koko

1 – Jinu

The demon in the group with the best control over hiding their marks is Jinu. You normally don’t worry about having to keep an eye out for him revealing anything. He is the picture of strength and leadership in so many aspects. He is usually the one that helps you keep the other guys in check.

There is one exception to that. The demon hunters, Huntr/x, have the ability to get under his skin and frustrate him like nothing else you have ever seen. They know it and so do you. Anytime the Saja Boys are going to be around them for an event, you always keep an extra eye on Jinu.

Insults don’t usually bother him. Jinu is always able to look the other way, unbothered. But when the female idols decide it’s necessary to throw in an extra taunt about a talent-less group of demons not belonging in their business after a show where both groups performed, you can tell that you’ll need to step in.

The insult was murmured low enough that the press couldn’t pick up on it. You quickly slip over and drop a towel in his hands. The fabric falls just right to cover the flicker of purple crawling up his hands to his forearms. He gives you a grateful smile when he realizes what almost happened.

“Thank you,” Jinu gives you a conflicted look. “I’m not sure what came over me there.” There’s moment where he just stares down at the towel, then he hands it back after he pretends to wipe his neck.

You nod, but decide to whisper something to him before leaving him entirely. “They’re upset that you’re doing so well so quickly. They feel threatened. It’s a compliment, not an insult.” You flash him a devilish grin before stepping away.

2 – Abby

Abby is a hard demon to upset. He has a tendency to laugh at insults instead of taking them to heart. He has the philosophy that people only insult people they are jealous of and don’t want to admit it. He stands tall and proud most of the time.

You can trust him to lead the others with confidence. He’s always sure of himself and has no problem standing tall in the spotlight when some of the others need to shy away or take a breather. He’s dependable and tactical about his movements when he’s guarding the others. Abby will use his appearance as a distraction to divert attention, but he also likes being a little bigger than the others to better protect them.

There is one thing that will flip that switch and trigger full anger from the muscled man, though. You keep your attention on him when people start talking about his appearance. He loves compliments and attention. But it can turn to snide remarks about him being vain and obsessed with looking sexy because it’s all he’s good for. Everyone is quick to shut that toxicity down, but it won’t stop the spark of anger in Abby.

When it happens during their arrival at an event, you react first. The comment gets shouted from the crowd of media, trying to get a reaction. Abby freezes and turns slowly. You slip between him and the crowd, hand at his lower back. It looks like you are ushering him along behind the rest of the group, but you’re actually conveniently blocking the patterns peeking out from below his crop top.

“They don’t understand that you’re the wise and brave protector. Only we are special enough to know your true motives and strength. Let them be.” You do usher him to catch up with the others after that.

3 – Romance

Being a heartthrob is both Romance’s strength and his weakness. He is the flirty sweetheart that makes the fans swoon. He’s good at delivering playful compliments and genuine praise. His comments and one-liners are the ones that blow up on all the fan sites. He may come off as just a vapid beauty, but he is actually the most calculating and careful one in the group.

Romance is quick-thinking, but he doesn’t say anything without making sure that he knows exactly how the fans are going to hear and interpret it. He is a master of cultivating a specific public image. He plays into being a pretty face and soaks up the attention he gets from it. But there is one thing that will completely undermine his carefully curated image.

Your heart sinks when the interviewer says it. It’s an offhand comment about Romance pretty but air-headed and a hopeless flirt. You can see him bite back the cruel retort he wants to give. Jinu is quick to turn the comment into something more flattering but you can see that Romance is still seething, barely hanging onto his composure.

Unable to really interrupt the interview, you hand him a jacket as discreetly as you can. He takes it quickly and slips it on, shoving his hands deep in the pockets to keep as much skin hidden as possible. He manages to make it through the rest of it with a pleasant smile and small comments.

When they step away from the cameras, Romance comes to thank you. Pulling him aside, you allow him a moment to take a deep breath. You see the patterns crawling up his neck and across his face. You make sure no one else sees it.

“You’re just too good at portraying the image. Besides, if everyone knew you were the total package of brains and beauty, the internet would explode.” You joke as he hands the jacket back.

He laughs, skin clear and mask firmly in place again. “And you’re too good at your job.” He thanks you again before you leave.

4 – Mystery

Mystery is the demon most prone to letting his patterns or demonic features slip past his idol façade. He’s not used to being the center of attention. He has no problem being part of a team or standing in the spotlight shoulder to shoulder with his fellow demons. But, Mystery can get flustered fairly easily.

He is most commonly called out for having abnormal reactions like growling or even barking at the press or rude fans. You’ve been able to carefully handle those instances through some creative PR work, but only you and the guys know that those are actually instinctual demonic reactions for Mystery when he gets surprised or uncomfortable.

He is the best at keeping his patterns from showing to the public. You chalk it up to him having the other outlets for the emotions and negative energy. That doesn’t mean he is completely immune to it.

You keep a close watch on him during their variety show appearances when he is more likely to get singled out for a game or task. It happens a good bit of the time, so you aren’t surprised when it happens again today. The host singles Mystery out to do a specific challenge. It’s another ridiculous task that you know is designed for the idols to fail for comedic effect.

Already grabbing a blanket and rolling your eyes, you wait for the spray of water and the inevitable laughter that erupts from the staff and audience. Mystery knows to seek you out the second filming stops and you meet him halfway. Wrapping him in the soft material under the guise of getting him warm, you see the tension melt from his shoulders as his patterns flair under the material as he takes steadying breaths to ease his anxiety.

“You are so brave and strong for being able to have that kind of control over your appearance.” You remind him when he hands the blanket back. A staff member offers him a new shirt and he gratefully takes it and turns to change, but he gives you a quick smile in thanks before disappearing.

5 – Baby

It’s a normal fan meet and greet. Everything is going smoothly until a few people in the crowd make comments about Baby. He’s relatively used to all the things that get said about him being a child. Usually, he plays into it like it’s a joke. His whole persona is built around people thinking he’s the cute and innocent maknae and then subverting the trope when he raps. Baby enjoys messing with people’s perception of himself.

That doesn’t mean that none of the comments bother him. If someone genuinely belittles him or tries to pinch his cheeks, the façade drops quickly. He doesn’t speak a lot in interviews because he doesn’t want to, but if someone insinuates that it’s because he can’t understand or intelligently comment, then you usually have PR work to do after the mic drop moment that inevitably follows.

But the types of comments that cut him the worst are the ones that call into question his talent or worth to the group just because of his cute face. And when you here the group quietly chatting about how they thought Abby would make the better rapper because he was better suited to the position.

You step in quickly and turn Baby to face you and away from the cameras. He looks at you with confusion and frustration. You know the latter isn’t directed at you. You subtly motion to your eyes and Baby takes the hint. His demon eyes are on full display. He takes a few calming breaths as he marks flutter lightly across his face. His eyes slip closed for a beat and when he opens them again, they are back to normal.

Before he turns back to the camera, you catch his arm. “You know they’re only saying that because of the killer rap you wrote and coached Abby through on the last single. That’s a compliment to your talent, even if they don’t recognize it.”

He smiles and noticeably relaxes. “Thanks,” he adds as you step back out of the idols’ space.

+1 – You

You are well practiced in keeping the guys from revealing their patterns or demonic features to the public. But sometimes it slips your mind that you also need to be careful of that. You’re just a manager. You think that you don’t really spend too much time in the public eye. When you’re at an event, people aren’t looking at you, they’re looking at the Saja Boys.

Keeping your strong emotions in check is like second nature. And you spend so much time focused on everyone else that it doesn’t leave you much time to yourself. You’ve heard the negative things that get tossed around about you. That you’re holding the guys back, that they deserve better, or that you just want attention.

It’s ridiculous and you know the truth. You know they guys are grateful to have you and that you work tirelessly to help them be as successful as possible. So, it’s easy to let the bad comments roll right past you. And if you do have to take a little extra time to yourself sometimes, none of them blame you. They make sure you have the ability to step away when you need it.

That doesn’t mean you are completely immune to slipping up occasionally. You’re talking to the guys backstage at an awards event. There’re different media groups mingling around trying to get a few interviews before the main show. You overhear a comment about the Saja Boys being an overrated, one-hit group that will fade quickly when people realize that they don’t have real talent.

You see red. You clench your teeth so hard that your jaw aches. When you try to turn around and confront the stupid people, you are shoved behind a broad body. You glance up, confused to see Abby’s back. Jinu presses in at his left and Mystery on his right. They settle the misunderstanding with a lot more tact than you wanted to in the moment.

“It’s so sweet that you only lose control when people insult us.” Romance bumps your shoulder.

Baby leans in on your other side. “Eyes and all,” he whistles quietly. “I almost wish we had let you tear into them now. It would have been quiet the show.” He grins wickedly, but you know it’s just a playful jab.

“You good?” Jinu glances over his shoulder at you, giving you a thorough once over.

When they all agree that you have everything back under control, they return to the conversation they were having before like nothing had happened. It’s a relief to know that these guys have you back the same way you have theirs.

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