Archive of Our Own

Jinu has it all.

He’s the leader of what’s probably (most definitely) the most popular kpop group in all of Korea. He’s blessed with good looks, a killer voice, and charisma that can allure even the most stubborn of his detractors.

And that’s without even mentioning the fact that his group, the Hunters, moonlights as demon hunters. We’re like superheroes, Abby sometimes says with pride, though Baby always laughs at that.

Most people can only dream of living the life they lead. They have purpose, wealth, fame—everything they could ever wish for right at the tips of their fingers.

But…

Jinu’s tired.

The exhaustion sinks deep into his bones. It’s a chore to wake up everyday and face what he is, what he’s become. Kpop idol? Demon hunter? Ha. He must be so lucky. What would the others say if they could read his thoughts?

Lately, he’s had increasingly vivid daydreams of how his life could be different. Where his days aren't spent managing his teammates’ eclectic personalities both on stage and on the battlefield.

Where he doesn’t have to live up to the impossible standard of his father, the best hunter in generations.

Where he can be free. Where he can run and hide, shine when he wants.

Now that would be a dream.

“Yoohoo, Jinu? We’re supposed to get ready for our next performance in twenty,” Abby says, interrupting his thoughts. He’s standing in front of him, eyebrow raised.

Jinu looks around the dressing room and sees that the other members have already dressed up in their dazzling black and purple outfits, leaving Jinu as the only one in practice clothes.

Romance gives him an annoyed look from where he’s fixing up his hair—a monstrosity of hair spray and bangs that he insists looks good. He says that the fans love it, but no one has the heart to tell him that they would cheer for him even if he rolled up in a bright green mohawk.

“This is why I keep saying that I should lead the performances,” Romance huffs. “Jinu always has his head in the clouds.”

Baby snickers, lounging on the couch. His face is already done up, giving him a softer look than usual. “With your dancing skills? I think not.”

Romance twists in his seat to glare at him. Baby flips him off, and Romance gapes in outrage. Jinu internally sighs. Those two always egg each other on.

Abby chuckles nervously. He’s naturally a peace-maker and can’t help but step in during arguments. “Come on, guys. Now’s not the time for this. Only working together will make the Honmoon stronger.”

Baby rolls his eyes, but both of them back off. The tension still lingers in the air.

Jinu is not blind to Romance’s ambition—he’s wanted to be the center of attention since Jinu’s known him. It’s only recently that he’s set his sights on Jinu’s illustrious position as leader.

He’s been making biting comments, criticizing Jinu’s dance, his ideas on lyrics and choreography, and even his appearance. No amount of Abby’s diffusing words gets him to back off for long. It’s creating friction in the group, Jinu knows, but he has no energy to deal with it.

Once, Romance was his best friend. Back when he still went by Min-ji, before the pressures of the stage and the world got to them.

Romance used to tease him lightheartedly about everything, from their childhood height difference to the way Jinu looked when he sneezed, but Jinu always took it in stride. Hunters was built around Jinu, but Romance was the first person to bridge the gap between him and the other members.

Back then, Abby had been shy but sweet, so unlike his boisterous personality now. Mystery had natural talent with singing and would give tips to the others (but Jinu never needed them). And Baby, who joined them last, would get doted on like the little brother they never had.

But most importantly, they all got along.

Jinu doesn’t know if he misses those times. They feel like too long ago to matter.

Jinu slowly gets ready in the awkward silence of the dressing room. The jacket slides on, and so do the boots. He ignores the frustrated look Romance sends him, and Abby is satisfied enough to go to his own mirror and finish his last touches.

Jinu glances over at Mystery, who is staring into space sitting a little ways away from the other group members. He’s been getting quieter and quieter as of late. Gone is the sweet and kind boy who would chime into conversation. Mystery now stays away from any conversation, and only ever opens his mouth to sing.

Jinu shakes his head. Romance was right; his head is in the clouds today.

A stage-hand comes into the room. They’re on in five. It’s showtime.

Their performance naturally goes off without a hitch. No matter how much infighting they have as a group, they’re not allowed to show it on stage. His father wouldn’t allow it.

His father, Ji-hun, is a strict man who takes no nonsense. He’s always praised Jinu’s voice as special, and would punish him if he didn’t practice singing rigorously. Nothing that would leave scars, of course. Jinu’s lucky like that.

Jinu hits all the right notes, steps to all the right beats. He’s perfect. So disgustingly perfect.

Abby, Baby, and Romance dance as usual—that is to say, also perfect. Abby creates the choreography for their group, so it makes sense that he moves through the dance moves smoothly. Baby and Romance may be a rapper and vocalist respectively, but they’re no slouches in the dance department either.

But Mystery is stiff during the performance. It’s only a little bit, not observable to the average eye, but Jinu’s been trained to watch his teammates by his father. He knows weakness when he sees it.

Normally, he would corner Mystery and question him on why that is, but he doesn’t see the point to do it now. It’s not like Mystery will take it well with how meek he’s been acting. As they do their bows, he winces when Jinu looks at him, curling into himself. Baby steps in front of Mystery as casually as he can, as if shielding him from Jinu’s view.

He sees where he stands among them.

After the performance, Jinu rushes out of the backstage area. He hears Baby say something about relaxing at the apartment, so he decides to steer clear of there and wander the city.

He slips on an oversized hoodie before he goes. It’s no use getting recognized. He just needs space from everything. Space from them.

They hate you.

Jinu pauses. The voice is back. He looks around, but apart from him the alley is deserted, save for a cat rustling in a dumpster.

You know it’s true. You see the way they look at you.

Jinu clutches his head as the voice rises in intensity. It feels like a pounding drum in his brain, unrelenting, unforgiving. He’s been experiencing these headaches for weeks. He’s become adept at hiding them.

At least, that’s how they usually go.

Even Abby is getting sick of being by your side. How pathetic. It won’t be long until you’re abandoned.

Jinu closes his eyes and kneels down, pulling at his hair. Go away go away go away. Tears prick at the corners of his eyes. The pain is now searing. He wants relief. This is worse than normal. He can barely pay attention to the words through the pain.

You are weak.

He clenches his jaw so hard that it creaks. Sweat beads at his brow and his breathing grows heavy. He’s alone. No one’s there to help him. It feels like he’s dying.

“Please,” he croaks out, looking at the dirty sidewalk with watering eyes. “Please, stop.”

And all of a sudden, it does.

Jinu blinks stupidly. What…?

Then a hand appears in front of his vision. “Are you alright?”

He looks up slowly, eyes trailing up long legs and even longer braided hair. A girl is standing before him, a concerned expression on her face. She looks to be about his age, tall with sharp shoulders and a soft face. Jinu is entranced from the moment their eyes meet. Not because of her looks, but because of the sudden lack of pain he feels.

Somehow, she drove his headache away. Maybe it’s a coincidence, but he wants to cling to her for bringing the relief he so desperately desired.

“Uh,” she says, bringing her hand back to scratch her cheek. Even her voice is melodious. “Is there something on my face?”

Jinu realizes that he’s been staring at her for way too long. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to, uh, I mean…,” he stutters, tripping over the words in a way that’s uncharacteristic of him. He’s still lightheaded from the headache. For some reason, he really cares what this lady thinks of him. He doesn’t want to come off as a creep.

But she just smiles, somehow charmed by his flailing. “Don’t worry, I’m not offended.”

She helps him stand up, and raises her arms when he sways in place trying to get his bearings. He appreciates it. He doesn’t think the other Hunters would have bothered.

“I’m Rumi,” she says, once she’s certain that he wont keel over. “I’m just glad you’re ok. You looked like you were in a lot of pain.”

“Jinu,” he returns the introduction. He thinks a bit belatedly that he should have probably given her a fake name, but it’s too late now. “And yes, I sometimes get these horrible headaches. Sorry you had to see that.”

He’s a little embarrassed that he’s been witnessed. He’s usually good at hiding them. He doesn’t know why this time was so much worse than the others. Even the words were more biting than usual. They swirl around his head on repeat, even as he talks to Rumi.

Rumi frowns at that, looking at him with eyes full of genuine concern. Jinu is surprised that she can feel that much for someone who’s practically a stranger.

Jinu opens his mouth to continue the conversation, but gets interrupted by his phone sounding out a loud Ping!. Jinu wants to ignore it, but Rumi looks between him and his pocket expectantly, so he reluctantly pulls it out.

It’s a text from Bobby, their manager. You guys might want to release your new single soon. You’ve got new competition.

What follows is a series of texts in the Hunters’ group chat, ranging from questions of curiosity from Abby to a string of expletives from Baby. Oh dear.

“Well, it seems like you’re busy,” Rumi says, already moving away from him. Jinu gets unnecessarily worried that his headache will slam back in, but nothing of the sort happens. “See you later?” she asks hopefully, gesturing to the alley as if they’ll meet back here at some point.

It’s silly, but Jinu smiles. It’s perhaps the first time he’s genuinely smiled in ages. “Yeah. See you.”

With a lighter heart and a heavy phone, Jinu hurries back to the apartment that their group is staying at during their break in the city. There he finds Romance and Baby leaning over an ipad together, their heads together as they discuss whatever is on screen.

“There you are, hyung,” Baby says, running up to him and dragging Jinu by the arm towards the ipad. Jinu jolts at the casual touch—don’t they hate him?—but Baby doesn’t seem to think about it too much. “You’ve got to see this.”

Romance rewinds the video. Jinu looks around but can’t find Abby or Mystery, but Romance is already playing the video before he can ask about them.

And it’s Rumi.

Jinu blinks, then blinks again. The image in front of him doesn’t change. It’s Rumi, alongside two other girls, dancing their hearts out in the video. Their figures are slick and sharp as they move to the words they sing. They’re good. Very good.

He’s hung up on the fact that Rumi is an idol just like him, what are the chances of that?, but the other two boys have their minds set on something else.

Romance points accusingly at the screen. “We’re two weeks out from the Idol Awards and people are already saying that these Saja Girls can beat us,” he spits out the group’s name like it’s curdled milk.

He scrolls down. There are more videos of fans mimicking their dance moves and even making covers of their song, Candy Cane. It’s almost incredible how fast they’ve taken the internet by storm. Jinu is surprised Rumi wasn’t wearing a disguise when he met her earlier. How did she avoid all her new fans?

Baby pouts. “They also got a maknae that can rap. That was my thing.”

Baby usually doesn’t like all the pressures of being the maknae, but he is still possessive over the title. It’s the way he stands out in the group, and being a rapper lets him break out of the cutesy mold that he would otherwise be trapped in. This new competition might be more intimidating to him than Jinu assumed.

Baby’s always been sensitive. Not in the cutesy way he plays up for the camera, but in a quiet sort of way that hides under his skin. He’s vulnerable to scathing remarks about his position in the group, but he always tries to hide it under either a soft or harsh veneer, depending on whether he’s in public or in private.

This is where Jinu is supposed to step in. He’s supposed to give them a pep-talk, bring them together, say that the Saja Girls are just a fad, and that there’s nothing to worry about. But the words are stuck in his throat. His head pounds like it always does these days, the relief Rumi brought with her long gone.

He’s just so tired.

“Guys, the Honmoon is the most important thing to worry about, not this new group,” Abby says, walking up behind them. He must’ve overheard their conversation. Mystery trails behind him quietly, almost hiding behind Abby’s bulk. It seems that he’s still avoiding Jinu for his mistake on stage earlier.

Doesn’t he know that Jinu lost his drive to do much else besides going through the motions? Isn’t his failures obvious? They must be. That’s what the voice keeps telling him.

Jinu sighs. Even if he feels hollow inside, he can’t keep quiet forever. “We should release our single now. We’re close to completing the golden Honmoon anyway.” Close to finally being done.

Romance nods, for once agreeing with Jinu. “Let’s start the promo tonight, then.”

“What,” Baby whines. Jinu sees that he’s already dressed in pajamas. “Today was supposed to be our break day.”

Romance rolls his eyes and puts away the ipad.

Pushing up the release of their new single puts stress on all of them. As they do the promotional material, Jinu sees the way Romance’s ever present smile twitches in front of the interviewer, the way Abby sighs more often than not, the way Mystery closes in on himself when asked a question, the way Baby hides his eyebags with makeup. This is taking a toll on them, but they have to make it work.

Then, it’s finally time for the live performance. This is where they all will come together and strengthen the Honmoon, hoping for that golden glow.

At least, that’s how it’s supposed to go.

They’re in the trial performance, the live show in a mere twenty minutes. Everyone is hitting their moves, even Mystery. Everyone is at their best. Everyone is perfect.

Except for Jinu.

His pounding headache has been ramping up in intensity all day. Underneath each fake smile he gives to the camera crew is an unstoppable pounding that makes him want to drive his head into a wall. It’s all he can do to keep up with the cues.

Until he can’t anymore.

He sways on the next step, and collides right into Romance next to him. Abby catches the two of them in his strong arms before they could fall over. A hushed silence falls over the crew, and the other boys just stare at them, at Jinu, in shock.

It’s the first time he’s ever made a mistake this bad in front of them.

“What the hell, Jinu,” Romance says, glaring at him. “Are you trying to mess me up?”

Jinu feels the weight of all their eyes upon him. Even Abby, who has always given him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his less than stellar qualities, looks at him oddly. Jinu thinks he can hear someone snicker behind him. It might as well be at him.

“Let’s take ten,” Jinu says, then quickly makes his way off the stage. No one follows him.

As soon as he is out of view, he slumps against the wall and clutches his head. He slowly sinks to the floor, and once again tears start welling in his eyes from the sheer pain he’s feeling.

What was that pathetic show? What kind of leader are you? Your family would be so disappointed.

The heat. It hurts so much.

But I can help you. The pain can stop. All of it.

Jinu opens his eyes from where they’re screwed shut. Can it stop? Can the words stop? A fractured hope blooms in his chest.

He’s about to question the words when a human voice calls out, “Jinu!”

He straightens up, smoothing the wrinkles in his brows like he is not in any pain at all. But it’s too late—the person already saw.

It’s Abby who comes running up to him, frown adorning his face. “Sorry, I had to calm down Romance before he did something he would regret. Are you alright?”

“Yes, I am,” Jinu says, hoping Abby won’t ask questions.

But Abby’s always been the curious type. “No you’re not,” he insists, and moves besides Jinu. He looks at him with wide eyes. “You know we’re friends right? If something’s bothering you, you can tell me.”

He’s lying.

Jinu winces. “It’s nothing, really. Let’s just get this show over with.”

He brushes past Abby, ignoring his staring. He needs to figure out how to get rid of his headaches without letting his team and the world know.

He needs to see Rumi. Maybe that fluke will happen again.

And to do that, the Hunters and the Saja Girls will need to come together. That’s the only way he knows to contact her. It’s not like they’ll randomly meet on the street again, anyway.

After their live performance, which he powered through with sheer force of will despite Romance’s seething glares at his back, he finds Bobby backstage and asks him about scheduling a joint show with the Saja Girls before the Idol Awards. He knows he’s asking a lot, but he needs Rumi.

“That’s the thing,” Bobby says excitedly, flipping through his notepad. “They actually already invited you guys to do a variety show with them. I was going to surprise you guys after the show. You know, even though they’re new to the scene, they seem like really nice people. It would be good to work with them.”

Jinu nods, relieved, but before he can say anything else Bobby adds absentmindedly, “Oh, and your father wanted to talk to you.”

Jinu pales. He quickly looks at his phone and finds several missed calls from his father’s number.

He excuses himself and goes to the dressing room. Mystery is already there, probably trying to find alone time, but it’s too late to find another room because his father calls him again right that second. The hallway is crowded with stagehands, so Jinu sucks it up and answers the call in Mystery’s presence.

“Hello?” he says, trying to feign casualness, but landing somewhere in squeaking territory.

”What was that performance just now?” His father’s voice rings through the speaker, and Jinu wouldn’t be surprised if Mystery can hear it from where he’s sitting in the corner of the room.

Of course his father saw the imperceptible ways Jinu struggled on stage, even through a screen. It’s been a while since his father has been to one of his performances in person. Since he saw him in person, even.

Uncomfortable aware of Mystery’s presence, Jinu replies, “I know I wasn’t at my best, but the Honmoon is still—”

”I’m aware. That doesn't mean I will tolerate this kind of failure from you, Jinu. This won’t happen again, you hear me?”

Jinu clenches his teeth. His head pounds. “Yes, sir.”

”I expect you to make up for your lackluster performance at the Idol Awards. I will call later to check in.

See? Even your father hates you.

Shut up.

They icily wrap up the conversation after that, and Jinu and Mystery are left awkwardly staring at each other. Jinu can’t see his face with all his bangs, but Mystery’s frown pulls at the edges. He’s upset. It must be because of the performance—Jinu can’t think of any other reason.

Just then, Abby and Baby burst into the room, Abby with a smile and Baby with a frown. Mystery jumps a little in his seat, and Jinu turns to look at them.

“Did you hear? We’re going to be on Play Games with Us with the Saja Girls!” Abby pretty much squeals. He gets childishly excited over the strangest things.

Baby groans. “Exactly.” He wiggles out of his tight boots with a sigh of relief. “Do we have to do this? Am I the only one who remembers that we’re supposed to be taking a break?”

No one mentions Romance's absence. Jinu tunes out their chattering, pocketing his phone.

The day of the variety show comes quicker than a blink of an eye. That is, to everyone but the Hunters. The tension between them is rising higher than ever, and it all centers on the belief that Jinu purposefully bumped into Romance during that practice.

Romance fully believes that Jinu did it on purpose, and has been giving Jinu an even more aggressive cold shoulder than before. Baby also seems to think so too, though he finds it more funny than aggravating. Mystery hasn’t said much about it either way.

Only Abby has tried to defend him. Why, Jinu doesn’t know. What does it matter that it wasn’t on purpose? Romance would find a way to hate him anyway, Baby would think it’s funny still, and Mystery would keep quiet about anything.

Nothing changes.

It was his fault for succumbing to the pain. He’ll be stronger next time. He can’t be weak.

The Variety Show proves to be a welcome distraction. They enter as guest stars, and the crowd goes wild. Jinu smiles and waves like he’s been taught. With the bright lights shining on the stage, the audience is indecipherable anyway.

The Saja Girls are already on stage. Mira, Zoey—and Rumi. Jinu and her make eye contact, and for a second the world freezes around them. It's just the two of them, just like that night in the alley, and the ever present headache falls away to a quiet murmur. The voice is gone.

Unbidden, the smile on Jinu’s face turns genuine.

“And here are the Hunters!” the MC announces. The crowd roars in applause, and the girls politely clap, too.

And here’s the thing: Jinu’s never liked variety shows. The relief of seeing Rumi made him forget about it, but there’s a reason he doesn’t like them. A very good reason.

And he remembers it when they’re all sitting down and doing a spicy challenge. It’s just so annoying. It also has the added detriment of stalling the long-awaited conversation between Rumi and Jinu.

“I got this,” the pink haired girl—Mira—intones, then spits out the spicy concoction immediately.

The others follow quickly after. Jinu fakes tapping out because he is NOT doing this in public. Soon, only Rumi and Baby are left, literally chugging along. Romance pouts in the corner at being eliminated early, but Jinu just ignores him as usual. It’s the best way to deal with Romance.

Jinu observes the others for a moment. Then does a double take. Mystery is actually talking. To someone not in their group, no less. He’s whispering something to the Zoey girl, his mouth quirked into a soft smile. Jinu only realizes then how long it's been since he’s seen that smile.

Abby and Romance seem to enjoy discussing the latest fashion trends with Mira, who takes them in stride despite her apathetic appearance.

“Aaaaand Baby is the winner,” the MC says, and another round of applause sounds through the theater.

Good. The curtain should be closing soon, and then he will get a chance to talk to—wait.

What was that flash?

Jinu takes a closer look at Rumi, who is bowing to the MC. There, right there. Patterns.

Fuck.

When the curtains close, Rumi turns to him with an excited smile, but Jinu is already herding his teammates out of the room, deaf to their protests. He needs to tell them, and fast. Even if he’s still reeling from the shock himself.

They just…seemed so nice.

“You cannot be serious,” Romance says, eyes wide when Jinu tells them backstage. “Those girls are demons?”

All the boys look upset at the revelation, though even Romance trusts Jinu’s word on it. He has the final say on all demon related stuff, since he’s been trained by a hunter for years longer than the rest.

“Maybe they’re nice demons?” Abby says hesitantly, having already gotten attached to Mira.

Baby scoffs. He got over the shock the fastest. “All demons are evil, don’t forget that.”

Jinu materializes his weapon; a katana made of light born from the Honmoon. The other boys do the same, though Mystery wields his bow quite reluctantly. A silent protest that Jinu ignores. He knows that he will do the job in the end. “We know what we have to do.”

They all nod, then move.

But the girls have already left the premises. Damn it, they must’ve realized something was wrong when Jinu dragged them all out suddenly. But Jinu sees the tail end of Rumi’s hair slip around a corner, and leads the charge into a bathhouse.

The ensuing fight is the hardest one they’ve had in a long while. The Honmoon seems to weaken at the trio demons' presence, and Jinu realizes that by competing with them on stage, they have also leveled the playing field in battle.

It doesn’t help that Jinu’s headache is slowly creeping back in, along with the whispers of failure and insecurity that follow in its wake.

He chases Rumi down, leaving the lesser demons to the others. He knows he shouldn’t be referring to her by name—demons are nameless shrouds driven by shame—but he can’t help it. He may not know her that well, but he thought they had a connection.

She rounds a corner in front of him, and he’s about to follow when the same damn headache goes from creeping to slamming into him all at once. This time, the pain travels from his head to the rest of his body, and he falls onto the floor, weapon clattering away from him.

I grow tired of waiting. Accept me, Jinu. Otherwise, you will suffer.

Jinu coughs, and blood splatters on the floor before him. Burning fire all the way down his throat. It feels like carving is etching into his skin, and he looks down at his arms, already fearing, knowing, what he’ll see. But…there’s nothing.

Rough hands clasping his own. The pain fading away.

He looks up, and there’s Rumi looking at him with a sad but knowing smile. “Fight it,” she says. “Don’t end up like me.”

Jinu looks at the patterns tracing up her arms, and wonders how torturous it must’ve been. Do all demons feel this pain, hear this voice?

Rumi looks around, then lifts him up by the arms. Jinu is left flabbergasted by her strength, and is that a blush he feels on his face?

“Meet me by the alley tonight,” she whispers into his ear, then quick as the wind she vanishes, leaving Jinu just stupidly standing there.

He replays that moment over and over in his mind, the feeling of her warm hands on his skin, the imploring look in her eyes, the ice-cool relief of a light head. He thinks about it when he rejoins the others for the fight, when they discuss the disintegrating nature of the Honmoon, and deep into the night as he waits for the others to fall asleep so he can sneak out.

The night air is soothing on his heated skin. He’s noticed that he’s been running hotter than normal, and he wonders if it’s a side effect from hearing the voice, whatever it is. He’ll get all his answers tonight.

He sees Rumi standing in the alley, just as she promised. She’s leaning against a wall, head tilted up to the night sky. Her patterns are on clear display this time in her tank top, glowing a soft purple. She’s wearing pajama pants with trains and teddy bears on them, and Jinu makes an unexpected snort of laughter at the sight of them.

Her head snaps towards him with a confused look. Well, there goes the element of surprise. Not that he was planning on attacking her or anything.

“What are you laughing at?” Rumi asks, crossing her arms. Her frown looks more like a pout, and it’s oddly a cute look for her.

Jinu tamps down a smile and points at her pants. Choo choo.

Rumi rolls her eyes, a light blush on her face. “Asshole.”

That breaks the ice between them, and Jinu dares to move closer. He feels lighter just by being with her.

“You’re a demon,” he says bluntly.

Rumi just looks at him. He has the distinct feeling that he’s being judged right now. “...yes?”

Ugh, why is he being so awkward now? “I mean, you know what’s happening to me, right?”

Rumi sighs. She turns fully to face him, and starts walking up to him. Jinu makes an aborted grab for his katana, but stops himself from summoning it at the last second. She eyes him knowingly, and Jinu ducks his head in shame.

Two parts of him war with each other. The part that sounds a lot like his father tells him that he should cut her down where she stands. But another part whispers that he should listen to what she has to say. For once, he listens to himself, not his father.

“You’ve been hearing a voice, right?” Rumi asks, moving closer to him. Jinu forces himself to relax, and nods.

Rumi frowns. “I was afraid of that. That voice is Gwi-ma, the ruler of the demon realm. He’s been trying to turn you into a demon.”

“What?” Jinu looks at her with wide eyes. But no, it actually makes sense. He felt something like patterns start to carve into his arms last time—was that a kind of demonification process?

But that doesn’t explain everything. “Why would he want me?” he asks.

“You’re a valuable target—if he can get you, then the rest of the Hunters topple.” She then hesitates, and says, “He can also sense weakness from you.”

Jinu can’t believe what he’s hearing. Weakness, him? Sure, he’s not been his best recently, but he’s anything but weak. He won’t allow it. He can’t allow it.

“I am not weak,” he practically spits in her face.

Rumi eyes him warily. She backs up a bit, just a step or two, but enough so that Jinu notices with no small bit of shame. “Look, I know how you feel. I might be the only one who understands. It’s how Gwi-ma got me, too.”

She continues, “I was born to a demon father and a human mother. Patterns started growing on me ever since I was young. I was so ashamed of them; I even hid them from those closest to me. Gwi-ma used that shame to trap me, and now I bend to his whim.”

She looks down at her arms, bringing a hand down one of them. Her fingers bump along the indentations of them—scar-like marks of ignominy. Jinu looks down at his own bare arms and imagines the patterns in their place. It makes him feel sick.

“Don’t give in to him. I know it’s hard, but trust me. Whatever he offers you isn’t worth it. I learned that the hard way.”

She leaves him alone soon after that, and he is left stewing over her words.

So it’s Gwi-ma who has been speaking to him. That’s bad. Very bad. Jinu brings a hand up to his head, though his headache has yet to come back since the fight earlier. Gwi-ma has been infecting him for weeks now, and he was close to giving in earlier. Frighteningly close.

Should he tell his father?

No, he already knows what he’s going to say. You have failed, Jinu. You are no longer worthy of the title Hunter.

He would strip him of all he has. Jinu wants to be free of all of this, but not like that. Not at the mercy of his father. His whole life has been dictated by the man—from his first steps to his first bruise to his first scar. Everything from the people he knows to the work he puts out is all supervised by his father. He doesn’t exist without him, and this revelation, this weakness will get him thrown away for good, and then he’ll have nothing.

How funny. Hilarious, even. Jinu had hoped for freedom from his tasks and life, but now that it’s within his grasp he shies away from it.

He heads back home with his head held low, already dreading the voice and headache that will no doubt come back soon.

To his surprise, when he enters the living room, there sits Baby playing around on his phone. Jinu checks the clock and sees that it is well past 1 am. He tries to sneak past him, but Baby must’ve been waiting for him, since his eyes zero in on him before Jinu even makes his second step.

“Where have you been?” Baby asks, hands on his hips. He’s in his pajamas and looks tired beyond belief, but he still musters up an impressive raised eyebrow.

Jinu takes a moment to steady himself. Don’t panic. “I was just taking a walk.”

“Oh really? This late at night?” Jinu doesn’t know why Baby is being so intrusive right now. He usually doesn’t care what the other members are up to.

Jinu fakes a yawn. “You’re right, it is late.” He then looks at him suspiciously. “And what are you still doing up, hm?”

Baby deflates at this, and he plays with his fingers before saying in a soft voice, “...I was waiting for you.” He looks embarrassed as he says this, not quite meeting Jinu’s eyes.

Jinu doesn’t know how to respond to that. Was Baby worried about him? Is that even possible? “Baby—”

Baby shakes his head. “Look, nevermind. Just don’t go out so late, ok?” He then leaves the room in a hurry, not looking back. Jinu stares after him. How odd.

He feels a familiar swell of protectiveness crop up within him. Though Baby doesn’t need it, Jinu will always feel the need to protect him. He’s the youngest of them after all. If Baby is acting weird, then Jinu wants to understand why and fix it.

You’re a burden. He wasn’t worried about you. He was only annoyed with you.

Jinu narrows his eyes. He stares at the place Baby was, but addresses the voice. “Gwi-ma…so this is your doing. We will complete the Honmoon and get rid of you forever.”

Are you so sure about that? Your whole group is cracking at the edges. How long do you think you will keep this up?

Jinu drags a hand down his face. This is getting exhausting fast. “You better leave me alone. I will never join you.”

He waits for a reply, but all he’s left with is silence.

Despite the increasingly painful headaches, Gwi-ma doesn’t speak to him again after that. Maybe he knows it’s useless to try to convince Jinu now that he knows what he is.

Life continues to march on. Promo needs to be done, preparations for the Idol Awards to be completed, and intergroup grievances to be managed.

Yeah. Romance still hates him. It’s gotten to the point that even the crew has noticed.

“Is everything ok between you guys?” Bobby asks Jinu and Abby as they set up the fan signing event.

Abby gives him a strained smile. “We’ll work it out, don’t worry.” But Jinu knows him well enough to hear the tension in his voice. Romance has also been icing him out lately. It must be getting to him.

Bobby looks at them sadly. He’s known them for too long to be fooled, but he’s never come between them before, and he won’t start now. “If you say so…”

He walks off, and for a second it’s just Abby and Jinu. The others are already at the table in the main room, waiting for the door to open. But as Jinu turns to join them, Abby puts a hand on his shoulder.

“What is it?” Jinu asks. He doesn’t mean to come off as brusque as he does, but he’s been quick to be annoyed with his constant headache.

Abby cringes a bit, but stands his ground. “I know things are rough with Romance right now, but he’ll get over it. He always does.” He pauses, then looks Jinu in the eyes. “You know he doesn’t hate you, right?”

“Doesn’t he?” Jinu smiles ruefully. Abby opens his mouth in shock, but Jinu shrugs his hand off and leaves to the main room. He doesn’t have the energy for this.

He sits at the table, next to Mystery. Romance is sitting in the far opposite of the table and refuses to look at him. Baby and Mystery sit awkwardly between them. Abby joins them after a second, and thankfully doesn’t continue their conversation from earlier.

But that’s mostly because the doors finally open, and a stream of fans roll in. The boys all straighten up and paste smiles on their faces. Anything for their fans.

Of course, that’s when the Saja Girls decide to crash the party.

“Hello, everyone!” Rumi calls out to the crowd, a plastic smile on her face. She and the other girls are dressed casually, and they slide in between the boys at their table like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “We’re doing a joint signing today!”

Jinu can hear Baby sputtering from where he’s sitting. Mystery has moved aside to make room for Zoey, who gives him a bright smile, while Mira dumps herself into the seat next to Romance. Romance winks at her, which Mira doesn’t appreciate from the look of disgust on her face.

“Uh,” Abby says to Jinu. “Was this supposed to happen?”

But before he can say anything else, Rumi slides in between them with a collapsible chair. Abby looks at her with wide eyes, but she ignores him.

“Sorry about this,” she whispers to Jinu, looking truly apologetic. “I just needed a chance to speak to you again.”

The signing commences. Fan after fan comes before them all asking for an autograph, but most of Jinu’s attention is focused on Rumi besides him.

“What did you want to discuss?” Jinu asks her as he signs a rather horrid picture of himself from the early days of his career.

“We want to help you seal off the demon world,” she says, and it’s all he can do to not do a double take at her right then and there. And—we?

“What? Why?” He says it louder than he means to, and he sees Abby give him a weird look. Jinu smiles at him, which only makes Abby look at him even weirder. Whatever.

“Because we’re sick of Gwi-ma’s influence dragging down others into eternal suffering,” Rumi says with a fire in her eyes. “Mira was ashamed because of her status as the black sheep of her family. Zoey was ashamed because of how different she was when she moved to Korea from America. And me, well, you know my story. Trust me, we want Gwi-ma gone as much as you do.”

Jinu thinks about it, slowly signing his name on the next photo. “And how do you suppose you’ll help us? The other hunters are not going to trust you so easily.”

Though as he says this, he looks over at the others. He sees the way Zoey and Mystery talk, the way Romance has fun poking and prodding Mira, and how the girls actually seem to be enjoying themselves despite being in close proximity to the hunters.

“I’ll make your headache go away at the Idol Awards,” she says, “and we’ll help you win.”

She offers her hand to him. A sign of respect, of camaraderie. He doesn’t stop himself from shaking it.

Looking back, he wouldn’t have done that if he’d known it would lead to the picture of their conjoined hands being posted everywhere on social media under a very uncreative ship name. God.

“I feel like we should address the fact that all of you were literally fraternizing with the enemy,” Baby says after the signing is over and they’re back at the apartment. Everyone ignores him except Abby, who says something about the Honmoon being their priority anyway.

“You know, I don’t think they’re so bad,” Romance says. He smirks at Jinu. It’s the first time he’s actually faced him in days. “I saw you getting close with Rumi. Something going on there?” he teases. Jinu doesn’t react, but a wave of consolation moves through him.

Abby smiles at that. Relief is obvious on his face. Things are starting to get back to normal.

Then Mystery says, “I like Zoey.”

They all stare at him. He squeaks and runs to his room. Baby and Romance laugh.

And there, Jinu almost says something. Now that he and Rumi have a plan to seal the Honmoon, shouldn’t his teammates know everything? Why can’t they know about Rumi's deal? About Gwi-ma? About how Jinu’s been battling a blinding pain everyday and never once told them?

Jinu shakes his head. They won’t take the fact that he’s been lying to them well, even less so that the king of the demon world had been whispering into his ear.

And he’s not sure everything between them is fixed just yet. What if Romance goes back to hating him? What if Mystery goes back to shying away from him?

He will tell them after it’s fixed. That’s the safest option.

The Idol Awards come down upon them like a tidal wave. Before Jinu knows it, he’s slipping on a golden coat and lining his eyes with black for the show. The other boys are doing the same around him. There is a somber atmosphere to them—they know that this is their best chance at fixing the Honmoon.

They can’t afford to mess this up.

Jinu’s father is seeing the performance live today, just to make sure everything’s going smoothly. Jinu has yet to speak with him, and he prefers it that way.

It’s silent in the dressing room; even Baby, usually a chatterbox, doesn’t have much to say. Jinu notices that the other group members keep glancing at him, though he doesn’t know why.

“Alright boys,” Bobby pokes his head into the room, grinning. “It’s showtime.”

They all stand and move out of the room, though Jinu lingers at the door, staring at the others as they march onto the stage. They’re going to be performing first, then the Saja Girls. He hasn’t seen Rumi since the signing, but he has been headache free since then. He trusts her to keep her end of the deal. The Hunters have to win, no matter what.

Romance looks back at him with a raised eyebrow. Jinu shakes his head and joins them. A non-small part of him is appeased that Romance is starting to treat him more normally, though he can still feel a lingering tension between them. Everything is coming together.

They get on stage to hundreds of screaming fans, Jinu front and center as always. He leads the song. He’s never felt more confident in his steps, more proud of the voice coming from his chest. He sees a flash of gold in the threads of the Honmoon. He should feel excited, but he mostly just feels relief.

It’s finally happening.

And then, pain.

So much pain. The kind that sinks into his veins, that makes his heart pound so hard that it feels like it will burst through his chest. A strangled scream rips out his throat. Oh god.

Did you really think it would be that easy?

Jinu collapses to his knees. He vaguely hears the cries of shock in the crowd, and the stuttering steps of the other boys. He clutches his head with both hands, but the pain fades to the background as he focuses on the words. This isn’t supposed to be happening.

You messed up, boy. After this, you’ll have nothing. Isn’t that what you wanted?

Jinu gasps, and reality slams back to him all at once. He looks up and sees a crowd of people staring at him. The Honmoon is fracturing. The boys are looking at him with mouths agape. Abby raises a hand towards him, but Jinu feels as if he’ll burn if he is touched, and jerks away.

He needs to get out of here. Oh god, his father had been watching, too. He stumbles onto his feet, rips off his mic, and sprints out of the stage. He feels hundreds of eyes on him. It’s mortifying.

He hears someone—Abby, ever reliable—try to calm the crowd down. Jinu’s made a big mess of things, hasn’t he?

He runs down the stairs, set on finding Rumi to ask her what the hell happened, wasn’t she supposed to keep his headache at bay, why did this have to happen today? Instead, he almost runs straight into the one man he doesn’t want to see; his father.

Oh, this will be good.

His father looks down at him in disgust, wrinkles pronounced near his eyes. “What was that, Jinu? Collapsing on stage like that is unacceptable.”

“I’m sorry,” Jinu gasps, scrambling to explain himself. He just needs to find Rumi, that’s it. It can still be fixed. “I can go back out there, I just—”

“No,” his father thunders. “You ran. I didn’t raise you to be a coward.”

Jinu has nothing to say to that. What can he say? His father is right.

Do you understand now? You need my help. How else will all this pressure go away?

“I’m pulling you from the group. You’re obviously not fit to be the leader.”

Your teammates have always been better than you. Rumi has abandoned you.

“I’ll have Romance take over. He’s always had potential, that boy.”

Your father never wanted you.

“You shall be put back on training. I’ll ensure something like this will never happen again.” His father pauses, then sneers, “And you’re crying now, too?”

Jinu brings up a hand to his face and is surprised to find tears. He grimaces and closes his eyes. They aren’t tears of pain, he knows that now.

Perhaps what’s been bothering him the most was never the headaches, but the words. What Gwi-ma tells him is true. Now that he’s revealed his weakness to the world, no one will see him worthy anymore. He’ll go back under his father’s thumb. He’ll go back to being trapped. He’ll—

“Oh, hell no,” a feminine voice calls out.

Jinu looks up and sees Rumi standing in front of his father, arms crossed. His father backs up half a step, surprised by her presence. Jinu’s heart soars. She didn’t abandon him.

“You don’t get to say that shit to him.” She points a finger in his father’s face, deftly ignoring the offended expression he has. “In fact, you shouldn’t be speaking to him at all. Jinu should be with his teammates, who will support him much better than you,” she spits in his face.

She looks back at Jinu and winks. Gwi-ma’s voice, still talking, fades away. It clears his head a little, and he can tell she is giving him an out. Jinu nods and mouths thank you.

She’s given him a second wind, pulling him out of the depths of despair his father and Gwi-ma have driven him into. Gwi-ma had told him Rumi had abandoned him, but that isn’t true. What else had been lies?

He thinks back to all the interactions with the others he’s had for the past few weeks. He thinks about Mystery’s odd look when Jinu was calling his father. He thinks about Baby staying up for him when he was out late at night. He thinks about Abby’s concern, and Romance’s willingness to approach him again.

He thinks about them, his friends.

And he misses them. He misses when they were closer. Do they still have that chance, or has he ruined it? Gwi-ma would tell him it’s too late, but Rumi has shown him that his way of thinking is wrong.

He doesn’t look at his father as he moves out of the room. He for once ignores the commands to wait and listen, and moves to the dressing room. He’s sure his boys will be there.

And sure enough, when he opens the door, he’s crushed into a strong hug by Abby. He smells of sweat and perfume, and Jinu buries his head into his shoulder.

He sees the others crowd around them, eyes full of a mixture of desperate worry and relief.

Romance is the first one to speak. “Where have you been?! Do you have any idea how worried we all were?”

And Jinu laughs. It’s a wet laugh, but it’s full of joy. They cared, they really cared. “I’m sorry,” he says between hysterical giggles.

Abby squeezes his arms around him tighter. Romance sighs dramatically, but the tension in his shoulders drops.

Here, he’s surrounded by Abby’s arms, Romance’s worry, Baby’s tears, and Mystery’s mutters of comfort. Here, he feels at home.

The demons don’t matter. Gwi-ma is far away, and so is his father. They can all face them later together. He doesn’t need to fix things alone—the others will help him.

Jinu’s tired. He has been for a long time. But maybe he doesn’t have to be.