Hidden Patterns | Kpop Demon Hunters x Reader

[ 02 ] forsaken soul

There's a silence that thickens the air, and you'd go as far as to call it absolutely suffocating.

It stretches for a while, more than long enough to make you uncomfortable, and you have to remind yourself to break apart from Rumi in the process. Your arm slips off her back, now hanging awkwardly by your side.

Finally, Zoey finds her voice.

"You... saw Rumi take it down?" she asks, incredulous. "The demon?"

You nod once.

Mira narrows her eyes, not moving, not blinking. Her whole body seems to coil into something rigid, like a wire that's just been pulled taut. Rumi doesn't meet either of their gazes. Instead, she's staring at the cracked pavement, lips pressed thin. The streetlight overhead buzzes faintly.

"I... didn't mean to," Rumi settles on. "It just happened. The demon showed up so fast, and it was just about to close in on her. I couldn't risk letting her get hurt."

"But—" Mira starts, before cutting herself off. She pauses for a moment, then sighs heavily. "No one's ever seen us. No human ever should. The only time it's ever happened was during a concert, and they were convinced it was special effects or something. Nobody actually knows. If this gets out, it could be bad."

"I know," Rumi says hastily. "But it's fine. It's okay. She's not going to tell anyone or try to expose us. She's not that kind of person."

"I won't say a word," you chime in, voice gentle and steady. "Also, to be honest, I'm not really that surprised. I've seen demons before. A handful of times."

Two heads turn toward you at once.

"You what?" Zoey blurts out, eyes wide.

"I didn't tell anyone," you go on. "It's not like they would have even believed me. I didn't want people thinking I was crazy or something. I told Rumi the same thing, but I think I've gotten pretty lucky up until now. I can usually outrun demons or fight them off. I'm not actually that scared of them."

Because I literally am one of them.

That part goes unsaid, of course. But just imagine if you'd accidentally blurted it out loud. You might find the blade Rumi just swung pointed at your throat next.

"You're not scared of them?" Mira gapes. She really seems like she's having a hard time wrapping her head around this whole thing. Although you can't blame her. All things considered, it's pretty weird.

"Not really," you shrug. Realization flickers through your eyes, and you hurry to add, "Um, but that doesn't mean I don't respect what you guys are doing. I'm sure most other people in my position would be scared. You're all working and fighting so hard to keep everyone safe. It's admirable. I look up to the three of you."

Perhaps it's the praise you just threw in, but your words seem to sober them. Even Mira looks less tightly-wound. Her frown just softened. Well, kind of.

You're so focused on the other two, Zoey and Mira, that you don't realize someone else has yet to tear her gaze from you.

Rumi's looking at you now—really looking. Her eyes dart across your face like she's trying to trace the edges of your sincerity. She even feels the corners of her lips pull into a smile.

"You seem like the type who'd keep a promise," she says quietly. "You come across as really mature. Reliable."

It's a hidden message, one that only you can decipher. After all, when it comes to her, you're keeping another secret. A much bigger secret than simply her being a demon hunter.