Chapter Text
Jinu had been off .
There was no one specific thing that tipped Mystery off because Jinu seemed perfectly normal when he was with the boys. A little too perfect and too normal. He smiled the same but didn’t seem to be looking at anything specific at the end of each interaction. He wasn’t tense nor distracted. And yet, there seemed to be an odd kind of flicker to him like invisible winds causing a flame to dance for a split second. Not enough to affect the flame but just enough for Mystery to notice.
Mystery was not like Baby or the other boys. He did not consider himself quick-witted or very smart. But he was aware and he was observant. He watched everything from the striking to the mundane and committed every detail to memory. The moment something shifted or changed, he knew first. A survival mechanism he had developed since before he could remember. If it was enough for him to notice, it was worth investigating.
And he sure took notice when Jinu tried sneaking out.
It had been right after the bathhouse incident. Jinu had ordered the boys to run but he had stayed behind and gotten into a scuffle with one of the hunters. He eventually rejoined the group but his shirt had been torn on one side and Romance had huffed about the quality of the fabric. Nobody else seemed to notice the claw-like indents along the tear of the shirt. Mystery noticed.
He tore it himself, he thought curiously. The edge of the cotton blend of his shirt was curling inwards along the sharply cut edges. The only way he could see that fold happening was if it was self-inflicted. The question was why ?
And his behavior shifted from normal to a mimicry of it.
When the group had returned to their little hideout and began drifting off one by one like canaries, Jinu had taken great care to sit by himself in the far corner. Enough care that he made little to no sound when he pushed himself out of the open window. None of the sleeping Saja boys stirred.
Mystery never fell asleep though. His glowing eyes opened in the dark and he melted into the shadows like a nocturnal predator.
Now where could Jinu be off to? Mystery’s mind began filling with questions about the younger Saja. He knew he could get the answers he wanted. And unlike Jinu, Mystery had far more experience when it came to remaining unnoticed.
Even with the moon shining down like a second sun tonight, his features never graced its delicate light. They couldn’t. Everything from his hair to his accessories would shine like beacons if he so much as touched a ray of the moon. Using more than the bare minimum of his magic could cause noticeable ripples around him so no teleporting. Mystery had to rely on his senses and his stealth for this one.
The more he followed Jinu, the more he knew he was right to do so. The leader of their group was acting more and more suspicious the further he went. Crouching, looking around, even mumbling to himself.
Eventually, they reached what seemed like the desired location and Jinu looked around. Mystery jumped and hung onto the beam at the underside of the roof’s edge just in time to escape his searching eyes. His long hair concealed the glow of his amber eyes and his breathing was slow and controlled. From an outside view, he was no less a part of the house than the shingles and tiles.
Mystery listened.
Waited.
Then heard Jinu’s feet approach where he’d planted himself like a tree frog on a window. A blur passed by him suddenly and he watched the other man drop down.
Jinu stared at the window display filled with traditional attire. Then snapped his fingers and snatched the mannequin from the front. He giggled to himself.
“This should break the ice”, Jinu hummed to himself and took the mannequin back up top with him. A few snaps and pops came but Mystery couldn’t see what was happening.
I need a better vantage point , he thought while looking around. Mystery lined his feet with the wall and pushed himself towards the neighbouring building, disappearing around its corner like a spider. The roof was far higher and it gave him plenty of shadows to sink into.
His focus never left Jinu as he adjusted the hair on what used to be a bald mannequin. Mystery shrunk into himself against the dark background and gripped the beam as he watched.
“I hope she likes surprises! This would be awkward if she pulled a weapon on you, buddy.” Jinu giggled at the plastic figure and tapped him on the shoulder. To the untrained eye, their silhouettes looked identical, but to Mystery the stiff limbs of Jinu’s plastic double were a dead giveaway.
Then again, Mystery had to reel in his mind as the absurdity of the situation crept up on him. He had followed Jinu like a stalking tiger at night while his bandmate dressed a mannequin as his double on a random rooftop and spoke to it.
Maybe the bathhouse had been too much for Jinu. Mayb-
Thunk
The sharp, high-pitched sound of a roof tile shifting its weight against the others. Jinu seemed to hear it too because he quickly jumped off the roof and onto the one nearby. Mystery stared in silent shock as a figure with long braided hair approached the edge of the rooftop. Then threads of light formed a blade seemingly from nothing and illuminated the face of the new arrival.
A hunter.
Mystery’s joints flexed while he kept his eyes on her.
No. The leader of the hunters , he thought as the memory of every poster and billboard came to mind.
Clearly, the mannequin had been convincing enough because she surged forward and cleaved its head right off. Then Jinu slid back onto the rooftop and began speaking with the hunter.
The absurdity of the situation was growing by the second as Mystery watched the two of them go back and forth. Jinu joked and tried to engage her in conversation while she cut through air molecules in pursuit of his neck.
Clearly, he was interested in speaking to her and clearly she wanted no such thing.
They dashed and chased each other around, going higher and higher along the roofs. Mystery needed to follow them. He quickly looked around for a better spot, one with enough shadows to conceal him. When he glanced in the direction the hunter had come from he saw the sparkle of something small. Then he heard a clink and then a breath.
Another one , he thought. If this is an ambush, they were doing a terrible job at hiding. Abhorrent, really. How have the hunters stopped demons for centuries when they couldn’t even stay quiet enough to hunt a rabbit? He didn’t move from his spot as he looked out for whoever was about to join their party.
There, at the edge of the rooftop, two small hands grappled at the roof tiles. There was a small huff before the new guest slid onto the roof and crawled up with the stealth of a crab.
It was the youngest hunter. She was clearly trying to sneak up on the other two but her stealth required work. She tiptoed along the spine of the rooftop and looked around carefully. Mystery could hear the gears turning in her mind as she looked for better vantage points.
Then her eyes landed right on the spot where he had hidden and she began walking towards it.
Mystery tensed up and watched her delicate figure inch closer and closer to him by the second. She clearly hadn’t noticed him yet but he didn’t see any opening to escape before she reached him.
He couldn’t use magic. He couldn't run. He couldn’t remain hidden with her now barely a few strides from him. He was beginning to panic internally.
If she sees me, she will scream or attack or both , his mind was racing. If either happens, Jinu and the other hunter will return. And if-
As the storm of anxiety brewed inside him, Mystery began to lose control over his breathing. His lips parted and he let out an almost silent breath.
Almost silent.
The hunter that was now within reach of him stopped frozen in her tracks, eyes wide and searching the space before her. There was a flicker of recognition, like pray recognizing the evidence of danger around it. She leaned back and opened her mouth but her words never managed their escape.
Mystery lunged at her and pulled her into the shadows with him, closing his hand over her lips. Her panic was evident as her small hands flailed wildly against his grip. He spun her so her back was against him and tried to hold her in place while his mind caught up with what the hell he had just done.
Why did he grab her? Why was he even trying to hold her? There’s no escaping this now! Can she breathe like this? How is he not dead yet? When-
His own panic was cut short when the glow of her blades emerged from the small hand right next to his face.
There it is.
He felt her stance shift like she was preparing to attack. Mystery tightened his hold on her like he was holding a swaddled baby, arms wrapped and secure and maybe a little trembling from the panic. He had to try to reason with her at least.
“Wait” he whispered close to her ear.
She froze and her head tilted a little to look at him.
“I’m here for Jinu”, Mystery continued. It was more than he had spoken in ages but the panic was pulling the words right out of him. He hoped his explanation would be enough to placate her. “You’re following your friend?”
A little nod from the smaller figure.
“Please”, he whispered to her, “I just want to know what’s going on.”
He felt the girl’s chest heave a small sigh. Then, the shine of the blades disappeared. He took it as a good sign and relaxed his hold enough for her to slip out. She quickly turned to him and watched him, drinking in his crouched hidden form.
“Did you catch him sneaking out and follow him?” she asked quietly. Mystery could only nod. They were both clearly on the same mission to stalk their friends. Speaking of which, he’d lost sight of both their targets.
“Why would-hm?!” his fellow pursuer began but he quickly shushed her with his palm.
“Later” he whispered and pointed one manicured finger towards the roof above them. She understood and they both turned back to their original objectives. She poked her head around the last roof tile and grabbed his hand. Her touch was firm.
“They’ve moved” she breathed towards him before pulling him along with her. Mystery pushed off the wall and continued moving in the shadows. A few jumps and they were both hidden within the branches of a tree. It was uncomfortable but it gave them a perfect view of their friends.
Jinu and the hunter were walking in slow circles along the square spine of the rooftop. They argued back and forth about whether demons had feelings.
“Is that what you think? That's all demons do. Feel. Feel our shame, our misery. It's how Gwi-Ma controls us.” Jinu raised his voice. Mystery felt the little hunter next to him shift. Her eyes looked at him for a few moments before returning to the scene, clearly as confused as her friend on the rooftop.
Why is he sharing this with her? Mystery wondered. He listened as Jinu recounted the events that led him to becoming a demon. His story was not exact but he was mostly truthful with the lead hunter. What did we miss before this?
His companion on the branch next to him seemed just as confused.
“These are a constant reminder of my shame. A shame I can never escape.” Jinu said softly as he looked at the patterns on his arm. He approached the hunter slowly “Yours are a reminder, too. Of a shame of your own.”
Her WHAT?! Mystery’s mind screamed as his hold on the branch stiffened. She had patterns. She HAS patterns. The leader of the hunters has patterns. The information spun in his head. If his hand hadn’t been holding the branch Mystery might have toppled over at the news.
Then he heard it. A small wisp of air blew past him and he turned to look at his partner in crime on the other branch. Clearly the words had been a shock for both of them because her hands had let go of the branch that supported her and grasped her face instead. Mystery immediately connected the dots in his head.
She didn’t know. his mind whispered. Mystery couldn’t imagine what such a realization would feel like. To find out the leader of your group was the very thing you were trying to fight. And yet, here he was also watching his leader fraternize with the enemy.
He tried to pay attention to the exchange in front of him but his eyes remained locked on the frozen figure hidden in the tree with him. She was clearly freaking out, eyes swimming with questions and tears. Her shoulders shook and her breathing became increasingly erratic. The soft wisps of air were quickly turning to gasps of panic.
They’re going to hear her! Mystery thought as he looked back and forth. Jinu and the lead hunter were quietly speaking, leaving too much room for the sounds of distress to reach them. In an act of quiet pleading for her to calm down, Mystery leaned over the branch and used one arm to press her into the trunk of the tree.
The little hunter stiffed for a moment. Her chest kept rising and falling rapidly as her eyes turned to him. Mystery’s shoulder pushed a few of his silvery strands aside leaving a sliver of room for her to see one golden iris watching her. He blinked slowly and steadily exhaled a breath. Nodded towards her and repeated the action.
You need to calm down. he tried to convey silently. Follow my lead.
She seemed to understand quickly as she too blinked her eyes closed for a moment and released a shaky breath. They watched each other as their breaths evened out. Mystery felt the warmth of her shoulder seep through his fingertips.
Their attention was drawn back towards the rooftop where the other hunter had screamed in frustration. She jumped off the rooftop and ran back in the direction she came from. Jinu was gone.
It seems the rendezvous was about as eventful for those two as it had been for Mystery. He’d need some time to make sense of what had happened thus far.
“Um” he heard a whisper beside him “Are they gone?”
He turned to nod at his accomplice and released her. She was noticeably more calm now and her eyes looked around for their friends.
“Shall we?” she asked, allowing her voice to raise above a whisper now.
She hopped up to stand on the branch and turned towards him with an open hand. He stared at it. Up at her. Then back down at her hand. She waited but he still didn’t take it.
Instead, he folded his legs and pushed off the branch towards the ground. He landed perfectly without a sound. A moment later, he heard the telltale sounds of little steps on tiles as she bounced between corners towards him.
“Damn, you’re fast. And so quiet!” she exclaimed when she reached him. Her hand reached to adjust the hem of her top and remove a few tree leaves. “We are never hiding in a tree again. I have scratches from branches in places I didn’t even know branches could get.”
We?
Mystery tilted his head a little at her words. She said it so casually like they’d been following their friends on a date instead of watching out for a suspicious meeting between enemies. Even now, she didn’t seem bothered to stand next to him at all.
“Now, why was your demon friend meeting with Rumi? Was this an ambush? I don’t think it was an ambush because you clearly didn’t want to be seen. Or was that because I was here? Did you know he was going to meet her here? How did he even convince her to come here? She’s been so strange since we all fought at the bathhouse. Thanks for nothing by the way, the little stunt you guys pulled might have turned her off bathhouses forever now!”, she kept going and going, asking questions he had no answer to and lowkey answering some questions herself.
Mystery watched and waited for her to run out of breath but quickly realized that would not happen. He shouldn’t have expected it to really, she was a trained professional. If she could rap for hours on stage, why would she lose her breath now?
“Little hunter-” he began but was quickly cut off by her laugh.
“ ‘ Little hunter ’? Oh my God, you-” she huffed a little high pitched sound, looking away for a moment. “It’s Zoey! And you’re Mystery.” she smiled, amused. She knew his name and it made him feel a little odd when he hadn’t remembered hers. He just nodded.
“I only followed Jinu,” he admitted quietly. “I didn’t know why he was here.”
“So you don’t know anything about how Rumi got here either?” Zoey asked.
Mystery shook his head. They both seemed to be in the same predicament.
“Is it true what he said?” Zoey asked after a moment. “About what demons feel. About having been human before. About the patterns.”
Mystery hesitated. He still didn’t know why Jinu even shared that with a hunter. Either way, he didn’t have the words to explain any of this to Zoey. This whole order was tilting his axis and casually discussing it all with his new hunter companion was pushing the line of strange.
“Not all.” he managed. He was already far past his speaking limit for one day.
“Were you human before?” Zoey asked and he could hear the curiosity in her voice.
He turned to face away from her. He didn’t want to continue this conversation when it was inching dangerously close to things he did not want to remember.
“Your friend has patterns.” he spoke to try and change the subject. He watched her face twist with concern at his words. The open curiosity on her features scrunched up at the painful reminder.
“I-I don’t understand how! She would never make a deal with Gwi-Ma! There has to be something we are missing here. If she needed something so bad then why didn’t she come to me and Mira? We always have her back. How did I not notice the patterns? What kind of a friend am I!?” Zoey exclaimed. She put her hands to her face and squatted down. She looked like a turtle trying to hide away in its shell.
Mystery watched as she ignored whatever danger his presence might have posed to her, keeping her back vulnerable and exposed. Not that he had any intention to hurt her. If anything, he felt sorry for her.
It wasn’t her fault that her friend had not been honest with her but she still blamed herself. She clearly cared very much. Enough to take the blame for decisions she never had a say in.
He wasn’t sure what to do but the sad sight of her was making him a little restless. He reached a hand over and brushed a few locks of black hair away from her face. When her eyes looked up to him, he shook his head.
“You think so?” she sniffled. Mystery wasn’t sure what silent message he had imparted on her but it seemed to work. “You’re right, this isn’t about me. I need to keep it together for Rumi.”
She stood, rubbed her hands aggressively over her cheeks and huffed a breath. Then turned to him.
“I need to return before they notice I’m gone. I’ll see you around, Mystery!” she waved and hopped away in the direction Rumi had left.
Mystery stood there for a moment. He brought a hand to his forehead and rubbed his palm over it to soothe the ache he felt. His mind was swimming with bits and pieces of new information and none of it fit well together. He needed time to think. And he needed to return before Jinu got suspicious.
After all that effort to remain unseen, he couldn’t have his own absence blow his cover.