A/N: Here's the new Chapter! Which also ans the next FIVE chapters are up on my Patreon for early access!
Hah! You thought Zoey grabbing Derpy back in Chapter 31 was just a funny little throwaway gag. But no, it was all part of the master plan!
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Not to toot her own horn or anything, but Zoey was kiiiind of a genius. See, she and Mira really did think that Rumi and Jinu talking alone might be good for them. Not just because Rumi was obviously crushing on Jinu pretty hard, but also because as the only other demon with a soul that they knew of, he would hopefully be able to give her good advice.
The other part was that Jinu was just so sad and while Rumi had her own very obvious issues with depression, she tended to be a total hypocrite when it ca to seeing other people putting themselves down. Which was a good thing frankly, because it usually ant Rumi went out of her way to try and make those people feel better!
So yeah, Rumi and Jinu talking together alone was a win-win… hopefully! Only there was also the other side of things, where Zoey and Mira both agreed that their fearless leader and the hot demon boy in their midst were also a pair of self-sacrificing idiots.
That ant while the hope was that them talking to each other so more would help, there was also the possibility that they might co together and start planning so big, massive sacrifice play. Because they thought that everyone would be better off without them around or sothing.
Yeah, no. Obviously, that wasn't happening! Not on their watch! Buuuut that did an Zoey and Mira kind of sort of had to keep an eye on things. As in, spy on Rumi and Jinu during their little chat. Just to be safe, it wasn't like they were being weird or anything!
Of course, even if they definitely weren't being weird or anything, they also didn't want to get caught. Which ant they needed an alibi, a way to make sure Rumi and Jinu were at ease and definitely not on the lookout for any spies, because Zoey had a theory that those demon senses of theirs were no joke!
And that was where Zoey's genius plan had co in. See, she'd made this big show of going out into the hallway and 'subtly' trying to get Derpy to co hang out with her in her room. Zoey had acted like she was being sneaky, but in reality, she'd been as obvious as could be, in order to let them 'catch her'. Then she'd made this biiiig show of being sheepish she got caught before she got Derpy to follow her out of the common area!
As far as Rumi and Jinu were concerned, Mira was in her own room and Zoey was in her room but playing with Derpy. So they were free to talk amongst themselves! And the plan had WORKED! It'd worked wonders! Rumi even took Jinu to her balcony for the conversation! A balcony that just so happened to be shared with Zoey and Mira's rooms.
Here was the thing as well, Derpy was aweso, don't get her wrong, but he was still just a big cat! And the one thing cats liked more than eating or playing… was sleeping. So really, Zoey just had to cuddle him for like a minute or two, give him all the pets in the world, and direct him to curl up on the floor of her room… and he was happily snoozing away monts later.
With Mira already having been hiding out in Zoey's room since before she even went to get Derpy, the two of them were able to carefully open the slider to Zoey's portion of the tower balcony and listen in on Jinu and Rumi's conversation as it had been going on.
Frankly, it had been dripping with angst at first. But true to Zoey and Mira's predictions, Rumi had almost instantly been all over Jinu for not liking himself enough! And hey, she'd even made a few positive comnts about herself and her place at their sides as well in the process!
Everything had honestly been going super great until they'd heard Jinu yelp and so shuffling. At which point, Mira had peeked out and Zoey had just sort of followed suit. To be fair, it didn't look like anyone was hurt or anything, so they'd just kept listening in, now with the added benefit of also watching from their little hiding place.
Needless to say, Zoey turned out to be extrely glad that they'd graduated from just eavesdropping to full blown spying with their eyes as well, because what happened next was sothing she would have hated to miss! Rumi had offered Jinu her hand (so cute!) and Jinu, after a long mont of waffling, had gone for it.
And then things had gotten really trippy, with literal sparks flying all over the place as the iridescent power in Jinu's patterns had flowed out of him and into Rumi! The Rainbow Honmoon, as the demon boy kept calling it, had been incredibly happy to take up residence in their fearless leader from what Zoey could see. However, much to her dismay, Jinu's patterns had dimd the more it left him!
They hadn't turned purple or anything like that at least, but the way he'd slumped over in exhaustion and the fact they'd almost gone invisible against his demon skin had made it clear he was losing just as much as Rumi was gaining.
Zoey needn't have worried though, because as usual, Rumi was super on top of things. Just as Zoey was biting her lower lip and feeling bad on Jinu's behalf, the light show had gotten even better! Iridescent energy had flowed right back out of Rumi and into Jinu, except this ti around there was no loss of power on Rumi's end from the look of things.
Instead, everything had gotten twice as bright as Rumi had seemingly powered Jinu's patterns right back up, until they were both glowing with all of the colors of the rainbow for a mont.
It was really, really pretty, but then their patterns had dimd down to a more natural rainbow shimr and they'd both seed to co out of whatever effect the sharing ca with.
… Which was when Rumi slapped Jinu across the face, said sothing about him sacrificing her, called him an idiot, and then proceeded to kiss him in the most K-Drama type bullshit that Zoey had ever seen before.
And that was where things got a little complicated for Zoey. Because… because she thought this was everything she'd wanted once she realized Rumi was developing feelings for Jinu. Her precious unnie had finally found a boy she liked and even better, he was soone she didn't have to hide ANYTHING from. This was good… no, it was great even!
But then why did Zoey's chest feel so tight watching Rumi and Jinu kiss? Why was she frowning instead of smiling? Why… why was she feeling jealousy of all things?
Suddenly self-conscious, Zoey glances to Mira to make sure the taller girl hasn't noticed her reaction… only to see the exact sa dismay that Zoey is currently feeling etched across the beautiful dancer's face. Mira was feeling jealous too?! MIRA?! What the hell was going on?!
Of course, then Mira notices Zoey is looking at her instead of the two of them and she goes still, like a deer caught in headlights. They both stare at one another with wide, disbelieving eyes for a mont. Until-
"Mira! Zoey! Co here!"
Oh no. In their mont of distraction, they'd gotten themselves caught!
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Mira can hardly believe she's actually feeling jealous over Rumi kissing a guy. A demon at that! The worst part is, she's self-aware enough to know that she's not jealous of Rumi… she's jealous of Jinu. And judging by the look she saw in Zoey's eyes, their precious maknae is feeling the exact sa way.
This was so not the ti to be having any sort of awakening though, especially when they'd just gotten caught peeping on the two lovebirds in the first place. Luckily, Rumi doesn't look at all upset as she calls them over. Nor does Jinu really, but Rumi's opinion is the one that actually matters at this point, obviously.
Mira is the first to step out onto the balcony, while Zoey follows. Her eyes trace over the new glowing rainbow lines all across Rumi's arms and neck and upper chest and she has to admit… iridescence looks even hotter on the other woman than purple does. Like, way hotter.
Giving her and Zoey a soft smile, Rumi swallows and steps towards them in turn.
"Sorry, I just… I need to try sothing before anything else happens. Can you both give your hands?"
She holds out her hands to them, causing Mira and Zoey to both freeze in place. Holding hands with Rumi would have been nothing re minutes ago. So why was it making Mira's neck feel hot as fuck now and why did she want to crawl in a hole and die instead?
In the end, they finally do as they're told when Rumi gives them a distinct Look and makes grabby motions with her fingers. As soon as their hands are in range, she snatches up both of them in her own, frowning rather cutely in concentration for a mont.
Then… she sighs and gets the most stereotypically Rumi Pout on her face that Mira has ever seen.
"Tch… damn, I really hoped that would work."
Zoey makes a curious noise in the back of her throat, clearly trying not to dwell on the handholding any more than Mira is.
"What were you hoping would work, unnie?"
Mira shoots Zoey a look at the address, even as Rumi just smiles sadly before glancing back at an awkward-looking Jinu.
"Okay so here's the run down… this dork has been hiding a pretty big secret from us all this ti."
Huh? Mira's eyes narrow as Jinu flushes and ducks his head, scratching at his cheek sheepishly with one finger. What kind of secret? Only the fact that Rumi was calling Jinu a 'dork' kept Mira from truly raising her hackles for the mont. After all, she despised liars.
"A secret? Like what?"
Zoey's question prompts a hum from Rumi as she considers how to answer for a mont before ultimately just shrugging.
"Basically… he's from the future."
Of all the things Mira expected to hear from their leader's lips, that… wasn't it. Her jaw drops open, even as Zoey gasps beside her.
"What?! No way, that's so cool! Wait, is that how he knows everything?! Is the Rainbow Honmoon from the future too?!"
Rumi grins good-naturedly and nods.
"Got it in one, Zoey."
Squeeing now, Zoey is practically leaping up and down in excitent… and of course, asking questions as soon as they co to her.
"How far back did he co from? Wait, don't tell ! Months! No, years!"
Here, Rumi's grin drops and she grimaces as she glances at Jinu again before shaking her head with a sheepish laugh.
"Try a week, Zo."
That brings their younger bandmate to a stop, her eyes widening even as Mira's do the sa. A week? Seriously?! Rumi just nods in the face of their shock.
"Yeah. It's kind of crazy to think about because a LOT happens, but Jinu isn't from that far in the future. He ca back from the night of the Idol Awards… where he redeed his soul by sacrificing himself in order to save from certain death."
Oh. Damn. No wonder she'd kissed him, that sounded big… like, really big. Mira can't help but look at the demon with even more gratitude than before. His help in getting Rumi to open up to them was one thing. But saving her life?
Of course, Jinu doesn't take this lying down, sad sack of shit that he is. Seeing the way they're all looking at him, he huffs and finally steps forward, properly joining the conversation rather than continuing to hang back near the balcony railing.
"You're leaving out an awful lot there, Rumi. Unless you only rember that last bit, but sohow I doubt it."
Rumi shakes her head.
"No, I rember all of it now. And let tell you, having mories of a future that will never happen isn't nearly as freaky as having two different sets of mories from the past week."
When she sees the concerned looks Mira, Zoey, and even Jinu all give her at that remark, Rumi waves them off.
"Don't worry. There's enough of a differentiation in my head that I can mostly focus on my real mories and treat the new stuff as just… information and knowledge. But that's why I wanted to hold your hands girls, because I was hoping I might be able to do the sa to you as Jinu just did for ."
Looking down at where they're still holding hands even now, Rumi pouts again.
"Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it will be that easy. When Jinu gave the piece of the Rainbow Honmoon that he was carrying inside of him, I rembered everything... but I think it might have sothing to do with my heritage and my patterns, because when I try to do the sa for the two of you, nothing happens. I'm sorry…"
Zoey, as always, imdiately jumps to reassurance and forgiveness.
"You don't have to apologize for sothing you can't control, Rumi!"
Rumi gives her a thankful nod and smile before looking to Mira with a raised brow. Of course, Mira just raises an eyebrow right back at her.
"Sounds like you'll just have to tell us everything the old fashioned way instead."
Honestly, Mira wasn't sure why she was so quick to believe the whole ti travel thing in the first place. But… she did. And it sounded like one hell of a story too, so she wasn't about to let Rumi or Jinu get away with hiding it from them.
In the face of her words, Rumi smiles fondly and nods… while Jinu looks positively hunted. But he also nods, making it clear he's not going to run from this… from whatever he did that he's still so guilty over.
If he hurt Rumi in another damn tiline, Mira would… well, she wasn't sure what she would do, especially since Rumi with all her mories of said tiline didn't seem to care too much. But then again, Rumi was a self-sacrificing idiot so maybe it would fall to Mira and Zoey to care about it FOR her… just like always.
"It's a long story, heh."
Rumi doesn't sound like she's trying to get out of telling it, to be fair. More like she's just trying to prepare Mira and Zoey for the things she'll have to say. Nodding, Mira gives Rumi's hand a squeeze.
"Well, we've got ti right?"
That makes Rumi smile so brightly that Mira feels the heat of it on her face. Yeah, it's definitely Rumi's smile and not her own blush or anything like that.
"Yep. We've got all the ti in the world!"
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
Of course, as if the universe itself is conspiring to make Rumi a liar, that's the mont when all three of their phones go off at once. Brows furrowing in unison, Mira pulls her smartphone out of its pocket at the sa ti Rumi and Zoey do the sa. As she reads it, Mira can tell from their reactions that they've both gotten the sa ssage from Bobby as her.
Bobby: SOS! Celine maybe suicidal! Need help on Jeju ASAP!
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A/N: Dang it, Bobby. Wait no, wrong show and this isn't Bobby's fault. Dang it, Celine. Wait, probably shouldn't victim bla… eh, nah still Dang it, Celine!
Well, at least we're getting the cast all back together in the sa place next chapter! But at what cost?
Feedback is GREATLY appreciated, every comnt helps shape a story like this one!
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