Chapter Text
The sun gently beams through fogged glass, a pleasant scent of dewdrops after the rain seeping through the cracks. Thunder, grey skies. It had been this way for ages, the weather never letting up and giving way to mercy. It was as if the skies themselves had mocked Rumi, the purple marks etched in her skin like a disaster waiting to bubble up to the surface. It burned at her like sin.
Pure shame, pure disgust. She was so close — she saw it, just when things finally looked up for once. It was gold, the honmoon. The bright, relentless shade which was her own ticket out of her misery, these ... demon imprints on human flesh. It wasn't supposed to be this way, no. It can't be.
She hadn't realized how far she had ran, a pool of dread in her stomach which turned into knots. Running away from everything, from Zoey and Mira; oh, how she wished she could tell them everything. But she couldn't.
A quiet sob lifts out of her throat. Now what can she do? How is she supposed to sing without a voice?
"Why are you all the way up here?"
Rumi clutches tightly the fabric of her costume, shoving the jacket back up to cover the marks that taunt her every day. Panic rose her chest as she quickly hid, hid like she always did. Away from all of her problems. Her gaze quickly darts to the figure that stood a few feet away from herself, unrecognizable. "Who- Who are you?" She asks, almost demanded an answer. No one else should have been up here, not right now anyways.
The figure stays quiet, almost as if thinking of a proper response.
"Mm, no one important. I just thought to ask if you were alright. You looked scared, running up here," They speak, stepping closer with each tick. The dark sky beckons, twilight falling upon as the soft gaze of the moon reveals a young woman wearing white. A thin sew of chiffon sleeves attached on her top, tucked into a long, pale skirt with floral imprints. A pearl necklace rests perfectly on her neck. Classy. She ... looked normal. Human. And that's what unnerved Rumi the most. She didn't feel human. But not in an unpleasant way; simply out of place. But one thing for sure, her voice was pretty. Like the bloom of flowers in spring, or even an expensive, delicate perfume sold in the extravagant places of France.
The purple haired singer clenches her fists. As if grounding herself. "Are you a fan?" She asks, though it was likely a doubt. This girl wasn't even showing signs of admiration, or excitement. Just looking at her with those faintly glowing eyes. Seeing her for what she really is.
And not being disgusted in any way.
The mystery woman shakes her head. "Oh, no. But I do admire your music. You have a way of bringing souls together." She smiled. Souls. Rumi's jaw tightened and loosens almost immediately; as if preparing herself to summon her weapon. How does she know ... ?
"Don't get me wrong. I'm not a demon either," The elegant figure calmly says, her gaze unguarded and warm. Something real. It was all too confusing for Rumi. If not demon, she didn't feel human either. Then what exactly is she? Sensing the demon hunter's puzzlement, a small laugh escaped the woman's lips. "I'm (Y/N)." She finally introduces herself, placing a palm to her chest. "It's nice to meet you Rumi. Though i'm glad that you're doing fine, I have to get going soon." Turning on her heels in shadowed movement, (Y/N) moved. Stepping down the small staircase as she returns to the door. "I have a situation with my members. But we'll be seeing each other very soon."
Rumi barely manages to process that information before the girl who called herself (Y/N) had disappeared. The door shuts softly with a click, the cold wind brushing past like a promise. Strange. Everything about this situation now.
"... See each other, very soon." She repeats to herself. As if trying to process it. What did she mean by that? She flinches, looking down and quickly fixing her clothes with trembling fingers. And yet once she had paid enough attention, Rumi had realized her patterns had stopped flaring up. And the purple, jagged hues that once snatched her throat captive, had recessed like nothing happened. What?
How ... "Did she ..." Her eyes widened. And looked up again at the door. And yet there was nothing left of their encounter.
Just the moonlight air, and the promises of something much, much bigger.
"Rumi! Where have you been? It's so late out," Zoey props herself up onto the couch as soon as their leader appears beyond the door, clicking it shut softly behind her. Mira looks up from the TV, holding the remote (though for the past minute has been scrolling idly on every channel). "Yeah, why would you just leave like it?" Mira asked, looking very concerned about her.
In response, Rumi doesn't let the gloom come through. She felt far better than earlier, and yet many things still bug her mind. "Oh, hah- i'm good," She quickly waves it off. "Just ... got a bit stressed. You know. From earlier."
The two glanced at each other. In silent conversation. Though if anything, they were just worried. Even so, it was brushed off just as Rumi had intended.
"Okayyy, then." Zoey nodded, and her usual smile quirks her lips. Scooting over the edge to get closer to Rumi. "You know, Bobby said he was coming over tomorrow morning. Said he had something important to tell us!" The maknae quips. Rumi raises an eyebrow. Important?
"Ugh, if it's about us again I swear .." Mira mumbles to herself.
She wasn't sure if it was about their status this time, curse those stupid Saja Boys; or something else entirely. It was inevitable after the wreck earlier.
Though she was tired. Really tired. The day had worn her out completely, with some well deserved rest in tow. Rumi decided to head to head bed early. "Alright." She said, turning her head to her bedroom. "I'll be heading to bed first. I need some sleep." Neither girls had stopped her, noticing just exactly how much she needed it. "Night, Rumi." Zoey waves, and Mira just lays back on the couch, eyes on the TV.
You'd think the next day would be better.
Well, to start it off ... no.
First thing in the morning as the gentle sun rays beam through silk curtains, Rumi's eyes crinkled as she groans — having heard her alarm clock booming for the past few minutes. It was a harsh sound, vibrating through the oaken wood of the bedside table. If anything, it was supposed to wake her up, but God the annoying sound wanted to make her keep sleeping. She stirs, slowly rubbing her eyes.
Rumi turns it off with a soft click and quietly swung the bedsheets off of her, bare feet splayed onto the cold floor. "Ugh ... what time is it?" She glances at her clock again and gasped. "8:57?!" Her morning atmosphere had broken, panic weaving through her as the singer scrambles to get up. A shower, makeup and brushing her teeth was the average for her, though this time she had to hurry.
Bobby would be arriving very soon, if not already by their doorstep that is.
The shower was very cold but she had no time to use a heater. Rumi works in a fuss, grabbing whatever clothes she could and fumbling to put them on (without even having dried her body properly with a towel). And eventually, managed to rush into the living room with both Mira and Zoey already waiting and eating breakfast. "Morning, Rumi! Did you sleep well?" Zoey beams, stuffing her face in ramyeon.
"Yeah, I did." Rumi smiled, though it was a lie. Still, she didn't want to worry them any further. Walking to the table, Rumi sat on the chairs with them and quietly picked up some chopsticks.
It was a fine morning, despite the earlier rush. The skies were clear; the pale shade of blue hues soaring across the fluffy clouds, a sight rarely seen nowadays. It was a fresh start, after countless days of rain and thunder. Whilst finishing up their breakfast and chattering about nonsense, the front door jingles — a sign of their visitor as a knock was heard.
Right before it busted open.
"Goooooood morning, girls!" Bobby spoke, with a light bounce in his step. He looked way more refreshed than yesterday. The three had perked up, a smile simultaneously gracing their features. "Hi, Bobby!" They say.
Placing down a neatly kept folder onto the table, Rumi helps clean up after they had their hearty breakfast; it was much better of a mood now that they were full of food. She sat back down as soon as their manager came over to sit. A look of excitement on his face. "Okay, so, here's the thing ..." Pausing for dramatic effect, he lets them take his words in first before continuing.
"A girl band! We're releasing a new one under our company in less than three days. I talked to our staff and they said Daeho-nim wanted ... a bit more diversity. We thought another KPop Idol group was generic, and we already have you guys taking the cake. So the idea was a real band. Like, talented girls who sing and play instruments yknow?" Bobby motions a drumming notion with his fingers, looking proud of himself as the girls looked at each with surprised expressions. "That's ... actually a pretty cool idea." Zoey squealed. "Yeah. Who knew you guys were actually this creative," Mira says with a smirk.
Yeowch. Okay, maybe that was a bit of a diss but Bobby will ignore it. Mira always means well in the end of the day. Rumi quietly thinks to herself — a girl band. In any case, it would also help divert the attention off the Saja Boys. Maybe even take back the fans they had lost in that complete Soda Pop mobbing ...
"This can work," The leader says, quickly thinking of an idea in her head. For as long as she knew, their company never released any groups in the same generation. And the very face of them was of course, the hunters. Fans will surely like it.
And once this band succeeds fame and takes away the spotlight from the Saja Boys ... Mira and Zoey turned to look at Rumi with hints of smiles on their faces.
It seems they were both thinking the same thing. Rumi nodded.
Bobby hasn't noticed much of their determination, brushing it off as excitement as well. He scrolls his phone intently as he comes down from his rush. "Ohhhh- is gonna go so well. Those Saja Lads are gonna kick the dirt once we release the new girls." Seems he also had well, the same idea. Though he seemed pretty competitive around this time.
Clearing her throat softly, Rumi scoots over so she could check in on the folders Bobby had brought. It was of a thin, yet firmly clear plastic. It glints smoothly under the lights, brushing her fingers over the title scribbled neatly on the rectangle tape.
"갈연결 (gal-yeongyeol)?" She reads. Bobby nodded. "Yep! That's their group name," He explained. The girls exchanged curious glances. Zoey takes the folder.
"What does it mean? 연결 (yeongyeol) means connection, though the first letter is a bit of a throw off." She ponders to herself, rubbing a finger on her chin. It wasn't the most confusing name out there really, though it is uncommon to see a KPop group with a fully Korean name. Though usually he'd have an answer, Bobby scratches his head awkwardly. "About that, it wasn't us who decided the name." He said.
Mira leaned in, raising an eyebrow. What? Though isn't it the company that decides? "The band leader did. She just suddenly came in after the debut was finalized, and asked if she could change it. She was really nice about it so we decided to give it a chance. Though she didn't explain the meaning, it still sounds catchy!" He grins. Suppose he was right.
Skimming through the pages, they had read it through and found some rather pleasant information. Zoey peeks over the page, gasping. "Oh look! It's the members." She points to it. Sure enough, it was a list with the inclusion of each girls' picture. Rumi reads it out loud. "Erika, drums. Himari, bass. Yujin, guitar. Nari, keyboardist ..." So far, it seems two members were foreigners whom have recently moved to Korea just months ago. Seems this is the variation that the company really went for.
Then the final name made her pause.
Rumi's fingers instinctively tightened around the white paper, crumpling it slightly from pressure.
(Y/N)
Age 22
Leader, Vo. and Guitarist
No Further Information Included At This Time
Short. Simple. Neat. The letters written so confidently across the paper felt like it was mocking her somehow, until she remembered that same night. Rumi shakes her head. No, no. This girl wasn't an enemy, right? There was no need to be so on edge about it.
Zoey had noticed her friend's sudden silence, slowly sitting up properly. "Rumi? Are you okay?" She asks. Mira looks over as soon as the maknae spoke, seeing their leader's expression seem so torn between troubled and acceptance. "Ah, yeah i'm fine." Rumi brushes off. It's okay. Just deep breaths and move on. Though, she couldn't help but think either. Perhaps, this is what she had meant that time. They would meet again. So (Y/N) knew about it. "... Say, Bobby. When can we meet these girls?" Rumi asks, wanting to know as soon as possible. With feigned innocence, she disguises it as mere curiosity, though it came much deeper than that.
The manager opens his mouth. "Oh? Well- anytime you want! Just not tonight, they're a bit uh, busy. How about tomorrow afternoon?" He suggested. The three girls nodded. "Alright!" Zoey cheered. Excited to meet their new bunch of 'friends'.
The air felt cool this time — crisp and cold, like a comforting nostalgic hitting her nose as she quietly takes a walk out the midnight moon. Clouds hovered over the deep colored sky, some covering the beautiful array of the thousands of stars. If only she had her camera now, (Y/N) would have gotten some nice pictures. Perhaps now wasn't the time.
She exhales through her nose, coming to a stop as the city fades into the background. The things on her mind leaving her up and awake as she sits on a nearby bench.
A lot of things have happened already, since she accepted that invitation. What had gotten into her, really. Meddling in human lives wasn't her style, but the feeling of something being truly hers, left a spark in her chest ignited by real want.
Though, it wasn't ideal. She gradually understood through their first meeting, the members were too different. Too unique. From the rest. It surprised her how easily they argued; and disagreed upon everything. It made it feel as if they were just forced to be in this band together.
And yet (Y/N) didn't want to believe it. She felt the happiness when they all played together. Couldn't they have felt the same even for that one uniting moment?
"Himari left after rehearsals. I wonder if Erika stormed out the studio, too."
The leaves rustled softly, eerie yet not an unwelcome sound. (Y/N) hums in thought, not moving from her spot as she stares up at the sky. It was cold, sure, but she's lost count how many times she'd gone on walks without a jacket. She was used to it. Even in a dress like this. "You can come out now, you know. I'm not gonna get mad." Her voice lulls, expression giving way to a slight smile as the rustling stopped. A quiet sigh coming from the individual greens. It was enough to tell her it was only one person, at least. Even two is too much.
"You're quite observant," Brushing through his raven locks, a tall silhouette covers the other half like a shade; not too threatening, at least for now. (Y/N) just kept her ground, without an inch of worry on that pretty face. She chuckles. "It's rude to sneak up on a girl while she worries about the future." It was just a small hint. In any case, she revealed nothing either from it. And that's what intrigued the man a little.
He stays quiet before talking again. "I'm Jinu." He says, sneakers quietly moving against the rough pavement as he moves, taking a comfortable spot beside her without sitting too close either. The woman doesn't seem to flinch at it. "(Y/N). Are you the presence i've been feeling these past few days?" She quips, straight to the point. "I'd never have assumed it was a demon, and yet lurking in the shadows like that seems very fitting." Her words allowed a dry laugh to escape his throat, Jinu slithering his hands into his pockets.
Calm, brown eyes trails its gaze over to her side. Seizing her down. Or perhaps just admiring her. You'd never know, with a man unpredictable as Jinu. As the saying goes, handsome dudes can't be trusted ... or whatever it was.
He sighed. "You're hard to read, you know. And even right now, I still can't figure out what you are. Not human, nor demon." He muses lowly, as if thinking to just pry it out of her. Of course, he wanted to play at this game just a bit more until she gave in. But her will was far too stubborn, and it just stunned him to know how much. "You could just come up to me and ask," She says, as if it was the most obvious thing. "I already know you're a demon, so revealing my identity isn't half bad." (Y/N) shrugs.
She was different from what he expected. A hint of elegance pairs her figure, and personality wise. And yet she was so casual about it at the same time. (Y/N) rolls the pearl bead of her necklace through soft fingertips, now gazing at her lap.
"I'm an angel." She answered in the tense silence. Jinu's eyes slowly widen, the wind knocking him out of his breath.
An angel.
For four centuries, he'd never really believed in Gods; in the angels. If they had even existed, when he was on the streets trying to pray to anyone out there to pull him out of such misery. It was too good to be true. For a savior to just grant his wishes ... help him from a struggle of a lifetime. They don't exist. Surely they don't. That's all he ever believed.
And yet this woman that sat beside him, so casually telling him something so eye opening, just didn't think it was anything crazy. Was he really going to believe her just because he felt she was different?
"You're lying." He says, denial written all over his features. And yet deep down, a faint pulse throbs in his heart. Something telling him perhaps it wasn't a lie. Tilting her head, (Y/N) looks over to see him staring. "I'm not." She muses. "I don't know how to lie. Right now, i'm currently trying to solve a mess that I created, so while it's nice talking to you I do have to go." Disappear. That's what she was best at. For the longest time, (Y/N) never stayed. She never grew attached.
It was naturally, coming to her. Solving people's problems was never her strong suit. As an angel, there were thousands of expectations. Holy messengers of God, treading the path of divinity to guide poor humans their way to heaven.
But for (Y/N), she never guarded anyone. Never guided them to the light that they craved. She was an angel that appeared to save them at the moment's time, and fade away once her job was done. That's how it was. She wouldn't be surprised if the reason humanity was yet to cause another war was because of her. She just watches, a gaze subtle and yet swallowed up whole. Helping only when time demanded it.
It was quite amusing to think. But as one of the only stronger angels left out there, it wasn't much of a choice. She hid herself, and protected from the silence. The darkness, the crowds. Protecting herself as she helped others. Like an unseen hero. But she'd prefer to call herself a bystander, no matter how wrong that was.
And Jinu? He didn't want her gone. At least not tonight, whilst he could still feel the warmth on his skin. Her presence was addicting, as much as he wanted it gone. Feeling like he was less of a monster,
As his patterns receded.
"... With you, it all stops. I never wanted to follow you this far." He spoke, standing up swiftly as she did — not allowing her to get even inches further. His expression changed, like a man with a vision. Jinu steps closer, and closer. Until he stood in front of her smaller form. Unwavering.
He scoffs. Almost at himself. "I convinced myself it was just one look. Just wanted to know what exactly was causing me to feel so normal. You were there, and for the second time I watched you, it happened. My patterns never flared up. And I never heard him inside my head ever again." She could guess who he was referring to. The angel had heard about Gwi-ma a lot, and why shouldn't she? The Demon King rules over the misery of the underworld, an egoistical, greedy sinner that intends to swallow the earth in whole. She found it so utterly ridiculous.
Jinu looks at her. His hardened gaze was gone. And all that was left of it, was a gaze she knew. All too much. The gaze of hope. Pointed at someone he had just met (if you don't count the four days he'd been endlessly stalking her for).
"... So you are an angel." He confirmed, the evidence in his head unable to just be thrown away.
"And you have the ability to neutralize demon patterns."