/Rumi's POV/
It was Friday—the day I'd be personally selecting the potential new idols for our boy group. But before anything, I jumped on a video call with Mira and Zoey.
"Hold on—hold on—wait!" Zoey shouted, practically pressing her face into the camera. "You're telling me you saw Jinu?! Like, our Jinu?!"
I nodded slowly.
"Even though…" she hesitated, her voice falling to a whisper, "even though we saw him die?"
"Yes," I said, barely able to say it aloud.
Mira leaned forward. "And the truck? That wasn't a rumor?"
"No. I was trying to save this little girl—she had a broken leg and dropped her cane in the middle of the street. I didn't think—I just moved."
Zoey's eyes widened. "And he... stopped a full-speed truck?"
"With his bare hands?" Mira added, stunned.
I nodded again, slower this time. "He held it back like it was nothing."
Mira's voice dropped. "That's impossible. Gwi-Ma's power should have—he shouldn't be alive. We watched him fade into nothing."
"I know," I whispered. "But I saw him."
In my mind, I saw it again—his eyes, soft and full of sorrow and hope. That moment when he saved me, when his hand reached for mine, trembling but sure.
He looked at me like I was the only thing left that mattered.
Like he was saying goodbye.
And now…
I smiled, tears suddenly burning the corners of my eyes.
Seeing him again… it felt like the world stopped.
A beat passed.
And then—
"Ooooo~ I saw that smile!" Zoey shouted, grinning wickedly.
Mira gasped. "Oh my, she totally smiled!"
"W-What?!" I snapped out of it. "No, I didn't! You're imagining things!"
Zoey leaned in closer. "You're in love, admit it!"
"I am not!" I shrieked, face burning red.
Mira laughed. "You so are."
"We were just partners! We fought demons! We had a mission!"
"She said 'partners,'" Zoey teased with a singsong voice. "That's practically code for soulmates."
"Zoey!!" I groaned. "It's... it's complicated, okay?!"
Then—
Silence.
Their grins faded. The air shifted.
"…Is it about your parents?" Zoey asked, softer now.
I froze.
My throat tightened.
My mother—celebrated by the world. Unknown to me.
And my father…
The monster behind the curtain. The demon who tore everything apart.
If I were Celine, maybe I'd hate my mother. Maybe I'd see her as a fool. A traitor.
But me?
I think otherwise.
"I'm fine," I finally said, voice barely above a whisper. "Just… confused. But seeing Jinu again—alive—it's like this giant hole in my heart closed just a little. If I can thank him, if I can look him in the eyes and say, 'Thank you'... that's enough."
"Rumi…" Mira murmured.
She leaned in, her eyes calm and grounded. "We're human, okay?"
I blinked at her.
"…Got it," I whispered.
I let that sit for a moment before asking, "So? How'd it go with Celine?"
The tension on screen shifted instantly.
"Uhh…" Zoey and Mira said in unison.
I narrowed my eyes. "Guys?"
Zoey coughed. "Well, we tried. We went to the Garden first, but she wasn't there. So we went to her house and…"
"She slammed the door on us," Mira muttered.
"What?!"
"Don't worry!" Zoey quickly said. "We're gonna try again. We'll get through to her."
"Yeah, we've got this. You just focus on your part, alright?" Mira added.
"You guys..." My heart clenched.
Zoey grinned. "Tell Derpy and Sussie we miss them!"
I laughed. "Will do."
Mira checked the clock. "Alright, we gotta bounce. We'll call you later."
"Okay."
The call ended.
I looked at myself in the mirror. My heart still pounding. My mind still circling around him.
"I'll find him," I whispered. "After this selection. No matter what."
And for a second—a glimpse of my imagination of him. Smiling at me from the reflection.
I shook my head. "No way I feel that. Right?"
____________________
Selection Studio
"Rumi!" Bobby grinned. "Perfect timing! We've got 20 incredible trainees. Gorgeous, talented, driven—some of the best we've ever seen! You'll be training them for two weeks before picking the top five."
I nodded absently. My heart was still elsewhere.
Bobby leaned in. "One of them is really impressive. You'll see."
As I walked into the studio, all eyes turned to me.
They stared like they were meeting a legend. Some smiled. Others looked like they might faint.
But then—
A short guy with a lollipop.
Same stoic face. Same sharp eyes.
"...Baby?"
My hand instinctively reached for my weapon.
No. No, it couldn't be.
Wasn't he—
And then—pink hair. Laid-back grin. Mellow confidence.
"...Romance?!"
"Huh?" Bobby turned to me.
"N-Nothing!" I blurted, stunned.
My thoughts raced.
We defeated them. Didn't we?
Something was off.
I composed myself and stood before the group.
"Welcome to Free. You've made it this far, but the road ahead is tougher. I'll be watching closely, and only the best will make it. Give it your all."
They clapped politely.
But my mind couldn't focus. Why were they here?
Then I realized something else.
"Bobby… there are only 19."
"Oh, right. One's late. Something urgent came up. But trust me—he's good. Really good. Voice, visuals, stage presence. You'll be impressed."
I blinked.
"…I wonder what he's like."
I glanced at the clock—3 PM.
"I gotta go!" I shouted suddenly. "Urgent thing!"
"Wait—huh? Rumi?" Bobby called, confused.
But I was already sprinting down the hallway.
____________________
Rumi – Alone
Why am I doing this?
Why am I chasing him?
Isn't knowing he's alive… enough?
But my chest ached.
My breath came short.
Why does it feel like... I need more?
Thump!
A body slammed into mine.
I stumbled back—but strong arms caught me.
"Whoa—sorry! Are you okay?" a warm voice asked.
My heart stopped.
That voice.
That face.
Him.
Jinu.
I stared, lips trembling.
I didn't care who was around. I didn't care what this meant.
"I missed you," I whispered.
"...Jinu."
He blinked. His brow furrowed.
"Uh… I'm sorry, do I… know you?"
My world cracked.
"What…?"
He tilted his head, concerned. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"It's me," I choked. "Rumi."
A beat.
Still nothing.
"No… I think you've got the wrong guy," he said gently. "Sorry. May I ask who you are?"
The words slammed into me like ice.
I stepped back.
"No," I whispered. "No, this isn't right."
He looked confused. Kind. Unaware.
"I-I'm sorry," I stammered. "I thought—I thought…"
And I ran.
I ran until the wind drowned out my sobs.
Until the pavement blurred under my feet.
Until the trees swallowed me.
[I don't think you're a mistake.]
Stop!
[I can't wait to see you on that stage.]
Make it stop.
How could you look at me like you don't know me.
Then—he caught up.
"Wait! You're that girl from the road yesterday, right? The one who saved the kid?"
I froze.
He panted. "I've seen your face somewhere… You're… Rumi, right?"
My heart cracked again.
That warm voice with so much meaning was gone.
And now, looking at your smile...
It feels like I lost something, once again.