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Chapter Text

Jinu had been off . 

There was no one specific thing that tipped Mystery off because Jinu seemed perfectly normal when he was with the boys. A little too perfect and too normal. He smiled the same but didn’t seem to be looking at anything specific at the end of each interaction. He wasn’t tense nor distracted. And yet, there seemed to be an odd kind of flicker to him like invisible winds causing a flame to dance for a split second. Not enough to affect the flame but just enough for Mystery to notice. 

Mystery was not like Baby or the other boys. He did not consider himself quick-witted or very smart. But he was aware and he was observant. He watched everything from the striking to the mundane and committed every detail to memory.  The moment something shifted or changed, he knew first. A survival mechanism he had developed since before he could remember. If it was enough for him to notice, it was worth investigating. 

And he sure took notice when Jinu tried sneaking out. 

It had been right after the bathhouse incident. Jinu had ordered the boys to run but he had stayed behind and gotten into a scuffle with one of the hunters. He eventually rejoined the group but his shirt had been torn on one side and Romance had huffed about the quality of the fabric.  Nobody else seemed to notice the claw-like indents along the tear of the shirt. Mystery noticed. 

He tore it himself, he thought curiously. The edge of the cotton blend of his shirt was curling inwards along the sharply cut edges. The only way he could see that fold happening was if it was self-inflicted. The question was why ?

And his behavior shifted from normal to a mimicry of it. 

When the group had returned to their little hideout and began drifting off one by one like canaries, Jinu had taken great care to sit by himself in the far corner.  Enough care that he made little to no sound when he pushed himself out of the open window.  None of the sleeping Saja boys stirred. 

Mystery never fell asleep though. His glowing eyes opened in the dark and he melted into the shadows like a nocturnal predator. 

Now where could Jinu be off to? Mystery’s mind began filling with questions about the younger Saja. He knew he could get the answers he wanted.  And unlike Jinu, Mystery had far more experience when it came to remaining unnoticed. 

Even with the moon shining down like a second sun tonight, his features never graced its delicate light. They couldn’t. Everything from his hair to his accessories would shine like beacons if he so much as touched a ray of the moon. Using more than the bare minimum of his magic could cause noticeable ripples around him so no teleporting. Mystery had to rely on his senses and his stealth for this one. 

The more he followed Jinu, the more he knew he was right to do so. The leader of their group was acting more and more suspicious the further he went. Crouching, looking around, even mumbling to himself. 

Eventually, they reached what seemed like the desired location and Jinu looked around. Mystery jumped and hung onto the beam at the underside of the roof’s edge just in time to escape his searching eyes.  His long hair concealed the glow of his amber eyes and his breathing was slow and controlled. From an outside view, he was no less a part of the house than the shingles and tiles. 

Mystery listened. 

Waited. 

Then heard Jinu’s feet approach where he’d planted himself like a tree frog on a window. A blur passed by him suddenly and he watched the other man drop down. 

Jinu stared at the window display filled with traditional attire. Then snapped his fingers and snatched the mannequin from the front. He giggled to himself. 

“This should break the ice”, Jinu hummed to himself and took the mannequin back up top with him. A few snaps and pops came but Mystery couldn’t see what was happening. 

I need a better vantage point , he thought while looking around. Mystery lined his feet with the wall and pushed himself towards the neighbouring building, disappearing around its corner like a spider. The roof was far higher and it gave him plenty of shadows to sink into. 

His focus never left Jinu as he adjusted the hair on what used to be a bald mannequin. Mystery shrunk into himself against the dark background and gripped the beam as he watched.  

“I hope she likes surprises! This would be awkward if she pulled a weapon on you, buddy.” Jinu giggled at the plastic figure and tapped him on the shoulder. To the untrained eye, their silhouettes looked identical, but to Mystery the stiff limbs of Jinu’s plastic double were a dead giveaway.  

Then again, Mystery had to reel in his mind as the absurdity of the situation crept up on him. He had followed Jinu like a stalking tiger at night while his bandmate dressed a mannequin as his double on a random rooftop and spoke to it. 

Maybe the bathhouse had been too much for Jinu. Mayb-

Thunk

The sharp, high-pitched sound of a roof tile shifting its weight against the others. Jinu seemed to hear it too because he quickly jumped off the roof and onto the one nearby. Mystery stared in silent shock as a figure with long braided hair approached the edge of the rooftop. Then threads of light formed a blade seemingly from nothing and illuminated the face of the new arrival. 

A hunter.   

Mystery’s joints flexed while he kept his eyes on her. 

No. The leader of the hunters , he thought as the memory of every poster and billboard came to mind. 

Clearly, the mannequin had been convincing enough because she surged forward and cleaved its head right off. Then Jinu slid back onto the rooftop and began speaking with the hunter.  

The absurdity of the situation was growing by the second as Mystery watched the two of them go back and forth.  Jinu joked and tried to engage her in conversation while she cut through air molecules in pursuit of his neck. 

Clearly, he was interested in speaking to her and clearly she wanted no such thing.  

They dashed and chased each other around, going higher and higher along the roofs. Mystery needed to follow them. He quickly looked around for a better spot, one with enough shadows to conceal him.  When he glanced in the direction the hunter had come from he saw the sparkle of something small. Then he heard a clink and then a breath. 

Another one , he thought.  If this is an ambush, they were doing a terrible job at hiding. Abhorrent, really. How have the hunters stopped demons for centuries when they couldn’t even stay quiet enough to hunt a rabbit? He didn’t move from his spot as he looked out for whoever was about to join their party. 

There, at the edge of the rooftop, two small hands grappled at the roof tiles. There was a small huff before the new guest slid onto the roof and crawled up with the stealth of a crab.  

It was the youngest hunter. She was clearly trying to sneak up on the other two but her stealth required work.  She tiptoed along the spine of the rooftop and looked around carefully.  Mystery could hear the gears turning in her mind as she looked for better vantage points. 

Then her eyes landed right on the spot where he had hidden and she began walking towards it. 

Mystery tensed up and watched her delicate figure inch closer and closer to him by the second.  She clearly hadn’t noticed him yet but he didn’t see any opening to escape before she reached him. 

He couldn’t use magic. He couldn't run. He couldn’t remain hidden with her now barely a few strides from him. He was beginning to panic internally. 

If she sees me, she will scream or attack or both , his mind was racing. If either happens, Jinu and the other hunter will return. And if-

As the storm of anxiety brewed inside him, Mystery began to lose control over his breathing. His lips parted and he let out an almost silent breath. 

Almost silent.

The hunter that was now within reach of him stopped frozen in her tracks, eyes wide and searching the space before her. There was a flicker of recognition, like pray recognizing the evidence of danger around it.  She leaned back and opened her mouth but her words never managed their escape. 

Mystery lunged at her and pulled her into the shadows with him, closing his hand over her lips. Her panic was evident as her small hands flailed wildly against his grip. He spun her so her back was against him and tried to hold her in place while his mind caught up with what the hell he had just done. 

Why did he grab her? Why was he even trying to hold her? There’s no escaping this now! Can she breathe like this? How is he not dead yet? When-

His own panic was cut short when the glow of her blades emerged from the small hand right next to his face. 

There it is.  

He felt her stance shift like she was preparing to attack. Mystery tightened his hold on her like he was holding a swaddled baby, arms wrapped and secure and maybe a little trembling from the panic. He had to try to reason with her at least. 

“Wait” he whispered close to her ear. 

She froze and her head tilted a little to look at him. 

“I’m here for Jinu”, Mystery continued. It was more than he had spoken in ages but the panic was pulling the words right out of him. He hoped his explanation would be enough to placate her. “You’re following your friend?” 

A little nod from the smaller figure. 

“Please”, he whispered to her, “I just want to know what’s going on.” 

He felt the girl’s chest heave a small sigh. Then, the shine of the blades disappeared. He took it as a good sign and relaxed his hold enough for her to slip out. She quickly turned to him and watched him, drinking in his crouched hidden form. 

“Did you catch him sneaking out and follow him?” she asked quietly. Mystery could only nod. They were both clearly on the same mission to stalk their friends.  Speaking of which, he’d lost sight of both their targets.  

“Why would-hm?!” his fellow pursuer began but he quickly shushed her with his palm. 

“Later” he whispered and pointed one manicured finger towards the roof above them. She understood and they both turned back to their original objectives.  She poked her head around the last roof tile and grabbed his hand. Her touch was firm.

“They’ve moved” she breathed towards him before pulling him along with her. Mystery pushed off the wall and continued moving in the shadows.  A few jumps and they were both hidden within the branches of a tree. It was uncomfortable but it gave them a perfect view of their friends.

Jinu and the hunter were walking in slow circles along the square spine of the rooftop. They argued back and forth about whether demons had feelings. 

“Is that what you think? That's all demons do. Feel. Feel our shame, our misery. It's how Gwi-Ma controls us.” Jinu raised his voice. Mystery felt the little hunter next to him shift. Her eyes looked at him for a few moments before returning to the scene, clearly as confused as her friend on the rooftop. 

Why is he sharing this with her? Mystery wondered. He listened as Jinu recounted the events that led him to becoming a demon. His story was not exact but he was mostly truthful with the lead hunter. What did we miss before this? 

His companion on the branch next to him seemed just as confused. 

“These are a constant reminder of my shame. A shame I can never escape.” Jinu said softly as he looked at the patterns on his arm. He approached the hunter slowly “Yours are a reminder, too. Of a shame of your own.” 

Her WHAT?! Mystery’s mind screamed as his hold on the branch stiffened.  She had patterns. She HAS patterns. The leader of the hunters has patterns. The information spun in his head. If his hand hadn’t been holding the branch Mystery might have toppled over at the news.

Then he heard it. A small wisp of air blew past him and he turned to look at his partner in crime on the other branch.  Clearly the words had been a shock for both of them because her hands had let go of the branch that supported her and grasped her face instead. Mystery immediately connected the dots in his head. 

She didn’t know. his mind whispered. Mystery couldn’t imagine what such a realization would feel like. To find out the leader of your group was the very thing you were trying to fight. And yet, here he was also watching his leader fraternize with the enemy. 

He tried to pay attention to the exchange in front of him but his eyes remained locked on the frozen figure hidden in the tree with him. She was clearly freaking out, eyes swimming with questions and tears. Her shoulders shook and her breathing became increasingly erratic. The soft wisps of air were quickly turning to gasps of panic. 

They’re going to hear her! Mystery thought as he looked back and forth. Jinu and the lead hunter were quietly speaking, leaving too much room for the sounds of distress to reach them. In an act of quiet pleading for her to calm down, Mystery leaned over the branch and used one arm to press her into the trunk of the tree. 

The little hunter stiffed for a moment. Her chest kept rising and falling rapidly as her eyes turned to him.  Mystery’s shoulder pushed a few of his silvery strands aside leaving a sliver of room for her to see one golden iris watching her. He blinked slowly and steadily exhaled a breath. Nodded towards her and repeated the action. 

You need to calm down. he tried to convey silently. Follow my lead.  

She seemed to understand quickly as she too blinked her eyes closed for a moment and released a shaky breath. They watched each other as their breaths evened out. Mystery felt the warmth of her shoulder seep through his fingertips. 

Their attention was drawn back towards the rooftop where the other hunter had screamed in frustration. She jumped off the rooftop and ran back in the direction she came from. Jinu was gone. 

It seems the rendezvous was about as eventful for those two as it had been for Mystery. He’d need some time to make sense of what had happened thus far. 

“Um” he heard a whisper beside him “Are they gone?” 

He turned to nod at his accomplice and released her. She was noticeably more calm now and her eyes looked around for their friends. 

“Shall we?” she asked, allowing her voice to raise above a whisper now. 

She hopped up to stand on the branch and turned towards him with an open hand. He stared at it. Up at her. Then back down at her hand. She waited but he still didn’t take it.

Instead, he folded his legs and pushed off the branch towards the ground. He landed perfectly without a sound. A moment later, he heard the telltale sounds of little steps on tiles as she bounced between corners towards him.  

“Damn, you’re fast. And so quiet!” she exclaimed when she reached him. Her hand reached to adjust the hem of her top and remove a few tree leaves. “We are never hiding in a tree again. I have scratches from branches in places I didn’t even know branches could get.” 

We?  

Mystery tilted his head a little at her words. She said it so casually like they’d been following their friends on a date instead of watching out for a suspicious meeting between enemies. Even now, she didn’t seem bothered to stand next to him at all.  

“Now, why was your demon friend meeting with Rumi? Was this an ambush? I don’t think it was an ambush because you clearly didn’t want to be seen. Or was that because I was here? Did you know he was going to meet her here? How did he even convince her to come here? She’s been so strange since we all fought at the bathhouse. Thanks for nothing by the way, the little stunt you guys pulled might have turned her off bathhouses forever now!”, she kept going and going, asking questions he had no answer to and lowkey answering some questions herself. 

Mystery watched and waited for her to run out of breath but quickly realized that would not happen. He shouldn’t have expected it to really, she was a trained professional. If she could rap for hours on stage, why would she lose her breath now?

“Little hunter-” he began but was quickly cut off by her laugh. 

“ ‘ Little hunter ’? Oh my God, you-” she huffed a little high pitched sound, looking away for a moment. “It’s Zoey! And you’re Mystery.” she smiled, amused. She knew his name and it made him feel a little odd when he hadn’t remembered hers. He just nodded.

“I only followed Jinu,” he admitted quietly. “I didn’t know why he was here.” 

“So you don’t know anything about how Rumi got here either?” Zoey asked. 

Mystery shook his head. They both seemed to be in the same predicament. 

“Is it true what he said?” Zoey asked after a moment. “About what demons feel. About having been human before. About the patterns.” 

Mystery hesitated. He still didn’t know why Jinu even shared that with a hunter. Either way, he didn’t have the words to explain any of this to Zoey. This whole order was tilting his axis and casually discussing it all with his new hunter companion was pushing the line of strange.

“Not all.” he managed. He was already far past his speaking limit for one day. 

“Were you human before?” Zoey asked and he could hear the curiosity in her voice. 

He turned to face away from her. He didn’t want to continue this conversation when it was inching dangerously close to things he did not want to remember. 

“Your friend has patterns.” he spoke to try and change the subject.  He watched her face twist with concern at his words. The open curiosity on her features scrunched up at the painful reminder. 

“I-I don’t understand how! She would never make a deal with Gwi-Ma! There has to be something we are missing here. If she needed something so bad then why didn’t she come to me and Mira? We always have her back. How did I not notice the patterns? What kind of a friend am I!?” Zoey exclaimed. She put her hands to her face and squatted down. She looked like a turtle trying to hide away in its shell. 

Mystery watched as she ignored whatever danger his presence might have posed to her, keeping her back vulnerable and exposed. Not that he had any intention to hurt her. If anything, he felt sorry for her. 

It wasn’t her fault that her friend had not been honest with her but she still blamed herself. She clearly cared very much. Enough to take the blame for decisions she never had a say in. 

He wasn’t sure what to do but the sad sight of her was making him a little restless. He reached a hand over and brushed a few locks of black hair away from her face. When her eyes looked up to him, he shook his head. 

“You think so?” she sniffled. Mystery wasn’t sure what silent message he had imparted on her but it seemed to work. “You’re right, this isn’t about me. I need to keep it together for Rumi.”  

She stood, rubbed her hands aggressively over her cheeks and huffed a breath. Then turned to him. 

“I need to return before they notice I’m gone. I’ll see you around, Mystery!” she waved and hopped away in the direction Rumi had left. 

Mystery stood there for a moment.  He brought a hand to his forehead and rubbed his palm over it to soothe the ache he felt. His mind was swimming with bits and pieces of new information and none of it fit well together.  He needed time to think. And he needed to return before Jinu got suspicious. 

After all that effort to remain unseen, he couldn’t have his own absence blow his cover. 

Chapter Text

Zoey couldn’t sleep a wink. Her mind was reeling from the new information she had learned. The whole experience really! 

She had followed Rumi out of her own curiosity only to find her meeting a Saja boy in secret. Then Zoey herself got snatched by another Saja boy who was apparently also there to follow his friend. And then, like a band of stalkers, they snuck around to watch their friends bicker.  

Well, we would have heard more if I hadn’t lost my marbles in the middle there! Zoey thought in frustration. She had nearly fallen out of the tree when she learned her bandmate had patterns. 

Rumi has demon patterns. How did she get those? They don’t cover her body, only specific areas maybe? she wondered. I suppose that explains why she never came to the bathhouse with us. Zoey exhaled softly. 

She felt sad that Rumi hadn't told her. Why would Rumi keep something like this from her and Mira? Well, Mira could be a bit difficult but Zoey would never have jumped to conclusions. She always tried to support her girls! 

Laying here now with the knowledge that Rumi had not felt safe enough to trust her with this information, it made Zoey feel useless. She couldn’t do anything to help Rumi when it hadn’t even been Rumi to share this with her. Zoey had found out by following her like a nosey mouse. 

“Oh my God, I stalked my own friend like a criminal!” Zoey quietly screamed to herself, curling further into a ball. She felt so overwhelmed with the information she had and the knowledge of how she obtained it was not helping!

Well, at least she hadn’t been alone in her criminal endeavours.

“Little hunter” she remembered him whispering. Mystery had been there, hiding in the shadows, following the pair just like Zoey. What a fiend! she thought and it made her huff a laugh as she wiped at the tears.

 It was such an odd coincidence. They were so focused on their mission, engrossed in not missing out on their main targets, that the larger implications of their silent truce hadn’t set in. The two of them just banded together without a second thought!  

He’d even comforted her. At least that’s what it seemed like to Zoey. He had helped settle the brewing panic attack when they were hiding in the tree. By breathing with her. Since when were the Saja Boys so well versed in therapy?? 

He helped her feel better when she was beating herself down afterwards too. Had he said much? Not really. Still, she understood the intention. He was a very good listener. A quiet one at least. But it was soothing to have him there when she felt the world collapsing under her feet for a few seconds. 

Zoey held the pillow close to her as she remembered one amber eye staring back at her. The slow blinks between silvery lashes made her heart skip a beat. She felt her skin heat up, making her want to scream. 

He was so nice! Zoey thought. The voices of her friends played in her head that “DEMONS ARE NEVER NICE!”

Yet, Mystery had been nothing but kind to her. Awkward and a little strange but she was all about strange. The queen of strange!

The Saja boy had even pleaded with her when she pulled her shin-kal on him. In her defense, he had scared the living daylights out of her with that snatch manoeuvre. She had barely made out his silhouette when those elegant fingers dragged her into the shadows. She’s surprised she hadn’t died of a heart attack right there. Or stabbed him! 

All in all, it had been a terribly eventful evening. She felt exhausted and overwhelmed all at the same time. She had to be up early to start that new song with the girls. 

A song to take the Saja Boys down. 

The concept was slowly losing its appeal after tonight.

It was even less appealing by morning when she dragged her sleep-deprived self out of bed. All that sneaking around had taken a chunk of her night. All the overthinking she did took another. And before she knew it, she was left with a measly 3 hours to rest before her feet had to hit the ground. 

Come on, Zoey! One foot in front of the other! she encouraged herself, dragging her fluffy slippers along the floor.

When she made it to their common area, it became rather obvious that Mira was the only one that had gotten any sleep that night. Rumi joined them shortly, hair sticking out in all different directions. The leader greeted them with a wave and sat but her eyes kept glazing over as they tried to brainstorm ideas. 

Rumi… Zoey became hyperaware of her older friend, following her every move. She watched her breathe and smile and laugh sleepily. Zoey laid a hand on her back and felt her heartbeat against her palm, soothing to her fingertips. Rumi was warm and she was there. The same as always. Their Rumi. 

Except, their Rumi had patterns now.  

Zoey glanced at the hem and neckline of Rumi’s shirt. Always the perfect length so no excess skin was showing. They had always thought Rumi was just too shy or modest but it seems the truth was a whole lot different.  

What happened to you, Rumi? How long have you been hiding this? Zoey thought sadly while watching Rumi. 

“Zoey?” 

Blinking around, she realized the other two were watching her. 

“You good?” Mira asked with a raised eyebrow. 

“Oh, yeah! Yes! Just tired. Didn’t sleep well from all the…excitement over writing this song!” Zoey tried to sound convincing. She had always been an open book to her loved ones and she was trying her best to stay composed in front of their curious eyes. 

“Really? Because you’ve said almost nothing about the lyrics or music so far.” Mira eyed her more intensely. 

“Are you sure you’re alright, Zoey?” Rumi’s eyes looked her up and down. 

Zoey felt her chest swell with the questions and thoughts that had kept her up all night. The emotions that accompanied them bubbled like bile in her throat and made her feel sick. She wanted to ask Rumi. She wanted to tell Mira. She wanted to cry. She wanted to see Mystery again. And she wanted to scream . 

None of it happened. 

Zoey was too scared, still too rattled by the new information her mind was desperately trying to assimilate. She didn’t want to stir the pot that was already precariously balanced. With all the pressure to win the Idol Awards and seal the Honmoon and banish the Saja Boys and she wasn’t even sure she wante-

“Zoey? Helloooo?” Mira snapped a few fingers in front of her face. 

Zoey rubbed her hands over her face. “I’m sorry, sorry!” She looked up at her best friends. 

She had to try. 

The three brainstormed lyrics and music. Zoey’s usual enthusiasm and gallery of notebooks were mostly absent. Every time she looked at a page, the words sounded cruel rather than justified, making her cringe. Over the course of a few days the girls dragged their feet about each word they put on paper. 

Mira found the beat mid-battle two days into their writing struggle when they had to go seal up a tear in the Honmoon. The song was coming together and it seemed to be working. The words were rhyming, the music was flowing, the beat was there. 

Still, something felt off to Zoey.  She watched as Rumi took what they had written and changed it over and over again. That feeling of ‘wrong’ seemed to be mutual. 

How can we write a song about taking down demons when one of us has patterns? Zoey looked at Rumi, taking in her tired but soft eyes. 

Each verse bounced around her head surrounded by pictures of Rumi. They felt wrong, like she was looking at misspelled words on paper but couldn’t define clearly what letter was incorrect. 

How can I sing these words with Rumi right next to me? Zoey’s mind spiralled further with every word. How can I take down my own friend?! I can’t do it!  

Flashes of Mystery helping her through her panic lit up her mind’s eye. She tried to focus on the memory and even out her breathing. He had helped her and yet here she was writing a song to bash him in front of millions of fans!

I can’t sing this!

Zoey stood abruptly from the couch she’d been hunched over. Her friends looked up at her surprised, quickly turning to worry when they saw the look on her face. 

“Zoey?” Mira and Rumi tentatively approached her.  

“This isn’t the song.” Zoey said. “Something is off.” 

It terrified her to speak her mind after they had spent multiple days on this but the words choked her with every lyric. 

“What? Zoey, we’ve been working on it for days now! We barely have time to write this, not to mention starting from scratch.” Mira countered. 

The habit to give in immediately seized Zoey’s mind, begging her to avoid confrontation with her friend at all cost. She took a breath and pushed down the fear. Her eyes couldn’t meet Mira’s but she kept speaking. 

“But we are basing our entire song on hatred for demons. How is that going to connect with our fans?” Zoey argued back. She hated arguing but she didn’t want this to be their performance. How can I stand to perform this with Rumi in the middle?

Rumi stared at Zoey, then down at the lyrics. 

“What else do we have to fight the Saja Boys?” Mira said, her concern starting to show more as desperation and less as aggression. 

“Little hunter” Zoey blinked away as the glow of gold among a curtain of silver flashed in her mind’s eye again. She didn’t want to fight Mystery and she didn’t want to fight with Mira right now over this. 

“Zoey’s right.” 

Mira and Zoey turned to Rumi, eyes drawn to her now that she had finally spoken. 

“This song will never connect with the fans when it can’t even connect us” Rumi said softly.  

Mira wanted to argue, eyes going back and forth between her friends. It was evident in her posture how much she wanted to fight. Zoey approached her and took her hand gently. 

“I’m scared too,” whispered Zoey, finally meeting Mira’s gaze. “But we have to lead with better.” 

Rumi took Mira’s other hand. “We are strong together. We will succeed.” 

Mira looked conflicted for a moment, staring back at them. She squeezed their hands and pulled them both into a tight hug. She wanted to protect their little family no matter the cost. The possibility of failure terrified her. 

Still, she had felt it too. She had seen the hesitation in her friends when they were  brainstorming lyrics. The usual joy of writing music together had felt more like pulling teeth this time around. 

She knew they were right. 

“Alright. Still, we need a plan for the Idol Awards.” she agreed softly, letting the other two go. 

They settled on practicing and perfecting their number for Golden. Rumi’s voice was still on the fritz but they still had plenty of time before the awards to rest and prepare. Good thing they didn’t waste more time on a song neither of them really connected to. 

After settling on the new plan, the three of them decided to grab a bite together. Mira stopped Zoey on the way out, pulling her aside. 

“You did good to say something, Zoey.” the older hunter said in a casual tone. If she were anyone else Zoey would have taken it at face value but her Mira-trained ears immediately picked up on the softness and gratitude underneath. 

I did good . Zoey’s face lit up with a smile and she felt pride fill her chest. I suppose speaking up doesn’t have to be so scary. Zoey hugged Mira’s arm tightly and the two went to join Rumi at the door. 

Later that night, Zoey stood on the edge of her balcony, legs dangling over the railing. The breeze ruffled her soft turtle pyjamas and combed through her loose braids. Her mind was still swimming with questions but her heart felt lighter.  

“That’s one issue off my chest. 99 more to go!” she sighed to herself.  

As the lights twinkled along the cityscape, a little flash of blue caught her eye. And alongside it was a figure with long purple hair in a braid, running .

Zoey stared. Blinked a couple of times. Then nearly fell off the balcony in a rush to follow.  

Here we go again.

Chapter Text

Here he goes again. Mystery thought while sneaking between shadows. 

Unlike the last meeting, this time the hunter seemed to be meeting with Jinu willingly. Why she would do such a thing was beyond Mystery and why Jinu would keep initiating contact with their supposed enemy puzzled him even further.  

They met up along the edge of a park, the waning moon no longer illuminating them as brightly.  The large rocks along the terrain provided excellent cover for Mystery to hide, casting long shadows like oil spills along the slopes. 

Just as he settled in to listen, his mind was quickly distracted by the minuscule sounds of pebbles rolling further down the ledge.  

Surely it wouldn’t be…

He raised his head along the edge of the rock to glance down where he spotted her. 

The little hunter.  

“It’s Zoey” her voice echoed in his mind. 

It was her alright. 

And she was trying to move up as stealthily as possible while still wearing what looked to be turtle pyjamas. Mystery stared at her sad attempts to crawl up along the rocks. Her hand slipped and another pebble started rolling down.  

Like a baby deer learning to walk. Mystery thought, slightly amused but still cautious to not be seen.  

He looked back at Jinu and his date. They were absorbed in conversation about demons and the Honmoon, bickering like children on the school playground. Now was his chance.

Mystery hopped to the rock below him, obscured by shadow, and crouched at the base of a large spirea bush that had recently bloomed. He assured himself that aiding her now was just the best way to keep himself hidden too. Otherwise, the drama of her discovery would take away whatever opportunity he had to listen in. 

Yeah, that was it! Plus, she hadn’t attacked him last time and the two seemed to reach a tentative truce. Like two criminals nodding at each other during a matching heist. A metaphorical tip of a hat. 

Zoey had yet to notice him as she continued her less-than-elegant climb. She was totally absorbed in her mission to reach closer to where she heard Rumi speaking. Too absorbed to notice the soft glisten of lavender hair getting closer. 

Mystery picked up a pea-sized pebble and flicked it with his fingers towards the ascending girl in hopes to get her attention as quietly as possible.  It whacked Zoey square in the forehead, leaving her stunned and frozen. 

What the f- she looked up in confusion as her hand came up to rub the spot.

She finally saw him, all hidden away like a bat in a crawlspace. He had taken care to make himself just visible enough to her.  Not visible enough without the help of a rock though!

Zoey watched as Mystery wrapped one arm along a bundle of the spirea bush’s flexible branches, using them as anchoring, before extending his other hand towards her.  

Zoey felt her chest tighten a little. Is he.. helping me up?  

She looked at his hand and then gazed back up at him. He tipped his head to the side in a nod and wiggled his fingers towards her.  It might have just been the most adorable thing Zoey had ever seen him do. Her poor heart was already picking up speed. 

With her face rapidly heating up,  she reached up and took his hand before she could think too hard about it.  Immediately, she was hoisted up as he pulled her close and slid them deeper into the shadows. 

“You haven’t even told your friends you have patterns!” Jinu’s voice rose. 

“That’s none of your business!” Rumi hissed back at him. 

The distinct sound of a weapon hitting rock came from behind them. Zoey looked at Mystery as he sighed quietly. Negotiations had broken down faster than he thought. How it took Jinu less time to anger a woman than it took Mystery to pull one up a rock was beyond him. 

Good thing our success as a group doesn't rely on Jinu’s speaking skills. He’s hopeless. Mystery thought to himself. 

However, he was pulled from his thoughts by Zoey. She was rolling up the pant legs of her turtle pyjamas up above her knees in a hurry,  like she was preparing for a race. 

Mystery’s gaze was momentarily drawn in by the motion. He felt his eyes linger on the slope of each muscle along her legs. Her hands were small, leading up to lean but strong shoulders. The two braids that usually rounded into buns on either side of her head now rested loose over her shoulders. Her eyes held a glint of determination as she finished rolling up the pyjamas. What was she doing? 

What was he doing watching her?!

Then, he heard it too.  The footsteps running along the rocks had swerved in their general direction and were approaching them.  And the reality of their situation hit him like a cold mountain spring. 

We can’t stay here.  

Adrenaline shot through him before he had time to feel embarrassed about getting distracted over the actions of his female companion. Later, he’d take all the time he needed to chastise himself over the humiliation of it. Right now, he had to move.

Before he could react, Zoey had already grabbed his hand and was pointing to a specific direction to their right, making several motions he didn’t understand. When she noticed she wasn’t getting through to him,  she put a hand on his shoulder, looked right at his face and took a deep breath. 

She was mimicking what he had done to calm her down in the tree last time. 

Trust me. 

He understood. Nodding back, Mystery held her hand tighter. 

Zoey broke eye contact to grab a rock around the same size as her small palm. Without a moment of hesitation, she threw the rock in the opposite direction. It hurled through the air and collided with several hard surfaces along its way down, making enough noise to draw attention. 

The bickering quieted and the footsteps of their friends rushed towards the racket. 

Zoey wasted no time to dash in the other direction, pulling Mystery along with her by his hand. With her loose pyjamas rolled up, she was noticeably faster and audibly more quiet. And bare foot?

Before he could process the thought, they turned the corner of a neighbouring boulder and Mystery saw what she had been trying to tell him. The large rock was pressed against another one, leaving a small space between them. It was somewhere between a cave and a crawlspace, just big enough for a person to fit comfortably. 

They were two people though.  How were they going to-

Zoey pushed herself into the small space and pulled him along inside as far as they could go. It was a miracle they fit, limbs intertwining and chests pressed together. 

Like sardines in a can . Zoey thought while trying to adjust as quietly as possible. 

The sharp edges of the rocks were digging into her bare feet but she stayed silent. She’d long abandoned her house slippers in the panicked hurry to follow Rumi. Plus, this wasn’t too different from getting shoved in a school locker and she had plenty of experience there. 

Mystery tried to calm his breathing and racing heart. The whole manoeuvre had happened within a matter of seconds! Zoey had created a distraction and dragged him along instead of splitting up.  She’d thrown a rock ! 

She’s quick and resourceful and… his mind whispered. She didn’t leave me behind. It confused him just about as much as it intrigued him. 

The heat from the rush might have gotten to him. Or was it the heat of their closeness? He felt impressed at the quick thinking from the very person he’d thought of as clumsy moments ago.  His train of thought was interrupted suddenly by a noise that caught both of their attention. 

Crunch!

A handful of pebbles rolled down from the rock’s edge above them. 

They couldn’t look up but the proximity of the familiar voices was enough to make them freeze. 

“And why would I trust you again?” Rumi spoke close, her voice carrying an irritated edge.  

She’s standing right above us! Zoey and Mystery thought, staring wide eyed at each other in their hidey hole. Their chests took shallow, quiet breaths as they tried not to move a finger. 

“Because you have no one else who can listen. Who would understand. And the patterns grow with your shame.” Jinu insisted. He was standing close to Rumi now, their voices getting softer. 

As their conversation continued, the two hidden figures listened in while slowly settling into the space of their rocky den. Zoey moved her arm so it rested on Mystery’s shoulder and he leaned his head on it lightly to get a better hearing angle.  

“Do you have anybody at all that knows?” Jinu asked. They heard a few scraping sounds and suddenly Rumi’s legs were dangling over the edge of the rock as she sat down. 

Her legs swung gently back and forth, a mere arm-length away from the mess of limbs secretly spying on her. Zoey and Mystery tensed again and slowly pressed further back into the tight space. 

“I do, but …” Rumi began. 

“You can’t talk to them?” Jinu inquired gently. 

“She’s always encouraged me to hide. Helped me perfect it.” Rumi said with a hushed tone. “My patterns are a weakness to be hidden and a problem to be solved.” 

Zoey opened her mouth in a silent gasp. Celine! Celine knows about the patterns!  

Mystery glanced up at her through his hair and recognized the look on the hunter’s face. The pieces were slowly falling into place in her head, even if he still didn’t understand.  

“They’re not a weakness, they just serve as a reminder.” Jinu’s voice cut in. 

“I don’t want to be reminded.” Rumi insisted. “I just want them to go away!” 

“If wishing for them to go away was enough to make them disappear, me and the other Saja Boys would long be free of them.” Jinu answered softly. 

Zoey glanced back at Mystery, unable to see his eyes from his long bangs but still searching his face. Under the illusion of perfect skin, she knew he shared the same patterns. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what his were a reminder of. 

“Were you all human at some point?” Rumi asked. “You and the Saja Boys?” 

“We were. Each of them carry the same reminders as you and I.” Jinu responded. 

Mystery could feel Zoey's gaze burning a hole in him, simultaneously perceptive and soft. He tilted his head lower in hope to escape the questions she surely had. Instead of the answers he came for, he was catching strays in the middle of Jinu’s demon exposé! 

Why was Jinu even bringing the rest of the group into this?! 

 Unfortunately for him, Mystery’s head movement within the tight space only pushed him further into the arm that he’d been leaning on. Zoey’s short sleeve ruffled under his forehead and caught onto a few strands of his hair, exposing more of his features. 

A faint glow illuminated Zoey’s jawline and neck. 

His eyes, they’re glowing! she noted, admiring the soft shine of gold. 

Then immediately panicked that the light would give away their hiding spot! 

Zoey brought down her other hand from the rock it was clutching for support and reached for him. She folded her arm, resting her elbow just over his shoulder. Her palm cupped over the side of his face, preventing the glow from spilling towards the entrance of their shelter. 

When the conversation above them continued undisturbed, Zoey used her fingertips to gently free the hair on the side of Mystery’s face and brush it back into place. 

The entire time, he hadn’t dared to move. He just stood there, eyes shut after noticing the glow along her features. Though he was relieved to feel the protection of his silver locks again, he couldn’t help but feel uncertain, restless even. The entire interaction felt charged. He tried to breathe slowly but felt surrounded by the presence of the little hunter cramped next to him.  

Zoey. Her name is Zoey. 

Repeating her name in his mind was not settling the restlessness. Mystery felt his limbs buzzing with static wherever they made contact with her. A storm was brewing deep within his chest but tried his best to focus back on the couple above them. 

Zoey herself was running circles inside her own head over the intimate gesture. 

He’s a demon! But Rumi also has patterns and she’s good. But he’s our rival! And he helped us twice while we snuck out, like a partner in crime. He’s part of the Saja Boys! But the Saja Boys were once human too and they only serve Gwi-Ma because they have to now. We are helping him stalk and gain info on Rumi that he can use against us later! But we’re here stalking her too and he’s only helped us so far! He’s had days to stir up trouble but he didn’t even try to turn us against each other when I freaked out. He helped me! 

And on and on she went, going back and forth between her training and her instinct. 

Celine warned us about trusting demons, but she knew about Rumi’s patterns and told her to hide them deliberately. To Celine, patterns mean demon and demon means dangerous, but … Rumi is not dangerous. Rumi has feelings. She's family. 

The realization flickered like a flash in the dark. 

Celine was wrong about demons.  

Zoey glanced at Mystery, her hand holding onto the forearm of her other arm,  forming a jagged halo around his lowered head. 

She could be wrong about you too. 

Her attention was drawn back to Rumi’s legs, now pulling up as she was probably getting up to stand. The lead hunter exchanged a soft goodbye with Jinu and hopped off down the hill towards the park’s entrance. 

Jinu jumped off as well and landed on a rock a little further down the hill. If he were to turn around and squint, he might be confused by the strange, mangled shape under the base of the boulder. Fortunately for the two friendly stalkers, he did not turn around. 

Jinu sighed and watched Rumi leave until her shape was lost among the trees and twinkling lights. 

“What am I doing?” Jinu seemed to ask himself. He ran his fingers through his ebony hair and whistled. To his right, a blue tiger appeared and along with Jinu, the two sank into the ground through a blue glowing portal.  

Zoey’s eyes followed them until the portal closed. Silence fell around her. 

“Was that a magical tiger opening a magical portal or am I too sleep-deprived?” she asked quietly. 

“It was.” Mystery answered her flatly. 

“Not just me then.” she quipped. She stashed the image away for later. Her mind had enough to chew through. 

The two took great effort to exit their hiding spot without losing a limb in the process. The sharp rocks had scratched a few bleeding grooves into the bottom of Zoey’s bare feet from when she had shoved them both in their hiding frenzy.  

“Ugh, I’m going to have to wrap these up when I get home.” Zoey inspected the damage. “Good thing my pyjamas were up, I’d hate to get them stained.” 

Mystery stared down at the tears in her soft flesh. The budding droplets of blood prickling around the edges of the wound made his palms itch and his throat tighten. 

Restless. Why was he always so restless around Zoey? Stalking Jinu was a breeze. Performing for strangers was a breeze. Yet, simply being around the little hunter was causing him to shuffle like a nervous child. The smell of iron and sweetness surrounded him, making him momentarily dizzy.

Before Zoey could ask what he was doing, Mystery was snapping his fingers and handing her a roll of cotton bandages. 

Zoey froze and stared down with wide eyes. Her fingers delicately accepted the offering, almost fearful that he might retract the kindness. He wouldn’t, he hadn’t so far. She just couldn’t help slowing down when the Mystery before her looked like he might bolt at any moment. 

He felt tense. He needed to relax.  He opened his mouth to take a breath but the exhale he desperately tried to conceal came out more like the wheeze of a choking animal.  

“Mystery?” Zoey watched him intently, tearing open the edge of his gift. “Are you hurt somewhere too?” 

He shook his head quickly. 

“Good, I’m glad. Thank you, um, f-for the bandage.” she laughed nervously, voice pitching a little at the last word. Sitting down gently, Zoey began wrapping the soft material around the soles of her feet. 

Whatever was happening, she couldn’t let herself think too hard about it right now or she might explode.  

I’ve embarrassed myself enough.

Zoey watched her partner in crime as he nodded again. She was starting to wonder if their first meeting was going to be the most he spoke to her because he seemed to be lowering his word count every time she met him. 

She moved to take a step and winced at the pinch from the scratches. Those rocks really got her good. Crap, she was going to have a bad time tomorrow at rehearsals. 

“Oh no, I need to get back before they notice I’m gone! I have rehearsals in the morning!” Zoey squeaked and took a step forward, wincing as her weight pulled and stretched her torn flesh.  

“I can take you.”

Zoey turned to look at him. On the surface he seemed unbothered, face hidden and hands at his sides. However, Zoey had spent some time people-watching her new friend and her eyes caught the slight pressure of his lips and the twitch in his fingers.  

“You’re offering to take me home?” Zoey asked to clarify. Mystery nodded. 

“To Huntrix Tower?” Another nod. 

“Are you sure?” Nod. 

Their home base was not exactly a secret, the building itself was sky-high with big shining letters spelling their group name for all the city to read. She wasn’t surprised their rivals had noticed it. 

She was surprised he was offering to take her home. 

“How would you take me?” she asked, curiosity getting the better of her.  Jinu had taken a magical portal with a magical tiger. How could she not be curious?!

Mystery watched her features flicker with interest after a moment of consideration. He was not expecting her to accept his offer because he had not expected to offer such a thing in the first place.  By the book, they were still rivals and enemies, but here he was treating her like a friend.   

And here she was, subtly accepting. 

Well, no backing out now! He raised his hand and extended his open palm. The little hunter stared at it, eyes moving between his fingers and his face. 

The gesture was simple but felt terribly intimate after their shared experiences recently. The open hand he was offering her was like a vulnerability in his usually flawless armour,  a crack leading somewhere his mind was too unsure to follow just yet. Even with his hair obscuring most of his features, he felt so unbelievably exposed. 

The soft brush of her fingers to his had him holding his breath for a moment. Her eyes were sharp, watching his every move with curiosity rather than suspicion.  Mystery inhaled, visualized the Huntr/x Tower in his mind, and curled his fingertips to hold hers. 

Then he exhaled and the very breath he released seemed to wash away their surroundings, like ripples of color over water’s surface. The rocky terrain was quickly replaced by brick and neon signs. 

Zoey blinked, her mind running itself ragged trying to grasp what her eyes were seeing. It wasn’t violent or nauseating like the hunter had expected, more like a soft breeze. Recognition flickered across her eyes as she realized the exact alley they were in. She turned to look right and saw her home towering above them just across the street.  

She turned back to Mystery, eyes wide in wonder. “That was amazing!” Zoey smiled wide and she grabbed his hand tight with both of hers. She wanted to bounce with excitement but her injuries kept her feet planted. She knew demons had magic but it had always been presented to her as a bad thing, an unnatural thing. Now, she was not just a witness but a part of the experience! 

Mystery almost couldn’t handle looking at her.  The warmth of her hands spread through him like a flood and left his ears buzzing. Later he would scold himself for taking such a risk. After all, it was not every day he took a human on a joyride through teleportation.

“Is that how you guys travel? Is Jinu the only one with a magic tiger then? Can you go anywhere you want?” Zoey buzzed with questions.

Mystery couldn’t help but smile back at her excitement about something so simple and mundane to him. The tension that gripped him before was melting away with every word she uttered. He liked it when she spoke about everything and anything. It felt soothing to fill the silence that carried so many charged questions for them both. 

He shook his head before muttering a quiet “Only places I’ve seen.” 

“Is it tiring? Do you ever get motion sick? What else can you do? You really are like a magician!” Zoey continued to pile up questions. 

Mystery huffed a soft laugh. “A magician?” he smiled wider, the points of canines glistening back at the little hunter.  Zoey giggled nervously, unable to tear her eyes away from that smile. 

“Oh, well, um, it was a whole thing with the girls when we met you guys and it’s a little hard to explain. It was just a weird thought really. I don’t know why I said it!” her voice was getting higher by the second. “Ugh, don’t listen to me, I’m rambling!” Zoey let go of his hand and rubbed her palms over her face. 

She was so strange and odd and funny and absolutely delightful and Mystery was completely lost as to what was going on. So he stood there, watching her try to recover her composure. For all the observing he did, he couldn’t put his finger on what this energy between them was. 

Zoey let out a loud sigh and turned back to the tower. Her hands came up to fidget with her painted fingernails for a moment as she contemplated her next move. 

Then, she lifted her hand and pointed a small finger up to the building. 

“Do you see the balcony right below the group letters?” she inquired, looking between her target and her demon companion. 

Mystery leaned in to see where she was pointing to exactly and zeroed in on the location. The bright lights were reflecting softly off every closed window, leaving a single gap below where one glass door was left open, looking matte along the building’s shiny exterior.  

“That’s where my room is.” she explained in a hushed voice like she was telling him a secret.

Mystery turned back towards her. His face was terribly close now and she swallowed down the nervousness that bubbled its way up her chest.  Zoey could tell he was confused even with the lavender locks shielding his eyes.  He didn’t say anything but his lips parted enough to convey how puzzled he was. 

Why would you tell me this? the boy wondered. Why would you trust me with such information?  

I have no idea. Zoey’s mind echoed but she knew the reason. Somewhere deep within her little heart, the spark of trust had ignited. The care and protection they afforded each other during their stalking escapades, while stressful, had brought them both to a comfortable kind of understanding. 

“Well..” she started, looking for the right words to ask. “I - we, um..” The sentences seemed to get stuck in her throat. How can she ask him the question when she herself was not sure about it?! 

Every time they teamed up, she learned new information and the pieces to the puzzle she didn’t even know existed were starting to come together. Simultaneously, the dichotomy she’d been taught about demons was unraveling and the very presence of the demon man before her was proof that the matter was never black and white to begin with. 

Shit, I’ve been quiet for too long! Zoey looked at her companion, startled and still unable to make up her mind. 

“I-I need help getting there!” she blurted out, pointing back up. This was definitely not what she had wanted to say. “Rumi must be home already. I can’t risk her seeming me if I take the elevator up! C-Could you take me up to my balcony?” 

She hoped it made enough sense to Mystery that he wouldn’t question her. Not that he was much of an interrogator so far. She just had too much to think about right now, too much to chew through in her head and she felt too unsure about the request she had. So this will have to do for now. 

Mystery watched her obvious turmoil silently. Her request made sense but his instincts told him there was more to her words. More behind the words. His hidden gaze drank in every nervous move and twitch she made, feeding his curiosity. She was like an open book to him but her pages were filled with a language he couldn’t decipher yet. He wanted to, eventually. 

He nodded and reached over to offer his palm to her. She accepted it without hesitation this time and they quickly found themselves on the tiles of her balcony. 

The city lights illuminated their silhouettes, making Mystery’s hair shine with an iridescent glow. The wind blew stronger at this altitude, making the locks of hair obscuring his face dance. Two golden irises peaked between lavender hair like will-o'-wisps, their glow guiding her eyes along his features. The sight almost took Zoey’s breath away. He was stunning . 

And he was watching her back very closely. Whatever noise the city made was lost to him as his hearing was filled with the sound of their thundering heartbeats. In the low light of the balcony, there was no detail about her that was lost to him.

There it was again. That charged silence. Not uncomfortable but restless . Like there was more for him to do, more he wanted to do but he didn’t know what that was. He felt calm but frantic. At ease but buzzing. Like he wasn’t in danger but still fraying at the edges. 

The duality of this state was quiet yet maddening to him. 

And she was the point of origin. 

Even now, she stood there. Not pulling away. Watching him back. Holding his hand. After she had shared the location of her private space with him. 

He knew it wasn’t just to bring her up here. It didn’t feel like a simple request.

It felt like permission. 

Zoey watched the corners of his lips tilt up into a delicate hint of a smile. She felt his fingers slip from hers as he took a step back. Before she could say a word, he was gone. Only the shimmer of pink smoke served as proof he was ever there. 

The young hunter stared into the empty space until the last sparkle of pink was gone. Then, she limped slowly to her bed and collapsed into it. 

She had too much to think about.

Chapter Text

Zoey didn’t go to rehearsals the next day. In fact, she barely made it to the kitchen before her friends bombarded her about her condition. 

“Zoey, are you ok? You look awful!” 

“Why do you look like you got drop-kicked into a horde of demons?”

“What happened to your feet?!” 

“The hell, Zoey, where did you go ? Did you walk over broken glass or something?”

“Why are you even walking on those?! Sit down !!” 

“I’m calling the doctor !” 

Her friends fussed over her before she could answer a single question. Mira was already speaking to their private doctor, demanding they drop whatever they had going on so they could come and fix up the injuries. Rumi held the phone and was speaking to Bobby, both raising their voices in panic. 

Bobby quickly arrived, panicked, and only adding to the chaos. He’d already started one of his ‘my girls, oh nooo’ monologues. Zoey quickly got moved to the couch like a delicate dolly.

  They’re all so sweet. I’m lucky to have my girls and Bobby, they worry too much. Zoey thought to herself. She felt the weight of guilt blanket her for worrying her friends like this. Still, she couldn’t help but smile as the warmth of their love and care surrounded her. 

“Don’t you smile at me, young lady! Speak! How did you get those cuts?” Mira’s voice cut through her thoughts. She was standing over Zoey, arms crossed like a scolding mother. Bobby and Rumi stood on either side, their desire to keep fussing paused by their curiosity. 

Good thing Zoey had spent plenty of time thinking about what to say in case of this very scenario.  

“I was practicing some of the moves for Golden and I wasn’t careful enough. I broke the blue vase in the corner of the room. The one with the flowers I got from that antique store?”, she began explaining. “I stepped on some of the shards and they got me good.” 

Zoey had always balanced between a skilled hunter and a clumsy young woman. She hoped the story was easy enough to believe with her track record of breaking and dropping items. 

“Oh, I remember that vase. You loved that vase, Zoey!” Rumi exclaimed to her right. “I’m sorry this happened” She sat next to Zoey and rubbed her shoulder reassuringly. 

Zoey did love that vase. She had hunted it down at a local antique shop that she’d visit with the girls when they were just debuting as idols. It resembles a stained glass window with peony motifs made of different colors peppering the transparent blue surface. Its purpose was decorative because it couldn’t hold any water in it without leaking but it was beautiful. 

Zoey loved that vase so much it broke her heart when she had to take a shin-kal to it for evidence. Its broken pieces sat in a bag by the corner now, just in case she had to show them. 

Mira dropped her arms, gaze softening. “Why didn’t you call for a doctor? Or one of us?” she asked, concerned and confused. “What if there’s glass left in there?” 

“Rumi nodded. “She’s right, Zoey. You can’t just go wrapping up an injury like this. It could get infected!” 

“I know, I’m sorry, girls. We’ve all been so stressed recently that I didn’t want to wake you both up because of my own clumsiness.” Zoey responded. Oh, how she hated lying to them both but there was no way she could tell them the truth this time. 

“What were you even practicing to break the vase like that?” Rumi asked with curiosity. 

“Let me guess. Was it the side kick during my solo in the song?” Mira asked with a smile.

“It was.” Zoey responded, letting her arms fall in surrender. She loved her friends so much right now, they were making this whole process so much easier by virtue of filling in the gaps for her. 

“I thought so. You nearly kicked my knee backwards last time we tried it.” Mira laughed, the tension in her features easing a bit. The three of them laughed together, feeling lighter. 

Bobby reappeared with their doctor in toe, speaking a million words per minute. The process of bandaging up her feet went smoothly, outside of Bobby nearly fainting at the sight of blood. The wounds had already shrunk significantly since she saw them last night. 

“No dancing for 2 days! No training! No bathhouse! Only rest!” the physician ordered. And Zoey was quickly banished to her bedroom with little room to argue.  

Rumi and Mira assured her that they’ll look over the choreography before taking the day to relax as well. They decided to patrol the city while shopping and split up north to south. Both of them loaded Zoey’s bed with snacks and stationeries in case she got inspiration to write. Both sternly told her no exercise with a wagging finger like angry moms. No wiggle room for objections. 

Guess I’m stuck for today , she thought silently. She laid among the sea of snack bags and colorful gel pens. None of it spoke to her right now. 

She considered taking a nap but her mind was still turning with everything that had happened. Specifically the revelation that Celine knew about Rumi’s patterns. 

“I have so many questions!” Zoey spoke to the empty room. It held no answers for her. 

She couldn’t wrap her head around the pieces in front of her. She needed to take a step back and examine what she knew. Zoey took a sheet of paper and began sketching little figures. 

Celine recruited Rumi first before the rest of us. A line between the two figures.

Then, she brought Mira and I along. Another two figures . 

If the patterns were from before, Celine would have never recruited Rumi, no? A question mark.  

But we know that Rumi has known Celine since she was a child. Celine raised her, Rumi is her prodigy. Zoey erased the question mark.  

But Rumi is talking more to Jinu. Another figure with black hair.  

And every time she speaks to him, she sounds surprised about demon deals and qualities and whatnot. So.. Zoey crossed the line between the first two figures.  

Rumi doesn’t know much about being a demon. 

“She’s always encouraged me to hide. Helped me perfect it.” Rumi’s voice echoed in her mind. 

But if this was new, how would Celine have trained Rumi to hide it? We haven’t seen Celine in ages. The three of us are always together! Zoey thought, confused. And Rumi hasn’t gained any new abilities or qualities. She’s the same as always! What kind of deal would she even make?  

The pieces just weren’t adding up and Zoey was squinting down at the scribbles on her page in some vague effort to see an invisible answer.  

If Celine already knows, why would Rumi trust Jinu but not Mira and I?  

“She’s always encouraged me to hide.” Rumi’s voice played in her head, begging her to understand some unspoken truth. 

“Agh! I don’t get it! It makes no sense! What am I missing?!” Zoey questioned out loud, her frustration boiling over. She had to figure this out in order to help Rumi. So many things were happening in the background and she’d just stood there oblivious to her friend’s pain. 

Zoey picked up the paper, crumpled it up in a ball and threw it behind her towards the balcony door.  She flopped onto her bed, waiting for the sound of the paper’s impact with the floor. 

She waited but …it was awfully quiet. 

“Zoey?” the hush of a soft voice came behind her.  

Zoey shot out of bed like a cat next to a cucumber. Her shin-kal sprang from her fingers with practiced precision and she flipped into a defensive stance. Then, before her eyes could register anything, her ears seemed to replay the memory of the voice, now recognizing it as far too familiar. 

“Mystery?” her eyes finally landed on his crouched frame. His body was halfway through the frame of the sliding glass door where he stood frozen. His mouth parted, looking a little shocked by her movement but could he blame her?! 

“Sweet boba and ramyeon! Don’t scare me like that!” Zoey phased out her glowing blades and put a hand to her chest, trying to calm her heartbeat. It was not very effective. She moved back to her bed and sat down. “How are you so dang quiet?! Don’t you know how to knock?” she continued with a huff. 

“I did.” Mystery said plainly, watching her through his lavender hair. The statement sat between them for a moment before Zoey realized what he meant. She’d been too wrapped up in her thoughts to realize he’d knocked on the glass of her balcony door and had practically called him rude to his face. 

“Oh! Sorry, I’m sorry. I was just..” Zoey rubbed a hand over her face in embarrassment. Surely,  she couldn’t make a worse impression on her guest.  

“Thinking?” he added, his shoulders relaxing a little more. The light gray of his sleeveless hoodie brought out the color of his hair far better in broad daylight.  

“Yeah.” Zoey answered, eyes fixed on him. This was the first time the two met outside the cover of darkness.  He looked so different, the light of the sun smoothing the sharp edges of a natural predator into the softness of a friendly silhouette. Her eyes landed on his fingers, gently clutching the ball of paper she'd launched behind her moments ago. With two delicate fingers, Mystery unfolded it to peek inside.  

“Oh, um, that’s - I was just thinking and trying to figure out some things.” Zoey tried to explain in advance before he could see her doodles. She was no da Vinci but this really was the worst example of art he could see from her, looking more like the work of a 5 year old. 

It didn’t stop him from looking at it. 

Mystery immediately recognized the features of their key suspects. As he gazed at the page, there was only one figure he couldn’t recognize. He walked over to Zoey and pointed to it. Zoey’s eyes flashed in understanding before she answered his silent question. 

“This is Celine” She struggled to find the words to explain without giving away too much. “She’s involved in this somehow but I can’t figure it out yet.” she decided to say.

“She told your friend to hide?” Mystery stated, waiting for confirmation. 

Wow, he’s so perceptive! she thought instantly. She couldn’t believe he’d connected the dots so quickly about someone he’d never even met. When Zoey gave him a nod, he looked back at the paper before handing it back to her and saying a quiet “That’s bad advice.” 

“Why?” Zoey perked up right away. If he could give her any clue, maybe she could finally be helpful to her friend. Mystery slowly took a seat on the edge of her bed, looking down at the paper. 

“Fear and isolation only make Gwi-Ma stronger.” he whispered. “If she’s ashamed and alone, it’s easier to control her.” His words cut Zoey like a knife.  Was that how Rumi had been feeling? 

“That’s terrible..” Zoey heard herself say, her gaze slowly lifting to Mystery’s hair-hidden features.  His relaxed posture seemed tense now. He reached an elegant finger towards another part of the picture. 

“Now, she’s speaking to Jinu.” Mystery spoke but sounded confused in his own statement.  

“Could he be trying to control her? Learn more about her to use it against her?” Zoey wondered out loud. Mystery shook his head. 

“Then why keep her secret?” he added.  And he was right. If Jinu had wanted to cause a rift in the group, he could have just exposed Rumi the moment he knew. 

“And why keep meeting with her?” Zoey added, thoughtful. “Why keep it from you and the group as well?” There was that confusion again. Like she was staring at a picture with missing pieces. Like a story with missing pages. Maybe brainstorming with Mystery could bring som- 

“Wait” she looked at him suddenly. “Why did you come to my room today? Did something happen?” Zoey had completely forgotten to ask about his sudden appearance in her room. Talking to him came so easy that they just got swept up in conversation.  

Mystery’s lips formed a silent oh , like he himself had forgotten to explain his surprise visit.  His hand pulled away from the paper and reached into the large pocket of his hoodie.  

“I found this.” he said quietly, handing something blue to Zoey. She took it carefully and examined it. It was a card with a simple ‘Hello Friend’ on the outside. She flipped it open. 

“It’s an invitation to meet.” Zoey mumbled as she read the message inside. “For today, at 14:00 o'clock.” She recognized the location immediately. “Where did you find this?” 

“Jinu wasn’t careful.” Mystery stated, like it was not the most loaded answer he could give her.  The edges of his lips quirked up with a hint of amusement. Zoey stared at him in shock, half real and half gleeful. 

“Oh, Oh my god! Did you steal this from him?!” she laughed despite her efforts to remain serious. First the stalking and now this? They really were criminals. I’m an accomplice!  

Mystery shook his head, smile widening a bit. The midday light reflected off the edge of each strand of hair, creating a halo around his head. How ironic considering the fiendish smile he wore at that moment.  “He wasn’t careful.” he repeated as if it would prove him innocent. 

Zoey glanced at the clock. It was 12.15 o’clock so they had plenty of time to make it to their friends’ rendezvous spot but that left the obvious issue. 

“I can’t really run. I’ll only slow you down.” she said, voice growing softer with defeat. Not only had Mystery come to bring her the card personally, they could go follow their friends from a common starting point. Or could have. If only the rocks from the night before hadn’t chopped her feet into sashimi. 

“I’ll take you.” 

He made it sound so obvious. The words were so clear, like it was the most simple thing to say to your enemy-maybe-friend that has been helping you stalk your best friend along rooftops and boulders. 

Some small voice spoke up in her head about possible danger and traps but Zoey dismissed it. If Mystery had wanted to hurt her, he had all night to attack after she willingly gave him the location of her room. Instead, he had waited for daytime, knocked on her door before coming in, and even came bearing the next lead to the case they were both pursuing. 

Her heart was already hammering in her chest when he stood up and offered his hand to her.  This man will be the death of me, she thought as her body rippled with warmth. Her fingers caressed the top of his palm and held on as he pulled her up off the soft layers on her bed.  

When she couldn’t handle staring at his soft features any longer, Zoey looked down bashfully to stare at her pyjamas.  

She was in her pyjamas. 

“I- um, I need to get dressed. And clean up. Can you wait here? Or on the balcony? Wherever you want. Just. Stay.” she ordered frantically as she let go of his hand. 

She was a mess ! Her hair was loose, she had no makeup on, and she was still in her other pair of turtle pyjamas that she’d changed into before going to bed. She felt Mystery’s eyes follow her around as she zoomed between her closet and the bathroom, grabbing handfuls of stuff she might not even need. 

Maybe someday I will stop embarrassing myself but today is CLEARLY NOT THAT DAY she screamed at herself mentally. She shut the bathroom door behind her and locked it, like it would do anything against a teleporting Saja boy. The image of pink, sparkly mist surrounding her popped in her mind. The way he’d whispered her name earlier-

Get it together Zoey! We have a mission! She smacked her reddening cheeks and stared at herself in the mirror. And we are going to need a disguise. Think!

Good thing they had time.

Chapter Text

Mystery was trying. 

He was trying really hard to focus on something specific while he waited for his partner in crime to get ready. And every detail of his environment was making it damn near impossible to do that.  

The entire room smelled like warmth . He didn’t know how else to describe the soft scent that surrounded him the moment he had opened that balcony door. It was the smell of sunshine and safety and comfort, attempting to wrap him up in its warm embrace as he sat there. 

His hands sank into the plush comforter that blanketed the bed and he looked around, his sharp eyes taking in his surroundings. The space was clearly well loved and lived in. From the rows of notebooks scattered over every surface to the countless plushies in every corner, the little hunter spent a lot of time here. It was her home . 

And he was here. She had allowed him to enter her sanctuary willingly . And he had done so, willingly as well ! 

It was still hard to wrap his mind around how they’d even gotten here. He usually prided himself on being a good judge of character. Now, he was questioning his basic decision-making skills because he couldn’t figure out one human woman. 

Why would she join him on his mission? Why did she help him hide last time? Why did she let him into her safe space? Why would she leave him alone now while she was getting ready? 

Why would she trust me? I could destroy this place. Mystery thought while looking down at his hand. But then, why haven’t I?

Before he could continue that train of thought, the door to the bathroom burst open and the very hunter that was on his mind jumped out. Her hair was loose and falling down her shoulders in waves, no braids in sight. The top of her head was adorned by an odd looking hat and she wore some plain black pants, a crop top and a bomber jacket with pink flower motifs.  

Zoey put on some large sunglasses and opened her arms towards her guest. 

“Well, what do you think?” she asked excitedly. 

Mystery tilted his head to the side in contemplation. He wasn’t sure how to answer that.  She looked different, no baggy pants or turtles or yellow hat in sight, which was strange for her. At least he thought so. Why was he paying so much attention to her clothing habits? Maybe he had just picked up on it because of his observant nature. Yeah, that sounds right. He thought to himself.

“Different.” he stated plainly. He wasn’t expecting Zoey’s face to light up with excitement at his one word response. 

“Exactly! That’s the plan! After all, we are not following some rando who doesn’t know me. We are following RUMI and she would recognize my braid-and-yellow-bucket-hat-wearing butt IMMEDIATELY!” Zoey gestured dramatically before doing a spin and flipping her hair over her shoulder. “So, we have to switch it up for today! After all, this time we can’t rely on shadows to hide us. The concrete jungle awaits us and we cannot take this lightly!” 

Mystery watched her dramatic speech while trying very hard to remain composed. He knew she was dedicated to her craft but this level of passion was new to him. It was infectious and he felt himself squaring up his shoulders like a soldier and nodding along with her.  As she marched back and forth in front of him, speaking about ‘colors I don’t wear often’ and ‘blending in with the crowd’ Mystery couldn’t help joining into the energy she was creating. 

When Zoey turned to look at him, her small hand pointed a confident finger right at his nose. “And you, mister, cannot go out looking like this! Your hair is iconic and we will be recognized in an instant!” 

Mystery brought a hand to his hair and tried to push it around so it looked different but his attempts were in vain. His hair had a mind of its own and returned to its position quickly after his fingers moved past it. His greatest asset was betraying him in this vital moment! 

“Hmmm. Maybe a hat then? I have some beanies you can try.” Zoey offered while watching his miserable attempts to finger-style his locks. Mystery’s face scrunched up in distaste after the image of Baby with his floppy hat flashed in his mind. He shook his head in disapproval.  

“Alright, alright. No hat then!” Zoey laughed at his reaction. It was like somebody had just fed him spoiled food. “Still, we need something to hide your hair with. With the sun shining out there, it will be a miracle if you don’t blind every girl in a 10 kilometer radius.” 

Zoey circled his standing form, eyes narrowing at whatever she saw all over him.  Mystery followed her movement with his head like a curious owl. When she completed her circle around him, she took a step closer and reached up with both small hands. 

Mystery felt himself freeze as his eyes flickered between her face and arms. Her fingers barely touched along the sides of his neck before they went past his face and behind him. His mind seemed to stutter for a second as he watched her face inch closer and closer with every millisecond of time. He wanted to move but his body felt paralysed. 

Just as Mystery was about to start panicking, Zoey began to retract back to her original standing position. He felt the brush of something soft along the curve of his head, seeing the little hunter’s fingers tugging something gray with his peripheral vision. 

“There! How about this instead?” her voice rang out like a bell, releasing his breath from its prison in his lungs. The Saja boy reached up with trembling fingers to feel the soft cotton blend. 

Of his own hood. 

She was pulling up my hood over my head. It was just the hood. She pulled it up to cover my hair. So we’re not recognized. Because of my hair. That she covered up with the hood. The hood she just pulled up. Mystery’s mind kept repeating the basic facts in his head but they had little to no effect on the buzz that electrified his being in that moment. 

That feeling again. Restless . What was wrong with him? 

Zoey finished tying the strings of his sleeveless hoodie in a cute little bow and looked up. “Is it too tight? You look like you’re struggling to breathe.” she noted, oblivious while on her mission. 

“N-no” he managed, ignoring the broken pitch that bordered the word. 

Zoey didn’t seem too convinced. 

“Are you able to see like this? The hem of the hood is right at eye level for you so maybe just a little higher?” she fussed over the positioning of his hood with her small hands, making sure it was not too tight and tucking a few strands of his hair into it. 

Zoey took a few steps back to admire her handiwork. What stared back at her was one golden eye surrounded by lavender and gray cotton. His eyes are so beautiful. She couldn’t help but stare. 

Mystery was still a torrent of bizarre sensations after the hood incident. His left hand came up to wrap around him and grasp onto his right upper arm, like a metaphorical shield now that his eyes were semi-exposed to the world. It wasn't that he felt exposed, it was that he felt exposed in front of her . The way she watched him brought on more restlessness than he knew what to do with. 

Zoey observed his body language change and immediately attempted to fix what she thought was the problem. 

“Oh, is it your eyes? Is that uncomfortable? Oh no, I shouldn't have messed with your hair! I’m sorry, Mystery!” she started panicking. Seeing her worry and fuss only made Mystery panic as well that he’d been too obvious and caused an issue over something he didn’t want her to see. 

Now, both were panicking!

“Oh, how about some shades? They can shield your eyes and help conceal your identity. Like mine!” Zoey offered as she pointed to the dark glasses that were now sitting on top of her head. 

Before Mystery could answer, she was off rushing to her walk-in closet to look for a pair. The sounds of falling objects and Zoey injured ‘ow’s rang out before the girl hobbled back to him. 

“Here, these should be perfect!” she smiled nervously as she handed him a pair of round spectacles with dark purple lenses. She slid them onto his face and they tinted everything around Mystery in soft pink and fuchsia hues. 

“How does that feel? Are they ok?” she pressed, eager to know his thoughts on the matter. 

Mystery looked around and tapped on the rim of the shades to adjust them better. Even with the conscious effort to look away, he felt his gaze being drawn back to the little hunter in front of him. Her wide eager eyes begging to hear if he likes something so simple as a gesture. In some effort to save his poor heart from rupturing, Mystery lifted a finger and tipped Zoey’s shades down onto her nose. The movement seemed to surprise her and she giggled to herself. 

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” She proclaimed with a smile and looked back at the clock. “Oh no, it’s almost 13:45, we’re going to be late!” her voice rose in panic. 

Mystery’s head snapped to the clock and back to the balcony. They couldn’t miss this meeting, it would be Jinu’s first one in broad daylight. They had to get there on time. 

He dropped down into a crouch and looked back at Zoey. “Come. We’ll need to hurry.“ 

Zoey nearly tripped over her own feet. “But can’t you teleport us there?” 

“Jinu will sense it.” he shook his head. 

“That’s why you haven’t used magic when we were close to them!” Zoey realized. 

She looked at the Saja boy’s back and carefully climbed on. His arms wrapped securely around her thighs and held her to him.  Zoey’s hands laid onto his shoulders and she rested her chin between his shoulder blades. They both tried their hardest to focus on the mission.

“Ok, I-I’m ready.” she tried to sound confident but a sliver of nervousness came through in her words. 

Mystery adjusted his grip and stood up with her securely on his back. She weighed nothing to him but her body was lean and solid, a clear reminder of a person who relied on him in that moment. He had to be careful. 

He took a few steps forward, bent a little back and forth to feel how her weight shifted, hopped up a couple of jumps too. She seemed to be holding on tight and he felt ready to go. 

Mystery walked onto the balcony, closing the glass door with his foot, and hopped up on the clear railing. He felt Zoey’s grasp tighten a little before he leapt off. In a cloud of pink smoke, his feet landed into a crouch onto the roof of the neighbouring building below Huntrix Tower. As he rose to his feet, he whispered to Zoey behind him. 

“Which way?” his voice asked softly. 

Zoey pulled herself up to wrap one arm over his collarbone so she could point with the other to their right. “That way. We need to go past that building with the sign and keep going until we reach the market.” she explained. 

Mystery nodded and took off running across rooftops. Even with the little hunter on his back he was fast. The speed reminded Zoey of the dive she’d taken with the girls when their plane had been wrecked by demons recently. And now here she was, on the back of one. 

“Hold on tight,” Mystery called to her quietly. His hands pushed her legs to fold around his waist and lock there. His arms then released her and instead grasped the edge of the next roof he’d jumped towards. Pulling them both up, the Saja boy grabbed onto the pipe on the corner and used the turn momentum to lead them both into a spin towards the following building. And still, he ran like a wild stag. 

They reached the glowing sign and Mystery turned his head towards Zoey for further instructions. He hadn’t even broken a sweat but his breathing was a little heavier. Meanwhile, Zoey watched in awe at the agility and movement of her companion. All that running and he hadn’t even made a squeaking sound with his shoe. 

“This way! We need to reach the end of this district. Do you see where the buildings shift over there?” She pointed again. Mystery narrowed his eyes and quickly made out a semi-clear line where a different style began. He nodded and gripped her again before taking off. 

They covered ground quickly between Zoey’s quick directions and Mystery’s hurricane speeds. When they finally arrived near the location, he brought them onto the ground and they attempted to blend into the crowd of the market.  

“We can’t draw attention to ourselves!” Zoey hissed quietly, adjusting the hood over his head.” Act natural!”

Funny for her to say that when she was the one clutching onto his arm and limping slightly.  

“Flowers for your date?” one vendor offered to Mystery. 

“Oh n-no, I’m not- he’s - we’re not actually” Zoey stammered while pulling him away. 

I’m here on a mission. Keep it together Zoey! She screamed at herself as she felt her face growing warmer. 

Mystery watched her reaction, a little confused. Was this a date? Wasn’t it their mission? Could it be both at the same time? Should he ask her? Isn’t dating for people who are courting each other? What do people in this century even do on a date? Would sh- 

“There they are!” Zoey’s voice brought him back from the sea of questions his head was swimming with. She pulled his arm and they ducked into an alleyway. Peeking one golden and one brown eye over the brick edge, they spotted their targets.

There, on the corner, stood Jinu and Rumi. And they seemed to be arguing again. Mystery didn’t understand why those two kept meeting just to bicker like children. 

Here we go again.