Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Run, run, run!” Romance yelled, his voice cracking as he glanced back over his shoulder.

Behind him, Baby stumbled along with Mystery slumped over his back like a sack of potatoes, while Romance himself had Abby hanging limply across his shoulders.

Both injured demons looked half-dead already — pale, bleeding, and unnervingly quiet.

The four of them tore through a mess of narrow alleyways, zigzagging like fugitives desperate not to be seen.

They ducked behind dumpsters, vaulted over discarded boxes, and avoided the glow of neon lights that painted the city.

Humans were everywhere, but blissfully unaware, too busy celebrating whatever the fuck humans celebrated.

Their shrill cheers and muffled pop ballads bled into the alleys, masking the sound of claws scraping against pavement and demons wheezing for breath like kettles.

The boys didn’t stop running until their legs threatened to buckle.

They collapsed at last in a dirty alleyway, the air stale with rust, dust, and the faint stink of oil.

Romance dropped to his knees, lowering Abby as carefully as his shaking arms allowed.

Baby did the same with Mystery, the two demons landing with groans.

Both Baby and Romance were wheezing so hard it sounded like they’d swallowed a harmonica. It was almost musical.

“Abby…hey, Abby, are you okay? Abby, talk to me-” Romance stammers.

Abby coughed, scarlet blood bubbling up over his lips. His body trembled violently, but even in that state he forced a wry, crooked smile.

“Yeah…don’t worry about me. Not right now,” he murmured, every word punctuated with pain. His voice was barely audible.

Romance’s eyes darted to the gaping wound across Abby’s abdomen.

Blood seeped steadily, pooling beneath him.

In a panic, Baby ripped off his robe and pressed it against the wound, tying it tight. Then he looked at Mystery with wide frantic eyes.

“What about you, Mystery? Stay with me, hey-”

Mystery didn’t answer.

He lay sprawled out, his body limp as if gravity had doubled. When Baby went to push away his bangs, his eyes glassy and unfocused. His hair clung to his forehead with sweat, his face pale enough to resemble marble.

His eyelids struggled to stay open. His breaths came shallow and erratic, each inhale weaker than the last.

“Oh shit. Mystery- Mystery!” Romance ripped off his own black robe, tearing one sleeve clean off with his teeth before wrapping it clumsily around the wound.

The cloth darkened almost instantly with blood.

Did either of them know how to treat injuries? Absolutely not.

Their knowledge extended only as far as movies where humans yelled ’Apply pressure!’ and prayed for the best.

Baby’s hands trembled. “Why isn’t he regenerating? Why isn’t either of them regenerating!?”

Romance’s gaze fell to the floor, jaw clenched. “Is it because we’re in the human realm? Maybe we should…”

“No!” Abby and Mystery wheezed in unison, coughing on the effort.

Abby gritted his teeth, forcing his voice louder. “Nobody…is going back into the demon realm.”

“But you’ll die!” Baby snapped. His hand already sparked with dark energy, forming the first motions of a tear in the honmoon. “You’ll both die if we don’t!”

Mystery’s arm shot up with surprising strength, grabbing Baby’s wrist. He groaned from the effort, but his grip tightened stubbornly.

“No. Don’t. We’ll be punished if we go back-”

“We’ll be punished anyway!” Baby argued, desperation breaking his voice. “Better punished alive than punished dead!”

Mystery pushed himself upright, face twisted with pain, and slammed Baby against the nearest wall. His golden eyes flared briefly, a rare sight that made the air feel heavy.

“No. Please…no.” His voice shook, but the words were clear. “I don’t want to go back. I don’t want to be anywhere. I’m done.”

Romance stretched a hand toward him. “Mystery…”

Mystery’s gaze dimmed further. “I’ve seen too much cruelty. Too much torture. I’ve lived it, tenfold. I don’t want…to exist in this cycle anymore.”

Baby’s breath hitched. His throat tightened as he whispered, “No no no don’t say that, Mystery. Please-”

His plea was interrupted by voices echoing from the warehouse’s far corner.

“I can smell demon this way,” a deep, feminine voice rang out.

Another voice piped up, higher-pitched. “Mira, I don’t think we can actually smell demons.”

“Well, Rumi can. She’s half-demon,” Mira replied flatly. “Right, Rumi?”

Instantly, Baby and Romance froze.

Their eyes widened before darting to one another in panic.

In a rush, they scrambled to lift Abby and Mystery again, hauling the injured boys up like fragile corpses and bolting for the nearest exit.

Abby groaned weakly in Romance’s arms. “Can’t you two just…teleport?”

“You think we haven’t tried!?” Baby hissed, his voice high with stress.

“I was just asking…” Abby muttered faintly.

Romance grit his teeth. “Baby’s right. We can’t. Ever since the girls sang their stupid ‘let’s save the world’ song or whatever, it drained us. Our powers are crippled.”

They rounded another corner and burst out into an open yard littered with warehouses. The night air felt harsh and cold.

“Shit! We’re out in the open,” Baby muttered.

“There!” Romance pointed to one building with its rusted dock door hanging ajar. “Hide inside.”

The two sprinted into the open warehouse, lowering Abby and Mystery onto the grimy floor before rushing to close the door shut.

“How do we close this thing!?” Romance panicked, tugging on a dangling wire.

“Try that lever thing!” Baby shouted, yanking at random chains.

They fumbled like idiots, pulling wires from every angle. Sparks shot out from a switch, the metallic clanking echoing across the space.

“It’s not working,” Baby whispered hoarsely.

Romance’s demon marks suddenly glowed, his fury spilling over.

“Dammit!” In an outburst, fire erupted from his palms, catching onto the nearest wire box. Flames leapt hungrily along the metal, racing up toward the ceiling.

The fire spread like it had been waiting centuries for someone dumb enough to light it.

The flames raced up wooden beams, igniting rotten support planks and hissing as they licked the rusted rafters.

The ceiling groaned, sparks showering down like malevolent confetti.

Within seconds, smoke rolled in thick waves.

The acrid stench stung their eyes, forcing coughs out of their throats.

Shadows twisted against the burning walls, giant and monstrous.

“Shit! Romance, you idiot!” Baby coughed, waving his arms uselessly at the flames as though that might extinguish them. “They’re going to see the light!”

Too late.

Through the haze, Huntrix appeared at the far end of the yard, their silhouettes framed against the firelight.

“They’ve already seen us!” Baby yelled.

“Look I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you two need to go while you still can. We’ll slow you down,” Abby murmured, his own consciousness beginning
to drift.

“No there is no way in hell we are leaving you here-” Romance argues, bending down, but his hand was slapped away by Mystery.

“No. I’m tired. Let me die. With Abby,” Mystery whispers.

Abby lets out a dry chuckle. “At least we won’t be dying alone. We’ll be together.”

“No, keep fighting, we can still make it!” Romance protests.

“I don’t want to keep fighting!” Mystery yells out with more volume than he ever has. “I just want to die. In peace. Preferably under the blade of the hunter with black hair. She slit my throat once already — it’s poetic. Let me finish my life with some damn poetry!”

“Mystery…why the fuck is that your biggest concern right now!?” Baby’s voice cracked, his eyes glistening.

Romance snarls. “I don’t care. I’m getting you out of here. Both of you. Nobody is going to be left in this already half-burned warehouse. We’re going.”

Before Romance could argue further, Huntrix stepped through the flames like executioners.

Mira, weapon glinting, sneered. “So this is where you’ve run off to.”

“Well. Shit,” Romance muttered.

He and Baby immediately shifted in front of their injured friends, baring their fangs, trying to look like fearsome predators while trembling like cornered puppies.

The hunters exchanged looks that ranged from pity to annoyance.

“Hyung…what do we do?” Baby whispered-shouted.

“Open a portal. Open a tear,” Romance ordered. “They won’t follow us. I think.”

Baby obeyed, and stepped behind Romance so Huntrix won’t see through their master plan.

His hands formed a sphere as he chanted. A spark of pink light glowed — then fizzled out.

“It’s…not working.” He murmured, then his voice rose to a shout. “It’s not working!”

“Then let me try.”

They swapped positions awkwardly, shuffling like dance partners at a middle school prom.

Now, Romance hid behind Baby, so that Huntrix won’t see through their master plan.

Huntrix gave them looks of disappointment.

Romance chanted, pink light sparked, then died.

There goes their master plan.

“This is bullshit!” Romance yelled. “Why isn’t it working?”

Rumi tilted her head. “…maybe because the honmoon is sealed?”

Both demons froze. “It’s already sealed!?”

“Then what are we doing here!?” Romance barked in disbelief.

“Beats me,” Mira deadpanned. “But the fact you’re alive means we still have to kill you.”

She lunged, polearm slicing dangerously close to Romance’s throat.

“Woah woah woah we can talk about this!” Romance yelps.

“No can do buddy,” Mira says, and suddenly it's a free for all.

What followed was chaos — Huntrix leaping through flames, Baby and Romance scuttling around like panicked rodents, Mystery and Abby lying on the floor like dying spectators to a live-action Tom & Jerry episode.

Abby wheezed laughter through his pain. “Funniest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Eventually, Rumi’s massive sword caught Romance in the side, sending him crumpling with a howl.

“Romance!” Baby cried, falling to his knees. “Are you okay!?”

“Yeah I’m just perfect!” Romance snaps, voice dripping with sarcasm. “Just got stabbed in the side, what do you think!?”

Baby pulls an offended face.

“Stop copying my flow.” he mutters.

“This is really not the time you know,” somebody says, and they all turn to look at the Huntrix girls, weapons high above their heads, ready to strike them down.

The girls loomed above, weapons poised to end it.

“Wait wait wait wait WAIT!” Baby blurted desperately. “Don’t kill us. We’re just…we…we’re like Jinu! You know? Broken…and…filled with guilt. And tortured souls.”

“Go on,” Mira challenged. “What’s your sob story?”

Baby scrambled. “I, uh…abandoned my family to live in luxury-”

“That’s copyrighted,” Rumi cut in flatly.

“Okay FINE. I don’t remember.”

“Nice try, demon,” Zoey said, preparing her knives again.

“No, I seriously do not remember! The only thing I remember from my human life is that the fourth stall from the river sells really good fruit-”

“…what?” Zoey blinked.

“Okay, enough.” Rumi’s sword gleamed, and it somehow looked five times bigger than it did during the battle.

Baby panicked. “I’ll tell Mira and Zoey your deep dark secret if you touch us!”

Rumi froze. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“I dare! Oh, I dare alright,” he threatened, nodding his head.

“…can’t I just kill you anyway?”

Baby wagged a finger. “Nuh uh. I’ll just come back and tell Mira and Zoey in their dreams. It will haunt you for the rest of your life.”

Rumi pinched the bridge of her nose. “…fine. What’s your condition?”

“No killing us,” he says. “Also…heal us, feed us, house us, maybe tuck us in at night-”

Abby kicked him.

“Okay, okay. Just heal us and don’t kill us.”

Rumi sighed. “Fine. But don’t try anything stupid.”

Mira and Zoey gawked as if Rumi had sprouted another head.

“Are we seriously doing this?” Mira muttered.

“Yes,” Rumi said firmly, lifting Romance onto her shoulder with surprising ease. “You two carry Abs Guy and Megamind. We’re heading back to the tower.”

Abby glanced at Baby. “What secret of Rumi’s do you know, anyway?”

Baby shrugged. “Who knows? I made it up. Didn’t think it would actually work.”

Chapter Text

Nobody — absolutely nobody, not even the demons themselves — knew how they would react once stepping inside a real human home, especially one that was owned by idols that earned millions a year.

Huntrix, however, learned the truth very, very quickly. And it was honestly quite horrifying.

The elevator dinged softly, sliding open to reveal the polished white marble floors and towering glass windows of the penthouse apartment.

The penthouse of Huntrix’s tower had always been sleek, clean, and borderline luxurious. It was the kind of place where idols could actually breathe without being stalked by paparazzi or training coaches.

Bobby had made sure of that.

But the moment the demons’ glowing golden eyes landed on the penthouse living room, their jaws collectively dropped like cartoon characters who had just discovered gravity for the first time.

For three entire minutes, they just stood there, staring into the vast expanse of clean modern furniture, shiny flat-screen TV, fully-stocked kitchen, and expensive rugs.

They gawked like feral animals suddenly thrown into an ancient golden palace for royalty.

And then the chaos began.

The reaction was instantaneous.

“Mystery! Wait- no, come back! You’re still hurt!” Zoey shrieked as the silver-haired demon pounced across the room like a starving wild cat, ripped open the refrigerator door and shoved his face inside the cold compartment as though he hadn’t eaten in centuries.

Which, to be fair, was probably true.

Clattering noises echoed. Cold mist billowed out of the fridge.

He let out a muffled groan of relief as he crammed his entire head between leftover takeout boxes and a cartons of milk.

“Get out of my fucking wardrobe, you heart-shaped head piece of shit!” Mira’s scream tore through the room next.

She was chasing Romance, who had immediately discovered her bedroom closet and was now fingering through her vast collection of performance costumes like he had stumbled into a luxury boutique.

His expression was pure awe, almost reverent.

Mira’s face was pure murder.

“I swear to Gwi-ma, if you stretch one singular sequin on my jacket-” she hissed.

Once she dragged Romance out, she looked up to see Abby, who was calmly observing every expensive item in the the living room.

His fingers traced the ceramic rim of a vase delicately, as though deciding whether it would look better in shards.

“I swear, if you drop that…” Mira growled, taking off her slipper and holding it above her head like it was a holy weapon.

Meanwhile, Rumi was locked in a wrestling match with Baby, who had flopped dramatically onto the plush cream-colored couch like it was his birthright.

“Get your grubby demon germs off my couch!” she snarled, tugging at his arm.

Zoey poked her head out from the kitchen, still trying to wrestle a bag of frozen dumplings from Mystery’s hands.

“Not our couch!” she exclaimed.

Rumi blinked, then corrected, “…right. My bad. Our couch.”

Eventually, after far too many threats and screams, each demon was forcibly dragged, shoved, or bribed back into the living room.

They ended up in a tangled heap on the carpet, golden eyes blinking up at the ceiling like guilty children caught raiding the cookie jar.

“Okay. Here’s the deal, demons,” Rumi said firmly, crossing her arms with the best intimidating glare she could muster.

“We have names, you know,” Abby cut in with mock offense, raising a bloody hand to his chest.

Then, as though the universe needed to punctuate the moment, he coughed violently and splattered red across the rug.

“Yeah we know. Abs guy, Megamind, Heart-shaped freak, and Piece of shit,” Mira says, jabbing her finger towards Abby, Mystery, Romance and Baby respectively.

Abby, naturally, grinned proudly at the nickname.

Romance made a theatrical face of heartbreak.

Baby pulled a face.

Mystery, however, tilted his head slowly and nodded.

“You’re right. I am quite smart,” he said flatly, with absolute seriousness.

Mira groaned, placing her head in her hand. “That’s not- ugh, you know what never mind.”

“So,” Baby interrupted, looking around the penthouse like a squatter eyeing prime real estate, “where are we sleeping?”

Three pairs of golden demon eyes swiveled to glare at him.

“Really? That is your first question?” Romance muttered darkly, his scowl deepening. His wound on the side of his torso still oozed faintly through his torn black robe, and the sight made his words drip with venom. “The rest of us are literally bleeding waterfalls.”

“Ohhh yeahhhhh,” Baby hummed slowly, like the thought had just connected. He nodded sagely once, then shrugged and walked away. Without another word, he collapsed face-first onto the couch again. “Good luck with that. I’m tired.”

“Wait- not our couch!” Zoey squeaked, running forward, but Rumi caught her by the wrist and pulled her back.

“Look,” Rumi sighed. “I’m just as pissed as you are, but the last thing I need is demon blood staining our floorboards forever.”

“I love how that’s your main reasoning for helping us,” Abby groaned loudly from the carpet.

“Be glad we’re even helping you at all,” Mira snapped, storming into the hallway and returning with a first aid kit big enough to resuscitate a horse.

The rest of the night was…loud.

Painful screaming echoed through the penthouse walls, and if security or Bobby happened to overhear from elsewhere, they were probably convinced Huntrix had decided to host a very unholy exorcism party.

Abby had to be placed in a literal circle of salt in the middle of the floor just to stop him from thrashing like a rabid wolf while Mira stitched his wound.

Romance was dramatically tied to a bed with scarves — not only for his own safety, but also because he muttered something about ‘atmosphere’ distracting him from the pain.

He cried, he moaned, he demanded roses and a violin orchestra to ease his suffering.

Mystery, on the other hand, fainted instantly the moment Zoey so much as grazed his wound with antiseptic. It wasn’t entirely clear whether it was from pain…or simply because Zoey had touched him.

And Baby — uninjured, unbothered and unmoving — snored peacefully on the couch the entire time like a spoiled little prince.

By the time Huntrix was done, the three demons lay sprawled across the carpet, panting heavily and drenched in sweat, but at least not actively dying.

Baby yawned obnoxiously, stretching his limbs like he had just woken up as sleeping beauty. “You guys done?”

Abby glared daggers at him. “I cannot believe you.”

“What? I wasn’t the one injured,” Baby said simply with a shrug.

“You could at least comfort us, or hype us up or something,” Romance muttered, tossing aside the cloth he had bitten to get through the stitching.

Baby blinked at him, then rolled his eyes. “So, where are we sleeping?”

Mira slapped her palm to her forehead. “Why is that the only phrase in your entire vocabulary?”

Rumi pointed toward a guest room. “It’s the largest spare room we’ve got, but there’s only one bed. It’s pretty big though, so it should fit all of you.”

Romance’s smirk was instantaneous. “One bed, you say?”

Mystery sighed when he heard that and says, “I’m sleeping on the floor.”

Mira grimaces, then nods in approval after hearing Mystery’s words. “I would too if I were you.”

Then, she turned to the other girls and announces, “Megamind is officially my new favourite now.”

Abby and Romance share a look of heartbreak.

The demons staggered off to the guest room, Abby collapsing first onto the mattress.

“Move!” Baby complained, shoving him to the left. “You’re taking up all the space!”

“What, jealous of my big muscles?” Abby flexed proudly, spreading himself out even wider. “Envy isn’t a good look on you.”

Baby’s eye twitched and a scowl formed on his face.

Without hesitation, he curled his fingers into a fist, and raised it above Abby’s fresh stitches.

Abby’s eyes widened in horror and he rolled aside just in time.

“For Gwi-ma’s sake, you have no mercy!” he hissed.

They bickered like children while Romance and Mystery squeezed into the remaining space.

Within minutes, the four demons were packed together like penguins in winter, limbs awkwardly tangling.

Romance gasped when Mystery shifted and rubbed Romance’s wound. “Ow Mystery it hurts!”

“Sorry,” he said apologetically, moving away from the wound and crashed into Baby.

“Mystery!”

 

“S-sorry-”

He shuffled back and touched Romance’s wound again.

He hissed out in pain.

“Ah…sorry.”

This time as Mystery moved, he jabbed his elbow square into Baby’s ribs.

“Mystery you-!”
In the chaos, Abby groaned loudly. “Can we kick Baby out? He’s the only one uninjured and he‘s already had a nap on the couch.”

“How rude! You can’t kick me out, I’m the youngest.” Baby said indignantly.

“Nobody cares about that when we’re sweaty and in pain,” Mystery deadpanned.

Baby frowned as he stared at the silver haired man. “You’re supposed to be on my side-”

He didn’t get to finish his sentence before Abby unceremoniously drop-kicked Baby off the bed.

Baby let out a dramatic wail as he hit the floor.

“Hyung!” he screeched. But the others had already spread out comfortably, snoring like war veterans. He groaned, stomping miserably to the couch where he dived head-first into. “This is more comfy anyway.”

—

Zoey was the first to wake, groggy and disoriented, to the sound of loud, rhythmic banging.

At first, she assumed it was construction from outside the tower, and then she was convinced it was due to Mira sleep-fighting demons again.

But no, this noise was different.

Pulling on her fluffy raccoon slippers, and slipped out the door. She trudged through the hallway, only to bump into Rumi and Mira, both equally sleep-deprived and disturbed from the noises.

“What the fuck is that noise,” Mira groaned, rubbing her eyes.

“I dunno. It seems like it’s coming from the living room,” Zoey muttered, yawning.

The first thing they see upon arriving in the living room was Baby contaminating their couch again with his face buried in the pillow.

“Kid, what are you doing here-” Rumi began, but Baby lazily flipped her off without even lifting his head to look up at her.

“I’m four hundred years older than you. Don’t call me kid,” he grumbled, then let his arm flop onto the couch again. “Also, someone please stop that horrendous sound. Is this normal here in the tower?”

“We’re trying to find out the reason too,” Zoey explained.

The three girls continued to follow the noise, and soon found Mystery repeatedly slamming his head against the wall.

“What in Gwi-ma’s name are you doing!?” Mira shouted, rushing forward and pinning him back.

“I want to die,” Mystery said a bit too calmly.

“What-!?”

His bangs shifted slightly, revealing a tiny glint of his golden eye.

“After five hundred years of torture, all I wanted was to succumb beneath the hands of something pretty. But noooo. You guys just had to rescue me. And now, she won’t even stab me anymore…” He sniffed sadly, then whispered, “What if I die from something ugly now?”

The girls looked at him with varying looks of disappointment.

“…is that seriously the first thing you’re worried about?” Rumi murmured in genuine disbelief..

“Wait. Did you just call me pretty?” Zoey blurted at the same time.

Mystery sighed and ignored them both. “Don’t stop me. Living knowing I could’ve died from something beautiful is dreadful. I need a distraction.”

He resumed slamming his head against the wall.

“What? You- oh for fucks sake-!” Mira exclaimed.

She and Rumi physically had to restrain him from hurting himself any further, and the two dragged him back onto the living room floor.

Baby perked his head up and waved from the couch. “Hi Mystery.”

Mystery raised a hand lazily.

“Is…is this normal?” Rumi asked, exasperated.

“Not really,” a new voice entered the room. It was Abby, shuffling into the living room with Romance behind him. “He’s been really obsessed with hurting himself though. Last night he kept chewing on his own hand until it bled.”

“Has this always happened?” Zoey asked.

Romance shook his head. “Started last night. Honestly…I think he’s going crazy.”

Abby sighed miserably. “Maybe it’s time to put him down.”

Mystery turns to look at him, and anybody could feel the glare radiating from beneath those bangs. “I’m not a dog that needs to be put down.”

“You sure act like one,” Abby muttered.

“Yeah. Jinu once said he threw a stick and your first reaction was to chase after it,” Romance laughs. “Ain’t that right Jinu?”

Everyone turns to stare at him.

He pauses.

An awkward silence commences.

A very awkward silence.

A silence filled to the brim with awkwardness, and a lot of unspoken anger.

The silence lasted until Mystery groaned and slammed his head onto the floor again.

The girls collectively sighed.

Rumi finally yanked him up and shoved him onto the couch.

“Yeah,” she said flatly, glancing at Mira and Zoey in despair. “We’re definitely child-proofing this apartment.”

They all looked at the blood trickling from Mystery’s forehead. He stuck out his tongue, licked it, then grimaced.

“That tastes disgusting,” he muttered. He then stood up and stared at the blood that have stained his robes, from both yesterday’s battle injuries and today’s new obsession with pain. “I feel disgusting.”

Zoey made a face. “Honestly…he’s not wrong. I mean not saying you’re disgusting, but you guys can’t just keep wandering around in those raggedy black robes stained with blood. It’s…a little creepy.”

Romance perked up instantly, flipping his hair. “Are you suggesting…a wardrobe change?”

Mira pinched the bridge of her nose. “Are we actually considering this-”

“Yes one hundred percent. Before they bleed on everything we own,” Rumi declares. “You all need clothes. Real clothes. Normal, human clothes.”

The demons looked at one another. Baby perked up. Mystery bled. Romance squealed like he’d just been crowned prom queen.

Abby smirked, his gold eyes gleaming. “A shopping trip?”

“Exactly. We’re going to the mall!” Zoey grinned. “This is so exciting-”

“Control your excitement Zoey. There is nothing fun about clothes shopping for demons,” Mira says, but was royally ignored as Rumi began to lead them into the elevator like a mother duck with her ducklings.

Mira watched as the demons eagerly followed behind, and muttered the only logical thought left in her mind:

“…we’re all going to regret this.”

Chapter Text

To the girls’ disappointment and absolute dread, Bobby had gone off to do important managing things to clear up the Huntrix drama that had exploded after the idol awards show.

Unfortunately, that left them without a driver, without a van, and essentially stranded like helpless pigeons in the middle of the city.

At least it excused them from the need to explain why four members of the Saja boys now lived in their home, even if they knew the interrogation would be inevitable.

“You guys are literal billionaires,” Abby deadpanned, raising an eyebrow. “You don’t have chauffeurs?”

Rumi rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “We used to. But our last chauffeur kidnapped us and locked us in a warehouse in the middle of nowhere.”

Zoey’s voice piped in. “Luckily it was right before our show, so almost an entire city of policemen started searching for us.”

Mira nodded gravely. “And the chauffeur before that turned out to be a demon who drove us to the beach and almost threw us off a cliff.”

“And the chauffeur before that?” Mystery dared to ask.

The three Huntrix girls froze. A mutual shudder rippled through them.

“We don’t talk about that guy,” Zoey whispered, her tone dropping like it carried a horror-movie soundtrack with it. “He was a total…weirdo.”

Rumi quickly redirected. “Wait, did you guys not have trouble with that kind of thing? You were pretty popular.”

The Saja Boys, centuries-old demons in boyband packaging, collectively shuddered.

“There was that time we got cornered in an alley by a group of high school girls,” Abby started, his tone unnervingly serious.

Rumi cocked an eyebrow. “High school girls? You’re literally four hundred-year-old demons and you’re afraid of few teenagers?”

Baby shivered. “No. Not just high school girls. Really, really weird high school girls. The kind that makes you reconsider your entire immortality.”

Zoey barked a laugh. “You couldn’t have just beaten up their asses?”

Abby groaned, rubbing his temples. “No. Jinu kept lecturing us about how we had to be nice to fans, so we just stood there like idiots against the wall while they tried to claw pieces of us off like we were limited-edition K-pop merch. Like I know I look amazing, but c’mon!”

At the mention of their leader’s name, the group fell into an uncomfortable silence.

Mira broke it, her voice sharp. “I thought you guys would get off of that.”

Baby wrinkled his nose and yanked Mystery’s arm closer. “Ew- no. The fuck? Don’t even aim that at us. Mystery acts like a dog sometimes, sure, but we’re normal. Those two, however-”

He jabbed a finger toward Romance and Abby. Both grimaced.

“Okay, I know I flash my abs a lot and he’s literally called Romance,” Abby snarled, “but we still have dignity.”

Romance raised both hands in protest. “Exactly. Plus, they were like sixteen. Who do you think I am? I may be a demon, but I’m not Gwi-ma. I’m not an actual monster.”

For the first time since they met, the girls gave them a look of faint respect.

“Anyway,” Rumi interjected, dragging them back to reality, “more importantly — we don’t have a van. How are we getting to the mall?”

“We could try teleporting,” Abby suggested casually, like it was the most normal thing to say.

“Wait, what, no-” Mira began, but before she could finish, a cloud of blinding pink smoke swallowed them whole.

The smoke cleared to reveal Abby staggering on the pavement, coughing like he’d swallowed an entire perfume counter.

“Never mind. Doesn’t work. Ow.”

“Maybe it’s because you’re injured,” Baby said, rolling his shoulders. “Lemme try.”

Another puff of pink. Another fail. Baby also doubled over.

“Okay, yeah. That hurt.”

Rumi sighed. “Guess we’re all taking the public bus.”

—

That decision, in hindsight, was the kind of mistake people write cautionary tales about.

Huntrix had never truly processed the level of chaos a simple bus could contain. If they had, they would have walked from the start — or better yet, staged a coup and stolen a car.

To start, while the girls were racking their brains trying to figure out the correct route to the mall, Baby decided that all buses inevitably led to wherever he needed to go. No exceptions.

He convinced the Saja Boys of this flawless logic, and since none of them possessed anything resembling common sense, they followed him without question.

By the time Huntrix turned around, the boys had vanished like toddlers in a department store.

Two minutes of chasing later, the boys were back — shoved out onto the street by an angry driver for having no money to pay.

“See?” Zoey scolded. “This is why you wait for us.”

They regrouped, boarded the right bus, and immediately, Abby threatened a group of men to give up their seats. His tone was so cocky, he might as well have been demanding tribute.

When one of the men challenged him, Abby grinned like Christmas had come early.

It was over in seconds. The man groaned on the floor while Abby looked smug.

He got kicked out for causing a scene, and after the others tried to bribe the driver to let him back in, they were all promptly thrown off the bus too.

Next bus.

This time, Romance began to flirt mindlessly with a random woman, and once her husband appeared to defend her, he began to flirt with the husband instead.

Chaos. Screams. Out they went again.

Next bus.

Mystery decided then was a better time than any to start banging his head rhythmically against the pole. When blood trickled down his forehead, passengers grimaced and screamed in horror.

Nobody dared kick them off, but Huntrix yanked the boys out themselves, mortified.

For the final act on their final bus, the Saja Boys collectively agreed it would be hilarious if they decided to pretend to be monsters.

It WOULD be hilarious, if it weren’t for the fact that they were wearing torn apart demonic hanboks with suspicious red stains.

Cue mass panic. Cue yet another ejection.

By the time they were kicked out the final time, the distance was short enough that it would only be walking distance from the mall. And so they decided to walk.

“We are never taking the bus ever again,” Mira declared in the tone of someone swearing a blood oath.

Rumi nodded. Even Zoey, usually buzzing like a caffeinated squirrel, was subdued.

The boys just snickered like it had been free entertainment.

—

“Okay, so,” Zoey piped up, bouncing back with renewed energy. “What kind of style do you guys like?”

“Style?” Mystery echoed.
“Yeah,” Mira said, eyeing them critically. “Romance looked like a fuckboy, Baby was all cutesy, Mystery looked a bit of a mix between the two, and Abby just wore things that fell off easily so he could show his abs.”

Abby frowned, unsure whether to be offended or flattered.

Baby scoffed. “As if we had a choice. We were dressed to fit roles.”

“You were given roles?” Zoey asked, fascinated. “…like acting roles? But you’re idols.”

“Personas we were supposed to play as,” Abby explained. “That’s where our names came from. I was the good-looking hot one, Mystery was mysterious,
Romance was the flirt, Baby was the cute innocent maknae.”

Mira’s deadpan stare could’ve curdled milk. “Baby. Cute? Innocent? The only true word in that sentence is maknae.”

Baby glared. The others laughed.

“You piece of sh-”

“See!” Mira waved her hands towards him, proving her point.

“There was a reason Jinu told him not to talk,” Mystery smirked.

The laughter died instantly. Jinu’s shadow loomed like a ghost at the edge of the group.

Zoey quickly clapped her hands, trying to disperse the tension.. “Anyway! Clothes. Let’s go.”

Together, they entered and began to walk through the mall.

It was no surprise that they got lots of stares, and not only because of the boy’s ancient and demonic outfits. The girls wore outfits consisting of hoods,
sunglasses and masks, and looked like they were moments from robbing a bank.

“Do you guys always get this much attention, or is it because we’re with you this time?” Baby asked, a grin settling on his face.

Mira groaned. “You all have too much pride.”

Eventually, they stopped outside of a clothes shop.

Inside, there were racks overflowed with clean, modern silhouettes: structured jackets, oversized hoodies, ripped denim, delicate jewelry that caught the light.

Everything screamed “effortless cool,” the kind of store where even the mannequins judged you for your fashion sense.

It smelled faintly of cedarwood and overpriced fabric softener.

“Okay so, do you guys want to go see what you like or should we?” Rumi asked.

They looked at each other.

“Uh,” Romance muttered, “maybe you should pick for us.”

Mira tilted her head. “That’s honestly surprising considering you’re all so vain.”

“Well…we didn’t exactly have a style when we were humans,” Romance began.

“We were probably all too poor for that,” Mystery adds.

“Hey, I was rich!” Baby argued, then paused. “I think.”

“You think?” Rumi repeated.

“He made up his human life like a story after forgetting it,” Abby explained dryly.

Rumi frowned. “Forgot it? How many years has it been? I thought Jinu was older than you all, and he hasn’t forgotten his.”

“Firstly, Jinu’s the second oldest. Mystery is older than him by ten years,” Romance says, then continues. “Secondly, Jinu never forgot because Gwi-ma enjoyed torturing him and kept reminding him of his past. Gwi-ma probably forgot the rest of us existed.”

Zoey’s eyes softened. “Poor guy-”

Every demon plus Mira glared at her. She immediately backtracked, scuttling into the store. “ANYWAY. CLOTHES!”

She scurries off to avoid the angry gazes of century old demons and a Mira, and soon the other girls follow while the boys slump on a tiny couch to wait for them.

“Alright, we’ve had a look and we think we have an idea on how we should go about things,” Rumi explains.

Zoey cheers. “Who wants to go first!”

No response.

“Alright! Abby you’re up!” Zoey exclaims, reaching forwards and clutching his arm.

“Wait wait wait why me-” his yells were drowned out as he was dragged into the changing rooms.

—

Two and a half hours later, the demons were all dressed in clean, modern clothes, all of them looking like runaway models in their napalm era.

Abby wore a white sweater which clung perfectly to his figure, the sleeves rolled up just enough to show his forearms. Black jeans hugged his legs, cuffed neatly above his ankles to reveal sleek black trainers. A thick black belt cinched the look together, while a stack of black bracelets and a long, minimalist black necklace completed the ensemble. It looked simple and clean.

Romance fitted a black shirt tucked under a crisp white denim jacket with silver accents and buttons, catching the light with every move. Slim black trousers elongated his legs, paired with spotless white trainers. Silver necklaces layered subtly across his collarbone.

Mystery wore an oversized white hoodie, layered under a loose grey cargo jacket. Pale blue jeans — baggy, ripped, almost artfully destroyed — hung low, paired with scuffed white trainers. Silver bracelets clinked faintly whenever he moved. It looked comfy, but devastatingly perfect.

Baby wore a crisp white shirt with an exaggerated pointed collar, layered beneath a sharp black sleeveless vest that tied at the side. The shirt’s hem and sleeves flowed dramatically, brushing his thighs, paired with black cargo pants and clean white trainers. Long silver necklaces draped across his chest.

Huntrix stared.

“You guys look…” Rumi began, not actually attracted, only genuinely dumbfounded at how good demons could look.

Zoey practically sparkled with glee. Mira grinned smugly, proud of their handiwork.

Abby smirked at the mirror. “Damn, I look good.”

Baby snorted. “Nah, everyone knows I look better.”

Romance tossed his hair. “Please. I’m clearly the prettiest.”

Zoey squinted at them, then pointed. “I think Mystery looks the best.”

All eyes swiveled to her.

“What?” she defended.

Mystery tilted his head, expression unreadable. “…thanks.”

As well as those outfits, they also bought some more good looking sets along with one or two pairs of comfortable pyjamas for each member.

“Now that the clothes problem is solved, where should we go?” Rumi asks.

Zoey jumps up. “Let’s go get food! I’m starving.”

—

The mall was packed, buzzing with chatter and the occasional shriek of spotting idols on LED billboards.

Huntrix led the way, weaving through the crowd like seasoned professionals at dodging paparazzi.

Zoey stopped suddenly, pointing dramatically at a shop with a neon sign shaped like a cup: BOBA BLISS.

“Ooooh,” she gasped. “Bubble tea.”

Mystery blinked. “Bubble…what?”

“It’s like tea,” Mira explained flatly, “but with sugar balls.”

“They’re tapioca pearls,” Rumi corrected with a grin. Mira just rolled her eyes fondly.

The boys crowded around the glowing menu board.

Abby squinted. “What the hell is a brown sugar brulee boba latte with a cream cap? That’s not a drink, that’s a sentence.”

Romance leaned in, eyes lighting up. “Wait, this one says ‘strawberry cheesecake smoothie.’ Cake in a drink? I want this one!”

Mystery pointed at the menu with deadpan intensity. “I’ll just take the ‘classic milk tea’.”

Zoey clapped her hands like an overexcited toddler. “Yes! First bubble tea for demons! This is history!”

It didn’t take too long for their drinks to be ready, and they sat by a small round table near the window.

Abby poked the giant straw through the lid. He took a long sip, chewed once, and froze. His expression went blank.

“…it’s chewy.”

“Yeah,” Mira deadpans. “That’s the point.”

“It’s the tapioca pearls,” Zoey chirped.

Abby spat the pearl back into the cup with exaggerated horror. “I don’t like drinks that fight back.”

Baby, on the other hand, was slurping his brown sugar explosion deluxe like he’d found religion. “Oh my god. This is the best thing I’ve had since blood pudding.”

Romance swirled his cheesecake smoothie and winked at the cashier, who looked like she was considering quitting on the spot. “Sweet, cold, and hard to resist. Just like me.”

Mystery sat in silence, methodically stabbing the straw into the tapioca balls one by one before sucking them up like ammunition.

His face remained completely expressionless, but he finished the entire cup in thirty seconds.

Mira sighed as she observed the others. “I give it ten minutes before one of them weaponizes the pearls.”

Sure enough, by the time they left, Baby and Abby were spitting pearls at each other like spitball snipers.

—

After wrestling the bubble tea chaos into submission, the group arrived at a tiny ramen shop tucked into a side street.

The smell hit first: rich broth, soy, pork fat, garlic.

Steam fogged the windows, and the sound of clattering bowls lured them in.

“Food,” Mystery muttered. “Real food.”

They squeezed into a long table, the demons looking almost reverent as menus were placed in front of them.

Baby practically bounced in his seat. “Oh my goodness there are so many options! This kind of thing used to be so expensive…and…they have spicy ramen with triple chili warning symbols! I’m ordering that.”

Mira glared. “No. You’ll die.”

Baby smirked. “I’m a demon. I’ll live. And then I’ll die. And then I’ll probably live again.”

Romance leaned over the menu. “Do you think the waiter will notice if I wink when I order?”

“Please don’t flirt with the poor waitresses,” Rumi begged.

The bowls arrived steaming hot, noodles piled high like golden hills, broth bubbling with oil and spice.

The boys froze, staring.

Abby whispered, almost reverently: “…this feels like heaven. Am I in heaven?”

Then chaos erupted.

Baby shoved half the spicy ramen into his mouth immediately, turned bright red, and began choking and laughing at the same time.

Romance twirled noodles around his chopsticks with dramatic flair, then slurped on the noodles as if it was an art form. He seemed to have completely forgotten to flirt with the waitresses, too focused on the delicious food.

Mystery ate mechanically, like he was conducting a ritual. Every motion looked calculated, but his cheeks were flushed with happiness.

Abby flexed his jaw as he cracked a boiled egg perfectly in half with his teeth. “This is peak masculinity.”

Huntrix ate in silence, half impressed, half disturbed.

By the end, every bowl was licked clean.

Romance was on the floor clutching his stomach, sweat dripping like he’d run a marathon.

“I regret nothing,” he gasped.

—

Nobody wanted to risk the bus again, so they decided to walk back toward the tower.

The evening air was cool, neon signs buzzing above them, the city alive with night energy.

Zoey skipped ahead, humming. “See? This is nice. No chaos.”

Behind her, Baby picked up a traffic cone and placed it on his head like a crown. Abby immediately punched it off.

“No chaos,” Zoey repeated, louder, as if willing it to be true.

The group soon ducked into a 24-hour convenience store on the way back, so the girls could grab some snacks for the boys to try.

The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, the aisles stacked with everything from instant ramen to energy drinks to suspiciously shiny hot dogs spinning on rollers.

Zoey ran straight to the candy aisle. “Snacks! Essential for survival.”

Baby disappeared into the sauces section like it was Disneyland.

Abby immediately went to find beef jerky, saying how he always wanted to try it but Jinu never let him.

Meanwhile, Romance struck up a conversation with the cashier who clearly hated his life.

Meanwhile, Rumi caught sight of Mystery holding something.

“Uh…Mystery? What are you doing with that craft knife?” she asked cautiously.

Mystery blinked at her, knife in hand. “It looks cool. Look, it goes up and down.”

He flicked the blade in and out with a click, mesmerized.

“Yes, it does. Now put it down.”

He tilted his head. “…wait. Can I have it?”

Rumi frowned. “The knife?”

“Yeah. It looks cool.”

Suspicion clouded her eyes. “What are you planning to do with it?”

He flinched slightly, barely noticeable, but kept his face blank. “To look at?”

“…to look at?” Rumi repeated slowly.

“The knives in the demon realm weren’t like this,” Mystery said flatly. “They didn’t go up and down. It’s fun.”

“Fine. But don’t do anything stupid. We don’t want anyone or you getting hurt.”

Mystery scoffed. “I’m a demon. I handle dangerous things all the time.”

They rejoined the others at the counter. Zoey dumped armfuls of candy onto the belt.

Abby tossed protein bars and packets of beef jerky on top.

Mira, holding a basket, slammed it down with an annoyed sigh.

Rumi blinked at the contents. “…why is this basket full of hot sauce?”

Mira jabbed a finger toward Baby. “Ask that brat.”

Baby grinned wickedly, clutching three bottles like trophies.

The cashier didn’t even flinch anymore. He just scanned the items with dead eyes, as if he’d seen everything and lost the will to live long ago.

Chapter Text

The morning sun bled through the cheap blinds in streaks of gold, cutting across the Huntrix apartment like jagged swords.

Dust floated in the beams, glowing faintly, almost holy if not for the faint smell of pancake batter, stale coffee, and something suspiciously demonic lingering in the air.

“Good morning…” Rumi yawned, dragging herself into the kitchen. Her voice sounded like gravel sliding downhill.

Her long hair was a wild disaster, strands shooting in every direction like she had fought a small hurricane in her sleep.

Meanwhile, her eyes were droopy, half-shut, and her back hunched as she shuffled forward, a soldier returning from a war no one else had attended.

It was less ’idol leader’ and more ’madwoman crawling out of the forest.’

Mira was already stationed at the counter, a mug of coffee clutched in her hands like a weapon against both the world and her own consciousness.

The faint steam curled around her sharp features as though daring anyone to test her patience.

Across from her, Zoey looked like the exact opposite.

Her black hair was tied up in a messy bun, strands falling loose around her bright face, and despite the occasional yawn, her energy buzzed in the air.

She was happily whisking pancake batter in a giant bowl, flour smeared across her cheek like war paint.

Every flick of her wrist sent tiny droplets flying onto the counter and floor, not that she noticed.

“Goodness, you look like you haven’t slept at all,” Mira remarked without even trying to sound sympathetic. Her tone carried the kind of blunt judgment that only came from someone who hadn’t had enough sleep herself.

Rumi gave a tired laugh, leaning against the fridge for support. “No, I’m okay. Just… woke up several times.”

Zoey spun around mid-whisk, a splatter of batter narrowly missing Mira’s arm. “Oh yeah, me too. Somebody kept walking around last night.”

Mira arched a brow, sipping her coffee with the solemnity of a priest.

“Well, I was asleep like a log. Unless…” She frowned dramatically. “Unless I began sleep-battling demons. Which, honestly, wouldn’t shock me.”

She momentarily recalled the several times she has done so in the past, and shrugged, almost proud.

“No, it didn’t sound like you,” Rumi continued. She rubbed her temple. “It was more like…a lot of tired stomping.”

Zoey paused mid-stir, lips pursed. “Probably the boys. They keep getting lost trying to find the bathroom. Again.”

Mira sighed, glaring at the crooked clock hanging on the wall. “It’s almost ten. Perhaps we should wake them before they rot into the mattresses and become part of the furniture.”

Rumi groaned but nodded, and Zoey perked up a little.

Together, the girls abandoned breakfast prep and made their way toward the spare room, which the Saja Boys had practically colonized the night before.

The door creaked open to reveal chaos: blankets everywhere, limbs poking out from impossible angles, one of the boys snoring like a dying lawnmower.

It smelled faintly of smoke, bit of blood, and a boat load of despair.

“Alright, wake up!” Rumi clapped her hands loudly, voice ringing with leader authority. “I know we’re on hiatus, but it’s basically lunchtime, and I want breakfast.”

Zoey, never one to do things halfway, darted back to the kitchen, grabbed two frying pans, and immediately began banging them together like a one-girl marching band. “RISE AND SHINE, YOU BEAUTIFUL DEFINITELY NOT HANDSOME DEMONS!”

The effect was instant.

“Ugh…okay, okay, I’m awake,” Abby groaned, dragging himself upright.

His deep pink hair was sticking out like devil horns, and his golden eyes blinked blearily.

He looked less like a supernatural idol and more like the physical embodiment of regret.

Romance was next, flopping upright dramatically as though rising from a coffin.

“The morning is cruel,” he announced as if he was an actor in Shakespear’s play, clutching his chest. “Cruel and unkind. But alas, I endure.”

Mystery, ever the anomaly, simply sat up slowly, his long silver-purple hair falling into place to cover his golden eyes.

His expression was unnervingly calm, like he’d been awake the entire time, meditating on some unspeakable cosmic truth while everyone else drooled on the pillows.

But Baby? Baby did not move.

He lay sprawled across the bed like a corpse, teal-blue hair damp and tangled, one arm flung dramatically off the side, mouth open in a snore that was far too relaxed.

Zoey grinned wickedly and banged the pans harder. “COME ON, BABY. TIME TO FACE YOUR FATE.”

The others winced, covering their ears.

“Can you quit doing that!” Romance yelped, voice cracking as he buried his head under the blanket.

But Baby still didn’t move.

Mira frowned, stepping closer. “Why isn’t he waking up?”

Mystery leaned in with a slight tilt of his head.

“Baby?” His voice was soft, but his sharp nail poked directly into Baby’s cheek.

No reaction.

Romance gasped, hands flying to his chest. “Oh my goodness, is he dead!?”

Abby squinted at the unmoving form and scoffed. “Finally.”

Mystery turned his head slowly and glared at him, the kind of glare sharp enough to slit throats.

Abby just shrugged and flopped back down like this was normal.

Rumi disappeared for a moment and returned triumphantly with a bucket of cold water.

Zoey blinked as their leader hauled it up above her shoulders. “Uh- Rumi, what are you doing?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Rumi said, carrying the bucket like she was about to execute a war crime.

Abby sat bolt upright. “Oh, there is no way you’re about to drench our be-”

Too late.

Water cascaded down in a spectacular splash, soaking Baby, the bed, and most of the floor. The icy deluge hit like a tidal wave.

And still, Baby didn’t stir.

The silence was suffocating.

Romance staggered backward and his eyes enlarged twice its usual size. He looked moments away from fainting. “Is he…actually dead?”

The room erupted.

The boys panicked immediately, shrieking, stumbling, yelling over one another.

Romance began praying dramatically to a deity no one recognized.

Abby started running around like a zebra.

Even Mystery, normally stoic, tore open a cupboard as though expecting a resurrection kit hidden between spare sheets.

Meanwhile, the girls weren’t any calmer.

Rumi paced with her hands in her hair, Zoey hovered with both pans clutched like weapons, and Mira stood at the foot of the bed glaring like she could will Baby alive out of sheer spite.

“WAIT!” Mira suddenly shouted, hand raised like she was stopping traffic.

The chaos froze.

She leaned down, sniffing Baby’s tangled hair…then instantly recoiled.

Zoey blinked. “Did you just…smell him?”

“Now, I’m no expert,” Mira said, pinching the bridge of her nose, “but I’m ninety percent certain this is the smell of alcohol.”

Instantly, the girls all leaned down like detectives on a case, sniffing Baby’s hair in quick succession. The room looked like some bizarre ritual.

Mystery turned to Romance, deadpan. “Is this a human thing?”

Moments later, the girls straightened, all with the same expressions of despair and disbelief.

“So…is he dead?” Romance whispered, tensing as he awaited the answer.

When the answer came, it was a lot more anti-climatic.

“He’s drunk,” Rumi deadpanned.

“He’s what?” Romance blinked.

“Drunk,” Mira repeated flatly.

“You mean… he’s…” Abby tilted his head, squinting, cogs trying to turn in his head. “How is he…a verb?”

Mystery groaned. “No, you fool. Did you never get drunk back when you were human?”

“Drunk…? Oh! Drunk!” Abby’s eyes widened as though he had just uncovered the meaning of existence. “Yes, yes, that thing!”

“You’re acting like it’s a foreign concept,” Romance muttered, rubbing his temples. “I know we’ve pretty much all forgotten our human lives, even I remember what being drunk is.”

Abby puffed his chest. “Oh no. I didn’t dare. The palace punished anyone who drank too much. Alcohol was reserved for royalty.”

Everyone turned to look at him with identical flat disbelief.

“You…remember that?” Mystery asked slowly.

Abby blinked. “…actually, no. I don’t know where that memory came from.”

He frowned, spiraling into a small identity crisis on the spot.

Before anyone could comment, Baby groaned. His fingers twitched, then flopped weakly onto the soaked mattress.

The group froze.

“He lives!” Romance gasped, clasping his hands like a priest witnessing a miracle.

Baby cracked one bleary golden eye open. “Why…are you all staring at me like I’m about to ascend?”

“Because you literally were about to ascend!” Romance exclaims.

“You mean descend,” Mystery murmurs, memories momentarily flicking back to Gwi-ma.

“You nearly gave us a collective heart attack!” Zoey squeaked, tossing her pans to the floor with a loud clang.

Baby tried to sit up but immediately clutched his head, groaning louder. “Oh gods, make the room stop spinning. Feels like Mystery’s bangs are strangling my brain.”

“Don’t drag me into this,” Mystery said flatly, though the twitch at his lips betrayed his amusement.

Mira crossed her arms, unimpressed. “So, care to explain how you got drunk?”

“Uh…erm…” Baby tilted his head, then grinned weakly despite looking so pale. “I was looking for water, then I found a bottle. I thought it was water, and it looked sad. I didn’t want it to be lonely.”

Zoey slapped her forehead. “That’s not how alcohol works!”

“It worked fine last night,” Baby muttered, pressing his palms to his temples. “Did you know alcohol makes you forget you’re miserable for, like, three whole hours? It’s like magic. Tragic, horrible magic. I want more.”

“Does it really make you feel like that?” Romance perked up, turning to the girls. “Can we get more?”

“No!” the girls shouted in unison.

Baby groaned theatrically, rolling off the bed and landing in the puddle with a damp splat. “Ugh. Betrayal. Worse than when Gwi-ma forced us to watch a demon being dissected alive. At least they offered snacks at the ceremony.”

Zoey’s jaw dropped. “That’s…not funny.”

“Should we be concerned?” Mira whispered to Rumi at the same time.

“It’s a little funny,” Baby wheezed, crawling toward the door like a dying soldier. “If you don’t laugh, you cry. And crying is just free hydration. I already got enough water today.”

He gestured to his drenched clothes.

Abby snorted. “You’re pathetic.”

“And hydrated,” Baby shot back before collapsing onto the bed like a wet rag.

“Okay he needs help from his hangover,” Rumi said, burying her face in his hands.

And that's how operation ‘Help demon deal with his first hangover after four hundred years’ begins.

Rumi tried to drag him off the soaking mattress, muttering angrily about “irresponsible demons with the survival instincts of toast.”

Mira argued loudly about whether hangovers could be cured with coffee or whether Baby needed “a full-on exorcism of stupidity.”

Abby raided the fridge insisting on “medicinal wine,” while Romance yelled at him that grape juice was not wine, and Mystery silently brewed tea in the background like a monk no one respected.

By the time Baby groaned, “The floor is my grave now,” and passed out again on the cold hard floor, the living room looked like a battlefield.

Towels, pans, mugs, and mysterious stains littered the scene.

The girls slumped on one couch in utter defeat. The boys slumped on the other side, equally broken.

For a long, blessed moment, silence reigned.

Then Rumi pinched the bridge of her nose. “How the hell did Jinu ever keep you all in line?”

No one answered.