Hidden Patterns | Kpop Demon Hunters x Reader

[ 04 ] defective

You find Rumi waiting for you beneath the pale, flickering light of a lamppost, her silhouette soft-edged and quiet. It's funny how the two of you always seem to find each other at night, like shadows pulled together by some silent thread. You're not sure if it's coincidence or fate, but it's always during these hours, when the world is hushed and half-asleep, that your paths cross. Perhaps that's by design. Perhaps you were meant to discover her secret all along.

Who knows, really.

Rumi spots you before you even say a word and offers a small wave, gentle and somewhat hesitant. You wave back, then walk over to a nearby bench and take a seat beside her. The air is cooler tonight. You can feel the breeze brushing against your skin like a whisper.

"I'm sorry for calling you out like this," she mumbles, eyes downcast. "I just... wanted to talk."

"That's fine," you reassure. "I'm glad you did."

Rumi fidgets with her hands, her fingers tangling together nervously. It takes her a moment to find her voice again. Her eyes scan the area—over your shoulder, over her shoulder, and in just about every other direction. Only when she's certain that no one else is around does she speak.

"My mom," she begins, her voice barely audible, "used to be a demon hunter, just like me. But she died when I was really young. After that, another hunter took me in. Celine. She worked with my mom. They were part of the same group. Celine trained me. She raised me. Well, sort of."

You don't interrupt. You sit still, listening as the words slowly pour out from her like water breaking through a cracked dam.

"Celine always told me to hide my patterns," she continues. "Even though I'm still part human, she said never to let anyone see the demon side. Hunters need to be strong, she always says. We can't afford to show weakness. Ever."

Rumi lifts her gaze to meet yours, and there's a kind of pleading behind her eyes—as if she's hoping you'll understand the weight she's carried alone for so long.

"But my patterns... they've grown. They've spread. It's been slow, really gradual, but it's happening. I know it is."

Her breath catches in her throat, and for a moment, she falls silent again, chewing the inside of her cheek like she's trying to hold something in.

With you, however, she already knows that she has no need to hide.

"Every time I see more of my skin become covered, I just... I get so scared," she admits. "I don't know why this is happening. I don't know if it'll stop. But I know that if we complete the Golden Honmoon, then demons will be sealed away from the human world forever."

You blink, slowly making sense of what she just said.

"That includes me," she mumbles, affirming your exact thoughts.

The words settle heavily in your chest. You look at her, and for once, you don't know what to say. She's not just trying to save the world—she's trying to save herself from another side of herself.

Rumi takes a deep breath, sitting up a bit straighter. "If we do this, I'll finally be able to lock that part of me away. For good. No more hiding, no more patterns, just none of it. I'll be fully human. The way I always should have been."

You consider interjecting just then, to point out that there's absolutely nothing wrong with her, and that she's not damaged. But she just looks so small beside you. So fragile, and much weaker than she'd like to let on. She's tired of running. Tired of hiding. You can't blame her for feeling the way she does.

"That's why I try so hard," she says. "With the music, and with our performances. I want to protect everyone. I want a world where people's lives won't be in danger. But even more than that, and I know this sounds selfish... I want to make sure I don't lose the part of myself that still feels human. I just want to be normal, like everyone else."