Chapter Text
“Hey, you okay?” Jinu glanced behind him to look at Baby. He had his arms crossed, eyes unfocused, stressed look on his face. Jinu tapped a finger on Baby’s knee, one hand still in the steering wheel.
Baby flinched, his fingertips faded into a deep purple, claws immediately protracting out of his will. His eyes grew wide, darting to look at Jinu wildly.
He exhaled, letting out a shaky breath. He retracted his claws before responding, uneasy expression on his face. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine.”
Jinu only nodded. Baby’s response was too guarded, he was definitely holding something back.
Baby stiffened, averting his gaze back to the car window. The flashbacks were getting worse.
The saja boys sat on the backstage steps, watching the whole Huntr/x debacle go down.
“How could we be together if we can’t tell your lies from your truths, Rumi?” Zoey snapped.
“Ouch.” Abby joked, resting his chin on his fist.
Mystery scrunched his nose in confusion. “…aren’t there four hunters?”
“One, two, three…” Romance squinted his eye, counting the people arguing with his fingers. “Oh shit- you’re right.”
Abby nudged Baby’s leg with his elbow. “Hey, your girlfriend is missing.”
Baby—who was dozing off on the side, snapped his eyes open. He felt his cheeks heat up. “Abby, what the fuck are you talking about-“
“Don’t tell me the whole “cutesy” act has gotten to you so bad that you’ve forgotten how to count.”
“Shut up!” Baby whisper-yelled, face turning redder. He leaned over Mystery’s shoulder to look over at the hunters, who were still arguing over Rumi’s patterns. Baby’s breath caught in his throat when he didn’t see you together with your fellow hunters. He wasn’t supposed to care. You were just a puny mortal. You were going to die one day anyways.
But he couldn’t help but care anyways. He pressed a finger to his earpiece to speak to their leader.
“Jinu, what did you do with [Y/N]?” Baby hissed menacingly.
Baby could practically hear Jinu roll his eyes through the earpiece. “Haha. Very funny, Baby.”
“I’m not fucking with you Jinu. Where’s [Y/N].” Baby replied coldly.
Jinu’s tone fell serious, far from the sarcastic one he had mere seconds ago. “What are you talking about? She was there when I led her away from the golden performance, don’t you think she’d be with the other members with Huntr/x now as well, you dodo? Dare I say I’m more afraid of you than I am of Gwi-Ma. Why would I touch your girlfriend?”
“I wouldn’t be saying so if she was! And she’s not my girlfriend, stop calling her that!”
The four boys looked up from their spot on the stairs, the stampede of Rumi’s steps echoing throughout the empty backstage.
Mira lowered her Gok-Do, sniffling softly.
Zoey grabbed her wrist. “Let’s go look for [Y/N]…she did split up with us to look for Bobby.”
They both broke out into a run towards the dimly lit hallways that lead to the dressing rooms.
“So…do we follow?” Mystery questioned.
“[Y/N]’s a friend, right? Common courtesy to check in on her.” Romance got up, dusting himself off.
“More than just a friend to our dear Maknae.” Abby snickered.
“I hate both of you with a burning passion.” Baby grumbled. “Why don’t we just teleport-“
Abby and Romance looked at each other, their laughs spiking into high-pitched giggles as if they were little girls.
They followed the girls, jumping when they heard screaming and hysterical crying.
Mystery picked up the pace. “That was Zoey.”
“What the fuck?…” Baby muttered.
“Oh my god.” Romance grabbed Baby’s shoulder.
They certainly found you alright.
But not in the way they wanted.
It looked like something straight out of a slasher film. You were sat against the wall on the floor, shirt soaked in blood from the slash across your chest. Zoey sobbed as she applied pressure to your wound, screaming at Mira to call for help despite the warm liquid coating her hands.
You placed a bloody hand over hers. “Zoey, I’m fine…” You reassured her, struggling to stay awake.
“I told you not to go alone, we never should’ve split up… shitshitshit-“ Mira cried.
“[Y/N]?” A third voice spoke up. Mira and Zoey snapped their heads towards the sound.
Mira raised her Gok-Do at the Saja Boys. “What the hell are you guys doing here. I swear to god I’ll slice your heads clean off-“ she threatened, her voice wavering slightly.
You grabbed the shaft of Mira’s glaive with shaky hands, eyes unfocusing. “No- no. It’s okay.”
Baby pushed his friends out of the way, darting towards you, falling to the floor. He cradled your face in his hands, brushing his finger against your jaw softly.
“Did you… did you go and fight demons on your own again?” Baby let’s out a huff of exasperation. “I know you’re mad at me for what I said- but you keep putting others before yourself. Are seriously choosing to throw yourself into death itself rather than asking for help right now?”
You smile tugged at the corner of your lip. “Are you seriously lecturing me right now while I’m on the brink of death?”
“S-shut up! You’re not dying, you’re just-“ Baby stuttered, but the next few words that slipped out of your mouth caught him off guard.
“I’m tired, Byeongseok.” You grabbed his hand softly, planting a soft kiss to his palm. “I’m so tired…”
How did you know his- that wasn’t important right now. What’s important right now is keeping you awake. When your eyelids started fluttering softly, he grabbed your shoulder to keep you awake.
“Hey- don’t you dare go to sleep on me.”
“Byeongseok. You said you’d do anything for me, right?”
“Of course.” His mouth moved before his brain could think. He didn’t remember saying he would, but his answer should’ve been yes nonetheless.
“I know this is a stretch but can you-“
“Spit it out before I change my mind.”
No one had ever seen Baby in such a vulnerable state before. Not even once. And they guys had spent over one or two decades with him. But in front of you, he fell apart, breaking down completely.
“Can you- all of you,” You corrected yourself, cocking your head to look at your friends. “-work together to defeat Gwi-Ma? Just this once?”
“[N/N]…”
“I just know it… if you guys just help each other out, all of you will survive. If you guys fight on opposite sides, either one side will end up dying and I can’t guarantee you guys which one will.”
Baby turned to look at all his friends. They all didn’t know what to do.
He changed the topic. “What about you?-“
She grabbed him by the jaw, whispering in his ear. “You’ve found me in every lifetime. I think you’ll do fine in this one without me.”
You rested your forehead against his shoulder, your grip on his jaw loosening. Your greatest fear was being left alone. It was either abandon or be abandoned in your world.
“[Y/N]? [Y/N]!”
The sound of everyone’s voices screaming at you to stay awake didn’t help.
What was the difference being under Gwi-Ma’s control and now? The memories were just as bad. Except this time, they weren’t being controlled by someone that used them as torture.
They never would admit it, but your friends missed you more than they should’ve.
Mira couldn’t even go anywhere without her headphones anymore. She told them that every time she took them off, the only thing she’d hear would be Zoey’s wailing from when they found you. She hasn’t picked up her Gok-Do since the final battle. She still feels the weight of your hand grabbing the shaft, making it heavier every single time. Romance and Abby do their best to comfort her. She’s doing better now, at least that’s what she tells everyone.
Zoey couldn’t be away from Mira, Rumi or Mystery. The moment they’re away for too long, she would burst into tears. The sweat on her palms would feel like your blood. She felt alone again. It reminded her too much of how they were able to save the world, but not you. Although the others reassured her that you would’ve forgiven her, even though the entire situation wasn’t her fault, she still couldn’t listen to her own songs the same way ever again. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see the light leaving yours.
Rumi took your loss the hardest. Despite not being there to see you pass, the guilt consumed her. She knew if you were here with her you’d tell her to be happy in your own skin, but she can’t help but think if she was never born half-demon, Jinu couldn’t have used that against her during the idol awards. She never blamed Jinu of course. She just wishes… she could’ve told you about her patterns.
Even the Saja Boys had formed friendships with you behind the scenes. For some odd reason, you rarely went to attack them during fights. Even if you did, they could feel you holding back on them. The way you moved… seemed familiar to them, something that reminded them of when they were humans.
Baby didn’t understand what you said to him. What did you mean by he had found you in every lifetime? He had been alive for quite a long time, but he had no memory of you before that day in the alley. There was no way you’d remember something he’d forget.
He would just have to move on. It had been two years after all.
But moving on isn’t as easy as it seems.
…
“This place is so fucking big!” Abby screamed. “It’s bigger than our house.”
“You’re telling me.” Baby dragged Abby to the second level of the villa.
“We have Bobby to thank.” Jinu chuckled, walking up to Rumi.
“We sure do.” Rumi smiled.
They stood there in- you wouldn’t call it silence, when there were a bunch of manchildren running around the place like a bunch of lunatics. It was still comforting.
“I wish she was here.” Rumi said quietly.
Jinu didn’t answer, he just looked away, out of character for him.
Rumi noticed immediately. “Are you hiding something, Jinu?”
“N-no! Why would I hide anything from you?” Jinu stuttered, laughing nervously.
Rumi nodded, narrowing her eyes at her boyfriend. “Okay. Sure.”
“I’m gonna go look for Romance.” He let go of her hand, moving to open the sliding door. Before he could, Romance came stumbling in with a crash and a bang.
“Holy shit!-“ Jinu cursed, as Romance fell into his arms. Jinu sniffed him, Romance reeking of Alcohol. “Are you drunk already? We’ve been here for an hour.”
“Romance is drunk?” Baby snickered, sitting at the top of the stairs.
“I’m gonna record this for-“ Abby paused. “Nevermind.”
“I think I may have had one too many margaritas-“ Romance let out a loud hiccup, sounding like a squeaky toy. “but I’m pretty sure I just saw [N/N].”
Baby blew hair out of his face. If you were here you would’ve helped him cut his hair. “[N/N]? As in [Y/N]? Oh you’re definitely drunk.”
Mystery sighed. “He probably saw someone with the same hair colour again.”
Mira raised a brow. “Again? When did he start drinking again?”
“Three months ago?” Baby shrugged. “He said he felt as if he was at his lowest again. Says it helps him forget.”
Jinu walked over to the glass doors, looking out at the bar where Romance was. Jinu froze.
“Jinu, you okay?” Zoey queried.
“I don’t think he was joking.” Jinu said, eyes widening.
Baby immediately shot up from the top step. He rushed to the glass door so fast, he almost crashed into it like a pigeon flying into a window. His face immediately fell.
His eyes immediately landed on what was supposedly you. [H/C] hair, [E/C] eyes, you even had the exact same charming smile. He felt like he was meeting you for the first time again.
Like he was falling for you all over again. Hard.
You were there.
In the flesh.
Alive.