Archive of Our Own

When Jinu leaves Rumi in the wake of his betrayal, it is with the knowledge that he has thoroughly burnt that bridge beyond recognition. He left no room for doubt— he betrayed her. He’s a terrible person who cannot be trusted. This is all he is and all he can be.

He told her about his family. He told her all demons deserved to suffer, which included her. He told her everything he could to drive her away, even if he didn’t believe it, and now—

Now… Jinu doesn’t know. He doesn’t really believe Gwi-Ma will give him what he wants anymore. He knows he’s on the wrong side of history but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. Jinu knows better than to disobey his king now. It feels like his ears are still ringing. It feels like his body is an empty vessel, being piloted by someone else.

It feels like he has already lost and everything else he’s doing is just going through the motions, because what else is he meant to do? What options does he have, if any? Those choices were made a long time ago. He’s too selfish to change.

Jinu stands with the other Saja Boys, an army of demons at their backs, ready to be released the moment they’re commanded to do so. He feels Derpy headbutt his side and glances down, briefly. The sight of the bracelet in his teeth makes him sick. He tears his eyes away in order to stare straight ahead and remain completely still.

He realizes, somewhat belatedly, that he is miserable. Completely and utterly miserable, and it’s all his own fault.

This is what you deserve, something in him whispers. He doesn’t know if it’s own voice or Gwi-Ma’s. He doesn’t think it matters.

But he is nothing if not a good actor. So when it’s time to sing, Jinu plays his part. He gives it all, because he has nothing left to give, but just as their last note rings out, a haunting voice cuts through the stadium. The crowd parts, as if compelled to, and there at the entrance stands… Rumi.

It is not the same Rumi he left.

Her patterns are still glowing angry magenta, her hands and forearms are more demon than human, and one eye is golden and glowing. These are the parts he remembers seeing before but now there’s more— something sharper in her mouth he can see, even from a distance. Small horns poking out of the sides of her head. A presence radiating off of her— she both looks and feels more demonic than she ever has.

There is fury in her eyes. There is no denying it.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind, Jinu wonders if that fury will be the last thing he ever sees. All things considered, there would be worse ways to go.

Gwi-Ma, now at their backs, sneers at the sight of her. He taunts her, jeers at her for trying to be the hero while looking like that.

Rumi however stands strong. She doesn’t waver, doesn’t flinch. And when she does open her mouth, it’s to release a piercing note that ripples with demonic power. Their trance on the crowd withers and snaps— most of them fall unconscious on the spot, struggling to recover from the trance as readily as the Hunters do. The other two— Mira and Zoey— come back to themselves and assess the situation quickly.

And when Rumi charges forward, Zoey and Mira are right there to back her up.

At Gwi-Ma’s furious roar, the other Saja Boys rush forward too. Each pair takes on one of the Hunters but Rumi is left alone due to uneven numbers. Her eyes flicker to him and he sees anger. Then it turns on Gwi-Ma, sword in hand lifting.

The air has changed. This doesn’t just feel like a fight with a Hunter— Rumi has unlocked something within her. When she swings at Gwi-Ma, red energy erupting from her sword and cutting into his attempts to feed on the faceless demons’ souls for a power-up, it makes him yell. As if in pain. Jinu didn’t even know he could feel pain anymore.

A new kind of power, not quite Hunter, not quite demon, lingers in the air. Jinu can taste it— he’s frozen in place. He can join neither battle with his head and heart so conflicted, only stand there and watch.

It gives him a front row seat in witnessing as Rumi does the impossible. She strikes down Gwi-Ma, inhaling whatever twisted kind of soul he had in the process. She sings, and her fellow Hunters sing with her, and as the crowd awakens, they sing too.

The fire in Rumi blooms when a new Honmoon glows beneath her feet. As it spreads out like a protective blanket across the world, Jinu feels himself get pulled under. He sees the same happen to the other Saja Boys.

He sees Rumi fall with them, wisps of purple fire leaving her mouth and her fellow Hunters crying out in alarm.

The new Honmoon banishes all demons as it is meant to, and apparently it has deemed Rumi one of them. As he free falls through dimensions, Jinu wonders how devastating such a thought must be for her. Then chides himself for deserving to worry about her after everything he has done.

Jinu hits the ground harder than he ever has before and something just seems to give out. His eyes shut. Exhaustion takes over. Consciousness slips away from him.

Jinu exhales like he’s ridding himself of all the air in his lungs and everything goes dark.

—

He awakens to being manhandled.

It’s too rough to be any of the Saja Boys, even on a bad day. His arms are twisted behind him, making him grunt, then he feels the white-hot pain as anti-power cuffs are locked around his wrists, searing into his skin like hot iron. Jinu attempts to thrash in their hold, eyes darting to assess the situation, but he quickly recognizes the demons doing so.

All members of Gwi-Ma’s personal guard. Never used for his own safety but rather, handling others. Even if he could control their bodies like puppets at times, Gwi-Ma liked the hands-on approach. He liked to employ others to carry out his will— giving them an opportunity to hurt.

But… Gwi-Ma is dead. Jinu saw it with his own eyes. And since whoever kills the Demon King inherits the title, and the power, that would mean…

Jinu swallows thickly but stops fighting. He still gets hit and kicked and handled roughly for their troubles but when they drag Jinu to the palace, he obediently walks with them. And when they steer him towards the dungeons, he’s hardly surprised.

The more heinous the offense, the higher up the criminal is placed, as the cells near the top of the dungeon contain sweltering heats, unbearable for even demons. Jinu is not surprised he’s being dragged to the top. He only digs his heels in when seeing a familiar face on the way there.

“Baby!” He cries out. The guards become rough again but this time, Jinu fights, trying to duck under their punches and push his way over to the cell in question. “Baby, are you alright? Are the others..?”

“I’m as fine as I can be.” Baby yells back, a grimace on his face and definitely sporting enough bruises to support the fact that he fought the whole way here. He leans against the bars, hands locked behind his back just as Jinu’s are. “The others should still be in one piece. Your little girlfriend— the hell did she do?”

“I— I don’t know.” Jinu confesses, wincing as a claw digs into his shoulder. “I’m sorry, this is all my fault— I’m— I’ll fix it.”

“Fix it? Those are the last words I want to hear out of you, songbird.” Baby narrows his eyes. As Jinu begins to lose the battle, getting pulled towards the stairs leading up, Baby raises his voice. “Don’t you dare do anything stupidly self-sacrificial, you hear me? I’ll never forgive you! I’ll kill you myself!”

I can live with that, Jinu thinks wearily and stops struggling. The guards rush him to the very top floor, reserved for the worst of the worst. The heat is dizzying; Jinu is sweating already. As he’s tossed in his cell, he curls up and clenches his jaw as he gets the shit kicked out of him.

When they finally leave, it’s with his arms still uncomfortably twisted behind him and more than his fair share of bruises. He’s sweating through his hanbok and he doesn’t know where his gat is but he can’t find it in him to care right now. Jinu is too drained.

His eyes close again. It’s probably too hot to sleep but it’s the only thing he can manage right now.

His whole body is a walking bruise and he’s still exhausted beyond belief but if there’s one thing Jinu knows right now, it’s that he’s fucked. Unbelievably so.

And it’s all his own fault.

—

When a Demon King is killed, that title is passed on to the demon who killed them. Rumi undoubtedly killed and consumed Gwi-Ma’s soul. Therefore, Rumi is the next Demon King taking the throne.

Rumi, who Jinu thoroughly betrayed and hurt, cutting all ties with her, recently might he add. Rumi, who looked so incredibly furious last he saw her and managed to kill Gwi-Ma with minimal help. Rumi, who has tried to kill him for far less, and now he’s only gone and made this personal.

No, Jinu doesn’t like his odds. He doubts he has any at all. What is there to salvage from this? Rumi probably doesn’t even want the damn title knowing her but she’ll be stuck with it. She’ll want a scapegoat. Jinu is a very convenient one. A deserving one.

Even if he knows he will deserve it, Jinu is filled with a bone-deep fear that causes him to tremble. He may deserve whatever punishment she will inflict on him but Jinu can’t help but be afraid of what that might be. Torture would be fitting. She might just kill him and be done with it— why should a Demon King suffer traitors? Maybe— maybe it won’t just be him. The other Saja Boys could be punished.

She could make him watch.

That would break him. More than anything else, that would make him shatter. All of this is his fault— his plan, his actions, his betrayal led to all of this. They don’t deserve it. Maybe if he pleads with her, he can get her to go easy on them. He can take the brunt of it. Unless it just gives her ideas— how vengeful is Rumi feeling? How far is she willing to take this?

She could be reasoned with, Jinu thinks to himself, trying not to call it a foolish hope. Her fury is with me. I can convince her to keep it on me. Maybe bring up her girls to compare them to my boys— unless that would make things worse.

He won’t know until he sees her, whenever that is. It could be any minute now, unless she wants him to rot here, in this cell. That wouldn’t be unreasonable. In this kind of heat, it’s a torture of its own.

Whatever punishment she throws at me, I can bear it, Jinu tries to tell himself. I have done this before. I can do it again. I have to. I need to.

It’s what I deserve.

—

He doesn’t quite sleep. It’s too hot to be able to slip into true unconsciousness, but he does drift. He lays on the rough ground beneath him, stares at the wall or the ceiling or the bars on his cell, and he thinks. Because there is little else to do unless one of the guards passes by to jeer at the state of him.

The anti-power cuffs still burn into his skin so he tries not to move them very much. They’re worse than the usual anti-teleportation ones; they completely cut him off from any demonic power he has. This includes his supernatural healing. His regular self-healing from when he was human is struggling to knit his injuries back together. He can’t tell what color his bruises are beneath his clothes but he’s betting they look terrible.

Jinu really shouldn’t be surprised he ended up here. He already lost a long time ago, it was just a matter of whose wrath he would be facing. He thinks he prefers Rumi’s— some part of him doubts she can be exactly like Gwi-Ma and takes comfort in this fact. The rest of him thinks that at least this time, his impending punishment will be deserving. He never felt bad wronging Gwi-Ma before, only afraid of the consequences.

He does feel terrible replaying the events of his last encounter with Rumi. Not that it really matters. Jinu made his choice and will have to live— or die— with the consequences. There is no mercy to be found for his actions, no leniency just because he regrets them. There never has been before, why would there be now?

If nothing else, Jinu knows how this sort of thing goes. Four-hundred years has taught him a lot about how encounters with Demon Kings go. Rumi is not Gwi-Ma but she has all the reason in the world to hate him. He gave her every reason to hate him.

The more Jinu thinks about it, the more the idea that he will not make it out of this in one piece solidifies itself. It stirs panic in his heart at first, because Jinu is a survivor at heart and in the face of hopelessness, his mind kicks into fifth gear trying to figure out a way to guarantee his survival. If he begs correctly, if he offers the right information, if he promises and pledges his soul, if he meets some kind of requirement, he can survive. That’s how he survived Gwi-Ma.

After a while however, Jinu starts making different compromises. He may not make it out in one piece but maybe his boys can. He may never be free again but maybe his boys can. He may not survive her rightful wrath but maybe his boys can. And the more of these compromises he makes, the more Jinu begins to accept the idea. He doesn’t stop fearing it but he knows a hopeless situation when he sees one.

Jinu has been a hopeless case for a long time. Ever thinking he could be different was pointless. It did nothing but fool Rumi into thinking she could trust him. It did nothing but make all of this that much more complicated.

Jinu doesn’t know how long he lays in that cell for. A while, he knows. Long enough that he’s sweating profusely through his hanbok and his vision swims. Long enough that he forgets whatever hope he had of getting out of this situation alive. Long enough not to put up any sort of fight or ask questions when inevitably, guards come for him.

They are no less rough as they drag him out of that cell, more literally than before. Jinu struggles to find his strength, trying to snap out of the haze the heat has left him in. He’s taken out of the dungeons, hands briefly uncuffed so they can be positioned in front of him instead, then marched towards a place he knows.

“The new Demon King has requested an audience with you.” One of the guards tells him gruffly. “A private audience. So be careful with that silver tongue of yours, less she sees fit to cut it out.”

Jinu suspected as much but the confirmation has him using what little strength he has left to walk with the guards as steadily as he can and remain focused in the moment. As they arrive at the tall, double doors to the throne room, Jinu swallows thickly and collects himself. Reminds himself of what he needs to do. Grovel and beg for the sake of his boys.

Baby can hate him for it all he wants. As long as they’re all safe, Jinu can bear whatever happens to him.

It’s what he deserves.

—

Jinu is no stranger to making people angry. It has never gone very well for him.

Gwi-Ma’s anger was painful. All the past demons he betrayed for one reason or another tried to make him regret it, with varying results. The king he served while he was human had not been happy to find his new favorite performer sporting demonic patterns and planned to have him executed. And while Jinu never experienced it, he has few doubts that the family he left behind likely cursed his name for what he did.

Maybe that’s what his long string of rotten luck has been. Karma for what he has done, haunting his every step.

As the tall, double doors creak open and a commanding voice calls, “Enter,” Jinu knows that all that karma is simply catching up to him again.

The throne room has changed but only marginally. Gwi-Ma’s colors are in the process of being hastily changed to a rich purple, more like Rumi’s hair than his flames. The throne has shifted in size, still tall and imposing but more fit for a smaller body. All eyes are on Jinu when he enters, various members who were once a part of Gwi-Ma’s court openly leering at him, or whispering to one another as they spare glances his way.

Jinu cannot help but look at who is on the throne. Once again, Rumi has changed from when he last saw her.

For one, she doesn’t just have two, small, budding horns anymore. She has four, two in the front of her head and two slightly shorter ones on the side of her head, like a built-in crown. Gold jewelry is draped over her horns, as is the rest of her. She’s wearing a deep purple dress that pools at her feet, matching heels, and is completely sleeveless. Patterns decorate her skin but they’ve changed from when he last saw them. They’re thinner, sharper, and darker, but beautifully framing her body and face.

Her hands are still clawed but her eyes have returned to their normal brown. Briefly, their eyes meet, and Jinu finds he cannot read the emotions hiding within them. He hastily drops his gaze to the ground, bracing himself.

Once they’re within a few feet of the short set of stairs leading up to her new throne, the guards shove him to the ground without warning. Jinu suppresses a grunt, old bruises blooming with pain under him. He’s left on his knees but Jinu is quick to make the most of it, adjusting so he’s in a keunjeol bow, head to the ground and arms folded in front of him.

“The traitor, as you asked.” One of the guards bows to Rumi.

“Leave us.” Rumi says, in lieu of an acknowledgement. “All of you, leave us. I wish to speak with him alone.”

All of the demons in the room are quick to skitter away. They all know Rumi is much more powerful than them. None of them are willing to learn how merciful she is to those who wrong her.

Jinu supposes his fate will tell them as much.

The double doors are shut with a heavy sound that rings across the quiet of the room. Jinu doesn’t move from his position for even a moment, holding his breath. For a while, Rumi doesn’t say anything either, but he can feel her burning gaze into his skin. His throat bobs but he doesn’t dare speak up before her.

“Jinu…” Rumi says, trailing off. He feels a jolt of electricity shoot through him at hearing her say his name. He still doesn’t know what to make of the tone. What it means. “Before I say anything to you, do you have anything to say to me?”

Jinu takes the question for what it is: an opportunity to speak before his judgment is given. Tentatively, he sits up but keeps his gaze on his fists resting in his lap. He tries to swallow but his throat is too dry. The first time he tries speaking, it comes out as little more than a croak. But Jinu has handled far worse before and after clearing his throat, he finds his voice again, no matter how rough it may be.

“I know I have no right to ask anything of you but if I can request anything, it’s that any anger you have with me doesn’t reach the other Saja Boys. They were following both Gwi-Ma’s and my own orders. All of this is my fault, not theirs.” Jinu tells her, keeping his voice level. He’s good at that sort of thing— being under Gwi-Ma required it. All signs of weakness were exploited.

“All of it was just your plan then?” Rumi asks, a hint of… Something in her voice.

“Yes.” Jinu balls his fists in the fabric of his hanbok. He hates to damn himself further but there’s no point if he’s already damned. “I came to Gwi-Ma with a way to destroy the Honmoon. The other Saja Boys were only helping me out of obligation for what I’ve done for them in the past. If you want to be angry with anyone, you can be angry with me.”

“What you said after our duet,” the air changes slightly— it tastes like ash. Like the beginnings of a wildfire. Jinu tenses, all too familiar with it, but dares not move otherwise. “Was that a part of the plan too?”

Here, Jinu hesitates. “No.” He admits. “That wasn’t.”

“Then why, Jinu?” He doesn’t have to see her face to hear the hurt. The underlying anger. Jinu has to keep himself together so he doesn’t react badly and make things worse for himself.

“Gwi-Ma found out. He wasn’t happy with my change in alliance. I went back on our deal because of it.”

Excuses, a voice sounding much like Gwi-Ma whispers in his head. Is that all you can provide for me? Excuses?

“That’s not an excuse.” Jinu finds himself saying out loud. “There’s no excuse.”

“You…” He can hear the tremble in Rumi’s voice. With hurt, with fury— both, most likely. “You used the things I told you against me. Those demons— they called me a mistake!”

Her voice ripples with power and Jinu can’t suppress the involuntary flinch. He recovers quickly— he’s done this before, he knows how to. “I did. Gwi-Ma asked and I caved.” His ears were ringing then and he can feel the phantom pain thinking about it now. “I know I’ve done unforgivable things to you but— the other Saja Boys. They haven’t. They don’t deserve a punishment like I do.”

“Like you do.” Rumi repeats. Once again, he can’t decipher her tone. He dare not look up without permission— he’s on thin ice as is. “How can you say things like that when you— you haven’t even apologized!”

Ah, that’s what she wants from me.

Gwi-Ma flipped between wanting to hear you apologize until your throat was raw and not wanting to hear excuses, punishing you for so much as implying you were not guilty. Jinu could never tell which it was going to be until he actually had to endure his wrath. This however, is a clear direction.

Jinu shifts to bow his head to the ground again. “Your majesty, please know I deeply regret my actions taken against you. I apologize for all the terrible things I said and caused. You were nothing but kind to my wretched soul and I only used that. I know I am a selfish creature but it was low, even for me. You deserved none of it. Any punishment you see fit is one I will be deserving of. Being given the chance to apologize at all is more than I deserve. Whatever you want of me— whatever fate you decide for me— I will accept. My fate is in your hands.”

He doesn’t move from his position when he finishes, once again waiting for her to call the shots. He cannot help the deep rooted terror in his chest, no matter how much he pushes it down. Jinu refuses to tremble however. He refuses to be anything other than accepting. He knows what he deserves. He knows Rumi deserves to do with him as she pleases after what he pulled.

Jinu waits and waits and keeps waiting. Rumi is silent for longer than he expects. It makes him uneasy but he just swallows that down. He focuses on keeping himself together. On not falling apart at the first sign of pressure.

This is what you deserve this is what you deserve this is what you deserve this is what you deserve this is what you deserve this is what you deserve this is—

“Jinu.” Rumi says again, her voice trembling once again but much more fragile than the last.

When she fails to follow it up with anything, Jinu hesitantly asks, “Yes, your majesty?”

“Can you sit up and just— look me in the eyes?”

Not a request he was expecting but Jinu obeys. His muscles protest a little but he holds firm and at last looks up. Blood drains out of his face looking at Rumi— at the slightly misty look in her eyes. At how tired she looks like this. The small shake in her hands, balled at her sides.

Jinu’s mouth parts but no words come out. Rumi’s eyes search his gaze. “Do you actually mean that or are you just scared of me?”

“I’m… Sorry?” Jinu breathes out, not quite comprehending. His mind whirls, too many thoughts filling his head without any idea of how to put them all together.

“Do you know who you’re talking to right now?” Rumi only seems to shake more. “Because I really can’t tell if you’re talking to me or him.”

He can’t seem to find an answer for that. Being here, in this place with cuffs around his wrists, scrambles him. But when devastation flashes across Rumi’s face, he immediately regrets it.

“Your m— Rumi, I’m sorry—” He tries but she’s bringing her hands up to her face, shoulders shaking.

“This is a nightmare…” He hears Rumi whisper, more fragile than he’s ever seen her. “This is a nightmare but I can’t wake up— I just want to wake up, please.”

“Rumi—!” Jinu tries again, arms reaching out but there’s too much space in between them for it to matter. He hesitates, knowing how blasphemous it would be, but Rumi is crumbling so he throws everything he knows about Demon King etiquette out the window and forces himself to get up and surge forward with whatever energy he still has.

Rumi flinches violently when he throws his bound arms around her in the best hold he can manage but he shushes her as soothingly as he can and she crumbles right into him. Her fists ball into his hanbok. Jinu can’t quite support either of their weight so they end up stumbling to the ground. Rumi doesn’t seem to mind— she throws his arms around him like she’s starving to have someone touch her and weeps into his shoulder. Her new horns almost smack him but Jinu angles his head to account for them.

Jinu shuts his eyes and gently rubs her back the best he can while still wearing cuffs. His body is sore and exhausted beyond belief but Rumi is falling apart so it takes a backseat. “It’s— it’s okay, Rumi.” He finds himself saying, unsure of what else to say. “It’ll be okay. Whatever it is, we can figure something out. I owe you. Whatever you need, I can help out. It’s the least I can do.”

“Fuck…” Rumi shudders, her claws digging in deeper. They immediately retract when he hisses under his breath and she pulls away a little. “Sorry… I’m not used to them.”

“You’re fine.” Jinu shakes off the pain. “It’s warranted.”

“Stop saying stuff like that, it’s not making me feel better.” Rumi half-growls. Her eyes catch on the glowing cuffs around his wrists and she immediately reaches out, dispelling them with a single swipe of her claws. A wave of relief hits Jinu once they’re gone, enough for him to groan.

“Ohhh, fuck, I needed that…” Jinu shuts his eyes, almost collapsing on the spot right then and there. It’s a miracle he doesn’t. His healing is kicking in, though it’ll probably be a little while before he’s recovered. He still hurts like hell.

There’s too many sensations to worry about that he doesn’t even process the burns on his wrists until he feels gentle fingers graze them. He flinches at first but when Rumi goes still, he lets out a breath and makes himself relax. “You’re fine, you just caught me off guard.”

“Why did they burn you?” Rumi shifts her hands a bit lower on his arm so she can grab them to get a better look at the burns. “I thought they were just meant to block demon powers out. That’s what they told me.”

“They do. They’re just… Very effective at their jobs.” Jinu informs her. Her face screws up in displeasure.

Rumi’s eyes meet his again— still tired, still misty, but having a little more of the fire he’s used to in them. “For the record, I didn’t tell anyone to do that. I didn’t even mention you, they just— assumed I would want this. That’s all anyone has done these past few days— treat me like their new Demon King and assume I’ll want all the same things Gwi-Ma does!”

I assumed too. Jinu winces at the thought. “Sorry about that. And… Everything, really.”

Rumi closes her eyes, exhaling through her nose. “It was shitty.” Rumi says. “But you look like hell and you kept talking like you honestly expected me to kill you so obviously you haven’t had a pleasant past two days either.”

Two days? Huh. Jinu isn’t sure if he thought it was longer or shorter. The passage of time was so… Muddled in the heat.

He tosses Rumi a cheeky grin. “Honestly, you killing me was one of the better possibilities.”

Rumi stares at him, both concerned and horrified. His grin drops. “What, you don’t do gallows humor anymore in the modern world?”

“If you weren’t so bruised up, I would hit you.” Rumi tells him flatly. “It is way too soon for that kind of joke! Do you honestly think I could do that?”

“You’ve tried to kill me for a lot less.” Jinu defends, albeit a bit weaker now. Some part of him knew better, even despite everything else telling him this would go poorly. Some part of him argued that this was Rumi and he should know she wasn’t cruel, but he hadn’t listened.

“I didn’t know you then. I can’t do that now.” Rumi isn’t looking at him anymore, face tight. “I know I look like a monster right now but I would never actually kill you, Jinu. Not after everything.”

“You— what?” A baffled expression forms on his face. “Monster? Rumi, having some claws and horns doesn’t make you a monster. And if it does, I have no room to judge.”

“Sharing a title with a horrible, tyrannical demon doesn’t help.” Her lip pulls up in disgust at the mere mention of Gwi-Ma. Her fists tighten once again, no longer touching him.

“There have been dozens of Demon Kings, Rumi. None of them have been the exact same.” Granted, Jinu has only been around one. Gwi-Ma has been ruling for the past thousand years. People were starting to think he couldn’t be dethroned. But he’s heard about the others. He knows all of them were different. “I don’t know what you’ve been told the past few days but you don’t have to be like Gwi-Ma. Or any of them. And you sure as hell aren’t a monster.”

“And you’re not just saying that because I hold your fate in my hands?” Her words sour but Jinu refuses to flinch away. He refuses to live in fear and doubt. That hurt her before and Jinu has hurt her enough.

He puts his hands on her shoulders, angling her to look at him. Once again her gaze is unreadable but he doesn’t falter this time.

“Don’t interrupt what I’m going to say even if you disagree with it, I need to say it.” He instructs. After a beat, Rumi sighs but nods. “Rumi, you have every right to hurt me. I know you don’t believe that but I do. I’ve been punished for hundreds of things and I don’t think half of them were warranted but if I’ve ever deserved to be hurt by someone, it’s been by my family and it’s been by you. Nobody would blame you or judge you. Not here— I doubt the other Hunters would disagree either. But for whatever reason, you’re choosing not to. You’re letting me talk. You’re letting me explain and apologize. And that makes you a hundred times better than Gwi-Ma could ever be.”

“That’s not a very high bar.” Rumi says but her voice holds a little less tightness than it did before.

Jinu laughs and agrees. “No, it’s not. But I’ve heard of the other Demon Kings and I know you’re a lot better of a person than the rest of them. I can only imagine how overwhelming all of this has been, inheriting Gwi-Ma’s title just because you killed him. But if you want someone by your side, I can be here. However you need me— an advisor or just emotional support.”

Rumi nods, not quite looking at him. After seemingly taking a few moments to breathe, she asks, “Why… Why ‘Demon King’? Wouldn’t I be a queen?”

“All past rulers took up the title ‘Demon King’ regardless of gender. I think it just became tradition at some point.” Jinu shrugs. “You’re in charge now though. If you prefer ‘Demon Queen’ then you can have it changed within the hour.”

“I’d prefer not to have this stupid role at all.” Rumi rubs her eyes before looking up at him wearily. “Is it true that I can only pass it on in death?”

Jinu winces. As much as he hates to say it, he’s not about to lie about that. “As far as I know, yeah, you’re stuck with it. If there is a way to pass it on non-lethally, we’ll learn it. Hang in there for now.”

“That’s all I’ve been doing.” Rumi sounds downright miserable when she says it. “Ugh, it feels wrong to complain when you look like that. Why are you sweaty? What the hell happened to you?”

“I was put in one of the cells meant for the worst prisoners. The prison is already hot as hell as is but the ones at the very top are the worst.” Jinu rubs the back of his neck, not quite looking at her. “It was a little disorienting but I survived, didn’t I?”

“Dis— you were there for two days!” The realization seems to hit Rumi like a sack of bricks. “Oh my god— okay, we’re fixing you up and having the rest of this conversation later. No wonder you’re so—” She makes an incomprehensible noise, rising to her feet and offering a hand to Jinu.

He doesn’t mean to hesitate but he does. “I’m not so easily broken, Rumi.” He tells her, even as he takes her hand. She carefully hauls him up like she still thinks he’s fragile. “Gwi-Ma definitely put some cracks in me but I still wasn’t completely loyal to him, even after all this time. I can take it.”

He must say the wrong thing because Rumi only looks more infuriated by it. “You shouldn’t have to take it. I didn’t ask or want you to take it! I wanted— I just wanted to find out what happened when I thought we were on the same page and then you suddenly flipped the script and lied to me by saying it meant nothing! I didn’t want to suddenly become in charge of your fate! I don’t want to be this at all!”

She gestures to all the new decorations all around her. The shade of purple that resembles her more than Gwi-Ma, the throne that suits her frame, the entire palace at her beck and call— Jinu knows that modern Idols are often worshipped in their own way but even this must be overwhelming.

Rumi’s arms drop to her sides. She inhales deeply, facing him again. “You first. Do you need to eat? Sleep? Or just have a bath? There’s a bathhouse here but I haven’t touched it. My first time was supposed to be with Mira and Zoey. I don’t know if that’s ever happening now but if I have to swear off bathhouses for the rest of my apparent immortal life then someone should at least enjoy it. Oh fuck, but your burns…”

Rumi chews on her lip but Jinu raises his hands in an effort to draw her attention back in again. “If I wrap them up, it’ll help. Are you sure you want me to leave you alone though?”

“I know I had a mental breakdown not that long ago but I feel like I got some of it out of my system, which I think I really needed. The sooner I make up for leaving you to rot in a boiling cell for two days, the better.” Rumi waves him off. Jinu doesn’t let it slide however.

“You have nothing to apologize to me, Rumi.”

“Yes, I—!”

“No, you don’t.” He presses harder.

Rumi’s eye twitches in irritation at first. Then something settles and she says, “Fine. But I will feel better if I know you’ve gotten the ability to relax and get clean and don’t look like you’re going to collapse the second a strong enough wind pushes you over. I don’t care what you think you deserve; I don’t feel good if the people I care about are hurt like this.”

The people I care about. Jinu feels something stir in his chest. “Why do you still care?” He asks, softer than before. “I hurt you pretty badly, Rumi. We both know I did.”

“Would you have done it if Gwi-Ma didn’t pressure you into it?” Rumi asks. He can’t bring himself to speak; they both know the answer anyways. “I wouldn’t have wanted to hurt you like this, even if that was the case. If you really want to make it up to me, stay by my side this time. Show me the good in you I already know is there. Okay?”

Rumi’s forgiveness is firm and gentle all in one. It leaves no room for doubt, nothing left to do but accept it, even if Jinu still believes he’s undeserving of it. Rejecting it would only be denying what Rumi wants in favor of what Jinu thinks should happen and he isn’t going to do that to her. As baffling as it is, there is only one course of action.

Quietly, enough that Jinu can scarcely hear himself, he replies, “Okay.”

There is no sun in the demon realm, only catching stray light through whatever gets filtered down, but Rumi’s smile is enough to brighten all of it. It’s blinding and yet, completely entrancing. For a brief moment, Jinu forgets everything else, drowning in a moment where things can be okay, no matter how improbable it might seem.

But then he remembers something important and clears his throat. “Rumi, while I’m getting cleaned up, could you get the other Saja Boys out of the prison too?”

Rumi’s eyes widen. “Oh shit— them too? Honestly I better check out all of the prisoners at this point— why does everyone assume I want people in there?”

“I’ll help you deal with your court later.” Jinu promises. “I know it pretty well. You’ll probably need to get rid of at least half of them.”

“…And by ‘Get rid of’ you mean…” Rumi asks carefully.

Jinu huffs a laugh and holds his hands up. “I was just saying throw them out of the palace but if you want to see how demon souls taste…”

“Jinu!” Rumi shouts, face flushing. “You— you—!” For a second, she can’t seem to get anything more out. But something breaks and Rumi laughs, doubling over as her giggles fill the air.

Jinu raises an eyebrow, leaning over to give her a little nudge. “There’s no way it was that funny.”

“It’s not, I just…” Rumi wipes her eyes, looking oddly relieved when she looks up. “Everyone’s been treating me like a dictator. It’s kinda nice to have someone actually poking fun at me? It’s like I’m a person again.”

His face softens. “You are a person, Rumi. Not a mistake, not a monster. Just a person who accidentally fell into a few unusual circumstances.” Then, because it apparently helped before, he gives her a more teasing look, “So if it helps for someone to get on your nerves every once in a while, I can absolutely do that, free of charge.”

Rumi rolls her eyes and shoves him. She immediately regrets it and catches him when Jinu’s balance slips, still not fully recovered.

“Let’s get you cleaned up.” She hooks his arm around hers, the pair of them heading for the pair of doors. Before they reach it, Jinu pauses.

“Rumi, I have a terrible idea that might get me clawed up for but… It’s once in a lifetime. Want to help me with it?”

—

Rumi knows the throne was even bigger before she accidentally became Demon King but it still feels too big. Too tall and imposing, casting a shadow over whoever comes to address her. Rumi has a feeling that’s the point but it makes her uncomfortable nonetheless.

Everything about this makes her uncomfortable, especially the uncertainty of it all, but right now? She is putting aside those feelings to deal with later. She has a part to play, and when there is a knock at the entrance, she calls loud enough to be heard, “Enter.”

Eight guards march in the remaining four Saja Boys, all looking a lot better than she feared. Rumi releases a silent breath she was holding— the guards listened to her and cleaned them up then. Their anti-power cuffs have been replaced by anti-teleportation ones. Rumi hadn’t wanted to put any on at all but Jinu insisted it was for everyone’s safety.

Rumi personally thinks Jinu’s idea is stupid and mean but he has a different relationship to his boys than she does to her girls. If he really wants to do this, he can handle whatever consequences come with it.

The guards— gentler this time, because Rumi tracked down the guards who were rough with Jinu and told them if they didn’t get out of her sight and stay out immediately, she’d learn what demon souls tasted like, and the remaining got the message— direct the Saja Boys to their knees. Once they’re all down, Rumi orders the guards to leave them alone and waits for the double doors to close.

Only Baby is looking directly at her while the rest keep their heads down, though she supposes Mystery could be too and she wouldn’t know it. The tension is thick with all four of them and it only seems to rise when Rumi speaks up.

“I’m sure all of you know of my new title by now.” She gets a few small nods for it. “A few hours ago, I met with your leader, Jinu.” The mention of his name has palpable anticipation lingering in the air. Carefully, as to not waver, she tells them, “Jinu asked me to spare all of you my anger and bear the brunt of it himself.”

She feels like an asshole for letting her words linger ominously like that. For a few brief moments, they all seem to draw their own conclusions. The grief, anger, and despair that flashes across their faces makes her want to apologize ten times over.

Thankfully it doesn’t last long. “Of course,” this time it’s not her, but Jinu who speaks up, circling around from the back of her throne to lean up against the side of it. Pure shock overtakes their faces this time. “She didn’t listen to me. Turns out we lucked out on this Demon King, huh?”

All four Saja Boys gape at Jinu, who grins like an asshole. Before Rumi can say or do anything, Baby suddenly snaps, “You motherfucker—!” and lunges at Jinu with a speed that even she is shocked by.

Jinu yelps and is tackled to the ground by a blur of aqua. Rumi watches with only some concern— because Jinu had to have known this would happen, right?— as the pair seem to wrestle, Baby hitting and clawing at Jinu while releasing a string of curses and insults, some in what she can only assume is an older version of the Korean language that she doesn’t quite understand.

Her attention is only drawn away by Abby whistling, now on his feet and tentatively climbing the small set of stairs to get a better look. “Yeesh. Hell hath no fury like Baby scorned.”

Mystery and Romance, both joining him on either side of him, mumble their agreements. Rumi hesitates but finds herself asking, “Should I be worried or..?”

Abby waves her off. “Nah, he won’t kill Jinu.”

Romance makes a doubtful noise. “There’s a chance but it’s low. If need be, you can speed up Jinu’s regeneration process and bring him back instantly as the new Demon King anyways.”

“I don’t know how to do that.” Rumi confesses. “I barely know how to teleport.”

All three of them seem surprised by that. “Seriously?” Romance cocks an eyebrow. Rumi feels embarrassment rise to her cheeks but nods. “Don’t go saying that to just anyone. That’ll bring assassins in like flies. But don’t worry too much, I’m sure we can teach you.” His eyes flicker down to the cuffs around his wrists, then back again. “I don’t suppose you can…”

She’s quick to usher all of them closer, dispelling the cuffs with a single swipe each. Romance smiles, more earnestly than she’s expecting, and rubs his wrists. “Much appreciated. Did Jinu drag you into this plan?”

Rumi winces in response. “He was very insistent it was a ‘Once in a lifetime joke’ and I accidentally left him in a cell for two days so I felt bad enough to agree to it. Sorry.”

“It’s a little funny in hindsight.” Abby admits. “Especially since you’re actually a lot more chill than any of us were expecting.”

“You’re being very kind,” Mystery speaks up at last, “To people who were your enemy not too long ago.”

Rumi lets out a longer sigh. It’s not an unfair point to make. They were on opposite sides of a war, and now she's their king. “I can’t judge any of you for your actions while being prisoners of someone like Gwi-Ma. But now that he’s gone, you’re free to make your own choices. Besides, Jinu vouches for all of you.”

“And you trust him.” Mystery finishes softly. Rumi doesn’t bother to deny it, nodding. “Even after he betrayed you.”

“He was forced to betray me. And whatever wrong he has done, he has paid for enough.” Rumi glances over at where Baby has grappled Jinu into a headlock and adds, “Well… Except for that, apparently.”

Abby eyes Jinu’s weak struggles to escape the headlock, leaning over to Romance. “Should we stop them now..?” He stage whispers. Romance huffs in response.

“Maybe. Good luck trying though.”

Rumi decides this is as good of a time to exercise her title and clears her throat loudly enough to catch Baby’s attention. “Please release him so we can all talk?”

There’s a long moment where Baby doesn’t move and she fears he might not listen. Relief hits her hard enough to make her shoulders sag when he does however, Jinu gasping for breath the second he's free.

“You’re lucky I’m trying not to look like any more of a deranged demon than I already do in front of the next person in charge of all of our lives.” Baby tells Jinu, seemingly uncaring that Rumi can hear every word.

Jinu catches his breath just enough to croon, “You caaaare about me!” With a big, stupid grin. Baby kicks him in the side for it before spinning on his heel and marching over to join the rest of them.

“So,” Baby hops up to sit on one of the arms of the throne. Rumi is pretty sure that would be some kind of blasphemy if she cared about that sort of thing. If anything, she’s slightly relieved he doesn’t seem all that afraid of her right now. “Demon King and Hunter. That’s quite the— what do you humans call it, a resume?”

“I… Don’t know if I’m much of a Hunter right now.” Rumi finds herself admitting. She’s changed irreparably. The Honmoon dragged her down. Can she ever go home again? What would Mira and Zoey say if they saw her now? What would Celine say? What were they going to tell Bobby?

“Can you summon your sword?” Baby asks, almost casually but there’s something more calculating in his eye.

“I haven’t tried.” She admits. She’s afraid to. If she can’t, is it because she’s in the demon realm, or because she’s lost the ability to completely? The latter would kill her. “It— it doesn’t matter. Sorry for Jinu’s trick, you’re all free to go whenever you like.” She reaches forward to finally dispel Baby’s cuffs. Baby’s fingers ghost over his wrists, eyebrow raising.

“Is Jinu staying?” He asks. Rumi nods slightly. “Cool. You’re gonna have to deal with the rest of us then. Kinda a package deal.”

“Yeah, sorry, forgot to mention that.” Jinu coughs, sitting up and rubbing his neck. He’s recovered way quicker than Rumi would expect— was Baby pulling his punches? Or is all of this normal for demons? Both? “They’re uh— they’re kinda like my version of your girls?”

“But give or take a couple centuries of surviving hell together.” Baby adds, picking at blood under his claws. “Take us or leave us.”

Hearing they’re kinda like my version of your girls has Rumi’s insides turning to mush. God, she misses her girls so much. What if they hate what she’s become? What if she’s trapped in the demon realm and can never see them again? What if.

There’s no way she can take that away from Jinu. “Of course they can stay.” She tells him softly. “And if they’re important to you, I’d like to get to know them. If you’re all okay with that?”

Her gaze flickers over them all. Mystery smiles a little, pleased by the idea. Both Abby and Romance seem interested. Baby’s face remains neutral, once again almost calculating for a few moments, before splitting into a wide grin.

“Having the Demon King as your in-law sounds like it has perks.”

Rumi’s face heats up at the implication. Jinu sputters, not quite saying anything coherent. While Mystery has the courtesy of covering his mouth to hide it and Romance turns away to do the same, Abby throws his head back and laughs loudly enough to echo through the room.

It’s probably the first time someone other than Gwi-Ma has laughed like that in this room. Rumi finds it hard to be mad about it once that thought crosses her mind.

—

Rumi hasn’t done much with her ‘Royal Chambers’. Other than clearing it of anything relating back to Gwi-Ma, it’s been left alone and as a result, feels pretty empty. Aside from a few new banners and basic pieces of furniture, an absurdly large bed among them, it’s pretty dull.

She does have a large window and balcony. She can see the new Honmoon from it, shining with many colors, not just one. Her heart twists as she’s reminded of all the things she’s been trying not to think too hard about. Crying in front of her new ‘Court’ isn’t just uncomfortable, but apparently ill-advised if she doesn't want assassins to think she's an easy target. Because she has the Saja Boys as her new advisors to tell her things like that now.

A knock draws her out of her thoughts. Speak of the devil— or, demon, she guesses. Rumi turns to see Jinu slipping inside before she tells him to. She’s honestly relieved by it— the less he treats her like demonic royalty, the better

“You asked for me?” Jinu asks, shutting the door behind him. Rumi nods, throat bobbing.

Apparently by absorbing— eating— Gwi-Ma’s soul— she doesn’t remember doing that; she kinda blacked out for most of that fight— she didn’t just get his power. She became immortal. She doesn’t need to sleep or eat, though still can if she wants to. She was told royals could do whatever they liked. That sentiment was of course soured by the fact that the previous demon court advisors who brought this up to her then recommended demons she could torment.

That’s how she found out about Jinu in the first place. Members of the court thought she might want to torture him for entertainment. The thought makes her want to throw up— except apparently she can’t even do that. Demons consume every bit of food they eat and turn it into energy. There’s nothing in her to expel.

Rumi doesn’t know how human she is anymore, if she still is at all. But what she does know is she hasn’t slept in at least two days and desperately wants to.

“Yes.” Rumi says at last, turning towards him and inhaling a little shakily. Her nerves are getting the best of her. She pushes past it to say, “I know I don’t need to but I want to take a break and sleep for a couple hours. I think it might help me clear my head.”

Jinu blinks, then nods slightly. “That’s a good idea. Demons might not need to sleep physically unless recharging but it can be a good reset button for the mind. You’ve been through a lot, it’ll help.” He glances around, clearly unsure why he was called, and asks, “Did you want me to guard you while you did?”

“I…” Rumi swallows thickly. Just say it. “I was hoping you might be up to joining me?”

Jinu goes very still. Concerningly still. It does absolutely nothing to help Rumi’s nerves.

“…In your bed?” He asks, as if clarifying. Rumi’s cheeks heat but she nods.

“Just… Sleeping. Side by side. Or closer. Or farther?— I just don’t want to be alone.” The last part comes out in a rush. A weakness she is bearing to him, though nothing in comparison to how she broke down earlier. Nonetheless it feels more vulnerable now, to ask when he might refuse.

He doesn’t however. Jinu nods slowly. “I can stay with you. I can, uh, hold you? If you’d like.”

“I’d like.” Rumi blurts out entirely too quickly. She thinks it’s warranted after having the worst couple days of her life however. She could really use having someone holding her and telling her that everything is going to be alright, even if it’s a lie and nothing is ever going to be the same again, least of all her.

All of that is pushed away for a moment. Jinu’s face is flushed but he joins her in crawling into the— and Rumi cannot stress this enough— absurdly large bed— until both of them find a place to cuddle up in the middle.

Jinu’s arms wrap around her, pulling her close to tuck her into his chest like she is something precious. He’s careful about her horns— Rumi keeps forgetting about them herself— but otherwise treats her the same as he ever would, if not even more gently. If Rumi were not two wrong moves from a second mental breakdown, she might call him out on it.

His body is a steady pressure against her, like an anchor keeping her from drifting off into a sea of despair. Rumi curls tighter into him and murmurs, “Thank you. For being here. Sorry your past two days were really shitty.”

Jinu laughs softly. “Believe it or not, this does not make the top three worst days I’ve ever had. If anything, the fact that it got better means it doesn’t even make the top ten. Maybe not even top twenty.”

Something twists in her chest, hot and burning. That’s another thing Rumi has noticed— her anger feels physically hot. She knows there’s an inferno somewhere inside of her but she just has yet to do anything with them. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t a little afraid to.

“You’re never gonna have that kind of bad day again if I have anything to say about it.” Rumi says— or maybe growls. She doesn’t mean it to come out as almost murderous as it sounds but Jinu doesn’t seem even the slightest bit bothered.

“It’s hard to doubt someone who killed a thousand year old Demon King.” He hums. “So I’ll take your word for it.”

Her throat bobs. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you against Gwi-Ma before.”

“But you did. He’s gone and I’m still here. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a pretty good deal.”

“I wish I stopped it sooner.” Rumi whispers.

Jinu says nothing for a time. Then, “I’m sorry I exposed you in front of your friends.”

“Gwi-Ma—!”

“Made me do it, I know. I’m still sorry.”

Rumi shuts her eyes. “Do our apologies cancel each other out? Is that how this works?”

“I think,” now, Jinu sounds a bit amused, “We can decide whatever we want.”

“Okay. I’m saying it cancels out so we don’t have to apologize anymore. I’m getting sick of it. I just want you to hold me and for everything to just be okay for a little while.”

“It will be.” Jinu tells her. He says it convincingly enough that it eases some tension out of her. “Between the six of us, we can figure it out. We’ll sort out the demon realm. Find out if you can get rid of your title. See if you can go see your girls. We’ll make it okay somehow.”

Rumi doesn’t know if he’s right. She wants to believe him however. That’ll just have to be enough.

The past two days were a blur of learning what happened to her, internally dealing with all the implications of what being a Demon King meant, and having dozens of ‘Court members’ try to appease her at every turn. Rumi remembers it in pieces. She had been physically awake but her mind was elsewhere. All of it was just… Too much.

Right now however, the world has shrunk, if only for a time. Jinu is here to keep her steady and Rumi just wants to rest. So she does, in the arms of a demon she might love but hasn’t quite admitted to herself yet, and finally finds a little peace.