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eph3meraaa · 17 days ago

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𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱 “I'm so pretty no matter what I wear“

𝖶𝖺𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌：Emotional trauma, identity struggles (including self-worth, shame, secrecy), mild violence/ fantasy fight scenes, Blood, Grief and abandonment, Fame-related isolation, complex female friendships, demon lore, morally grey characters, reverse harem elements, slow burn.

Word Count: 3598

The girls ducked in the alley, trying not to breathe too loud, the echo of fans just around the corner.

“Be cool. Look normal,” Mira whispered, crouched low beside Zoey.

“Normal? We’re in an alley, Mira,” Rae muttered, holding her breath.

But then her heart dropped. “Wait. My phone.” She blinked, patting her hoodie pockets. “oh shoot! I left it back at the clinic.”

Rumi’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

Zoey glanced toward the street. “We’ll cover you. Go. We’ll meet you at the café.”

Rae gave them a quick nod and slipped out of the alley just as a group of fans turned down the block. She moved fast, hugging the shadows until she made it back to Doctor Han’s office. The wooden door creaked as she opened it, the familiar scent of herbs curling around her like incense.

Her phone was right there on the counter, glinting softly under the warm light.

But before she could snatch it and run, Dr. Han emerged from the back room, drying his hands on a towel.

“Ah, Miss Rae,” he said with a gentle smile, eyes crinkling like old parchment. “You forgot something?”

She bowed, flustered. “Yes! Sorry, I—I didn’t mean to barge in again. I just realized I left my phone.”

He waved a hand. “No trouble at all. You’re quite fine, my dear.”

She laughed nervously, grabbing her phone. “Thanks. I’ll just—head out now.”

But Dr. Han tilted his head slightly, watching her the way an old teacher might, kind, but observant.

“You carry a very bright energy child,” he said, “but underneath it, there’s something fraying at the edges, hm?”

Rae froze. “Huh?”

“You smile well. You speak kindly.” His eyes twinkled. “But you do these things to keep others from seeing how you truly feel, don’t you?”

Her heart skipped a beat. “I-I mean… that’s just how I am.” She forced a grin, trying to lighten the moment.

Then a sudden beat of panic ran through her veins as she realized something, “Is this gonna affect my vocal performance or something?” She looked at him like a deer in headlights.

He chuckled, fondly. “No. But it may affect how you carry your heart.”

She blinked, unsure how to respond, her fingers curling around her phone like it was a lifeline.

“I won’t hold you long,” he said gently, sensing her shift. “Your friends are waiting. But make note of this, you already know who you are. Don’t let others blind you from it.”

The words hit her like a breeze from a door left open in her memory.

Rae stared at him, a quiet question caught behind her lashes. It sounded so much like something her mother once said. Something soft. Something important.

Dr. Han simply smiled, not elaborating.

She gave a small, unsure nod and stepped toward the door but gave a small bow before saying, “Thank you… really.”

“Go on now,” he said, shooing her with a warm chuckle. “The world’s waiting for you, Relle.”

And with that, she stepped back into the light—phone in hand, heart quietly stirred.

As soon as Rae stepped outside the clinic, the sunlight felt different—like it was filtering through something heavier.

She shook the feeling off and made a run for it, her boots slapping the pavement as she darted back toward the alley.

“Wait for me guys—!” she whispered under her breath, weaving through side streets, trying to retrace the path the girls had taken.

But then, she heard it.

Music.

Loud. Hypnotic. Sweet like syrup and electric like a voltage line through the air. Her pace slowed.

Down the next street, a small crowd had gathered—faces turned up, mouths open in delight. The plaza looked relatively normal if it weren’t for the obvious purple smoke in the middle of the district. And there behind the smoke, seemed to be five figures, but, her vision caught onto the posters that people were holding. The Saja Boys…? Where have I heard that name before?

She chewed on her lip in quiet frustration, trying to get a clearer look at the posters—and that’s when it hit her. They were the same ones that had been shoved into her hands days ago, the ones she never got the chance to keep. The same glossy smiles staring back at her now belonged to the demon group she hadn’t been able to forget. Her stomach twisted.

No way.

The sun bright on skin. The crowd screamed. And Rae’s feet locked in place, her heart hammering as the first notes hit.

She didn’t move.

She didn’t blink.

She just stared, because there they were.

The “Saja Boys’” debut had just begun, the crowd in Gangnam already entranced by their performance. Camera phones glowed like fireflies in the dusk, and the pavement of the plaza seemed reflected off every surface like a prophecy fulfilled. Their moves were sharp, synced, and drenched in a power no human could name.

Rae, standing near the edge of the crowd in her hoodie and fake glasses, was breathless—not because of awe, but because her heart had dropped into her stomach.

She knew those eyes. She knew that energy. And now, standing just out of their line of vision, she knew the truth.

They’re not stealing souls though, she thought, stunned—confusion trickling down her spine like ice water.

“They’re performing… music?”

A beat caught in her chest. Catchy, even. Her brows drew together. Did they write that themselves?

For half a second, she was impressed—almost charmed, they moved like butter. Gosh, they look so— she shook her head, hard, frustrated with herself for drifting again. What is wrong with me? Her face felt hot as she fanned herself. Focus.

Why were demonic men performing a debut…?

What could they possibly have up their sleeves?

And… Why now?

The questions crowded in her mind, each one louder than the last.

Then—

A voice, like a thread snapping in the back of her mind. A very distant memory, a warning, echoing clear as a bell.

“Once the Honmoon is sealed, Gwi Ma won’t be able to get through at least for a year.”

And just like that, the dominoes fell.

Golden wasn’t just a promo, it was a ritual. A seal disguised as a song. That’s what they were taught from the beginning.

The melody, the beat, the emotion behind it—it all pulsed with purpose. Hope, courage, and connection. That’s what fueled the barrier. But the true source of power wasn’t just the music.

It was the fans.

They were unknowingly feeding the seal with every cheer, every breathless scream. Any love and adoration that they showed was going into the barrier that kept Gwi Ma blocked. Guarded.

Rae’s chest tightened. Dread hit her body like a train wreck, and without realizing it, she took a single step back.

These demons had figured it out. If her theory was true—if they were performing just to siphon Huntrix’s fans—then she had to move. Now. There was no room for hesitation. No time to overthink. She clenched her fists and for a second her patterns and her eyes lost control.

Because if she was right, and they weren’t just performing?

Then Gwi Ma was already watching. Already waiting, haunting. And if the Honmoon cracked—if even a sliver of it shattered?

Protect your mother, Rae.. I love you

Her breath caught in her throat and her heart dropped to her stomach. As Images crashed through her mind. Her mother’s face, torn from her in flashes. Screams—of hers, of the crowd’s, of her mother’s—all blurring into a single, terrible memory she’d never been able to silence.

No. No, no, no.

She wouldn’t let that happen again. Not here. Not to them. Not when she had people she loved to protect.

Rae’s pulse throbbed in her throat as she tried to think—anything, anyway to stop them.

There’s no way I can fight them here. It’s too crowded.

Her fists clenched. Her teeth pressed tight. She squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to breathe through the roar of her own panic.

Think, Rae—you’re a literal hunter. You’ve faced worse. You’ve survived worse, come on!

She opened her eyes and scanned the space again, more sharply this time. That’s when she saw it.

A portable mic resting beside a pop-up speaker stand, just off of a small and forgotten stage. Abandoned—but still powered. The faint blinking of the speaker light was like a signal to her. A sign.

Her breath caught.

Her eyes widened.

The idea struck like lightning.

“What if I…?” she whispered, heart racing now for a different reason.

She could feel it rising—the old rush. The pre-show buzz. The weight of a thousand eyes about to fall on her.

But this wasn’t just about the applause. This was about survival. This was war.

If I can’t fight them, I might as well take back what they’ve stolen.

Her hands trembled as she looked down at herself—hoodie, skirt, stockings, glasses. Oh! And my bow obviously.

Not an accessory.

A weapon. This isn’t the first time you’ve done a spontaneous thing, Rae, you’ll be fine.

Her voice steadied as she whispered again, this time with a little more bite.

“I can do this.” But not alone. She scanned the crowd, pulse quickening again—searching, slicing through the sea of faces for them.

Mira… Zoey… where are you?

She spotted them instantly—Zoey, Mira, and Rumi, standing just off to the side, heads tilted as they watched the performance with wide, unblinking eyes trying so hard not to dance along. Good. They figured out who they are.

Rae sprinted over trying not to draw attention to herself, at least not right now, her boots thudding lightly against the pavement. Her heart was pounding from sheer adrenaline building up in her bones.

“Rumi, stay here,” she said firmly, grabbing her best friend by the shoulders as her Rumi could only stare at her in confusion. “Don’t move. Just… stay.”

“Rae, what’s—”

“I’m taking care of it– we have no time,” she cut her off, before turning to the other two. “Zoey, Mira—do you remember the choreography for ‘Miniskirt’?”

Zoey blinked, lost, and it wasn’t even because a heart prop had flown right into her face.

“Uhh… yeah? Why?”

Mira frowned. “Rae, this really doesn’t seem like the time for—”

“Just—trust me,” Rae said, her voice low, urgent. “Please. I’ll explain everything later, but I need you to follow my lead. You remember the formation, right? Your cues?”

Zoey lifted a hand hesitantly, eyebrows drawn in playful confusion.

“Yeah, but… why Miniskirt? It was just so random.” She gave a small, awkward chuckle.

Rae rubbed the back of her neck, her smile sheepish.

“It was the only CD I recognized in that old speaker setup—and the rest were all, like… boy group tracks.”

She huffed. “Purely male vocals.”

Mira furrowed her eyebrows. “Are we performing?” Her eyes then widened and looked at the ravenette in disbelief, “right now?”

Rae nodded, not a single hesitation found in her eyes. “Yes. In about a couple of minutes.”

Zoey’s jaw dropped. “Babe, what?”

“Girls,” Rae grabbed both of their hands. “I need you. Please.”

The two girls exchanged a glance. It only took a beat before Zoey’s lips curled into a determined grin. “Whatever you need babe, I’m here”

Mira sighed and squared her shoulders, she didn't know what was going on but she trusted Rae. “You better not get us backlash for this.”

Rae cracked a smile, then looked toward the end of the stage. The boys were nearing the final chorus. She stepped back from her friends, taking a look at her outfit– hoping that what she was wearing was enough to match the vibe of the song.

“This should be fine,” she muttered to herself, brushing a hand through her hair. And this, Rumi, is exactly why I should dress well everyday.

Then, with the mic gripped tight in her hand, Rae stepped toward the edge of the crowd. Calm. Poised and ready to hijack a debut.

This is it, she told herself, steadying her breath as she waited for the boys’ stage to power down. Her heart thudded in rhythm with the fading beat of their last note.

How’d they even get a stage like that? she blinked, annoyed at herself. It’s impressive, I can’t even lie—OMG, focus.

She flicked the mic switch with her thumb and called on her energy, amplifying her sound through the half-dead speaker system. The shrill screech of it tore through the street like a lightning crack, slicing through the hum of the crowd.

Heads turned.

Whispers rose.

Even the boy group froze.

All eyes were on her now.

And Rae, never one to waste a moment—lifted her chin and let her hoodie fall back, revealing herself fully to the crowd.

The glasses, the skirt and not to mention the unmistakable face.

Gasps rippled like a wave through the people in front of her.

So much for keeping a “low profile” so sorry Bobby, Sa-Ra. The ravenette sweat dropped, she could even feel the shiver of Aunt Celine’s scold already.

At first, the silence was unwavering and thick with disbelief, stretched too long to be comfortable. Then, like a ripple across still water, the whispers began. Recognition, shock, confusion even.

And in an instant, the cheers erupted. Thunderous, electric. The kind that rattled bones and lit the air on fire. Korea’s Princess.

RELLE.

The name burst from the crowd like a spell, echoing across the street as if it had always belonged to her.

Well, it did.

She smirked, her popstar face switched on almost instantly, and stepped toward the mic.

“Let’s give a big round of applause for the debut of the Saja Boys!”

The crowd roared, Zoey and Mira turned in surprise, and Rumi’s eyes widened as Rae winked from their own stage.

The Saja Boys froze in place, locked in the final poses of their debut performance—bodies still, breath held, eyes trained on the impossible scene unfolding in front of them.

Jinu gave a sharp, nearly imperceptible nod.

“Play it off, smile, and bow,” He whispered to them. Keep composure. And just like that, the rest followed.

Their movements of support, also acting like this was part of their debut were smooth—rehearsed. Controlled. But anyone looking closely would see the cracks.

The tension in Abby’s shoulders as he awkwardly forced a grin.

The delay in Romance’s claps, a fraction too slow.

The way Mystery just clapped along, yet, gaze fixed on Rae like she was rewriting the script in real time.

And Baby—sweet, blinking Baby—looking like he still didn’t know what hit them.

But they kept it together. Because Jinu said so. Because that’s what they did. Still, behind every smile, every bow, every polished flick of their outfits. They were rattled.

And she knew it.

Rae’s voice rang clear through the speakers. “They’ve clearly done a fantastic job… but we couldn’t just let them have all the fun, could we?”

A ripple of screams and cheers. The crowd was eating out of her hand.

Rae spun to Zoey and Mira, mouthing—Miniskirt, now.

She swiftly hit the old speaker, once more, powering it with her demon energy without letting anyone see. If they can create plastic hearts out of thin air and let people think it’s a prop, I can surely do this.

Mira blinked at the crowd, Zoey’s eyes were still wide, but both of them instinctively stepped forward, faces morphing into performance mode.

“Let’s take it back,” Rae purred into the mic, “to a little something special.”

The beat dropped—“Miniskirt” by AOA. She would deal with the repercussions of pulling this off later, but for now, it was time to show these boys what a real idol looked like.

Rae rolled her shoulders back, letting her body fall into the rhythm like it never left her.

Then she sang.

“Your eyes that look at me~”

Her voice was honey-smooth, sharp with intention. A blade wrapped in velvet.

“It’s not the same as before~”

The crowd stunned into silence just moments before, now buzzed with intrigue and excitement. Phones flew up. Someone screamed. Someone else praised her name like a prayer.

And Rae? She smiled. Not sweetly. Not innocently. But like someone who knew exactly what she was doing.

Like the princess who owned the moment.

She swayed with the beat, steps fluid, seductive, grounded in years of choreography and muscle memory.

As she turned her head, eyes scanning the street stage, her gaze locked onto a familiar pink haired buff man staring.

So Rae raised her mic again and delivered the next line—slow, sultry, just for him.

“I’m a confident girl, but why are you making me struggle?~”

His smile seemed to freeze. Cute, she thought. He’s like a gentle giant—okay, seriously, pull it together, Rae. She felt a rush of warmth creep up her neck, but masked the flutter behind her stage smile and kept performing.

And just like that, the crowd was split. The glow of the Saja Boys’ mystique began to flicker, overpowered by the raw, blinding wattage of the star princess’s confidence backed up by raw talent.

They couldn’t help but be entranced by her too.

Rae tossed her glasses to the growing crowd mid-spin. Off came the hoodie—revealing her black pleated skirt, fitted top, and her signature stockings. She looked like every fan’s dream and every demon’s nightmare.

“My risky high heels~”

“My black stockings~”

She sauntered across the stage, her body language fluid, her voice velvet and smoke. Her hands traced her silhouette, and the crowd went feral.

“You won’t be able to take your eyes off me~” she sang, eyes gracing the Saja Boys one by one.

Then, her gaze locked with Jinu’s, whose eyes turned amber for a split second, again.

“Don’t stop me~” Despite the foxy little smile curling on her lips, it wasn’t flirtation, but a warning dressed in silk.

His smirk only grew—impressed, and albeit, a little annoyed. Jinu scoffed, jaw tight. She’d caught him off guard again. His eyes turned to the Huntrix leader, who he had run into in the alleyway earlier. She was in the crowd watching in pure confusion. She didn’t seem to plan this.

His gaze trailed back to the raven haired girl performing in the middle.

This was not the same timid girl he’d bumped into days ago. Gone was the shy gaze, the awkward halt in her steps. Now, there was only fire, flickering and defiant, in the same eyes that met him across the crowd.

It was irritating. And oddly enough… admirable.

She had unraveled their plan in minutes.

Minutes.

And somehow, with a single switch of a mic and the confidence to use it, she’d not only figured them out, she had flipped the narrative entirely.

This girl, this woman, whom he hadn’t seen in days, whose frame looked too delicate back then, almost fragile under the sun, had just cornered his entire group with nothing but instinct, timing, and a frustratingly good rebuttal.

And yet, instead of the anger that should have been boiling in his chest, Jinu found himself clapping.

Genuinely.

Because no matter how they looked at it, they had lost today. She’d played her hand, and it had been bold, spontaneous, yet flawlessly executed.

Their defeat was undeniable.

But it had been a good battle—and he couldn’t help but surrender.

For today, that is.

He sighed and cast his gaze down. I’m never gonna hear the end of this once it gets to Gwi Ma.

Behind him, Romance stood frozen—stunned, as if the wires connecting his body to his brain had suddenly gone slack. It was quiet all of a sudden.

He knew she was beautiful. He wasn’t blind. But, seeing her this close, eyes sharp, stance unshaken, and most of all, catching them, mic in hand? Was… something else entirely.

He had to stare.

In all his decades, he had met women who tirelessly sculpted themselves into elegance, into allure. Women who starved and smiled and sparkled to remain untouchable. But none of them, not a single one, held a candle to her.

And of course she thought he was gorgeous. He was, after all. Gorgeous in the way sin always is. But even knowing that—knowing what they were? She still chose to defy them. She may have left Huntrix, but it was clear to him, to all of them, that she was still a hunter at heart and mind. Only, he didn’t seem to mind if she had chosen to slice them if she found them alone.

And now, as Rae took back the spotlight, note by note, breath by breath—stealing the momentum they had fought so hard to build—Romance could only watch in awe.

How cool, he thought, a rare glint of genuine admiration settling behind his eyes.

The Saja boys had one thought running through their head while Rae continued to steal back the crowd’s hearts. This girl didn’t need a weapon, she was one.

Meanwhile, Zoey and Mira fell into choreography like it was muscle memory, giving the illusion that this had all been planned. They twirled, posed, winked—and Rae kept center, stealing every flicker of attention.

The crowd cheered like they were watching a legendary collab.

But Rae knew what she was doing. She wasn’t just stealing a show, she was protecting this world.

And as the final chorus hit and the beat slowed, she tossed a grin over her shoulder—sharp, defiant. Throwing in a wink to seal their defeat.

“Hope you don’t mind sharing the spotlight, boys.”

A/N: HEHEHE IM BAAAACKKKK

So did I post on Wednesday? No. Did I post at some point? YESSS

I honestly have been constantly locking in for different things anddd completely neglected this story T^T

Like I knew I didn't post this yet and I was like "ehhh I can wait" and I ended up ignoring it altogether

TRUST I DIDNT FORGET. I've also been trying to see if there were any gaps in the storyline, got stressed, and then just ended up not caring. But I think it will work out just fine.

Also yes, I made her do a cover song (cause i lowk am not creative enough to make lyrics) I decided the rest of Rae's songs are either from the movie orrr anything from my playlist, which I will write in this story, as her songs. hehehehe xoxox

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!!! MWAH <3

Tagslist: @lexasaurs634@gremlinartstudio@stxrrielle@artistadistrada2002

@sasuke-kun0 @leafyturtle

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eph3meraaa · 20 days ago

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𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 “They’re broken, but they’re mine“

𝖲𝗒𝗇𝗈𝗉𝗌𝗂𝗌：In a glittering world where fame sparkles brighter than the truth, former Huntr/x member RELLE reigns as the world's sweetheart, a K-pop soloist adored by millions, envied for her talent, and worshipped for her charm. But when she crosses paths with the Saja Boys, a rising idol group with secrets as dark as her own, what will Relle do when given a choice between protecting the world that loves her, and giving in to the ones that truly know her. 𝖲𝗒𝗇𝗈𝗉𝗌𝗂𝗌：In a glittering world where fame sparkles brighter than the truth, former Huntr/x member RELLE reigns as the world's sweetheart, a K-pop soloist adored by millions, envied for her talent, and worshipped for her charm. But when she crosses paths with the Saja Boys, a rising idol group with secrets as dark as her own, what will Relle do when given a choice between protecting the world that loves her, and giving in to the ones that truly know her.

Word Count: 4517

The metronome ticked in the background of the dance studio—sharp, demanding. Rae mirrored the beat with her breath, muscles aching from hours of choreography drills. Sweat clung to her spine like a second skin, and her raven black hair was tied in a bun that had started falling apart sometime after hour two.

The last beat dropped. She held the final pose. Applause echoed from the team filming the rehearsal for promotions, but she only cracked a small smile. Just enough. She bowed, thanked the choreographers, bowed once more. Mira needs to show me how she did her helicopter hands again. She set a small reminder in her head.

Working with her choreographer was a blast everytime, sure back in her trainee days– she’d probably put it off or grimace at the thought of dance rehearsals due to muscle pain, but now, it really feels like a reward when doing concerts or music videos, she feels like a mischievous little fox that demands the attention of those around her, and nothing felt more overpowering than that.

However, it would be a lie if she said that dance rehearsal was where she felt most at her element.

She slipped away—down the polished halls, past the conference rooms and brand reps, until she reached her favorite space.

Her studio.

As much as she shivered with pride watching her body move, graceful yet insistent, like a wildflower straining toward sunlight, none of that compared to the stillness she found here. In her studio, nothing else mattered.

Sa-Ra, her manager, often joked that she was superglued to the floor the first time she ever stepped her foot inside, and maybe, Rae was. It felt different from every other space she had. No one else could fill it the way she could. No one else could make the walls almost move with melody and meaning the way she did. This was her sanctuary. The one place that she didn’t need to shrink or explain.

And her music? God, her music, was the only thing that left her untouched, unfiltered, and utterly her. The lyrics poured from her hand like truth made ink. The melodies rose up from somewhere deep and private, rough at the edges, but always beautiful. Always real.

It wasn’t just a room with soundproof walls and fancy monitors. No, this one was hers. It had photos pinned along the far wall, her and the girls during Huntrix’s early debut days, backstage selfies with fans, and right above her desk—her mom’s photo, caught mid-laugh. There was a soft throw blanket on the couch in the corner, gifted by Zoey on her last birthday. A dried bouquet Mira had once pressed into her hands after a concert still stood in a little glass jar near her keyboard.

The comfort of her real world.

Rae sank into her desk chair and let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. Her laptop was already open. Her headphones were already waiting.

She pressed play on the instrumental track she’d been working on all week—a slow, aching tempo. One meant for hearts that kept too many secrets, too much pain just begging to see light.

It didn’t match the sparkle she was known for on stage. It didn’t match the headlines either. It didn’t match RELLE.

But it matched Rae.

She tapped her pen lightly against the desk, eyes flicking from her empty lyric sheet to the melody looping in her ears. No words. Not yet. On some days, the lyrics would just pour out of her.

Today wasn’t one of those days. The ravenette princess had been staring into space, humming silly phrases, chasing a feeling—something raw, something real—but the words just refused to come.

Rae stared at her notepad, then back at the keyboard. Nothing. Her fingers hovered, then dropped into her lap. A slow exhale left her lips.

Sometimes she’d think of something, write it down, and looking at it like a misplaced puzzle piece, she’d scribble harsh lines— practically slashing the poor paper in front of her.

Frustrated, she leaned back in her chair and let her eyes fall shut. A faint heat tickled at her skin, and when she opened them again, there they were.

Her demon patterns.

They glowed faintly along her arms, trailing like liquid gold just beneath the surface. She sighed, a little bitter, a little tired. The room dimmed, the clouds outside drawing a curtain over the sun, but still—the glow shimmered.

It bounced off the metal legs of her desk, danced in the silver of her mic stand, flickered gently in the mirror across from her. Tiny golden reflections lit the corners of the studio like fireflies.

She blinked.

It was beautiful. It was almost like she was a human kaleidoscope, pretty colors just dancing around in her studio.

Not in the loud, dramatic way beauty usually was—but quietly, unshakably. Even in this small, sort of messy studio with discarded lyric sheets and half-drunk coffee cups, the light made everything look like it belonged.

And then she thought of Rumi.

How hard she was trying to hold it all together. How tightly she clung to the idea of perfection—human perfection. How afraid she was of being seen for what she really was.

Rae’s chest tightened. I wish she could see it the way I do.

Almost in a trance, she picked up her pen again, hand moving before she fully knew where it was going.

“hm~… we broke into a million pieces hmm~”

“but now I’m seeing all the beauty~… in the broken glass-“

Then the sound of her phone vibrating cut through the silence.

Rae blinked. Andd of course she’d forgotten to mute it.

Notification: NEW SINGLE – HUNTRIX: “GOLDEN” RELEASED

Her heart skipped. Not because she didn’t know it was coming. She did. She knew exactly what “GOLDEN” meant.

The Honmoon.

Rumi had said it would be their biggest release yet. A magical seal in music form. A promise to keep Gwi Ma from crossing over again—for at least another year.

Rae blinked as the memory came back fast and full-color.

Rumi, pacing the length of her bedroom with pure excitement radiating off of her,

“If we time it right? if the promo is strong enough, if the sound vibrations hold—we can reinforce the Honmoon again. It’s everything, Rae. Everything we’ve worked for.”

The purple haired girl touched her reflection, her patterns glowing strong, “they’ll be gone.. for good” an unfaltering smile gracing her lips.

Rae sighed as she scrolled past the “GOLDEN” announcement, the brightness of Huntrix’s newest promo poster glowing back at her.

Of course Rumi would push for a comeback like this. She was always the one with a plan—always working, always reaching, always trying to be more. Sometimes too much— and she knew it wasn’t her fault.

But Rae couldn’t bring herself to be annoyed. Instead, a smile ghosted across her lips, soft and faraway.

She remembered being fifteen, the dance studio lit by cold fluorescent lights, her limbs aching from twelve hours of rehearsals. Her body had slumped against the mirrored wall in defeat, hair damp with sweat and throat raw from belting the chorus over and over again.

She had been so close to crying when a pair of worn sneakers stopped in front of her.

“You quitting on me already?” Rumi had said, panting, cheeks flushed. Rae could only push out a groan in reply.

“Come on Rae. Let’s suck together, at least, and then we’ll get better. That’s the deal.”

Back then, they didn’t have stages or fan chants or world tours. Just two teenage girls with calloused hands and big dreams, promising each other they’d make it. Promising they’d never leave each other behind.

Promising that they’d always find each other in the space between.

Rae felt the sting in her eyes. God, how young they’d been. How sure. She blinked the memory away.

And then she pictured the other two’s reactions to their long awaited vacation cut short. Rae giggled to herself. She could almost see it now—Mira groaning off to the side, Zoey dramatically crying cartoon tears as she weeps about missing the million plans she’d made. Oh god, I bet Rumi has the biggest smile on her face while the other two suffer. She tsked softly.

Her smile returned though, brighter this time. Some promises never really faded.

Her thoughts came to a halt as another message popped up.

Umi-Rumi: @Raediant_princess DID YOU SEE IT?? YOU SAW IT RIGHT??

Zoey.exe: I had so many things to do on my list 💔💔💔

Miramirage: The couch oh how I miss it already 💔💔💔

Rae giggled softly.

Raediant_princess: LMAO, I’m listening to it now you guys never miss 😛

Miramirage: more like we never catch a break. 😒

Umi-Rumi: ehehehe sorry guys ily all tho <3

Rae couldn’t help the laugh that left her mouth. Oh I feel so bad for them. She pulled it up, then pressed play. The opening notes rang out—bright, shimmering. But it was the voices that stopped her breath.

“I was a ghost, I was alone

In the darkness, a pressured path…~”

Rae exhaled softly. She remembered the way Rumi used to cry in secret, biting down on her sleeve in the dorm bathroom so no one would hear. The girl who never let herself break in front of others—but always found a way to shatter in Rae’s arms.

“I lived two lives, tried to play both sides…~” Zoey’s voice trembled just a little—barely there unless you knew her. Rae did.

Back then, Zoey never said much. But one day, over banana milk and cold rice, she’d opened up. The bullying, the loneliness, the way people looked at her like she didn’t belong anywhere—not in America, not in Korea. Rae had sat with her in silence, just listening. That line in the song wasn’t poetry. It was a memory.

“Called a problem child ’cause I got too wild…~”

Rae smiled faintly. Mira had always been fire and fists, but Rae saw through it. She’d seen her fully after visiting family—quiet, withdrawn, eyes shadowed with something Rae didn’t name until Mira finally said, “I don’t trust people who say ‘family is forever.’ Mine left too many times.”

And still, here she was—burning up the stage with the same fire they once tried to snuff out. As the pre-chorus rose, Rae leaned back, the music washing over her like memory.

“I’m done hiding, now I’m shining…~”

They’d all come so far.

The song kept playing in the background as Rae leaned back in her chair, tugging the sleeves of her hoodie over her fingers. Then she remembered—Zoey had asked her to come to the shoot.

To be there. To support them. Her eyes flicked to the photo of her mother again. This time, she smiled almost as if she could hear her mother’s voice. Rae, never, and I mean never, lose sight of what is really important, the people that are closest to your heart. Don’t forget that.

She tapped her contact list and called the only person who could help her pull off a last-minute change of plans.

“Hey, Sa-ra?”

Her manager’s voice perked up on the other line. “Princess! Please tell me you’re calling to say you’re finally taking a break today. Your bones are crying, I can feel it.”

Rae laughed. “Actually, I am asking for a break. Can you clear my schedule for the rest of the week?”

There was a beat of panic.

“Wait, are you okay?? Do you want me to send someone over? I swear, I’ll call in the whole massage team—”

“No no no, nothing like that,” Rae reassured her, “I’m fine, promise. I just… want to be there for someone who’s been there for me.”

Sa-ra exhaled, clearly relieved. “Oh. Then duh. Done. Already wiped. You’re the only idol who gets time off with zero warning, you know that?”

“And you’re the only manager who’d let me get away with it,” Rae grinned. “Thanks, Sa-ra. Get some rest too, okay?”

“Only if you swear to stay hydrated and slay.”

“I always do.”

They laughed. When the call ended, Rae leaned back in her chair once more and whispered into the empty room.

“I’ll be there Rumi, don’t worry.”

And somewhere inside, she felt her mom’s voice again—soft, proud, and close

“That’s my girl.”

———

It had been a day or two since they had dropped “GOLDEN” and Rae had watched the trio keep busy with the music videos, interviews, choreography, anything to prepare for their concert that would seal the Honmoon for a while. Rae was behind the scenes with Bobby, making sure that the girls had support.

Rae leaned casually against a makeup counter, hoodie still on, glasses low on the bridge of her nose. Most didn’t recognize her with the soft lighting and her face half-shadowed. And she liked it that way—for now.

She had promised to stay out of the way, and she meant it. Hmm I wonder if there’s a dinner place open after this… maybe we could go later to celebrate. She tapped her fingers on her phone trying to look. Because today wasn’t about her. It was about them and how hard they have worked together.

Rae’s eyes drifted toward where Rumi stood facing the mirror, murmuring lyrics under her breath. There was a smile on her face, the same one she wore before every big performance—controlled, calm, determined. But Rae could see it.

The tension in her shoulders. The way her fingers curled and uncurled near her thighs. The way her reflection of her smile in the mirror didn’t meet her eyes.

She recognized the signs. Rumi was trying too hard not to fall apart, but she kept a determined look on her face.

The two best friends went out of Rumi’s dressing room to go on set. Rae caught Rumi watching Mira and Zoey up ahead, the two of them brushing shoulders as they laughed about something.

There was something in Rumi’s gaze that was soft, still, like she was trying not to feel too much.

Longing, maybe?

Rae couldn’t quite name it, but she’d seen that look before. Even back when the four of them first became a group, there had always been a strange, quiet closeness between the three—something tender, unspoken, and just a little complicated.

Back then, Zoey would come up behind her, placing a small pouch of herbal tea in her hands, while Rumi’s lips would be tight with anticipation. Mira would tap a soft rhythm to her knee— A habit that the pinkette girl said calmed her down. It’s like they knew her language better than she did sometimes.

Rae’s lips twitched upwards. Remembering the nights that the three girls would stay up huddling close just watching cheesy k-dramas. God, they don’t even notice what’s going on huh..? A soft chuckle left her. They’ll find out in time I guess.. her thoughts stopped at Bobby’s voice saying it was showtime.

The three of them moved into position as the stage lights clicked on, casting golden hues across the floor. From the shadows, Rae watched them step into the spotlight.

The opening notes of Golden played, and the camera blinked red.

The girls began to sing.

Their voices echoed—Rumi’s especially. Rich, raw, and dazzling.

But something wasn’t right.

Halfway through the verse, Rae saw it—the way Rumi blinked hard, like something was stinging behind her eyes. The brief shift in her pitch. The flicker of hesitation.

She’s pushing too hard.

The second chorus came. The harmonies soared. The audience outside roared. Bobby was grinning, practically vibrating beside the camera monitor. Everything looked perfect.

Until it wasn’t.

Rumi’s voice cracked. Everyone froze. The rose hair colored girl beside her looked at her with instant worry.

Rumi tried again— “Now I’m shining like I’m born to—”

But the sound caught in her throat like broken glass.

She coughed, tried to laugh it off, waved the team away with a tight smile. “I just need five.”

Rae furrowed her brows in worry as she watched her best friend walk offstage, chest rising too quickly. The moment Rumi vanished behind the curtains, the mask slipped entirely. Her shoulders shook.

She’s cracking. And no one knows what to do with her when she breaks.

Zoey and Mira stayed back, a look of concern brushing across their faces, but they knew they couldn’t go too close when Rumi was like this. Bobby started to spiral. The crew whispered.

But Rae? She already knew what was coming. She’d seen this kind of collapse before. She’d lived it.

Her fingers tightened around her phone.

Rumi didn’t say a word as she rushed offstage.

The moment her mic slipped from her hand, Rae felt it like a punch to her own chest.

“Ah Rumi—!” Bobby made a move to follow, eyes wide with panic, but Rae gently stepped in front of him.

“I got her,” she said with a soft smile, a hand brushing his arm. “Trust me.”

There was a brief hesitation. Then Bobby exhaled and nodded, reluctantly watching her disappear backstage. The hallway was cold, sterile, and far too quiet. Rae followed the trail of Rumi’s hurried steps until she found her leaned against the wall, head low, hands trembling.

Rae approached slowly, not wanting to spook her. The purple haired girl had taken off her jacket showing off her patterns that have been pulsing brightly.

“Rumi.”

“Don’t,” she croaked, her voice barely audible and raw. “Just don’t, Rae.”

A small sigh escaped the raven haired girl, a raw look in her eyes. Please don’t push me away Rumi. She tried once more, only softly, with a small smile. She gently grabbed her best friend’s hands.

“You think this is the first time you’ve ever cracked on stage?” Rae kept going, leaning against the wall beside her. “You remember that small showcase? The one with your aunt in the front row?”

Rumi huffed out something between a sob and a laugh. “You mean the one where I came in half a beat early and screamed the entire high note in the wrong key?”

“Yup,” Rae said brightly. “The one where she frowned so hard, I thought it would stay permanent.”

“And then scolded you for not looking out for me ugh.. What did she even tell you? She pulled you into a private room”

Rae couldn’t help the shaky breath she took. Aunt Celine had said all the right things, had welcomed her in—but Rae knew what warmth felt like, and this… wasn’t it. There was a distance in her eyes, something polite but cold, Rae was a guest she hadn’t asked for. It didn’t sting exactly, but it settled in her chest all the same.

Her tone that day however, was something entirely different. Do you know how fortunate you are… I spared your life.

Rumi’s voice snapped her out of the memory. Worry was written all over her face, and Rae just let out a laugh. “She yelled at me for making that face, remember?” she said, forcing a grin and feigning a shiver—trying to make it sound like a joke.

“Anyways,” Rae continued. “You were crying so hard afterward, I thought your eyelash glue was going to file a lawsuit. But we still made it funny, right?”

“Barely.”

“You weren’t alone then,” Rae said, voice softening. “And you’re not alone now. Whatever’s happening—we’ll figure it out. I’m not going anywhere.”

Rumi’s head dropped forward, shoulders shuddering, but she nodded once.

—

Later that night, the girls and Rae sat in the living room, no longer in their glam from the filming that never aired. The mood was light and heavy. Plates of untouched food sat on the low table.

Rumi picked at her rice and finally spoke.

“I… I’m sorry about the show.”

Zoey reached across the table, brushing her fingers against Rumi’s wrist. “Rumi, it’s okay. I’m sure everything will be fine. Bobby can handle it.” She snatched up her phone. “Hi, Bobby!”

On the other end, Bobby’s voice came through in a panicked screech: “Girls, I can’t handle this! There are thousands of disappointed fans and the network is losing their minds! Okay, this is why you pay me 3%. Back off! My girls will sing when they’re ready!”

Rae couldn’t help giggling with delight into her drink. “You gotta admire his passion.”

Mira, ever the practical one, leaned forward. “It’s okay. We can reschedule another live show within days.”

Rumi hesitated, eyes darting between them. “I-I don’t know if that’s going to be possible. My voice… it’s in trouble.”

The room stilled.

“Wait, in trouble?” Mira’s brows pinched. “Then why did you push up the Golden release?”

“Because we’re so close,” Rumi said, chest rising, “and it’s so important.”

Zoey glanced around, trying to read the mood. “Okay, so how do we handle this? What do we tell the fans? Maybe we should call Aunt Celine?”

Mira and Rae gave her a look. “We know what she’d say.”

Zoey sat up straighter and imitated the tone to perfection. “We are Hunters.” She tossed her hair dramatically. “Voices strong. Your faults and fears must never be seen.”

“You sound exactly like her,” Mira muttered, horrified and impressed.

“That’s how she says it!”

Rae watched the exchange with a small smile, but her eyes remained on Rumi.

Mira exhaled. “No. We gotta hide it and fix it.”

Zoey nodded emphatically. “For sure. We have to hide it. Mm-hm.”

“Rumi,” she said more gently now, “why don’t we take a break? We’ll skip the Idol Awards this year and—”

“No.” Rumi’s voice cut through the chatter like a blade. “No way. It’s our most important show. It’s when we strengthen the Honmoon for the entire year. We can’t skip it. Not when I’m so close.”

The word Honmoon hung between them like a secret. Rae’s fingers tapped quietly against her glass.

Zoey leaned into her shoulder. “Hey. We’ll get through this. We can get through anything. Together.”

Rae gave Rumi a small nod and nudge of agreement. “You’ve carried all of us before. Now it’s our turn.”

Mira looked at them all. “Okay. We have two weeks to fix Rumi’s voice. Any ideas?”

Zoey raised a single finger. “I do have one.”

Mira blinked. “Just one?”

Zoey smirked. “Okay, actually 57. But let’s start with my favorite. Don’t worry. It’s totally legit.”

Rae leaned forward with a cheeky smile. “Define ‘legit.’”

Zoey’s grin widened, challenging. “Depends on who’s asking.”

——

The next day, the girls walked briskly through the streets of Gangnam, sunglasses on, hoods up. Zoey led the way like a GPS with flair.

“He’s got this special tonic,” Zoey said in a half-whisper, half-gasp. “Apparently it can heal anything—from sore throats to broken hearts.”

Rae raised her eyebrows. “Can it fix a cracked friendship too?”

“Maybe even your fashion trauma from middle school,” Mira muttered.

“Okay, rude,” Zoey shot back. “But fair.”

Rumi shushed them with a sharp glance. “Zoey..! Quietly remember..?”

“Why are there so many people today?” Mira hummed, scanning the growing crowd.

“Down that alley,” Zoey motioned. “Come on.”

The group slipped through the narrow lane like seasoned spies. Just behind them, a new poster caught a few passersby by surprise.

“Free concert? It’s at noon!”

“Saja Boys? Never heard of ’em.”

Rae whipped her head around in confusion. Where have I heard that before..? Her thoughts had came to a halt when they stopped in front of a tiny building.

The girls stopped at a door with hand-painted symbols on the frame. Rae tilted her head to the side. Huh.

Mira crossed her arms. “Yup. About as legit as I expected.”

Rumi inhaled deeply. “Earthy and herby. Smells legit to me.”

Zoey clapped her hands. “Yay! That’s the spirit!”

Inside, the small waiting area looked more like a tea shop from an older century than a medical office. Rae trailed behind, taking it in, but her eyes remained quietly focused on Rumi, who looked both determined and overwhelmed.

Doctor Han emerged with a small bow. “Rumi-nim. Sit, sit. You need no introduction.”

“She really doesn’t,” Mira said under her breath.

“So,” Zoey chimed, “we need one of your awesome tonics. Something strong. Like, super fast acting.”

Healer Han nodded slowly. “Let me see…”

Rumi opened her mouth slightly, and he leaned forward, eyes narrowing.

“Ah… in order to heal a part,” he said, “we must understand the whole.”

The doctor’s eyes grew wide as he studied Rumi. “Strange. So many walls…”

“Whoa. He’s so good,” Zoey whispered excitedly.

Rae couldn’t help but be a little excited too, “he’s so professional…” she whispered back to Zoey.

“Walls?” Rumi frowned. “I don’t have walls.”

Mira looked at her sideways. “Uh, yeah you do. He is kind of good.”

“She’s just focused,” Rae offered gently with a sheepish smile, coming to her best friend’s defense. Rumi’s lips tugged up in appreciation.

“Focus is good,” Han said, “but too much focus creates imbalance. Isolation. You separate yourself to stay strong—but lose your voice in the process.”

Zoey gasped. “Emotionally closed off!”

Mira deadpanned, “Also a workaholic, she doesn’t know how to relax”

“I know how to relax!” Rumi began.

Rae sucked in a small breath with a tiny peep and her purple haired friend could only give her a look of disbelief.

“She refuses to go to the bathhouse with us,” Mira added.

Zoey nearly exploded. “Oh my gosh, yes! We’ve been trying to get her to go forever!”

“But how is this helpful?” Rumi asked through gritted teeth.

“It’s helping me a lot,” Mira said.

Han turned to Zoey.

“I see… Eagerness to please. Maybe a little too eager.”

Zoey gawked. “What? I’m not like that. Right? You’d tell me, right?”

Next, he faced Mira. She stared back with an expression that made him flinch and step back.

Mira smirked. “Yeah. That’s right.”

Rae laughed softly but didn’t miss the way Rumi’s fingers twisted in her lap. She moved closer, letting her voice drop.

“You okay?”

Rumi glanced up. “I just… I thought I was stronger than this.”

“You are,” Rae said. “But even strong girls need help sometimes. That’s what we’re here for, okay? We fall, we crack? And then we come back stronger than ever.”

Rumi didn’t say anything, but her hand loosened its grip.

Han nodded, satisfied. “Now… I have just the tonic you need.”

Later, they stood in the front office as Rae and Zoey bounced in place, arms full of tiny bottles.

“We got the tonics! We got the tonics!” they chanted.

Mira raised her brows. “What even is this energy?”

Zoey beamed. “Victory!”

“Once your voice is fixed,” Zoey said, spinning, “we can focus on the important stuff—like the fans!”

A voice rang from down the alley. “Totally. Nice.”

Zoey froze. “Fans?”

Rumi gasped. “We can’t let them see us! Hurry!”

“Act normal,” Mira ordered.

“I am normal!” Zoey squealed.

Rae grabbed her arm and shushed her friend trying not to laugh. “You are absolutely not. But you’re loveable that way babe”

A/N: FINALLY IM HOME, sorry I know I promised I would post on Saturday, turns out we stayed for another day or two.

I sort of fused two chapters together so the next one is promised on Wednesday!

I hope you enjoyed MWAH <3

#original character #saja boys x oc #huntrix x oc #Abby x oc #jinu x oc #mystery x oc #romance x oc #baby x oc #Rumi x oc #Mira x oc #Zoey x oc #Polytrix #Saja boys #Huntrix #kpdh x oc #kpdh

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eph3meraaa · 24 days ago

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UPDATE!!!!!

Turns out my family’s computer doesn’t work so we would have to wait until I’m back home to post 😭😭😭

Saturday evening chat im rlly sorry

To make up for it I’ll post chapter 5 AND 6 on Saturday

So sorry again thank you so much for understanding

I LOVE YOU ALL MWAH <333

#original character #abby x reader #baby x reader #saja boys #k-pop demon hunters #jinu x reader #huntrix #romance x reader #mystery x reader #rumi kpdh

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eph3meraaa · 25 days ago

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PLSSS READ

so ik what day it is chat

It’s a Wednesday and yes I wasn’t able to post but that’s because I’m out of my house rn 😭😭😭

The new chapter should be posted tmrw I js need to edit her a bit more

She’s ready but girl needs a bit of a fix up

I promise you guys she’s gonna be posted tmrw

LOVE YOU MWAH <333

#original character #saja boys #baby x reader #huntrix #abby x reader #k-pop demon hunters #jinu x reader #romance x reader #rumi kpdh #mystery x reader

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eph3meraaa · 1 month ago

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I OPENED MY OWN WATTPAD ACCOUNT

I’ve been giving it a thought for quite a while and I did it! Last night lolol

So as of right now, “To Be loved, Even like this” will be available here, on my blog, and on Wattpad :3

But any updates will mostly be held here <3

The current chapters should be posted in a bit as soon as I make sure she’s ✨✨✨

#original character #wattpad

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eph3meraaa · 1 month ago

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𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 “Demons feel, but half of us wished we didn't“

Word Count: 2719

The dark always came for her when it was quiet.

No music. No fans screaming. No bright lights or manager buzzing in her ear.

Just silence, and the memories it dragged behind it.

In her dream, the popstar was seven again.

The wind screamed outside, rattling the windows of their tiny home like something was begging to be let in. Her mother’s arms wrapped around her protectively, but even at her young age, Rae could feel the shift in the air. Something was coming.

There was no warning. Just the sudden crack of the front door splintering open.

Not Gwi Ma—he never came himself. He couldn’t have.

Instead, it was his shadows. Twisted, monstrous demons that didn’t speak, only obeyed what their leader had demanded them to do.

Her mother stood quickly, shielding her daughter’s small frame behind her.

“Don’t move sweetheart,” she whispered, voice trembling but steady. “No matter what happens, Rae, you stay hidden. They can’t touch you.”

“But—” Rae clung to her mother’s sleeve, eyes wide, tears already threatening. “Mama, I’m scared— what’s happening?”

“They can’t take you,” her mom said again, firmer now, looking into her daughter’s eyes for what she knew was the last time. With a reassuring smile trying not to break she said, “You were born here. You haven’t a reason to feel shame. You’re still free.”

The shadows closed in, circling like wolves. Her mother stepped forward to meet them.

The ravenette screamed, tears streaming down her face. “No! Don’t go—don’t go—!”

And then her mother turned back, smiling—even as the monsters closed in. Her eyes softened, trembling with everything she wasn’t saying. But she held on to that smile, fragile and fierce, because she refused to let fear be the last thing her daughter remembered her by.

“Listen to me, Rae,” she said, voice suddenly soft, demand, clear, like sunlight pushing through a storm.

“You are not your bloodline.

You are not the name they’ll try to give you.

You are the best of your father and the heart of me.

That means your soul was built from kindness, even when the world will call it weakness.

Never let their voices drown that out.

Let them fear you, if they must.

But never fear yourself.”

The last thing the young ravenette saw was her mother’s eyes, bright with tears and fire, as the shadows swallowed her whole. She woke up screaming, mourning for her mother once again.

It was still dark, but the soft violet glow of early morning was just starting to creep in through her apartment’s blackout curtains. Her chest rose and fell in rapid bursts. For a moment, she just stared at her hands in the quiet—trembling slightly, faint light pulsing beneath the skin. Her demon patterns. Her inheritance. Her curse. Her promise.

She brought her knees to her chest and pressed her forehead against them.

That dream—it always came when she was too close to something she couldn’t name.

Eventually, her alarm on her phone rang, and she was forced to move on with her life, to try to start her day normally.

8:03 a.m.

With a sigh, she got up.

⸻

The scent of vanilla bean and roses from her shower gel curled through the air as she stepped out of the bathroom, towel around her head, face fresh. She poured herself a bowl of cereal—yes, she was a global pop icon and still ate sugary cereal for breakfast—and scrolled her phone with one hand.

Her heart was still heavy. But she was trying.

She felt a buzz on her table.

#1bestassistant: good morning gorgeous I hope you had a wonderful sleep!!

#1bestassistant: I just confirmed the venue for the fan meet next week and it seems like only Huntrix is gonna be with you that day, is that okay?

Her lips twitched into a soft smile.

Before she could respond, her screen lit up again—this time, the Huntrix group chat.

Zoey.exe: BABE I HEARD FROM BOBBY THAT UR GONNA BE AT THE FAN MEET

Miramirage: she can’t stop screaming I can hear it from my room at the end of the hall 😐

Umi-Rumi: She’s gonna be righttt beside me sorry Zoey ;)

Zoey.exe: YOU KNEW??? RUMI WHY DIDNT YOU TELL US KEJSJSJSJDJSI

Relle giggled, hand over her mouth as her heart warmed. She sweatdropped. I’m never gonna hear the end of it from her.

Raediant_princess: it was supposed to be a surprise sorry girl 😭

Ping. Another text from her manager.

#1bestassistant: The driver’s on his way to pick u up in about 10! You in the mood for some awesome rehearsal time babes <33

Rae smiled at her manager’s adorable antics. This girl seriously needs to get a spa day or something, I should organize that for her. The ravenette hummed and prepared herself for the day.

She looked at the family portrait on her bedside table—just her father, her mother, and her, caught in a moment that looked almost normal. Almost happy. Even knowing what her mother truly was, Rae let herself feel the warmth in that old smile.

The ache was still there, settled deep in her chest, but she didn’t try to push it away. Don’t worry, Mama. I’ll outshine whatever they throw at me. Just wait and see, she thought, a soft, steady smile tugging at her lips—one shaped by longing, lit with love, and worn like a quiet promise she’d carry with her always.

As she stood up to clean her face, a faint shimmer caught her eye.

Her reflection in the mirror. Her hands. Glowing again. Not pulsing softly—but shining, stronger now.

Relle froze.

Her whole body seemed to shiver. She exhaled sharply and scanned her patterns with wary eyes. This had never happened during the day.

Something was changing. Could it be because of the nightmare that I had? My fight with Rumi maybe?

Or, she thought, maybe it was those eyes—those amber eyes she still couldn’t stop thinking about. But something was coming. She could feel it. And when it did, She didn’t know what part of her would answer—

The light.

The darkness.

Or the wound that never closed.

⸻

The boys’ practice room reeked of blood, sweat, and tears.

(Yes. Like the song. You’re welcome.)

Across the open practice space, Jinu was a picture of precision—laser-focused, limbs sharp, every move clean.

“You’re off-beat again,” he snapped at Abby without looking. “You have two legs, right? Then use them.”

Abby groaned, dragging a hand down his sweat-slick neck. “You remind me of the general I trained under during the rebellion.”

Romance snorted mid-step and nearly face planted.

Jinu didn’t miss a beat. “Was he effective?”

“…I still have excellent stamina, don’t I?”

“Then quit whining.”

Romance muttered under his breath, “Still a tyrant. Just prettier.”

And with that, Baby collapsed dramatically onto the floor like he’d taken a sniper to the heart.

“We’re dying in here, dictator-nim,” he whined. “This isn’t training for a comeback—it’s war. My soul has already left my body.”

“Then dance with what’s left,” Jinu said flatly.

A shiver ran through the room.

So scary!!

“Five-minute break,” Jinu added, stretching in front of the mirror like he hadn’t just traumatized the group.

More like five minutes of collective existential crisis.

Romance chugged water like it owed him money. “Should we address the tiger in the room…?”

Baby elbowed Abby. “I think he’s talking about you, hyung.”

Abby clicked his tongue and shot him a side-eye that could kill. “Tsk. Are you forgetting I’m your elder? Show some respect,” he muttered with venomous calm.

The turquoise-haired demon blinked innocently. “Ah, right. I forgot how old you are, hyung.”

He paused with faux sincerity.

“Wait, hold on… or should I call you gramps?”

Abby looked up at the ceiling like he was begging for divine intervention.

Meanwhile, Jinu blinked once in confusion, yet continued stretching with monk-like detachment.

“Are you talking about my tiger…?” He asked, pointing to the furball in the corner.

Romance exhaled in exasperation. “Tsk—no.”

“The gorgeous pop star we ran into? The one who just so happens to be a former Huntrix member? Aish—I’m too handsome to die,” the pinkette finished, delicately touching his face.

The room fell into stunned silence.

But you could feel the collective eye roll.

Then, from across the room, Mystery— who had been leaning against the wall spoke low and calm.

“Could be just a coincidence.”

Everyone froze.

Abby pointed at him like he was witnessing a miracle. “H-Heol… He talked.”

Baby gasped, clapping once, eyes wide. “Somebody write it down—on this day, Mystery said four whole words!”

Mystery blinked.

Silence returned.

Romance grinned, delighting in the chaos. “All I’m saying is, if she was sent by Huntrix, don’t you think it’s weird she didn’t react to us at all?”

Abby crossed his arms. “Maybe she didn’t recognize us.”

“She looked right at me,” Jinu muttered, barely audible.

He stared at the ceiling like it might make sense of it all. There was something off about her, he was sure of it. He should have seen through that too perfect smile, that paper-thin disguise that stood no chance in hiding what was underneath. But instead, Jinu found himself.. Stuck.

He still felt the ghost of her waist beneath his hands, like his fingers hadn’t quite gotten the message to let go. Her scent clung to him, infuriatingly sweet, pulling at the calm he prided on. The way she looked at him– like she knew something he didn’t– he couldn’t explain the way it made his chest tighten. His pulse had no business spiking like that.

No… there was definitely something off about her. That had to be it.

“We will fight back,” he said finally. “We stay sharp. No distractions.”

That seemed to snap him back to center.

Then, with the speed of a whip crack, Jinu clapped his hands. A closed-eye smile curled across his face—pure, innocent, horrifying.

“Break’s over. Back to choreography. Now.”

The groans that followed would have summoned the dead.

——

The boys had barely kicked their shoes off when they reached their shared apartment, before the bickering started.

Abby slumped onto the couch, muttering something about collapsing from overexertion, while Romance was already halfway through a rant about how the lighting at the studio made his cheekbones look “criminally average.” Mystery gave a quiet huff and slipped into the corner giving himself a resting place. Lastly, Baby was nose-deep in a snack bag.

Then it hit.

A wave. A pulse. A voice not spoken, but felt.

It crawled into their minds like smoke under a locked door.

Jinu’s back straightened. Romance’s laughter died in his throat. Abby’s hand gripped the edge of the couch like it might tether him to this world. One by one, their breaths hitched, their eyes glazed.

There were no words exchanged between them—just the shared, invisible agony that pressed like a blade against the back of their skulls.

Without needing to say a thing, they teleported. Instinctively. Unwillingly.

And suddenly, they were no longer in their dimly-lit apartment.

They were there.

The place where shadows had weight. Where ash curled like breath in the air and the only color came from fire so large, so ancient, that it didn’t flicker—it throbbed.

Their skin darkened, fading into shades of deep violet as their demon patterns surfaced—lines etched with shame, pulsing faintly like old scars that refused to close.

The vibrant, mortal clothes they’d worn just hours ago had vanished, replaced by heavy black robes and tall ceremonial hats that cloaked their forms in shadow. Long, sharpened nails slipped from the edges of their sleeves, glinting like quiet threats.

And lastly, their eyes, once human, amber in the dark glowing like molten gold behind a veil of guilt, power, and something else far more dangerous, memory.

The core of the flame pulsed. A molten face formed within, smoldering eyes without lids, a mouth that didn’t move when it spoke, yet the sound reverberated in their marrow.

Gwi Ma.

“How’s the world of mortals treating you?” His voice split the silence like molten glass across stone. “How is our little performance preparing, Jinu?”

Jinu bowed his head with a practiced smile. “The posters are working. People are excited. We will debut in a few days. The attention is building like you wanted.”

Silence.

Then—

“And yet,” Gwi Ma murmured, his voice dark silk soaked in venom, “I smell hesitation.”

A flicker of flame lashed out—brief, harmless, but enough to make the boys flinch.

“Hmm.. it seems you all have had a little distraction”

No one answered.

“Is she going to be a problem, Jinu?” His voice was quiet now. Too quiet.

Jinu felt a strange, sense of protection toward the former demon hunter.

“She is nothing we can’t handle,” he said—too quickly. The words came with an easy smile, a tone dipped in apathy, like he hadn’t given her a second thought.

“And yet… your minds wander. Your memories slip. Your loyalties seem to blur.”

The flames twisted violently—and then fell still.

“Then remember,” Gwi Ma hissed.

And he made them see.

Jinu saw his mother’s face—shattered. Her hands reached out to stop his sister as she screamed his name as the doors closed. The flames in Gwi Ma’s eyes glowed with her reflection, the one he couldn’t save.

Abby dropped to one knee, gripping his chest as the battlefield returned—limbs broken, comrades gone, the cowardice of his desperation echoing in his bones.

Romance clutched his hair, shutting his eyes, but it didn’t stop the memory.

Him, at sixteen, ignored, spat on, ugly. The offer whispered in his ear, “Let them worship you instead.”

Mystery didn’t move.

He didn’t need to.

His silence said everything. His betrayal, the blood on his hands. A second chance bought with the price of who he used to be.

Baby could only look down in solemn silence.

He was just a kid.

Just a child when Gwi Ma killed his parents in front of him and branded him with the same curse that enslaved them. His eyes were squeezed shut, but tears slipped through.

The flame raged. Not loudly. Not theatrically. But with a simmering hatred that promised eternal debt.

The fire crackled. Not with heat—but with silence. The kind that made their lungs feel tight, like the air itself was heavy with accusation.

Then, that voice—low, serpentine, echoing in every corner of their heads:

“Just remember… I didn’t drag you here. You came to me.”

A slow hiss, almost like a laugh—but colder.

“You asked for more. For strength, beauty, a second chance… And I gave it to you.”

The flames flared with the sound of their own memories—shouts, pleas, sobs.

“So don’t start acting as if you’re noble now.”

The flame crackled as Gwi Ma barked out a laugh—humorless, jagged, and cold enough to split bone.

“all of this—was your price. Don’t pretend to be anything else.”

And just before vanishing behind the shadows, Gwi Ma’s voice rumbled one last time,

“Make sure it was worth it.”

And then—nothing. Just silence.

The fire dimmed, the visions stopped.

When the boys blinked, they were back in their apartment.

Same lights. Same furniture. Same world.

But none of them moved.

Romance sank onto the floor, arms draped over his knees.

Abby quietly stood and poured water for everyone.

Mystery went to the window, staring at the moon as if it might hold answers.

Baby curled up under a blanket, hoodie over his head.

Jinu didn’t sit. He stayed standing in the middle of the room, frozen.

None of them said a word.

The air was too heavy with what they weren’t allowed to forget.

The leader straightened, the flickering shadows still dancing across his features. It was like a switch had flipped—his voice calm, composed… but threaded with dread so thin it nearly cut.

“We can’t afford to lose focus now.”

The other boys lifted their heads slowly. No one said anything, but their eyes—those tired, hollowed eyes—had been emptied of whatever warmth remained.

He glanced at each of them. Brothers forged in shame, bound by something they couldn’t outrun.

“If they want to come for us…” he said, jaw tightening, “then let them. But we’re not backing down.”

Not now. Not after everything they have sacrificed.

A/N: Our poor babies are suffering T^T I swear they will be happy chat trust. they js gottta suffer a lil bit more WHAT!! WHO SAID THAT?!?!

I hope you all enjoyed!!! MWAH <3

Tagslist: @lexasaurs634@gremlinartstudio@stxrrielle@artistadistrada2002

@sasuke-kun0 @leafyturtle

#original character #saja boys #abby x reader #baby x reader #huntrix #jinu x reader #k-pop demon hunters #mystery x reader #romance x reader #rumi kpdh #mystery kpdh #jinu kpdh #romance kpdh #abby kpdh #baby kpdh

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eph3meraaa · 1 month ago

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𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 “Girls just want to have fun“

Word Count: 2503

A/N: This chapter is a little more emotional, which is okay because we have our silly boy chapter after this, once I've tweaked it to go along with the movie. Enjoy!

The car was warm, humming softly beneath her, the city lights of Gangnam rolling past like silk ribbons. But inside, Rae was quiet. Her chin rested against her palm, elbow braced against the window, eyes unfocused. She wasn’t seeing Seoul at night.

She was seeing them.

The five strangers from earlier.

Or rather—not strangers.

They hadn’t said anything unusual. No fangs. No glowing marks. No energy surges. But she’d felt it. In her chest, in her blood. In the way time shifted when her eyes met his.

Amber. Just for a second. And then brown again, like it never happened.

The man. The charming demonic men in particular.

The memory made her throat tighten. Her heart stammered like a hiccup. And the worst part?

They were beautiful. Dangerously beautiful.

“That’s not the point right now, Rae-Rae…” she mumbled to herself. She scrunched her nose and shook the thought away, like the paparazzi had a mini camera in her brain, capturing the thoughts she wasn’t supposed to have.

“Why are they here? What could they want?” she bit her lip in worry.

“And why… do they all look like tha—OH MY GOD SNAP OUT OF IT, RAE.” Slapping both her hands on her cheeks creating a feverish red. They’re the enemy Rae, get your mind out of the gutter!

The driver cleared his throat. “Miss Relle, we’ve arrived?.”

Her heart jerked like it had been caught red-handed. She smiled sheepishly “Right hehe, thank you.”

She stepped out into the soft glow of Huntrix’s penthouse building, tall and familiar like muscle memory. She hadn’t lived here in months, but it still smelled like shared laughter, reheated ramen, and old rehearsals.

And right there on the curb, like fate on cue—

“RAY-RAY?”

She spun around with the biggest smile. “BOBBY!!”

Huntrix’s beloved (and slightly overworked) manager who always seemed to have the biggest and supportive smile on his face, stood with arms open, face lit up like stage lights. Rae squealed, launching forward to bring a long-time friend, family at this point, into a tight, warm hug.

“You have not changed a bit, Rae! Ah- well, I guess you ‘ve achieved that solo star glow now,” he teased, as he gave her a little twirl by spinning her around like a princess.

She rolled her eyes. “You mean stress, glitter, and three hours of sleep?”

“Oh as if, you have everlasting youth my dear.”

They had caught up on almost everything. To Rae, Bobby was like a cool and caring uncle—always looking out for their group and making sure they were treated with the utmost respect. In fact, he was the one who had personally appointed Sa-ra, her current manager, because he had wanted only the best for their Rae-Rae. Bobby truly cared for the girls—even after Rae had stepped away to pursue her solo career. He still stood behind her, cheering her on with glittery posters in support of Huntr/x’s very own Byeol-nim.

Rae had asked how their tour was going, and Bobby told her they had just one final concert left, which was in a couple days—that was it, at least for a few weeks. It meant the whole team, especially the butt-kicking trio, finally had a well-deserved break ahead of them.

He slung an arm around her shoulder as they walked in, catching up further on recent news, her concerts, everything, it’s like she never even left. “Girls, guess who I brought with me?”

Inside, the reaction was instant.

“OH MY GODDDD—BABES??!”

Zoey came flying around the corner and launched herself at Rae like a missile. She wrapped her in a rib-crushing hug.

“We’ve missed you so much—”

“Zoey, we literally saw each other two days ago—”

“SHHH DON’T SPEAK, THIS IS A MOMENT.”

The ravenette girl laughed, breathless, caught somewhere between affection and disbelief.

Mira appeared next, arms crossed, watching the chaos fondly. “You really let her miss you for 48 hours? You absolute monster.” her claim didn’t match the soft smile on her face.

Rae reached out, and the pinkette gave her a real hug—warm, steady, grounding. “We missed you, Ray-Ray. You killed it last night.” They were her everything, and sure Rumi and her bond was unbreakable to the core, but that didn’t mean she didn’t see Zoey and Mira as any less than her family. They were all she had really. The bond between the three of them, excluding Rae, was a different tale though.

“Only because I used your choreography tip,” Rae grinned. “I hit the beat drop so clean they thought I levitated.”

Mira smirked. “You did float for like half a second. I'm so proud.” They all laughed.

But then her voice softened. “Where’s Rumi?”

Mira and Zoey exchanged a quiet glance, small fleeting, but full of silent understanding. They had noticed the tension between the other two for a while now. It wasn’t a coldness exactly, In fact, the best friends still talked, still hovered near each other like magnets refusing to part. But something was off, something sharp that was beneath the surface.

They didn’t know the full story, those two always had their fair share of secrets. They only knew that the two shared a pain too personal to name. A pain that would often times bring them closer, and other times? Pushed them into quiet arguments that never quite made sense to anyone else but themselves.

Zoey once joked that they were like a married couple. Deeply connected, yet always fighting over something no one else could see. Zoey chuckled but Mira knew it wasn’t a joke. They both wondered how it was for Rumi and Rae, to carry a wound that they could only show to one another and no one else. It must be lonely. They thought.

“In the studio,” Zoey replied, leaning her head on one side.

“She’s finalizing the last album demo.”

Rae nodded giving her a cheeky wink, putting a hand on Zoey’s shoulder. “I’ll go say hi.”

⸻

The hallway was lined with memories.

Photos framed in silver and white. The early days. The late nights. Sweat and glitter and scraped knees. A picture of Relle and Rumi, grinning with ice cream in hand, taken the night before their debut stage.

Her fingers ghosted over it.

Rae had known Rumi for as long as memory allowed, an unbreakable bond in the corners of her childhood and the heart of her becoming. They were both born carrying a secret, one that pulsed beneath their skin like an inherited rhythm, ancient and unspoken. It bound them in ways neither words nor time could explain. As teens, with the kind of wonder only the young can conjure, they decided they had to be sisters, not by blood, but by something older. By fate, by fire. By the stars that have must have whispered both their names the night they were born.

She smiled—softly, achingly.

She found Rumi in the studio, headphones on, eyes closed, lost in the music. The track faded as the ravenette slipped into the mic room.

She cleared her throat dramatically.

“Ahem… can I redo that demo please, Producer-nim?”

Rumi blinked. Her expression didn’t change at first—just once focused eyes that were then startled in silence. But then her lips twitched.

“…You again huh?” she smirks.

The ravenette girl grinned back, arms open wide.

Rumi chuckled, pulling her into a hug. It was shorter than the others, but it lingered, heavy with things they couldn’t always say.

“How’ve you been, Umi-Rumi?”

Rumi groaned. “Still calling me that?”

“Forever and always.”

“I hate you.”

“I love you too. Now come on, Miss Producer. Dinner’s waiting. I can almost taste Bobby’s special celebratory bulgolgi,” Rae sniffs in reminisce, mouth watering.

“Wait as sec!” Rumi broke away from rae’s arms and grabbed her long-sleeved hoodie slipping it on swiftly.

Rae leans against the studio doorway, watching Rumi tug on her long sleeves again like she’s folding away a secret. Her frown heavy and her gaze downturned.

“I can feel your stare Rae, what is it?” She asked but she knew what Rae was gonna say, it’s all they have been conversing about these past few weeks considering her demon patterns were growing stronger.

“You still haven’t told them?”

Rumi freezes. “Told who?”

“Zoey. Mira. About your patterns.”

An awkward laugh escapes her. “Why would I do that?”

The ravenette pushes off the wall slowly, stepping inside. “Because they love you. And because we both know the patterns are getting more difficult to control, you’re... Closed off.”

“Not enough to love that part of me,” Rumi says, nodding down at her covered arms. “You know how it looks. I’m handling it don’t worry”

Rae's brows pinch. “No. I don’t. Because it’s not and I can’t help but worry Rumi, what if Zoey and Mira can help-“

“You say that now.” Rumi turns away, cutting her best friend off and tugging her sweater tighter.

“But people like them—like us—we were raised to fear anything that even looked like a demon. I can’t be the exception to their rules. I-I can’t take that risk.”

“Rumi… I haven’t told them either,” she admits, almost in a whisper. Her voice cracks a little.

“About me. That I’m half demon, I haven’t said it out loud to anyone but you and aunt Celine. But I want to. I know they’d still stand by me. And I want that for you too.”

“Rae…” Rumi’s jaw tenses. “It’s not the same.”

“It is! It’s exactly the same. We’re hiding pieces of ourselves just to be loved.”

“No Rae,” Rumi says, her voice rising. As she takes a sharp turn to her best friend. Rae didn’t flinch, but her eyes—wide, glassy, stunned. Like something inside her had cracked just a little.

Rumi knew she had to stop.

Stop talking, you’re gonna hurt her—

But the words kept coming, sharp and fast

“You want to believe so badly that people will still love you if they know, stop dreaming and wake up, they will never love us this way, not until these curse of a patterns disappear.” Rumi’s words had landed- brutal, familiar.

Rae flinches like she’s been slapped.

“…Then what does that make me, Rumi?” she says, voice barely holding together. “Delusional? You really think I’ve made it this far because I was dreaming?”

She blinks, hurt blooming behind her eyes.

“I know exactly what I am. I’ve always known. I just-“ she squeezes her eyes and looks up in hopes that the tears remain inside,

“I refuse to believe that being this way means I’ll never be loved. I refuse, to accept that I have to permanently take away a part of what makes me whole, just to avoid being scrutinized, I'm sick of it.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Rumi breathes, feeling the regret of her words holding her throat.

“But it’s what you said.” Rae’s eyes were wide, glistening. That look, the ache of pure hurt.

Rumi’s voice sharpens. “Rae, this has nothing to do with you—so please drop it.”

The ravenette's eyes flash. “It has everything to do with me, Rumi. Because when you say being a demon makes you a monster, what does that make the rest of ourselves?”

The silence that follows isn’t angry. It’s worse—it’s heavy. Years of fear and guilt and survival clinging to the air between them. I hate it when we fight like this. The two best friends shared the same thought.

“Look I–” Rumi takes a deep breath trying not to cry while moving her eys to look at the ravenette in front of her, “I’m sorry Rae, I don’t mean it.” she bit her lip in anguish, afraid to make the situation worse.

Rae shook her head softly and grabbed her best friend’s hand, “No Rumi, I shouldn’t have pushed you. This is killing you inside and I knew that.” she looked down with regret. I know you want to tell them just as badly, I know you’re afraid but you shouldn’t be. She squeezed her eyes.

They said nothing else and brought one another to a tight embrace.

“Let’s not fight like this again.. Okay? I hate whenever we do this.” Rumi sighed into Rae’s shoulder. The ravenette chuckled with little humor behind it.

“Let’s try not to.. Not for a while.” Rae nodded with a knowing, yet somber smile.

That seemed to clean up the tension from before. But they both knew, that they have made that promise one too many times before.

⸻

Dinner was warm and noisy—Zoey’s excited rambling, Mira’s sarcasm, Bobby humming and dancing while cooking. Same old Rumi, putting on a face just to keep everything in. As if you're not doing the same, she scolded herself.

Rae just smiled, laughed, said all the right things—played the part like she always did. But it felt distant. Like her voice was coming from somewhere outside her body.

Rumi’s words echoed in her skull, cruel not because they were true, but because they almost were. Like a splinter just deep enough to stay. She knew Rumi didn’t mean it. Not really. They just saw the world differently—saw themselves differently, not like before.

And somehow, that hurt worse.

So Rae stayed soft. Careful. Made space for Rumi to breathe. Pretended it didn’t ache when she did.

And Rumi noticed, not the silence, but the shift. Her best friend still smiled, still listened, still reached for her like she always had, but something was missing now, it had been for a while. That glow that made her Rae-Rae. That unshakable warmth. It was dimmer. Not gone, but fading.

And Rumi didn’t know how to ask for it back, without admitting she was the one who pushed it away.

————

By the time she got home, she was already on autopilot. Off came the makeup, the jewelry, the glitter. On came her softest sweatshirt and her oversized sweats. She brushed her teeth without really remembering it.

The only thing she remembered?

Those eyes.

Amber.

Alive.

Like something ancient trying to speak.

Fragments of the encounter flickered in Rae’s mind in a scrambled transmission.

“We’re… in… a week… come see us. We’re called–”

She sat up in her bed, eyes scanning the dark room as if the answer might be hiding in the corners of her mind. The kind where you start scraping for the sides in hopes of any clues.

“I didn’t get a flyer,” she muttered squeezing her eyes shut in quiet regret. A beat passed before they flew open again.

“I didn’t get any of their names,” she groaned, flopping backward onto her bed while covering her eyes in cursing her timing, pillow smothering her face in muffled frustration.

For a moment, all was still. Then, just before sleep could fully pull her under, she whispered into the darkness wistfully as if she was talking to all five of them, “Maybe it’s better this way, if we don’t run into each other again, handsome demons.”

A pause.

No chance.

… Right?

Right. That's what she told herself, as the night breeze finally lulled her to sleep.

Tagslist: @lexasaurs634@gremlinartstudio@stxrrielle@artistadistrada2002

@sasuke-kun0 @leafyturtle

#original character #saja boys #abby x reader #baby x reader #huntrix #jinu x reader #k-pop demon hunters #mystery x reader #romance x reader #rumi kpdh #zoey kpdh #mira kpdh

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eph3meraaa · 1 month ago

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Okay good news and bad news

The good news is yall are gonna be getting some longer chapters 😋😋

Bad news is it will take some time sooo expect a new chapter like maybe every Wednesday or smth

I’ll post some chapters earlier maybe but because I want to make sure that the plot line stays TIGHT

I need some more time to cook up good stuff for me to feed you all

#please read #saja boys #huntrix #abby x reader #baby x reader #jinu x reader #k-pop demon hunters #mystery x reader #original character #rumi kpdh #romance x reader #romance kpdh #baby kpdh #mystery kpdh #jinu kpdh #k pop demon hunters

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eph3meraaa · 1 month ago

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PLEASE READ

Some minor changes to chapter one of “To Be Loved, Even Like this”

So in chapter one where our lovely Rae bumps into Jinu and stuff, and he tells her that they’re debuting in three days.

We’re gonna stretch that timeline a little bit farther because when I wrote the first draft I hadn’t planned out the plot as deeply as I thought because I first wrote it as a joke.

But I’m starting to really enjoy writing this plot and now that I’m writing the other chapters

I’m starting to realize that there is barely any space for what I had in mind for the plot, and there might be holes SOO the only change I’m making is that

The Saja boys announced that their debut is gonna be in “a week” instead of “three days”

Just so that there is a little more space for the plot to kind of simmer down a little, instead of it looking cramped up in such a short time line.

I’ll be editing that spot shortly after I post this disclaimer.

So that you guys might not get confused here’s the clear up:

- the first couple of chapters is set before the concert of “How it's done” where Huntrix makes their first appearance in the original plot of the movie, so at that point, Huntrix was still doing their tour.

Where Rae has her "scheduled meeting" with Mira, Zoey, and Rumi is when Huntrix is still doing their tour before their biggest concert in Seoul. Just think of it as their mini break at home before they do their final one, and that they also wanna see their long time friend.

- this also means there’s minor changes to the plot of the movie, I made it so the Saja Boys introduced their idea before “How it's done” as well

- I’ve made them announce their debut in a week so that there’s more of Rae’s (RELLE) place in the plot. Gives us all time to breathe O.o

Im so sorry if this confused any of you guys, I hope these changes fixes the story even just a little bit

I’m honestly just as confused as all of you are T^T

I really should have planned this out more better and I promise you all that I will when writing the next few chapters

I’ve been working on the rest of the chapters and the time line is the trickiest so far, so if there’s any problems that you guys see please let me know and I will try to fix it!!!

Again so so sorry! Another chapter should be posted soon after I fix some stuff

Have a wonderful rest of your day cuties MWAH <333

edit: OMG I MIXED UP THE TWO SONGS LMAO I MEANT "How it's done"

Tagslist:

@lexasaurs634 @gremlinartstudio @stxrrielle @artistadistrada2002

@berriblissful @downbadgirlypoo

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eph3meraaa · 1 month ago

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𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓��𝐨 “Danger wrapped in boyish grins”

Ephmera: Are we ready for a POV switch? I hope you enjoy their banter :3

Word Count: 1459

Interlude — The Moment She Left

The moment she disappeared into the crowd, silence fell over the five of them.

Jinu stared at the spot she’d stood in, brows slightly furrowed, hand still half-lifted from giving her the flyer.

“Oh, she didn’t take one,” Baby muttered, toeing the paper with the tip of his boot.

Abby leaned back on his heels quirking his head to the side “She looked familiar.”

“She smelt weird,” Mystery murmured, barely audible. His eyes hadn’t left the direction she’d gone.

“Weird?” Baby blinked. “Like dangerous-weird or vibes-weird?”

“No.. just, the way she looked at me seemed off,” Jinu muttered. His voice was low, almost to himself.

Abby glanced at him. “You noticed too?”

Jinu tilted his head toward the sky, jaw flexing trying to make sense of an interaction that lasted seconds but felt much longer. “I didn’t sense anything. No aura. No distortion. Nothing.”

“That’s… impossible,” Romance said casually, chuckling a litte. “She bumped into you. Made eye contact. Even normal humans have an echo.”

“Distracted, are you?”

Exactly. That’s what unsettled him. He was sure of it. Something under her skin thrummed like heat—like a string he almost pulled on without realizing. But there was nothing to trace.

No scent. No presence. Like she’d wiped it all clean just before stepping into their world.

“Maybe she’s blessed,” Baby offered. “Some humans have weird protections.”

Jinu didn’t say anything at first.

His heart hadn’t stopped beating out of sync since her eyes met his.

She had seen something—known something. But she didn’t flinch. Didn’t run.

He tilted his head.

“I didn’t feel fear from her,” he said finally. “I felt…”

for just a second…

felt something he wasn’t sure he remembered how to feel.

He paused.

Then scoffed, brushing a hand through his raven hair like it would dust off the thought.

“Never mind.”

Romance grinned, sharp and teasing. “A little shaken up, fearless leader?”

Jinu clicked his tongue. “She’s no one.”

But none of them looked convinced.

Especially not Mystery—whose gaze still lingered, like he could hear the faint echo of her heartbeat woven into the crowd.

⸻

Back in their practice room, Jinu sat on the floor, the same flyer she didn’t take resting on his knee.

Romance adjusted the collar of his jacket, recalling how quickly the mysterious girl left. “No thanks, no goodbye, no double take?

“Or take the flyer. Honestly, rude.” He added flicking is wrist and rolling his eyes.

“She was obviously in a rush,” Abby replied, arms crossed.

“Maybe she had somewhere to be.” He shrugged in question. He’d only taken a glance at her but everyone could see how she was whisked away by her friend in a flash.

“Oh, and you magically know her whole life now?”

“I’m just saying,” Abby said with a small shrug, “don’t assume the worst just because she didn’t fall at your feet.”

Romance smirked. “Jealous, Abs?”

“Oh my god.”

“She was cute though,” Romance added casually, looking at his reflection in the studio mirror. “Like stupid pretty. Did anyone else catch that?”

“She was pretty,” Baby agreed, hopping onto the couch. “Like, scary-pretty. Unforgettably beautiful.”

“She bumped into me, not you,” Jinu said flatly.

“Oooh.” Four voices at once.

Romance turned to face him, leaning on the barre. “Hyung,” He paused, drawing in a slow breath through his teeth- with a pondering look at first, then soon was laced with something almost mischievous.

“I didn’t think it bothered you this much.”

“I’m not—”

“You are,” Abby said calmly, folding his arms, flexing more of his muscles.

“You’ve been holding that flyer for ten minutes like it’s going to answer you.”

Jinu opened his mouth to defend himself then he notices their pointed stare and dropped the flyer on the ground almost immediately, brushing his hands on his pants. “It doesn’t matter. She’s no one important. We have rehearsal.”

Just then, Mystery—who had been quietly staring at the studio TV while the others bickered—tilted his head.

“…Is that her?” he asked.

They all turned.

The TV mounted to the wall, usually tuned to music shows or news, had cut to a glowing cosmetics ad. A glittered stage. A smile.

And there she was.

RELLE. Her name in big bold beautiful letters almost as if the universe was mocking their conversation just now.

Hair up, eyes rimmed in gold, glowing in the way only stars do.

Her voice played over the scene, breathy and ethereal.

“Because beauty should never hide who you are…” Silence fell like a trap.

“Oh my god, she’s RELLE,” Abby said slowly, like he was putting the pieces together in real time. “Like… RELLE RELLE.” He couldn’t believe they had just run into an idol already, a very popular one at that. Abby would be lying if he said he didn’t have a feeling, she looked so familiar. She looked really cute in that disguise… tiny, enough to fit in my pocket. His thoughts were shortly cut by a obnoxiously loud cackle.

Romance burst out laughing. “’She’s no one,’ huh?” he mimicked. “Just some random girl, huh?”

Jinu stared at the screen.

He didn’t blink. Didn’t breathe. Didn’t move.

Not when her eyes caught the light with a spark so sharp, it felt like it could cut through the screen.

Not when she moved—flowing like a stream, all the while, sudden like a gust of wind brushing past your skin.

Not even when the commercial faded to black, leaving only the echo of her voice, soft and haunting, hanging in the silence.

It seemed she caught everyone’s attention in that practice room, not being able to look away.

⸻

Back at their shared apartment, the chaos hadn’t stopped—if anything, it had evolved.

Romance lounged across the armrest of the couch like it was a runway, still dramatically sighing over the billboard image they’d passed on the way home.

“So that’s why her face seemed to power through that hideous disguise,” he said, tossing an almond in his mouth like he was on a talk show.

Abby looked up from his protein bar, unimpressed. “You can’t go one day without mentioning someone’s beauty can you?” He said as he clicked his tongue in disapproval.

“Impossible,” Baby cut in, grinning. “If he stopped talking about beauty for a day, his body would literally age. Boom. Wrinkles.”

Romance sat up startled but brushes it off with a scoff in disbelief. “That’s not even how skin works—”

Baby pointed at his face with a shaky finger, gasping dramatically. “My god… it’s happening right now.”

Romance lunged for the nearest mirror. “YAH!—ARE YOU INSANE.”

Across the room, Jinu pinched the bridge of his nose like he’d aged a decade in the last five minutes.

Four hundred years of surviving hell had nothing on babysitting five fully-grown disasters with stage makeup.

“Can we please focus?” he muttered. “We’ve got choreography to finalize. A comeback stage.

"You know—the mission to escape eternal damnation?” He twirled a finger near his temple like he was seconds from a full breakdown. “Any of that ring a bell?”

At this point, Jinu was starting to think if he had grown grey hairs, they wouldn’t be from age—they would be from them.

Abby raised a hand. “That was… unnecessarily specific.”

“I’m just saying,” Jinu grumbled. “We can’t afford to get distracted. Not now, Not by mirrors, or by…”

He hesitated.

“By some girl we saw on the street.”

Romance smirked without missing a beat. “You can’t even admit she’s actually gorgeous.”

“I can’t say she’s ugly, can I?” Jinu deadpanned. Silence.

Mystery, who had been quietly scrolling on his tablet, finally spoke up.

“I found something.”

“Is it Hyung’s missing clue” Baby raised his hand. Jinu’s glare was enough for baby to turn the opposite way. Okay yeah maybe that was enough teasing for one day.

The shift in energy was immediate.

“She used to be part of a group,” he continued, tapping the screen. “Huntrix.”

Jinu straightened.

Romance dropped the almonds.

Even Baby shut up.

“Huntrix as in—” Abby started.

“Demon hunters,” Mystery finished. “She was one of them.”

A pause.

Then Baby exhaled.

“…Wow. That went from hot to doomsday real quick.”

The boys groaned in unison.

Jinu leaned back in his chair, muttering under his breath.

“Of course she’s with them. Of course.”

Romance blinked. “Do you think she figured us out?”

“I don’t know, she was just staring at me which isn’t that uncommon”

“She was looking at me but okay”

“Shut up, Romance.”

Mystery simply watched them all in silence. sighing hopelessly.

Are me and Baby really the youngest here?

Mystery shifted his focus back on the screen where her face was, who ever she was, they needed to find out.

OMG A POV SWITCH TO THE SAJA BOYS?? Their childish banter is honestly all I kept thinking about when trying to write something serious, because it didn't fit their vibe.. not yet at least.

Besides, the heavy stuff mostly surrounded our lovely Rae, so i figured we needed to relieve that tension with their boyish arguments. We never get to see much of that side in the movie.

I hope you had fun with this chapter, because chapter three is quite A LOT. I swear writing that chapter was a form of endangerment to my emotions T^T

See you in the next chapter cuties MWAH <3

Tagslist:

@lexasaurs634 @gremlinartstudio @stxrrielle @artistadistrada2002

@berriblissful @downbadgirlypoo

#k-pop demon hunters #saja boys #jinu #kpop #jinu kpdh #mystery kpdh #abby kpdh #romance kpdh #baby kpdh #original character #saja boys x oc #saja boys x reader #jinu x reader #mystery x reader #romance x reader #baby x reader #abby x reader

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eph3meraaa · 1 month ago

Text

Lowkey me after finishing the write up for chapter three

Hint: Let’s just say Rumi and Rae are about to have a lovers quarrel

Acc now that I think about it, THEIR FRIENDSHIP IS LITERALLY DOOMED YURI CORE

“Are they lovers?” No.. worse.

Chat I swear this isn’t a Rumi x Oc fic 😭😭😭

Or is it..? (It’s not)

#are they lovers? worse #doomed yuri #original character #rumi kpdh #Spotify

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eph3meraaa · 1 month ago

Text

𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝, 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬.

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐞 "Fame feeds her. Love might save her"

Word Count: 1528

The penthouse lights were dim. The sound of her door clicking shut echoed louder than it should have.

Relle- Rae, padded into the quiet, still barefoot from the van ride home, clutching a gift bag someone had shoved into her hands at the venue exit. She dropped it gently by the marble entry table and wandered into the bathroom, rubbing at the glitter still clinging to her collarbone.

The mirror greeted her like a friend too polite to mention how tired she looked.

She smiled at herself anyway.

Another sold-out show. Another wave of praise and adoration. The high was still there—just quieter now, softened into a glow under her skin.

Then her phone buzzed.

She glanced down at it, expecting a manager note or another notification flood from fan tags.

But it was the Huntrix group chat.

A group she never officially left.

⸻

Zoey.exe: Hey!! We were watching your concert on the plane YOU WERE SO GREAT OUT THERE 💖💖💖

Miramirage: Had to cut it short though because we had to fight the stupid demons on our plane 🙄 Mira 3 - Demons 0 😌

Rae laughed softly. They always knew how to make her smile, even after all this time. Rumi didn’t send anything. But she had read the messages. The little “seen” marker blinked at the bottom of the chat like a quiet echo.

She hesitated only for a second before tapping out a reply:

Raediant_princess: awww thank you guys 🥺💗 i miss u all so much pls tell me when you land safely!! we should see each other soon 💕

She locked her phone and looked back up at her reflection.

The silence that followed wasn’t loud. It was familiar. Like something she’d grown used to carrying around in her back pocket.

She traced one finger just beneath her collarbone, as if she could feel the phantom shimmer of the patterns she’d hidden again.

“I can’t be sad tonight.”

“It’d only be a waste.”

But her chest tugged anyway.

⸻

FLASHBACK – THREE YEARS AGO

It had started with a laugh.

“I’m serious, Rumi,” RELLE said, bouncing a little on the hotel bed, her eyes lit with the spark of discovery. “I think I figured out something… huge.”

Rumi sat on the window ledge, arms crossed, sleeves tugged down to her wrists, her smile thoughtfull. “What kind of huge?”

Rae bit her lip and leaned forward. She concentrates all her energy into her body, and almost instantly, her light purple patterns that traced her skin, disappeared. Rumi’s eyes widened.

“How..- I thought that drained your energy by a lot?” the purple haired girl asked in disbelief and in awe.

“Isn’t this great, Rumi?” Rae said, her voice bright with excitement. She clasped her friend’s hands, eyes shining. “You could do it too—you wouldn’t have to hide from the sun anymore”

“Stop.”

Rumi pulled her hands away, her expression hardening. “You’re still stealing people’s souls, Rae,” she snapped. “What were you thinking?”

Rae’s smile faltered, but she rushed to explain. “No, it’s not like that! It’s just… I don’t know, it’s like their energy charges me—like sunlight, like a plant getting nutrients from the sun—but I don’t actually take their souls.”

She ended with a hopeful smile, wide and eager, like that would make everything okay

The words landed like cold water.

Rae’s smile faltered. “No.. Rumi I just don’t hate myself for what I am.” That was all she said.

And Rumi—her sister in all but blood, her fellow secret—had gone quiet. Not angry. Not yelling. Just… quiet.

That was somehow worse. They hadn’t talked about it since. And for once, their hotel room wasn’t filled with screams of joy or pillows weren’t scattered due to sneak attack pillow fights. For once, they slept without saying goodnight.

⸻

BACK TO PRESENT

Her phone buzzed again. A new message from someone

#1bestassistant: AMAZING JOB AS ALWAYS TODAY BABES THEY LOVED YOU OUT THERE!! 💖🔥🔥🔥

Rae’s face lit up.

#1bestassistant: for tmrws schedule you have nothing planned other than that meet with huntrix, so as a treat what would you like to do gorgeous?? 👀🌸👠

She giggled softly, texting back:

Raediant_princess: you’re too sweet 😭😭 thank you so much for everything always!!

#1bestassistant: omg wait hey didn’t you wanna visit that cafe in Gangnam again? i heard they have the cream puffs you wanted 👀

Rae paused, picturing it, the little bakery with pink tile floors, the window seats, the way the cream puff filling always exploded slightly at the first bite. The way the street outside bustled with Seoul life. Noise. Color. People.

It would be nice to walk around for a bit.

She smiled, thumbs flying.

Raediant_princess: yk what it’d be nice to walk around for a bit so i don’t see why not!!

She set her phone down to do her normal nightly routine, and looked up at her reflection again. Her demon patterns didn’t shimmer this time. She didn’t call them out. Didn’t need to.

She gave herself a little wink, a small nod, and a reassuring smile.

“You’re okay. We’re okay.” And just like that, she turned toward the glow of the city skyline behind the glass.

Tomorrow, she’d just be a girl for a day.

Or so she thought.

⸻

The Gangnam sun was warm and bright—just the way Rae liked it.

She kept her hoodie on and sunglasses snug on the bridge of her nose, but even in disguise, she could feel people’s energy as she moved through the streets. Not recognition—just excitement. Motion. Joy.

The smell of fresh pastries from nearby stalls mingled with perfume and the sharp tang of car exhaust. Music floated from shopfronts. Somewhere, someone was yelling about a sale. It was perfect.

“Okay,” she whispered to herself in determination. Fighting! “Let’s find those cream puffs.”

Her phone buzzed.

#1bestassistant: go live your best pastry princess life 🥰🍰”

Rae smiled. God, she loved that woman.

⸻

The bakery was nestled between a skincare boutique and a bubble tea chain. She knew it the second she saw the floral window decals and the rows of puffs behind glass—piled high like sugary little mountains.

She picked out three: strawberry, matcha, and vanilla almond. When the worker recognized her voice and asked if she was RELLE, she gave them a wink and pressed one finger to her lips,

“Shhh, I’m off duty today.”

Bag in hand, pastries secured like treasure, she stepped back into the crowd—sun shining, cheeks warm, and no real destination in mind.

She just wanted to exist for a bit.

To be Rae. To be RELLE. To be someone in between.

ephmera edit: Oh yes I did ;)

She turned a corner, lost in thought.

And slammed straight into someone.

“Oh my god—! I’m so sorry!” she gasped, grabbing his forearm to steady herself.

He turned to face her, and time did that thing it sometimes does in movies. Where everything else blurred and the world tilted a little.

He was tall. Dressed in a simple black loose sweater. His hair was well put in a way that it looked curated and seemed to shine against the light. His smile was soft. Warm. The kind that made people fall in love by accident.

“No worries,” he said, handing her one of the cream puffs that had almost slipped from her bag. “I wasn’t watching either.”

She took it slowly, fingers brushing his.

And that’s when she saw it.

His eyes—rich brown—flickered, just for a heartbeat, to a glowing, golden amber.

Her breath caught.

He blinked, and they were brown again. Human. Normal.

But he wasn’t. He’s a demon, she realized. He’s like me.

Only… he didn’t know she was.

She’d learned how to hide it too well.

He handed her a flyer with a slow, effortless smile, soft around the edges, like it, he, belonged in a daydream Rae didn’t know she was having. “Come see us,” he said.

“We’re debuting in a week. Saja Boys. First performance’s free.” another drop-dead gorgeous smile that went straight to her heart, she averted her eyes, hoping the flush on her skin wasn’t as obvious as it felt.

The others stood nearby, handing out flyers too—every one of them striking. Ethereal. One had cloud-like purple hair. Another’s pink hair reminded her of Mira, the man’s buttons straining with every breath. One leaned against a lamppost, lost in his reflection. Another looked cursed—or blessed—to stay forever young. All of them were beautiful. And all of them felt… wrong. Wonderfully, impossibly wrong.

They weren’t human either. She could feel it deep in her bones. And for once, her patterns made a little tingle on her skin.

She should’ve been afraid.

But she wasn’t.

She stared at the boy in front of her—his presence calm but magnetic. That soft smile still on his face.

Who are you?

But she didn’t say it.

Instead, her phone rang. And she answered almost in a daze.

Her manager’s voice cut through the moment like scissors through thread.

“Gorgeous? Your Huntrix meeting is in thirty. I’m outside!”

Rae blinked and looked back at the man.

“I—right. Sorry, I have to go.” She turned to leave, her hands slipped from his, and then—forgot the flyer entirely. It slipped from her mind as she ran toward the car.

I hope you enjoyed chapter one, yes I decided to post early, I was just as excited to drop this chapter as much as you all have.

I also pray that the little "Love, Maybe" moment wasn't an overkill, its one of my favorite songs and it was also in the movie soo yeah!!

That would be all have a great day lovelies MWAH <3

Tagslist: @lexasaurs634 @gremlinartstudio @stxrrielle @artistadistrada2002

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