Hidden Patterns | Kpop Demon Hunters x Reader

[ 18 ] in limbo

This is an uncomfortable discussion, one that you'd rather not have, but considering everything that's already happened, there's really no way around it. Your stomach twists just thinking about the words you're about to speak. The weight of it sits heavy in your chest, but you force yourself to meet Rumi's gaze nevertheless.

"What you did wasn't right. It really upset me. It upset me a lot."

The words leave your mouth firmer than you expected, carrying a sharp, pointed sting. For a long moment, the silence that follows is so absolute that you swear you can hear the faint hum of electricity running through the light fixtures above. Rumi stares back at you, her lips parting just slightly, as if she's been caught in the middle of drawing a breath. The guilt that was already etched across her face deepens, pulling her features taut. Her shoulders fold inward, and her eyes dim with shame. Even though you weren't trying to be overly stern, it looks like your words landed harder than any reprimand Celine threw at her earlier.

She already looked guilty before, but now it's fully sinking in. She's realizing just how badly she messed up.

"I know you want me to join Huntrix, but the way you went about it was completely wrong," you continue, your voice low, but tight with restrained frustration. "You pressured me, Rumi. You put that video out into the world to try and force my decision. You didn't exactly give me much of a choice. I'm your friend, and I obviously care about you, but I'm not going to pretend like you didn't make me upset."

The reaction is immediate. Rumi's breath stutters, and her trembling intensifies, visible even in her clasped hands where her knuckles are gradually turning white.

Earlier, when Celine scolded her, she looked nervous, even panicked, but this is different. This is worse. It's not just fear of reprimand—it's pure devastation. She looks like she's standing at the edge of something vast that's breaking beneath her feet. You know she doesn't like to disappoint anyone, least of all Celine, but now? Now it looks like she's even more afraid of disappointing you.

And whether she realizes it or not, she already has.

"I-I'm sorry," she stammers, voice breaking. The words tumble out in a rush, unsteady, as if she's scrambling for a lifeline. She bows her head so suddenly and forcefully it's almost jarring. Then, with even more desperation, she repeats, "I'm really, really sorry, [Name]! I know it was wrong of me. I just... I didn't think it through. I acted on impulse, and I know I made a huge mistake, but please don't hate me because of this. Please don't..."

You let out a weary sigh, the kind that's pulled from the very depths of your lungs. Rumi stays frozen, head bowed, her shoulders quivering with every shallow inhale, as if she's terrified to even lift her gaze again. As if making eye contact with you would only confirm her worst fears.

"I don't hate you," you reassure her. The truth of that is clear in your tone, but there's also a firmness to it that you're not willing to soften. "But I can't just brush this off either. I have every right to tell you how I feel about what you did. This situation is going to be really complicated for me, Rumi. In ways you can't even imagine."

Her fingers tighten together, wringing themselves in nervous repetition. She takes several moments before she finally begins to lift her head. Her movements are hesitant, deliberate, as if she's bracing herself for a punishment she hasn't yet received. Her red-rimmed eyes meet yours again, tears swelling at the edges and threatening to spill over. It hurts to see her like this, but you steel yourself against the instinct to back down. You're not going to let her tears sway you. What she did was wrong, and she needs to understand that.

Reality gnaws at the back of your mind, though. If you weren't a demon, you would've agreed to join HUNTR/X from the very beginning. But you are a demon, and that changes everything. Rumi doesn't understand the weight of that reality, the danger you're constantly balancing on a knife's edge. To her, it's simple—a dream she wants to share with you. But to you, it's a risk that could disrupt everything, not just your life, but theirs as well. How could you ever explain that to her? Even if you wanted to, there's no guarantee she would accept your truth as easily as you accepted hers.