Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

For better or for worse, relinquishing his humanity had released him from the inconveniences of the mortal flesh. Free from hunger, thirst, or exhaustion, he was now fueled purely by demonic energy and rage. Despite this, Jinu couldn't remember the last time he had truly felt well rested.

Sighing deeply, he drags the covers over his shoulders, cursing under his breath. The night was silent, dense and suffocating, creating a vacuum that left space for his negative thoughts to fester and proliferate. After centuries of living in his head, Gwi-ma's voices, eternally vile and relentless, were a permanent fixture of his inner dialogue. On his worst days, his own internal monologue was indistinguishable from the demon's, and he could no longer identify himself from amidst the cacophony.

From the corner of his eye, the digital clock flicks over to midnight and he finally gives up trying to force himself to relax, hauling himself up to a sitting position. Jinu fumbles in the dark until he hits a switch, the bedside lamp casting casting a peaceful glow across the hotel suite.

Groaning, he drags his hands over his face. His chest rose and fell in quick, shallow breaths, and he clenches his jaw to will himself to focus.

"I'm okay. Everything's okay." Jinu mutters under his breath, ignoring the way that his heart continued to hammer in his chest.

At least he was alone. He was grateful they'd agreed to book separate hotel rooms. It meant no one was there to witness him unravelling.

The absurdity of the whole situation made him want to laugh. After centuries in the silence of the underworld, here he was back in the mortal world, making music once more. He was now living among mortals, surrounded by more people in a single day than he'd once seen in a decade in the palace. The applause of cheering crowds, the colours, the unrelenting schedule that barely gave him time to think... Oh, how he'd missed this.

As a human, Jinu had lived and breathed music, only to have it all torn away from him when he became shackled to servitude in the underworld, replaced by fire and the crushing weight of eternity.

This was all your own doing.

He shoves another thought away. He knows this already, but doesn't need to be reminded again. Desperate for reprieve, he allows his mind to drift elsewhere.

Seeking refuge in his new mundane life, he walked through the events of the day. Hours of brutal dance practice, vocal coaching sessions, and an impromptu fan signing at the local park when they were suddenly swarmed by fans during one of their breaks.

But his thoughts, still restless, wandered until they inevitably settled on something that had been haunting his consciousness all day. Someone that he was hoping to avoid.

That girl, Rumi. There was something about her that pulled him in on a level he couldn't quite understand, magnetism that felt equal parts thrilling and terrifying.

He had felt something when their eyes met, a flicker of connection, understanding, or maybe interest? He dared not dwell too long on his feelings. At best they were useless, they were enemies and rivals and could never be together. At worst, they were dangerous, a distraction that risked derailing everything they'd been working towards.

H feels a sudden jolt of pleasure, forcing a gasp from his lips. Glancing down, he numbly notices that he'd been palming himself through his sweats. He yanks his hand away as though it was searing hot.

He gives himself another tentative squeeze to confirm his theory and feels another wave of pleasure radiating from his core. He was hard. He could not believe his eyes.

Whether it was another lost bodily function due to being demon or century-long depressive state, he had given up on the idea of ever feeling any form of sexual or romatic desire for the rest of eternity. Truth be told, he had completely forgotten the feeling until this very moment.

At this moment, he felt conflicted. On one hand, this was the first time he'd felt this in a long long time. He wasn't sure when or if he'd ever get an erection again. On the other... acting on his desires will only make it difficult for him in the future. If he had any hope of erasing his memories, he couldn't afford for anything to go wrong.

He decides on the latter and tries to will it to go down, squeezing his thighs together in an effort to force the blood to drain out of his hardened member.

"Now, isn't this an interesting sight?"

Gwi-ma's voice resonates through his head, suddenly making his presence known.

Jinu groans, his head thudding back against the headboard. "Not now." He muttered, bringing his fingers up to rub his temples, as if preparing for the headache that would soon follow this interaction.

"I'd like some privacy, if you don't mind." Jinu says aloud.

A low, velvety chuckle echoed in his skull like a rolling thunderstorm.

"Now that's no way to welcome me." Gwi-ma purred, his voice infuriatingly smooth and rich with mockery.

Jinu rolls his eyes. "Why are you even here?"

"I sensed some... disturbances." The demon said, drawing out the word with a dramatic flair. "So naturally, I'm here to see if you were doing anything that would disappoint me."

Jinu let out a short, humorless laugh. "And your verdict?"

There was a pause as Gwi-ma was thought about his answer, before his voice returned, this time with an edge of amusement. "I'm not displeased... merely curious. It's been a while since I've seen your nightly habits up close."

"Maybe you should mind your own business." Jinu snapped, a flush rising to his cheeks.

The laughter that followed made his skin crawl, deep tones reverberating through his body and settling like a dark pit.

"Such an ungrateful brat." Gwi-ma voice dripped with mock diappointment. "I check up on you and this is how you talk to me? And you have the audacity to protest when I say you're selfish."

Jinu froze, his jaw tightening. He says nothing, the familiar weight of shame pressed down on his shoulders.

"I'm not doing anything that you didn't sign up for." Gwi-ma continued. "Who was it that came crawling to me on his knees all those years ago?"

Jinu closed his eyes. Shame prickled beneath his skin. "Fine," he muttered. "I'm sorry, okay?"

Silence followed, and Jinu could feel the demon's presence pressing against the edges of his mind, evaluating the sincerity of his submission.

"That's better." Gwi-ma said eventually, seemingly satisfied with his answer. "Now that we've gotten that out of our way, tell me what you were doing."

The firmness in the demon's voice left no room for argument.

"I don't know what happened." Jinu began slowly, grasping for a plausible answer. "I was just... thinking. About the events of today."

He stopped himself short. There was no need to tell every thought to him. Not when he could twist any vulnerability into to his advantage, using his own thoughts to torture him.

Silence followed, heavy and expectant. And then Gwi-ma's voice returned, stripped of its earlier amusement.

"Do you honestly think I'm that dense?"

Jinu flinched, guilt tightening in his chest like a vice. "I don't—"

"Remind me, Jinu." Gwi-ma interrupted, his tone brittle and hard as iron. "Why did I allow you to walk the mortal world again? Was it so you could joyride around Seoul and drool over the first woman to ever give you a second glance?"

Jinu closed his eyes, clenching his jaw, his fists balling up at his sides. "No." He muttered finally. "It was to harvest souls. To gather the spiritual energy needed to weaken the Honmoon, so you could finally escape the underworld's confines. I-I haven't forgotten."

"Good." Gwi-ma said. "Then I trust you understand my concern when I see you with her."

Jinu's breath caught in his throat, his shoulders drawing up defensively. "There's nothing going on between us," he said quickly. Too quickly.

A low rumble of disapproval echoed through his mind.

"No. But you wish there was."

Jinu flinches, biting his lip before he said something he regretted. His silence was a loud confirmation and he braced himself for the fallout.

"This fleeting distraction—" The demon spat the word out like venom. "Will only serve to distract you from our goal. Your sole purpose is to help me take over the mortal realm."

Despite trying his hardest to suppress it before, something desperate and raw clawed its way up from the depths of his chest, burning so hot that couldn't ignore it anymore. This feeling of desire, of yearning, was something he wanted to cling to for just a little bit longer. He wanted to feel human.

"Just let me have this." The words tumbled out before he could stop them, cracked and pleading. It killed him to have beg so pathetically to Gwi-ma, the very act that landed him an eternity of problems in the first place. But this was the first time in centuries he'd felt genuinely human. The first time his heart had beaten. "Please."

Gwi-ma paused, seeming to contemplate his request. The silence stretched, and Jinu found himself holding his breath, waiting for the inevitable rejection, the cruel laughter, the punishment for daring to ask for scraps.

"Very well." He spoke again. "Don't let me stop you."

Jinu's heart lurched, hope surging through his body, and he sits up.

"Does that mean you'll give me privacy now?" He asked tentatively, hating how small his voice sounded.

The laughter that erupted from the demon was rich and dark, filled with genuine amusement at his naivety, rolling through his consciousness like smoke, choking and inescapable.

"Oh, you amuse me." Gwi-ma sneers, his word dripping with mockery. "You'll never be rid of me. Someone has to keep an eye on you."

Jinu's heart sank.

"Now then." The demon continued, his voice returning to a less sinister tone. "Would you still like to resume your... activities?"

Gwi-ma's voice went silent and Jinu grasps the opportunity of silence to continue.

He reaches into his pants, wrapping his fingers around his shaft and stroking it experimentally. The spark, that gasp-wrenching pleasure that shot through his body when he'd first touched himself, had completely dissipated, and after a few half-hearted attempts to reawaken the feeling, he gave up. The interaction had ruined the mood entirely.

In a final attempt, Jinu let his mind drift back to her, to the way she'd looked at him earlier, her eyes fiery and powerful, but with a mystery that drew him. He imagined what it might feel like to know the softness of her skin beneath his touch.

His cock twitched in his palm and he feels it swell with every thought, and he continues with vigour, encouraged by the results. Fingers stroking faster, his breath grows shallow as he attempts to wring as much pleasure as he could from the situation.

For just a moment, he allowed himself to believe in the impossible, that someone like her could care for someone like him. A pathetic, worthless man like him. He lets his mind go blank, as pleasure coursed through his body.

"Don't think about her." Gwi-ma's sharp voice broke him out of his thoughts. Jinu's eyes snapped open, his body tensing with frustration.

"Damn it, get out of my thoughts!" He snapped. "Didn't you just say I that could continue?"

"I was only referring to physical activity." Gwi-ma said matter-of-factly. "Your thoughts of her are still off-limits until you can prove you're committed to our goals."

Jinu groans. "Forget it." He muttered. Reluctantly, he removes his hand from his pants, pulling the covers over his head. "I'm going to sleep."

"Stop."

Jinu's froze, every muscle going rigid as a terrifying thrill shot through his nervous system. Gwi-ma's voice dropped to a irresistible tone, which decades of conditioning had taught him to obey without question.

"Remember." The demon continued, his voice now a sultry purr that made Jinu's skin crawl and burn simultaneously, "Your loyalty belongs to me. I don't want your mind wandering to places I haven't given you permission to explore. Do you understand?"

"But, I—"

"Understand?" A shiver ran through his entire body. He nodded silently, not trusting his voice to remain steady.

"Good." Gwi-ma purred. "Now relax."

This was an order, and instinctively, Jinu obeyed, his shoulders slumping into the bed, letting his body grow limp. It almost felt like his body had a mind of its own, as if Gwi-ma was controlling him like a puppet.

"I will guide you through this." The demon continued, his voice wrapping around Jinu's consciousness, with a intimacy that made him squirm. "As long as you follow my orders, you will no longer need to think of her at all. You'll find that I can provide everything you need. Every comfort, every pleasure, every moment of release you will ever crave."

Despite his hatred of the demon, Jinu can't help but groan at his words. He curses himself for his lack of self-control. Already pent up from touching himself, he could feel his cock twitch in response to the demon's words. His fingers wander down once more and within seconds, he's fondling himself through the fabric of his pants, which were now growing uncomfortably taut.

"Touching yourself already?" Gwi-ma admonishes. "I'll admit I expected a bit more resistance from you."

Jinu shivers as he feels his voice next to his ear, its sultry whisper sending jolts of pleasure down his spine.

"This is a much better look for you. So obedient. So eager."

"Stop speaking like that." Jinu gritted his teeth, flushing a deeper shade of red. His hand moves faster without much conscious thought, grinding his hips reflexively into his palm, the motion sending tingles pulsing to his core.

"How rude. Perhaps I shouldn't be helping you."

"No." Jinu gasped, his voice tight with arousal. He was too far gone to stop, his body quivering with the desire to feel more. "I'll be good."

Gwi-ma laughs at this response, at how needy he sounded. "I'm glad you've come to your senses. But, you'll have to wait a little longer before you get your reward."

"Are you serious?" Jinu whimpered, his voice going up a pitch. "W-why?"

"I would like to make this a memorable experience for you. After all, how else would I remind you of who you belong to?"

Jinu shudders as another jolt of pleasure runs through him. He bites back another remark, afraid to provoke Gwi-ma any further.

"You've done a good job with that human form of yours. You certainly know how to entertain an audience." Gwi-ma rumbled. Jinu holds his breath, a thrill running through his body at the thought of the demon's eyes running over his body. "But I presume you haven't had the opportunity to truly explore every part of it."

"No." Jinu breathes, suddenly aware of how tight his clothing felt. "I haven't had the time to."

"Well there is no better time than now. It would be a waste to not touch every muscle on that pretty boy body of yours."

Jinu's free hand wanders up his body, trailing a burning path under his shirt and gliding across his bare skin. He traces his toned abdomen, his sculpted abs flexing at every sensitive touch. Every touch sends jolts of electricity down to his groin, and he can't help the moans that escape his lips as he touches his body.

"That's it." Gwi-ma purrs in satisfaction. "Remember that every part of your body is mine. I made you into the demon you are today and created everything that you have."

His hand wanders higher, wrapping around the hardened mound of his pectoral. A gentle squeeze around the firm muscle forces a gasp from his lips, and his fingertips soon glide to circle a nipple, which hardened under his touch. Rolling the hardened nub between his thumb and and finger, he bites his bottom lip, inhaling deeply through his nose as he focused on the sensations overwhelming him.

"How does it feel?" His eyes flicker open as Gwi-ma spoke, his breath stuttering as he let out the breath he was holding.

"G-good." Another shuddering gasp escapes his lips as he squeezes his nipple once more. "So good."

"Now, touch yourself for real this time." Gwi-ma instructs. "But slowly. You'll only get your release once you've earned it."

He slides his pants down, letting his cock spring free, slapping lightly into his stomach as it lolls into view. He closes his hand around it, grasping its thickness firmly. Running his fist along the length of his cock, he groans in relief at the feeling of skin against skin.

"You are surprisingly adept with this. Have you done this before?"

"You should know, you're alway watching me." He can't help but retort.

"I want to hear it from you."

He lets out a shuddering breath, hand still stroking his cock at an infuriatingly slow pace. "It's been a long, long time. Not since I turned. I've forgotten how good this feels."

"Mmm, so you must feel pent up." Gwi-ma rumbled in amusement. Jinu could feel the demon's gaze on him, but was too overwhelmed to feel ashamed. He must look like a mess, glassy-eyed, face flushed bright red, rutting into his hand shamelessly. "How bad do you want it?"

"I want it." Jinu gasps, his chest heaving with effort. "I need... I need more. Please."

"Patience..." Gwi-ma chuckles, his voice low and deep, sending arousal shooting through Jinu's body with just a single word. "You were always so pretty when you beg."

Jinu arches into his own hand, trying to draw as much pleasurable friction from the action as possible. However, his strokes were slow and teasing, unable to speed up without Gwi-ma's command. His pleas fell from his lips, uncontrollable and incoherent. "Please.. Please..."

"Now stop."

Jinu whined as his hand halted mid-stroke, responding instantly to Gwi-ma's voice. He fought to catch his breath, mouth opening and closing as he gulped in air.

"Please..." He begged again, frustration evident in his voice. He could feel tears pricking his eyes, overwhelmed by the desire to come.

"Poor thing..." Gwi-ma coos, the cruelty in his voice evident despite his words. "Don't worry, you'll get everything you desire soon enough."

Jinu is trembling, his body taut with desire and frustration, a single touch away from unravelling completely. "I'll be good, I'll listen to you. Please, just let m—"

"Shhh..."

Jinu bites his lip, willing himself to be silent.

"All I want..." Gwi-ma pauses, before chuckling darkly, his voice taking a sinister tone. "All I want is your loyalty. Your dedication to me and only me. Can you promise me that?"

Jinu's mind was in tatters, clouded with lust and overwhelmed need. All he could think about was getting his release, the weight of his cock in his palm a constant reminder of what he wanted the most. Despite the weight of the demon's words, the danger of playing into his hands, Jinu was too far gone to think rationally. "I-I promise. I'm yours. My body... my soul belongs to you."

"And what do you desire the most?" Gwi-ma whispers, his presence wrapping around Jinu's mind, dark and heavy.

"I want to please you." Jinu gasps, blinking through his tears. "I want to do everything you tell me to do."

"Good." Gwi-ma hums in satisfaction. Jinu could feel his presence in his mind grow stronger, enveloping his mind. Mixed with the haze of his arousal, Jinu could no longer think, driven solely by the want that coursed through his veins.

Jinu speaks again, his voice a rasping plea. "So, can I—"

"You may."

He didn't need to be told twice and his hand was stroking his cock faster now. He started off too fast and too eager, the intensity of friction searing his nerves. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes, and he squeezes them shut, forcing his breathing to steady. He brings the speed of his strokes down to a manageable pace, bucking his hips to meet the movement of his hand. Moans tore from his throat, ragged and raw with desire.

"That's it." Gwi-ma practically purrs into his ear, sending another shockwave through his already overstimulated body. "So perfect."

"Feels... so good..." Jinu groans, his head falling back, his breathing growing deeper, body quivering with anticipation of his release.

"Then moan my name." Gwi-ma commands, low and deep. Jinu could feel him, his presence pressing deeper into his consciousness, making him dizzy with desire. "I want to hear my name on your lips as you cum."

"Gwi-ma..." Jinu moans. "Please... Gwi-ma..."

"Yes..." Gwi-ma growled, his voice husky and tight, as if the demon could experience the same pleasures that Jinu was. "Once the Honmoon breaks and I acquire a physical form... I'm going to take you... Take you until you can't stand... Would you like that?"

"Yes!" Jinu was practically sobbing, feeling himself grow closer to release. "Yes! I want t— Ohh, Gwi-ma!"

Jinu lets out a cry as his orgasm tears through him, waves of ecstasy pulsing through his body and overflowing like a torrent. He continues to stroke himself, riding the waves until they ebb away into a dull throb.

"Good job."

Jinu blinks, slumped into the mattress, his body boneless after this ordeal. He watches his chest rise and fall as he catches his breath.

"Now, I hope you'll remember our agreement." Gwi-ma says. Through his hazy mind, Jinu struggles to recall what he's just agreed to, but he was pretty sure it wasn't something in his favour. "You're mine now. Your body is mine."

"Wait, I—"

"This was an enlightening evening with you, Jinu. I look forward to doing this again in the future."

With another chuckle, Gwi-ma's voice fades to silence and this time Jinu knows that he'd been left alone.

Chapter Text

The rooftop overlooked the sprawling city below, where thousands of lights glittered in the darkness. The epicentre of the celebration was a road that had been cordoned off specifically for the festival, an illuminated runway of floats and paper lanterns criss-crossed between buildings, standing out even amongst the glaring city lights.

Jinu sat with legs slung off the edge of the roof, quiet and observing. From up here, away from the crowds of locals and tourists, the chaos below looked almost peaceful.

There was an implicit agreement between them to never talk about the whole demon thing. They were enemies and nothing short of a miracle would ever change that. Their existence defied the laws of the universe itself.

But, enemies or not, there was no denying the magnetic pull that drew the two of them toward one another. As stubborn as they both were, they were both surprisingly willing to walk on eggshells, to dance around conversation, all just to preserve whatever this fragile thing between them was. In a way, it was beautifully poetic: two tortured souls bound by the same struggles, but doomed to never speak of them, maintaining distance in order to remain close.

Jinu didn't mind the charade. In fact, he told himself he preferred it. He'd convinced himself that he was just gathering intel, learning her weaknesses to make it easier to destroy her when the time finally came. Yet he found himself never asking the right questions, never pressing for information that might actually be useful. The more he knew about her as a demon, the more leverage he'd have against her, and the closer he'd be to corrupting her completely. But he was almost grateful for his willful ignorance, content to pretend she was just Rumi.

He didn't deserve this happiness anyway. The thought crept in like smoke, and he pushed it away before it could settle.

"Something the matter?" Rumi's voice broke him out of his thoughts. She was perched on the ledge beside him, legs dangling over the edge.

"I just..." He hesitates, words catching in his throat. He could feel her eyes on him, impossibly sharp and intelligent eyes that seemed to pierce through every carefully constructed wall he'd built.

He shakes his head, forcing his lips into a less-than-convincing smile.

"Nothing." He says softly, turning away so she couldn't see his face, casting his gaze to the festival lights instead. "Just admiring the lights."

Rumi paused. Jinu could hear the gears turning in her head as her gaze lingered on his face, those sharp eyes searching for cracks in his facade. "Is that all?" She asked, and there was something in her voice, something that he couldn't— or was afraid to— identify.

"Yes." Jinu could taste the unspoken words on his lips, hanging in the air between them like an unfinished song. But his world was built on shame and suffering, and the final shred of humanity left inside him couldn't bear the thought of dragging her down into that darkness with him.

Silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. Through the thundering of his heart in his ears, the sounds of the festival below filtered up— traditional music mixing with children's laughter, and the voices of vendors echoing down the streets— reminding him too much of the life he'd lived before he'd made choices that led to an eternity of regret.

It feels so unreal sometimes. He wanted to say. I was down there in the darkness and misery. But now everything is so alive and moves faster than I can process it, bursting with colour, sound, and people. And if I fail this mission, it'll all disappear and I'll be dragged back down into that eternal darkness. If I succeed, all of this beauty will become nothing but rubble.

And you... I don't want you to disappear either.

Jinu suddenly pushed himself off the ledge, dropping to the next layer of roofing, needing movement, needing space to breathe. He spread his arms wide, tilting his face toward the sky as if the cool night breeze could blow away all his doubts and self-loathing.

"Let's go down to the festival together." He said finally, the words tumbling out before he could second-guess them.

Rumi blinks, surprise flickering across her features before a grin grows on her face.

"You're not afraid to be seen with me?" She teased, dropping off the ledge to join him. "You know what those gossip sites are like."

"Oh, I know full well." Jinu chuckles, some of the tension bleeding from his shoulders as he feels her body brush up against his. "One time, a picture of me staring intently into my reflection on a coffee shop window was posted on Dispatch. Apparently this convinced half the internet that I was a narcissist who was desperately in love with himself."

Rumi snorted with laughter, then immediately slapped her hand over her mouth. "Knowing you, you were probably standing there brooding and contemplating the meaninglessness of existence or something dramatic."

"You have no idea." Jinu agreed, grinning despite himself. "But no, I was actually holding back my tears after tasting cake for the first time in several hundred years. Miraculously, at that moment, Gwi-ma's voices stopped, and I thought for a second that my soul had just been restored."

"Just in case, I'll have you know that I'm a master of disguise." Rumi pulls her oversized hoodie over her head and tugged at the drawstrings until only her eyes and nose bridge were visible through a small opening. "See? No-one will recognise me now."

Jinu couldn't help but laugh. "Then I'll have nothing to worry about then. Just a famous Kpop star and his anonymous stalker."

"Hey!" Rumi yanked down her hood, shooting him a look of mock outrage. "I'll have you know I charted in the Top 10 at least fifty times before anyone even knew your face existed, old man! "

"Old?!" Jinu recoiled, a look of shock crossing over his face, pressing a hand to his chest as if she'd physically wounded him.

"Well you are a centuries old demon, soooo..." Rumi whistled innocently, placing her arms behind her head and rocking back on her heels. She raises her eyebrows cheekily. "I'm surprised you've been able to pull off those dance moves without your back giving out."

Jinu groans, tipping his head back in exasperation, though he was fighting a smile. "I don't need to hear this from you." With an elegant spin on the heel of one foot, he uses the momentum to propel himself to the next rooftop.

He turns back to face her, shooting her a wink full of mischief and challenge. "Aren't you comi—?"

She was beside him before he could finish his sentence, moving with inhuman speed.

"Someone has to supervise you." Rumi said cheerfully. She surprised him by linking her arm through his, a gesture so casual, yet no less devastating. Jinu feels his throat run dry. "Can't have you breaking down in tears over a sugar-dusted corndog, can we? Think of what that would do to your reputation."

The contact sent electricity racing through his veins. For a moment, his mind screams at him to shake her off.

He didn't pull away. Instead, he made a conscious choice to let himself fall into the fantasy, to pretend for just a little while longer that this was real.

They were just two ordinary people heading to a festival together.

He leans into her touch and they descend to the streets below.

In order to ensure that the Saja Boys would be an overnight success, Jinu first had to crack the code to manufacturing a K-pop sensation. He boiled this formula down to three simple elements: facecard, fanservice, and fire (literally). Everything else – authenticity, soul, the music itself – were mere afterthoughts when it came to mass entertainment.

The other demons were slow to adapt to their new world, having no concept of music or even entertainment in the underworld. Yet, after centuries of servitude under Gwi-ma, they excelled at following orders with precision and efficiency. Being able to reduce the complexity of music down to its most basic marketable elements made it easier to direct them to produce results. Every gesture was choreographed, every movement was calculated to perfection, every interaction with the audience was meticulously rehearsed. The audience remained blissfully unaware that the passion radiating off the stage was nothing more than an illusion.

As the vocals faded and the last bars of the soundtrack played, Jinu steps forward into the blinding glare of the stage lights. The giant screens— previously showcasing ecstatic fans waving signs, performing memorized routines, or lip-syncing lyrics through tears— concluded its live feed of the audience (to the relief of a sheepish embracing 'couple' obviously not meant to be seen together).

Now, Jinu's form dominated the screen, casting his perfectly curated image across the stadium – hair mussed-up and expression vulnerable yet fierce – the image of an idol who had just given this performance his all, but was willing to push himself beyond his limit just for his adoring fans.

Of course, this was all for show, as part of a perfectly designed image to provide the parasocial intimacy that his human audience desperately craved. If there was one thing he knew how to do, it was entertaining an audience.

And entertained they were, as crowds erupted into a wave of cheering and adoration, as every clamored for attention, just for a single glance in their direction.

He flashes his trademark smile, refined after all those months of performing. It was radiant enough to make everyone swoon, but not too flashy as to overshadow the rest of his crew, for fear of being seen as too self-centred. The expression he wore was a blend of sex-appeal, boyish charm, and humility, as if he was the one honoured by the opportunity to perform in front of this audience of average humans, despite the fact they seemingly had no concept of personal space or body odour.

He holds his smile, allowing enough time for any fancam to capture his best angles.

Beside him, the other demons had also broken formation, abandoning their positions to wave into the crowd with practiced enthusiasm.

From his peripheral vision, he caught sight of Abby stepping closer. Jinu raises an eyebrow in silent question, and Abby responds with the subtlest of nods, their wordless interaction imperceptible to everyone but their most obsessive fans who overanalysed their relationship.

Taking the cue, Jinu shifts into position with fluid grace, letting the taller demon slip his hand around his waist, pulling him closer until his body is pressed against Abby's thick muscular frame. He bites his lip, gazing up at the other man through half-lidded eyes. Abby responds, trailing his fingers across his jawline, thumb tracing his lip almost tenderly.

Their faces were mere inches apart, the chemistry between them almost palpable. The response from the crowd was immediate, a mixture of gasps, squeals, and excited clamouring from fans who thought they were witnessing something unscripted.

To the audience, this was fanservice that would add to the ever-mounting archive of ship analysis, fanfiction, and fan-edits. For the demons, this was the perfect cover for any communication to be had while on stage, the crowd's cheers masking any sinister talk.

"Are we going to act soon?" Jinu could feel Abby's warm breath next to his ear as he murmured to him, his voice barely audible.

Jinu paused, eyes flickering towards the crowd before them. He could feel the energy surging, everyone hyped from the performances. Yet, he was sure that they could do better. Ripen up the anticipation and passion in the audience so that their souls yielded more spiritual energy once they were harvested.

"Not yet." He says firmly. His head darts to the side, licking his lips into the camera and winking suggestively, as if letting the crowd in on a secret. "Just a bit more."

"Are you sure?" A twitch in the other demon's otherwise blank face betrayed his doubt. "Now seems like a prime time to finish."

"We can do better." Jinu insists. His hands moved up and pulled at the other demon's collar, bringing his face down to meet his own, until they were mere centimetres apart. "We'll get a more bountiful harvest of we just let them marinate in their passion for a little bit longer."

Abby nods and Jinu feels a broad palm envelop the back of his head. The gap between their faces was closed, their lips meeting for a brief, chaste kiss. The contact lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to send the audience into a frenzy. He then pushes the other demon away with a theatrical flourish, their bodies falling apart with practiced grace, Abby's fingers moving up to touch his lips in feigned surprise.

Jinu steps forward to address the crowd directly. He taps his mic to ensure that his voice would carry through the stadium speakers.

"We have something special planned for our finale, so please look forward to it!" He spreads his arms, basking in the emotionally charged energy that swirled through the stadium.

The crowd roars in response, a deafening wall of sound that echoed all the way through to the stage.

They called for a brief intermission to allow for a costume change. With a few more waves and bows, they ducked backstage to prepare for the most crucial part of the performance.

"Seriously, another one?" Baby collapsed onto the couch in their makeshift dressing room, his head falling back on the cushion as he groaned in exasperation. "I thought we were done with this already."

"Well, it wouldn't be much of a concert if we only performed a few songs." Mystery pulled up a folding chair, sitting backwards with his legs slung over the sides of the seat, arms perched on the backrest as he rested his chin on top. His casual posture spoke of his indifference to the whole ordeal. "Isn't that right, Jinu?"

All eyes were on him, but Jinu kept his expression neutral.

"Yes, most fans have the expectation that we'd perform more songs." He said simply. "Meeting those expectations would be good for our reputation and good for getting this crowd more riled up.

"Everyone's having a good time, so why don't we just collect what souls we have and call it a day?" Baby rolls his eyes. He unfurls the wrapper on his lollipop and places it in his mouth. "I was hoping to get downtown before all that's left is passed out drunkards."

"Wait wait, you've been going out?" Romance interrupted, scooting closer to Baby on the couch, his grin widening as he leaned in. "I thought all you did was sulk in your hotel room, complaining about how much effort it took to hold a human form."

"Yeah, well, once I figured it out, I was surprised at how much energy I actually had." Baby drawled, his lips curling into a shadow of a smirk. The two demons exchanged a conspiratorial look. Clearly they were making the most of being out in the human realm. "And what about it? Unlike some people, I actually know how to have fun."

Baby tips his chin up to gesture and as if on cue, Abby turns around from his corner of the dressing room.

"And, unlike some people, chasing around drunk humans really doesn't sound like my idea of fun." Abby commented dryly, pulling a questionably short crop top over his muscular form.

"Don't knock it 'til you try it." Mystery chimes in, tipping his head with amusement, his bangs doing nothing to conceal the mischievous grin that had grown on his face. "Humans can be fascinating creatures to observe sometimes."

"Not you too, Mystery." Abby groans, though his voice carried more humour than genuine exasperation. "I thought we were the last normal ones left in this group."

Romance winked playfully. "Just try it. I'm sure you'll be a hit with both the ladies and the men. You've got that wide-eyed himbo look about you that drives everyone wild."

"What does that even mean?" Abby looked at them with a mix of genuine confusion and a hint of horror.

As the other demons squabbled among themselves, Jinu felt his patience fraying. No-one seemed to take the situation as seriously as he did... but then again, why would they? They had nothing at stake. Driven by desperation to form a K-pop group, he was the one who dangled the prospect of exploring the human world before them, hoping curiosity would be enough to win them over. Unlike Jinu, who had once been human, these native demons had no experience with any world beyond the fires of the underworld. The promise of a vibrant, exciting world, was enough to convince them.

But for Jinu, this mission meant everything, his entire life. If he completed the task perfectly, he would earn the chance to erase the memories of his sins and finally move on.

His fists clenched at his sides. The only thing getting between him and his goal were these idiots.

"Could we focus, please?" Jinu's sharp voice cut through the casual conversation. "We're not on holiday here, and I would appreciate it if you all took this a little more seriously."

"Relax, Jinu." Romance says dismissively, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair with frustrating nonchalance. "We have plenty of souls already. The crowd's practically eating out of our hands."

"Besides," Baby mutters under his breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Who are you to lecture us about going out when you've been sneaking out just as much as the rest of us."

Jinu feels heat rise to his cheeks, but decides to ignore the snarky comment. His situation was different– or so he told himself– though that didn't help the pang of guilt at his hypocrisy.

"Plenty isn't enough." He snaps, his voice rising despite his effort to remain calm. "It takes a certain amount of souls to shatter the Honmoon, and I don't want to be working on this assignment for longer than I need to–"

"But here's the thing." Baby interrupts, shifting the lollipop to his cheek, leaning forward on the cough as he locked into the conversation, a dark grin growing on his face. "Once we finish this job, we might be sent back to the underworld, where we'll be forced to live in the darkness and emptiness again. Sooo if you think about it... if we drag this out, we could stay in the human realm a little bit longer."

"I like the way you think." Mystery shrugs, a smile growing on his face. "Why are we working this hard anyway? We should just enjoy the journey while we're here. Expand the tour to other cities, do some sightseeing while we're at it."

Jinu's jaw tightened, fists clenching at his sides as panic started to creep in. "Are you kidding me? We're on a tight schedule, we can't afford to–"

"But hypothetically~" Baby continues with a sing-song voice. "If something was to happen tonight, we'd have no choice but to reschedule. What a terrible shame that would be~"

Jinu blanched. "You wouldn't dare–"

"Oh, I'm just pulling your leg." Baby sticks his tongue out with mock innocence. "After all, we're professionals now, aren't we?"

"Relax, Jinu." Abby interjects, shooting a warning look at the other demons. "We're still going to give it our all for the finale. But, just lighten up, okay? You're starting to freak us out."

Jinu looks at the other demons in disbelief, eyes flickering between each of their faces. All of them had the same air of casual indifference, as if this mission was merely a minor inconvenience to their vacation plans.

He wanted to knock some sense into them, make them understand that they could not afford to fail. He opens his mouth, but no words come out.

"We're back on stage in ten." He finally managed, his voice coming out hoarse, the words feeling like broken glass in his throat. He tore his costume change from the rack with trembling hands, bunching the fabric up in a white-knuckled grip. "Just... be ready."

Without waiting for a response, he turns around and heads to the bathroom. Behind him, he could hear the other demons chattering amongst themselves. Whether they were concerned about him or mocking his bizarre behaviour, he didn't care. Their voices soon faded into the background, but the anxiety that buzzed through his head grew louder.

He storms down the hall as fast as his legs could carry him. He would be quick, so he could get out there and perform. He couldn't allow for anything to go wrong out there.

Just as he yanks the bathroom stall open, he feels a familiar chill down his spine, even before the voice seeps into his consciousness.

"My, my, you should really be nicer to your friends." Gwi-ma purrs, his voice sickly smooth like honey laced with venom, the sound making Jinu shudder involuntarily. "That was quite the meltdown. Seeing you so pathetic and desperate like that was quite delicious."

"They're not my friends." Jinu mutters bitterly, slamming the stall door with more force than he'd intended, the sound echoing through the empty bathroom. "And once we're done with this, I'm never speaking with them again."

"How typical." Gwi-ma responds, voice dripping with mock disappointment. "Were you like this with your family too? Abandoning them as soon as you didn't have a use for them any more?"

Jinu clenched his jaw, knowing exactly where his words were going.

"Think of how your poor mother used to sell her wares until midnight to raise you, until her ungrateful son abandoned–"

"Don't you fucking start with that." Jinu snapped, feeling the guilt grip his heart like thorns. He forces himself to ignore it, knowing that the demon was merely trying to get under his skin like usual. "What are you really doing here?"

"Well, I just wanted to see how the concert was going." Gwi-ma says dryly. "Judging by the scene I just witnessed, I'm guessing it's not going too well?"

"Look, I'm really not in the mood for your games." Jinu mutters. He strips off his sweaty top, hanging it on the hook behind the stall door before throwing the new outfit over his shoulders. He takes a deep breath, his hands shaking as he fumble with the zippers. "I'll get you the souls. You don't have anything to worry about there."

"Ah pity." Gwi-ma's voice was as smooth as silk. "I was hoping we could talk. How long has it been since I last had a real conversation with you alone? A few days?"

Jinu's hands stilled.

"Or has it already been a few weeks, hmm?"

The memories came flooding back and Jinu was immediately overcome by a wave of emotion so intense, he had to brace himself against the wall. How could he have forgotten? The night where Gwi-ma had hijacked his night alone, changing their relationship forever. After that, Jinu had spent every night paranoid that Gwi-ma would return and ask for more.

Part of him, though he loathed to admit it, wished that he would.

But the demon didn't visit him alone after that night, only addressing the Saja Boys as a group during their briefings. So Jinu soon fell back into his usual routine of sleepless nights and secret meetings, putting the encounter down to just another nightmare.

"Do you remember now?" Gwi-ma murmured, his voice strangely intimate. "You were so responsive, so eager to please me."

Jinu swallowed, his breath catching in his throat.

"I do hope you haven't been too lonely without me since then–"

"Why are you bringing this up now?" Jinu interrupted, growing irritated at the demon's line of questioning. He hurriedly buckled up the straps on his outfit, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible. "I have to get ready. The show–"

"Do you remember what you promised me that night?" Gwi-ma continued, his voice taking a dangerous, predatory tone that made Jinu's blood run cold. "At the height of your pleasure, calling my name like a prayer? You promised your devotion to me alone."

Jinu's face burned. "That was... in the heat of the moment."

"Clearly." Gwi-ma drawled, his voice dripping with disappointment. "You haven't kept your promise. At all."

Jinu's heart skipped a beat. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You saw her again, didn't you?" Jinu's blood ran cold at his icy tone. "Not just once, but multiple times. After I specifically told you not to even think about her."

"We were just talking." Jinu says quickly. "I was gathering information on her weaknesses, a-and—"

"Just talking." Gwi-ma's laugh was cold and bitter. "Do you not know that I can see all the thoughts that run through your dirty little mind?"

"I-I did know. But I would never—"

"I thought that after that night, you knew your place, that I could trust you to behave even when I'm not looking."

"Look, it's not what you think–"

"But it seems that I was wrong."

The room seemed to grow cold as Gwi-ma continued his tirade, dread creeping up Jinu's spine as he listened.

"I don't take kindly to being disrespected and I do not share what's mine." Gwi-ma growled. Jinu gasps as a biting force suddenly shoots through his body, not painful, but like a heavy pressure forcing his chest down, as Gwi-ma asserts his control. "You might not have done anything yet, but I'm beginning to question your true intentions. I think a lesson is in order to remind you what happens when you disobey me."

The threat was clear and Jinu was starting to understand that he was in dangerous territory. A thrill ran down his spine, a sinking feeling of equal parts fear and anticipation that made him sick with self-loathing.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" Jinu says slowly, trying to keep his voice steady. "I promise we'll talk about this later. After the show. And you–" He takes a deep breath, heart pounding. "Y-you can do whatever you want to me. But the performance starts soon and I–"

"Actually, I think now is the perfect time."

Jinu's blood turns to ice as he feels Gwi-ma creeping in closer, wrapping around his consciousness, grasping him like a vice.

"And if you're quick, maybe your little friends won't know how much of a disappointment you truly are."

"You wouldn't—" Jinu gasps, making a final attempt at appealing to the demon. "You wouldn't sacrifice your own opportunity to get souls. If this plan fails, the Honmoon will never be broken."

There was a pause, and Jinu allows himself to hope for just a few moments that Gwi-ma would reconsider. This was short-lived before the demon spoke again, chuckling in dark amusement.

"Oh, I'm not worried about it all." Gwi-ma purrs. "You boys have done a good job at gaining popularity. There will be other opportunities."

Jinu's heart drops at the certainty in the demon's voice.

"Besides, I know you. Perhaps even better than you know yourself." He continued. "You're desperate and you have so much to lose. And I know you'll get me those souls no matter what. And no matter what I do to you now, you'll still drag yourself on that stage and give me results. Won't you?"

"I-I..." Jinu stammers, knowing deep inside that he was right. No matter what happened now, he'd still have to walk out and smile and dance and sing for the crowd. He would pretend that everything was fine, that he was in control, and that he didn't feel like everything was falling apart beneath his feet.

All his thoughts— all his anxieties about the concert, Gwi-ma, the contract, his family, his future— swirled through his mind like a whirlwind and he struggles to keep himself steady. It was all too much and he had to get away.

"I-I have to get back." Jinu shakes his head as if he could somehow wipe the thoughts tearing through his brain, desperate to clear his head of Gwi-ma's influence. "There's too much at stake."

He pushes the bathroom door open and steps into the hallway, stumbling blindly, not caring what he looked like. He had to get back to the main room, everyone was waiting for him...

Suddenly, without warning, Jinu feels a hand close around his throat.

It took him a moment to realise that it was his own.

He gasps, stumbling backwards until he hits the wall behind him, his hand pinning him down with impossible strength.

"Your body is mine." Gwi-ma's voice echoed in his head, closing in on his consciousness while his hand continued to squeeze tighter. "You promised it to me and I intend to take it whenever and wherever I please."

Jinu gasped for air as his hand tightens around his throat. He claws at it with his free hand, trying desperately to break free. "How?... How are you—?" He rasped.

Gwi-ma laughed. "You'd think that after four centuries, you'd have learned to be smarter about what you agree to."

Jinu's vision started to prickle at the sides, dark spots dancing in his peripheral vision. Yet, even in the depths of his horror and disgust, the way that Gwi-ma controlled him felt right, like he was fulfilling a purpose that he was made for.

"Your body is under my control. I can make you stumble on stage during a performance." Gwi-ma mused. "I could also make you do unspeakable things in public."

As if to prove a point, Jinu's hand began to trail down his body, tracing down to the front of his pants. Jinu tries to resist, muscles clenched as they fought to control his wandering hand, but the pull of Gwi-ma's control was too strong.

"What if someone was to see you like this in the middle of the hallway? With your hand down your pants, moaning like a pervert."

His fingers slipped to his waistband, tracing the edge teasingly, as if debating whether to go all the way.

"Gwi-ma...." Jinu made a noise in his throat that sounded halfway between a sob and a moan, sending vibrations pulsing beneath his own fingers as they constricted tighter against his windpipe. "Please... Not here..."

His thoughts were a chaotic jumble of emotions and primal instinct. He wanted to fight back, to scream, to break free of Gwi-ma's control. Anything. But he could feel his body growing limp, and in its place, a strangely comforting warmth pooled in his core.

"Now, are you going to be good?" Gwi-ma purrs, his voice constricting on his consciousness like thorns, terrifying, yet strangely intimate. Jinu opens his mouth to speak, but the only noise that escaped was a low moan, unable to contain the arousal that clouded his thoughts.

Jinu nodded frantically.

"Good boy."

Jinu gasped as the grip on his neck was released, gulping in oxygen like a drowning man, his heart pounding as he struggled to ground himself. He glances at his hand, slick with drool from where it had pooled in the corners of his mouth, and he feels a wave of disgust wash over him.

"You sick bast–"

"Ah ah ah." Gwi-ma admonished, his tone mockingly gentle. "Didn't you just tell me you'd be good? Besides, I'm giving you what you truly want."

"What are you talking abou–?" Jinu casts his head down and his eyes lock onto the tent that had formed at the front of his pants. He was hard. Embarrassingly hard.

Gwi-ma hums in satisfaction. "Enjoyed yourself, I see. Perhaps you're more of a masochist than you think."

Jinu grits his teeth. "Shut up."

Despite his words, the realisation that Gwi-ma was correct sent a pang of shame down to the pit of his stomach. Having pleasure inflicted on his abused body— not being in control of his own body or his mind— turned him on more than he was willing to admit, having risen from the depths of his oxygen-derived mind to etch itself into his psyche.

"Well, you can't go on stage looking like that now, can you?" Gwi-ma purrs. "Looks like there's only one thing for you to do now."

Jinu grits his teeth, his face growing hot, fists balling at his side. He could feel his eyes sting, but he refused to embarrass himself in front of Gwi-ma more than he already had. "T-this isn't fair!"

"Time's ticking, Jinu." Gwi-ma tutted. "You should really get your priorities straight."

Jinu takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Arguing with Gwi-ma would get him nowhere. The only thing he could do now was perform his task as fast as he could, then get back on stage. If he was lucky, he could make it just in time.

His eyes flickered open and he spots the studio doors beside him. Jinu eases open the door, careful not to make a sound. This was the dance room where they had run through their choreography just hours before, now empty as everyone prepared to go back on stage. He could have some privacy for a few minutes.

The door clicks shut behind him and Jinu sighs a breath of belief, collapsing back against the floor-to-ceiling mirrors, its surface cold against his spine through his thin performance costume.

Hands trembling furiously, Jinu unzips the front of his pants and frees his cock from its confines. He has to bite back a moan as even minor friction against his painfully swollen cock sent jolts of pleasure shooting up his spine. Precome was already beading at the tip of his cock, wetting the fabric of his waistband as he pulls it past his hips.

Gwi-ma wasn't controlling him now. It was all him, and somehow that made it even more terrifying.

Jinu worked the length of his cock with his fingers, slowly at first. He swallows, breath quickening as he picks up the pace, his fingers working on an accelerating tempo as his hips rutted up, desperately seeking more and more friction.

His head tips back, lolling onto his shoulders as he loses himself in the sensations. It felt good. So good. Jinu could feel his mind going blank, his breath coming out in shallow pants as he braces himself, overwhelmed by the waves of pleasure washing over him.

"Slow down." Gwi-ma's sharp order snaps him out of his trance. "I want you savour it. Remember this moment."

Jinu grits his teeth, but obeys, forcing his hand to slow to a frustrating pace. It would take a little longer for his release, but he could still work with thi—"

"Slower." Gwi-ma speaks again, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Jinu could feel his hand slow to a crawl as Gwi-ma regained control, forcing his hand until it was barely moving.

"For fucks sake." He hissed, rutting his hips up to meet his frozen palm. His hand continued to move at an excruciatingly slow pace, and Jinu could only spectate as the world seemed to blur to slow-motion, body writhing with every micro-movement. He tips his head back, squeezing his eyes shut, breathing deeply to slow down his racing heart. "I-I can't finish like this."

"Then I'd better hear you begging me to let you come."

Jinu whines, his body as tense as a coiled spring, wanting so desperately to feel more, to lose control, to get the release he'd been chasing.

He was long past shame, his dignity torn to shreds. All he wanted was this.

"Please... Gwi-ma..." The words felt bitter on his lips. "Let me come..."

The pause that followed seemed to drag on for a lifetime.

"Hmm... I don't think so." The finality in his voice sent shivers down Jinu's spine.

Jinu could feel the tears dampening his cheeks, the frustration mounting inside of him despite his attempts to maintain control. "Please... You're so cruel... I just want–"

"You want to come. I know. I know." Gwi-ma soothed, his voice mockingly gentle. Jinu chokes back a sob, his breathing now ragged and uncontrolled, as a panic rose within him. "It wouldn't be much of a punishment if I just gave you what you wanted."

"Please..." Jinu whimpers, his voice anguished, pleading like his life depended on it. He could hear Gwi-ma chuckle, his voice echoing through his head, that cruel, velvety tone both torturous and infuriating. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I disobeyed you. I won't do it again..."

"How can I be sure you won't?"

"I-I..." Jinu scrambled to think of an answer, but his mind was a mess, his thoughts incoherent, replaced by his raw, primal desires. All he could manage were slurred words and more tears.

"I'm sorry..." He whispers, choking out a sob, his voice broken and hoarse. "I'm so sorry..."

Gwi-ma tuts. "Not good enough. For all I know, you'll just go out and betray me again, just like you did last time."

Jinu gasps as his hand delivers a particularly firm stroke, the sudden sensation almost sending him over the edge. He grits his teeth, a groan of frustration rising in his throat as the slow pace resumed. He wanted more. He needed more.

"I-I won't." He was starting to feel faint, overwhelmed by the shame and desperate that continued to choke him. "Please, I won't..."

"It's too late. I don't trust you anymore."

Jinu couldn't control the tears flowing from his face, a pathetic sob racking at his chest. It hurt to breathe, his throat sore from holding his breath, his chest heavy from choking back his moans. Precome leaked non-stop from the head of his cock, spilling down his length and onto his fingers.

"Oh, you are making a mess, aren't you?" Jinu's breath caught in his throat as his thumb swiped over his slit, smearing his precome down his length. His hips jerked up, a strangled moan exiting his lips. He bites down on his lip, hard, almost to the point of drawing blood. "You can't even keep your outfit clean. It's truly a wonder why the others trust you as their leader if you can't take care of yourself."

"Fuck..." Jinu mutters under his breath, his free hand clenching and unclenching at his side, knuckles white.

He's losing himself, his head growing foggy with need, his desire for release growing with every agonising stroke. He was moaning, sobbing, begging, but it wasn't enough. Not enough stimulation to reach the peak, yet just enough to torture him. Not enough to convince Gwi-ma to give him what he wanted. His mind swirled with emotions. Desperation, hopelessness, despair—

"Jinu?"

Jinu's eyes flew open, his heart leaping into his throat as a voice called out from the hallway. His body instantly went rigid, every muscle freezing as the footsteps grew closer.

"Jinu?" The voice came again, closer now. He recognised it as Romance's.

"How interesting." Gwi-ma purrs in his mind, clearly amused by this development.

Jinu stared numbly at his own hand as it slowly released its grip, settling back at his side. He whimpers— both in relief and disappointment— at the loss of contact. He flexed his fingers, confirming that he'd regained control.

"Go on then." Gwi-ma whispers mockingly. "Don't keep him waiting."

"Romance." Jinu croaked, his voice completely wrecked, throat aching. He cleared his throat, swallows, and tried again. "I'm here."

"Jinu!" The relief in Romance's voice was evident, and his footsteps quickened as he ran up to the door. "There you are! We were starting to wonder where you'd disappeared to—"

The doorknob rattled as Romance tested it, and Jinu's panic spiked. He couldn't let Romance see him like this: a complete mess and half-naked below the waist.

He lunged forward, throwing his back against the door to force it closed, his heart hammering. The door shuts with a slam as he gets there just in time.

"D-don't come inside!" Jinu stammered out, probably too desperately. "Please!"

The jiggling at the doorknob stopped immediately. "Uh... okay?" There was a pause before Romance spoke again.

"Are you alright in there?"

Jinu opened his mouth to respond, but froze as he felt his hand begin to move on its own again, fingers slowly creeping back toward his crotch. Gwi-ma's presence pressed against his consciousness like a weight and Jinu swore he could hear him laughing.

No no no no... Not now. Jinu pleads silently, his eyes wide with terror. Not with Romance here.

But of course, Gwi-ma doesn't listen and once again, his hand starts to work from base to tip. Fast. At the pace that he'd been begging so hard for just moments before. The warmth of his fingers felt foreign to him as they ran up his length, teasing him with a feather-light touch.

Jinu's arousal peaks once again and he immediately clamps a hand over his mouth to muffle the sounds he was making. He squeezes his eyes shut, but the sensations wouldn't stop, each stroke sending electricity that overwhelmed his nerves with every pulse. He could feel his legs shifting open instinctively, eager to continue receiving more of Gwi-ma's touch.

"Jinu?"

There was a short pause as Jinu cracks open an eye, taking a deep breath to prepare himself for the hell that was awaiting him.

"I-I'm okay." He managed to say, fighting to keep his voice steady even as his hand continued to work his length, his hips rutting up abashedly to grind into his fist to prolong the sensations. "J-just... Ahh... practicing one final time."

"Practicing?" Romance's voice was muffled through the door, but Jinu could hear the confusion clearly. "What is there still to practice?"

Jinu's mind raced, searching for a believable excuse while his vision started to blur around the edges again, brain starting to fog with pleasure and desire. He curses under his breath as his other hand starts to move, crawling under his shirt.

"T-there's... Hhn.... just one move I can't get right." He bites his bottom lip as his fingers traced over his abs, the gentle, ticklish touches burning a trail across his sensitive skin. They settled on his pecs, cupping and squeezing the plump muscle. "O-one part of the choreography that's been bothering me."

There was a pause from the other side of the door.

"And you choose to practice this last minute?" Romance sounded incredulous. Jinu didn't blame him. "Jinu, I knew you were a perfectionist, but I didn't think it had gotten this bad. We have to be on stage now! Everyone's already asking where you are!"

Jinu could hear the urgency in Romance's voice, but as his own hand tightened its grip on his cock, it became impossible to respond immediately. He bites back a groan as he feels fingers teasing his swollen nipple, a firm twist sending a sudden jolt of pleasure to his core and a barely-suppressed whimper to his lips. When he finally managed to speak, his words came out in a strangled whisper, choking back the noises that threatened to spill with every not-so-subtle movement.

"I-I can't." His tongue felt heavy in his mouth, throat sore from swallowing back his moans.

"What do you mean you can't?" Romance's concern was becoming more pronounced. "Jinu, what's going on with you? Why do you sound so weird?"

"Romance, please!" Jinu blurted, tears forming in his eyes in frustration. He could feel himself teetering on the edge of release, the combination of pleasure from his cock and his chest too much for him to handle. He wanted to sink into the pleasure, let himself be taken by Gwi-ma and finally get the payoff from all this cruel teasing. But here he was, forced into some stupid conversation he couldn't get out of.

"I can't... Hnn— I can't talk about this now!" It took everything to prevent the desperation from leaking into his voice.

There was another pause, longer this time. Jinu could practically hear Romance thinking on the other side of the door.

"Is this about us?" Romance asked finally, his voice softer now. "About what happened back there? Because you have nothing to worry about if that's the case. We were just joking around, you know that. No big deal."

No big deal. Even in the haze of pleasure, the words still hit Jinu like a physical blow. Of course they thought it was no big deal.

"It's not about that." Jinu's hand tightened again, moving faster and faster at a dizzying pace. "I-I'm fine. Just... nervous about the performance."

Just as he was about to release, his fingers clamp down at the base of his cock, preventing his release from spilling. Jinu fights back a groan of disappointment at his ruined orgasm, but had little time to think before the stroking picked up once more.

"Nervous?" Romance's voice rose in disbelief. "Jinu, you've never been nervous about a performance in your life."

"Well, maybe you don't understand how much pressure I'm under!" Jinu snapped, his voice raising up a few octaves, frustration clearly bleeding through his carefully maintained facade at both the direction of the conversation and his current physical activities. In his head, he could hear Gwi-ma chuckling, clearly amused by the situation.

"Okay, okay!" Romance said quickly, clearly taken aback by Jinu's sharp tone. "It's just... you've been acting different."

Jinu barely managed to hold back a whimper as his hips buck up to meet his fist, his thrusts matching the pace of his fingers.

"You seem... on edge." Romance kept talking. "If there's anything wrong—"

"Everything's fine!" Jinu interrupted, perhaps too quickly. "Just go! I don't want to talk right now."

He takes a deep breath, guilt rising inside of him at his dismissive tone.

"I need to finish... Finish getting ready." Jinu said, effectively ending the conversation. "Tell the others I'll be out soon."

"Jinu, wait—"

"Soon, Romance!" Jinu snaps.

"Okay." Romance finally says. "Don't be too long, okay? We need you out there with us."

Jinu waits for the sound of Romance's footsteps to fade down the hallway before allowing himself to slump against the door, relief washing over him.

Immediately, his hand begin to move faster as Gwi-ma takes advantage of this opportunity, ravaging him with his brutal touch, rough and sporatic. Jinu lets him, head tipping back in a haze of pleasure, his hips rocking up to meet his hand.

His fist connects to the base of his length with a final buck of his hips and Jinu finally cums, letting out a strangled cry as ropes of cum spill over his already-soaked hand. He could only hope that Romance had walked far enough not to hear him lose it.

Jinu closes his eyes, panting from the intensity of his release, his hand continuing to milk him through the fading ebbs of his orgasm, spurts of cum continuing to pulse out like a pierced artery.

Before he had fully caught his breath, he felt his hand move again. Jinu breaks off into a cry as his hand begins to stroke his cock once more, his back arching up from the wall.

"No..." Jinu whimpers, his breath quickening, watching helplessly, unable to move. "Please. I just came... Hurts..."

Gwi-ma ignores him and continues to work his abused cock ruthlessly. Jinu writhes and bucks, trying to avoid the sensations to his overstimulated cock, to no avail.

"See how easily he gave up?" Gwi-ma's voice slithered back through his thoughts. "How quickly he accepted your lies? That's not the behavior of someone who truly cares."

Jinu's chest tightened, though whether from the demon's words or his own doubts, he couldn't tell.

"Please Gwi-ma... I've already been punished enough..." Jinu begs, fresh tears filling his eyes once more, immediately rolling down his face as he realised with a sinking feeling that Gwi-ma wasn't finished with him.

"Because deep down, they don't actually want to deal with your problems. They just want you to keep everything running smoothly so they can enjoy their little vacation."

"That's not true." Jinu whispered. He didn't want to believe it, but the words and actions of the other demons told him otherwise.

"Isn't it?"

Jinu opened his mouth to respond, then closed it.

"Take a good look at yourself." Gwi-ma commanded suddenly. "Take a long, hard look at yourself in those mirrors."

Almost against his will, Jinu glances at the mirror and sees his reflection. The face that stared back at him made him sick to the stomach. His face was flushed, sweat beading on his forehead, eyes glazed and unfocused. His lips were swollen from biting so hard and his cheeks ran with tear tracks.

He doesn't recognise the person staring back at him. This was not the image of the perfect idol that he'd worked so hard to cultivate. This was someone else entirely, someone broken and desperate.

"A pathetic sight isn't it?" Gwi-ma purred, savouring the sight of his horror.

Jinu tries to turn away, but Gwi-ma held him in place, forcing him to watch as his reflection writhed under his own touch. Without the knowledge that an incorporeal demon was currently possessing him and inflicting this torture on him, Jinu would've looked like a madman to any onlookers.

With his face flushed and mouth slightly parted and drooling like a horny, depraved animal, pupils blown wide in a submissive, fucked-out expression, Jinu wondered at what point he'd fallen to such a pitiful level.

"Imagine if your fans could see you like this." Gwi-ma mocked, his voice dripping in contempt. "The man they so admired was so depraved like this, begging and mewling at the slightest touch."

As if to prove a point, Gwi-ma swipes a thumb over Jinu's slit, pressing down on the sensitive opening, forcing a ragged moan from his throat and a sharp jerk of his hips, his legs kicking out.

"Stop..." Jinu whispered, but his voice was too weak, too broken to carry any real authority.

"And the other demons in your little group. What would they think if they saw how pathetic their leader was?"

Jinu closes his eyes, trying to block out everything— Gwi-ma's voice pulsating through his mind, the lingering memory of his reflection, the overwhelming sensations that continued to wrack his body even after his orgasm— but they burrowed into his mind like parasites.

"Why are you doing this?" Jinu whines, his voice hoarse and broken. "Why are you being so cruel to me?"

Gwi-ma tuts. "Do you think I enjoy doing this? I'm just trying to teach you a lesson."

"I don't—"

"You've forgotten your place." Gwi-ma interrupted smoothly. "After spending so much time in the human realm, receiving so much praise from humans, you've grown arrogant. Tell me, do you really think you're all that special?"

Jinu shakes his head, sobs racking his body. He knew that Gwi-ma was just taunting him, trying to get under his skin, but at this moment, every word felt like individual glass shards piercing his heart one after another. His word hurt more than the physical sensations currently surging through his body, a mixture of pain and pleasure rushing through his veins with every stroke. "I-I don't..."

"You'd be nothing without me." The demon stated matter-of-factly. "In fact, less than nothing. Who gave you a voice that mesmerises crowds? Who gave you a second chance at life after you came crawling to me as a mere peasant?"

Jinu's jaw clenched, but he said nothing.

"Who?!" Jinu flinches at the way Gwi-ma's voice echoed in his mind, then gasps as his fingers picked up speed, the arousal too much for him to handle as the torturous sensations grew to a new high.

"Y-you did..."

"And without me, do you think anyone would lend you an ounce of respect? You're a fool to think anyone really respects you around here."

Jinu winces at this, his heart sinking as a feeling of dread crawls up his spine, burrowing itself into the depths of his brain like a parasite. Mind turned to mush, Jinu could only let out an incoherent whine.

"You didn't see the faces of the other boys when you stormed off before." The demon's voice turned almost pitying. "But I did. It was of pure relief that they didn't have to deal with you anymore."

Jinu opened his mouth to respond, but the words died in his throat.

"You're no leader, Jinu." Gwi-ma paused, letting his words sink in. "You're just a selfish creature. Too focused on your own problems to care about what they might be going through. Too selfish to consider that maybe they're struggling too."

"Please." His plea came out a choked sob, the word barely audible. "Please stop."

"I'm not trying to hurt you." The demon's voice was almost tender now, a low, cruel purr that penetrated deep into his psyche. "I'm trying to help you see the truth. You need me, Jinu. You've always needed me. And deep down, you know that."

Jinu's shoulders shook with silent sobs as he stared at his broken reflection.

He feels a hand at his face, a gentle touch that mocked the gesture of comfort.

"Without me, you're nothing." Gwi-ma whispered. "But with me... with me, you can be everything. All you have to do is remember your place."

The bathroom fell silent except for Jinu's ragged breathing. His vision whites out, a low whine at his throat as he came again, cum dribbling out of his cock. Though the pleasure that jolted through his body sent his back arching and toes curling, he felt no satisfaction when going over the edge, merely an intense feeling of relief. Relief that he was no longer held hostage by his own lust.

The pulsing in his head stopped and he knew that Gwi-ma was gone.

His brain felt thick and foggy, his thoughts sluggish in his skull. But through the haze, as the last remnants of pleasure faded from his system, he remembered that he still had to be on stage.

With a shuddering breath that scraped raw against his abused throat, Jinu hauls himself upright, his legs trembling. He grips the handrail to prevent himself from collapsing back onto the ground.

As hard as he tried to avoid the mirror, he could still see his reflection from the corner of his eye.

In the mirror, he could see exactly what Gwi-ma wanted him to see—a pathetic, broken creature who was nothing without his master's guidance. A complete disaster.

And the worst part was, he was starting to believe it was true.

He swallowed his shame and headed out the door and into the halls towards the main stage.

He had to get back on stage before the performance ended, before the audience complained about his absence, before the other members sabotaged the performance.

He picks up the pace, forcing his stumbling walk to a slow jog. His fingers worked frantically through his hair, trying to tame it into something more acceptable. There was no time to properly fix up his appearance, so he could only pray that his waterproof makeup had survived that whole ordeal.

Jinu pushes the backstage curtains aside, his eyes immediately assaulted by flashing, colourful lights that were cast all across the stadium.

To his surprise, he was met with a roar of applause as soon as he stepped to the centre of the stage. The audience had clearly been waiting for his return, their energy renewed at the sight of him. Signs with his name on them shot up and lightsticks waved vigorously, mixing with raised phones in a chaotic sea of lights.

His bandmates turned back to look at him, their expressions immediately brightening with relief as they saw him emerge. They parted their positions, allowing him to reclaim his place in the formation.

His body fell into the familiar rhythm without much conscious thought, muscle memory taking over as he moved in sync with the rest of the team. Despite everything he had just been through, and the doubts plagued him leading up to this moment, with the music and rhythm drowning out his thoughts, he once again felt in control.

Passions were higher than ever before and Jinu could feel their energy washing over him like a tide.

As the final song began to wind down, all cameras focused in on him. It was time to end the performance on a high note and deliver what everyone was waiting for.

The humans called it a 'final fairy', the moment which served as a culmination of everything that the concert represented, the passion, the effort, the connection between the performer and their audience, laying bare the most genuine, vulnerable moment during the concert's closing.

To the demons, this was something else entirely. The signal for the demons to feast. The crowd's passion would reach a crescendo, their souls reaching its peak ripeness. The demons would take the souls before the fear set in and ruined the flavour.

All cameras were on him, and his eyes flickered briefly to the large screen overlooking the stage. He winced internally at how disheveled he looked—hair matted and pasted to his forehead with sweat, droplets running down his chin and neck, skin flushed and glistening, makeup slightly smudged.

He fights back the disgust and steps forward to give his final pose to close the performance. His shoulders rose and fell dramatically in a calculated show of exhaustion, the movement designed to showcase just how much he had supposedly given to this performance. He combed a hand through his tousled hair with practiced perfection, raising his arm over his head in a way that arched his back and showcased his lean, sweat-soaked body. His muscles rippled beneath the now nearly transparent fabric of his top, the stage lights catching every detail and broadcasting it to the screaming masses.

To his surprise, his pathetic image— disheveled, vulnerable, with a kicked puppy expression on his face— sent the crowd into an absolute frenzy, eliciting the strongest reaction of any of their shows.

The success of his diversion was evident when none of the audience noticed the dark shadows beginning to flicker around the very back of the crowd. Demons entered the stadium and snaked their way between the crowds. They moved systematically, consuming fans from the back rows of the stadium and working their way toward the front. Each time a soul was taken, a small puff of purple smoke erupted from that section of the audience, but the crowd was so focused on the stage that it went completely unnoticed until it was too late.

Soon, an empty stadium stared back at them. The music system continued to play the outro, echoing through empty seats, abandoned lightsticks scattered across the floor like fallen stars.

Jinu closed his eyes, shoulders slumping in relief.

"We did it." He breathed, his voice barely audible over the still-playing music. "It's over."

He felt his body relax for the first time that night. It was over. Everything they'd been working for had gone without a hitch.

But his moment of peace was short-lived as he saw the other demons walking over to him, huddling together for a post-peformance celebration. Their expressions were serious in a way that made his stomach clench with familiar anxiety. Jinu found himself searching for words to make the inevitable confrontation less awkward.

"Good job out there." He said stiffly. "You all did well tonight."

The other boys clamoured closer to him, looking at him funny. Jinu suddenly felt self conscious, shrinking under their searching gazes.

"Are you okay?" Abby asked, leaning down so that his face was level with Jinu's. Jinu grunts as he grabs his chin roughly, squishing his cheeks together as he peers at him closer. "You look like a mess. I guess Romance wasn't wrong about you crying earlier."

Jinu paused, his brow furrowing in confusion. "Crying?"

"Yeah, you sounded really off when I came looking for you before the finale." Romance explained, stepping closer, crossing his arms as he looked Jinu up and down, a look of concern crossing his features. "I heard you making these sounds from the hallway, and when I called your name, you told me to go away. Your voice was all shaky and weird."

Jinu's stomach dropped as he realized what Romance must have heard. That, in combination with how his makeup was smudged around his puffy eyes, of course they would think he'd been crying.

"I figured you just needed your space." Romance continued. "But I told the others, and we all felt like complete assholes for how we treated you earlier."

"I–" Jinu started, but Mystery cut him off.

"It's okay, you don't need to share anything if you're ready to talk." Jinu jumps slightly as Mystery places his hands on his shoulders, his head suddenly popping up beside him. "But we really shouldn't have disregarded your concerns like that."

"But, I–"

'Yeah, our bad." Baby added, his usual sarcastic edge completely absent, a rare look of humility on his face. "We were being selfish, thinking only about staying in the human realm longer. If it weren't for you, we'd still be stuck in that hellhole."

Abby nodded solemnly. "You've been carrying all the pressure of this mission on your shoulders, and instead of helping, we made it worse."

The other demons murmured their agreement, exchanging sheepish glances and shooting worried looks at Jinu as if they were waiting for some kind of response, some sign that he might forgive them.

But all Jinu could hear was Gwi-ma's words, which continued to echo in his mind, swirling alongside his other anxieties.

"And without me, do you think anyone would lend you an ounce of respect? You're a fool to think anyone really respects you around here."

Jinu stared at their concerned faces, trying to process their words of support, but Gwi-ma's voice was louder, more convincing. They were apologising out of pity for his pathetic state, not because they really cared.

"Jinu?"

He looks up at them. His eyes flickered between their faces.

"I—" Jinu's voice cracked, and he felt his chest tighten with panic. He couldn't breathe properly, couldn't think straight. Everything felt wrong, twisted, like the world around him was spinning. "I have to go."

Without waiting for a response, he retreats backstage, refusing to turn back, even when they called out to him.

He's not surprised when no-one bothered to chase after him.

Chapter Text

The cracks began to show at what was supposed to be just another routine fan meet. Chaos buzzed in the overbooked convention centre in Hongdae, where poor event management had packed the venue beyond capacity. Amid the noise and confusion, Abby found himself cornered by a particularly persistent fan, who had asked him point-blank about some rumors that had begun to circulate online.

"Is it true what they're saying on Twitter?" She demanded, her phone already recording, obviously ignoring the strict no-filming policy that security had already announced multiple times in four different languages. Other people had started to crowd around them, obviously curious to know the answer. Breaths were held and phones were raised in anticipation as Abby processed the scene in front of him, brow furrowed in confusion at the sudden question.

"What are they saying?" Abby flashed his favourite disarming smile, equal parts charming and clueless, as if he was a man with no other thoughts in his mind than looking good and performing well. "That I'm the hottest guy in the group? Because honestly, that's just facts. I'm not dating anyone though, if that's what you're wondering —"

"That everyone in the group hates each other." She cuts him off, her voice accusatory.

Abby's carefully-practiced smile never wavered, but nonetheless, he felt his heart drop as something cold and sharp twisted in his chest.

"Well, I'll tell you now that my relationship with my group is better than ever." He laughed it off, a cheeky, lopsided grin rising to his face. He lifts his shirt with a dramatic flair, revealing his toned abs. "How could anyone hate me if they get to see a load of this every day?"

As expected, chaos erupted. Fans surged forward, screaming hysterically, and Abby used the distraction to bolt behind the nearest wall while security stepped forward to deal with the impending bull-rush.

The seed of worry had been planted, and it grew into full-blown panic when he got home and looked online, leading him down a rabbithole of conspiracy theories.

What had begun as some complaints by a fringe group of antis on r/SajaSnark about how the group 'looked miserable together' and 'had no chemistry' had somehow spiraled out of control into a full-scale conspiracy theory, with discussion spanning multiple social media platforms, complete with frame by frame analysis of their body language, relationship charts, and thinkpieces about how this reflected the broader state of the Kpop industry. Luckily for them, the deep-dives had not quite connected the dots on the whole demon thing, though the theory had been jokingly raised a few times already.

There were a few too many incidents that pointed to an increasingly fractured group. Jinu was leaving fansigns early, and Baby's inability to hold back his grimace whenever the leader brushed past him to leave was being caught on camera too often. Fans pointed out a lack of chemistry on variety shows, with dialogue that sounded scripted and tense body language that suggested that they were not entirely comfortable with each other. Their once flawless choreography was now looking slightly off-sync, as if they hadn't been practicing in the same room. Their die-hard fans, once quick to dismiss mistakes with excuses like 'he's clearly just adjusting his mic pack why r u so pressed?' or 'it's called the domino effect stfu newgen' were growing noticeably quieter.

The accusations ranged from favouritism to outright bullying. Some fans insisted that Jinu was purposefully being excluded by the label as part of a move to phase him out. Others claimed he was unprofessional and disrespecting the fans by not showing up to events and doing his job. The 15,000-strong r/JinuSoloStans had even been set up in anticipation for the launch of Jinu's alleged solo debut, set to go ahead as soon as he's 'finished negotiating the final details of his contract and can finally drop the four deadweights holding him back from his full potential'.

Jinu's disappearance had chipped away at the fragile foundations of their equilibrium, leaving behind a power vacuum that none of them were truly equipped to fill. Once the honeymoon period that followed their debut was over, pretty faces and generic catchy music was not enough to make them immune to the same issues that destroy human groups.

Being increasingly concerned for their deteriorating public image— and acutely aware that he was being painted as the prime target for being the biggest bully in the group— Abby went into crisis PR mode. They needed to show the world that they were still the tight-knit group everyone had fallen in love with, before Gwi-ma realises that their plan was going south and terminates their mission, or worse, their lives.

The thought of going back down to the underworld after they'd tasted the freedom of the human realm was simply unacceptable.

"Guys! I have an idea!" Abby's voice cut through the post-concert buzz, uncharacteristically desperate in a way that immediately got everyone's attention. Either that, or it was because he had just burst into the dressing room half-naked, skin slicked with water, hair dripping wet and towel wrapped precariously around his waist, practically buzzing with manic energy.

"Can this wait until you put your clothes on?" Mystery drawled from where he was lying sprawled on the couch, lips twisted in a grimace as he scrutinised the other demon through his bangs. "I can barely see anything and I'm still traumatised."

"Look, just hear me out." Abby ignored Mystery's sarcastic statement, but grabbed a fluffy robe from their costume rack anyway, slinging it over his broad shoulders, the fabric clinging to his still-damp skin as he paced the room.

"So..." He pauses with a dramatic flair, sweeping his gaze over the four of them. "I propose that we find a place and move in together."

There was a pause as everyone just stares back at him.

"Abso-fucking-lutely not!" Baby finally exploded, spinning around in his chair to with enough force to send his makeup brushes flying off the vanity counter. "I already have to put up with your insufferable asses here for twelve hours a day. I draw the line at having to see your faces first thing in the morning."

"Rich words from someone who keeps showing up at my hotel room door at 3 AM completely wasted." Romance pointed out smoothly, elegant fingers working methodically to remove his stage jewelry, not turning around from where he was seated. "I had to sleep on the floor after you puked all over my bed and then passed out on it. I had Twitter after my ass for weeks afterwards because they didn't understand why my dancing was so stiff."

"Come on, that was one time!" Baby slumped in his seat, pouting and crossing his arms. He at least had the humility to look embarrassed, looking every bit the petulant centuries-old child that he was.

"Try seven times this month alone." Mystery chimed in helpfully from the couch, rolling onto his side so he could face the rest of them directly. "Luckily, the walls are paper-thin, so I get the pleasure of listening to all the drama that goes down. I particularly enjoyed that performance where you begged Romance to help you convince Gwi-ma to wipe the memories of every human who witnessed you lose a drunken bar fight."

"Shut the fuck up, Mystery—"

Abby claps his hands, intercepting the conversation before it was derailed any further. "Look, I really think the humans will eat it up." He pressed on, ignoring the indignant look that Baby was currently shooting him. "They're obsessed with the idea that we're all best friends living our dream together. If we actually lived together, we could create some content and convince them otherwise."

"You do have a point." Romance said as he pulled the sequined costume top off his lean body, casting it aside and replacing it with a more comfortable tee. "Fans go absolutely feral when they see grown men acting like they can't perform the most basic human tasks. There are idols that get millions of views just for dropping cake on the ground during their birthday streams."

"Honestly, what a waste of cake." Baby muttered, carefully wiping the last of the makeup off his face. "Any sensible being would just pick it up off the ground and eat it anyway."

Mystery nodded sagely. "I would just eat the whole cake in one single bite mid-air before it hit the ground. Delicious and entertaining."

"Yes, but we can't exactly make content with your human form unhinging its entire jaw to fit a whole cake in there." Romance pointed out, rolling his eyes. "I don't want to be the one to tell Gwi-ma that our cover was blown because you wanted to show off how much you can swallow in one go."

"Curse this pathetic human form." Mystery grumbled, dramatically flinging his forearm over his face and letting his head loll over the couch's armrest.

"I've got to hand it to you." Romance pats Abby on the back so hard the other demon flinches. "I genuinely didn't think you were capable of coming up with ideas that didn't involve taking your shirt off and hoping for the best."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Abby pouted indignantly, shooting a wounded look back at the him. "Anyway, I just think if we're living together, spending real time together, maybe we'll stop looking like we're acting all the time. Maybe we'll actually start to..." He hesitated, words stuck in his throat. "I don't know. Bond?"

The word hung in the air awkwardly. Bonding? That was a human concept, soft and vulnerable in a way that made them all slightly uncomfortable.

"Anyway, I've changed my mind. Anything's better than those shitty motel rooms we've been staying at." Baby blurted, changing the subject entirely. "The last place we stayed in smelled like something died there."

Everyone murmured in agreement.

All eyes then turned to Jinu, who had remained silent throughout the entire exchange, slouched on the armchair with his arms crossed, his presence distant as usual.

"Jinu?" Abby prompted gently, the desperate hope in his voice barely concealed.

Jinu didn't speak immediately, but his gaze swept over each of them in turn, as if he was seeing them for the first time in weeks. Then his gaze returned to Abby, and something flickered behind it— faint, but unmistakable. A trace of the leader they remembered.

"Okay." He said finally. "Let's do it."

"You seem to be in a good mood." Gwi-ma's voice slithered into Jinu's consciousness with practiced grace. "Things looking up for you, I presume?"

Jinu's hand stilled, knife hovering over a half-diced capsicum. His jaw tightened as he stared down at the cutting board, the only outward sign of his familiar spike of irritation.

He resumed chopping as if he didn't hear anything.

"Ignoring me?" Gwi-ma's voice sharpened with faint annoyance, more insistent now. "So you get a little bit of success and you think that gives you the right to treat me like this?"

"Can't you just leave me alone?" Jinu says finally, gritting his teeth as he swept the chopped vegetables into a ceramic bowl that bore hairline cracks from the time Romance's sourdough starter propelled itself into the ceramics shelf. Even as the words left his lips, he knew it was useless. Gwi-ma's influence had been growing stronger each day, his mental intrusions more frequent, more invasive, and more intimate than ever.

He balanced the bowl in one hand while opening the massive stainless steel refrigerator with the other, immediately grimacing at its contents. The shelves were meticulously organised by name and divided up evenly among the five of them, but Baby's ever-growing collection of alcohol had somehow colonised every section, including the shared condiments shelf and vegetable drawer. Jinu fished out a bottle of salad dressing that had migrated to the very back, hidden behind a concerningly thick wall of soju, shaking his head in disbelief.

Gwi-ma's voice sharpened, snapping him out of his thoughts. "I've had half my court occupied with building your little human nest. The least you can do is show some gratitude by keeping me properly informed."

"Fine."

Jinu moved toward the living area, his bare feet silent against the polished concrete floors that stretched between the island kitchen and sprawling living room.

The cameras loved the masterfully arranged, open-plan living space, but the entire 'apartment' was truly about as livable as a furniture showroom, since it was essentially an industrial warehouse that had been painted over. There was no air conditioning or insulation, and the metal exterior of the warehouse rattled when the wind blew too hard. The bathroom didn't even get proper plumbing until that time they had planned to film shower content for their more... devoted fans (which was later very firmly vetoed by Jinu, who insisted that OnlyFans content was unheard of in the Kpop industry for a very good reason).

Despite the warehouse's limitations, within the few short weeks since they moved in, his bandmates had somehow managed to transform the sterile space into something homely. The signs of their chaotic charm was everywhere. Romance had decorated their sprawling sectional couch with an eclectic mix of mismatched pillows he defended as 'rustic' and 'aesthetic,' even though they clashed garishly with the otherwise colour-coordinated decor. The wall-mounted television had spiderweb cracks from the time Abby had launched a Wii-mote into the screen at full speed during an intensely competitive round of Wii Sports Bowling. In one corner, a miniature jungle of Mystery's ever-growing collection of houseplants was growing, which he often engaged in philosophical debates with.

Shoving aside a precarious stack of fan mail and song drafts scrawled on scrap paper, Jinu makes space for himself on the couch, settling himself atop a pile of assorted abandoned hoodies.

"Our plan is progressing as expected." Jinu explained carefully, stabbing a cherry tomato with more force than necessary. "We've started filming videos in our new location, which our fans are engaging with. They like having increased accessibility to our lives, and our content is consistently trending."

"Which means..?" A hint of impatience crawled into Gwi-ma's voice.

Jinu suppressed a sigh, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. He was foolish to assume an ancient demon who hadn't left the underworld since the Joseon era would understand anything about Instagram analytics. "More people are finding out about us. This gives a chance to bind more souls to us. They're willingly offering us their unconditional devotion."

"Ah yes, of course. How efficient." Gwi-ma pauses, letting the silence linger before his next comment. "And your... companions?"

Jinu's heart stuttered, the fork freezing halfway to his mouth as he considered the loaded question. It was complicated. Much more complicated than he was willing to delve into at this moment.

From his position on the couch, gazing at their personalties scattered throughout the space, Jinu realises how much the others were thriving in their new life. Despite having the most experience in the human world, he was the one failing to adapt, watching it all from the outside but unable— or unwilling— to fit in. He attended the mandatory group dinners, sitting at the far end of the table while the others laughed and argued and shared stories of their human adventures, with none to share himself. He participated in their bonding activities, but always maintained the careful distance.

"They're surviving." He said curtly, hoping that Gwi-ma wouldn't push further.

"No remaining resentment from your previous... disagreements?" Gwi-ma's voice carried a note of amused skepticism, as if he knew exactly what Jinu wasn't saying.

Jinu's fork scraped against the ceramic bowl, the sound sharp and grating, closing his eyes and exhaling raggedly. "None." He said flatly.

"Is that so?" Gwi-ma chuckles, rippling through Jinu's consciousness. "Your actions seem to speak otherwise. It's clear to me that you're still hung up on the past."

"They apologised." Jinu says, more bitterly than he intended to. The words tasted like chalk in his mouth. "We've resolved the issue and put it behind us."

"Have you now?" Gwi-ma's presence pressed closer, looming over him like a weight settling on his shoulders. "Because I see you sitting there alone, eating your sad little salad while they're off living their lives without you. Some friendship."

Jinu decided not to dignify that with a response. He set the salad bowl back on the coffee table with deliberate care, trying to ignore the empty soju bottles and torn up Uno cards still scattered around the table, reminders of a night without him.

"We're just maintaining a professional working relationship." He began, but the words felt hollow even as they left his mouth.

"Of course." Jinu winces at Gwi-ma's sneering tone. "But anyway, I couldn't care less about your petty interpersonal drama. However, when it concerns my bottom line, I am forced to intervene."

"What do you mean?" Jinu pursed his lips to a fine line. He already knew the answer, but dread twisted in his heart regardless. "Sure, we are currently facing issues, but it's being resolved—"

"This concerns the quality of the souls." His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "This recent harvest is more astringent, more bitter, tasting of suspicion rather than devotion. A far cry from the ripe, passionate souls that you were collecting before your little tantrum."

Jinu faltered, trying to find the words, but he tries to make himself sound more confident. "We've been having some issues getting the humans to connect with us to the same fervour as before. It's not ideal, but we'll get through it. We've already started to—"

"I didn't ask about your pathetic damage control efforts." The interruption cut through his words. "I just want to know the truth about your role in this debacle. From what I'm hearing, there is only one person to blame."

"What do you mean?" His voice came out shamefully quiet.

Gwi-ma's laughter was sharp, harsh in a way that put Jinu even more on edge. "Did you really think you're the only one I'm talking to at the moment? Because your dear teammates have had quite a lot to say about their beloved leader during our little conversations. Would you like to hear their thoughts?"

Jinu's blood turned to ice in his veins, fighting back an impending surge of betrayal. "You've been... talking to them?"

"Oh, extensively. They're quite chatty, you know." Gwi-ma's presence pressed closer with barely contained glee. "They think you're erratic. Unreliable. You disappear for hours without explanation, you leave events early, you barely speak to them anymore except to bark orders or glare at them."

"I leave early because you force me to!" Jinu's voice cracked. "Just so you can have your way with me backstage, in bathrooms, in the dressing room while everyone is feet away!" His hands shook as he spoke, and he grips the couch cushion for stability. "I always have to be hyperaware of where I am, what I'm doing, because one wrong moment and my reputation will be destroyed."

His voice rose with each word, frustration and humiliation boiling over into something desperate. "I'm hostile because you're constantly in my head, whispering things, planting doubts, making me paranoid and exhausted until I can barely think straight. Everything that's wrong with us, everything that's falling apart, it's all because of you—"

"Excuses." Gwi-ma's dismissive tone cut through Jinu's outburst. Jinu's jaw clenched so hard his teeth ached, his fists tightening at his sides until his nails bit into his palms.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" He continues, voice dripping with false sympathy. "While you isolate yourself in self-pity, they're living their best lives. They whisper behind your back and question every decision you make. But do they ever ask how you are? Do they ever offer to help?"

Jinu opens his mouth to protest, then closes it, the words stuck in the throat. His silence spoke louder than any defence he could garner up at the moment. "They do. They ask abo—"

"They're demons, Jinu." He could practically hear the grin in Gwi-ma's voice. "They aren't capable of caring about you the way you've deluded yourself into believing. No matter how much they smile, you're just a means to an end."

Jinu's shoulders sagged, his body trembling under the weight of the truth he had long buried. He didn't want to believe it, didn't want to confront the truth he had shoved to the back of his mind. All those times he pushed them away was an unconscious attempt to defend himself from the truth. That his entire reality was a fabrication. That the people he was beginning to think as friends were merely demons playing at civility.

"I'm just trying to show you reality." Gwi-ma continued, his voice adopting that false gentleness that made Jinu's skin crawl. "I'm trying to show you why everything is falling apart. You're weak, Jinu. No one respects you anymore. And do you know why?"

Jinu pressed his palms against his temples, trying to block out the voice, but it only seemed to grow louder, more insistent, reverberating through his skull.

"Because you're not leading demons the way demons need to be led. A hierarchy built on power and fear, not messy human emotions. You don't let them make their own decisions, have their own thoughts and feelings."

Jinu's head snapped up, his heart sinking as the gravity of the situation settled like a stone in his gut. "What are you saying?" He whispered.

"Establish your dominance. Make them worship you the way they're meant to, through fear and power. Remind them what it means to serve a true leader."

The couch creaked as Jinu shifted forward, his head in his hands. "I can't do that to them." He whispered, shaking his head slowly.

The lingering pause stretched like eternity, the silence heavy and oppressive.

"How tragically stupid." Gwi-ma's disappointment dripped like acid through Jinu's consciousness. "Still clinging to sentiment. Still holding onto these pathetic human emotions despite everything they've done to you."

His tone shifted to something cold and final. "Since you resent being a demon so much, since you want to play being human, perhaps you should experience what that actually means."

The attack came without warning. Jinu scream caught in his throat, stumbling as he felt his demonic energy being violently drained from his body, his essence dissipating in seconds. The supernatural strength that had sustained him for centuries evaporated, leaving him gasping and shaking.

He drops to the floor, his legs betraying him as he tumbled toward the coffee table. The corner caught his forehead with a sickening crack, and blood— red and startlingly human— bloomed across his suddenly fragile skin. His body slams into the concrete, the impact reverberating through his bones. His enhanced senses dulled to human levels, the world becoming muted and fragile around him as his head pulsed in pain.

"Stop." He wheezed, collapsing fully as weakness flooded his limbs. "Please, stop..."

His body felt impossibly heavy, centuries of borrowed strength catching up to him all at once. Every muscle ached and every movement was an effort. His skin, perfect for so long, now had faint lines around his eyes and a grayish pallor— signs of mortality.

"Shall I leave you like this?" Gwi-ma's amusement was palpable, his voice a low purr. "Let's see how 'friendly' your precious demon friends will be when they discover their leader has been reduced to this pathetic, breakable thing."

Jinu tried to speak but could barely manage a whimper. His vision was starting to blur, the blood trickling from the wound on his forehead into his eyes. He blinks, trying to focus on the room that continued to spin around him.

"You think I'm having my way with you now?" Gwi-ma purred, his voice a caress that made Jinu's skin crawl and stomach turn. "You have no idea what suffering truly means. Wait until they catch your scent— sweet, warm, and irresistibly human. It will trigger every predatory instinct they've been suppressing since they arrived in this realm."

A chill ran through Jinu's spine. The image formed in his mind before he could stop it. Clawed hands reaching for him, too many of them, grasping and pinning him down. Their teeth, jagged and slick with hunger, lips peeled back into feral snarls. Eyes glowing golden burning with the instinct to destroy. To take.

They wouldn't hesitate. Wouldn't hold back.

"I... I can't..." Jinu's voice was barely audible, his fingers clawing at the ground to push himself up.

The sound of the front door swinging open sent a jolt of pure terror through Jinu's broken body. Keys jingled against the frame, followed by Abby's familiar humming, the melody light and carefree.

No, not now. Not like this.

"Hellooo, anyone home?" Abby called out, his voice carrying easily through the open-plan space. Paper bags rustled as he set down what sounded like groceries, and Jinu could hear the distinctive thud of shoes being kicked off by the door. "Our regular place had a 2 for 1 promo, so I waited for over an hour for this. You all better appreciate the things I do for you."

Jinu stumbled to his feet, panic making his movements clumsy as he hauled himself upright. The world spun dangerously, his vision graying at the edges as he stumbled, ducking behind the couch and pressing himself against the wall like a cornered animal. He had to bite his lip to keep from whimpering as his body protested every movement, the cold from the metal wall seeping through his clothing.

His ears strain, fighting against the roar of his heartbeat in his ear as he tracked Abby's movements through the apartment. He winced at the thud of a heavy leather jacket being thrown onto the couch in front of him as he padded through the living room, paper bags rustling at his sides.

"Please. I'm sorry." Jinu whispered, the words barely audible even to himself, his breath growing quicker. He hoped that Gwi-ma was still listening to him. "Give it back... My powers... He's going to find me. I can't face him like this."

"Jinu? Is that you?" Abby's voice called out across the open space, casual but curious. "I thought I heard—"

Jinu bit his lip hard enough to taste more blood, fighting back the whimper that threatened to escape. His heart hammered so loud he was certain Abby would hear it, breath coming in short gasps that surely carried the scent of fear. Despite Abby's amicable nature, there was no telling how he would react once he caught the scent of human blood, once his demonic instincts kicked in and recognized prey.

"You're learning." Gwi-ma's voice slithered back into his consciousness, smug satisfaction coating every word. "You can't trust any of them. Not when you're weak like this. Admit that you need my help, that you're nothing without me. Say it."

Jinu's chest felt like it was being crushed, his lungs struggling to draw breath. Black spots danced at the edges of his vision. "I... I need..."

"Say it properly."

"I need you." Jinu gasped out, the words burning his throat like acid. Each syllable felt like swallowing broken glass. "I'm nothing without you. Please, I'll do anything... anything you tell me to do."

Suddenly, the constriction stopped and his demonic energy came flooding back in a rush that left him dizzy and nauseous. Jinu gasped for air, his enhanced senses snapping back with painful clarity, the world around him suddenly unbearably vivid. Gwi-ma's laughter filled his head.

"See? That's how you punish disobedience."

Jinu remained slumped against the back of the couch, trembling as he tried to process the overwhelming sensory input. His hands ran over his face and arms, marvelling at the return of supernatural strength even as his mind spun from the emotional whiplash.

"Satisfied? Good." Gwi-ma purred, his satisfaction rolling through Jinu's mind. "Now's your chance to practice with an easy one. The pretty one needs a reminder that his place is beneath you, speaking only when spoken to, eyes downcast, properly submissive."

Jinu stood slowly, his movements now fluid and predatory as his demonic grace replaced human clumsiness. He stepped toward the kitchen, his bare feet silent against the polished concrete.

"Do not let me down, Jinu." Gwi-ma's presence dissipated into the air.

Then... silence. What should have felt like relief without Gwi-ma's crushing presence instead felt like an even heavier weight, his command continuing to linger in the air, impossible to escape or ignore.

Abby was at the massive stainless steel refrigerator, humming contentedly as he organised his groceries, the search for him seemingly abandoned as bags of frozen berries and pottles of protein yoghurt were stacked away. Abby must have sensed something, because he turned around mid-hum, coming face-to-face with Jinu standing mere inches away. The sudden proximity made Abby jump backward, his shoulders hitting the refrigerator door with a metallic clang.

"Jesus, Jinu!" Abby's hand flew to his chest, his shoulders relaxing as recognition settled in. "You scared the shit out of me!" He laughed, the sound bright and genuine. "How long have you been standing there? I didn't even hear you come in."

Without waiting for a response, Abby turned back to his groceries, pulling out stacks of plastic takeaway containers from paper bags and laying them on the table. "Have you eaten? I got enough to feed all of us tonight. The ajumma from the store winked and slipped me some extra banchan. I think she's starting to know my face now." He chuckles to himself fondly, as if he didn't currently have one of the most recognisable faces in Korea.

"I've eaten." The words came out flat, emotionless.

"Oh." Abby seemed to deflate. "Well, you can still join us anyway. You can watch Baby and Mystery fight over who gets to eat your portion on your behalf."

The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken tension.

"Okay, fine, you caught me red-handed." Abby said finally, his tone sheepish as he reached behind him to pull out a can of beer he'd obviously been trying to hide— a peach-oolong sour with Japanese characters on the label. "I was going to steal one of Baby's drinks. You want one? I'm sure he won't notice if two go missing from his collection."

Jinu could only stare at the offered can, eyes flickering to the hopeful expression on Abby's face as he waited for a response. A pang of guilt rose in his chest, and he clenches his fists at his sides.

"No." He said finally, the word emerging colder than intended.

"You're right. I shouldn't take things without asking fir—."

"Stop doing that."

Abby frowns. "Stop what?"

"Stop trying to talk to me like that."

An awkward silence descends upon them once more. The confusion and hurt on Abby's face made Jinu's heart twist in his chest. He had to act now before he had second thoughts.

He takes a deep breath to steady himself, bracing himself as he allowed the supernatural energy to course through his veins.

Abby's eyes flash golden, his demonic senses clearly detecting a shift in the atmosphere. "Jinu, what's going o—?"

Something dark and violent surged through Jinu's chest, a combination of Gwi-ma's conditioning and his own resentment finally finding an outlet. Without conscious thought— without allowing himself time to reconsider— he lunged forward, using his supernatural strength to slam Abby's larger frame against the wall.

Abby's breath left his lungs, his eyes widening with shock as Jinu drives into him, one hand slamming his shoulder back against the metal, while the other fisted in the fabric of his shirt. He yanked the taller demon's head down until their faces were mere inches apart, close enough that Jinu could see his own reflection in Abby's eyes, wide-eyed and crazed.

More monster than human.

"Jinu, what the actual fuck?" Abby's voice cracked with genuine confusion. His hands came up instinctively to create distance between them, muscles tensing as he held himself back from pushing him away entirely.

"Enough questions." Jinu's voice came out with such cold finality that even he was surprised by the tone.

It's a hierarchy built on power and fear, not messy human emotions.

"You talk too much." Jinu grits his teeth. He slams his hand down again, Abby's head snapping back to collide with the solid metal wall once more. "Always asking questions, always questioning my authority."

"Are you having some kind of breakdown?" Abby's voice dropped to a whisper. The confusion in Abby's eyes was rapidly giving way to something sharper, flecks of gold starting to condense in his irises, his demonic nature clearly recognising a threat and beginning to stir. "This isn't you. This isn't how you—"

"Why do you keep talking like that?" Jinu snarls, his grip tightening until Abby's breath hitches at the way his shirt collar tightened against his throat. "Pretending you care about me? Acting like we're equals? Like we're friends?"

"Because we are friends!" Abby's voice cracked with bewilderment. Jinu flinches as Abby's hands move up to hold his shoulders, squeezing firmly to hold him steady. "What the hell is wrong with you? We've been living together for weeks, eating together, working together—"

"Friends?" Jinu laughed, the sound bitter and twisted. When he stops, his face grows cold, fixing the other demon with a look of disgust. "Friends don't whisper behind each other's backs. Friends don't question every decision, don't look at their leader with pity in their eyes."

"What are you talking about? I never—"

"I don't want to hear it!" Jinu snarled, grip tightening on Abby's shoulder until the other demon hisses in pain. "Just shut up! Just shut your mouth for once in your pathetic existence!"

Something in Abby finally snapped like a wire. His eyes flare into a brilliant amber, faint purple stripes starting to ripple across his face and arms as centuries of demonic instincts began to surface.

A large palm shot up with inhuman reflexes, fingers wrapping around Jinu's wrist with bone-crushing force, digging in until his arm went numb from fingers to shoulder.

"That's enough." Abby growled, the sound rumbling deep in his chest like thunder. "Let go of me. Now."

Jinu attempts to tear his hand away, twisting and pulling with increasingly desperate movements that sent sharp bolt of pain tearing up his arm. Jinu had sparred with the other demon enough to know that, despite the hierarchy of their roles, he was physically weaker than Abby, who was all brute strength and raw power wrapped in a pretty package. He couldn't show this weakness now, couldn't risk the other demon losing respect for his authority.

Desperation and fury clouded Jinu's vision, his eyes darting around the kitchen, searching for anything to give him the upper hand. He could use the knife block on the counter, or the heavy marble cutting board, or if he could make it to the other side of the island, he could use the bar stool—

Abby catches the direction of his gaze and his expression hardens, his lips curling to a growl that revealed rows of sharpened teeth. "Don't even think about it."

Jinu seized on the momentary distraction, channeling all his supernatural strength into driving his knee upward into Abby's torso, the impact sending him reeling in pain. His iron grip shattered, and Jinu twists free, driving his arms into Abby's chest to propel himself backwards.

The kitchen erupted into chaos as both demons flew apart, now both fully transformed, claws fully extended and blazing golden eyes locked in a primal standoff. The air between them crackled with raw demonic power, the kitchen lights flickering in a cloud of swirling purple smoke.

Jinu's momentum sent him careening backward. His elbow swept across the counter, sending Romance's expensive ornamental fruit bowl exploding into the floor-tiles in a show of ceramic shards and bruised fruit. In a split second, his claws erupted from his fingertips, and he drove them deep into the marble countertop to steady himself.

Abby recovered with predatory grace, stepping forward to meet Jinu in the centre of the kitchen. His arms were raised, pose defensive, but claws still extended. "Jinu, stop! This isn't—"

Jinu lunged forward with inhuman speed, closing the gap between them, swiping at Abby's face with extended claws. Demonic instinct kick in and Abby parries Jinu's attack with a swipe of his own, raking across his face and tearing through flesh. Jinu hisses in pain, instinctively bringing his hand to his jaw. His fingers came away slick with deep purple blood.

He swipes again, and Abby raises his arms to block, absorbing the blow with his tough demonic hide. "Fight me properly!" Jinu snarled, voice cracking raw with fury, and beneath it, something desperate and broken. "FIGHT ME!"

"No!" Abby backed away, hands still raised defensively. "I don't want to fight you right now!"

But Jinu was beyond hearing. He pressed forward in a whirlwind of claws and rage. Abby had no choice but block, taking the impact on his forearms, purple blood welled up in savage lines criss-crossing his skin. He was too large to maneuver the tight space, too slow to dodge, and when he tries to move forward to restrain Jinu, another flurry of strikes drives him back.

He was holding back. Deliberately pulling his punches.

And the realisation only made Jinu angrier.

"You think you're better than me?" Jinu hissed. He feinted left, and Abby's guard shifts to meet him. Jinu pivots, lunging to the opposite side, and drives his claws toward his exposed side.

But his movements are clumsy, blinded by desperation, and Abby catches him, retaliating with a backhand that catches Jinu mid-strike and sent him spinning through the air. He crashed into the double sink, the stainless steel buckling inward and ceramic dishes rattling in the dish rack.

Blinking through the haze of blood that dripped from his forehead into his eyes, Jinu fumbled desperately until his hand closed around the handle of a cast-iron pan sitting in the dish rack, still there after Baby had put it in the dishwasher despite explicitly being told not to.

Swinging it with all his strength, the metal collides with Abby's ribs with a sickening crack. The taller demon let out a choked groan of agony, stumbling sideways, thrown off balance by the unexpected attack, one hand grasping at his torso.

Jinu circles the other demon, swiping the back of his hand across his brow to wipe away the sweat and blood that slicked his forehead.

He caught his reflection in Abby's eyes and he registered— with a sense of horror— the victory he felt seeing the larger demon, physically superior in every way, keeled over in pain, looking at him with a deliciously vulnerable and furious expression that made him giddy with satisfaction.

"You're insane." Abby snarls, his voice rough with pain. "What happened to you, Jinu?"

Jinu faltered for a moment, the genuine concern in Abby's voice cutting through his rage like a knife. But then he shook his head violently. Abby was just trying to manipulate him, exploit the emotional human weakness that he was trying so hard to suppress. That's what they all did. "You don't know anything about me!"

With inhuman speed, Jinu lunged forward for a finishing blow, but Abby hauls himself upright at the last minute, catching a fistful of Jinu's hair and using his own momentum against him. He slams Jinu's head into the refrigerator door, the contents within rattling from the impact.

Abby pins Jinu's head against the cold metal with one hand while his other pressed down on his shoulder, effectively trapping him. Jinu's cheek was smashed against the brushed steel, his breath fogging the surface as he struggled uselessly.

"Look, I don't know what's gotten into you. But this ends now." Abby growls, his voice still rough with aggression. He breaths deeply, as if trying to calm himself, fingers twisting in Jinu's hair as he grounded himself. "We don't do this to each other. We're supposed to be friends."

"Let go of me!" Jinu snarls, his words muffled against the refrigerator. He thrashed against Abby's hold, but the other demon holds him firm.

"Not until you calm down and tell me what's going on." Abby replies, grip tightening just enough to make his point without causing serious damage. "I've already hurt you enough, but if you keep this up—"

Jinu attempts to struggle free with a violent jerk, but Abby was prepared this time, leaning his whole body weight forward to press Jinu down, his chest against his back, chin digging into Jinu's shoulder.

"Jinu please!" Desperation leaked into Abby's voice in a way that make Jinu's heart twist. "Let's just talk about this! Whatever's wrong, we can fix it. We should—"

That was when Abby paused mid-sentence, his body going utterly still. His nostrils flared as he caught something in the air, some scent that made every instinct in his demonic body snap to attention. When he spoke again, his voice had changed, taking on a predatory quality that made Jinu's blood run cold.

"Why do you smell like...?" The words trailed off as understanding dawned across his features, his expression shifting from anger to something far more dangerous.

Jinu's heart hammered against his ribs as panic flooded his system. He jerks, trying to slip free, but Abby's grip seems to tighten with every movement.

Without warning, Abby's yanks Jinu's hair back to examine the fabric of his collar, the action causing him to groan in pain. There, barely visible against the dark material unless someone was looking at it closely, were tiny red specks scattered across the chest and collar.

"Have you been out hunting?" Abby's voice was barely above a whisper. His pupils had begun to dilate and when he spoke again, his voice had taken on a dreamy, vacant quality. "Fresh human blood. I can smell it on you."

Jinu caught his reflection in the brushed steel surface of the refrigerator door— his hair pulled back from Abby's grip, his eyes wild, but forehead completely unmarked, his head wound healed completely by his restored demonic powers.

His head is torn back and his body slammed back down as Jinu is flipped, now staring directly into Abby's face, eyes glowing feral and golden.

"Is that where you've been disappearing to these past few weeks?" Abby breathed, and to Jinu's mounting horror, he buried his face into the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent deeply with feverish hunger. A low moan escaped his throat, hot and needy, sound vibrating against Jinu's skin. "All those times you vanished without explanation... You've been hunting humans?"

"I-I..." Jinu stammered, words dying in his throat.

"Jinu, this isn't fair!" Abby whined, pressing closer until Jinu could feel the heat radiating from his body. Abby's hands were no longer gripping him with violence, but wrapped around his torso, clinging desperately, wandering over his skin. "Do you have any idea what it's been like? Surrounded by all these humans every day, their hearts beating, their blood flowing, and then having to hold back because it would compromise the mission?"

His voice cracked on the last word, and Jinu realized with a mixture of fascination and horror that Abby was completely losing control, crumbling before his eyes.

Jinu tried to speak, to deny or explain, but Abby wasn't finished. His voice had taken on a hypnotic quality that made Jinu's skin crawl with uneasiness and unwanted arousal.

"I can smell it on you." Abby continued, his face moving closer to Jinu's neck, inhaling so deeply he could feel the air shift, and goosebumps raising on his neck. Abby tugs down his collar slightly to expose his neck, tongue darting out to lick a burning line from his neck to the base of his collarbone, where specks of blood had pooled and crusted moments earlier. Against his instincts, Jinu doesn't pull away. Abby laps up the remaining blood, savouring the taste with pleasured moans that sent an unwanted heat straight through Jinu's core. "Fresh human blood. It tastes incredible."

The sensation of Abby's tongue against his throat made his knees weak, his body responding even as his mind recoiled, screaming at him that this was wrong. "Abby, stop..." He breathed, but his protest sounded weak even to his own ears, his own body starting to respond.

"I can't..." Abby moaned, lips brushing over his pulse point, which thrummed rapidly. "I can't stop... You smell so good..."

His own words cut off abruptly as his teeth sank into the muscle of Jinu's shoulder, biting down hard enough to draw blood. The pain was sharp and immediate, but it was overwhelmed by the heat that flooded Jinu's system, by the way his body seemed to melt against Abby's despite every rational thought screaming at him to fight back. Jinu moans, his arms coming up to cling onto Abby's shoulders, not sure whether he was pushing him away or pulling him closer.

Jinu bit back a groan as Abby's tongue swiped over the bitemark on his shoulder, lapping up the free flowing blood. The wound was already starting to tingle as it healed itself, leaving behind a pleasant warmth.

"It's not the same..." Abby mumbled between licks, the taste of demon blood bland in his tongue. When he looked up, his eyes were glowing, inhuman and beautiful and terrifying all at once. "Please, Jinu. I need... I need to taste what you tasted. Share it with me."

"I didn't go hunting—" Jinu started, the words heavy in his mouth.

"Don't lie to me!" Abby snarled, his grip tightening with desperation. "I can smell the blood all over you. You've been feeding while the rest of us starve ourselves for the mission, haven't you?" His voice dripped with accusation. "All those speeches about sacrifice and discipline and following the plan, and you've been sneaking out to hunt?"

Jinu stared down at Abby's golden eyes, at the desperate hunger written across his beautiful features and he feels a something like hopelessness settle in his chest. If even he lacked the self-control to fight against his own instincts at the first scent of blood, then it was crucial that none of them ever learned the truth about what Gwi-ma had done to him.

Gwi-ma's conditioning whispered in his ear like poison: Control him. Use his weakness. Make him yours.

Jinu could feel the manipulation forming in his mind, seductive in its simplicity. It would be so easy. Abby was already desperate, already hungry, so all Jinu would need to do was lean into it, to describe some fabricated hunt in graphic detail, and then watch Abby's eyes glaze over with bloodlust and devotion. He could make Abby dependent on him, could use this moment of vulnerability to ensure his absolute loyalty, dangling the prospects of future kills over his head and guide him to do his bidding.

"You want to know?" Jinu's voice dropped to barely above a whisper, but it carried the kind of authority that made Abby's breath catch. He could feel the shift in power between them, the way Abby's grip in his hair loosened just slightly, the sharp scent of arousal mixing with hunger. "You really want to know what I've been doing?"

Abby nodded eagerly. "Please. Tell me everything."

Jinu's hands came up to hold Abby's face, fingers threading through his hair with deceptive gentleness. Abby's eyes flutter shut, leaning into his touch as a gentle sigh exited his lips.

Tracing the outline of his jaw gently, Jinu allows himself to imagine the scene. He would watch as Abby's crumbled completely under his seductive words, as the carefully maintained image of the cheerful, harmless demon dissolved to reveal the predator underneath. And then Jinu would be in control, not through friendship, but through corruption.

Through exploitation. Just like all powerful demons. Just like Gwi-ma.

"No." Jinu said quietly. His hands trembled as they moved from Abby's hair to his shoulders, pushing him back with gentle, but unmistakable firmness. "No, Abby. We can't do this..."

Abby's eyes snapped open, confusion breaking through the haze of hunger. His hands came up immediately to grip Jinu's forearms, fingers digging in with desperate strength. "What? But you said—"

"I know what I said, but—"

"Please, Jinu!" The desperation in Abby's voice was painful to hear, all pride stripped away by need. "I'll be good. I'll be so good for you. Whatever you want, whatever you need— I'll do it. I won't ask questions, I won't tell anyone, I'll listen to you. Please. Just let me—"

"Control yourself!" Jinu snapped, and Abby recoils as if struck.

Abby's hands fell away from Jinu's wrists, and he took a stumbling step backward, his expression cycling through shock, hurt, and finally settling on something that looked like shame. "I-I..."

"Don't ask me about the blood." Jinu said, his voice quieter now but no less firm. He straightened his rumpled clothes with shaking hands, trying to regain some semblance of dignity. "This doesn't concern you."

"Doesn't concern me?" Abby's voice rose with incredulous anger, the hurt transforming into something sharper. "You're out here indulging yourself while the rest of us starve, showing up covered in blood, attacking me, and you're now telling me it doesn't concern me?"

"I'm not—" Jinu took a deep breath, forcing himself to meet Abby's eyes. "Look, it doesn't matter what I'm doing. Once the mission is complete and the Honmoon is shattered, you'll have all the humans you want to consume and more. In the meantime, I'm telling you to stay out of it."

He could hear how cold he sounded, but he forced himself to continue, ignoring the hurt in Abby's eyes. "Whatever you think you know, whatever you think you smelled, forget it. It has nothing to do with you or the mission."

The shift in Abby's expression was painful to watch, desperate hunger melting into hurt before hardening into something closed off and bitter. His hands dropped from Jinu's arms as if he'd been burned, and he took several steps backward, putting distance between them.

"I see." Abby's voice was carefully neutral now, all emotion now closed off. "So that's how it is. You get to have your secrets, disappear whenever you want, and the rest of us are just supposed to pretend everything's fine."

"Abby, that's not what I—"

"No, I get it." Abby held up one hand to stop any further explanation, his expression flat and unreadable. "You don't want to share anything with the rest of us. With your own friends."

"Abby—" Jinu opened his mouth to explain, to defend himself, but what could he possibly say? That he was protecting himself? That the blood Abby smelled was his own? That he was terrified of becoming the monster that Gwi-ma wanted him to be?

"Don't worry." Abby interrupted, his voice taking on that bright, artificial cheerfulness that he used with overly aggressive fans, pleasant on the surface but empty underneath. "Your secret's safe with me. Wouldn't want Baby pestering you for scraps once he finds out where you've been disappearing to."

"Abby—"

"You can go retreat to wherever you disappear to." Abby was already turning away from him. His foot struck the broken shards of ceramic scattered across the kitchen tiles. Wordlessly, he bent down and pulled a dustpan from under the sink. "I'll clean up this mess."

Jinu wanted to say something, anything, to bridge the growing distance between them. But what could he say? The truth would put them all in danger. A lie would only make things worse. And an apology felt inadequate for the damage that had already been done.

"For what it's worth." Abby said without looking up, his voice carried easily in the silence, clear and devastating. "I was worried about you. We all were." His hand hesitated mid-sweep, fingers trembling just slightly. "I thought if you trusted me, I could help. Or at the very least, that you'd come around eventually and come back to us."

He pauses, voice soft now. "But I guess that was stupid of me to think that we even mattered to you in the first place."

And Jinu, the coward that he was, walked away. Leaving Abby alone with the mess and the crushing weight of betrayal.