Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Rae-yoon felt like he was the one who collapsed instead of Jin-woo as he stared at the unresponsive form of their leader. They were practicing for their debut song when out of nowhere, he just...fell.

"I can't breathe," Jin-woo said, his words calm and composed as ever, as if nothing was wrong. Then, as if strings were cut from their master's hand, he collapsed.

A-joon and Bae-ho, the closest to him, catch him reflexively; Rae-yoon and Min-soo follow. All of them grabbed their leader. Bae-ho managed to catch his head, and they were able to lower him down safely. It has been over 3 human days since, and he never once woke up.

Derpy and Sussie are beside their father, with Derpy practically slumped over Jin-woo. Rae-yoon knows that he should get the not-so-clever tiger off the older demon, but he knows the spirit is worried for his father, and so he can't get himself to do so. Sussie, meanwhile, is more prickly than usual, practically squawking and pecking at anyone who tries to get to Jin-woo. A-joon nearly got his eyes taken out by the magpie for accidentally tumbled over Jin-woo when he checked on the older demon.

"No changes?" Min-soo asked quietly. His shoulder was slumped, without Jin-woo to correct them, none of them bothered to keep their back straight and rigid, too anxious to even try to make the effort.

"None yet," He shook his head. "Still unresponsive."

"Tsk, I don't know what's wrong. Gwi-ma hasn't cut him off." Bae-ho says as he enters, scowling. "If anything, he has larger stores than usual, considering that Gwi-ma has recently summoned him to perform."

"Maybe that's what's wrong," A-joon theorized. "Maybe it's too much, and his body is trying to accommodate the large amount of energy."

"If only." Bae-ho huffs. "You're quite new, so you're not aware of this, but this isn't even the largest amount Jin-a got from that overgrown fireplace. If anything, he's been stingy for the past centuries."

"We haven't been getting as many souls as before ever since the Honmoon got created and constantly strengthened," Rae-yoon said grimly. "Which is why we must succeed in this or else Gwi-ma will start feeding on us."

Bae-ho, ever the fatalist, rolled his eyes. "Oh please, as if that hasn't been happening before, maybe he's still on just born-demons now, but that will always change, whether or not we succeed. That overgrown fireplace will never be satisfi-AGH!" 

"Keep your back straight." Said a familiar voice. Automatically, they all straightened their backs, remembering the lesson their leader drilled in their thick demonic skulls.

"Jin-woo!" A-joon exclaims as soon as he processes what happened.

Said demon was already sitting up, with the tiger moving a bit out of the way to let his master sit. Rae-yoon and Min-soo immediately came beside him.

"How long?"

"Three human days."

Everything was a kaleidoscope of color; he couldn't see anything clearly at all, but he could feel the pain clearly, so painful it was as if he was thrown into the sun itself, but the familiar feeling was unmistakable; the source of the pain was the fire of his God. The voices, too, were very much loud and clear. He knows one of them was him, and the other was from a woman he didn't know. 

"Jinu! No!"

"I'm sorry for everything."

"No. I wanted to set you free."

"You did. You gave me my soul back. And now... I give it to you."

After that, everything was an explosion of the colors of the rainbow, bright yet gentle, glimmering and ethereal as the moon. Jin-woo — or Jinu? That was what the woman called him, and it felt right — felt clear, freer than he's ever been, no Gwi-ma whispering poisoned, just total silence aside from the occasional melody from the same voice as before. It wasn't lonely at all for some reason; rather, it was peaceful and comforting, like when his mother used to sing Lullaby for him and his sister.

Jin-woo — no, Jinu — wants that feeling to last forever—

—and then he woke up. To loud chattering at that, they were arguing — his boys — and they are loud. The first thing he sees as he opens his eyes is Derpy, perched on top of him and almost choking him. Sussie also entered his field of view as soon as she noticed him lifting his head.

"Hey, buddy." He pats the Tiger's head, watching the large feline purr in satisfaction, which makes him feel a lot better. He turns and does the same to his sassy Magpie.

"-hat overgrown fireplace will never be satisfi-AGH!" He kicks the older demon's shin reflexively, rather than anything malicious.

"Keep your back straight." All of them startle into action like well-trained soldiers.

"Jin-woo!" A-joon exclaims as soon as he processes what happened.

He held on to Rae-yoon and Min-soo as the two helped him sit up properly.

"How long?"

"Three human days," Rae-yoon replies. "How are you?"

"It feels longer than that," Jinu sighs, feeling his body ache all over as he remembers the flame of his God destroying his very being. Bae-ho, as pessimistic as he is at times, is correct; there will be no pleasing Gwi-ma enough for salvation, it is only a matter of time. 

He felt his hand shake — was that his future? What about the boys then? What happened to them?

"-woo...Jin-woo!" 

He jerks back, staring straight at A-joon's glowing gold, worry etched on their youngest's face. "What's up, man?"

"Ah, sorry." He reflexively apologized, the action making the others visibly more upset, but he ignored it. "Were you asking me something?"

"We were just asking if you know what happened to you," Min-soo said quietly. The half-dog demon was beside him, hands on his back, still supporting.

"Ah, no." He shook his head. "But I dreamt of something weird."

"Weird? What do you mean weird?" Bae-ho asked, frowning.

He opened his mouth before hesitating. A-joon, being the youngest and shortest temper of them other than Bae-ho, jabbed him harshly on his side, nearly toppling Min-soo in the process.

"What the hell man, out with it!"

He glared at the younger demon but obeyed nonetheless.

"Gwi-ma killed you?" Rae-yoon asks shakily. He was shaken. Min-soo, too, looks visibly upset as much as Rae-yoon can tell with his mop of hair. Bae-ho and A-joon were, as he predicted, practically bursting in anger. A-joon was the first one to show his anger outward, punching a hole in the wall next to him.

Bae-ho was more glacial in his anger, hatred practically pouring out of his very being. "That goddamn son of a- That's it. I have had enough!"

"Bae-hyung!" Rae-yoon called out, hurrying after the leaving demon. "Stop it, what do you think you're doing?!"

"Let go!" 

"Not when you're being stupid!"

"I sai-"

"Enough!" Jin-woo huffs. "I just woke up and you lot are fighting again. Even toddlers are more well-behaved."

"Jin-a, you know what that meant, right?" Bae-ho says. "Are you seriously just going to let that happen to you? Obviously, we failed, so that means we need to take it back from him!"

"Jin-a mocked him," Min-soo cuts in. "He didn't do anything because our offer caught his interest. We can't take it back."

"Then what do you want to do, huh? Let him get killed when we failed?!"

"We didn't fail." What?

"We didn't, I know we didn't, where I died, it wasn't in hell, it was on the other side."

"That means..."

"We succeeded, enough to get Gwi-ma to the surface," Jin-woo nods. "But something went wrong, I don't know what. Maybe it has to do with the woman talking to me."

A-joon frowns in confusion. "The one to whom you give your soul?"

"Yes. I think we need to find her."

"Bae-hyung," Jinu whispers. 

"Give me some time." The other replies, not looking away from the black sun over the horizon. "I just need a few moments."

"If you don't want to co-"

"Shut it," Bae-ho said sharply, glaring. "Who said I'll be left here when you four are on the surface? Plus, didn't we already apply at that agency?"

"It will be fine. You worry too much."

"And you don't worry enough."

"You do that enough for all of us." Jinu laughs. Patting Derpy's head to distract himself from the piercing gaze of the older demon. "You and Joon-ya."

"I can't lose you — any of you." 

"You won't."

"Don't make promises you can't keep."

Chapter Text

The company they signed up with was a relatively small company on the verge of bankruptcy. It was easier for them that way; not only are the minds of the people on the brink of despair easier to hypnotize, but it also means there won't be much problem if they are left alone to their devices.

When they first tried to form a plan about the demon boy band, at first they toyed with the idea of establishing their own music company so they wouldn't have to worry about fitting in with the humans, but it was scrapped immediately, because it just wasn't feasible enough. Not only would it take a lot of time, but also require resources they don't have. It was quite difficult to find demons who knew enough to blend in the world, and Jinu didn't really have the time or patience to train other people, other than his boys, about the modern world.

Having a small company on the verge of bankruptcy was the solution to that; they have as much freedom to do things themselves because the company is so understaffed that it cannot give them security and a manager, which means they can do things they otherwise wouldn't be able to do if humans hover over them all the time.

But of course, there are also some disadvantages. Like the training room they are in right now, it was moldy and small, paint was peeling, and the roof was full of holes; it was a good thing it wasn't raining.

"One, two, three, and go!"

"Stop!" 

"Ugh, what is it again?" Bae-ho whines.

"You're a little late on the count, Abby." Jinu scolds, using their stage nickname. They started calling and responding to their stage name since he worked up from his collapse, it was so they could get used to responding to it as part of their Idol persona. Jinu found that it wasn't that hard an adjustment on his part; Jinu — his stage name — felt right for some reason.

Maybe it has to do with the woman in his dream.

"What?" A-joon protests. "I'm not!"

"You are." Min-soo quips. "You also nearly jabbed me in the nose."

"Oh, sorry."

"Ugh, I'm tired. Focus, you little shit." Bae-ho said heatedly.

"Shut it, old man! I'm doing my best!"

"Well, obviously, you need to do better! We've been here for the past 3 hours! I'm sore!"

"Hey now, don't fight!" Rae-yoon cuts in, getting in between the two before it could escalate.

Jinu closed his eyes, irritated. "Fine, let's all take a break. I need to check on the other songs I have anyway."

"Ugh, thank goodness."

A-joon was slumped over the rock as he stared over to Jin-woo. The older demon was staring at his notebook — hyper-focusing on whatever was on it. Rae-yoon was beside him, and so was Min-soo; both demons were doing their own thing, with Min-soo focusing his attention on spoiling Derpy with belly rubs.

Bae-ho was already asleep on the far side of the training room. How he could even do so when the walls are oozing with such awful stench was beyond him.

"I think we should have a mini-album instead of a single," Jin-woo said suddenly, all eyes turned to their leader—even Bae-ho at that. "I mean, we're quite new in the industry, so I don't think just a single will do. I mean, if we're going to take this seriously, then I think at least 3 songs would be good."

"I suppose so," Rae-yoon hums, "We need to get the hunter's attention after all, the more coverage we have, the better."

"I'm still not thrilled with this idea." Bae-ho grumbles. "That woman got you killed. Maybe it wasn't her directly, but something you did with her. Who knows what happened to the rest of us after that?"

"She's a good person, I felt it." The dark-haired demon replies, there was something in his voice that A-joon was sure their other pink-haired teammate would have been able to identify. "She set my soul free. Despite being a hunter, I was comfortable with her; maybe she could be the key to our freedom."

There it was, their new goal. Finding out that their God killed Jin-woo — Jin-woo of all people! One of the most favored! — was such an eye-opener. A-joon originally thought Bae-ho had gone senile for being so old when he insisted that Gwi-ma would also devour them when they succeed in this demon boyband mission, but A-joon is starting to believe it, too. It was too much of a risk not to.

So, the plan went from gathering as much soul for Gwi-ma to feast so they can get their wish to desertion.

Well, not really, Jin-woo somehow was able to find a bunch of necklaces with the fang of a Fire-rat for all of them, so they can filter out the thought and memories that Gwi-ma can see from them — A-joon didn't know where he got it, Jin-woo was rather recalcitrant on that — and look for the lead singer of Huntrix to convince them to work together and set their soul free.

Yeah, it was a pipe dream in A-joon's humble opinion. As if Hunters will listen to them, maybe Jin-woo can convince them somehow with himself and perhaps even with Rae-yoon and Min-soo, but A-joon's not so sure about him and Bae-ho, especially Bae-ho.

"I was thinking of Your Idol to show flexibility," Jin-woo murmurs.

"So soon?"

"Well, it was supposed to be our victory song when we sabotage the hunters, but..."

"Well, I suppose it's a good way of showing we are not stuck to just one type." Rae-yoon mused.

"I'm okay with anything as long as the rap is good."

"Going back, although Soda-pop is just as dark–" A-joon jerks back a little, the other pink-haired demon also looks a little uncomfortable, and they share a look.

'Should we tell him?' He mouths. Rae-yoon shakes his head.

"–It is more subtle in nature, so having Your Idol, which is more obvious, could be good to show variety. I'm just stuck on which would be the last one in the middle to help in the transition."

"I think Lost Souls is good." Min-soo points at the page they're currently on. "It's not as pop as Soda-pop or as blatant as Your Idol." It was about those who lose their way in life because of the cruel reality.

"Isn't it too sad? I think Eternity is better." Rae-yoon cuts in, pointing at another one. This one requires powerful vocals, but it was also good; it was about time losing its value over the course of life, that time has passed, and there's no going back.

"I'm with Min-soo," Bae-ho says. "If we're going to attract hunters to us, a sob story certainly has an appeal."

"Can we hear them till the chorus?" He asked the older demon.

"Which one?"

"Lost souls first."

Have you ever wandered,
In streets of faded dreams?
Where shadows whisper secrets,
And nothing's what it seems.

그리고 네가 왔지, 너무나 좋은 약속에 나는 속았지
그 모든 게 너무 좋아서 사실이 아니었고, 나는 바보였어
I was nothing but a fool (a fool)
It is all too late now (too late)

We were lost souls,
Searching for signs, for lights 
Always lost, searching like lost souls.
Through the fog and ashes,
Trying to find our shine.
We are lost souls.

It was good, really good, melancholic, and just like Bae-ho said, would certainly appeal to the hunters. Probably.

Then, next was Eternity.

Time once shimmered bright,
Now it whispers soft and slow,
What was gold is now just dust,
A fleeting echo of the glow.

Time passes so fast, so slow, never at your own pace (never at your own pace)
Life is always full of regrets and sins
Always, always (always)
Should never look back

죄와 후회는 모두 과거의 일이야.
Onwards, Tomorrow, To Eternity
지금은 그런 거야.
돌이킬 수 없어

"I think we could just release Eternity as a single."

Min-soo wasn't as invested in the demon boy band idea as others, not as disinterested as Bae-ho, but certainly not that thrilled for it. He just went with the flow; he doesn't really have a wish other than to stay with his boys. But as they perform Lost Souls in front of their demonic audience, something wells up in him.

You hid so well, I never knew.
But now there's no need since I am in your grasp, isn't it?
Your true colors are showing now, truly despicable
We were such fools!

Bae-ho, for all of his reluctance, was killing it.

Everyone was cheering; it almost made the dark, gloomy underworld shine. It was beautiful. Min-soo likes it; perhaps once they're free, they can continue to do this. He wouldn't mind.

"Saja Boys, we love you!"

"Saja Boys! Saja Boys! Saja Boys!"

"Jinu-oppa!"

"Romance-hyung!"

"Mystery! Look here!"

"Abby-oppa, flash us!"

"Baby!"

"I can't believe this is free!"

"Go Saja Boys!

"Well, looks like we're ready for the debut."

"All in?" They all put their hands together. "Onwards, Tomorrow!" They all yelled in unison, throwing their hands in the air.

Chapter Text

It was a good thing that they didn't need to eat human food and that they could just conjure things they needed, or else they're more likely to die of food poisoning and neglect with how bankrupt the agency they have.  In the defense of the company — if it could even be called that at this point, considering that the staff consists of the CEO, his wife as director, the twins as producer and cameraman, and the pregnant fiancé of the younger twin as the make-up artist and fashion director — they were making efforts. They are very supportive of the boys and never push them to do things they don't want and never ask too many questions.

In Jinu's not-so-humble opinion, anything that can handle Bae-ho's temper and laziness, Rae-yoon's flirtations, Min-soo's odd tendencies, and A-joon's obsession with himself is nothing short of angels on earth. The old woman insists on being called auntie and being fed by them; the family treats them as one of them. It was the best thing they could ask for.

"That's great, hold that pose, Abby!" Min-ho croons, adjusting the camera to take better focus. Jinu turns to the direction of the camera. 

A-joon, or Abby, was the first in line for photography. They were currently taking pictures for their photocard, this one, for Lost Souls. For this photo shoot, they have a central theme of all being in suits and looking lost and miserable in the rain, their coat missing.

Abby is red. Mystery was baby blue. Romance was soft pink. Baby was Turquoise. Jinu—Jinu is on plain white.

Abby's shirt, as usual, was a size smaller than his actual size, and thus the buttons of his shirt were practically bursting and stuck to him, the rain enhancing his physique even more. He was leaning over the make-shift ledge, looking miserable. It was scandalous, it was perfect — or Romance puts it.

"Baby's next," Min-jun whispers to him. "Do you know where he is?"

"I think he's sleeping on the sofa." He replies. "I'll get him and Rae-yoon." 

"Thanks. We'll do Mystery first, then."

True to his prediction, the two were indeed on the sofa, but Bae-ho wasn't sleeping; rather, he was focused on the large device in his hands. It was a tablet, if he remembers correctly. Rae-yoon was draped over him, looking over it too.

"What are you doing?"

"Setting up our group account, setting up all the 'trainee' videos have to be uploaded in intervals so we have everything covered," Bae-ho responds, not looking up from what it is he was doing. Despite being the oldest of them, Bae-ho adjusted quicker than anyone of them when it comes to modern amenities and technology, so Jinu put him as their resident tech and social media manager—with Romance's supervision, of course, they can't have any scandal popping up so early in their career just because the older demon lost his temper.

"Oh, I see, well, you're next after Min-soo, the two of you, I need to talk to the CEO before my turn."

"Alright."

"A street performance?" Rae-yoon echoes. 

"Yeah, Jiho-nim thinks it would be a good way to attract attention," Jin-woo explains. "We can try to make Soda-pop a trend, so to speak." 

"Well, it is catchy and infectious." Bae-ho nods. 

"Then after that we'll be in this interview." Jin-woo hands them each stacks of paper.

Twenty-Twenty, it reads. Rae-yoon opens the next page.

"Jia-noona said this would be a good way to establish ourselves." Jin-woo continues. "I agreed. I think if we make ourselves seem down-to-earth and relatable, we can get even more fans."

"Twenty-twenty...? They're going to ask questions...?"

"More specifically, the fans are going to ask questions." Their leader corrects. "Hopefully, we will gather enough attention by the time we release the rest of the Album."

"So, basically, we'll have to act?" Bae-ho scrunched his nose at that. 

"Not really, I think being as honest as possible will be for the best. I don't think they'll ask any incriminating questions, at least not yet." Jinu assures. "I already worked on our backstories."

At the end, it meant Baby grew up poor in Daegu before he ran away from home to pursue a music career. He was an underground rapper before being in the group.

Abby was from Busan with Romance. They were childhood friends from an orphanage, and he was into basketball. Romance, meanwhile, was in fashion. They moved to Seoul to pursue their dreams of being an athlete and a designer, respectively, before becoming an idol.

Min-soo ran away from North Korea and decided to follow Jin-woo to his dream.

And Jin-woo, Jin-woo was the only survivor from a tragic DUI accident that killed his mother and sister when they were trying to make ends meet by the sidewalk.

"Oh wow." A-joon whistles. "If we ever failed as a band, you can be a tragic story writer."

"Thank you," Jinu replies dryly, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, try to memorize all of those by the weekend. We'll be having the Q&A by Monday."

"That's in three days!" Bae-ho complains. "We still have to shoot the MV for Your Idol tomorrow."

"Well, time waits for no one."

"You slavedriver..." A-joon cursed at that.

"Well then, take a rest, like Bae-hyung said, we wake up early tomorrow."

"It's 9!"

"It's up to you, but you better not be tired by tomorrow!"

The curses that came out of their oldest and youngest are words that should never appear on LIVE TV.

The hunters were around the area where they would be doing their street performance. Two out of the three hunters were practically drooling over A-joon, Rae-yoon, and Min-soo. Bae-ho doesn't know where the popcorn they were eating came from; it certainly was never there.

But what pisses Baby the most wasn't the two practically undressing the other three — it was that damn hunter that got Jin-woo killed. The purple-haired woman has Jin-woo's hand in a death grip.

It was Jin-woo's idea to shoulder-bump the girl and then offer help to get their attention, but looking now, it seems there was no need to do so at all. The huntress was holding their leader hostage; the look on her face was giving Bae-ho the ick. It doesn't help that Jin-woo seems to have entered some kind of trance.

"That's it." He mutters. "Let go of him, woman!" He yells at the purple-haired huntress, shoving her away from his younger brother. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Uh...I..." The woman stutters. 

"Let's go, Jinu." He pushed his younger brother, dragging him away from the other. "We'll be late, we have another shoot scheduled."

"Wha-? What's with that attitude?!" He heard the black haired girl ask, indignant.

"What a waste of pretty faces." The pink-haired one agrees.

The performance went off without a hitch, and unlike the original plan of provoking the hunters into attacking them by flashing their demonic marks. They were supposed to converse with the hunters, try to appeal to them as their hoobaes, but then Jin-woo went and almost kissed the pavement. 

They quickly left, teleporting once they saw an alleyway with no CCTV.

"That woman is a creep." He says as soon as they landed in their shared apartment, they purchased using the money they had conjured. It was a one-bedroom apartment with no heating system, small, dilapidated, and had paper-thin walls in a bad neighborhood. It was perfect for selling their broke and pitiful persona when they do livestream. 

They laid down the exhausted demon on the sofa.

"Bae-hyung!" Rae-yoon looks back at him, scandalized.

"It's the truth!" He yells back. "Her eyes are wandering to places they shouldn't be. I mean the others too, but there's just something in her stare I don't like."

"Oh please, don't even sta-"

"It was silent," Jin-woo says suddenly.

"What?" 

"It was silent," Jin-woo repeats, louder. "The whole time she was holding my hand, I couldn't hear Gwi-Ma at all."

They all stared at him.

"I-she seems familiar for some reason." He continues. "I feel like I know her, deep inside my very soul. I swear I saw iridescent rainbow markings all over her."

"Well," A-joon shrugs. "You did say you offered your soul to her. Maybe when those memories came to you, they also came to her or something?"

"I don't know, I think...I think I saw something...I can't remember."

"You can't remember?" Min-soo asks, incredulous. Jin-woo has the best memory of the 5 of them. He just needs to stare at something for a second, and he'll have it memorized. He never forgets anything—which is both good and bad—so for him not to remember something.

"I-I don't know if I saw something, or if it was just a feeling, it was all unclear, like I'm drowning in something—can't see and every sense muffled. I felt drained."

Drained...

"Well that's concerning."

Chapter Text

It was a scam, Rumi was more than 100% sure of it. But she took the 'tonics' anyway. It could help, or maybe not. Who knows, really? They're so close to a golden Honmoon. They can't stop now.

"Fans!" Zoey suddenly exclaims.

"We can't let them see us! Hurry!"

"Be cool. Look normal." They ducked into an alleyway away from the horde of fans on the wide street. Just as they were about to follow the path, they noticed a group of boys. 4, admittedly, hot boys. Two boys have pink hair, one was lighter than the other; another had sky blue hair, and the last one had lilac hair covering his eyes.

Mira and Zoey's eyes turned into hearts, and then the muscular pink-haired one's shirt suddenly burst open from the bottom, and Rumi knew she had lost her two friends right then and there. Zoey's eyes transform into popcorn while she squeals.

"So hot." Mira drools as she eats.

Rumi rolled her eyes at the two. "You guys are so groooo-"

There it was, at the back, the very manifestation of her childhood dreams. Black locks that look so soft, eyes like chocolate, skin so fair that it was unfair, sharp facial features —such thick and sculpted brows! Sharp nose and full lips!— and a nice body. He was like one of those main leads in a K-drama. Time slowed down as if in a K-drama as the beautiful man's eyes lifted to her general direction.

Then, he bumped into her, causing her to fall and letting the box of tonics go flying in the air. Rumi, for all of her decades of hunter training, folded like wet paper. She looked up and saw that the man was about to reach out for her. 

She took the hand and immediately froze. 

"You're strong. A Hunter who's part demon?"

"Feel? You're a demon. Demons don't feel anything."

"Is that what you think? That's all demons do. Feel. Feel our shame, our misery. It's how Gwi-Ma controls us. Do you not hear him in your ear?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Huh. You're lucky. I'll never forget the first time I heard him. That was 400 years ago. My family was extremely poor and miserable. I had a single possession to my name. An old bipa. So I busked the streets, but it didn't get me anywhere. I was desperate. We were starving. Then, I heard him."

"I'm helping myself. Look, if I help him, he's promised to erase my memories, and those voices in my head will be gone."

"Pathetic."

"I'm pathetic? You can't even talk about your patterns."

"You want me to talk about my patterns? I hate them! Just like I hate all demons. How I hate Gwi-Ma."

"If hate could defeat Gwi-Ma, I would've done it a long time ago. Trust me."

"What makes you think the Honmoon can save a guy like me?"

"A guy who tried to help his family? You made a mistake, Jinu."

"It's not that simple."

"But I am a mistake. Have been since the moment I was born. So, I have to believe. Because if there's no hope for you, what hope is there for me?"

"For what it's worth, I don't think you're a mistake."

"Why does it feel right every time I let you in? Why does it feel like I can tell you anything? We can't fix it if we never face it. What if we find a way to escape it? We could be free, free! We can't fix it if we never face it. Let the past be the past till it's weightless!"

"Whoa! So take my hand, it's open!"

"Free! Free!"

"What if we heal what's broken?"

"Free! Free!"

"I tried to hide, but something broke. I couldn't sing, but you give me hope."

"We can't fix it if we never face it. Let the past be the past till it's weightless."

"It was all a lie."

"It was real! What we had was real. I know it was!"

"The things I said? I just needed you to trust me. That's all."

"No! No, I know your story. You were a good person, and you still are. You just made a mistake."

"I LEFT THEM!! That's right, I lied to you. I only made a deal with Gwi-Ma to get myself out of that miserable life. I left my sister, my mother, alone while I slept on silk sheets in the palace with my belly full every night! I left them. I left them."

"But that's not all you are. This is just your demon talking. You have to fight it!"

"THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!"

"YES, IT IS!"

"Listen to yourself. Is it working? You're a demon, just like me. All we get to do is live with our pain, our misery. That's all we deserve."

"Rumi?"

"I thought I could fix it all. Fix me. But I ran out of time. They saw. They know. There's no denying it now. This is what I am."

"Rumi, no."

"You knew I was a mistake from the very start. Do what you should've done a long time ago. Before I destroy what I swore to protect. Please. Do it!"

"I can't. When we lost your mother, I swore to protect all that was left of her, but I never thought that that would be a child like you. Everything I was taught told me you were wrong, but I made a promise. So I did my best to accept you and help you."

"Accept me? You told me to cover up, to hide!"

"Yes, until we can fix everything. And we still can. We can cover those up and put everything right again. I'll tell Mira and Zoey that it was all a lie, an illusion by Gwi-Ma to break us apart."

"No. No more hiding. No more lies!"

"Rumi, we can still fix this."

"Don't you get it? This is what I am. Look at me. Why can't you look at me?! Why couldn't you love me?!"

"I do!"

"ALL OF ME!!"

"This is why we have to hide it. Our faults and fears must never be seen. It's the only way to protect the Honmoon."

"If this is the Honmoon I'm supposed to protect, I'm glad to see it destroyed."

"Jinu! No!"

"I'm sorry for everything."

"No. I wanted to set you free."

"You did. You gave me my soul back. And now... I give it to you."

Rumi stares back at those wide eyes, eyes she missed so much over the past 3 months. Rumi pulled herself up, dragging the stunned demon with her. He was gripping back, Rumi noticed, despite the cloudiness in his eyes; his grip was just as unforgiving as hers. On his wrist are two shining bracelets made of silver with a ruby at the center. Rumi doesn't remember them being there before.

Jinu...

He was as beautiful as the day she lost him.

Rumi was about to touch his cheek when she felt herself being shoved back; she tumbled, almost forgetting to catch herself before she crashed on the ground again.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Uh...I..." Rumi fumbles, turning a little red.

"Let's go, Jinu." Baby pushed Jinu away from her; the other followed, seemingly still not himself. "We'll be late; we have another shoot scheduled."

"Wha-? What's with that attitude?!" Zoey asks indignantly, huffing.

"What a waste of pretty faces." Mira agrees, glaring at the back of the Saja Boys.

"Jinu..." Rumi murmurs, savoring the name again. This was their first meeting. She can still clearly remember. They came from the scammer, and Jinu bumped into her and sent her flying, then pretended to help her, only to brush his shoulder and leave her on the ground to pick up the 'tonics'.

"Rumi?"

"I think we lost her," Mira whispers. "Have you seen the way he was ogling that boy-next-door?"

"I've never seen her so in love before..."

"I can still hear you, you know." She told them dryly, before picking up the tonics.

Unlike before, they made it halfway through the performance already.

Chapter Text

In the safety of her room, Rumi ponders. When she checked the calendar, it was exactly 2 months before the Idol Awards and 7 months before her last memory ended. Rumi tried to recall what she was doing before she woke up eyes to eyes with a very much alive Jinu. There wasn't anything unusual. Huntr/x was on a short break to prepare for their new album, and she was polishing her new sword, as usual, her mind wandered to Jinu.

It was practically a routine for her. Thinking about Jinu and sometimes Celine. She started seeing a therapist a month after his death, after she kept having repeated nightmares, and Mira practically dragged her. It had been helpful, somewhat, in understanding and validating her emotions. Her anger toward the two, who are arguably the most influential people in her life—Celine because she raised her, and Jinu because he was the one who helped her face her issues— and understanding that helps her steadily heal.

She was actually thinking of making up with Celine just moments before she woke up in this reality.

Should she talk to Celine now? Rumi didn't know what she should do first, whether she needed to talk to Celine or to the girls first. She wants her guardian's support, but at the same time, it was Zoey and Mira who supported her despite their initial rejection. She didn't really have to ponder that for long, though, as Zoey suddenly barreled through her door.

"Guys! Guys!" She called out excitedly. "The Saja Boys, they're live on Twenty-Twenty!"

"The question game? Already?" Mira asks from outside; she obviously just came out of the shower.

"Well, they went viral, so they're pretty well-known now," Zoey explains. "It's starting!" They went to sit on the couch.

Twenty-Twenty is a viral YouTube interview show that asks questions based on the poll sent by fans on their website. Rumi still remembers their first appearance on the show. The guests can answer by pressing the red button. When groups are interviewed together, they need to race to press said button. In the interview, there are pre-set 20 questions, and as long as the 1 hour is not over, the fans can ask questions on LIVE. 

Did the Saja Boys do it before? Rumi knows the only show they've been on was "Play with Us".

"Welcome to Twenty-Twenty! I am your host for tonight, and our guests for today are none other than the up-and-coming SAJA BOYS!" Announced the host.

Han Jinwoo, as Jinu, flashed to the screen.

His name was Jinwoo? Rumi didn't know about that. Did he have another name before Jinu? Rumi can't recall hearing about it. Then again, she never really searched up Saja Boys.

Then an artwork replaces the words.

"Wha-? Who did that artwork? Jinu's eyes are chocolate brown, not black!" Rumi yells, standing up from her seat, startling both her friends.

"Whoa there, Rumi, way to make your crush obvious." Mira smirks.

"What? Me, a crush on him, no-no—ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

"Whoa, it's that bad," Zoey whispers as Mira nods in agreement.

"Ugh, you guys suck." She slumped back to her seat.

Ha Bae-ho as Baby 

"Is he a foreigner? His eyes are green." Zoey mused. "Do you think he's from America too?"

"Maybe it will be answered."

Hyun Min-soo as Mystery 

"Oooh, he's so my type!" Zoey squeals. "They really got his smile correct!"

Heo Rae-yoon as Romance 

"He looks like a girl." Mira comments.

Ho A-joon as Abby 

"He looks like a kid." Zoey and Mira said in unison.

Rumi ignores them as the Saja Boys enter the screen together. They were wearing casual clothes: Abby in a black shirt, blue jeans, and a red letter jacket with "SB" written on it, the "S" looping on the first circle of the "B". Romance was in a pastel pink shirt with the same symbol as Abby and black slacks. Mystery was wearing a white turtle neck with a purple sweater with the same letters and gray cargo pants. Baby was in a baby blue hoodie, also with the same letters, and blue jeans.

And Jinu, Jinu was wearing a periwinkle long-sleeve shirt with a picture of a red lion on it and army green cargo pants. It was large and loosely fitting. It was a bit sideways, revealing more collarbone than Rumi ever saw from him before. It was scandalous.

"Huh, they are wearing their merch."

"Merch?" Rumi echoes.

"Yeah, I've dug up info about them; they're really prepared," Zoey explains. "For someone who came from a bankrupt company, they have almost everything prepared, from light sticks, merch, training videos, and all that. Their official social media pages have blown up quite immediately, and let me tell you this, whoever is their PR and social media manager is they're real good!"

Did they have all that before? Rumi didn't remember any of this at all. 

"Let's get started, ladies and gentlemen." They all turn to Zoey's tablet. The Saja Boys were seated on the large dark blue couch. Jinu was in the center, and on his left was Mystery and Baby, and on his right was Romance and Abby.

First Question: What's your position in the group?

"Ooh, the standard first question!" 

It was Jinu who answered. "Well, for our position in the group, I am the leader, center, and main vocalist. Romance is the main dancer and sub-vocalist. Mystery is the lead dancer and sub-vocalist. Abby is the visual, lead vocalist, and rapper. Baby is the maknae and rapper."

Second Question: Who wrote the lyrics and did the choreography?

"Jinu is the songwriter, tuner, background music, and choreographer." Romance answers. 

SajaBoysfvckme: Whoa, he's an all-rounder

StawberryJinu: He's practically an all-in-one; he just needs to know how to rap!

SanSan2: Well, he does more than your idols lol

More and more comments pop up on the likes. Jinu knows how to wrap, and Rumi knows because she heard it before. 

"Mystery is helping with the songwriting and tunes lately, for our future songs."

"Oh, then the ones for your debut album are all Jinu?" The host asked.

"Yeah, he had them ready way before we chose to be idols. We have another one that we will release as a single. Then, after that, they're all songs produced after we decide to be idols."

"Oh, that makes sense." The host nods.

"Outside of that, I am in charge of the designs, and I work with Baby for PR and Social Media management."

"Well, there's our answer..."

"Abby is in charge of the creation of props and set-up for our MVs." He explains further. 

"Shouldn't there be other people in charge of that?" 

"Due to the company’s current financial situation, we’re unable to bring in additional staff at this time." Romance responds politely. "It's actually pretty good to be honest, doing things ourselves for the most part is great, it feels more like a passion project to us this way."

emma: we made the right people famous

gabbyhabbi: i'll be supporting you from now on!

Kai♡: somebody fact-check this lol

Nad!a: done it for you @Kai♡ SJ is nearly bankrupt bro, so they're really risking it with this boyband

Lonely_girl: Yeah, I'll DM you the link for their training videos. That room is falling apart

Third Question: If you're not an Idol, what dreams would you have pursued?

"A fitness influencer!" Abby responds immediately.

"A fashion designer." Romance replies.

Then Baby, "A mercenary." 

Janjan: LMAO WHAT

MARRYMEBABY: He's so unintentionally funny 😂😂😂

K910: With that face? yeah right

kira: Jinu and Romance are judging him hard 😂😭

Jinu was side-eyeing him. Romance looks shocked and stressed. 

Mystery came in clutch, snatching the mic. "I don't really have a dream; I just followed Jinu here. I'll probably be a freelancer. At first, I never really saw myself here since I'm not good with people, but ever since we started practicing, I have been enjoying it quite a bit."  He passed the mic to Jinu.

"A classical musician, maybe? Or a songwriter and producer for other singers." Jinu answers. "I have always been a musician at heart, ever since I was a kid."

Fifth Question: How long have you known each other?

It was Abby who took the mic. "I'm the newest in the group. They're all together by the time I joined 2 years ago." He explains.

"Mystery and I go way back." Baby continues. "Then Jinu came in after Romance. Together for around a year, but for the rest around 3-4 years."

Seventh Question: What's got you into music?

"I have an old bipa from my father," Jinu answers. "I have had it with me since I was a kid. So I have always been into music."

"I just followed Jinu." The others all answered in unison.

strawberrybaby: Looks like we have our leader to thank for this

lan2: damn, where did he find those guys, I want one too

Shinichi Kudo: Jinu be like "my way or highway"

xarxos: that's kind of sweet, but are they being forced?

whoremembers: @xarxos Romance literally said it's their passion project lmao, they love it, maybe not at first, but they fell in love with it like Mystery

Gooseweasel: @xarxos it's not like he forced them, do you think Abby would let him be forced? He'll probably start punching before Jinu gets a word in

Twelfth Question: What's your favorite song?

"Savages." Baby answers. "I love Hail."

"What an unexpected answer!" The host claps.

"Party by XOXO." Abby.

"Fancy Love by Two." Romance.

"Life Goes on by SML." Mystery.

"Not Anymore by Ally," Jinu smiles somewhat wanly. "I like the message. But for the most part, I like classical music."

"Fire choices," Mira said in approval. "They got taste."

"Didn't expect Jinu and Baby to choose Western music," Zoey says. "But yeah, good ones."

Rumi, meanwhile, paused, staring at the smile on Jinu's face. Not Anymore? By Ally? Rumi quickly pulled up her phone.

"No Anymore" by Ally is about the revenge of those who have been wronged. It is a powerful piece created by Ally for the movie "Chase the Mice" where the main character broke free from their abuser, struggled to accept the truth of said abuse and went on to destroy said abuser and finally heal. Although it flopped in the box office, it was widely praised by critics and has been labelled as a "cult classic".

Jinu, what is he thinking? Everything was so different from what she remembers that Rumi feels lost.

Fifteenth Question: How will you describe your bandmate in 3 words?

"Oh, this one is addressed to the leader only, so Jinu, how will you describe your bandmates in three words?"

"Well..." Jinu winced, looking at his sides.

"Romance is flirty, overzealous, and fun."

"Thank you!"

"Abby is narcissistic-"

"Hey!"

"It's true." Baby laughs.

"Why you little-" Romance practically slaps his hand over his mouth to shut him up.

"Going back, narcissistic, but also very protective and caring. There, Abby, not all negative."

"You didn't have to start it like that though." Abby pouts.

"It's not like he lied." Mystery cuts in.

Baby giggles. Abby glares at him.

"Baby is prickly-"

"Hah!"

"What are you, a child?"

"-and nihilistic but also very family-oriented."

Jinu paused. "As for Mystery, he's quiet and a little distant but also very loyal."

"Then, what about Jinu?"

The boys went wild, practically shoving one another for the button. 

"ME-"

"NO ME!"

"Mind the face-!"

"Jinu is very strict and a perfectionist," Mystery, who never joined in the fight, won. "But he's also very caring, although he's a harsh taskmaster, but he also cooks for us and takes care of us for the most part."

"I'm not that bad, am I?" Jinu laughs.

"You are!" Abby disagrees. "Our longest practice was 7 hours! I felt so sore!"

"Well, you kept getting it wrong, and the performance was the next day."

"You're a workaholic," Romance cuts in. "Sometimes I even need to force you to rest!"

"Hey, when did this become a diss Jinu show?"

"Workaholic!" Zoey exclaims, before looking at her, wiggling her brows. "Sounds like someone we know!"

"What? No, I'm not!" Rumi said defensively.

"You are, girl." Mira rolls her eyes. "You're perfect for one another."

Although she still took offense at being called a workaholic, she felt herself flush red at the last comment. 

Seventeenth Question: Who causes the most trouble?

No one was even able to push the button before Abby raised his hand. "Alright, no need to answer that, I know." The other laughs at that.

moss_yt: I knew it LMAO

Noah: At least he's self-aware hahaha

bloominbean: he didn't even let the other answers first 🤣🤣🤣

"Last question before we go to the live comments!" Said the host.

Twentieth Question: Who is your favorite member?

"Oooh." Zoey winced in sympathy. "I hate that question."

"Yeah." Mira and Rumi agreed.

Jinu took the mic first. "My favorite depends on who annoys me the least when I'm doing something important." He said with a laugh. "Usually Mystery."

"Oooh, pretty diplomatic and evasive answer!"

"He's good."

"Don't really have one." Baby.

"I never really thought about it." Mystery.

"Depends on who joins me shopping. I usually drag Abby to carry my stuff." Romance.

"All of them." Abby.

Then it was the turn for live comments. They were ridiculous and some downright indecent.

[ What's your favorite color? ]

"Purple." Mystery.

"Green." Baby.

"Red." Abby.

"Pink." Romance.

"Black and blue." Jinu.

Rumi...Rumi never knew that...there are a lot of things she never knew about him, it seems. 

[ How many kids do you want? ]

"WHAT? WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?!" Rumi screams.

"None." Baby answers drily.

"One maybe?" Mystery.

"Well, it's not my choice, is it?" Jinu.

"I'm with Jinu, though maybe a girl?" Romance.

"I'm fine with either, not my choice." Abby.

Ariel Novak: that's so attractive

honey12: green flag 💚💚💚

SajaBoys#1hater: everyone calls anything green flag nowadays

emma: @SajaBoys#1hater be miserable somewhere else lol

Janjan: @SajaBoys#1hater this is why no one will date you

Shinichi Kudo: Guys, not agreeing with the wording, but this is the bare minimum. It's so sad that it's not normalized at all; the bar is in hell.

"It is attractive because it's so rare." Mira comments, making her and Zoey agree. "Let's put a question."

[ Who's most likely to be natural at parenting? ]

"Jinu." Mystery answers. "Definitely Jinu, he's good with animals, like our cat Derpy and bird Sussie, he takes good care of them."

They had names? Rumi never knew about them, Derpie and Sussie, well, they definitely suit the not-so-clever tiger and sassy magpie.

[ Who is the clumsiest? ]

Jinu raised his hand. "Me. Sometimes I tripped."

"Sometimes? You mean all the time?" Baby babbles. "I mean, who trips on nothing?"

"He's also easy to startle. Especially when he's focusing on something." Abby adds.

"That wasn't part of the question."

[ Who is the best cook and who is banned in the kitchen?]

"Jinu," Romance answers. "He's usually the one cooking and baking in the kitchen. Baby is also a decent cook, but he's lazy. I can't cook anything. Mystery can boil eggs. Abby is permanently banned after he nearly set the kitchen on fire when he was using the microwave."

"I forgot about it. I'm sorry, okay? When are you gonna let that go man?"

"Never." 

[ Why do your songs in your album differ from one another so drastically? Is there no central theme?]

"Well," Jinu picks up the mic. "The Soda-Pop is about addiction and indulgence of things, basically feasting on what you want-"

Janjan: LMAO, look at Abby and Romance's faces

DocOR: He definitely doesn't have a clue about the double entendre, but those two definitely do and haven't told him

Samantha: Of course, it's those two

user540312: it's kinda cute though

"Well, maybe it's the sign you'll be his first?" Mira nudges with a smirk.

"Oooh~"

"You guys are gross."

"-Lost Souls is about the realization of getting tricked into a bad situation because of the promises given to you. Promises like those in Soda-Pop."

Rumi recalls the exact word Jinu used when he talked to her.

"Is that what you think? That's all demons do. Feel. Feel our shame, our misery. It's how Gwi-Ma controls us."

Gwi-Ma tricks humans into making deals with him. Did Jinu write this song because of that? Rumi can't recall there being other Songs by Saja Boys other than Soda-Pop and their end song in Namsan Tower. Why are there so many changes? Does Jinu remember and now go against Gwi-Ma? But then, why didn't he recognize her?

"-and the Your Idol is a villain song, it is a victory song by the abuser—the manipulator that pulled you in." Jinu finished. "Basically, it's a story of being trapped when you made the wrong choice, even when you are aware that it's not all good."

"My, that's so unexpected," The host sobs. "So touching, and I'm sure victims of DV and others hear this."

"I hope it can be helpful for them."

Your Idol, that was their victory song in the Namsan Tower.

[ Where did you get the matching bracelets? Is it part of the merch that hasn't been released yet?]

Bracelets? Jinu never had a bracelet other than the one the old woman gave him before. Now that Rumi thinks about it, didn't he have that when Rumi first stumbled back to him here? All the boys are wearing them.

"Oh, we got them before the debut." Romance answers. "Jinu gave them to us, and we took them as a promise to stay together through the tough times of idolhood. As for whether they'll be part of the merch, maybe not."

Jinu never wore bracelets before. Rumi knows that; she held his hand enough to know that.

[ What's your favorite snack?]

"Jinu's food," Abby answers. "We don't really eat snacks or junk food since Jinu doesn't like them, says they're unhealthy, so he just cooks whatever we crave."

emma: that's so sweet, I want a taste too TT

gabriel4: kinda sad though, buldak tastes fire

sherlockgirlie: My mom would love him

"Oh, it's our question!" Zoey said excitedly.

[ What's your type?]

"Wha-? Zoey!"

"I did this for you!"

"None." Baby answers immediately.

"Someone full of life." Mystery.

"That means I've got a chance, yes!"

"Someone I can roughhouse with." Abby.

"Someone who seems tough but is actually so sensitive." Romance.

"Oooh! You've got a chance too, Mira!"

Then the mic was passed to Jinu, "I haven't really thought about it..."

"Booo...what lame answer!" Booed the host, thumbs down.

"Why is he pressuring him? Some people just don't really think about it!"

"Whoa there, Rumi, don't go all Mama Bear Mode on us."

"Yeah, it's pretty harmless!"

"Well, I suppose someone who's thoughtful and hardworking?"

sherlockgirlie: I can be all of those, let's all date

strawberrybaby: I can change your mind Baby!

jesuslovesyou: We can have a threesome, Romance, Abby!

starsarelove: I can take you all

freakygirl: freakykermit.jpg

More and more comments appeared, each one more unhinged and freakier than the one before it.

"The fans are getting wild!" The host cheers. "A little too wild if you ask me, so let's have the last question for this episode!"

[ Most likely to end up in jail?] 

"Oh, Baby." Abby answers. "Definitely, Baby."

"Well you're not that far behind me." Baby sneers.

"Don't fight." Jinu sighs.

Then, it was pleasantries, and the show ended...

"Wow, that was good!"

"Yeah, first time I enjoyed that show in a long time."

"Guys?" Rumi said quietly, biting her lips. The two turn to her.

There were so many things different from the last one, so many things she didn't know before. Did Jinu time-travel, too, since his soul is tied to hers? Or perhaps, he just have some memories but not everything? She needs to talk to him, but how can she do that? She didn't know his cell, if he even has one. Jinu was always the one to initiate contact with her through Derpie and Sussie...

She needs help, and she needs to be honest with Mira and Zoey.

"Do you want to go to the bathhouse tomorrow?"

"What?" Zoey's eyes widen at that. "That's-Yes! YESYESYESYES!"

"Finally!"

Rumi felt a smile grace her lips at the genuine excitement in her friends face. Yes, she's making the right decision.