Lila The Bibla Writes

In hindsight; this had been a long time coming.

You hadn’t thought too much about Jinu and his behavior at first. He was a rookie idol, still finding his feet in this cutthroat industry; you had been in his shoes before, you knew how hard it could be, how overwhelming everything was. So, it had only been natural that you’d want to offer him, and the other Saja Boys help where you  could.

A few supportive words, some pieces of advice, some suggestions on which reporters to avoid and what venues they’d want.

The result was that Jinu seemingly imprinted on you like a lost little duckling. Honestly, you thought it was cute at first, the way he’d always immediately seek you out, how he’d always turn to you when he had questions, or needed some help.

He was what you would have called a sweetheart. Always sharing the gifts he got—flowers he couldn’t take with him, chocolates he couldn’t eat—and always showing so much interest in what you’ve been up to, what your plans were.

Jinu was just trying to be your friend, nothing more. Though…he did always get a little cross whenever you mentioned Rumi.

It was obvious he didn’t like your girlfriend. But considering that the Saja Boys and Huntr/x had an unspoken rivalry going on for reasons you couldn’t understand, you weren’t too surprised.

He had a strange special skill of always managing to cross paths with you no matter where you were.

You could be on your way to the penthouse and he’d show up, on his way to rehearsal or some event, and decide to walk with you the rest of your way. Or you’d be waiting for Rumi for a lunch or coffee date, and while Rumi was running late, he just so happened to be stopping in for a bite or a drink and would keep you company until Rumi arrived.

It was never anything you thought much of. But—it was obvious that the way he orbited around you bothered Rumi.

“Are you sure you have to go in tomorrow?” Rumi asked suddenly, face buried in your shoulder as the two of you cuddled in her bed.

Her bed.

She had been insisting that you spend the night at her place more often lately, had been more physically affectionate lately. You weren't sure where this all came from, but you certainly weren’t going to complain if it meant you got more hugs from Rumi.

You hummed, toying with her braid. “You know that I can’t just cancel an event on a whim.”

Rumi grumbled, shifting to move her head from your shoulder to the crook of your neck, her breath tickling against your skin. “I know… but why does it have to be with him?”

The ‘him’ in question was obvious, and her irritation seeped through with how her hold on your tightened.

“That’s how collabs work, Rumi.”

She growled something in response, words too muffled by your neck to make sense of, but the intent and feelings behind them were clear.

Normally curled up together in bed like this the mood was something softer, loving. It was hard to be mad or upset when they were cuddled together, tangled up in each other’s arms.

Hard, but not impossible, as seen by Rumi’s dour mood.

You didn’t like this.

You didn’t like seeing her so bothered. She was clearly jealous by what Jinu was doing—and you weren’t so naïve to not notice how the media was spinning this as some kind of love triangle.

Seeing Rumi stressed was something you always hated, and you hated it even more knowing you were making it worse.

Rolling over so you were sprawled atop of her, you traced her cheek with your hand, giving her no choice but to look at you.

“How about this? I can talk to him tomorrow after the show,” you suggested, your thumb tracing soft figures against her cheek, feeling how she relaxed against you. “I know he doesn’t mean any harm, but I can set firmer boundaries with him. Would that make you feel better?”

Rumi’s arms moved to encircle your waist, pulling you flush against her even as her mouth twisted into a frown.

“I’d like it better if you didn’t even need to be in the same room as him,” she mumbled, nuzzling against your hand. “But—let me be there when you talk with him. Please. I’d feel a lot better if I was there with you for it.”

With a soft laugh, you had to bite back the instinctive urge to point out that Jinu was harmless. He was a clueless dork, what was the worst he could do? But that wouldn’t help Rumi at all.

Instead, you leaned forward to give her a soft kiss. “That’s fine with me. You’ve got a meeting with Bobby tomorrow, right? Once your done, swing by the studio, and we can talk to him once the show is done.”

“After the show,” Rumi confirmed quietly, “I’ll be there.”

.

.

.

The show itself had gone well. The games were fun, and honestly—you always had a good time with Jinu.

He had a way of always putting you at ease, of making you laugh at his silly jokes. It was hard not to enjoy yourself when working with him.

“Here, you just got to hold it like this,” he’d said as he helped you line up a shot for one game they were doing—some carnival-like shooting game where they were trying to knock down bottles that had other idols on them.

The whole theme of the show seemed to be ‘carnival games’.

When you managed to make three of your five shots, Jinu cheered for you, pulling you into a celebratory hug while the live audience beyond the stage laughed and clapped.

There had been another game, probably chosen specifically because of the Saja Boys; the ring toss with the soda brand they were collaborating with as the targets. Jinu had demolished the game, and had proudly offered you the prize of a small tiger plushie.

It was just platonic.

Friendly.

He was just being nice.

Jinu was a touchy person. Always extra touchy for the cameras, playing it up to increase ratings and interest from the fans.

You understood the logistics behind why he was the way he was. Throwing in silly little one-liners, letting his touches linger, acting so dorky and suave.

But the way the crowd went aww had your ears burning, and your mind flashing with thoughts of Rumi.

Right.

You liked his friendship, you liked his companionship—but you needed to set things straight, set some boundaries, get him to understand that he needed to take a step back. This didn’t mean you didn’t like him any less, or that you didn’t want him to be your friend. This was about making sure your girlfriend felt comfortable.

Only problem is that said girlfriend had texted you halfway through the show; apparently there had been an emergency on her end, and she wouldn’t be able to make it. Rumi wanted them to reschedule the ‘talk’ for another day.

Now, you could do that. Wait until all their schedules managed to align next and pray that none of them had something last-minute get in the way again—easier said than done—or…

Or you could take matters into your own hands, set things straight here and now.

Make it so Rumi wouldn’t have to stress over the rumors among fans or how affectionate Jinu was, so that you could give her some peace of mind and make things just a little easier for her.

Honestly, it seemed like such an easy choice to make.

You never had any issues talking to Jinu on your own before, and this should be no different. It wasn’t like he had any real romantic interest in you; he was just an affectionate person and played it up for the fans. It’d be an easy conversation to have.

And so, once filming was done, you asked Jinu to come back to the dressing room with you. Better to have a talk like this in private, after all.

Jinu had been more than happy to come along, smiling so brightly, you were sure that if this were an anime, he’d have little flowers floating around his dazzling bright face as he followed behind you.

You waited until the door was closed behind him.

“So, Jinu,” you started, watching as he perked up at your voice. He was like a little puppy, it was adorable. “Look, not to, you know, cut to the chase and whatnot. But I’m cutting to the chase; we need to talk.”

Immediately, his posture stiffened. “Uh-oh, am I in trouble?” he asked with a grin and a nervous laugh.

Maybe you came on too strong with that opener. “No, you’re not in trouble. It’s not that kind of talk,” you assured him. “You know all those rumors with the fanbase, right? About you and me?”

The stiffness was gone in an instant and his smile widened. “They think we make an adorable couple.”

You nodded along.

They did think that, and while it was cute in it’s own way, you could see how that would bother Rumi. No one liked hearing that people thought their partner made a better couple with someone else.

“That’s kind of the problem,” you said, “could you maybe dial it back a bit?”

You watched as Jinu’s smile fell, his expression twisting into confusion. Right, he probably didn’t understand what you were talking about.

You needed to get straight to the point rather than dance around the subject. Don’t be mean about it, otherwise he’ll be hurt, but you needed to be blunt. Leave no room for ambiguity.

“Don’t get me wrong; I like spending time with you. You’ve been an amazing friend,” you started off with a smile, a gentle tone. “I want to keep spending time with you. But, we’re just friends—and I get that you’re super affectionate, that’s your thing—but I’m not comfortable with fans speculating that we’re dating when I’m already in a happy relationship.”

Jinu’s expression furrowed, “You don’t—you don’t like me showing that I care?” he asked, looking like he was genuinely struggling with what you were saying.

“It’s not that I don’t like it, it’s just that you tend to lay it on thick, so to speak,” you explained. “You’re my friend, Jinu, I like being your friend. But sometimes the things you say or do can be read as a bit more than just ‘friendly’, and I’d appreciate it if maybe you could tone things down a bit.”

There, you said what you needed to. Now you just had to wait for Jinu to nod along, maybe throw in a laugh or joke about it, and agree. Then you both could go on with your day.

Only, he did none of that.

Jinu said nothing for a good long moment as he studied you, you could have swore his expression even tightened.

The longer the silence went on, the longer the wait took, the more uncomfortable you began to feel. Suddenly you felt terribly small under his scrutinizing gaze.

“Did Rumi tell you to do this?” Jinu finally asked.

Hearing your girlfriend’s name, you looked up, “What? I mean—” she sort of was why you were having this talk. But she didn’t tell you to. This had been your idea. “This isn’t about Rumi.”

“Of course it is,” Jinu snapped back, and you flinched. He’d never snapped at you before. “You would never have made this decision yourself. She hates the idea that you could enjoy spending your time with someone else."

"Now hold on here—Rumi is not jealous like that—”

He glared at you, and for a moment you could have swore his eyes were yellow.

A moment passed and he directed his gaze to the ceiling. “Fuck,” he hissed. “Fuck!”

You took a wary step back, suddenly reconsidering all those thoughts about how safe you'd be with Jinu, how harmless he was. You felt like a trapped hare quivering in front of a starving wolf.

It was no better for him, he was seething at this turn of events, it was taking everything he had not to let the full flood of emotions he felt to show.

Jinu had always considered himself a patient man.

He waited patiently for four hundred years for his chance for freedom. He waited patiently each day as the dominos for Huntr/x’s fall were carefully lined-up. He’s been waiting patiently for you to finally open your eyes and see him.

Yet you were truly testing that patience, and Jinu was tired of waiting.

He had a plan; he was going to sweep you off your feet and carry you away with him fully willingly and accepting, having realized how much better he was for you than your girlfriend.

But Rumi had sank her claws in so deep that you were pushing him away.

That wasn’t something he could let you do.

No. No, no, no, no, no. You weren’t allowed to push him away. You weren’t allowed to pull away. You weren't allowed to leave him.

But that’s okay. This was all okay.

You weren’t doing this because you wanted to push him away. No, no, no, you never would. You were only doing this because Rumi had told you to do so.

You liked having him around—you said it yourself! You like him. You liked his presence. You liked him being in your life! It was Rumi who was trying to separate you.

And you were just going along with it like a mindless, spineless, worm.

You were just so naïve, so innocent. That adorably stupid mind of yours unable to accept that your girlfriend would never give you what you need. Would never love you the way that you deserved—the way Jinu could.

But you were still the one going along with her, the one pushing him away. That wasn't something he could ignore.

This was your fault, he justified, you were the one forcing his hand.

“I am sorry for this,” Jinu told you sweetly, and before you could even try to speak, he had closed the distance.

He pulled you against him—one hand clasped over your mouth to silence your words before they could come out, his other arm drawn tight against your throat, pressing hard into the tender flesh.

You thrashed and squirmed, but the end result was clear. You were still a weak, fragile human, and Jinu a demon. No matter how deep your nails dug into his forearm, how hard you pulled against him, his hold didn’t break. The pressure on your neck didn’t ease.

It was only a few seconds, it felt like eternity, before you went completely limp, slumped against him.

Jinu cooed, adjusting his hold so he could carry and cradle you instead, nuzzling against your head. “I’m sorry, but you made me do this,” he murmured, if you might hear him in your unconscious state.

It was too early, he hadn’t even finished setting up your room, yet. But it was clear that you couldn’t stay with Rumi any longer. She was already poisoning you against him.

Ah well. Jinu would make do with what he had. At least now he’d be able to get your input as he finished your room—it could be fun.

Renovating the space together like those couples on the internet do in their little videos always seemed so romantic. He'd had more than a few fantasies about that simple, domestic life together.

Oh, you’ll be disoriented when you came to, confused about where you were and why. But once Jinu explained what was going on, helped you understand that he was the one for you, you’d thank him for saving you.

“Come on, sweetheart, it’s time to go home,” Jinu purred, giving you a kiss to the cheek.

With that, you and him were both gone in a cloud of smoke.

Pharmacies were odd.

On the one hand, they weren’t that different from an apothecary. A shop dedicated to the medicinal, he could understand that.

But on the other hand, there were so many different medicines that did the same thing. Why did there need to be thirty different brands of the same ointment to clean a cut? Liquid, cream, various brands of the same bandaids.

And then there were all the medicines he couldn’t even recognize. Remedies for things he’d never heard of, supplements for things he was fairly sure weren’t real.

And then aisles of things that had nothing to do with medicine. Food, drinks, toys, makeup, what did any of those have to do with medicine?

It was all a little overwhelming.

He was only here for a small promotional gig that the Saja Boys were doing for the soda brand they’d gotten a hold of.

While the others had already left, keen to go back to the demon realm where they wouldn’t need to keep up fake smiles and pretend to be sweethearts, Jinu had lingered behind.

Call it boredom. Call it curiosity. He’d found himself wandering the aisles browsing all the different things the pharmacy had.

Picking up one bottle of purple-hued liquid, Jinu read over the plastic wrap listing its ingredients and uses. “For sore throats, coughing, chest congestion…”

“I wouldn’t recommend that one, not unless you have an iron stomach,” someone interrupted, and Jinu looked up from the bottle, tilting his head in confusion as he looked to his side and met your gaze.

You smiled warmly at him, nodded to the bottle of cough syrup he held. “Sure, it’s cheap. But that brand has a rep for stomach issues.” You reached onto the shelf and pulled out a different bottle, offering it to him. “A little pricier, but arguably the best if you’ve got a cough and irritated throat.”

Jinu took it with a nod, uncertain of how he should act. Hadn’t expected for someone to just start talking to him. “Right, um, thank you.”

“Don’t mention it; after all you can’t cut corners when it comes to taking care of your voice,” you said as you gave him a quick once over. “…Jinu, right? Your group is preparing your debut?”

Oh, you recognized him? He hadn’t really anticipated that. But he wouldn’t let the surprise show.

Pushing some strands of hair from his face, he gave you a charming smile, “I guess I need to do better about disguising myself. But it’s nice to know that our pre-debut promotionals are having an effect.”

He needed to be suave, keep your interest. You were a potential fan; another soul to be pulled from the Hunters to weaken the Honmoon, a—

“Well, word of mouth spreads fast in the music industry. Especially when it comes to new groups.”

Oh. Not a fan, then. “Music industry… are you also an idol?”

You smiled, it was…nice, he noted. Warm. “A soloist. I guess that’d make me your sunbae,” there was a teasing note in your voice as you said that, playful even, and followed by giving him your name. “If you’ve any questions of what to expect from idolhood, I’d be happy to answer.”

Definitely not a fan.

A potential ally. Or, Jinu correct himself, not an ally. A tool. A little morsel who could help make their landing, and an easy soul to steal if he played his cards right.

You seemed naïve enough, he had no doubt that he could have you wrapped around his fingers in no time. He use you to get information on the other groups, on the Hunters, to better their chances.

Or maybe they’d just steal your soul from the start, give it to Gwi-Ma as immediate proof that this plan of his will work. It wasn’t as if you were a particularly important idol as far as he was concerned.

Turning your attention back to the shelf in front of you, you pulled out another two bottles of syrup. “What do you think? Cherry flavor is iconic, a tried-and-true classic. But strawberry has a sweeter hint to it.”

Confused, Jinu glanced at the bottles of cough syrup you were holding. Did you really want the opinion of a complete stranger on what cough medicine to get? That felt like a terrible way to go about it.

But then again, that’s exactly what he did.

“…Strawberry?” Jinu suggested. “Like you said; it’s sweeter than cherry. Most people like sweeter flavors, right?”

“I don’t know about most people, but she certainly does.”

With that, you fell into an easy conversation. Jinu wasn’t entirely sure how it happened, really. In truth he should have walked away right there—he had what he needed, no reason to stay.

But he did. Because you were talking to him, and he found he rather liked that.

You were rather…charming, Jinu realized. Easy to listen to, easy to talk to. He found himself forgetting about the other Saja Boys while he talked with you.

A part of him had felt disappointed when you said your goodbye, still having errands you needed to run. But he’d brushed that feeling off quickly enough.

You provided a nice respite, a nice break from the other Saja Boys, but in the grand scheme of things, you were unimportant, and Jinu had quickly tossed you out of his mind as he retreated as well.

.

.

.

The next time he met you, it had been at a coffee shop.

He hadn’t planned to be there. But after a very tiring morning of publicity stunts, the other Saja Boys had demanded caffeine and Jinu had drawn the literal short stick.

So he’d gone to the closest coffee shop, keen to just get in and out as quick as he could before too many people recognized him.

As much as he was enjoying the music, getting to sing and play in front of a crowd again, he did not enjoy being swarmed by teenage fangirls screaming his name and begging for autographs.

He'd learned quickly how physically and mentally exhausting it could be to be flagged down by people in the middle of the street begging for pictures and for him to sign something.

Was this what idols had to deal with every day? If so, then he had a bit more respect for the hunters.

Before he knew it, there were only a few people before him in line, and Jinu realized with an uncomfortable start that he didn’t actually know any of the drinks.

The others had just demanded ‘coffee’, since that seemed to be the drink of choice, but now that he was here—

Why the hell were there so many different types???

He didn’t even know what the others would want. Something sweet? Something nutty? What even was a latte and a cappuccino? Half these items didn’t even sound like real words.

“Jinu?”

You had appeared so suddenly that he couldn’t help but stumble back, biting back the startled scream.

Where did you come from? How were you so quiet???

Seemingly unperturbed by his reaction, you smiled at him. A genuine, warm smile. “Fancy running into you here,” you said as way of greeting, moving to stand beside him. “It’s nice to see you again.”

He was quick to regain his composure, fixing on a pleasant smile of his own as he tried to pretend that you hadn’t just scared the daylights out of him. “Same. Wasn’t expecting to see you again anytime soon.”

And he really hadn’t been. But it wasn’t that he was seeing you again that had him feeling…off balance.

You remembered him.

Silly as it may be, he hadn’t expected you to remember him.

Silly as it may be, he hadn’t expected you to remember him from that brief interaction.

You tilted your head, still looking at him. “Everything okay?” you asked, and waved your hand over your own face. “You’ve got this very…scrunched expression. Something bothering you?”

Oh, had his frustration been that visible?

Instinct was for him to lie. To brush off your concern, assure you that everything was fine, maintain that suave, perfect, flawless mask. His expression wasn't ‘scrunched’ and everything was okay.

“I don’t know what to order,” Jinu said instead, a whispered confession as he leaned down towards you, not wanting this room full of strangers to hear his shame. “To be honest, I don’t know what any of these drinks are.”

Obviously that wouldn’t have been an answer you’d expected, and your own expression matched it. Quiet surprise.

A part of him braced for some kind of mockery, a teasing taunt, a cruel laugh. He didn’t know something that was common knowledge. You’d found a weak point, it was time for you to take the knife and drive it in. It’s what Gwi-Ma would have done.

“That’s fine,” you said, and your tone was genuine. “We’ve some time; would you like help picking something out?”

Jinu blinked at you and then gave a hesitant nod.

You stepped closer to him; Jinu could feel the warmth of your own body radiating against him. When you spoke, it was a quiet whisper, as if what you said was for him and him alone.

“Let’s start with this; do you prefer cold drinks or warm drinks?”

As the line shuffled forward bit by bit, you continued to explain the different drinks. What a mocha was, what expresso was, and all the flavors this particular coffee shop sold.

There was matcha lattes, which sounded intriguing. Strawberry flavored ones. Chocolate. Pumpkin spice. Vanilla, caramel, mocha were the classics. And that didn’t even get into all the other aspects like cream and expresso, steamed and whole milk.

It felt less like grabbing a coffee and more like some bizarre jigsaw puzzle.

But you were patient, smiling softly every time, letting Jinu ask his questions and answering them without making him feel even a twinge of guilt over his lack of knowledge.

“If you’re feeling hungry, I recommend staying away from the cookies,” you whispered conspiratorial as you gestured to the display case. “You could build houses out of them for how hard they are.”

He nodded along, and soon enough it was your turn at the counter.

You ordered your own drink and a small treat to go with it, and then turned to Jinu. “Go ahead and order; my treat.”

That was incredibly nice of you. Sweet even.

“I’ll have what they’re having,” Jinu said with a slight nod to you. Even with everything you had told him, it was overwhelming, he hadn’t known what to order.

You led him to another table to wait for your drinks, and just like in the pharmacy, you two just talked.

You were just as charming as before, easy to talk to, easy to listen to, Jinu found himself enjoying your presence far more than he should have. He realized how easy it was for the rest of the world to disappear when talking to you.

And, he noticed, you were rather cute. Adorable even, in the way your eyes would light up with excitement as you talked, the way your hands moved to emphasize what you were saying.

You were nice. So very nice. It left Jinu feeling a pleasant warmth in his chest that he couldn’t dismiss as from the coffee you bought him.

But all good things come to an end.

All too soon, you looked at your watch and your smile softened. “It was really nice getting to chat with you again, but I need to get going,” you apologized, and pulled out your phone. “But—want to exchange numbers? We can figure out a time to hang out again later, if you want.”

He did want. He very much did want. But there was a small problem with your request.

“I didn’t bring my phone with me,” Jinu grimaced. A lie. He didn’t have a phone, period. Didn’t have a reason to have one. Now he was regretting that decision, especially when he saw your smile start to fall.

Quickly, trying to salvage this before you mistook his answer as him not wanting you around, “But I’m sure we’ll run into each other again! I’ll be sure to have my phone on me next time we see each other!”

Your smile—and what right did you have to have such a nice smile?—returned and you slipped your phone into your pocket again. “I’m going to be holding you to that,” you laughed, rising from your seat. “Until next time.”

He waved his hand, smiling as he watched you go, his chest tight with want. Want for you to have stayed here. Want to keep seeing you smile, hearing you laugh. Want for you.

In his four hundred years, Jinu hadn’t felt this before.

This warmth that crawled into every crevice of his chest like thorny vines, this vibration of giddiness when he heard you giggle, when he saw you smile. The sense of longing to hold your hand in his. A carnal need to tuck you away in his ribcage so you’ll never go away.

It was scary. It was exhilarating. He wanted more of it.

.

.

.

True to his word, you and he had crossed paths again, though perhaps by no mere accident.

Day after day he managed to weave your life and his tighter together. You were an idol, far more experienced in this kind of world, and the Saja Boys were still preparing for their debut, and it would mean so much to them if you could help them.

And you, sweet and kind and oh so good, had agreed. You were more than happy to help a new group find their footing and show them the ropes.

Which meant he was able to call you at any time because he had ‘questions’ about what to expect. Needed promotional advice, wanted your opinion on his choreography for Soda Pop.

Everything was an excuse to hear your voice some more, to spend more time with you. And with interaction, his interest in you grew.

You were sinking your claws deeper into his heart, into his mind.

And he didn’t want it any other way. Embraced the way you were worming your way into him as if that had been where you always belonged.

“Pathetic.”

“Selfish.”

“They would turn you away if they knew.”

Gwi-Ma’s voice was a symphony of mockery in his head, whispering in his ears as the demon watched you, hidden by the branches of the trees as you wandered about your apartment, passing by the windows every so often.

It was morning, the rising sun casting your neighborhood in a pleasant gold, and he had stayed here all night. Had followed you home from the distance and had stayed watched—stayed guard—outside your home.

Had to. Needed to make sure you were alone. That you were safe. That there was no one else.

“Obsessed,” Gwi-Ma cackled, and Jinu closed his eyes, ignoring the demon king as best as he could.

He wasn’t obsessed he was just being careful.

You were a sweetheart. You were beautiful. You were kind and innocent and vulnerable. It was only right that Jinu took it upon himself to make sure you were safe.

The world was a dangerous place, and with the Hunters still away on their world tour for a few weeks more—he couldn’t blame his fellow demons for seeing you and thinking you’d be a tasty morsel.

But he’d need to prevent it all the same. None of them were allowed to touch you.

He jolted out of his thoughts as he saw your front door open of your apartment open, followed by your beautiful form as you slipped out and locked the door behind you.

Taking a deep breath to settle his beating heart, Jinu jumped from the branches and adjusted his hoodie. Waiting a moment so that he could time it right, he took off jogging down the sidewalk.

And as planned, he nearly ran right into you as you stepped onto the main pavement.

“Whoa! Sorry,” Jinu shouted, reaching out to catch you as you stumbled back, “I am so sorry, I didn’t see you there.” A lie. He’d planned this all night.

You adjusted your stance, re-found your balance, “It’s okay, I should have been watching,” you said and lifted your head to look at him, and immediately a brilliant smile stretched across your features. “Jinu? What are you doing out here?”

Waiting for you, he thought. “Morning jog,” he lied instead. “Got to stay in shape, you know?”

“Oh, I know,” you laughed, shaking your head. “Well, good morning to you. Didn’t realize my apartment was on your route.

“Must be fate,” he remarked in return, feeling that pleasant warmth seep into his very being as you laughed. “

Shaking your head, you readjusted your bag over your shoulder. “Say, it’s still pretty early. Have you had anything to eat, yet?” When Jinu shook his head, your smile grew more playful. “Well then, if you’re willing to take a break from your jog, wanna come with me?”

Come with you? He’d follow you anywhere if you asked. “I think I can spare some time for you,” Jinu grinned.

It hadn’t been a long walk. Or maybe it had been.

Jinu hadn’t really been paying attention to the time that was passing, too focused on you. Listening to you talk, discussing music, discussing the weather, discussing your plans.

He could listen to you talk forever.

It had also helped that you were holding his hand the whole time.

Your hand was so small compared to his. Warm, soft, your hand fit perfectly against his own.

“Here we are,” you declared, tugging Jinu’s hand as you pulled him into the little shop. Even with the dimmer lights, you were shining bright, a look of excitement in your eyes.

Finally tearing his gaze from you, Jinu looked forward, taking in the surroundings, to see where you had brought him. Then he paused, blinking as he looked around again.

Was this…? Jinu narrowed his eyes at the pasty-line display and glanced up to the simplistic menu hanging overhead.

“A café?”

He’d never been to a modern one before. The closest he’d been to one were the coffee shops he’d go to.

But those were quick in-and-out ordeals because he didn’t care about the drink he was just looking for you. And time times he stayed longer was because he was with you, which meant there was hardly any room to take notice of anything else.

But even he knew a cafe was different from a coffee shop.

He could barely recognize most of the items on the overhead menu. Why did you bring him here? Wasn’t— Wait. Hold on a second.

Weren’t cafes the common date spot of today’s day and age?

That’s what he’d read. Was that what this was? Had the reason you had been so eager to bring him here been because you were taking him on a date?

His traitorous little heart began beating rapidly at the thought, a giddiness washing over him as Jinu fought and failed to keep the smile from spreading across his face.

This was a date, wasn't it?

Oh, you sly little morsel, you were taking him on a date.

“You said you hadn’t had eaten yet,” you explained, to him, letting go of his hand—he had to hold himself back from reaching out for yours again—still gracing him with that beautiful, warm smile that never failed to make him feel weak. “So; I’m taking you out for breakfast. See anything you like?”

Jinu did, but you weren’t on the menu.

Instead, he squinted at the menu again, trying to find something that sounded familiar and appetizing. “You know what? I’ll have whatever you’re having,” Jinu decided on, giving you another dazzling smile of his own.

“You sure you want to trust your breakfast choices to me?” you asked with clear amusement, raising a brow.

“Your taste in food hasn’t led me astray yet, and I doubt it will now.”

Laughing, you turned your attention to the line in front of you, bumping your arm against his. “You are such a flatterer.”

Perhaps he was.

He’d flatter you more if it meant you kept smiling at him. “Don’t act like you don’t like it,” Jinu chimed back with a pleased note. “You love it when I flatter you.

You didn’t answer him back with anything more than another laugh, but that was enough for Jinu.

It’s as you and him were at a private table eating breakfast—or you were eating. Jinu was only pretending, moving the food around, watching you with a heart swelling with adoration—and talking.

He thanked you again for all the help you had done, asking if you’d be interested in a collab song with the Saja Boys. A duet with Jinu. They already scheduled gameshow appearances and interviews, Jinu had even manipulated things to get your group and his on a few different shows together.

“We’ll be having our debut concert in a couple of days. A street performance to garner the most attention” Jinu said carefully, watching you with a grin. “After that, we’ll be on Play Games With Us. It’d mean a lot to me—to us—if you’d be there.”

You smiled back, warm and kind and how could Jinu not fall even more seeing it? A smile only for him. “I don’t know, I’m going to be pretty busy for the next couple of days,” you warned.

“Oh?” Jinu’s own smile threatened to fall. You were going to be…busy? Possibly too busy to spend time with him? That… that didn’t sit well with him.

He pushed the rising mix of emotions back down. “Something big coming up?” He would have known if you had something scheduled. But you didn’t. No concerts or recording sessions. You were technically on a hiatus, minus the events Jinu wrangled you into.

So, what was so important that you wouldn’t be able to be with him for?

Your own expression softened in a way that Jinu found himself despising. “I’ve some friends flying back into the city. They’ve been gone for about six months. Out on tour,” you explained, “so I’ll be spending a lot of my time catching up with them.”

“Well, that sounds like fun,” he lied through his teeth. “You know? I think I’d love to meet your friends, maybe we could all hang out together when they come back?”

They clearly weren’t good friends to you, anyway, if they ditched you for six months. A tour isn’t an excuse. But he’s sure he could find a better use for them, maybe set some demons on them, steal their soul.

Their lives would be better spent feeding Gwi-Ma then dragging you down.

You watched him for a moment, then smiled. “That’s a good idea. They need more friends, anyway, and I think you guys would get along great.”

He doubted it.

But Jinu played along, nodding and agreeing, insisting that he was just so excited to meet your friends, and that he was looking forward to getting to hang out together.

“I look forward to seeing you and your…friends…at the game show, at least,” Jinu said, doing his best to not let negativity seep into the word.

And then you were looking at him again, expression soft, a smile and warmth that drove him crazy. “I’ll see if I can convince them to come by.”

He certainly hoped that you did. Whether it was alone or with these interlopers, he wanted you there. But if these ‘friends’ of yours tried to keep you from him…

Jinu wasn’t typically a violent man, but exceptions could be made.

.

.

.

The debut concert had gone great. Not only did they gain an instant following, but they’d crossed paths with the Hunters and were able to immediately crawl under their skin.

Seeing the ways their expressions shifted between crossing their paths to revealing what they were to the girls had been delightful. Seeing how easy it was to drive them mad with a few carefully orchestrated acts of kindness—

It was too bad no one in the crowd recognized the three, he could only imagine the headlines if the media caught wind of the kind of madness the girls had displayed.

He had immediately texted you after the show, eager to share with you how perfect the debut had gone. Reminding you about their appearance on Play Games With Us tonight, hoping that you’d still show up.

He’d been giddy the entire time between the concert and the show. Riding the high of getting one over the Hunters right out the gate, and the excitement of getting to see you again.

The excitement hadn’t gone unnoticed, the other Saja Boys teasing and taunting him for it. But Jinu didn’t mind.

Not even two of the Hunters showing up during the game had been enough to knock him back down. The two girls had gone down the slide, the leather on plastic an awful noise, and had, with fake smiles, offered their congratulations to the Saja Boys for their debut.

The plan had been simple enough after that. Lead the girls to the bath house, let them fight a swarm of water demons to keep them occupied while souls were stolen elsewhere. He hoped he could at least see you briefly before they did all that.

And he did.

As the group fled backstage, weaving past interns and set crewmen, Jinu spotted you in the crowd and stopped. It was safe here, too many people for the Hunters to attack him in. And you were here. You were more important than toying with the three. You were—

You were talking. To a Hunter.

That didn’t—what? Why were you—why was she—

Jinu could do nothing but stand and stare as people maneuvered past him, as the rest of the Saja Boys disappeared through the backstage door. Didn’t even process the other two Hunters running past him, giving chase to the group. His eyes only on you. Always only on you.

But your eyes were only on the Hunter. Your expression was—

He hadn’t ever seen you look like that before. A different kind of softness. A gentler kind of smile. Your hand was in hers, playing with her fingers. Standing so close to her, too close.

Lovestruck, Jinu realized. That’s how you looked.

You were looking at the Hunter like someone hopelessly in love. Like she was the only thing that mattered in the world.

Jealousy—sharp, hot, rotten—flooded through him. Set all his nerves aflame.

Lovestruck. You were looking at a Hunter hopelessly lovestruck. A look of pure adoration. He hated it. Hated that expression.

You weren’t supposed to look at other people like that. Only him. You should be giving him that look. Staring at him like he was your very world, not this—this—not her.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he could hear Gwi-Ma laughing.

He was moving before he realized what he was doing. Walking towards you and the Hunter as his chest filled with something vile, as jealous rage threatened to tear away his human disguise, urged him to bring out his claws and attack.

“Hey, you,” he said, forcing his voice to seem normal. “I see you made it, after all!”

Your eyes finally tore away from the Hunter, landing on him, and he felt a rush of pride at that, felt warmth pool in him as you gave him that gentle, kind smile of yours. “Jinu! Congratulations on officially debuting.”

The Hunter was glaring at you as she stepped behind you, her hands on your waist, holding you, possessing you. Jinu wanted nothing more than to tear her off you. She had no right to touch you like that. He should cut her hands off for it. Take out her eyes for even looking at you.

And still he smiled, only ever smiled for you. “Well, we couldn’t have done it without your support. You helped us so much these last few weeks,” Jinu said.

It was true, too. You had done wonders helping them in the weeks leading up to this, with the pre-debut PR, helping tighten their choreography, helping by just being there for Jinu. Their success was entirely because of you, and he would stand by that.

“You know him?” the Hunter asked, her voice tight, the unspoken accusation there. She wasn’t even trying to pretend she didn’t hate him. Tsk. Tsk. She could have at least tried to play nice in front of you.

His jealousy returned when you looked away from him to look up at the Hunter behind you, “He’s the new friend I told you about,” you explained.

You’d been talking about him to her? You talked about him to people. That helped ease the jealousy he felt, replacing it with another surge of pride. You were important to him. Important enough to talk about.

 Turning your gaze back to him, your smile was bright, he’d replace the sun with it if he could. “Mira, this is Jinu. Lead for the Saja Boys, though I’m sure you’ve already figured that out,” you said.

Then, nodding your head back to the Hunter and taking her hand into yours—he had to fight to not let the growl slip out—you continued. “Jinu, this is my girlfriend, Mira. She just came back to the city yesterday after Huntr/x’s world tour.”

The floor crumbled beneath him.

Girlfriend. You had said girlfriend. You were dating someone. You were in a relationship.

You were dating a Hunter.

That wasn’t right, Jinu thought. You weren’t supposed to be dating someone already. You were supposed to be his. Only his. He didn’t want to share you with someone else. Certainly not this Mira woman.

He knew that name, too. Mira. She was the violent one of the current generation of Hunters. Far too violent for someone as sweet as you.

His gaze flickered to Mira’s, took note of how fucking smug she looked when you introduced her as such. As if she knew Jinu loved you and was rubbing it in.

“I got her first,” he could practically hear her sneering. “She’s mind. I’m never giving her to you.”

He wasn’t going to stand for that. Couldn’t.

Jinu smiled and held out his hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said. “I think the rest of your group just left, however. They’d gone with the other Saja Boys for some…celebration I think.” To fight. He was sure Mira would understand that.

And she did. He saw it in the way her expression tightened. The way she gripped his hand so tightly, as if she was trying to break it. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. They can take care of themselves without me babysitting.” Letting go of his hand, her expression softened as she looked down at you.

He wanted to scream, tear that look off her face. She had no right to look at you like that.

“Right. Anyway,” he turned his attention back to you, a real smile falling into place once more. “I was wondering if you’d like to grab some food with me? A thank you for all the help you’ve been.”

Before you could speak, shutting you up before you could talk, he thought bitterly, Mira tightened her hold on your waist, pulled you closer to herself.

“Sorry,” she said, her tone forcibly pleasant, and not sorry at all, her gaze hard as she stared at him. A warning. “The two of us have dinner plans tonight. Six months of lost date nights to make up for, you know?”

“Of course,” Jinu bit back.

Jinu could scarcely get a ‘goodbye’ out to you before the Hunter was already leading you away. Away from him.

She was taking you away from him. Keeping you from him.

This wasn’t right. This wasn’t right. What right did she have to keep you like that? To touch you? To keep you from Jinu? Your girlfriend? Hah! Jinu could only imagine how terrible a girlfriend she must be, constantly lying to you, hiding things from you. Not to mention all the nights she’d have to leave you because of her ‘sworn duty’ to fight demons.

You deserved better. You should have better. Jinu was better. He was far better than Mira. He wouldn’t lie to you, wouldn’t leave you for months. He could give you all the love you deserved, all the love he knew Mira wasn’t giving.

He just had to show you how much better he was than her.