hell am I thinking about that? It’s good they are gone. 

Don’t forget what your mission is. 

“So the demons are that dangerous, huh?” Mira says. 

“Yes. They are not to be taken lightly.” Celine raises a hand. The honmoon begins to shimmer. It lifts off the ground, looking like a musical staff, before tangling around Celine's digits. She winces, a strained look on her face. In a blink, a long, sharp sword appears, gripped in her palm. With wide eyes on her, Celine slices at the air.

“How did you do that?” Zoey asks. All the sleep from before has completely disappeared. 

“Anyone who can see and interact with the honmoon can summon a weapon. And no, you don’t get to choose,” Celine says. Zoey snaps her jaw shut. “Your weapon is a reflection of your soul. My sword…it revealed my leadership—something for others to follow. Something to protect the people I care for. I used to have another but I lost it when I lost my partners.

“Not only that, but my powers are weakening. It has been for some time. Like my predecessors before me, when the new generation comes of age, the summoning power slowly fades to make way for younger blood. I always thought I would have more time…I do not know how much longer I will have with my sword so your training starts today.”

“So, how do we summon ours?” Rumi asks. 

“Reach out towards the honmoon. Call out to it with your soul. Feel the power build up in your chest and course through your veins. Feel the honmoon against your hands and it’ll come to you. Try.”

The girls nod. Though, Rumi bites her lip. Her soul? Demons lack that very thing. She might not have sold hers like Jinu, but she was born one, wasn’t she? Her heart races. If she can’t summon a weapon, what will that mean for the mission? Looking besides her, Rumi finds Zoey and Mira with their hands out stretched. The honmoon begins to wrap around their fingers, just like before with Celine.

Rumi shuts her eyes. She has to, must, try. 

Please work. Please work!

Rumi imagines herself fighting, not with claws and teeth, but with a brilliant blade. She slices and dices the enemies before her. Her blade blocks attacks well, shielding her from harm. A strange sensation wells up in her chest. A warmth envelopes her heart like a hug. Fingers tingle. A cold, metallic sensation brushes against her palm. Instinctively, she grabs the unknown object. The moment Rumi does, the warmth explodes out of her chest, spreading to every inch of her body. Her heart flutters and her body feels as light as a feather. 

Rumi feels goddamn amazing. 

Snapping open her eyes, she finds a long sword in her hands. The sharp blade glows a brilliant blue and purple. Glowing white lines are etched into it. Despite the look of the sword, it feels no lighter than a piece of paper. This is the first time Rumi has held her weapon, yet it feels like an old and dear friend. 

“Woah!” Rumi breathes. Sparkles form in her eyes. “Amazing! I can’t believe I did that!”

Her attention is drawn towards the other two girls. In Mira’s hands is a gok-do. The polearm is longer than her. She tosses it back and forth, eyes wide. There is a twinkle in her eyes. Zoey, meanwhile, holds several knives in her hands. She lifts them up high, letting the blades shimmer against the pale yellow light. A devilish grin is spread across her face. 

“Good job girls. You learn fast,” Celine states. She momentarily walks away, grabbing the wooden swords by the nearby wall. When she returns, she says, “We will start with these for training, however. I only have swords at the moment, as I did not know what you three would have. Though, it’s wise to get an idea on other weapons.”

Weapons disappear in favor of wooden ones. Rumi grumbles slightly, the new feeling odd against her hands. Celine instructs the girls to fight one-on-one. Zoey eagerly calls dibs on the first fight. Mira and Rumi roll their eyes. After a small back and forth, Rumi decides to sit this one out, letting the taller girl take on Zoey. 

She sits on the ground next to Celine, her wooden sword held loosely against her chest. Mira and Zoey prepare themselves, standing feet apart. Once they agree they are ready, their battle begins. Wood smacks against wood. Both girls have fierce looks on her face, a fire burning in their eyes. Neither is willing to give an inch to the other. 

Rumi watches them closely. How Zoey uses her smaller frame to roll out of the way of attacks. How Mira’s longer reach is an asset, her wooden weapon becoming an extension of her body. Each girl fights like their life depends on it. Neither wants to have the first loss. Zoey attempts to knock Mira off her feet, but the taller girl leaps out of the way each and every time. 

Eventually, an opening appears. Mira spots it as well. Her arm swings to the side, hitting Zoey in the back of the legs. The smaller girl yelps as her balance is thrown off. Her chin connects with the ground and moans fill the air. With a smug expression, Mira slams the tip of her weapon into the mat. 

“That is one point for me!” Mira sings. 

“Screw you,” Zoey snaps. 

Spinning around on her heels, a grin still on her face, Mira turns her attention towards Rumi. “Let’s see if I can make it two for two!”

Rumi scoffs as she stands. “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch!”

Rumi grips the handle of her weapon as she takes her position. Eyes remain locked on Mira, who waits patiently for her next battle. The smug expression has not left her face. In fact, it has only grown. Rumi inhales, readying herself for the fight. 

“You ready to go down?” Rumi asks, pointing her weapon at Mira. 

Mira chortles. “Weren’t you just talking about chickens?”

Their battle begins. Mira moves first. She’s swift on her feet, appearing inches away from the half demon. Rumi gasps. Without thinking, her hands reach up. Her sword takes the blow. Teeth grit together as she holds the taller girl back. Rumi forces her back. Mira recovers quickly, undeterred.

Rumi plants her feet in the ground, ready for round two. Back and forth they go, each refusing to yield. Sweat begins to form on foreheads and palms. Breathes come out ragged. Rumi swears her teeth could shatter with how tight her jaw is. 

“Getting tired yet?” Mira smirks. She can’t hide her own fatigue, however. 

“Tsk. Not in the slightest,” Rumi retorts. 

Rumi refuses to lose this battle. She can’t lose. Her muscles twitch as she summons strength from deep inside of her, a low growl slipping from her lips. Mira is caught off guard as her body begins to curl backwards. Despite her best efforts, her body falters. Mira is forced onto the ground, Rumi pinning her down. The taller girl gasps as swords press against her chest. 

A strangled cry snaps the half demon out of her thoughts. 

“Crap! Sorry!” Rumi apologies. She scrambles off Mira. “I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s alright,” Mira coughs. With Rumi’s help, she sits up. “Damn, who knew you were that strong! Need to make a note to not piss you off. You sure you never did any sort of formal training?”

“No,” Rumi rubs the back of her neck. “Though, I guess that means I am tied with you now.”

“My turn! I need to get a point!” Zoey shouts. 

They spar back and forth, each hoping to take the crown. After an hour of beating the crap out of each other, Rumi comes out on top. She grins from ear to ear, soaking it in. “So do I get a crown or what? I think I know the perfect spot in my room for it.”

This earns her a swift hit to the knee caps by a wooden sword. 

“That is enough for now,” Celine starts. “We have a lot of work ahead of us. Do not forget, not only are we hunters, but idols as well. Rest and then it is time to prepare for idol hood.”

Days pass. Celine works them to the bone. Most of their waking hours are spent either in the training room, beating each other with non-lethal weapons, or on a small stage, learning to move together as one. When night rolls around, everyone is exhausted. All three girls practically collapse into their beds, sleeping until the sun begins to peak above the horizon. Rinse and repeat. 

Eventually, there is change. When the honmoon pluses a pink color, Celine takes them out into the city. After about a half hour of walking, the four end up in a back alley. After turning several corners, they are eventually met with a group of demons. Mira and Zoey immediately stop in their tracks, eyes wide. 

“Woah! Those are demons?” Zoey’s eyes widen and sparkle. 

“Thought they would be a little more creepy,” Mira says. 

Rumi forces herself to look shocked. “So what do we do?

Celine shoves all three forward. “Show me how much you three have learned these past few days.”

“What?!?” All three say together. 

“Yes. Go on.”

There is little room for argument. The demons charge forward, bloodlust in their eyes. All three girls summon their weapons, readying for the fight ahead. The demons have their focus on Mira and Zoey. A few leap towards Rumi. The half-demon slices at the closest one to her. The moment her sword hits the demon, they disappear into a red mist. This stuns her and the other demons. 

“You damn bastard,” one of them growls. They jump at her, claws ready to tear out her throat. Rumi quickly swipes at them, cutting down in an instant. It doesn’t take long before she finishes off her set of demons. 

Turning her attention back towards Mira and Zoey, she finds them struggling against their own foes. Mira struggles to keep several back with her weapon. Zoey attempts to keep her distance from the demons, fumbling with her blades. Rumi notices one perched on a fire escape, eyes locked onto the two humans below. 

“Zoey! Above you!” Rumi shouts. 

The smaller girl snaps her head up, spotting the demon. She doesn’t miss a beat, throwing a blade upward. The demon has no time to react before disappearing. 

Without missing another beat, Rumi throws her sword towards a couple demons. The blades slice through them. Mira sighs in relief as the pressure disappears. Rumi races to their sides, warning them about another attack. The moment her fingers grab the metal handle, Rumi gets to work defeating the demons. Mira and Zoey aid her from behind. In only a few minutes, their job is done. 

“Good work, girls!” Celine says, clasping her hands together. 

The three, all out of breath, look at her.

“Are you guys okay?” Rumi asks. 

“Yeah. Thanks for the save. I had no idea they were up there,” Zoey says. 

“That was some quick thinking,” Mira adds. 

“You really think so?” Rumi feels her face becoming warm. 

Celine walks up to the trio. Eyes land on Rumi. They narrow as they study the half demon. Rumi tenses, wondering what is going on in the older woman’s mind. After several, painfully long seconds, Celine speaks. “They are correct. You showed some great leadership skills. I think you should take up the role of leader.”

The leader? Rumi thinks to herself. Can I really do that?

“Think about it,” Celine says. She signals for the three to follow her back into the city. Mira and Zoey give Rumi a pat on the back (after asking of course). They even agree on what Celine said, making Rumi’s heart skip a beat. Maybe being a leader isn’t a bad idea. 

While they still have an hour of dance practice to do, Celine loosens up for the rest of the day. Late afternoon rolls around, freeing them up. The girls don’t know what to do with their time. It’s decided to return back to their apartment and bake. Zoey is eager to teach Rumi some new skills and try some sweets. They quickly get into the swing of things, Zoey leading the way. 

Rumi is tasked with cracking open eggs. The first time she hits one against the metal bowl, it shatters. Sticky yolk splatters against her hands and teeny shells sprinkle into the batter below. Rumi grumbles as she cleans herself off and picks the shells out of the bowl. Her second attempt isn’t any better. This time, when it hits the metal, barely a dent forms in the fragile egg. 

“Here. Let me help you,” Mira says. “Can I grab your hand?”

“Sure.”

Mira’s long, warm fingers wrap around her wrist. The taller girl suddenly snorts. “Man, I thought I ran cold. Okay, you want to use just enough pressure. Just flick your wrist.”

Mira lifts her hand, guiding Rumi. She forces her wrist forward in one swift movement. The egg in Rumi’s hand cracks. A deep gash spreads half way through, yolk slowly seeping out of the wound. Mira grabs her other wrist, telling Rumi how to insert her thumbs into the opening and pull the shell apart. A golden yolk plops down into the batter, no shells at all. 

Mira hands her a new egg, telling her to try herself. Rumi inhales. The ghost of Mira’s fingers remains on her wrist. The half demon hits it against the bowl. A split appears and two halves are pulled apart, letting the treasure inside fall into the bowl. 

“See? Not that hard! Knew you could do it,” Mira smiles. 

Batter is soon mixed together. Before being carefully dropped onto the pan, Zoey adds nearly half a bag full of chocolate chips. Once the cookies are in the oven, Rumi begins to clean up. She is stopped by Zoey telling her she can pick the spoon clean. The half demon hesitates for a moment, wondering why the smaller girl's eyes are lit like a starry night. She gives in after a moment and takes a taste of the batter. 

Not bad. Better than that coffee. 

The rest of the day is spent gobbling up the cookies. None of the sweets make it into the plastic tupperware that was laid out. As evening turns into night, the three begin on their ‘homework’ Celine assigned them. They must start on creating songs. While their first few performances will use music created by the Sunlight Sisters, their predecessors will not be able to carry them forever. Best to start sooner rather than later. 

It's easier said than done. They spend hours trying to come up with something. Crumbled up papers full of lyrics and musical notes litter the floors. Ideas are thrown out left and right with nothing sticking to the wall. By the time one a.m rolls around, they haven't come close to coming up with a theme. 

“We'll figure something out. I'm sure of it,” Rumi reassures them. 

“I need to just find a flow, then I can write some lyrics down for an idea,” Zoey groans. “But you're right. We probably should start heading in for the night. What time does Celine want to see us?”

“Eight,” Mira answers. “Hoping we can get more than half a day off soon.”

“Wasn't it cool, though? Fighting those demons?!?” Zoey exclaims. “Man, I still have goosebumps from it!” 

“It was pretty sick, not going to lie. Least this time when I beat someone up, I won't get in trouble for it. What about you, Rumi? Did you have fun? You were pretty awesome out there.”

“It was a lot of fun,” Rumi answers. She stretches out her tired bones. “Sucks people won't know what we do to protect them.”

“Being an idol is going to be harder enough with people trying to pry into our lives. Having a secret isn't a terrible idea.."

“Besides, isn't that more exhilarating? Having to sneak around and be careful who sees you,” Zoey says. “One wrong move and bam! Your secret is out? I love that adrenaline rush!”

Rumi bites her lip. “Yeah. That's a lot of fun.”

Ha! That's rich coming from you! 

Rumi grumbles under her breath. 

They clean up a little before heading to bed. Rumi curses up under her sheets, thinking about the comment Zoey made. 

You're fine. They don't suspect a thing. You can do this. 

Rumi falls into a restless sleep.

All three gasp for breath. Water bottles are quickly emptied, no one caring if it's room temperature. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey all are sprawled out on the ground, their bodies aching from the intense dance workout. Celine has left for an hour to talk to someone about booking a venue for their first show. 

“Man,” Zoey groans, “do you really think we are ready for a show in a month?”

“I hope so,” Rumi gasps. “I don’t know how much more I can take. Between this, training, and hunting demons, my body feels like it’s on fire!”

“Tell me about it,” Mira adds.

They remain on the ground, letting their bodies settle. Rumi feels herself beginning to drift off. After all her restless nights, maybe a nap will do her some good. An hour would be plenty of time to recharge her batteries. Eyelids grow heavy and limbs disconnect from her mind. She’s about to let herself sink into the darkness when—

“What the hell is that?” Zoey says. “Does that bird have a hat on its head?”

What?!?

Rumi’s eyes snap open. She flips over onto her stomach so fast, her head spins. When the world stops spinning, her eyes quickly scan the windows. It doesn’t take long before she finds what she is looking for. Perched nearby is a pigeon with a hat on its head. Rumi grinds her teeth together as the bird pecks at the window. 

“I’ve never seen a bird like that before.” Mira says, sitting up on her elbows. “Why does it keep pecking at the window?”

“It’s kind of cute looking, in a weird way, ya know?”

Sussie, what the hell are you doing here?

Sussie continues to peck at the window. After about a minute, they spread out their wings and let out a loud squawk before flying away. Zoey makes a noise of disappointment. 

“Aww. I wanted to get a picture of it.”

“Weird…”

Crap. I have to see what the hell Jinu wants. Damn it, why doesn’t he just get a phone?

“I’ll be right back. I need to use that bathroom,” Rumi states, slowly rising to her feet. 

“Don’t drown while in there,” Zoey jokes. 

Rumi scoffs before leaving the room. She begins heading down the hall. Instead of making a left to the restrooms, she pivots to the right, leaving the building. The moment she is outside, Rumi whistles. In a few seconds, Sussie appears, landing on her shoulder. 

“Where is he?” Rumi sighs. 

Sussie gives her a look. 

“I will turn you into fried chicken if you don’t show me where Jinu is.”

Sussie groans. They fly off, though not before giving Rumi another glare. Sussie guides her to the other end of the parking lot and behind another building. Jinu rests on a wall, petting a sleeping Derpy. When he spots Rumi, he grins from ear to ear. 

“You really do like to keep people waiting, huh,” he says. 

“I don’t really have time for this. And when are you going to upgrade from messenger pigeons? It’s not 1600s anymore.”

Jinu shrugs. “You could always learn to do something other than text. And to answer your question, Gwi-Ma. He wants me to make sure you are doing your job. Are you?”

“I can’t do my job if I am going to be interrupted. If you really want to know, they haven’t suspected anything.”

“Not even the older hunter?”

“Celine? I don’t think so. If she is suspicious, she keeps it to herself. We already have our first gig coming up.”

“Maybe I should see you perform! Hope you learned a thing or two from me.”

“You might not want to get on my bad side anymore. Because I can do this!” Rumi summons her weapon, pointing it right by Jinu’s throat. He leaps back with a yelp, falling over Derpy in the process. The tiger’s glowing eyes open. He looks momentarily at his fallen owner before looking towards Rumi. A soft purr escapes him as he walks towards the half demon. 

“Good to know I am still the favorite,” Rumi says. She scratches Derpy under the chin. His purrs grow louder. 

“I hate you,” Jinu growls, getting to his feet. 

“Love you too. Tell Gwi-Ma everything is still going according to plan. He has nothing to worry about. He doesn’t have to send you to keep tabs.”

“You know that’s not going to happen. I don’t know how often he wants me to do this so get used to it. Can’t get rid of me that easily.”

Rumi rolls her eyes. “Good to know. I need to get back before they start worrying about me. Did you need anything else?”

“No. Try not to mess anything up. I don’t need Gwi-Ma to be on my ass either.”

“Of course. We don’t want poor Jinu to get in trouble. If you really are going to check on me, get a phone.”

“No promises,” Jinu smirks. He disappears into a red mist. Sussie and Derpy follow close behind, leaving the human realm through a glowing blue portal. Alone, Rumi quickly returns to the dance hall. Mira and Zoey sit together, watching videos from one of their phones. 

“Damn. Thought you fell in the toilet. We were about to send out a rescue team,” Mira says. 

“Pft. I’m fine. What are you watching?” Rumi asks, standing behind the two girls. “Turtles?”

“Yeah! They are so cool! They’re my favorite animal!” Zoey states. “Do you have one?”

Rumi clicks her tongue. “Not sure. Bears are kind of cool.”

“Okay, cool. I will find bear videos for you. Sit! Sit!” Zoey pats the ground by her. Rumi hesitates for a moment before settling down beside her.

Rumi adjusts her outfit, ensuring that none of her patterns are showing. She swears that they have inched further down her arm. They always have been around when in her human form, but were they always like this? She shakes the thought from her mind. There are bigger things to worry about then patterns she can easily hide.

It’s the night of their first show. Nothing spectacular, really. Celine has gathered some of her friends from the industry as well as others. They are all here to get an idea of what the three girls can do. If they are able to impress these people, it will help catapult their careers even more. 

Okay, so many it is a bit spectacular. 

Rumi finishes getting dressed. No patterns are visible. She lifts her lips, her canines remain blunt. Nails remain short. Nothing peaks out from her forehead. Every part of her looks human. 

Let’s do this, Rumi. Show them what you can do!

She leaves her private dressing room. Mira and Zoey are waiting in the back room, dressed exactly like Rumi. She quickly realizes they have a panicked look on their faces. 

“What’s wrong?” Rumi asks. 

“We never made a name for our group…” Zoey says. 

“Oh…” 

“Got any ideas?” Mira asks. 

Rumi rocks her heels. What should their group name be? She never thought about that. Celine’s group was the Sunlight Sisters. It has to be something that sticks, something that everyone will remember. After a couple minutes of thought, she snaps her fingers together. 

“What about ‘Huntrix’?” 

“Huntrix?” both girls say in unison. 

Rumi nods. She finds a piece of paper and pen and quickly scribbles down the name. “We are hunters after all, right? Why not make that into our name? It’s not like anyone will ever know what it really means.”

“Hold on! I got an idea!” Zoey snatches the paper and pen away. She quickly scratches out the ‘i’, replacing it with a ‘/’. “What do you think of this? ‘Huntr/x’! It’ll make it pop even more!”

“That looks awesome!” Mira says. “I think I can come up with a couple logo designs.”

“Are you girls having fun?” Celine’s voice suddenly says. 

All three turn their attention towards the door. Celine stands there, her face still dark. “Are you three ready for your first performance?"

“Yes! And we got a group name!” Zoey says gleefully. “Rumi came up with it! Tell her!”

“Huntr/x. What do you think?” Rumi asks. 

“Clever. You are on in ten minutes. I hope you bring your best. Don’t forget. Humanity depends on your voices.”

“Of course!” all three say in unison. 

Celine puts on finishing touches on the girls. Adding makeup, fixing collars, and tucking in loose strains of hair. Rumi's whole body becomes tense as the older woman works on her. Fingers work on her hair. 

“You really like having a braid,” Celine mentions. 

“Always have. It feels perfect to me,” Rumi replies. 

“Mi-yeong always loved braids…”

Rumi can hear the sadness in Celine’s voice. “That was one of your teammates, correct?”

“Yes. She was amazing. She and Poppy would have been great mentors.”

“I would have loved to meet them. All three of us would love to hear stories about them.”

Celine is quiet for a moment. “Maybe one day…”

The ten minutes pass by quickly. With last minute touches, and a wish of good luck, the three girls are thrown onto stage. Rumi feels her heart slamming against her chest. Her sweaty hands fumble to put on her microphone around her ear. Looking back at Mira and Zoey, they must feel the same. Nervous smiles spread across their faces. 

“Ready?” Rumi asks, barely able to hold back a stutter. 

“As I’ll ever be,” Zoey says. 

“Been in the spotlight before but not like this,” Mira states. “Let’s blow them away!”

Curtains open, warm lights blast against the girls, and a still silence fills the room. Blinking, Rumi’s eyes slowly adjust to the bright world. Out in front of her is a small group of people. All eyes are locked on them. Celine sits in the front row. She gives a small nod. With an inhale, Rumi introduces the group to the crowd. Music begins to crackle through the speakers. 

It’s time to get to work. 

At first, Rumi can feel every last nerve in her body lighting up. The ring in her ears nearly downs out the music. She struggles to keep her mind from wandering away from the lyrics she spent hours learning. Yet, after a minute, everything begins to melt away. Her body moves with ease, her brain settles, and words come out of her mouth without a single misstep. While her heart continues to drum against her ribs, it pumps out a warm feeling that spreads throughout her whole body. The brief glimpses she catches of Mira and Zoey reveal they are feeling the same. 

Soon, the song comes to an end. Rumi gasps for air, her body covered in sweat. She gives a bow. As her body returns to attention, people in the crowd lift off their seats. Claps and cheers fill the air, drowning every other sound out. The feeling in her chest grows. She has no word for this feeling. Her body is light, her mind is clear of any dark thoughts, and the smile on her face is so wide, it hurts her cheeks. 

Rumi soaks in every second of it. 

Down below, Celine nods approvingly. Looking behind her, Mira and Zoey are beaming. She can tell the smaller girl is holding back jumping with joy, her hold body is twitching. Even Mira looks like she is about to explode into a pile of confetti. Rumi didn’t know her smile could grow anymore. She swears the corners of her lips are touching her ears. If this is what it means to be an idol, she can get used to it. 

Rumi looks back at the smiling crowd. The claps and cheers have not slowed down in the slightest. For a moment, Rumi forgets about why she was here. She’s here to soak in the applause isn’t she? Here to feel her heart beating like crazy in her chest. She is here to be an idol, isn’t she?

…Isn’t she?

Chapter Text

The weeks go by. After their first showing—and with Celine’s connections—Huntr/x has begun to make a name for themselves. They already are preparing to release their first single. To say the three girls aren’t nervous is an understatement. While they might have made a good first impression to those in the show business, they need to make their mark on the public. Many nights have been spent awake until the sun woke up, trying to come up with the perfect song.

Their demon hunting training has not let up either. Despite starting to strengthen the honmoon, the dark entities come into the human realm at a steady pace. Rumi wonders if Gwi-Ma is getting a little bored and needs some entertainment. At least Jinu hasn’t shown himself lately. Though, she still keeps her eyes peeled for Sussie or even Derpy. As if she doesn’t have enough to worry about. 

When not performing or killing demons, Rumi continues to spend her time with Mira and Zoey, learning what she can about them. Mira was kicked by her parents after years of causing problems. She spent a while by herself, barely scrapping by until she stumbled onto Celine’s auditions. Zoey, meanwhile, is from some place called Burbank. Instead of being kicked out, she ran thousands of miles away to escape fighting parents and strict rules. Like Mira, she had to find her own way until Celine came around. 

Rumi continues her lie. Though how much of a lie is it to say her samchon never let her do things and would punish her for small infractions? When they ask about her parents, she simply says they died in a car crash when she was a toddler. With Jinu, it’s a mix. Her oppa is much older than her and he travels a lot, so she doesn't see him much. At least the two buy it. 

Besides that, the two continue to show Rumi things she has never done or seen before. Getting her to try new foods, showing her TV shows or movies, or getting her into some random hobbies like painting. At one point, when trying to cook by herself, Rumi set the pot of water on fire. Mira and Zoey still have not let her live that down. Though, if Rumi is being honest, she is enjoying all these things. The human realm is much better than the demon one. 

Don’t get used to it. 

These thoughts are definitely something she could live without, even if they are correct. 

One day, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey find themselves in the midst of a heated demon battle. Celine has long since let them fight without her watchful eye. The horde they engage with nearly sucked out the souls of several people. The three girls have been lucky so far. No one has died on their watch. They refuse to let that happen. Mira and Zoey follow Rumi’s lead, hacking away at anything in their path. For the most part, the half demon does not miss a beat. In the short time the three have been together, they have begun to find a flow. Words have begun to lessen, relying only on small cues. Everything is going smoothly. Demons are falling left and right. They are about to slice the last of their foes when…

“Son of a-” Mira shouts. 

Rumi sees the taller girl fly past her. She connects with a light pole, bending it slightly. She gasps as her body hits the sidewalk. Zoey races over towards her, shouts of concern escaping from her lips. Rumi snaps her head around, finding a large, hulking demon trudging to them. A thick club, nearly half the size of Rumi herself, is held tightly in their hands. A twisted smile spreads across their face. 

“Fancy seeing you here,” the demon sneers. “I am going to enjoy beating you up.”

Rumi grips her sword in her head. She takes a risk bearing her fangs at them. The demon only laughs. Smaller ones appear behind them, eyes locked onto the hunters. Rumi does her best to hold them back as Zoey helps Mira recover. Try as she might, she cannot handle them all. One is quick on their feet, suddenly leaping forward at her. Rumi barely has enough time to block. However, it’s too late. Claws avoid her blade and dig into her face. 

Blood splashes against skin, blinding her left eye. Pain spreads across her skull. If her teeth weren’t gritted together, a scream would erupt from Rumi’s throat. Holding back her cry, Rumi slices the demon, killing them. Through her hazy vision, she sees the larger demon moving towards her. 

“Don’t worry,” they say in a whisper. “I’m not going to kill you. Can’t. But I can still rough you up.”

With her head spinning, Rumi barely can lift her sword to defend herself. The club of the demon begins to come downward. Her body tenses. 

Mira’s gok-do parries the club. The demon jerks backwards at the sudden movement backwards. Mira limps into view, holding her side. A fierce fire burns in her russet colored eyes. “I’m not about to let you kill her,” she growls. 

Zoey appears seconds later, blades shining in the sunlight. Several are thrown forward, impaling themselves into the stunned demon. They dissipate into a cloud of red. Zoey swiftly takes care of the remaining demons. By the end, she is out of breath. 

Out of the three, Zoey is the least injured. Besides gasping for air, she only has minor injuries. Groans escape Mira with every breath she takes. Canines bite into her lower lip as she struggles to hide the pain on her face. Her attention turns towards Rumi, whose wound continues to ooze red. 

“Damn, that one got you good,” Zoey says. Hands pat her pockets, hoping for something. When she finds nothing but air and lint, she mumbles a curse before ripping off her sleeve. The next thing Rumi knows, fabric is pressed against her forehead. A hiss escapes from her lips, the pain from before reigniting. 

“Sorry. We have to stop the bleeding. Can you hold it here for a minute?" Zoey asks. 

Rumi nods. She keeps the cloth on her forehead, feeling it soak up her blood. The pain now feels like a hammer has cracked open her skull. On the flip side, the world has stopped spinning. Zoey scurries off to Mira, checking on the wheezing girl. Rumi hears the taller girl mention she thinks she bruised a rib or two. 

“How are you feeling?” Zoey asks Rumi. 

“Been better. I think the bleeding is slowing down.”

She pulls her hand away, the drying blood having some resistance as the cloth is removed. Using the unspoiled side, she wipes her eye clean. Finally she can have depth perception. Looking at Zoey, a frown is on her face. 

“We should go see Celine. That doesn’t look good,” Zoey states. 

No one disagrees. 

Upon reaching the home of their mentor, they find her not around. After a quick call, she says she will be home soon, though they can wait inside. Thankfully, she had given the girls a spare key for emergencies. With her permission, they enter.  

Inside, Zoey continues to clean up Rumi. She pulls out a first aid kit. Digging through it, she finds a large, white bandage. While the flow of blood has slowed considerably, within a few minutes, half the bandage becomes red. 

“You should probably change out of that,” Mira says. 

Looking down, Rumi sees what she means. Several small to medium sized red botches stain her shirt. 

Mira grabs her discarded hoodie and throws it at Rumi. “Switch into this. You’ll be more comfortable in clean clothing.”

Rumi jerks slightly. Over the months they have been together, both Mira and Zoey have changed in front of Rumi. It’s nothing unusual, they all have grown comfortable with each other. The two other girls have even gone to the bathhouse together. Rumi, though, has declined to mimic them. The patterns that refuse to disappear when in her human form keeps her from such things. 

“Thanks. I’ll be right back.” Rumi begins to head towards the bathroom. 

“You know, you don’t have to be so shy,” Zoey says. “I think we have known each other long enough to show some skin to each other. Mira and I have already.”

Rumi rubs the back of her neck. “Sorry. I’m still not really comfortable with that.”

“That's okay,” Zoey says with a soft smile. “Whenever you are ready. Then we can go to the bathhouse together!”

Rumi chuckles softly. “Yeah…Eventually.”

She quickly changes out of her blood stained clothes and into the clean hoodie. The smell of Mira’s earthy perfume floods her nose. Her body relaxes. She makes a mental note to one day ask what the name of the scent is. Rumi quickly checks over her body. She adjusts the hoodie against her torso. Fingers brush against her forehead. The moment they touch the bandage, pain erupts. It feels as if her nerves are being electrocuted. Rumi grits her teeth, waiting for the pain to wash over her. 

Once the splitting pain disappears, she heads back into the living room. Mira has an ice pack pressed against her ribs. Zoey, meanwhile, is checking herself for any injuries she may have missed. It doesn’t take long for Celine to return. The moment she sees the beaten up trio, the neutral expression on her face becomes a frown. 

The three girls quickly explain what happened. Celine does not say much as she listens to the story. All the while, she attends to the wounds. She makes a comment about Rumi’s injuries not needing stitches, she got lucky. And how due to their idol work, they’ll need to put on concealer and do their best to mask their pain.

“Good idea to learn some first aid, such as stitching some wounds. Unfortunately, hospitals aren’t always going to be an option for us. Unless you can make a lie that doesn’t raise eyebrows, we are on our own,” Celine states. 

“Good to know,” Mira grumbles. 

“You must tread carefully.” Celine slowly packs away the first aid kit. “I think it is time I showed you three something. Follow me.”

Rumi, Zoey, and Mira exchange looks before following the older woman. After about a half hour or so, they are guided into a wooded area. Several more minutes pass before coming to an opening. Sitting in the middle is a large tree, colorful ribbons hanging down from the branches. Behind it, sits hundreds of stone slabs. It doesn’t take long for Rumi to realize they are tombstones. 

“What is this place?” Mira asks. 

“Where we honor our fallen,” Celine says. She continues walking, passing the tree. “Everyone here once was a hunter. Some have been buried here after a long life. They were the lucky ones. Others were struck down by the demons, giving their lives in order to protect humankind.”

Celine walks up to one marker. Freshly cut forget-me-nots and zinnias sit by the tombstone of Poppy. 

“She was the first to fall,” Celine continues her speech, her voice low as she speaks. A hand gently rubs the stone. “She died only a few months before Mi-yeong. Poppy was trying to protect us from an attack we didn’t see. Mi-yeong and I were arguing. She took a fatal slash without hesitation. Took me many years for me to come to terms with her death. I would be lying if I said I don’t still harbour guilt.”

Rumi feels her heart sink into the pit of her stomach. To die so young and while protecting her friends. What were the last thoughts on her mind when she was killed by the demons? What must have gone through Celine’s head when she saw the life drain from her friend? Rumi chews her lip, tasting a hint of copper. 

Celine takes them to another tombstone. Just like the other one, flowers are laid out in front of it. Roses and carnations. This belongs to Mi-yeong. Rumi feels an invisible, hot knife slicing through her heart. Unseen string tugs at the bleeding organ, pulling her towards the marble. Why does it feel like a noose is wrapping around her neck?

“Mi-yeong died later. She…” Celine hesitates for a moment. “She was ambushed. I was attempting to get to her but I could not get there in time…When I did, it was far too late. In a matter of months, the demons took everything from me. My lights and my reason to keep moving forward…all were gone. For a long time, I was in a dark, dark place. It nearly swallowed me whole. I had to pull myself out, however. Humanity needed me to stay strong. Poppy and Mi-yeong would’ve wanted me to keep living.

“You three got lucky today. But do not forget, luck can and will run out. A hunter’s life is dangerous. I do not wish the burden I bear on any of you. Make sure you are watching each other’s backs. Like a house of cards, you all hold up and support each other. If one of you falls, the whole house collapses.”

“We won't let that happen, right girls?” Zoey says. 

Mira grips Zoey's hand in her own. “Of course.”

Attention is turned towards Rumi. Hands reach towards her. The half demon flinches slightly. 

If one of you falls, the whole house collapses…she repeats in her head. Rumi reaches for their hands, squeezing them tight. “Right. You have nothing to worry about, Celine.”

“You remind me of myself and Poppy and Mi-yeong. I hope you three do not repeat our mistakes.” Celine sighs. 

Rumi swallows a hard lump in her throat. 

They spend the next couple hours here, learning more about other hunters that have passed. For hundreds of years this war against the demons and Gwi-Ma has waged. Celine says how she had hoped her generation would be the ones to seal them away for good. She can only hope Huntr/x can finally end this cycle of death. 

As they explore the area, Rumi finds herself wandering back to the grave of Mi-yeong. The stings from before continue to tug at her—strands become tight around her heart if she goes too far. The knife inside her chest refuses to leave. Hell, it starts to burn. 

Behind her, there is the sound of footsteps. Rumi takes a look over her shoulder. Celine. An eyebrow is raised. 

“It must have been hard,” Rumi starts, “seeing one of your friends die in front of you and finding the other dead.”

“Those memories are forever seared into my mind,” Celine says flatly. “There still are nights where those images haunt me. Their blood on my hands is something I can never wash away.”

Tell me about it, Rumi thinks to herself. Hands clench tightly momentarily. “Do you really think the three of us can seal the honmoon? Other generations couldn't, why do you think we can?”

“I believe in you three. I see a lot of potential. Like I said, you remind me of my past. If I believed we could do it, then I believe you can.”

If only you knew…

The months go by. Huntr/x slowly makes their way through the charts. As their popularity begins to take off, the trio begin to get stopped on the streets. The first time a fan recognized Rumi, she nearly leapt straight out of her skin. After calming down, she happily signed the young fan’s notebook. Rumi can still feel how that interaction—how the smile on the fan’s face warmed her heart. 

With their popularity, and more strings pulled by Celine, Huntr/x is invited to the Idol Awards in a few months time. As if their training wasn’t already grueling enough, it now has been turned up several notches. Celine informs them the best time to strengthen the honmoon is at the Idol Awards. They cannot mess it up. 

Their demon hunting remains on a hot streak. The only injuries they receive are minor and no souls are lost. Everyone feels like they are on cloud nine. However, Celine is correct. Luck will eventually run out…

One day, while getting some hot chocolate, the honmoon suddenly pulses. Of all the times it has to call out for help, it has to do it on their one day off of idol work. Hot drinks are sucked down—burning their throats—and pastries are wrapped up and shoved into bags. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey head out into the icy world. It doesn’t take them long to find the demons. 

They lurk around a crowd gathered in a park for a holiday festival. Already off to a bad start. The trio will have to be careful not to be caught at all. They split up, each taking a small section. Rumi circles around to the left, following a small group. The family they follow walk through rows of cut down pine trees. Rumi slices the closest demons to her. As she gets closer, she carefully places her feet. The snow softly crunches beneath her. A couple demons notice and have no time to react before Rumi deals with them

The last few lurk right behind the humans. They remain unaware of the threat to their lives. One demon opens their mouth, ready to take a soul. Rumi thinks quickly. She notices a haphazardly placed tree on the stands. With a push, it comes crashing down against the demons. The family leaps into the air. 

“Sorry about that!” Rumi sheepishly says. “I got it, don’t worry!”

The family turns a corner, disappearing from view. The moment she is in the clear, Rumi finishes her job. With her batch of demons finished off, she races off to find her friends. In no time at all, Rumi locates them. Zoey signals for her to come over towards a makeshift maze. 

“I saw a bunch of demons head into here. There’s a large group of people in there too,” she says. 

“We better get moving,” Mira states. 

They scurry through the maze, searching for their prey. The maze twists and turns. Dead ends are met. Frustration grows inside everyone’s chest. It does not help that the demons they do find fiercely fight back. The deeper the three girls go in, the harder the battles become. Scrapes and scratches litter their body as they enter the center of the maze. 

A group of people relax in the middle, resting on benches or playing in the snow. Demons lurk in the thick bushes, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. At first, the girls are able to keep the unaware humans safe. That is until there is a sudden tear in the honmoon. Several demons emerge, sharp fingers wrap around ankles. The next thing any of them know, they are pulled to the ground. 

Rumi kicks off the demons pinning her down. She scrambles to her feet, racing over towards her friends. By the time all three are standing up right, several demons are only feet away from the group of humans. They book it towards their fellow man but are stopped when several demons turn on their heels and ambush them. 

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey struggle to push them off. Between the tiredness that has crept into their bones and the sheer number of demons assaulting them, they are overwhelmed. It’s not until Mira scrambles out from under them do they turn the tides. With all her might, she hits her weapon against the ground. The honmoon pulses blue, blasting away all the demons around her. For a moment, a wave of relief washes over them. A long, hard fought batter is over with. 

“Uh, guys?” Zoey says. 

Rumi and Mira snap their heads around. The people from before have vanished. Their items—backpacks, phones, and toys—lay scattered on the ground. Rumi feels her heart sink in her chest. 

They were too late. 

Zoey collapses onto her knees, tears streaming down from her face. “Please tell me I’m dreaming,” she gasps. “Tell me this isn’t real…”

Mira slowly walks closer. Her face is as white as a ghost. Fingers brush against a bright pick, small backpack. Rumi chews her lip. “Mira?”

Mira slams her gok-do down, the blade piercing the cold, frozen soil with ease. A harsh scream leaves her throat. Nothing is safe from her wrath. Fists hit a nearby tree. Chips of blood stained bark fly off, landing into the soft, white snow below. Curse after curse leaves her lips. 

“Damn! Demons! Fuck! You!” 

Rumi and Zoey exchange worried looks. Zoey’s—still kneeling on the ground—tears have begun to freeze against her cheeks. She momentarily looks down at her legs before turning to gaze back at Rumi. A shake of the head is all Rumi needs. With a gulp, she walks over towards Mira. 

“Mi?” Rumi starts. 

Mira continues to punch the tree, unaware of her friend’s presence. With a hand out stretched, Rumi attempts to reach Mira once more. 

“Mira! Can you hear me?” Fingers hover over her shoulder, “It’s going to be okay.”

The moment she makes contact, it is like touching a volatile bomb. Mira spins so fast, Rumi swears she could break the sound barrier. Tears pour out of red eyes, staining her cheeks.  

“How the hell is it going to be fine?” Mira snaps. “There were kids! Kids lost their souls to those damn demons!” 

“I know that! You don’t think I am not upset?” Rumi retorts. 

The little voice inside of her head begins to laugh. 

Mira suddenly grabs Rumi by the collar of her jacket. Their faces are centimeters apart. Mira’s breath is so hot, her glasses have begun to fog up. 

“I am going to kill every last one of those soul-sucking bastards!” Mira growls. She can’t hide the shake in her voice. “If any of those demons even think about taking a soul, it is game over for them! No ifs, ands, or butts! I will kill them all!”

Rumi feels her stomach twist inside of her.

“Damn it!” Mira shouts. Her body begins to shake. “Damn it, Rumi! Why? …Why?”

Mira’s legs lose their strength. The taller girl collapses into Rumi’s chest, sobbing. Rumi wraps her arms tightly around her friend, as if she is keeping glass from shattering. They fall onto their knees in the snow. Mira continues to cry, clinging to Rumi for dear life. Zoey crawls over to them, her tears now full on rivers. Rumi quickly pulls her into the embrace, holding her tight. 

Zoey and Mira weep, staining Rumi’s clothes. The half demon holds them closer. Her stomach twists tighter. Tighter than all the times she has ever taken a soul. She feels burning bile tickle her throat. The first time she ever took a soul, she cried, not liking the feeling. Jinu told her she would have to get used to it—it’s what life is like as a demon. 

Years later, she now finds herself crying with Mira and Zoey over the preventable loss.

The only thing that keeps the three girls going for several weeks is their idol work. Preparing for the Idol Awards keeps them distracted. Mira remains on a hairpin trigger. Little things set her off. Her headphones catching on the doorknob, someone being too slow when walking on the sidewalk, or even when her food doesn’t microwave properly all cause an outburst. She throws herself into hunter training, reenacting everything that went wrong so it doesn’t happen again. 

Zoey, meanwhile, becomes quiet. Her boundless energy that once was like bright light has dimmed. Her mind is distracted. There are several times Rumi has to shake the smaller girl or snap her fingers in front of her to bring her back into reality. Like Mira, she throws herself into her training. 

Rumi's heart sinks at the sight of the two in despair. She can see a dark cloud hovering over them. It drags them down like heavy chains. Rumi wonders what she can do. Is there anything she can do when the pain that envelopes them is something she has done herself? She feels her own heavy weights wrap around her wrist and ankles. The dark cloud begins to follow her around. 

One day, after being stuck in the house for a couple days, no one wanting to leave, Rumi decides it’s high time to get out. They need some groceries anyway. After scrolling through her phone, she figures it might be good to do a little something else. It does take a while, however, for Rumi to convince Zoey and Mira to crawl out of their beds. When they do, they try to look happy but there is no life behind their smiles. 

“So, where are you taking us?” Zoey asks as they walk through the city. 

“A little surprise,” Rumi chirps. She looks at her phone, checking the map. They should be there in only a couple of minutes. 

“Do either of you have a shopping list of what we need?” Mira asks. “I only have a few things written down. Didn’t have enough brain power to jot everything down.”

“I think I know of a couple things we need. Oh! Here, make a left!” Rumi says. She picks up the pace. Behind her, she hears her friends shout at her, telling her to slow down. Rumi’s heart begins to race in her chest in anticipation. She can’t wait to see their smiles and the light in their eyes again. Another corner. The store should be right here!

“Huh?” Rumi blinks. 

She stares dumbfounded at the sign hanging on the glass door:

Closed for the weekend to see family. Sorry for the inconvenience!

“What the hell?!?” Rumi shouts. “Are you kidding me?!?”

“What’s wrong?” Mira looks at the store. “A restaurant? Never seen this one before.”

“I wanted to treat you guys,” Rumi sighs. “This place had a lot of good reviews. We’ve never been here before so I wanted to give it a try.”

“You wanted to treat us?” Zoey says.

“Yeah. Everyone’s been down after what happened. I wanted to cheer you guys up somehow. Didn’t know they would be closed. Sorry for taking you out for nothing.”

Chuckles begin to escape Mira and Zoey’s throats. Rumi raises an eyebrow as they turn into laughter. She feels her face turn hot, like an erupting volcano is burning inside of her. This must be the first time her core has become a ‘normal’ human temperature. Rumi hates the feeling and wishes to strip off her jacket to cool off. 

“S-Sorry,” Zoey says through tears. Cracking open her eyes, the lights have returned to her earthy irises. “I don’t know why it’s so funny! I r-really don’t mean it!”

“Zoey laughing is m-making me laugh!” Mira adds, her face beet red. “I’m s-sorry! Of course t-this would happen! It’s why it’s-it’s so funny!”

The laughter begins to infect Rumi. She feels the heat in her chest turn into a comfortable warm. The volcano becomes like a crackling fireplace. Instead of burning her, it relaxes her body, melting away all of her worries. Laughter begins to escape her as well as snorts. The second the first one does, she freezes. Eyes are wide like a dear in headlights. Mira and Zoey stare at her, the lights in their eyes growing. 

“I never heard you snort before!” Zoey beams. “That’s so cute!”

The laughter returns, filling the air. For the first time in weeks, the dark clouds part around them, letting the light reach them. Even the grey clouds above part ways, allowing the blue skies and sun to shine once more.

After so long, it is time for the Idol awards. It seems as if it snuck up on them. One moment, they are training and killing demons, the next, they are backstage, putting on make up, and dressing up for the largest crowd yet. Not only will there be a sea of thousands of people only yards away when on stage, most of Korea and a good chunk of the world will be watching from their homes. The pressure is intense, to say the least. 

Rumi wipes her sweaty hands against her pants. He has long since given up on trying to calm her racing heart. Nothing has worked. To keep her mind from spinning out of control, she focuses on the song they have picked out. A year’s worth of work is finally coming to fruition. 

We can do this. We can do this. I can do this!

As the youngest idol group, they are slated to go on last. That so doesn’t add to the pressure. By the time they are on, exhaustion will have begun to creep in through the crowd. People will be itching to see the results and wishing to return to the comfort of their beds. If Huntr/x wants to make their mark, they are going to need to make a hell of a splash. 

“Huntr/x, you are on in ten!” someone says, popping their head into the room. 

Rumi inhales deeply. It does nothing for her. Spinning on her heels, she faces her friends. Zoey is resisting the urge to bite her freshly polished nails, rubbing them against her lips instead. The smaller girl eventually finds a pen and begins to chew on that. It doesn’t take long before the plastic begins to crack and warp. Mira paces back and forth, mumbling something under her breath. Rumi is surprised that her friend hasn’t created a ditch in the flooring. 

“Are you ready for this, girls?” Rumi asks. 

“No. But we have no choice, do we?” Mira replies.

“All those eyes are gonna be on us. The views online are already in the millions!” Zoey states. “How are you holding up, Ru?”

“I feel like someone has lit up all of my nerves. I can’t believe this is really happening. Has any new idol group won their first year?”

Mira shakes her head. “We will be making history if we win. I think the Sunlight Sisters were the runner’s up in their first year.”

“They were,” Zoey confirms. “They came in first the next year.”

“We just need to prove we strengthen the honmoon. We can worry about winning later. Though it would be nice if we came in first place.”

The door opens once more. A new face informs them they should go wait in the wings. All three exchange nervous glances. Rumi leads the way out. Despite all the hustle and bustle, the sound of her heart beat fills her ears. Anyone who tries to speak to her, their words are drowned out. Hands need to be wiped against her pants several times. By the time she and the others reach the wings, it is taking everything in Rumi not to shake like she was in the middle of an earthquake. 

Celine is already there, waiting for them. “Are you three ready?” 

“Do you really want us to answer that?” Zoey replies. 

“I was nervous my first time. You three have done amazing in the time I have known you. Nearly a year has passed. I am proud of all three of you. It is time to show the world what you are made up of, and make Gwi-Ma know fear again.”

The crowd outside erupts into cheers and applause. The host struggles to get his voice to be heard. Rumi has no idea what he is even saying, try as she might. The other idol group exits the stage on the other side. When the noise finally dies down, he begins his introduction. 

“And now for our final group! Under the guidance of former Sunlight Sisters Celine, they have been taking the world by storm! You know them! You love them! Let’s welcome Huntr/x to their first Idol Awards!!!”

“Okay girls, let’s do this!” Rumi states. All three reassure one another with a hand squeeze. There is no time left. As the applause begin to reach a crescendo, Huntr/x race out into the stage. Bright, blinding white lights stare down at them. Rumi’s heart continues to drown out the sounds around her. Thank god she has memorized the script. After the introduction and thanks for the invitation, Huntr/x plays their song. All their hard work over the past year pours out of them. Literal blood and sweat went into this moment. 

As they sing, Rumi sees the honmoon begin to react. The souls of many begin to glow. Rumi has never seen so many at once. Gwi-Ma would be drooling if he could be here. She can’t even imagine how many demons it would take to suck away even a fraction of the souls here. Instead of tasting all the differences in them, Rumi sees how each one contrasts with the next. Different hues, intensities, and shapes all appear, lighting up the honmoon. By the time the song ends, the world around her glows a brilliant blue. 

For a moment, there is silence. Not even crickets can be heard. Rumi feels her heart skip a beat. There is no way in hell they were that bad, right? Just as worry begins to creep her way into her bones, the crowd explodes into cheers. Instead of her heartbeat drowning out the world around her, it’s the shouts of thousands of people. She can’t even hear herself think!

It takes the host several minutes to calm the crowd.

“Guess we have a new fan favorite!” he says. “Bravo! Bravo!”

Instead of being ushered off stage, the rest of the idol groups come back on for the results. The host starts off by saying this year’s show has been amazing and that everyone has done a wonderful job. He makes some small talk as they wait for the results. After several minutes of this, someone comes on stage with three envelopes. One by one, he reads off the winners, starting with third place.

Huntr/x wins neither bronze nor silver. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey all exchange worried and confused looks. After that reaction of the crowd, they didn’t even make it to the top three?

“And this year’s winners are…oh this is a first! Huntr/x!”

Their looks turn into bewilderment and shock. 

We actually did it? We won?!?

“Holy shit! We did it! We did it!” Zoey jumps for joy. 

Suddenly, the smaller girl throws her whole weight onto Rumi. The half demon barely has enough time to brace herself and keep from collapsing into the hard stage. Strong arms wrap around her body and the next thing she knows, Rumi is lifted off the ground by Zoey. She swears her ribs are about to shatter from the vice-like grip. All the oxygen has been forced out of her lungs. 

“We did it!” Zoey squeals. Her body then tenses. Quickly, she releases her trapped friend. Rumi inhales deeply, grateful for the sweet taste of air. “Sorry! I forgot!”

A wave of exhilaration washes over Rumi. Without so much of a warning, her own arms wrap tightly around her friend. Zoey wheezes as her body is crushed from the powerful hug. Rumi spins her around, getting dizzy herself. 

“We did it! I can’t believe it!” Rumi exclaims, tears in her eyes. She sets her friend down before setting her sights on Mira. “Come here!”

“Oh, hell no! I am not getting a hug from either of you two after that! I don’t need my spine snapped in two!” Mira replies. 

It does little to stop the other two. Mira is crushed by their hugs with little protest. 

After getting their award—and taking enough photos to blind Rumi—the three are brought to an after party. Tables are filled with several different, savoury foods. Alcoholic drinks are offered. Rumi notices when Celine is offered one, she politely declines, saying she doesn’t drink anymore. The half demon has never touched any alcohol, but after seeing what it does to others on shows and in real life, she decides against it as well. 

As the night and party go on, Rumi excuses herself outside. She walks around, thinking about everything that has happened over the past year. Coming to the human realm full time, befriending Mira and Zoey, creating huntr/x, training from dawn to dusk, and all the wins and loses. How has this all happened in such a short amount of time? 

Her mission is far from finished. There wasn’t even a hint of gold in tonight’s honmoon. All there was was a sea of blue. 

Rumi sighs, kicking a loose stone. Her head turns upward. The city lights drown the stars, casting the night sky in darkness. Barren and lifeless, just like the demon realm. Behind her, the sounds of the vibrant party can still be heard. She wonders what her friends are up to. Last time she checked, Mira and Zoey were attempting to see who could fit the most desserts in their mouth. 

Ultimately, Rumi remains outside.

She's forgotten how cold the demon realm is. The coldest day she experienced in the human realm—one when even the forecasters greatly urged everyone to stay inside—does not come close to this. After so long living in a bustling city, the silence is deafening. The emptiness of the world doesn't help either. 

Behind her, a soft rumble escapes Derpy's lips. He occasionally headbutts Rumi's palm as they walk closer to Gwi-Ma. She scans the crowd growing around her, searching for Jinu and Sussie. They and Derpy had popped into her room in the dead of night, nearly scaring the hell out of her. After she held back both a scream and a punch to his face, Jinu informed Rumi Gwi-Ma wanted an update. He heard through the grapevine what Huntr/x had achieved that he wanted to hear from the horse’s mouth…by herself. 

After a half minute of looking, she locates him. He stands in the middle of the crowd, his face partially obscured by his gat. Jinu’s glowing yellow eyes follow her carefully, just like everyone else. Sussie rests on his shoulder, nibbling on some treat in their feet. Rumi sighs. At least she’s got Derpy. 

Rumi begins to climb the stairs. Her legs feel as if they are made of lead, each step growing heavier and heavier. By the time she reaches the top, it’s like they weigh more than a ton. Gwi-Ma stares at her watching each and every movement. Eyes turn downward, looking at Derpy. His goofy grin has twisted into a frown. He gives one more push, purring softly. 

“Thanks, buddy,” Rumi whispers, scratching the base of his ear. With what little courage that has built up in her chest, she steps into the middle of the stage. 

“Welcome back,” Gwi-Ma says with a smirk. “How has the past year treated you?”

This better not be a trick question… “I believe well. The hunters do not know I am a demon. They think I am one of their own. That other hunter, Celine, believes we can turn the honmoon gold. After the Idol Awards, all the humans love us.”

“My plan is working perfectly. You are finally being of use. Do not get comfortable, though. One wrong step out of place, one mistake, is all it takes. I do not like wasting my time. You don’t want that to happen, do you?”

Rumi’s eyes flick down, hoping there is no fire circling her. Thankfully, only the stone floor meets her. Slowly, she looks back at the demon king. “No, sir. I will not fail you. The honmoon will begin to turn gold. Once it is within reach, I will betray the hunters. You will be free to eat all the human souls you desire.” And I will finally live in peace. 

“Good. While Jinu will feed me updates, as you know, I expect you to come back every now and again with your own notes. Jinu will let you know when I want one. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“You are dismissed.”

Rumi bows before leaving his sight. Derpy wraps himself around her legs, his purrs growing louder. The half demon rubs the spot between his ears. 

“I know, but I have to go. I miss you when I am up there,” Rumi softly says. Jinu and Sussie appear in front of you. “Those two I could do without.”

Jinu and Sussie roll their eyes. “Try not to take too long doing this. The sooner I can get my memories erased, the better.”

“You already have had them for centuries, you can’t wait a few more years?”

“Four hundred is already enough.”

Rumi scoffs. “Don’t rush perfection. Try not to bother me too much either.”

Rumi gives Derpy a kiss on the forehead. Even Sussie gets one, even if he refuses at first. Jinu…gets a pat on the back and a ‘see you later’. Back in the human realm, Rumi collapses into bed. The lead feeling from before has returned and now spreads throughout every inch of her body. The moment her eyelids close, Rumi slips into sleep. 

A restless one at that. Images flash in her mind, each one blending into the next. The vivid magenta and purple of Gwi-Ma turn into a thick black against her sharp hands. In turn, a cold white appears with hints of pink and blue. No matter how hard she tries, Rumi cannot make head nor tails of what is occurring around her. She searches for any sort of answer to no avail. 

Rumi?

The mocking voice of Gwi-Ma fills her ears. Always reminding her of the fact she never should have been born. 

Rumi?!?

Then there is Jinu. One moment, he is warm and brotherly, guiding her in this hell of a life she has. The next, he is cold and distant, refusing to open up. 

Rumi! 

She hears Mira and Zoey’s voices, worried. They have no idea about any of this. To them, Rumi is another human with a sad and shitty backstory just like them. They think they all have the same goal in mind. 

Rumi! Are you okay in there?!?

Wait…

Rumi’s eyes fly open. The world around her remains dark. What time is it? Blinking away the sleep, she realizes someone is knocking on the door. It takes her another moment to realize the voices seeping through the walls are none other than her friends. 

“Girls?” Rumi mumbles. Slowly, she crawls her heavy body out of bed. Opening the door, she finds Mira and Zoey waiting in the hallway. “What are you two doing?”

“We both heard you screaming,” Mira says. “Are you okay?”

Shit really? “It’s nothing. Just a nightmare. You don’t have to worry. Go back to bed.”

“No offense. You look like crap right now. Are you sure you are okay?”

“You’ve been acting a little odd since the Idol Award party,” Zoey adds. 

“I…Don’t want to talk about it…”

“You don’t have to. Just know we are here for you,” Mira reassures. “Is there anything we can do to help?”

When Rumi shrugs, Zoey snaps her figures together. “How about a mini sleep over? We all stay in your room to make sure you don’t have a nightmare. I think I have a couple sleeping bags in my room.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Rumi says. 

Zoey brushes her off, her attention squarely on Mira. “What do you say, Mi? Want to have a sleep over?”

Mira agrees. All of Rumi’s protests go unheard as the pair bring in their sleeping bags. They are thrown down on the ground and quickly crawled into. Outnumbered, Rumi lies back down on her bed. No more words are exchanged, as sleep is quickly taking a head. 

Mira and Zoey fall asleep first. Snores from the smaller girl fills the air. It drowns out the mumbles from Mira. Despite her tiredness, Rumi remains awake, listening to them. How many years is it going to take to turn the honmoon gold? How long is she going to spend with them? 

Focus on your mission or Gwi-Ma won’t be happy. 

Rumi shifts her body, getting comfortable. An arm hangs off her bed. She shouldn’t be thinking about any of that. She needs to focus on her mission. Turn the honmoon gold, betray the hunters, and set Gwi-Ma free. It’s the only way to make up for her mistake. 

Something warm grabs her hand. Rumi quickly realizes Mira, still in a deep slumber, has reached out towards her. She continues to mumble words only she understands. 

The road ahead of her is a long one. Rumi doesn’t have to worry about the end of her mission right now. That can be years away. Shutting her eyes, she lets herself focus on sleep. Thankfully, she slips into a dreamless yet calm slumber. 

Chapter Text

“Are you still with me?” Jinu asks, giving a shake of the shoulders. 

Rumi blinks, her mind slowly coming back to the present. The rain has begun to pick up. Large, heavy, cold droplets come down in buckets. Clothes become heavy and stick to her skin. Bones soak up the excess, quickly becoming drenched. A shiver runs down Rumi’s spine as her mind registers the world around her. 

Rumi slowly lifts her head up. “Yeah, I’m here.”

“What do you think about Gwi-ma erasing your memories?”

Legs slowly swing in the air. “I don’t know,” is all Rumi says. 

“Think about it. I know my life will be once mine are gone.”

“Good for you,” Rumi huffs. She slowly rises to her feet. The soles of her shoes sink partially into the growing mud around her. Her head turns upward, staring up at the dark night sky. The rain shows no signs of slowing down. “I’m heading back home.”

“Do you have an extra hoodie I can steal?” Jinu tugs at the collar of his soaked jacket. 

“I might have something in my room.”

The pair teleport back into the warm, dry bedroom. Dark patches of water appear as they walk against the fuzzy carpeting. While Jinu snoops around—looking at Rumi's belongings much to her dismay—Rumi searches her closest for a spare jacket. While combing through her closest, her ears perk up at the sound of Jinu gagging. 

“What the hell are you doing out there?” Rumi questions. “Are you touching my perfumes again?!?”

“You have a horrible taste in scents,” Jinu replies. 

“You have a horrible nose,” Rumi retorts with a laugh. 

Fingers grasp an old hoodie in the back of her closest. She pulls off a couple loose, thin strings before giving it a good shake. Crawling out of the closest, Rumi is greeted by the scent of several of her perfumes mixing in the air. Jinu has his hands wrapped around another. The perfume sprays out of the nozzle, adding to the aroma. Jinu’s face scrunches in disgust. 

“Knock it off will you?” Rumi throws the hoodie at Jinu. “Some of those are limited editions. I would like to save them.”

“You’re such a joy-kill,” Jinu snorts. 

He begins to strip, pulling his wet jacket and shirt off his torso. Patterns that could not be suppressed are revealed to the world. Rumi triple checks the door is locked, going as far as pressing her body weight against it. Despite the fact their secret can be blown at any moment, that isn’t what makes her mind race. 

Claw marks from long ago have left deep, jagged, scar tissue against his abdomen. After all these years, they have not faded in the slightest. Rumi’s fingers tingle at the sight. They remain almost as fresh as the day she gave them to him. Eyes squeeze tight and fangs bite into her bottom lip as she fights back the memory. 

How old was she again? Twelve? Thirteen? What was it that pissed Gwi-ma off? She refuses to recall. Rumi has shoved much of that day into the back of her mind, sealing it in a chest with several locks and throwing out the keys for good measure. Yet, over time the case has cracked, letting some memories slip through, ready to pounce on her. One moment, her patterns are burning, the harsh words of Gwi-ma nothing more than static. Then, she is hovering over Jinu, his face looking up at her in shock and horror. 

Black blood oozes freely from his wound, matching the thick liquid against her hands. Rumi remembers struggling to comprehend the scene laid out in front of her. Even now, over a decade later, she grapples with this fact. Rumi back then and now didn’t need to hear what Gwi-ma was sneering. The message was loud and clear.

Step out of line and I will make you regret it!

Pchit-pchit.

Rumi snaps her eyes open. Jinu stands in the middle of the room. In his hands, is her favorite perfume. He studies the glass, rubbing his chin in thought. “This one smells good. I could always use one of these.”

“Get your own!” Rumi snaps, quickly teleporting and snatching it from Jinu’s hands. “Will you get out of my room?”

Jinu scoffs. “Fine. Put me back out in the rain.” He takes a step back. “Thanks for the jacket. We’ll be free soon, think about what I said.”

He disappears into a red mist. With a heavy sight, Rumi sets her perfume back in its rightful place. She strips out of her wet clothes in favor of dry ones. With her mind awake, Rumi decides to see what the others are up to. She hasn’t been gone long…hopefully no one noticed her absence. Unlocking her door, she pops her head out into the hallway. Ears strain to pick up any noise from Mira or Zoey. 

The sounds of the TV slip through the cracks of Zoey's door. After a moment, Rumi realizes she's watching her favorite video game youtubers. Mira's room, she notices, is open. Her own TV plays one of her trashy shows. It takes another second for Rumi's ears to pick up on her friend's footfall coming from the kitchen. 

Entering the kitchen, Rumi finds Mira sitting by the island. A pink mug rolls between her hands. Gold glasses rest on the top of her head while her eyes scan the magazine below her. Mira remains unaware of Rumi's presence. 

“What are you up to?” Rumi asks. 

Mira jerks. The liquid in her cup sloshes against her cup. A bit splashes over the rim, landing on the magazine and counter. She curses. Rumi’s fingers quickly find a towel, wiping up the mess. 

“I swear you need a bell,” Mira grumbles. 

“Sorry. Saw your door open. Thought you were going to bed,” Rumi replies. 

“Can say the same about you. Was having a little trouble getting comfortable. Thought this would help.” She points at her drink. “What about you?”

Rumi leans against the island. “You can say I was having trouble sleeping too. My mind was just…racing…Why couldn’t you get comfortable?”

Mira shrugs. “Guess the Idol Awards are starting to get to me. We still have time but, if we really are able to make the honmoon gold…” Mira pauses for a moment, taking a sip of her warm milk. “What does that mean for us?”

“What do you mean?”

“We will still be idols, sure. I love being an idol, don’t get me wrong. But…I love being a hunter also. I feel like I have more of a purpose being a hunter—like I can finally do some good in the world and channel my anger into something positive. But, once the honmoon is sealed…where does that leave us?”

Rumi’s hands fiddle with the damp towel in her grasp. A loose strand wraps around her index finger as she thinks. She hasn’t thought much of the future. All her thoughts of it have stopped at the moment she gets her wish from Gwi-ma. But what happens afterwards? Does she spend her time alone in the demon or human realm? Would she remain with Jinu who will have part of his memories erased? What would the world look like when ruled by Gwi-ma? And, of course, what would become of Mira and Zoey?

The string wraps tightly around her finger, her skin turning a bright red. In one shift moment, the string snaps off the towel. “I never thought about that,” Rumi finally answers. “It’s going to be weird not fighting demons all the time. I’ve forgotten what it’s like before I became a hunter. We’re going to have a lot more free time. Wonder what we could do with all that.”

“More time for ourselves. Zoey’ll have a lot more time to add to that scrapbook.” Mira stares off into the distance, a soft smile spreads across her face. “I would love to see where Zoey grew up. Get to know her a little more. She keeps raving about In-N-Out Burger and how we have to try it when we are in California and have time. Ever notice how her eyes sparkle whenever she talks about it?”

Rumi chuckles. “I have. It must be amazing for her to keep talking about it.”

“What about you? I know you said you moved around a lot. There had to be some places you liked.”

“Not really…We’ve never stayed long enough for me to make any connections. I gave up after a while. Huntr/x, this penthouse, is the longest I have stayed in one place. I have a lot more memories here than anywhere else.”

Rumi shuts her eyes, thinking about her life here. She has travelled the world, seen so many places and met thousands of people. She’ll stay in one city for a day or two before heading onto the next gig. Always on the move for a good chunk of the year drains her of energy and patience. Yet, here, she always has a place to land and unwind. The couch recharges are batteries and the people here ease her mind. 

“What about you?” Rumi asks, reopening her eyes. She keeps them locked onto Mira. Her friend twirls strands of pink hair around her index finger. With her glasses continuing to rest on her head, Rumi has a better view of Mira’s russet eyes. They are soft and she swears in the yellow lights of the kitchen, they are sparkling. She cannot pull her gaze away from Mira. 

“I am in the same boat, sort of. Going back to my hometown, it’ll only bring back bad memories.” A frown forms on her face, her eyes darkening. “Don’t think I would be welcomed back anyway. Here is where I belong, with you and Zoey. And I know Zo feels the same as well.”

“Been having late night talks with her too?”

“You can say that…”

Rumi’s eyebrows lift upon noticing a tint of red spreading across Mira’s face. 

“We’ve actually been talking a lot lately. Zoey’s always up late and sometimes I can’t sleep. You always are in bed whenever we have the talks.”

“Oh…What have you guys been talking about, if you don’t mind me asking. Anything about me?” Rumi says with a smirk. She doesn’t think much of it until she sees Mira’s eyes dart away. Rumi’s face becomes hot. 

“S-Sometimes. Nothing bad, I promise…We actually were wondering if…”

Mira bites her lower lip, eyes still staring at the ground. The back of her neck has become raw with how hard she has rubbed it. Mira struggles to form words. Rumi spots beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Before Rumi can ask Mira what’s wrong, she clears her throat. 

“Actually, it’s stupid. Forget it.”

“What do you mean? What were you two talking about?”

Mira’s body tenses, her fingers digging into her mug. Rumi swears she sees thin cracks forming against the ceramic. “It’s nothing.”

“Mi…”

“I said it was nothing, Rumi!” Mira hisses. 

Rumi jerks, the back of her legs smacking against the stool. She nearly topples over it. Hands grab the edge of the counter, preventing her from a hard fall. Mira quickly realizes her mistake. 

“Shit! Sorry! I didn’t mean to yell!”

“Sorry for asking,” Rumi huffs, steadying herself out. “Didn’t know it was that sensitive of a topic…”

Mira pinches the bridge of her nose. She inhales deeply, letting her tense body unwind. “If you really want to know, we wanted to know if you wanted to go to that new amusement park that opened up. After the Idol Awards of course. Zoey was really keen on going…on a certain ride.”

Rumi has heard about the amusement park. Online, all the chat has been several rides. The new roller coaster that goes at break neck speed, the interactive ride that has holograms that appear centimeters from your face, and the tunnel of love that is the longest in all of Korea. 

Does Zoey want to go on the roller coaster? 

“That’s it?” Rumi replies. “That sounds fun. After the Idol Awards though…”

“Is that a problem?”

“No, no! I…” Shit, think of something. 

Mira’s eyes finally meet Rumi’s. She swears there is a tinge of pain in them. Eyebrows knit tight and her face falls. “Told you it was stupid…”

“No, it’s not. I just…wasn’t expecting to do something so soon after the awards. Why not before?”

“Do you want demons to ruin it? If we go after we seal the honmoon, then we can enjoy it without worry.”

“Right…”

A silence falls over them. Hands find the towel once more, pulling at the loose strings. This invisible knife is making a home in her heart. 

Mira finishes her drink before breaking the silence. “Are you okay? You seem a little off. Especially after the fight the other night.”

“Just tired.” Rumi rubs an eye. “I think I am going to go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Yeah…” Mira sighs. Are those tears in her eyes? Her face turns away before Rumi can get a good look. “See ya in the morning.”

 Rumi returns to her room, flopping down on her bed. It creaks under her heavy weight. The events of the day have finally caught up with her, sapping her remaining energy. Resting beside her is the scrapbook. It waits patiently for Rumi to reopen it and explore its contents. Hands reach for the book, fingers carefully curling around the loose binding. The book is moved from the comfort of the bed and onto the cold top of her nightstand. 

Rumi crawls under her covers, every inch of herself hidden under the sheets. Concealed from the world, her patterns begin to glow, her clothes doing little to stop the purple light. With a heavy sigh, Rumi slips into a restless slumber.

Rumi struggles to keep her head up. She must’ve gotten only a couple hours of sleep, if that. How long did it take for her patterns to cease glowing? When she finally slipped into slumber, it only was for brief snippets. Either she would open her eyes and find time barely has moved forward, or be jolted awake by visions she cannot recall. 

Shaking her head does little to loosen the grip sleep has on her. Even as she sips down on her second cup of coffee, Rumi’s brain cannot fully wake up. Flicking her eyes up, she finds sleep is gripping her friends. Zoey rubs her eyes while a loud yawn escapes from her. Lose, dark hair sticks out every which way. When she notices Rumi staring at her, she gives a small and soft smile. 

Mira, meanwhile, looks like she hasn’t slept at all. Like Zoey, her hair is a mess. She picks at the food below her, eyes staring off into the distance. Mira barely registers the other two passing her by as they go about their morning activities. 

Rumi exchanges a look with Zoey. She gives a shrug. Though, the smile from before has faded away.

Taking a final swing of her coffee, Rumi rises to her feet. She takes several steps towards Mira. A hand reaches forward, gently touching her back. Mira jerks. Eyes become wide as she spins her head around. Slowly, registration comes back into her iris. She blinks before speaking. 

“Ru?”

“You were spacing out. You okay?”

“I’m fine. Just lost in thought,” Mira replies. She begins to hug herself.  “Uh, sorry about last night. I didn’t mean to yell at you. Especially over something as silly as that. If you don't want to go then I shouldn’t’ve gotten mad.”

“No, I do want to go! I just-” Rumi retorts. Her brain races for some—any—sort of excuse. What on earth could work? She can’t just come out and say ‘I can’t because the honmoon will be torn apart by then’! If Rumi doesn’t think of anything fast, she is screwed. 

Words fumble out of her mouth before her brain can process them. 

“I’ve never been to one before!”

Mira and Zoey blink. The former tilts her head as she speaks. “Is that it?”

“Y-Yeah! They seem like fun but…overwhelming?” Sound more convincing, damn it! “Those roller coasters seem super scary. Is that huge one the one you want to go on, Zoey? Seems intimidating.”

Zoey jolts. Eyes dart away as she scratches the side of her face. “Yeah, that’s the one. Ya know me! Need to get that thrill in.”

“You don’t have to go on it. You can always wait or go on another while Zoey and I ride it,” Mira adds. Her eyebrows are furrowed and eyes squint as she stares at her. “It’s not that big of a deal, I am sure there are rides you will like.”

“We’re still planning on going after the Idol Awards. Are you still unsure?” Zoey asks, eyes still looking away. “Why?”

Rumi chews her lip. “Kind of…I figured we'll get busy. There usually is a lot going on after the Idol Awards, especially if we win again. Interviews, more endorsements, prepping for our next tour…Going during our break makes more sense, doesn't? A-And we can deal with demons if they appear, like we always do! And m-maybe they won’t attack. You never know!”

Mira and Zoey exchange looks. They don’t seem convinced. 

“Think about it! I know we also will have to start preparing for the Idol Awards but why not go beforehand?”

“I guess we can think about it,” Zoey finally says. “See how our schedules play out? What do you say, Mira?”

Mira sighs. “I’m outnumbered. If we figure out when to go, sure. Hopefully there isn't a long line for your ride.” Her eyes dart towards Zoey. 

“Hopefully,” Zoey nervously laughs, her face reddening. “I’m going to get dressed!” With that, she disappears.

“I’m going to get dressed too.” Mira scurries away, leaving Rumi alone with her thoughts. 

She groans, rubbing her temples. A headache has begun to grow. 

What is your end game? Trying to make more memories for later? Maybe you should listen to Jinu. Make all these now so you can forget about them later. Or do you want to keep them to remind you what you did? 

Rumi groans. Why did she have to push to go out before the Idol Awards? It won’t matter in the end. The thought makes her heart race and her mind spin. Why must her nerves run so much? Why did that spat with Mira last night hurt so much? 

For better or for worse, Rumi makes another cup of coffee.