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Sometimes, when you were stuck waiting in line at the convenience store, you’d grab the worst celebrity magazine you could find. The ones with glossy covers that reflected the harsh fluorescent lights overhead, headlines screaming in neon colours so bright they made your eyes ache.
The abounding rumours felt particularly hilarious when you had a little insight into the world of the biggest rookies in the country. You loved to see what people made of the Saja Boys and their more eccentric behaviour. Why they thought Jinu spoke like a great grandfather or what they guessed Abby’s workout routine might be.
Simple, funny things but naturally, your favourite ones were when they focused on Baby.
You settled into bed with a cup of tea balanced carefully on the nightstand and the magazine spread across your lap. The pages made a soft plastic rustle every time you turned one, glossy photos catching the dim light of your bedside lamp as the room slowly darkened around you.
Until finally the bedroom began to turn cold and your curtains moved as though wind slipped through the closed curtain. A second later the mattress dipped suddenly beside you. Baby appeared face down on the bed like he had fallen out of the ceiling, powder-blue hair slightly mussed as though whatever wind carried him here had only just died away.
“You look tired,” you teased. “Have you seen how many people are talking about the Jinu and Rumi ship?”
“That’s because hyung is fucking obsessed with her,” Baby said, his voice muffled by the pillow he hid in. “Every show we’re on together and he’s staring at her like a dog with its favourite toy.”
“Aw, I think that’s sweet,” you said. “I’m starting to be convinced.”
“Don’t. Romance is already annoying enough about it. She’s a hunter and one of these days, we’re going to get the chance to kill her and those other two. The little one is the worst of the lot. She keeps threatening me with a knife.”
You laughed to yourself. “See, this lack of heart is why you’re not shipped with anybody. This article is all about you being forever alone.”
Baby huffed in annoyance but turned his head to look at the sleek pages with too many pictures of him. You watched his gaze quickly flick over the paragraphs which theorised just why he might be the only member of the Saja Boys to not be shipped with anybody. He turned his head away so you read some fan opinions aloud.
“This person thinks it’s because you’re too cute and like a little brother so they can’t see you that way. I’m not sure if that’s true… it’s more because you’re honestly quite rude to anybody that tries to talk to you.”
“Humans bore me.”
“I don’t.”
“One out of a couple million doesn’t change my mind. I’m mean to you also.” He said it so casually that you almost missed the way his eyes flashed faintly yellow for a second, like light catching on glass.
You laughed and ruffled his hair worse than it already was. “And sometimes to interviewers as well. Do you remember that variety show where you laughed at another idol who couldn’t handle spicy food? Didn’t do much for your reputation.”
“She should get better spice tolerance if she’s going to eat hot food in front of an audience.”
You laughed to yourself and shifted closer to him so you were leaning against his side. “I suppose I should be thankful, right? Nobody for me to be jealous about.”
He flipped onto his side and reached for the magazine that you handed over without complaint. “Why would you even be jealous in the first place? None of these stupid ships are real. They want Romance and Abby to share when they’re both so full of themselves you could see their heads from space.”
“It is funny that you’re the only one in an actual relationship when you’re probably the least charming.”
“I’m plenty charming,” he scoffed. “If I cared about it, I could easily flirt with every fan like those idiots do. Then I’d get shipped with somebody instantly.”
“I can’t see it,” you hummed. “You’re too biting.”
He stared at you for a second before a smirk tugged at his face. He straightened in the bed like a man who had just gotten an awful idea. “You’re trying to talk me out of it so you don’t get jealous, aren’t you?”
You shrugged. It wasn’t exactly true. Dating a very ornery demon never gave you much of an opportunity to be jealous at all. It was always clear to you that he didn’t have an interest in anybody else unless he was hungry. Though you probably should have realised by the glint in his eyes that he was planning something you’d regret.
It didn’t take long. He left in the early hours of the morning to feed and not long after, you got a text message about a show they’d be on in the evening.
You really should have known.
You flicked on the show while brushing your teeth to find you’d missed most of the introduction. It was a classic variety show, the type put on in the background while you did something else with bright lights that made the members all look washed out while a middle-aged host put far too much energy into his questions which at that point in time were all aimed at poor Jinu and his relationship with Rumi.
“Ah, I’m grateful fans think that way,” he said awkwardly. “But we are still rookies. I respect our Huntrix seniors greatly but it’s nothing more.”
“Liar,” you said aloud with a mouthful of toothpaste.
The host nodded sagely. “Quite right. The Saja Boys only debuted recently. Isn’t it time to focus on your careers more than dating rumours?”
Baby spoke before Jinu could respond. “I don’t know.”
You froze, your toothbrush hanging halfway out your mouth. The other members snapped their heads to him at inhuman speeds. Jinu mouthed something you couldn’t see but Baby ignored him and leaned back in his chair, expression bored.
“It could be fun, no?”
The studio turned dead silent for a second. You could hear the confusion of everybody quietly seeping through the screen. Then the host made the exact sound of a man realising his ratings had just skyrocketed.
“Our maknae is very confident today!” he cackled.
Jinu looked like he might pop a blood vessel when the camera panned over to him. Romance was laughing hard behind his hand and failing something terrible at hiding it.
The host leaned forward in his chair eagerly. “So, Baby, you wouldn’t mind some dating rumours then? You’re the only member in your group not to have a popular ship.”
Baby shrugged. “It wouldn’t be that bad.” He tilted his head toward the camera. “I actually have somebody in mind already.”
The studio erupted into sound as the other Saja Boys launched into damage control.
“Be careful saying things like that,” Abby warned though he looked more humoured than reprimanding.
“They aren’t editing this out,” Jinu hissed, his practised smile faltering. Funny, in the lighting, he looked a little purple.
The host was practically bouncing in his chair. “Who is it?! At least give us a hint!”
Baby smirked. “It’s a secret.”
You were actually going to kill him.
How did you even kill a demon?
“Can we cut to a commercial break?” Jinu asked.
“Doesn’t matter now. Someone’s watching,” Baby said and he sounded far, far too smug about it all.
You switched the show off pointedly and stared at the screen. This was live, wasn’t it? Slowly, you turned your attention to your phone. This was very dangerous but it would take some time before the clip went viral, right?
You picked it up. The clip had erupted.
Already it was being shared on chatting platforms with hundreds of people screaming in excitement about what had just happened. Baby was interested in somebody but who? Was it coincidence that he had mentioned it right after the host said Huntrix?
You scrolled the conspiracies with the type of banal masochism you could only really get from seeing your boyfriend being discussed online.
BABY JUST SAID HE WANTS TO DATE SOMEBODY? HELLO???
Dude, jinu looks like he wanted to tackle him off the chair
Calling it now. Baby x Zoey era starting today!!
WHAT IS HAPPENING?!
imagine he’s hinting at rumi tho
Can everybody stop dragging Rumi into every male idol rumor ever. Just let the girl be
Calm down, he’s trolling the host and everyone fell for it
If he’s looking for someone, I volunteer
okay but baby x rumi would actually be so powerful
You closed your phone before you started losing your mind entirely. Would it be too late to start sealing off the entrance to your house with salt?
Your phone buzzed and you grabbed it without thinking. He’d forwarded the link to the clip.
Baby: You said I wasn’t shippable.
You: That was not a challenge
Baby: It sounded like one. Anyway, looks like they’ve all chosen somebody.
Baby: Ugh, could have been better. Who wants to share with Mystery?
Baby: Jealous yet?
You: You’re unbelievable.
You seethed for most of the evening. It took him two hours before the shadows began to lengthen and shift. You grabbed his favourite pillow and shoved it next to your side of the bed before he appeared. Unfortunately, he arrived next to you instead.
He leaned against the wall beside the bed, a lollipop between his teeth and his phone in his hand.
“Pleased with yourself?” you asked.
“Incredibly so. You should see some of the edits and the theories.”
“I think I’ve seen enough.”
He chuckled and lounged on the bed anyway, scrolling through his phone. “You’ve missed the best ones. There’s a running theory that I’m dating this random drama actress because she wore a dress that’s the same colour as my hair.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Oh, I know but it’s one of the more popular ones,” he said with a smirk. “There’s also this theory that Romance knows about it and that’s why he supports me.”
“He does now?”
“He uploaded some stupid message about love blooming somewhere. Dunno, I didn’t read it.”
“Most people ship you with Huntrix,” you pointed out. “Thought that would bother you more than getting under my skin.”
His expression wrinkled in disgust. “Whatever. I’m ignoring those. This one – “
You put your hand over the top of his phone before the agitation could creep under your skin. His thumb tapped once against your knuckles before he stilled. “Can you actually stop? Please.”
He blinked at you in confusion before he smirked. “You’re so jealous.”
You rolled over and turned off your bedside lamp. “Goodnight.”
The room dropped into darkness instantly, the faint glow from the city outside barely outlining the shape of the furniture.
The bed shifted beside you and the light flickered on once more. You opened your eyes to find him leaning over you with one hand planted beside your head. He rolled the lollipop around in his mouth.
“You’re going to sleep already?”
Your heart thudded traitorously before you remembered you were annoyed with him. “I don’t want to talk to you.”
He tilted his head curiously to the side and chuckled. “Jealousy looks good on you. Hot, even.”
“Baby.”
“Yes?”
“This isn’t funny. I teased you and you started a nation-wide shipping war. That’s not really a fair response.”
“It also annoyed Jinu,” Baby chuckled. “He threatened to replace me again. I told him good luck finding someone better.”
You flinched at the suggestion. The little you knew about their arrangement with Jinu was uncertain, to say the least. Baby rarely spoke about it but he did make it very clear that if their leader decided any of the demons wasn’t ideal for his plan, there were thousands of others. Whether those threats were real or not mattered little.
“I’m really tired,” you said.
He pressed his lips together and then the room’s temperature plummeted. The air went cold enough that the breath in your lungs felt thin and sharp, and even beneath the blanket a shiver ran up your spine. His outline warped first, the edges of his body blurring as the colour drained from his skin, leaving it an unnatural grey.
Purple veins glowed beneath the surface as his eyes shifted to a harsh, unnatural yellow. Sharp teeth poked out beneath his skin.
Your breath hitched. Baby never let you forget that he wasn’t entirely human but seeing his demon form was something else entirely. The lollipop stick hung, forgotten, from the corner of his mouth.
“Okay,” he said and his voice thrummed in a deep, unnatural tenor. “Then I’ll solve it. I’ll kill whichever idol they want to pair me with. That’ll stop the rumours.”
Your blood ran cold. “What? No! You’re not killing people over this.”
“You’re upset,” he hummed. “Like actually.”
“Well, obviously but that doesn’t mean I want you to eat somebody’s soul! I want you to apologise.”
He slowly tilted his head as though moving in slow motion. “For what?”
“You started a rumour that made it seem like you were in love with just about every woman you’ve ever interacted with. Obviously, I don’t want people to think about you that way. I couldn’t compete with the type of celebrities you’re being paired with.”
“You don’t have to.”
“That’s not the point,” you hissed.
The room turned quiet for a while. Contemplative. Then his lips twitched and his gaze slipped from yours for a second. “Fine. I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would actually upset you.”
“You didn’t think it would bother me that the entire country thinks you’re dating someone else?”
“I thought you’d be jealous. Not upset.”
The tight knot that had been sitting in your chest since the broadcast finally loosened, your shoulders dropping as the tension drained out of them.
You closed the short distance between you to press a short, sweet kiss to his lips. His skin felt like ice against yours. Baby blinked once, clearly not expecting that then the smug smile returned like someone flipping a switch.
“You owe me big time for this,” you warned. “But you’re forgiven.”
“Alright, I’ll tweet out the first initial of your name.”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Why not?” he asked innocently. “The little detectives are already getting close.”
“You’re the worst.”
“I know,” he said. And he sounded far too pleased about it.