Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“This is so exciting!” Zoey squealed, shaking Rumi by the arm, “We’ve never had a release party before!”

“Bobby practically insisted after “Golden” instantly went to number one.”

“We don’t go to nearly enough parties. This is long overdue,” Mira added on, touching up her makeup while examining herself in her compact mirror.

The women were running fashionably late to the party, jittery in the backseat of the limo Bobby had sent for them. When Mira finished using the mascara on herself, she grabbed Zoey’s chin to tilt her head and touch up her girlfriend’s makeup. Rumi turned away and looked out the window at the passing cars and buildings. When they finally arrived, Zoey practically climbed over Rumi to be the first out of the car.

“Woah! This place is so nice!”

“We haven’t even gone inside yet,” Mira teased.

“We can see the lightshow they’ve got going on through the windows, though. And I can already hear the music blaring.”

Rumi feigned needing to cover her ears, making the other two women laugh. She, then, led the way inside, with Mira and Zoey lagging just a bit behind. Mira held her arm out, which Zoey lovingly took, leaning in with a content sigh.

“I’m so glad I get to spend the evening with you.”

“We spend every evening together, Zoey.”

“Mm, I love it when you say my name, too. But you know what I mean. Going out and doing something together. Spending real time together.”

Mira dramatically gasped, placing a hand over her “wounded” heart.

“You mean…you don’t love our couch dates?”

“Get a room, you two,” Rumi teased before actually walking a few paces ahead to give them some space.

Zoey and Mira stared ahead at Rumi for a moment, just a bit tense before relaxing again. Zoey turned to gaze up at Mira. The other woman, in turn, looked down at her.

“She’s just jealous,” Mira playfully stated.

Zoey thought about it for a second before her eyes sparkled.

“We should try and set her up with someone!”

“No thanks!” Rumi called over her shoulder.

Rumi reached the entrance first but waited by the door for Mira and Zoey before stepping inside. When the three entered the scene, heads turned immediately to cheer and celebrate. Korean celebrities and high-ranking guests swarmed them, offering the band congratulations and drinks.

Mira immediately started keeping track of what Zoey and Rumi drank. The last time Huntr/x had gotten drunk, Rumi had been found sobbing on the floor in a random room while hugging a plastic plant after having wandered off an hour prior, Zoey was trying to pick a fight with strangers every chance she got between bouts of nausea, and Mira had fallen into the pool while trying to do a backflip. Mira internally cringed, deciding right then and there that she needed to make sure none of them got drunk that night.

So, of course, Zoey and Rumi took turns distracting Mira so that they could sneak in extra shots. Rumi would suddenly need to show Mira a video of street-dancers she had found while Zoey quickly recruited people to help her do a keg stand. Zoey would suddenly be needy and demand kisses from Mira while Rumi rushed to the bar and did a line of shots.

The night quickly became a blur, and Mira was caught off-guard when Zoey was suddenly rushing to the bathroom after just her “third” drink of the night. Rumi sobered up just enough to follow the women, staggering behind. While Zoey was fighting for her life and Mira was rubbing circles into her girlfriend’s back, Rumi stared her reflection down, debating if she needed water yet or not.

“What’s up with you two? Did you not eat today? I knew we should have stopped for dinner first; we were already late.”

Rumi turned to look at Mira, leaning against the sink. She really was doing her best to appear sober, but the swaying and squinty eyes were not helping her case, in the slightest. Mira looked back at her and sighed, the dots connecting.

“You both should be ashamed.”

Zoey responded by hurling into the toilet before weakly doing the surfer sign hand gesture. Mira pushed up her glasses just a bit to pinch the bridge of her nose.

“Rumi, can you go get water for Pukey McGee over here? Get some for yourself, too, while you’re at it. You’re both cut off for the night.”

Rumi huffed and dramatically rolled her eyes. Mira shot her a glare, inciting another brief moment of sobriety. That clarity only lasted one step out of the bathroom, though, as the door didn’t even get a chance to close before she was colliding with someone. Rumi went down like an anchor, crashing to the floor with a yelp.

“Rumi!”

Before Mira could rush over, though, the guy that had bumped into Rumi was already helping the woman up.

“Are you alright?”

Zoey staggered to her feet and over to the sink, holding her mouth under the water to drink from the tap. When she had recovered enough, she turned around and was able to see what Mira was seeing: Rumi blushing. Rumi. Blushing. Rumi: the woman who had never shown interest in anyone the entire time they had known her. Was it the alcohol, maybe?

The man kept the hand he had locked with Rumi’s to pull her up where it was while his other hand brushed dust off of her dress.

“What-...What’s your name? I don’t think-...Do I know you?” Rumi asked, her speech somewhat slurred.

“Jinu,” he answered with a smile.

“Jinu…”

Mira and Zoey glanced at each other, bothered while neither could pinpoint why. Still, Mira decided that it was time for this Jinu guy to go.

“Right, well, thank you, Jinu, for helping Rumi up, but we were actually just leav-”

“-Could I…make it up to you? Perhaps, with a drink?”

“Ooo-”

“-She’s been cut off,” Mira interrupted.

Jinu turned back to Rumi with an arched eyebrow before a mischievous look crossed his face.

“Well, if your babysitter insists.”

“Hey! I do not have a babysitter!”

“Uh, yeah, you do,” Zoey slurred, leaning on Mira for support while desperately trying to keep up with the conversation.

“How about a dance, then? Could you handle that better than you seem to be handling your drinks?”

Jinu gestured out toward the dance floor, taking one step toward it while still never letting go of Rumi’s hand.

“How would that even make it up to her?” Zoey asked no one in particular.

“I would love to wipe the floor with you. I’ll show you how it’s done,” Rumi replied, indignant.

Mira and Zoey watched as Rumi practically dragged Jinu away, the door finally closing in front of them without Rumi there to hold it open.

“How it’s done, done, done,” Zoey quietly sang, briefly mimicking their choreography for one of their most popular songs.

Mira surged forward toward the door, dragging Zoey along. Exiting the bathroom, Mira’s eyes darted around, trying to locate Rumi through the crowd she had disappeared into.

“I don’t like this. I don’t like this at all,” Mira grumbled.

“Yeah!”

“I need a drink.”

“Yeah!”

“You don’t get one.”

“Aw, man,” Zoey whined.

She slumped over a bit but still let Mira guide her toward the bar, where she was promptly handed a cup of water. Mira leaned her back against the bar as she sipped her cocktail, still scanning the room. Soon enough, her eyes locked on a pair on the dance floor. The way that Rumi and Jinu were in-sync while going through the most common dance routine for the song currently playing, eyes locked on each other the entire, made Mira clutch the glass hard enough to shatter it. Immediately, she ordered another drink.

Rumi, meanwhile, felt like the room was spinning in the best way possible. She had danced with other people before – she danced with Zoey and Mira for a living – and yet something about dancing with Jinu felt different. She could smell the alcohol on him mixing with his cologne, and she became entranced while trying to decipher both what his scent and drink of choices were. She wondered a lot about him as the two danced together. What was Jinu doing at the party? What did he do for a living? Where had he come from? Where was he going in life? Did he have a girlfriend?

The last question snapped Rumi out of her daze, and she stumbled a bit. Jinu was immediately by her side, his gaze flickering between confusion and seriousness rapidly. The way he looked at her made her knees feel weaker than they already did, and they both dipped down a bit before he lifted her back up.

“You okay?” he asked, leaning close so that she could hear over the music.

Heat rose to Rumi’s cheeks and the tips of her ears, and a smile spread across her face.

“I’m…great.”

“You sure? You can tell me if you need to call it quits. I won’t rub it in your face too much that I was…oh, how did you put it…the one to wipe the floor with you,” he replied, his mischievous expression returning.

Rumi slapped his arm, her eyebrows furrowing.

“Oh, you wish.”

The song came to an end soon after, and they took a step apart from one another to applaud the band. Before they could say anything else to each other, Mira was suddenly standing between them while Zoey was on Rumi’s other side.

“I hope you two had fun. Unfortunately, I should probably get these two home. You know, where we all live together,” Mira said, snaking her arm around Rumi’s before grabbing her hand with locked fingers, “Because we’re so close.”

“Oh, uh, b-bye!” Jinu replied, waving awkwardly before turning and walking off.

Rumi automatically tried to follow him, but Zoey grabbed her other arm and started leading the trio toward the exit.

“Wait, we’re actually leaving? Already?”

“Come on, Rumi,” Zoey encouraged before leaning in to stage-whisper, “We can have more drinks at the penthouse.”

“No, you cannot.”

Zoey gasped, startled that Mira had heard her. The limo was already out front. Zoey crawled in first, collapsing along the seats. Mira, without letting go of Rumi’s hand, batted at Zoey’s feet until she got the woman to sit up and scoot over to make room. Then, Mira had Rumi sit in the middle, closing the door after claiming her own seat by the window. They were barely able to pull away from the curb before Zoey was tapping on the driver’s shoulder.

“Excuse me. Can we stick our heads through the sunroof, pretty please?”

Mira was about to protest that idea, too, but the driver was already complying. Zoey stood up, grinning wildly as she began to feel the wind hit her face and flow through her hair. Rumi finally shook Mira off to stand up, too. Mira crossed her arms and brooded for just a few moments before deciding to join the others.

Zoey turned her head, first admiring how beautiful her girlfriend looked under the stars and passing streetlamps. Then, her gaze flickered over to Rumi. Her smile faltered a bit as her mind somewhat caught up with the evening’s events. Was…was Rumi interested in Jinu? Like, interested interested? Why did that suddenly bother Zoey? Why did that make her feel sick to her stomach? Wasn’t it her idea earlier to push Rumi onto the dating scene? Why did it suddenly feel wrong? She shook the thought away, wanting to smile again.

Zoey flapped her arms through the air before shouting, “Caw-caw!”, which had Rumi shushing her between giggles while Mira tried to reach over and shove Zoey back down through the window. The first woman frantically swatted her girlfriend’s hand away between frantic-but-halfhearted-apologies.

When the car finally came to a stop in front of Huntr/x Tower, Mira practically had to drag the two other women, caught up in a laughing fit, out and through the building’s entrance toward the elevator. As soon as they started ascending, Zoey lost her balance and fell over, which had Rumi clinging on to Mira for dear life while howling.

“I can’t take you two anywhere,” Mira grumbled while secretly enjoying the moment thoroughly.

“You would be so bored without us,” Zoey replied, pointing an accusing finger vaguely in Mira’s direction while making no attempt to get off the floor.

When the elevator dinged, Rumi and Mira tag-teamed to grab Zoey by the feet and drag her out into the main area of the penthouse.

“We should party every night!”

“We are all taking a vow of sobriety after tonight.”

Zoey crossed her arms, pouting.

“You’re no fun, Mimi.”

Rumi snorted.

“Mimi?”

Mira’s face turned red, and she stopped dragging Zoey in favor of just scooping the woman up into her arms.

“Let’s get you out of that dress and into bed.”

“Temptressss,” Zoey trailed off, tapping her finger to Mira’s nose.

Mira dashed off with her girlfriend in tow, thoroughly embarrassed. Though she closed the door after her, part of her suddenly wished that Rumi was still following. The whim confused her, and she shook it off to focus on getting Zoey through her nightly routine and to sleep.

Rumi stared off at the two for a moment, stumbling while trying to stand still, Then, she began humming while waltzing toward her own bedroom. Her thoughts returned to Jinu, and her dancing stopped short. Quietly, she walked to her room, closing the door before slumping against it. Thinking back on the night, she groaned and covered her face. A small part of her hoped to cross paths with Jinu again, but a bigger part of her wanted to never, ever see him again.

Chapter Text

Mira hummed quietly to herself while preparing breakfast, water and headache medication already set up on the table behind her. Rumi was the second one awake that morning, her heavier-than-usual footsteps sounding out in the quiet penthouse as she left her room. Mira almost called out in greeting before thinking better of it, suspecting that any sort of loud noise would be unwelcome that particular morning. Instead, she waited until she heard Rumi slide her chair just a bit before collapsing into the seat, laying her head on the table.

“How’s the hangover treating you?” Mira teased.

She turned around just in time to catch Rumi’s glare before the woman’s face disappeared back into her folded arms. Mira smirked while returning to her cooking.

“Don’t talk to me,” Rumi grumbled.

“My bad…my bad. You’ve got water and meds right next to you. I’ve already got rice porridge ready to go so you don’t have to take anything on an empty stomach.”

“What if I just died, instead?”

Mira responded by bringing over a bowl of food, gently setting it down in front of Rumi before patting the woman’s shoulder.

“You’ll be fine.”

Mira returned to the stove, finishing off the last of the kimchi pancakes before bringing the stack to the table, as well.

“I’m going to go wake up Zoey.”

That finally got a small laugh out of Rumi.

“Good luck with that.”

Mira rolled her eyes before quietly making her way back to her bedroom. Opening the door, her heart warmed just a bit more at the sight of Zoey tangled in the bedsheets, clutching the turtle plushie Mira had placed in the woman’s arms so that she could leave the room undetected. The older woman sat on the edge of the bed, gently shaking Zoey’s leg.

“Time to wake up,” she cooed.

Zoey grumbled, her eyebrows furrowing without her eyes opening, as she tucked her face further into the plushie. Mira shook her leg a bit harder.

“I’ve got breakfast ready. Rumi’s already at the table, so you better hurry up if you want any.”

Zoey sighed, turning her face back and puckering her lips, her eyes still closed. Mira complied with the silent request and leaned forward, softly kissing her girlfriend. Zoey’s eyes finally fluttered open, her exhaustion evident.

“Feed me breakfast in bed?”

Mira chuckled, reaching around to untangle Zoey from the blankets.

“Come on.”

Zoey grumbled something in English, sitting up before her head flopped forward. Mira stood and tugged on her girlfriend’s arm, slowly pulling her out of bed. After a bit more coaxing, she was able to guide Zoey out of the room and to the dining table. Rumi was already refilling her glass of water, sitting back down at the same time that the other two finally claimed their own seats.

“You look terrible,” Rumi croaked, weakly smiling.

Zoey rubbed the sleep from her eyes before one of her fists turned into a middle finger directed at the woman.

“Still want to party every night?” Mira asked, pushing a plate of pancakes toward Zoey.

“I would be fine if I never saw a bottle of tequila ever again.”

Rumi gagged at the mention of the drink, and Mira snorted.

“You’re laughing at our suffering!” Zoey whined.

“Self-inflicted suffering,” Mira corrected.

“You’re so mean…”

Mira grabbed Zoey’s hand, planting a kiss on the back of her palm, before giving her chopsticks. Breakfast was slowly picked through, with the fruit Mira chopped up being the favorite dish offered. Afterward, Rumi and Zoey did the dishes while Mira took the first shift in the shower rotation schedule. Zoey rinsed off the last of the bowls, handing it to Rumi to dry and put away.

“So…did you have fun last night?” Zoey probed, trying to sound nonchalant.

“Yeah. Did you?”

“Yeah…So, that Jinu guy, huh?”

Rumi lost her grip on the bowl, scrambling to catch it before it could shatter. She tried to play the slip-up off, but Zoey caught it in its entirety.

“What about him?”

“He seemed fun. Did you like him?”

Zoey braced for an answer, though she had no idea why. Rumi’s quiet contemplation dragged on a bit too long for her taste.

“...Yeah, I guess so.”

Zoey dried off her hands, turning to face Rumi fully while crossing her arms.

“Think you’ll want to see him again?”

“How could I? All I know about him is his first name.”

Zoey relaxed a bit at that, ceasing her brief interrogation.

“Oh well. Probably for the best.”

Rumi quietly chuckled.

“Yeah…you’re right.”

Rumi closed the cabinet and walked out of the room, leaving Zoey standing by herself. The youngest woman tapped her fingers against her thighs, thinking while waiting to hear Rumi’s bedroom door shut, before she sprinted off to the bathroom. Practically crashing through the door, she ignored the steam and the sounds of water running mixed with Mira singing to herself.

“Mira! Mira! Mira!”

Mira shrieked before poking her head around the curtain, shampoo still in her hair.

“What? What? Are you okay?”

“Rumi is totally in love with that guy!”

Mira deflated, rolled her eyes, and disappeared back into the shower. Zoey began pacing around the bathroom, hands clasped behind her back.

“I seriously doubt it. And, even if she somehow caught feelings for him after…what, five minutes? Maybe? Even then…the odds of running into him are extremely low. There are a lot of people in Seoul. And that’s assuming that he wasn’t travelling in from somewhere else.”

“But what if-...what if she’s heartbroken? What if she swears off love forever and ever because of this?”
Mira’s head reappeared from behind the curtain, as well as one of her hands to flick water on her girlfriend.

“Hey!”

“She’ll be fine. This is Rumi we’re talking about,” Mira reassured, disappearing once more.

“We should stick with her all day today! Make sure she has no time to even think about boys!”

Mira opened her mouth to reply with a tease, but something stopped her. What she was about to say suddenly felt like it ran with the possibility that it would hit too close to the truth. Why did Zoey care so much? Why did…why did Mira care so much?

“Text Bobby. See if he can schedule a last-minute meet-and-greet signing,” she finally said, almost too quiet to be heard over the shower.

Though Zoey didn’t verbally reply, Mira picked up the sounds of Zoey typing on her phone – Zoey always had her ringer on full, which annoyed Mira a bit as the one who always had her phone on silent.

“He says he will see what he can do!”

“Great. Can I finish my shower in peace now?”

“You don’t want me to join you?” Zoey teased, curling her fingers around the curtain without actually pulling it back.

“Now who’s the temptress?”

Zoey laughed and let go, stepping out of the bathroom and closing the door behind her. Walking up to Rumi’s bedroom, she quietly knocked. Nothing. She cracked open the door just a bit.

“Rumi?”

Instead of a response, she could hear the faint sounds of the wind, letting her know that Rumi was out on the balcony. Zoey stepped into the room, noticing how the bed hadn’t been made yet, per Rumi’s usual morning routine. Squinting, she stepped out onto the balcony to find Rumi in sunglasses with her hoodie pulled over her head, watering her garden while humming. Zoey’s heart fluttered just a bit before the sun started giving her a headache. She raised one hand to rest just above her eyebrows.

“Do you want the second shower, or do you want me to go ahead and go?”

Rumi straightened up, startled a bit by Zoey’s presence after having been lost in thought.

“Uh…you go ahead. I have to wash my hair today, so I’ll be a while.”

Zoey nodded, then looked down at her phone.

“Oh, Bobby just got us booked for a small signing, by the way. It won’t be advertised too much, so it should be lowkey. After that, do you want to go grab some samgyeopsal?”

Rumi feigned swooning and having to fan her face.

“A woman after my own heart. Should Mira be jealous?”

Zoey’s laugh started out genuine before it suddenly became forced as her eyes grew wide. Rumi noticed the tonal shift, one of her eyebrows arching up in confusion. Zoey moved toward the door.

“Right, well, I better go take my shower, then. Wouldn’t want to keep the fans waiting!”

She disappeared inside, leaving Rumi to stare after her for a moment before returning to tending to her plants. She kept humming the same verse over and over again, drawing a blank on what song was stuck in her head. Eventually, Mira was next to join her outside, wrapping her damp hair in a towel.

“Hey, Mira, what song is this?” Rumi asked before humming the notes for the nth time that morning.

Mira sat down on one of the chairs, basking in the morning sun.

“Hmm. Kinda sounds like “Love, Maybe” a bit? By MeloMance? Not sure, though; it’s been a couple years since I’ve heard that song.”

Rumi snapped her fingers, her eyes lighting up.

“That’s it! Oh, thank you! That was going to drive me insane.”

“Got love on the brain?” Mira teased.

“Says the token lovergirl.”

They both laughed at that, but it stuck out to Mira that Rumi didn’t answer the question. Mira frowned a bit, watching Rumi before looking around.

“How many plants are you up to now? I swear there are more than there were the last time I was out here.”

“Oh, there definitely are. I am incapable of passing a plant nursery without going inside. And, if I’m inside, I might as well buy one while I’m already there.”

“Perfect sense,” Mira mused, dragging out the first word.

“Make fun of me all you want, but we both know you’re the same way with polar bear plushies. I’ve seen your room.”

Mira held up her hands in surrender, leaning back in the chair and closing her eyes. Soon enough, she was able to hear Rumi watering her plants once more, and she was humming more of the song now that she could remember how it went. Some birds occasionally joined in as they fluttered past, and Mira was reminded of a fairytale princess. She let out a content sigh, perfectly happy if the whole day was like this.

“Rumi, your turn,” Zoey announced, popping her head through the door while tightening her robe just a bit, “Mira, are you ready for our skincare routine?”

Both women followed her inside, Rumi disappearing into the bathroom while Mira and Zoey went back to their room. The former woman sat on the bed, waiting while the latter grabbed the jar of paste for their bubble clay masks and brush. Mira closed her eyes, relaxing as the scent filled her nose and the cool mask was spread across her face. Zoey gently applied it, checking over her work, before handing the brush to Mira so that she could do the same.

After both of their masks were applied, they sat on the bed together to watch the latest turtle video Zoey had found, passing the time while waiting for the clay to set. After about fifteen minutes, they knocked on the bathroom door to let Rumi know they were coming in before heading to the sink to wash the masks off.

“Hey, can you add tea tree oil to the list? I’m almost out again,” Rumi asked without sticking her head out.

“Already? You should make a brand deal with them or something so they’ll send you a bunch.”

Zoey tapped the back of her hand against Mira’s bicep, as if to playfully scold her. Rumi just barked out a laugh, though. The girlfriends left the room, with Zoey breaking off to add the item to the shopping list hung up on the fridge by a train magnet. Then, they returned to their rooms to get dressed for the day.

“Do you want to match today?” Mira asked over her shoulder while sifting through their closet.

“Sure! Do I get to pick the outfits?”

“Absolutely not. You’d dress us like 12-year-old boys again.”

Zoey stuck out her tongue but relented, knowing that Mira had a point – her sense of fashion hadn’t evolved since middle school.

“Does Rumi also have an outfit like this?”

Mira turned around and held out a shirt and skirt combination. Zoey nodded her head in approval of the choices while drawing a mental image of Rumi’s wardrobe collection.

“Maybe? Are we matching with her, too, or just you and me?”

Mira’s hands dropped to her sides before she paused. They did usually try to match with Rumi if their outfits were going to be coordinated. Why did Zoey question it this morning? Why did it actually feel like something of note this time?

“I’ll…go check her closet. Be right back.”

Mira quickly left the room, crossing the hall to get to Rumi’s. She searched through until she found what she was looking for, laying the outfit on the bed as an absent request before returning to Zoey. The other woman was already dressed, picking out her earrings for the day from her jewelry box. Mira quickly got dressed before she began finger-combing through her hair.

Eventually, they heard Rumi shut off the water and retreat to her room. Mira and Zoey took back over the bathroom, brushing their teeth before Zoey helped Mira blowdry and style her hair for the day.

“Is this a striking makeup kind of day or natural colors?” Zoey asked.

“Mm, natural since it’s a casual meet-and-greet. We can have fun with the eyeshadow if you want, though.”

Zoey clapped her hands together, deciding on a purple shade for them both. Rumi entered the bathroom, dressed in the outfit Mira chose. She paused, taking in the sight of her roommates.

“I should have known we’d be matching when you picked this out for me.”

“Duh,” Mira replied after finishing applying her lipgloss.

Rumi weasled her way between them, beginning the painstaking process of drying her hair. Zoey and Mira helped as best as they could, each manning a hairbrush to tackle the tangles. Then, they braided the eldest band member’s hair for her. Rumi smiled to herself at the attention. Then, she blushed just a bit when Zoey grabbed her face to turn it toward her.

“Close your eyes,” she commanded, holding up a small sponge with the purple eyeshadow on it.

Rumi complied, struggling to stay still while the application process tickled. Soon after, all three women were ready to leave. Rumi shot Bobby a text, asking for the address of the venue.

“Do we want to walk there today?” she asked, checking the forecast on her phone.

“Sure! We’re not late, for once, so we have time to get stopped by fans if we get recognized.”

“We’re Huntr/x. Of course, we’ll get recognized,” Mira proudly mused.

She checked her purse for the essentials before taking Zoey’s hand and heading toward the elevator. Rumi trailed closely behind, still scrolling on her phone.

Chapter Text

Stepping outside, Zoey, Mira, and Rumi all sighed into the warm breeze before beginning their journey, Rumi leading the way. Mira had to keep an eye out to make sure Zoey didn’t bump into or trip over anything as she pointed out the clouds and what they looked like to her while also making sure that Rumi didn’t wander off in the wrong direction – even with a map in her hands, Rumi could get them all lost within a few moments if left unchecked.

Surprisingly enough, not too many people stopped them for pictures. The longest they got stalled was when Zoey found a turtle on the side of the road opposite the river and had to cross traffic twice to grab it and then bring it to the edge of the river. When they finally arrived, Bobby ushered them in through the back entrance to the building.

“Alright, girls! We actually had to bring in more posters to account for how many people are cued outside; never underestimate Huntr/x’s popularity!”

Mira leaned over and gently elbowed both Rumi and Zoey, briefly flashing a knowing smirk before returning her attention to Bobby.

“Doors open in five. Use the bathroom, grab some water and snacks, and make sure your pens work!”

“Okay, Bobby!” the women said in unison.

Bobby glanced at something on his phone before walking off to talk to a security guard. The three idols walked up to the table, practicing their signatures on the top posters in their stacks. Then, Mira broke off to grab the waters. Zoey began running in place, hyping herself up. Rumi periodically glanced up from her phone to observe the behavior, smiling softly. Still, she didn’t want to fully put her phone away just yet. She was searching online through the list of Jinus that she could find, trying to match pictures to her memory.

The women got their final stretches in before sitting down, signaling for the doors to be opened. A crowd flooded inside the venue, filling the room with excited chatter. Cameras immediately started flashing as different people called for their attention.

“Single-file! Single-file, please!” Bobby said, raising his voice to a commanding volume.

The fans settled down a bit and did as instructed, and Huntr/x began the work of signing autographs and maintaining brief conversations with their fans – each of them trained to keep mental timers of no more than 45 seconds per person. Minutes turned into an hour, which turned into two. Countless photos were taken, and handmade gifts were piling up under the table by their feet. The crowd slowly but surely dwindled down until just a few were left.

A tall figure approached, head bowed down with the hood of their jacket pulled up. Rumi pulled the next poster off the pile, clicking her pen.

“And who can I make this out to?”

“To the one who wiped the floor with you.”

“Huh?”

The man pulled his hood off and straightened up. Rumi stopped breathing while taking in the sight of Jinu standing before her, smirking. Mira and Zoey’s heads jerked over to look at him, unintentionally snapping their pens from how tight they clenched their fists. Bobby quickly rushed in to hand them new markers, redirecting their attention back to the fans.

Jinu approached the table and crouched down, propping his crossed arms up on the table.

“Ji-Jinu?” Rumi spluttered before composing herself.

“Our conversation got a bit cut off last night. Saw a post online that you were going to be here, so I thought I’d drop by.”

“It-It’s good to see you…again.”

Rumi, without looking away, began scribbling on the poster. She handed it over without looking at it. Jinu took it, read what was written, and his eyebrows rose with surprise. Immediately, Rumi tried to grab the poster back to see what she could have possibly written. However, Jinu quickly held it back, out of reach. He leaned in closer, and Rumi instinctively did the same.

“Did you mean to give me your phone number?” he asked, voice low enough to not be overheard.

Rumi’s face turned a deep shade of red, and she half-dove over the table to try and grab the poster again. Jinu took a step back, showing it off so she could see that she had, in fact, written it down, before he folded it up and put it in his pocket. Mira and Zoey turned their heads again before glancing at each other, silently debating if they should step in.

“Give it back,” Rumi whispered, pleading.

“Do you not want me to call you?”

Rumi stopped short, her heart leaping up into her throat at the idea.

“I-Well-Um-I-...”

Jinu smiled, not as cocky as before. He stepped out of the way, letting the next fan come up, while he began observing all the gifts Rumi had been given. He was particularly interested in some drawings by younger Huntr/x fans. When the doors were finally closed, Jinu still remained. Mira and Zoey turned their attention to him, glaring. He dropped the small teddy bear he had been admiring, scrambling to pick it up on the floor before handing it to Rumi.

“Event’s over,” Mira coldly noted.

Zoey stood up and walked over to drape her arms over Rumi’s shoulders. She looked up at Jinu, smiling in a way that was intentionally slightly unnerving.

“We would all stay and chat, but we’ve got lunch plans. We’ve got quite the busy schedule the whole day, actually. Come on, Ru-”

“-Actually, Jinu and I never got the proper chance to catch up…What if he tagged along and got samgyeopsal with us?” Rumi suggested, glancing at the other women from the corner of her eye.

“What.” Mira and Zoey seethed.

“What?” Jinu breathed.

Rumi’s gaze returned to Jinu. He was ready to say yes to anything Rumi suggested, but then he glanced at Zoey and Mira. He subconsciously took a step back.

“M-maybe another…time? When you’re…less…busy?”

Rumi visibly deflated, and the other two women briefly felt bad for their behavior. Jinu and Rumi exchanged quiet goodbyes before security escorted him outside.

Once the venue had been all packed up, Huntr/x set out to Rumi’s favorite samgyeopsal spot, taking the food to-go. Returning home, the three sat together to discuss the signing and show off their gifts from fans to each other between bites of food. Afterward, they changed outfits to be more disguised before Mira and Zoey dragged Rumi back out onto the streets of Seoul.

“Where are we even going?” Rumi asked, pulling her hood up over her head.

“I was thinking we could go back to the Myeongdong Shopping Street! We haven’t  been there in-” Zoey began before Mira joined in on the last word, “-forever!”

“Call it field research on the latest fashion trends if your workaholic-butt needs further justification for it,” Mira then added on, smirking.

Rumi rolled her eyes, glancing down at her phone before pocketing it. They did not make it halfway to their destination, though, before Mira was yanking them into a boba shop.

“Zoey, your usual matcha latte?” the woman then asked, already pulling her wallet out.

“Mhm-…Wait, actually, I can’t decide. What are you getting, Rumi?”

“My boba order hasn’t changed since the first time Celine let me try it.”

Mira looked up at the menu, still squinting just a bit despite her glasses.

“Their daily special sounds pretty good. Mocha bubble tea with brown sugar jelly and a tiramisu foam?”

“I know. Ugh, that’s why I can’t decide. Even Rumi’s  taro milk tea sounds amazing right now,” Zoey whined with a pout.

“Welcome to the correct way of having boba.”

Mira approached the counter, making the decision since she knew her girlfriend could spend hours agonizing over the choice. Zoey and Rumi each got their usuals while Mira got the daily special – however, she requested nine straws instead of three so that they could all share. Zoey looked ready to protest the use of plastic on behalf of turtles, but Mira beat her to the punch.

“Calm down. I’m ordering for here so we can use the reusable ones.”

Zoey deflated a bit while Rumi tugged on her sleeve to guide the youngest woman to a table by the window. Mira stayed standing, waiting for their order. Rumi pulled out her phone again, her eyes briefly lighting up at having received a new message. However, she quickly realized that it was Zoey sending a sniped candid photo of Mira with a scrunched-up face while reading the menu from just a minute prior.

“You’re going to get your phone taken away again,” Rumi said with a snort.

“Nah, she loves me too much.”

“Too much for what?” Mira asked, approaching with the drinks.

She set them down on the table before claiming her seat, scooting it just a bit closer to Zoey than it had been before. Rumi turned her phone around, allowing the woman to see the photo. Mira made a sound of disgust, cringing.

“You’re so foul with your photography!”

“I do my best.”

Zoey struck a pose, inviting a laugh from the rest of the table, before the three turned their attention to their drinks. Rumi refused to try the other teas but still offered up her own to share. Zoey was the most content, alternating between the three options frequently between predictions as to what they will find in the shopping center. Mira was quieter than usual, paying attention to what Zoey was saying but also paying attention to how Rumi kept glancing at her phone, her frown deepening a bit each time.

Mira discreetly signaled to Zoey that they needed to hurry up with their drinks, and soon they were back on track. Foot traffic increased as they got closer and closer, and the three kept their gazes down and voices low. The first store they came across was a boutique with an outdoor section for flowers. Rumi was immediately drawn to it, tugging Mira and Zoey along.

“Look at this chrysanthemum bouquet! It’s got our colors all in it – green, pink, and purple!” Rumi excitedly whispered.

Zoey was picking it up and taking it to the counter before she realized what she was doing, paying and scheduling it to be sent to Huntr/x Tower the next morning. When she returned to the group, Rumi had already moved on to admiring a tree. Mira, though, was mirroring Zoey’s confused expression.

“Since when do you buy Rumi flowers?”

“I-...I don’t know. Just now, apparently.”

Zoey placed a hand over her own forehead, feeling for a fever. Mira was eventually able to coax Rumi out of the shop without buying anything else, much to the other woman’s disappointment. The next store they visited specialized in skincare. Mira and Zoey began investigating the face masks, curious about possibly changing up their routine a bit. Rumi checked her phone between rounds of testing foundation on the back of her hand. Zoey decided to keep her friend’s hands busy by handing her things they were going to buy to hold onto, insisting they didn’t need a basket.

“Rumi, what brand of nosestrips do you like?”

“Rumi, what do you think of this aloe vera moisturizer?”

“Rumi, did you still need tea tree oil for your hair? They’re on sale.”

That last question was followed up by teasing from Mira, pointing out that sale price would still be more than a brand deal. When they went to check out, it was still Rumi who held onto the bag. Next was Mira’s favorite clothing store, the only place she would get her non-stage outfits from. She kept having to redirect Rumi’s attention away from the hoodies, though, and she quickly got fed up with Zoey wandering off just a bit to hide in clothing racks to jump out and scare them.

“Alright, it’s jacket-time.”

Zoey sulked while stepping up to Mira before turning around to have her back to her girlfriend. Mira briefly unzipped her jacket before wrapping it around Zoey, zipping them both back inside. Zoey’s head just barely poked out above the zipper, so she stood on Mira’s feet to get just a bit more height. Mira resumed walking, taking steps for the both of them. It was Rumi’s turn to snipe a picture, determined to set it to both of their lock screens the next time they foolishly left their phones unattended somewhere.

Rumi’s hands became more and more filled with bags as the afternoon stretched on. Mira, a bit too delighted, volunteered to feed Rumi (and Zoey, still confined to jacket-time) whenever a food stall caught one of their attentions. When Rumi’s arms eventually became too tired, Mira released Zoey so all three could work together to carry their shopping haul home.

Rumi collapsed into the couch upon reaching their penthouse, sighing before checking her phone and sighing even deeper. Zoey was busy taking pictures of everything they had bought to send to Bobby and her parents, and Mira began heating up water to cook their individual ramyen cups. Dinner passed by relatively quietly, and soon after Mira and Zoey retreated to their room, secretly high-fiving each other as they deemed their mission a success.

Rumi, meanwhile, was near-running laps around her room when she was supposedly also turned in for the night, psyching herself up. She didn’t need to check her phone. She wasn’t waiting for a text message or call. Nope. Not her. She wasn’t waiting on anyone at all. So, of course, she was totally nonchalant when she heard her phone buzz on her nightstand and dove toward it, knocking the lamp onto the floor.

“Unknown number,” she whispered to herself before reading the text.

‘Any room left in today’s schedule?’

Rumi bit her lower lip while trying to suppress a squeal of excitement. Her thumbs glided across the screen as she typed a reply. A nonchalant one, of course.

‘Who is this?’

Jinu immediately disliked the message, drawing a sharp laugh out of Rumi. Jinu started typing a response before the bubble with three dots disappeared without a message to replace it.

‘No, wait, come back,’ Rumi sent.

Jinu disliked that message, too. Rumi rolled her eyes.

‘Yes, I’m in the clear for the rest of the night.’

That finally got a thumbs-up reaction from him.

‘Meet me at Banpo Hangang Park,’ he replied before following it up with, ‘By the Banpo Bridge.’

It was Rumi’s turn to like his message. Then, she looked down at what she was wearing, still dressed incognito.

‘I’ll be wearing something different from earlier. You’re the only one that needs to know I’m there.’

Jinu replied with a laughing emoji, and Rumi was overcome with a need to hear his actual laugh, to be the one to make him laugh while face-to-face. She closed her phone and put it down on the table before picking the lamp up off the floor. Then, she eased out of her bedroom and snuck down the hall. She could hear Zoey aggressively playing some video game in her room while Mira – far more calm – was cheering her on. Rumi smiled to herself before making her way to the elevator, leaving without detection.

Walking down the street, Rumi felt alive and connected with everything around her. Every passing car, street lamp, building, animal, person, and conversation captured and enraptured her in fleeting moments. Every step forward increased the warmth in her chest, along with her smile. Everything just felt…alright. After a while, she made it to where Jinu told her to go, and she began looking around for him. He wouldn’t be able to find her among the people crowding around for the light show, so she needed to keep her eyes peeled.

It only took a few moments for her to spot him walking along the water’s edge, wearing a large and oddly-shaped backpack and carrying an instrument case. Curious and excited while also a bit nervous, Rumi began walking up to him. He looked behind him, as if he would be able to see her disguise, not noticing her approach.

A mischievous grin spread across Rumi’s face, and she moved as quietly but quickly as possible, stopping directly in front of him. He looked forward and let out a scream, jumping back as his eyes grew wide while clutching his chest.

“Did you agree to come out here just to jumpscare me?” Jinu accused, trying to force air back into his lungs.

“No, but I did come over here to see what’s in that case. And what’s up with that backpack.”

Jinu’s eyes immediately switched from a look of shock and betrayal to delight. He turned around, allowing the sight to speak for itself.

“Is that a cat?” Rumi asked, incredulous, before immediately cooing at the grey Maine Coon slowly blinking at her.

“This is Derpy. He loves the light show.”

Jinu turned back around, first placing his instrument case down on the ground before reaching back and pulling the backpack off. Gently, he unzipped it before pulling out the cat, who immediately began purring. Rumi squealed, fighting to remain calm so as not to spook Derpy. Jinu placed him on the ground, and the cat began lazily exploring.

“You’re not afraid of him running off?”

“Nah. He was a street cat before I found him in the dumpster behind where I work; he knows how to handle himself. Plus, he doesn’t usually wander too far away from me, anyway.”

“That’s adorable! Wait, where do you work?”

Jinu picked his case and backpack back up, striding past Rumi a few paces before settling down on a spot right by the river’s edge. He patted the ground next to him, and Rumi followed. He unzipped the case, pulling out a bipa that looked worn yet well-cared for.

“I’m a bartender. The place I work at is about 20 minutes that way,” Jinu finally answered, pointing in a certain direction before he began tuning the bipa.

Derpy wandered back over, rubbing up against Jinu’s knee before settling in Rumi’s lap. She fought not to cry tears of joy as she pet the cat with one hand while taking countless pictures with the other. Jinu smiled softly at the sight before both of them turned their attention to the bridge as music began playing. Jinu immediately joined in, and Rumi didn’t know whether to be more mesmerized by the rainbow lights illuminating the water show or by the man she sat next to.

A blush rose to Jinu’s cheeks as he realized that he was being watched, and he bowed his head, refusing to look up from his bipa as he tried to focus on playing.

“You’re really good at that,” Rumi noted, her voice barely audible over the chatter of people nearby and the music.

Jinu’s face turned a shade darker, and he had to stop playing to pull his shirt up to his nose with both of his hands. Rumi faltered, prompting Derpy to meow in protest of the ceased-petting.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!...Nothing. I just-...”

He cleared his throat, forcing himself to calm down, before resuming playing as if nothing had happened. She eyed him, quizzical, before returning her gaze to the water show. Derpy eventually got up from her lap, much to her despair. The cat then did something that Rumi found to be a bit bizarre.

Derpy would approach other watchers, meow to get their attention, and then lead them back to Rumi and Jinu. Multiple times, he did this until a small group surrounded the two. Rumi began panicking a bit, fearing that she would be recognized. However, the attention seemed to be on Jinu as he played. Then, she watched in wonder as people began slipping money into Jinu’s bipa case, smiling while quietly clapping along to the beat and complimenting him.

Jinu had become caught up in the music, seemingly failing to notice his audience until the show reached its conclusion and the music ceased. He looked up and around, his expression torn between wonder and embarrassment.

“Uh…for me?” he questioned, looking down at his case.

A few people nodded and offered last bits of praise as the crowd dissipated, everyone wandering off to continue on with what they had been doing before the show. Rumi smiled, a sense of pride warming up her chest, as she grabbed Derpy and placed him back in his carrier. Jinu hesitated before collecting the money and putting it in his wallet before storing away his bipa. Both of them blushed a bit as Rumi helped Jinu put his backpack on, and then they began walking together in a random direction.

“That was…amazing,” Rumi eventually said to break the silence, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For inviting me out. For playing. That was really special. You’re…really…special.”

Jinu bit the inside of his cheeks, looking up at the stars.

“You’re not too bad, yourself. I listened to some of your songs after the party.”

“What were you doing there, anyway?”

“I was part of the catering team. I stick to the bar I work at most of the time, but I’ll occasionally pick up other gigs if the money’s good. I was on break when I ran into you. Literally.”

That made Rumi laugh, and Jinu tripped on a rock while taking in the sight. Derpy fussed, and the man quickly apologized.

“Do you have any other pets?”

“A magpie bird. Sussie. She’s mean, though, so she doesn’t get to come on outings. Do you have any pets?”

“Ha! No, that would be terrible with my work schedule. Though, I couldn’t tell you how long it took Mira and me to convince Zoey of that – she was dead set on getting a turtle for the longest time.”

Jinu tensed up just a bit at the mention of the other women’s names before he quickly relaxed. They passed a street vendor selling yakgwa. Jinu was going to keep walking, but he stopped when he noticed Rumi eyeing the cookies. Instinctively, he pulled out his wallet and used what he had just been given to pay for two cookies. Rumi blinked, confused, as Jinu handed one to her.

“...Let me pay you back.”

Jinu shrugged his shoulders and turned to continue walking.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Dont-?” Rumi began before leaning in close to whisper, “I’m an idol. I had the money.”

“And I had the desire to pay.”

Rumi’s eyes flicked down to Jinu’s lips just as he said “desire,” making warmth rise to her cheeks. She looked away, silently questioning why her heart was racing.

“...Thanks,” she finally relented.

He smiled before taking a bite of his cookie. Silence fell back over them, more comfortable for Jinu than Rumi.

“...You said you listened to some of my songs?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you…have anything of yours I could listen to?”

Jinu stopped short, looking at Rumi as if she had grown another head.

“No? Why would I?”

It was Rumi’s turn once more to be really confused.

“Because…you have real talent? You could do something with it, you know. I mean it.”

Annoyance very briefly flashed across Jinu’s face before disappearing without the chance to be dissected. He sighed and continued onward. Rumi really had no idea where they were going; she just wanted to keep walking with Jinu.

“Thanks, but…I don’t really want to do something with music. It’s not something I want to advertise or sell. I’m perfectly fine with it just staying an experience, something to enjoy rather than work on.”

Some part about what he just said struck deeply in Rumi’s chest, too close to her heart, making her grimace.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with trying to connect with people through music. With as much work as it is, I still enjoy and love music with all my heart,” she replied, failing to hide the defensiveness from her tone.

Jinu looked down, stuffing the rest of the cookie in his pocket while leaving his hand there.

“That’s not what I-...Nevermind. Forget it.”

“...Fine.”

A thicker, heavier quiet consumed them. But neither of them said goodbye or broke away. Instead, they continued walking until streets started looking very familiar to Rumi. Then, she realized right as she happened to look up, that they were standing outside of Huntr/x Tower. Jinu had walked her home.

“How did you know-”

“-That you lived in the building with your band’s name and logo in big letters on the outside? Lucky guess.”

Jinu’s mischievous smile had returned to her, but it was more tired-looking than before.

“...Thank you. And thanks for…everything. This was fun.”

Rumi opened the door to the lobby, intending to walk inside. However, she stopped and turned back around. Jinu hadn’t moved to follow her in, but he was staring at her as if he desperately wanted to. The thought made her stomach twist in knots. His eyes grew wide upon noticing her noticing him, and he stiffly waved.

“Bye. Uh. Bye.”

He turned and started walking away, Derpy staring at her through the window of the backpack until Jinu took a turn and disappeared. Rumi gazed after him for a few moments, lost to her thoughts, before eventually retreating to the elevator.