Baby Saja
I gasped for air with a sharp, intense need as my eyes snapped open. I was in a dumpster—upside down, feet hanging out the lid, filled with K-pop fan-level trash. Yeah, okay. Kinda, maybe had it coming. I did try to devour the whole world for my boss, but, like, we were hungry. Still, this stinks.
I climbed out shakily, groaning as I fell out with a more wet flop than I would have liked, landing on my back. My human disguise was back on, but my marks were visible now. They were darker, almost blackish-purple. It made my lip twitch angrily, but when I reached out to Gwi-ma, all I heard was silence. I heard… a void.
"Where... is everyone?" I mumbled quietly as I slowly picked myself up. The rush of cars and crowds in the street nearby this alley was practically a dull buzz now. 'Lord Gwi-ma…? Abby? Romance??? Mystery?!' I slowly slid down against the brick wall, eyes flicking about as I stretched as far into the black for anyone else. All I got was silence.
"Jinu...?" I whispered shakily. Only the soft plucking sound in the distance of that stupid old thing he used. "I… The hunters won…" I touched my cheek quietly, eyes shaky for a moment. "Then… why am I not… dead…?" I mumbled. I looked down, seeing the hanmoon with more focus. It was bright blue and pink now. It glowed with a perfect mixture of demonic and harmonic energies. I traced a finger across it, and I felt it hum softly with my fingers. It resonated to a demon now. "It must have been when that half-breed…" I clenched my fist, eyes narrowing as I ripped my hand off. I stomped, I must have yelled for hours at that dumpster, and who knows what kind of odd looks I got from passersby.
I looked up, wondering just how long I had been unconscious. I focused, and a rush of purple smoke cleaned me after I hid behind this stupid dumpster. Awesome, powers still work. I turned and started down the street, quickly slipping into my public mask and acting very unbothered. I glanced about, receiving very little attention from anyone but the most thirsty of elder women and perhaps more than a few elder men. Gwi-ma's death must have erased memories of us from anyone but the demons. No way they've forgotten about us. Still, I had to find some place to hide. It wouldn't be long before they found out I was alive and started singing their trash-ass songs again.
I had to prepare. I had to—I crashed directly into someone. Long, violet-red hair and pigtails that made whatever disguise she thought that hat was giving a choice, that's for sure. Big, rounded glasses that might have obscured an idiot, but not me. She fixed herself first, blinking slowly as she held tightly to a large black bag.
"..." "..."
"Saja/Hunters!" We both started to stand, but became aware of the public space. I narrowed my eyes, not eager to deal with the annoyance of being republished, and she didn't look eager to be noticed right now. "Hm." We both grunted, fixing ourselves.
"So. One little demon survived. Of course it'd be the knock-off rapper." She crossed her arms with a snort.
"Tch. What would a two-bit dancer know about bars?" I spat on the ground in front of her.
"Miramiramiramiramiramiramiramir—" The gasp was probably audible for a few blocks as this tiny, fuzzy yellow, hated imp of my issues slid to a screeching halt beside Mira, carrying more of those bags and also badly disguised. "YOU!"
My lip twitched as I stared down into those steely, filthy human eyes. How they glared back so judgmentally. It made me sick. "If it isn't the American shit-spitter." Zoey's nostrils flared, getting all up in my face as Mira scrambled to catch her bags.
"Watch it! We might be in public, but the moment we catch you somewhere alone, oooooo it's you who's gonna be watching your back, demon!" I chuckled, circling her for a moment as Mira gave me a violent glare. "Please. You?"
"We sure did a good job of turning your boss into dust!" She retorted. "YA!" "YA!!!" The levels of stupidity in these two were rising and I did not know how much longer I could handle it.
"Whatever. I'll deal with you two later." I started to turn away and make an escape when Zoey grabbed my arm.
"Hey!" She pulled me back, grabbing me by the collar and snarling in my face. For a moment, this close, I could see something more than hostility in those eyes. It was anger, it was rage, it was shame. She hated me because she believed there was no way to befriend me. She was ashamed of this, like it was some kind of failing she couldn't befriend a monster, and it came out with a hateful fire towards me. Her eyes gleamed like real daggers, and her teeth were as bared as a snarling dog. It was likely the most feral I had ever seen her. "We are watching you, Demon." She threw me off, giving me a watching-me motion before Mira and the little rap fighter walked off.
I sat there quietly for a moment, confused by all I had seen. Her eyes buzzed for a moment in my head, a little fixated on it as each moment of their distancing footsteps held in my ear. The intensity, the anger, and rage, all were delicious but… the complexity of it.
I fear I was growing obsessed.
Rumi
"Yes, Bobby! I'll be there! I—the girls are here!" I cheered over the phone, turning and grinning widely as Mira and Zoey entered the door with wide, strangely nervous grins.
"Rumi!" Zoey shouted chipperly, though it had an edge.
"You're home early," Mira asked sharply, eyes slowly narrowing.
"Yeah! Bobby had to leave the shoot early, so I swung on back real quick." I walked over to them, slipping my phone into my PJs pocket. "Need a han—"
"NOPE!" Both shouted as they bolted for their rooms. I rolled my eyes, wondering when they'd realize I knew about their manhwa obsession ages ago. I had found a copy of Mira's Killing Stalking, like I'd find that weird, as well as Zoey's edition of Ouran High School Host Club. They were my girls. They had accepted me through demonhood. Why did they still keep secrets? Well, it didn't hurt anyone, and it was kinda cute they thought they were being sneaky. I pulled my phone out to text my boyfriend. I'm sure I'd tell them about us later. Probably.
Mira
I flopped happily back on my bed, relaxing into the fuzzy black and red fabric of my cozy beanbag. The cozy surface helped the small ache in my lower back that had been building from hours of sneaking around with Zo. I peeled off the disguise and wrapped myself in my cozy couch clothes before returning to the bag with a copy of a new manhwa. A new author had published a great BL book with some seriously dark notes from the reviews, but this one apparently didn't have a shithead romantic lead. Just two boys killing together.
I flipped through the pages of Our Red Moon as I sighed in relief at the lack of noise my sound-canceling walls provided and let my thoughts slip into the book. It started out with a chance encounter of a serial killer and a pop idol, who found she loved how he killed her stalkers. The two were rivals in their youth, but as adults, they shockingly blended well. It made me think about the last five years since Gwi-ma's death. We had remained rather popular and even had taken on a little trio we planned to raise up as the next hunters and idols. We all had started thinking to the future, at different times after the demons were dispelled, but it had come eventually. Still, that asshole had popped up again. Where had he been hiding? Had he been hiding? Was he just asleep this whole time?! Talk about an idiot. Either way, we would tear him in half the instant we got the chance.
As I flipped pages, my mind drifted to Rumi. She had been glued to her phone the last couple weeks, and not in the usual excited-for-a-new-album kinda way. I'd ask Bobby later if she wouldn't spill, but let me finish this chapter first.
Zoey
I shouted and punted my beanbag chair, which bounced around my colorfully painted room like a pinball for a second before landing right back where I had it. "THAT ASSHOLE!" I squatted, snorting and flexing in anger, trying to calm the boiling tension in my chest. It ached like a furnace. He had been such a cocky prick when we dealt with them all those years ago, and he still had that smartass mouth and weird voice. Ohhhh, I didn't have to just kill this one. Nah, it was personal. I'd write a rap so badass, it'd ruin him forever! Ya! He won't ever wanna come back even if he could! I grabbed my notebooks and a pencil, eyes aglow with intent.
"I'mma spit you into the dirt, pretty boy!"
The Next Day
Rumi
The girls and I walked out of our front door in our little disguises and ignoring the adorable megafans that think disguising as a bush helps hide them, heading to get some burgers. We chanted our excitement as Zoey had heard of this sweet new place called the Hambok.
"So, Rumi." Mira poked my arm as we walked, Zoey half-skipping ahead of us as we went. "You've been on your phone a ton. Not that I can talk, but it's odd for you."
I laughed nervously, tucking a lock of hair back. "Whaaat? Nah. Just been focused on work." Mira gave me a narrowed stare. "Okay, I may be seeing someone." Zoey turned and both gave me a towering stare that left me half-bent to the sidewalk. Good thing I was great at limbo.
"WHO?!" "Do we know them?" "NOT ANOTHER DEMON, RIGHT?!" "Are they treating you right?"
I felt my forehead grow wetter and wetter before I knelt and pointed aggressively. "LOOK! WE'RE HERE!" I pointed to a large shop with a dancing pig in an adorable dress on the front, offering a burger on a plate.
"AWWWWW!" We said in unison, glad my distraction worked as we ran inside. The interior was adorable, with little piggies painted on the walls eating grass. This place offered several kinds of burgers, though I heard they are mostly associated with cows in the far west, I always preferred a good turkey burger. Less fatty!
"Wow!" Zoey cheered. "Look at the chairs!" She dove around, marveling at the old Western-style barstools around the bar. "Look at the lights!" The lights were all big piggies with their tummies glowing. "LOOK AT THE STAFF!" The staff were all wearing full-body pig costumes with various outfits overtop and their faces sticking out of a smiling mouth. I sure hoped those costumes got airflow.
"Welcome to the Haaaaaambok!" A waiter walked over with a few menus as we sat ourselves at a small table near the window. I smiled, listening to the various meats as Mira showed us a video of a cat dancing, which got Zoey and me giggling. Zoey was starting to jam to a track where the cat looked like it was rapping before she slipped on her shoelace, dropping her water all over her top.
"Shit, you okay?!" Mira got up first but I wasn't slow to follow, helping Zoey up as we dabbed her sweater with napkins.
"Yeah, I'm good. Let me just go change my top." She gave us a warm smile.
"Yeah, here!" I slid her a spare sweater, a pink one, that we kept in case of wardrobe malfunctions.
"Thanks, Rumi. You two are the best!" She kissed both our cheeks before heading to the bathroom.
"So. About this person," Mira began as I gulped.
Zoey
I slipped into the bathroom and found a stall pretty easily. A quick few motions had my pink sweater on, and it kinda fit the piggy shop. I smiled, happy at the little accidents and started to exit the stall before I heard an all-too-familiar chuckle. "You!" I burst out, daggers raised and posed to fight, but I didn't see the demon scum anywhere. I felt his breath after a second, and I turned and swung. He vanished behind me, leaning on the stone sink as he chuckled. He had changed clothes, wearing a fishnet top that went to his knuckles and navel with only a black and purple cami over, along with a pair of baggy purple pants. "Damn. Caught me." He flashed a little smirk.
"YOU!" I snorted. Then, I smirked. "Sneaking into girls' rooms? Low, even for a demon. Lucky I have a plan for you anyway."
"Oh, a plan, is it?" He smirked, leaning off the sink and holding his hands behind himself while circling me. He flashed a fanged grin while the patterns flashed briefly, before shifting when he got behind me and appearing entirely human. "You never struck me as a planner."
"Don't need to be an expert to beat a two-bit rap-hack like you." I cackled my best maniacal laugh, though I am pretty sure I just kinda snorted a little.
"Wow. Mastermind Zoey." He stepped closer, and I felt myself step away on instinct. "Heh, still afraid. 'Specially all alone."
"I'm not alone! The girls are a scream away."
"Oh, I know. See, I just had to prove something."
"What? That you're obsessed with me? Can't blame you! A wannabe would totes be all wrapped up in the girl who put you in the dust!"
He gave a soft snort, looking away for a moment while crossing his arms. "You got lucky, and that's just 'cause your half-breed—" I don't know when I did, but the instant those words started, I slammed him into the wall, making it crack. I snarled. I growled. I pressed the dagger to his throat and felt the fear quiver in his eyes.
"Don't you dare. Ever. Call my sister. A half-breed. Human, demon, doesn't matter. She's my family and I won't have you talking shit!" He slowly gulped. "Clear?!" I shouted a bit louder, slamming him against the wall again and making him whine in pain briefly.
"Yep… as… crystal…" He groaned out as I slowly loosened my grip.
"Good." He slowly rubbed his slightly bleeding neck as it shut. "So what do you want before I get tired and just smoke you?"
He looked me over for a moment. His eyes seemed uncertain, and they narrowed quietly on my own. He started to say something, but he caught himself and then smirked. "Just confirming that I'm still prettier than you." He vanished in a gust of purple smoke as I threw a dagger into the cracked spot on the wall.
"POSER!!!"