A/N: Here's the new Chapter! Which also means the next FIVE chapters are up on my Patreon for early access!

The girls head for the park~

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"You know, I always thought keeping Bobby in the dark was a little dumb. Or at least a lost cause where he had to find out eventually. But given he didn't even last twenty-four hours before lying to us to go behind our backs and meet with a fucking demon, maybe hiding it from him WAS the right call after all."

Mira's words echo through the stillness of the night and Rumi… Rumi finds herself in full agreement. Zoey, on the other hand…

"I mean, he was just trying to look after us, right? And it's not like anything bad happened..."

Rumi grimaces while Mira just scoffs. When they'd all woken up in a tangle of limbs earlier in the day only to find Bobby already on his phone working away… none of them had wanted to let him out of their sight. After all, they'd almost lost him not even twelve hours before.

But Bobby had talked his way around their worry and then out of the penthouse completely by telling them that if they still wanted their show at the Idol Awards this year then they HAD to let him go and do his job. And of course, there were just some things that couldn't be done via a phone.

That had all turned out to be a lie though when he'd come back to them a few hours later and admitted the truth. He'd been up front about it then at least, telling them exactly what had happened, what he'd done, and the entire conversation he'd had with… with the demon. The same demon who had somehow sealed a tear in the Honmoon, the same demon who had saved Bobby's life. That demon.

Needless to say, none of them were exactly thrilled with Bobby right now, even if he'd somehow managed to finagle an actual meeting with said demon out of this whole situation. In the end, they'd been forced to call Celine and bring her up to speed on what was happening so she could come babysit their manager while they went to the meeting.

Celine had made her way over to the penthouse swiftly enough and though it looked like she hadn't had nearly enough sleep over the past couple of days (if any), they weren't in any position to raise issue about that. Instead, they'd left Bobby in Celine's not-so-tender care and departed from the tower as the sun was setting in the horizon so they could make their way over to the park and finally have a face-to-face with this demon.

Celine's orders remained unchanged too, unfortunately. She had been studying the rainbow patch of the Honmoon for days now and doing as much research as possible, but beyond confirming that it was doing the job of the Honmoon and keeping demons out, she didn't know anything else. She couldn't tell them how it was dangerous yet.

That meant they still had to capture the demon and get him back to Celine so she could interrogate him. It meant they needed to-

"So… guys… um, did either of you know that demons were humans before they were demons?"

Rumi's thoughts come to a screeching halt as both her and Mira look over at Zoey. The youngest member of their group gives a hesitant smile and shrugs.

"I just… wasn't sure if it was some lesson I missed or something along the way. Like yeah, obviously Celine taught us a thousand and one ways to kill demons, but I mean… I don't remember her ever saying where demons actually come from or anything like that."

Mira grunts as they continue to roof hop towards the park.

"Yeah, she never told us that. Maybe this Jinu guy is lying or something about being human four hundred years ago. We only have Bobby's secondhand account to go off of, after all."

"Maybe! Oh, or maybe he's like Blade!"

When Zoey sees the confused looks that idea gets her, she huffs at the two of them.

"Oh come on! You guys don't know Blade? It's this awesome movie about a human-vampire hybrid who hunts vampires! Sort of like we do with demons except he's a half-vampire too!"

Wrinkling her nose, Mira squints.

"… When did this movie come out, Zoey?"

Pausing, Zoey bites her lower lip for a moment before finally caving.

"Okay, okay… 1998. And yeah, I know that's like super old, but Blade is a cult classic! It transcends time periods!"

"Fuck Zoey, none of us were even born yet, that shit is from a literal different century."

"Yeah, yeah, I know! But like… what if it's the same thing with Jinu! What if he's a half-demon… who hunts demons?!"

Rumi very carefully keeps herself quiet, her eyes focused on the path ahead as the three of them continue to effortlessly make their way towards their destination. She definitely does not weigh in on a conversation about half-demons of all things.

"I mean… that would be sick as fuck, but also I'm pretty sure that contradicts what Bobby said he told him, right?"

Sick as fuck? Rumi misses a step, stumbling and forcing the other two to come to a stop as she catches herself.

"Whoa, Rumi you good?"

Swallowing down the questions she wants to ask Mira in this moment since she knows they would all be way too suspicious and incriminating; Rumi manages a rough nod in response.

"Yeah, I'm… I'm fine. Just a lot on my mind. I can't believe Bobby went behind our back like that either…"

Mira hums before shrugging.

"I guess it shows he cares, in the end. Not gonna forgive him for lying to us anytime soon, but I don't love him any less for it."

God Mira… could she go one second without unknowingly grabbing Rumi's heart in a vice and squeezing it like that?

"Me… me too."

The three of them continue moving again a moment later. Rumi realizes she needs to nip the earlier conversation in the bud though, before Zoey gets any more ideas or tries to start it back up.

"And no Zoey, Celine never told any of us that demons could once be humans. Either she didn't know, or this demon is lying. Like Mira said, we'll find out soon enough once we can finally get him face to face. But we can't let our guards down girls, not even for a moment."

Glancing between them, Rumi sighs.

"There's still a chance that this is some convoluted plot by Gwi-Ma… or if not that, maybe another faction of demons altogether who are trying to use us and don't have our best interests at heart."

Mira and Zoey both frown at that, but also nod, getting their game faces back on. Rumi is glad for that, glad that she can still be the leader they need. She hasn't screwed up too badly yet.

At the same time though, she can't help but think about the video Bobby had ended up showing them of the demon in human disguise playing Golden in the park. The way he'd sung it had felt weird to her. Rumi couldn't put her finger on it… but ultimately she decided she didn't like it. And she definitely didn't like him.

Fortunately, even if this was some sort of trap, she knew her girls were up to the challenge. As they reach the edge of the park, Rumi nods to Zoey and Mira.

"Look alive girls. Just in case."

"Got it."

"Right-ohmygodkitty!!!"

Rumi blinks as Zoey goes from hardened hunter to squealing at the top of her lungs in a second flat. The youngest member of HUNTR/X is currently jumping up and down and pointing ahead, which leads both Rumi and Mira to look over and see what she'd noticed first.

It's definitely NOT a kitty. Rather, it's a massive blue tiger with big yellow eyes and huge fangs. Except, the yellow eyes are… unfocused and it looks like it has MAYBE one braincell, if that, knocking around its giant head. Rumi and Mira's weapons are in their hands in an instant all the same and then pointed in the sitting tiger's general direction. Of course, when it just continues to sit there staring at them, they share a look.

"Is that thing… a demon?"

Rumi bites her lower lip at Mira's very good question. Zoey, meanwhile, is practically vibrating with NEED at the moment. On the one hand, it's good that she's able to keep herself under control and NOT try and leap over to cuddle the massive monster tiger the moment she lays eyes on it. On the other hand… nope, never mind. She's stopped holding herself back.

"Zoey!"

But Rumi's cry falls on deaf ears as Zoey bounds closer. She and Mira hurry to back their third up, stumbling a bit before racing forward. To her credit, Zoey stops a few feet away from the thing, her fingers twitching with desire even as she gazes at him in awe.

"He's so… fluffy. And look at him! There's seriously not a single thought going on in that big head of his!"

Mira scoffs.

"Oh I'm sure there's at least one thought, Zoey. Hunger. He's clearly some sort of demon tiger; he will one hundred percent eat you or anyone else he can get his claws on if he's feeling peckish."

Zoey gasps, as though offended on the demon tiger's behalf.

"We don't know that! He could be a good boy!"

This is… this is ridiculous. But then, Zoey and a dumb-looking animal are involved so that was pretty much guaranteed. The longer she stares at the tiger though, the more Rumi starts to get this feeling regarding the meaning of his presence here at the park's edge. Finally, she huffs and just decides to just bite the bullet.

"Take us to Jinu."

Both Mira and Zoey give her startled looks at that, but Rumi is vindicated when the dimwitted looking tiger abruptly rises from his seated position and turns around, beginning to lead them deeper into the heavily wooded park. When Mira and Zoey keep staring at her for longer than is necessary, Rumi just rolls her eyes at them.

"What? It was obvious. Now come on. And don't let your guards down."

She doesn't name names, but she definitely looks pointedly at Zoey as she puts emphasis on that last sentence. Letting out a sheepish laugh and rubbing the back of her head, Zoey just nods in response.

They follow the tiger deeper into the park and Rumi keeps her head on a swivel, ready for an ambush to come at any moment. Unfortunately, it never does. Or at least, it never comes in the way Rumi expects it to. She still feels somewhat blindsided afterwards by what happens next.

The demon… Jinu is waiting for them in a clearing in the middle of the park. There's a magpie with six eyes nearby wearing a tiny hat, but its Jinu himself who Rumi finds she can't take her eyes off of.

They'd seen him before, but only from a distance on a rooftop before he'd vanished again. Now… now as they get closer, they all get a better look at him. Rumi gets a better look at him.

"… oh no, he's hot."

It takes a second to realize that was spoken, not thought. Another second goes by before Rumi realizes SHE wasn't the one who said it and then her head whips to Mira, who definitely muttered it under her breath. The pink haired hunter's face is a little rosy as she steadfastly stares forward and refuses to meet Rumi's eyes.

In the end, Rumi looks away too… because she would be lying if she said she wasn't thinking the exact same thing. The demon, Jinu, IS hot. He's extremely attractive, especially even with those iridescent demon patterns all over his face and arms. Without them, he'd probably be even hotter… Rumi should know because she'd seen him in a human disguise watching that Golden video Bobby found.

She just… seeing a hot guy on video was different from seeing them in person. And it hadn't really registered until now, she supposed.

"Greetings. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me. I hope you three weren't too hard on your manager for going behind your backs… his heart is in the right place."

Rumi narrows her eyes, her hackles instantly rising as she grits her teeth and steps forward.

"Don't talk about him. And don't act so friendly either. We aren't going to just trust you all of the sudden just because you wear our merch, sing our music, and helped us out a couple times! You're still a demon!"

Far from getting upset or angry with her like Rumi is expecting… Jinu just smiles sadly and nods.

"I understand. I wouldn't trust me either, all things considered."

Then, he glances down at the sleeveless HUNTR/X shirt he's wearing, humming consideringly.

"I bought this so I could… how do you say it, 'show my appreciation for the home team'. But I can take it off if it bothers you that much."

Time almost seems to slow to a crawl as his hands go down to his waist. Rumi's eyes widen as his fingers close in the hem of his shirt and begin to pull upwards.

"NO!"

Thankfully, she doesn't see much, just the barest hint of what looks like the beginning of a six pack. Her strangled cry makes Jinu stop and give her a curious look, which in turn makes Rumi gurgle a little bit in the back of her throat before she gets herself back under control.

"Just… leave it. It's fine."

Rumi pretends not to hear the disappointed noises from her fellow hunters behind her. They all need to focus on the mission, not cute boys. Especially not the cute demon boy messing with the Honmoon.

"We're not here to talk about your fashion sense."

Jinu smirks and Rumi ignores how it makes her feel. Focus.

"No, I imagine not. You're here because your manager told you everything I told him and now you don't know what to believe anymore."

Rumi scowls and crosses her arms over her chest.

"Don't say it like that. We know what we believe. We know plenty about your kind. We've been protecting the Honmoon for years!"

If Rumi is being honest with herself, the most infuriating part is how he just keeps smiling at her. He won't take the bait; he refuses to stoop down to her level. Him, a fucking demon.

"And yet… you've come here all the same to talk to me tonight. I assume you have questions. So… go ahead and ask. I'm happy to answer whatever I can to the best of my abilities."

She does have questions. Too many damn questions, in fact. Unfortunately before Rumi can formulate a response, Zoey is suddenly right up next to her, practically hopping up and down as she waves her hand in the air like this is a classroom.

"I have a question! Can I pet your cat?!"

Rumi just groans and pinches the bridge of her nose between her fingers. She really should have seen that coming.

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A/N: Zoeeeey…

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