Archive of Our Own ^beta

Jinu was gone.

At least, that was what Rumi thought after the final showdown with Gwi-ma. The honmoon turned rainbow —its own version of gold— and the king of demons was sealed away forever with all the other demons beneath him. Namsan Tower was left damaged, but there was no Jinu to be seen. Holding fast to the role of hunter, Huntrix reassured post-hypnosis fans that everything was alright and helped them leave. After the building was emptied, Rumi sat amongst the rubble like it was a version of the corpse Jinu never had. Zoey and Mira came up behind her and rested a hand on each shoulder.

“We’re sorry we didn’t trust you about him,” Zoey apologized.

“Yeah, even if he did try to doom the world by helping Gwi-ma,” Mira added.

“Mira…” Zoey said her name in a mix of a pleading and a gentle warning. “Not now…”

“No.” Rumi brushed her sleeve against her nose with a sniffle. “It’s okay. What matters is that he made the right decision in the end.” Her new sword gleamed at her in the refracted sunlight. If she looked hard enough, maybe she would find his soul swirling within it.

“You’re right.” Mira did her best to correct herself. Her hand clutched tighter. “You were right.”

Her and Zoey joined her on the ground. The air really carried throughout the space now that the dark cloud was gone. It filtered out the demonic smell of ash that remained. However, the faint feeling of magic only they could sense would disappear in its own due time.

Just as they stood to leave (with Zoey offering Rumi a handkerchief) a new feeling of magic stirred behind them. They turned and watched in fascination as colorful strands of the honmoon warped around one another. They wiggled around like hoops, growing taller and taller, building into a center of bright light until a lone figure materialized out of it.

Jinu stood in his civilian clothes. His skin wasn’t purple, but patterns crept up his neck and down his wrists. Those weren’t purple either. That color had gone, along with Rumi’s. Now, they shimmered in the hues of the honmoon.

The three girls gawked at the sight of him. Jinu, surprisingly, seemed almost sheepish. By all means, he shouldn’t be here.

“It turns out souls have a lot of power in them,” was all he said with a smile.

Everyone went silent for a few seconds. Before the others could speak, Zoey had a burst of energy with a “what?!” at the sight of Jinu.

“Wow, wow! You’re really alive!” She jumped at his side. “Tell me, what was dying like?”

Thrown off, he leaned back with an “egh!” at her quick invasion.

“Was it dark?” Mira interjected, also getting in his space. A notebook that Rumi had no idea how she obtained was in her hand; pen poised. “Don’t leave out any details. This stuff makes for great poetry.”

“Hey,” Zoey pouted, grabbing Jinu by the arm. He was a rag doll in shock. “What about my lyrics? I can use them for our songs.”

“You can work on those later.” Mira took his other arm and pulled him to her. “Right now I wanna write dark poetry.”

Zoey tugged right back. Mira mirrored her. While they fought over the just-reincarnated Jinu, Rumi mostly watched in shock. He was really here. He was free.

“Rumi, are you okay?” His voice pierced her through the noise of her best friends. It snapped her out of the trance. The other two took notice and quickly returned their hands to themselves. Jinu approached her. She wanted to hug him, but that felt improper, so instead they stood across from each other.

“You’re really here.” It was hard to believe.

He awkwardly balanced on the balls of his feet and flexed his fingers at his sides. “Yeah.” The tension only eased up a little. “I am.”

They continued to stare. He took in the reformed patterns covering her body and she took in the ones she could see on him, along with the skin and eyes that actually looked human.

“Wait.” Zoey interrupted the moment. They both looked at her. “Where’s Jinu going to stay?” Rumi’s mouth fell open. “You know,” Zoey added casually. “Now that he’s no longer a demon.”

Jinu was going to stay in Huntrix tower. Not because Rumi wanted him to, or anything. They had plenty of guest suites on other floors, and it wasn’t like being born four-hundred years ago was doing him any favors. It was the least they could do for him (plus, Mira had half-joked about needing to make sure he didn’t try stealing anyone’s soul). The next few weeks were a little awkward, but they weren’t bad. He hung out with them, and Zoey and Mira found they rather liked him as a person now that he wasn’t trying to destroy their honmoon. The one line he crossed was getting into their fridge, but Rumi managed to neutralize that situation.

The hardest part was dealing with Bobby. At first, he blew up at the idea of having a former Saja Boys member living in the building. “That guy’s like a lion,” he tried to convince them out of concern. “He’ll charm his way into your lives and destroy your career!”

He switched up really quick when he finally met Jinu in-person for the first time. “Oh no, it’s my pleasure,” he insisted about the small apartment suite, already under the influence of Jinu’s charm. Even with his demonic abilities trapped with Gwi-ma (or being gone entirely), it seemed this was natural, at least.

“You’re too kind,” he smiled, and Bobby even offered to help furbish the place for him. Jinu declined, but when he mentioned that he needed some more clothes (as he had always illusioned them with magic), all three girls lit up in excitement. In approximately six minutes and thirty-four seconds, they were at their favorite store and it’s overwhelming variety of fashion.

“We often get things custom made,” Zoey informed as she zipped around, swiping clothes off the racks. “But the casual-wear here is to die for!” She paused, both verbally and physically. “Too soon?”

“No,” he chuckled. “It’s fine.”

His voice could barely reach her over the mountain of clothes already stacked in his arms from Mira and Rumi. Happy once more, Zoey zipped back to it. He swayed back and forth as all three girls zoomed around, tossing clothes onto the ever-growing pile every few seconds.

A store clerk watched nervously at the chaos. He raised a finger, some words waiting on his tongue, until one of them zoomed by at the speed of light to clean the rack next to him. The clerk member was left stunned and in heart-patterned underwear. Approximately two minutes and seventeen seconds later, they gathered up beside a mountain of clothes that reached the ceiling.

“Hey, has anyone seen Jinu?” Rumi asked. Zoey and Mira looked at each other with shrugs and mumbled “I dunno”s. Then, they all raised their hands above their eyes to scout.

“I’m under here.” Came a muffled voice from the pile of clothes. Rumi started pulling some pieces off until she found a miffed Jinu buried in there. Only his face and hands stuck out. “Uh, can someone get me out of here?”

It took all three girls to tug him out of the clothes; Rumi at the neck, and Mira and Zoey at the wrists. When he popped free, time seemed to slow down entirely. Mira and Zoey were on their way to falling on their rears, carrying shared looks of surprise. Rumi, however, found Jinu hovering above her as they fell backwards in slow-motion. She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, embracing him closely as he wrapped his around her waist. Just before they hit the ground, someone grabbed Rumi and pulled her away in milliseconds. Time resumed normally and Jinu’s face hit the floor.

“Thank goodness,” Bobby expressed, checking her for injury. “Are you okay Rumi?”

Her eye twitched, and she finally creaked her neck to look down at Bobby. “Yeah,” she gritted out through a painfully stretched grin. “I’m okay.”

After standing back up, Jinu brushed off his arms. “It wouldn’t have happened if you girls hadn’t gone completely clothes-crazy,” he commented, giving her a look of indifference. Something about this reminded her of their first meeting.

“Oh yeah?” She let her immature anger take over. “Well maybe you—“ she pointed harshly. “Maybe you—“

The words died in her mouth, and she shook in place with a clenched fist. A moment passed, and she breathed her fury out in a closed-eye sigh.

After apologizing to the store workers, Huntrix paid for the clothes Jinu needed (though not everything in the pile) and even helped pick up the mess they made. The girls also fan-girled over some items they bought for themselves. Bobby eagerly took part in cleaning up before escorting them back to their personal ride.

“Are you guys running low on snacks?” he asked, typing something on his phone that was probably work related. The girls looked at each other with thinned eyes and mischievous smiles. They had just purchased over one hundred boxes of their favorite ramyeon to last them the year, but they could always use more snacks, you know?

Bobby directed the driver to the nearest convenience store.

“Driver!” He tapped the separating screen. “To the nearest convenience store please!”

The man nodded. The passengers (except Jinu) fastened their seatbelts in a split second. The driver forcefully pushed down the brakes, then dramatically grabbed the shiny stick shift. The engine revved. All was ready to send the vehicle into sports-car speeds.

Gently, he pulled out into the road and back into another parking space to the store next door.

“Thanks,” Bobby said as the girls poured out of the vehicle with whoops and cheers. “You’re the best!”

Huntrix started chanting snack after snack about what they wanted to get. Jinu simply followed behind them, as he tended to do recently, and held open the door for Bobby. Bobby acted like it was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him. “Oh for me?” He held a hand to his face and waved the other one down. Jinu finally ushered him in when he still hadn’t fully entered the store.

“I’m expected to be back at the building in fifteen minutes,” Bobby spoke over the rows of shelves. Half of them were already empty. “Let’s try and make this a quick trip if you can.”

All three leaned out of different areas with overflowing baskets. With affection, they all said “yes Bobbyyy” and disappeared. Unlike the rest of the food gremlins, Jinu patiently browsed the shelves to find something to eat. Everything was unfamiliar to him. The realization of being a stranger in this society hit harder than it should have.

Holding a bright pink packet in his hand, he squinted to understand the stylized characters. The fluorescent lights above him flickered, and the buzz of the girls’ excitement dimmed to the background. Out of nowhere, an uneasy feeling filled his stomach.

“Traitor.”

He jerked to his left. On the floor kneeled an old lady restocking the shelf. Some sweat ran down his temple.

“Jinu?”

He jerked to the right. Rumi stood at the end of the aisle. The refrigerated drinks framed the wall behind her. She looked concerned.

“Are you okay?”

He started shivering now. It wasn’t the same voice. It wasn’t. He was too familiar with it to know. But the timbre was the same.

“I—“

A figure loomed over Rumi.

“Watch out!”

With her quick reflexes, she kicked behind her and sent whatever it was against the glass fridge doors. It sagged in unconsciousness. With blue skin and purple patterns, it could only be one thing.

“A demon.” Rumi’s voice wavered in shock. “But what is— we—“

“Rumi!”

Another one appeared to the right. It lunged for her but she managed to send it flying back before drawing her sword out of thin air. With stretched out claws, it snarled; feral and vicious.

“Zoey! Mira!” She called out to them, but it seemed they had received visitors the same time as them. Fighting noises came from other sides of the convenience store. “I’ve never seen them like this before,” she said after dispatching the two with her. Jinu went beside her. “Normally they try and get close first but it’s like they’re… it’s like they’re—”

“Scared,” he finished, eyeing down the pathways of their “T” shaped area. A new demon showed up and ran down the middle. Rumi deftly sliced at it, sending it against the left shelf and knocking off dozens of products.

“Hey!” The old lady stood up and started reprimanding her in Korean for the mess.

“Sorry, sorry.” Rumi nervously smiled with her hands up. In the midst of her apology, a demon appeared to the side and she jutted her sword into it without changing her pose.

“C’mon.” Jinu grabbed her wrist and ran to find Zoey and Mira. Several more demons prevented that. With all the flickering lights, the most difficult part of the fight wasn’t the enclosed space, but trying not to cut Jinu in half.

“Hey, watch it!” He narrowly dodged the blade. “I didn’t exactly get this figure from binging junk food.”

Rumi made an unamused face at him as she killed a demon. Then, she threw her sword straight in his direction. He yelped and ducked. It struck another lunging demon in the chest.

“Stop complaining and follow me.” She put on her leader voice. It was authoritive, but inspiring. He nodded once before being dragged to his feet and back into action. As they forced their way through more aisles, Bobby waited at the store counter; not noticing anything in the background.

“Would you like that in a bag?” The cashier asked, completely drained of life. Bobby happily tapped his fingers on the counter before checking his phone. One after the other, several demons were thrown up into the air in painful positions before falling back down.

“Nope! That’s okay.” It was only a candy bar. A delicious, chocolate candy bar. “I plan on eating it right away,” he explained, swiping his card to pay for it. The machine beeped negatively as one demon smacked against a nearby window.

“I’m sorry sir, our register has been acting up. Please try again.”

“No problem!” He swiped again. Another demon hit the window next to the first one. “Maybe it’s me,” he rustled around the contents of his fanny pack. “Hold on, I think I have a member’s card.”

The cashier sighed, like he’d rather be anywhere than here. “Take your time.”

Meanwhile, Rumi and the others were getting pretty tired of these demons.

“Urghh, don’t these guys know when to quit?” Mira pierced one to the floor with her war-scythe.

“Yeah.” Zoey dodged a couple before getting them with her throwing knives. She was still holding her basket of food, just like Mira. When she dodged again, several snacks flew out. In the open air, the demon tore a bag in half as it tried to get to her. “Hey!” she complained. “I was gonna eat that!” With stabbing motions, she killed it in a rage of fury.

At last, Rumi and Jinu were there with them; all panting at the effort.

“It looks like some demons were sealed on this side of the honmoon,” he said. He frighteningly moved away from Mira’s scythe when it stabbed another one near him.

“And with no chance of winning—“ she started.

“—they’re trying to take us out before we take them out,” Zoey finished.

“But Jinu’s good, right guys?” She nervously gestured to him in his weakened state. He didn’t look like the other demons anymore, but he still had those patterns. The two girls squinted at him.

“Yeah, he’s good.”

“For now.”

More demons showed up, and it was nearly impossible not to mess up the store. They did their best, lest they face the wrath of the old lady, and finally collapsed in a heap of heavy breathing. The lighting went back to normal. Their baskets sat near them with almost all the contents intact.

“Remind me never to fight in a convenience store ever again.” Mira groaned. Zoey nodded. Rumi let her sword dissipate, and she swayingly got to her feet.

“Let’s go find Bobby.” He was still at the register swiping his card. The other two pulled themselves up, and started dragging down the aisle. Just when it seemed everything was safe, one last demon appeared on a shelf between them and Jinu. It bent on its haunches to jump.

“Wait!” He lunged for it. It lunged for Rumi. Rumi turned around.

Before anyone else could react to the situation, a shimmer of light emitted from his palm as it slammed into the demon. The light shot through its torso and turned it to dust. Just as quickly as it appeared, the iridescent colors were gone. Everyone was left gaping.

To call it shocking was an understatement, but no one was more surprised than Jinu. He looked at his hand like it had never existed before. There was always something different about every life he had led. This seemed to be one of those things.

Bobby showed up, completely oblivious to anything that had occurred. “Hey girls! Jinu.” He waved his candy bar. “Ready to check out?”

Silence was his answer. Zoey was the first to say anything.

“What. The. Fudge!"

“I don’t understand how this happened,” Jinu sighed in exhaustion as he sat on the floor of their training room. It was used for learning choreography, but it easily doubled as a room to practice fighting. Killing demons was a full-time gig. After getting back to the tower, the girls tried to get him to repeat whatever in the world he had done back at the convenience store. That was over an hour ago.

“Well, I think it’s rather simple!” Zoey pulled down a screen filled with her scribbling. “Demons consume souls and Rumi is a demon.” She pointed to a chibi doodle with a metal stick. “He gave up his soul to empower her to defeat Gwi-ma.” The others tilted their heads in confusion. “Once Gwi-ma was sealed and Jinu’s soul stayed on this side of the honmoon, what was left of it returned to his normal form. Or what it should be, anyways. That part I’m still working on.” Her stick flew between multiple parts. “Jinu somehow connected his soul to hers. The permanence of the honmoon no longer limits this world to three hunters. Anyone can theoretically draw power from it through the fans and wow Jinu has a lot of fans. With his knowledge of how the magic works and no longer being pure demon he’s able to wield the—“

“Okay okay.” Rumi was starting to get a headache. “I think I understand now.”

“I don’t.” Jinu propped his chin up with a fist. “I’m a guy. Guys don’t get to be hunters.”

“Now they do,” Mira smirked, summoning her weapon.

“Don’t worry, I think it’s cute!” Zoey reassured him, summoning her knives.

“Woah, hold on.” He stood up and backed away. “What do you guys think you’re doing.”

As they advanced, Rumi surprised him by the side with her sword drawn. He backed away from her too. She continued to walk towards him with the others supporting her. “Now that you have access to this power, it is your responsibility to use it and protect this world from demons.”

“Now hold on—“ he fell backwards.

“To protect the world, you must first learn how to wield it properly.” She reached her hand out to him. “Are you willing?”

Lips parted, Jinu looked at the offer being extended. Be it fear, be it doubt, be it something else entirely: he didn’t want to take it. At the same time, the look in Rumi’s eyes fired up his spirit and gave him courage he’d lacked for four-hundred years. She did things to him that he couldn’t help. It only left one option.

“Yes,” he said, making his decision. He reached for her hand. Rumi pulled hers away and brushed off her shoulder with a smug face.

“Great.” She reveled in his reaction. “Your training begins now.”

The training was not going well.

First things first, it took forever for Jinu to summon an actual weapon. When the Huntrix did it several years ago, it came easy, like second nature. They knew in their hearts what they needed to defeat the demons. Jinu, however, had no idea what he wanted. With his indecisiveness, Rumi suggested he try different weapons out until he found the right one.

So he started with a sword. The same as Rumi’s.

“Look, I know I said any weapon but—“

“But what?” He balanced his stance and pointed it at her. A challenge. “Scared you’ll lose?” he asked, completely overconfident. Her facial features shifted from annoyance to her own meritable confidence that came with years of fighting demons. Another sword appeared. It pointed at his chest.

“No,” she said, readying her own stance. A purple eyebrow quirked up. “Just scared I’ll ruin your beautiful face.”

Jinu’s eyes widened. She swung at him before he could react. Dodging, he quickly got back into a fighting headspace and started deflecting her attacks. The iridescence of their blades swung around in a flashy dance of colors. Both gave their all in the fight. Rumi, quicker on her feet, swept his feet out from under him. His sword flew. On the floor, he barely managed to hold back the blade pressing in from above.

“This feels familiar,” he said through his teeth. Both his and Rumi’s muscles shook from exertion.

“Yeah.” She doubled down with her weight and bared her teeth in a feral sort of way. “The only difference is I’m not trying to kill you this time.”

“Oh come on, we both know you want to stab me so bad.” The way he said it sounded like a flirtation. She flared her nostrils.

“Yeah! Go Rumi!” The girls cheered. Rumi looked up at them, distracted, and Jinu successfully pushed her off of him. With his weapon back in hand, they returned to their previous back-and-forth dueling. When it was like this, the skills and experience were evident. Not only was Rumi faster, but she knew just where to strike, just where to move her feet. By the end of it, Jinu was tripping over himself and lacking the grip to hold his sword any longer. The honmoon reclaimed it; along with Rumi’s shortly after.

“You did well,” she complimented him, extending a hand out in good faith. He looked at it in distrust, but he reached for it. Their fingers brushed and hesitated, then gripped onto each other as she pulled him up.

“Eh, swords are alright.” He brushed his shoulder without concern. “I think I’ll let you keep your aesthetic.”

“Pf-hwa-what? My aesthetic?” she said irately. She couldn’t believe this guy. With his stupid face and stupid clothes and stupid honmoon magic—

“So, next weapon.” Jinu clapped his hands and ignored her in favor of Mira and Zoey. “I was thinking I could try your guys’—“

“Nuh uh.”

“No way.”

They stood firmly with folded arms and shaking heads. Jinu pouted glumly. Finding the right weapon would be a lot harder than he thought. Luckily, they had all day.

At Zoey’s suggestion, he tried something more traditional. The mubuchae was a fan that glided through the air with grace and precision. Created by the honmoon, it was thin, strong, and sharp. A little too sharp. While practicing twirling around with it, he ended up slicing a chair clean in half.

At Rumi’s suggestion, he attempted to use a whip (which was a bad idea since it required even more precision). To her surprise, he handled it rather well. The snake-like form swung through the air and successfully hit the targets they set up. He got a little bold, however, and kept whipping it around until it somehow managed to wrap all the way down his body. With just enough time to process it and not enough time to stop it, he tipped sideways and hit the floor.

At Mira’s suggestion, he played his hand at a nunchaku. Really, it wasn’t any easier than the whip. He swung it around wildly. In tandem, the handle flew up to hit his face and down to hit his groin; leaving him sagging to the floor in pain.

“Ooh…” the girls winced.

Surely archery would be easier, right? Jinu pulled back the string, arms flexing, and let three arrows fly at once. Zoey ducked as one shot right through where her head just was. The second one stuffed itself into the top of Rumi’s braid. Mira caught the third between her fingers.

“Hey! Watch it!” Zoey clutched her skull protectively. Jinu smiled anxiously with wide eyes and hid the bow behind his back. It dissipated.

“Wow,” Mira commented blandly, eyeing the arrow she caught before letting it disappear. “That was like, really bad.”

“Guys, let’s be nice.” Rumi had that same deranged look on her face as Jinu while she yanked the arrow out of her hair. He nodded, and she gathered them all forward for new ideas. They locked in with their shoulders and looked at each other.

“How about an axe!”

“Too violent.”

“Maybe I could try a dagger?”

“That’s basically a mix between my sword and Zoey’s knives.”

“What about two daggers…”

“Mira! Not helping.”

“Fine. What about a shield to protect us? That way he won’t actually be injuring anybody.”

“I like it!”

“No offense, but I don’t think using a shield against demons will help me ‘protect the world’.”

“Aww… Rumi he’s quoting you…”

“Zip it Zoey. We’ve gotta focus.”

“Ooh! Maybe we could dress him in one of our battle outfits to get him in the spirit!”

Jinu, Rumi, and Mira all blinked at Zoey. The two girls’ faces stretched into smirks as they side-eyed Jinu, and Jinu returned the look with a nervous one. Nodding vigorously at the idea, they started pushing Jinu out of the room and into their massive closet. After thrusting some clothes into his arms and shoving him behind a curtain, they waited for no time at all for him to reappear. Two of their faces puffed out in withheld laughter while Zoey caved immediately and fell to the floor.

“Guys, I really don’t think this is working,” He said while looking down to examine the ridiculous outfit. Every piece of it was too small; stretching over his masculine frame. The worst was around his shoulders since the fabric looked like it was about to tear at the seams. Or cut off circulation. The only parts of him spared were his bare legs and waist.

“It’s too bad you don’t have abs.” Mira added sleazily, drawing in closer until she was face-to-face with his stomach. Rumi pulled her back by the collar.

“Don’t worry, we can try something else,” she said, scratching out the idea on Zoey’s notebook.

“Or we can try putting on makeup,” Mira suggested deviously, brandishing three different cosmetics between her fingers like knives. Hearing her hyped Zoey up and she started fist-pumping the air.

“Yes! Yes!” The two of them got in Jinu’s personal space with devilish grins and sparkles for eyes. Their fingers reached for his shrinking frame and ignored his sweating expression as he cowered against a glass pane.

“Or we can try giving him some space.” Rumi grabbed them by the scruffs and pushed them out. Zoey pouted with puppy eyes. Mira just shrugged, then returned to her mischievous smile.

“Next time,” came her dark promise.

With the two out of the way and heading to the kitchen to raid the fridge, Rumi let the stress fall off her shoulders. Sighing in relief, she brushed invisible dust off her hands and turned around. The last thing she expected to see was the side profile of Jinu taking the shirt off without even using the curtain. An unsavory noise came out of her mouth, and her eyes turned into unpopped corn. The material stretched around his arms; baring his entire back and shoulders. He had a solemn look on his face, but Rumi didn’t notice at first while she drooled like Zoey.

When he finally looked at her, she caught herself and wiped her chin. No words were exchanged while he shrugged on his signature hoodie before grabbing his pants and disappearing behind the curtain. When she saw him again, he still had that look on his face. The only thing she could name was confusion. Tentatively, she followed him out of the closet and to the balcony.

At this time of night, the view was its most stunning. A million lights twinkled from the buildings afar and below; creating an imperfect mirror of the stars above. Lightly covering it all was the iridescent sheen of the honmoon in all its glory. That was a rare sight only Jinu, Rumi, and a few others were privileged to. It felt special to share it with him now.

“You know, it was almost worth it, just to see this view,” he said, leaning into the bar to take it all in. A breeze caressed his hair, carrying the newfound calm that contrasted all of earlier’s shenanigans. Rumi’s braid joined the fray as she did the same beside him.

“What was worth it?” she asked, only glimpsing at him for a moment.

“Giving up my soul.”

Blinking multiple times, she could only manage an “oh”.

“The honmoon really is beautiful.” He went on with his earnestness, sinking into the bar. Rumi subconsciously did the same.

“Yeah,” she said before turning to look at him again. “It is.”

Jinu continued to gaze at the view. “Maybe I should have betrayed Gwi-ma sooner,” he chuckled. “It would have been the perfect revenge for taking my soul and turning me into a demon.”

“You know you gave me your soul right?” She teased, bumping into his shoulder.

“And what’s that supposed to mean?” He returned her energy, bumping back into her. Smiling, she drew out an eye roll with the movement of her head.

“Oh nothing.” She finally focused on the city beneath them. No matter how much she looked at the honmoon, it never failed to fill her with a heartwarming sense of pride. The world was safe, and she was the one who had helped accomplish that. This beautiful landscape was something she created. It would forever be her greatest feat; more than any popularity score or idol award.

As she continued to dwell on the honmoon, Jinu balanced the switch of attention by focusing on her. Above the fabric of his elbow, his eyes trailed up the patterns on her arm, shoulder, and face. The same iridescence of the honmoon shimmered over them. He had them too, but on Rumi, they were so much more breathtaking to look at. There were times where he was tempted to touch them, but managed to stop himself. Now was one of those times.

“It really is better than gold,” Rumi absentmindedly commented, still overlooking the city..

“Yeah,” he replied, just as absentminded. “It really is.”

Before either knew what was happening, he was reaching out to her arm. Rumi flinched at the contact, and he hesitated, then continued. Fingertips smoothed over the mesmerizing shapes; reverent and gentle. They stopped just shy of her neck before dropping back to his side.

Rumi started to clutch her arm with a hand, then stopped. On the spot, she found herself saying something she hadn’t found the chance to these past few weeks. “I used to think they would hate me for them. I used to think they wouldn’t love me because of them.” She was talking about Zoey and Mira. While they had sat and had deep discussions over her heritage and the shame Celine induced into her, this wasn’t an insecurity she had fully brought up yet to her best friends. “It was a fear that consumed me constantly. That’s why I—“ she couldn’t bring herself to finish the sentence, but Jinu understood.

“That’s why you hid them.” He completed. “Why you were so set on finishing the honmoon.”

Putting it that way always made her uncomfortable. “Well, that wasn’t the only reason. I still wanted to save people from demons; still do.”

“It’s okay,” he insisted, leaning in closer. “Sometimes being a little selfish can be healthy.”

“Because nobody can be perfect, right?”

“Well—“

“Because Celine never seemed to love the parts of me that weren’t.” The light words were overshadowed by the deeper meaning. She turned her gaze back to the city.

“I love the imperfect parts of you.”

The confession was simple. Easy. Maybe a little too easy. It left them both silent and staring, until Jinu looked away and Rumi did the same with a matching flush to her face. She thumbed a purple and yellow curl on her arm. He scratched a similar one under his bracelet.

“They… they look nice on you too,” she said a little quietly.

“Thank you.” His eyes softened. His lips curved beneath a blush. No more words were shared that night. They enjoyed the peace provided by the enchanting atmosphere and subtle breeze. Even with that, they couldn’t help but steal a little glance here and there.

The view really was beautiful from this high up.

“Are you ready?”

Jinu breathed in deeply from his position on Rumi’s beanbag. He was focused. Eyes closed. No distractions.

“Yes.”

“Then let’s begin.”

As slow as a song, in the indigo night, he weaved his fingers through the strands of the honmoon; plucking them for a resonance. A tune rang out in his mind. He went on running his fingers through them, feeling them, filtering shapes for even a hint of familiarity. In the peace and silence of Rumi’s room, he attempted to search within himself and find the weapon that spoke to him. The honmoon had one to give, so he was going to morph it into his waiting hands.

His finger ran over another string and his eye twitched. He reached out, then impulsively let go. That wasn’t right. He tried again, only to fail all the same. Nothing was working. He did it again and again, but his soul turned up cold and empty.

This was getting frustrating. A mental string was stretching to snap.

 “Ugh.” he broke out of his trance and buried his fingers in his hair. “None of this is working.”

“Hey,” Rumi said soothingly, sliding off the foot of her bed and squeezing in beside him. “It’s okay.” The hand on his shoulder relieved some of its tension. Jinu sighed. He stared at his hands. “It’ll come to you eventually, just like it did for all of us.”

As much as her comfort worked, it didn’t fix the root of the problem. “Yeah, but it was easy for you guys. It was supposed to be something for you to wield. I’m— an outsider. I’m not supposed to be able to do this stuff.”

Rumi pulled away, feeling a little unsure how to help him, but she made up her mind and leaned in further to rest her head on his shoulder. A calm washed over them; flowing from her body and into his. “I thought the same thing too,” she said, recalling the memories. They played out before her like a silent movie. “I thought I was the last person in the world who deserved to become a hunter. I thought that Celine choosing me was a mistake. I felt like a mistake.”

Something pricked at her eyes. She shifted her feet and accidentally knocked over her trashcan. When she started to move, Jinu said “don’t” and pulled her in with an arm around her waist. He leaned into her. “Leave it.”

“Okay,” she whispered, letting herself sink farther against him. He was warm and utterly cozy.

Except for the occasional hugs from Zoey and Mira, she hadn’t been this physically close with someone in a long, long time. Years ago, she was terrified they would somehow sense her patterns through the fabric of her sleeves. To not have to worry about that anymore was the biggest weight off her shoulders. The first time Jinu embraced her had been a shock, but it also quelled some of the starvation she endlessly suffered from.

While she relaxed in his easy affection, Jinu did the same and pondered a similar situation with himself. Demons weren’t exactly huggable people. Outside of Rumi, the last time he felt another’s embrace was his little sister. Then, it was his mother. Here with Rumi, he could supplement the memory and pretend even for a second that everything was alright. Everything would be okay. They could stay like this and ease away the day’s worries.

With enough time passing, the two of them loosely parted. The physical and emotional closeness the other brought was addicting, but they were satisfied for now.

“Look who showed up,” Jinu chuckled, nudging her and gesturing to the floor with his nose. The circle carpet in her room started rising from its center until it slid off to reveal Derpy. Sussie sat smugly on his head; hat still proudly worn on his own.

Rumi snuffed a warm laugh. “Hey guys.” She casually got up and fixed the trashcan, which Derpy was actively eyeing. “It’s been a while, huh?”

Derpy blinked slowly. Sussie flew to Jinu’s shoulder.

“Would you like some snacks?” Jinu asked them. Rumi gave him an amused look. “What? I thought I was sharing your kitchen.”

Instead of correcting him, she led the way to half-open cupboards and drawers. After getting some ice cream for the four of them, she and Jinu leaned against the island. The overhead lights illuminated them faintly with the night bleeding through the windows. Zoey and Mira were long asleep. Rumi blamed her nature for her nocturnal tendencies, so it was nice that she had someone to share them with.

“Wow, I’ve really been missing out.” Jinu dug his spoon into the bowl. This was the first time he had ever eaten ice cream.

“Mm, yeah.” She was already stuffing her face. “You’ve missed out on a lot over the past four-hundred years.”

“Oh, like you’ve been alive for most of it?” he teased, bumping her shoulder.

“Hey, at least I have a history book.”

“Why does it surprise me that you actually have an education?”

Snickering, Rumi bumped him back and finished the rest of her ice cream. Sussie stood beside her on the counter with an already-empty bowl. She took it with her and placed the dishes in the crowded sink. Derpy was still slowly licking into his on the floor. He looked like he was enjoying it. She returned to her spot and watched Jinu as he savored the simple vanilla. The rest of Huntrix’s ice cream were absurd flavors that would be far too extreme for him.

“You really don’t have to worry about it, you know,” she reassured him, taking her time to memorize the soft and sharp features of his face. “You can take as much time as you need. I— We’ll be here for you.”

He looked up from his bowl. “You really mean that?”

“Yeah.” She lightly punched his shoulder. He looked at the action in subtle offense. “I would never let you go through this alone.”

With a small smile, he grazed his knuckles against hers and put his bowl and spoon in the sink. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

He shook his head and stood in front of her. Suddenly, there was too little space between them. “No,” he said, gazing at her deeply. It made her cheeks go rosy. “Thank you for not giving up on me. It’s the first time anyone’s ever done that.”

“Well,” she tried to deflect… something. “You were the first time anyone ever told me I wasn’t a mistake. Consider this returning the favor.”

He shook his head again. “I don’t like owing favors.” He gently pinched some purple strands that strayed from her braid and stared at them. In a strange way, they enchanted him. “Let’s just call this… a group project of shared interest.”

Rumi stifled a laugh. “Okay.”

He let go of her hair and stepped back. Whatever was between them broke quietly like shattered glass. “Goodnight.” Sussy and Derpy had left while the two of them were busy looking at each other. Jinu didn’t stay any longer; only sparing a lingering gaze.

“Goodnight.” She waved, watching until he disappeared down the hallway. Her shoulders turned lighter in the moment. Reflexively, she knew the same must be true for Jinu. In a way that no one else had, they brought the best out of each other through shared understanding. The dynamic was quickly getting to her head. And her heart.

She didn’t mind the way it skipped a beat.

“So, what are our plans for today?” Mira managed through a mouth full of cereal. Crumbs and milk spit out while she spoke. Everyone was gathered at the kitchen island in their pajamas for a great purpose.

Tongue between her teeth, Zoey eagerly poured her own bowl of cereal and immediately started devouring it like an adorable little monster. Sure, it may have been pure sugar, but the purple, pink, and green marshmallows were abstract reflections of Huntrix’s character; as displayed by the colorful box plastered with their faces.

“Zoey, pass me the milk,” Rumi asked. Zoey slid it down the counter and Rumi caught it by the handle. She poured some into her bowl. “I think we should brainstorm new ideas.”

Mira, still crunching on her cereal, said “that sounds good”. She swallowed loudly, then pointed with her spoon. “What’s up with him?”

Jinu’s face was planted on the counter. He was either asleep, unconscious, or dead. She poked him experimentally. Nothing happened.

“Oh him?” Rumi fanned her hand downwards in unimportance. “He hasn’t had to sleep for four-hundred years. ‘Sleep schedules’ are still a thing he’s getting used to.”

Zoey was already on her third bowl. The sugar fueled her like adrenaline in her veins. “Okay! I have an idea!”

Rumi and Mira perked up.

“A really, really good one!” Zoey continued. The other two leaned forward; interest completely peaked. “We go take him to see Doctor Han!”

Rumi felt a tick in her face. Not that quack doctor.

“Zoey…” She groaned, running a hand down her face. “Last time we went he scammed me with grape juice as a voice tonic.”

At some point, Jinu had woken up. He looked at Rumi with his head propped up and an elbow on the counter. “I remember those. They were tasty.” He tried to be teasing, but part of his hair stuck up from napping and made it hard to take him seriously. Rumi still shot him a dirty look.

“I know I know.” Zoey’s hands were raised defensively. “But listen: he was really helpful in helping us understand ourselves better. Especially with our faults. Mayyybe he can do the same for Jinu.”

Mira shrugged and threw her dishes in the overflowing sink. The bowl landed in another bowl before the spoon bounced around and landed in it. “She’s got a point.”

Rumi was still uncertain. Frankly, she was uncomfortable with the idea. “I dunno…” She forgot all about her breakfast in front of her. “What does Jinu think?”

They collectively looked at Jinu. His face was planted on the counter again.

“Look,” Mira said, just trying to help things go along smoother. “It’s worth a shot.”

Groaning again, Rumi pulled at her eyelids and dragged down the skin of her face. She hated being wrong. “Fine.”

“Woo!” Zoey pumped her fist into the air.

“But only for the personality examination. We are not buying anything.”

“Deal.”

When Jinu was finally awake and not half-dead to the world, they changed into their civilian disguises and headed back to those shifty alleyways. They didn’t have an appointment, but with the lack of traffic the clinic received, it didn’t take long before Doctor Han was able to see them. The first thing he did was congratulate Huntrix on their improvement.

“I am so glad to see you are doing well.” He shook Rumi’s hands. Ever since Namsan tower, most of her walls had fallen. The few that remained were actively crumbling and assisted by metaphorical demolition teams. She resisted grimacing at him. What came out was a twisted almost-smile.

“Zoey,” he greeted, switching to her and acknowledging her steps forward. “I hope you are being kinder to yourself.”

For whatever reason, she snorted. Then, pulled Mira and Rumi into a tight hug. “Of course.” She smiled. “It helps that I have two best friends in the whole wide world who love me.”

When Doctor Han finally got to Mira, he hesitated. She was giving him her “I am not impressed and I will hurt your feelings if necessary” face. After a moment of intimidation, she dropped the look and grinned.

“Good job,” was all he said. With the unofficial checkup out of the way, he focused on the newcomer. “It is very nice to meet you in person, Jinu Saja. How can I help you today?”

Jinu opened his mouth. Zoey interrupted and invaded his space to talk to Doctor Han. “We were wondering if you could like, see into him the way you did to us. You know, to help him understand the ‘whole’.”

Ever patient, Doctor Han gave this some thought. “I see.” Not the most unusual of requests. Not the most common, either. “Well, I can always give it a try.” He breathed in, settled his focus, then opened his eyes wide until they were bulging out and staring directly into Jinu. Disturbed, Jinu scooted back into his chair. The wall behind him stopped his progress.

“I see…” the Doctor began. He paused for effect. “Confusion. Disorientation.” The girls nodded along. “You are very unsure of things and how to proceed with your life. Everything feels out of place.” At this, Jinu was actually shocked. “I would recommend searching within yourself to absolve that confusion.”

“I’ve already tried that!” Jinu didn’t need a useless reminder. He did that enough to himself.

Doctor Han was unfazed. His eyes returned to normal. “I don’t mean for you to search for the things at the heart of your confusion. Instead, search for the things you are already sure of. Things already true in your heart. Let them be your anchor to fasten onto and find whatever you’re looking for.”

Stilling, Jinu’s eyes widened; the words resonating deep within his soul. Next to him, the girls were touched by Doctor Han’s wisdom. For a moment, even Rumi mentally praised him. She quickly shook away the thoughts, however, and donned her judgmental opinion. “If that’ll be all.” She stood up and grabbed Jinu by the arm. “We’ll be going now.”

Everyone followed after her. “Come again soon.” Doctor Han waved goodbye. Part of a new poster on his wall started peeling. Rumi didn’t bother returning the sentiment. Once they were back on the main street and restored their disguises, she let the interaction escape her in shudders.

“Let’s get some dak-kkochi.” She continued pulling Jinu by the arm. It wasn’t until they purchased the skewered chicken and scallions that Jinu playfully pointed out her grip on him.

“You know, if you wanted to keep me by your side at all times, all you had to do was ask.”

With a red face, she caught him off-guard by harshly stuffing a dak-kkochi in his throat and chomped on her own. Coughing, Jinu pulled it out. He refrained from making another remark. Zoey and Mira avoided looking in their direction as they munched on their own dak-kkochi. While they all ate on the go and found a trashcan to throw the skewers into, something pricked at Jinu’s ears. He stood up straighter; neck craning over the busy street.

There it was again. Faint, but unmistakable. The sound carried through the air and settled into him. It led him forward, pushing past others until he reached the front of a building. Fate was rather funny. Sitting against it was a man, and in his moving hands was a bipa. The music being plucked from deft fingers wrapped around Jinu’s heart. He didn’t recognize the song, but that didn’t matter. Hearing it imbued an otherworldly effect on him, like his soul leaving his body. He was weightless. He would know that type of sound anywhere; even if he lost himself entirely.

The song concluded and the trance settled, but it didn’t stop the overwhelming feeling. Jinu checked his pockets, then looked to Rumi. Rolling her eyes fondly, she passed him some money that quickly fell into the street musician’s hat. Before the group could discuss where to go next, something dashed by in the alleyway in their peripheral vision. The once-relaxed vibe of the afternoon turned into one of seriousness. Looking at each other, they nodded in sync and walked in. It may not have been a demon, but one could never be too careful.

Once stepping into a wider, empty intersection, Huntrix drew out their honmoon weapons. Jinu, shortly after them, summoned duel daggers. Rumi eyed them, but didn’t make a comment. In the distance, some more shadowy figures dashed by. Tension rose. Huntrix steadily formed into an outward-facing triangle.

“You can stand back and watch if you’d like.” Rumi let Jinu know. He didn’t have experience with this stuff, so a safer chance to learn would probably be among some of the better options.

He scoffed. “No way. I’m not letting you guys get all the action.”

“Suit yourself.”

The demons gave no more time for strategizing. They came quickly from the shadows. No human imitation. No trickery. Just their sharpened claws and feral faces.

Rumi kicked one in the chest before slicing the two behind it. Zoey killed hers before anyone else and helped Mira with her small hoard of enemies. While they all became distracted with their individual fights, one demon sought solely after Jinu. It startled him with its swiftness and he crossed his daggers to shield himself. It reached past to claw at him. Slashing outwards, he went on the offensive and lunged forward to stab it. Purple dust was his reward, but not before a dying “traitor…” elicited between curved fangs. He did his best to scoff in indifference.

In the time it took him to kill one demon, the rest of them were already dead. That didn’t stop the sense of accomplishment he received. He was confident he could kill more if given the chance, and he wanted the chance. It was the least he could do to repay for his countless sins. If only his dept wasn’t an endless list.

Mira swung her war-scythe down effortlessly. “We should split up.” There were three other alleyways, and wherever there was one demon, more were bound to show up. Splitting up wasn’t Huntrix’s forte, but with countless civilians not far away, so many lives were in danger. Without needing to strategize a plan, Zoey took the left. Mira took the right. Rumi took Jinu’s wrist and sprinted down the middle. “C’mon,” she said.

Doctor Han’s wisdom echoed in his ear. A kinder voice. It wrapped around the music from before and encouraged a truth to the surface of his soul. “Wait, hold on.” They slowed to a stop. He could see the question on her face, but she didn’t ask it. He steadied himself.

No words came at first. The thoughts in his head were a whirlwind of emotions and were almost illegible. It was a blind reach for them, but he managed to snag onto something. “Anchors,” he said, slipping his hand into hers. A new song played at the back of his mind. A comforting one. “I know now.” Rumi’s features softened at his realization. He glanced at where they were connected. At one pattern’s end, another one started. “I didn’t understand it at first, but Doctor Han was right. My life may be a huge mess, but there is one thing that has always rung true for me. The one thing that grounded me. Rumi, thank you for helping me find it.”

Shyly blushing, she averted her gaze. “Anyone could have helped you, you know,” she deflected. Still, her grip on his hand tightened.

“No,” he said, stepping closer. “Not just anyone. Because of your help, I have two clear anchors in my mind now. It’s all thanks to you.”

She started stammering as he held onto her other hand; even closer than before. “I-I don’t understand.”

“Rumi, you ground me.”

Time seemed to slow down in a familiar feeling. Her eyelashes fluttered of their own accord. At his leaning, she lulled into his embrace, and a million colors bursted out from their connecting souls. The honmoon glimmered around them. It pulsed in a shared heartbeat. If the world was a storm-tossed ocean, then nothing could tear them from where they stood together anchored at the bottom of the sea. Together, they were unmovable.

Pulling away from the tender hug, Jinu refocused on himself for what came next.

Running his fingers along the honmoon’s strands, he weaved threads of light out of it and warped them into a beautiful shape. His timeless anchor was perfect in his memory. In the sparkling light, a bipa appeared in his hands. Its iridescent body was absolutely beautiful, with the golden accents of the strings and tuning pegs enough to take his breath away. Wonderfully ethereal. A skillful finger plucked one string. Magical aura wafted through the air like a shimmering heatwave; sure to have a deadly effect on demons.

It was perfect. An extension of himself. Even with the honmoon’s flawlessness, it still manifested familiar old nicks and scratches on the instrument that only he would notice. Jinu couldn’t help but smile. This truly was his anchor.

His eyes raised to see his other one.

Rumi’s heartwarming pride at his self-discovery was apparent in every single inch of her being. It was in the way she smiled at him; all sweet and unselfish. It was in the way she swept her fingers across the bipa in respect and adoration. It was in the way she grabbed his free hand and started running down the alleyway.

He let her pull him along.

“C’mon Hunter Jinu,” she laughed. It was a free sound in the air. “We’ve got some demons to hunt.”