Chapter Text
Rumi’s life had changed significantly.
How had it come to this?
Rumi stared at the ceiling of the room she was in, the city lights casting a soft, flickering glow, just enough for her to think with her eyes open, uninterrupted.
Ever since the events at Namsan Tower and the Idol Awards, nothing had been the same—and not necessarily in a bad way. But she had been swept into a sea of confusion about the truth—her truth.
She had never imagined things would end up like this. She had always believed, blindly, in what Celine had told her: that sealing Honmoon would make everything fall into place and save her from herself. That her patterns would disappear, and she’d finally be free.
Free from herself. Free from the marks on her skin that had made her reject herself her entire life. Free from having to cover up, from walking on eggshells to avoid being discovered. Free from lying. Free from lying to them.
She had dreamed of the day when she wouldn’t have to hide anymore. No more hiding—just shining. As she supposed she was born to be, shining as who she really was, without the shadow of that side that was haunting her like a ghost.
That had been her dream for so long. But in the end, it had just been that—a dream. At this point, she wasn’t even sure if sealing Honmoon would’ve made her patterns disappear. She didn’t even know if Celine had the certain of that or if she had just made assumptions and lied by promising the marks would vanish. Maybe it had been her way of trying to accept Rumi for who she was, and who she could become, even if she had never fully succeeded.
She hadn’t spoken to Celine. Not since she’d found her at the tree and asked her to…
That was another story, but it had undeniably created a huge crack in their relationship. A rift that had kept her from speaking to her since the Idol Awards. And honestly? She didn’t feel ready to talk now. Not to her. Not after the lies, the assumptions, the years spent making her hate herself. And definitely not after realizing that Celine had never truly accepted her.
And the fact that if she hadn’t agreed to her request—to end her with her own Saingeom—it hadn’t been because of what Rumi meant to her, but because of what she represented: a promise to protect what was left of Mi-yeong.
And that hurt. Watching the maternal figure, she’d had all her life crumble before her eyes—Even if Celine had never been very maternal. Even if she had always called her Celine (as she always requested) and not eomma, she had still been the most important figure in Rumi’s life for a long time. And suddenly… this.
Truthfully, she didn’t feel ready at ball to face her—not even to see her.
Not after holding onto those beliefs in her head for years. She had never imagined things would end like this. The events that had caused her patterns to stop spreading slowly and instead cover her completely in mere minutes during the Idol Awards performance—triggered by the terror and rejection she had felt from Mira and Zoey—had transformed her.
In that moment, her hand had even morphed into those purple claws she had hated for years while slaying demons. And then everything else…
Even after realizing it had all been a trap set by Jinu, that Mira and Zoey hadn’t actually betrayed her, just seeing them raise their weapons against her and look at her like she was a demon had shattered her completely. Even if she knew they were in shock. Even if part of her whispered that their reaction had been valid, she couldn’t stop her heart from cracking every time she remembered that look in their eyes.
Even if they had never truly meant to attack her.
And then facing Jinu… oh, Jinu. The one who had seen her as she truly was. The one she had the confidence enough to show herself, all of her. The one who had given her the push to feel okay in her own skin and patterns, to see herself and accept herself as she really was. In the end, he had set her up in the worst way possible—not only by using the images of the two people who meant the most to her to completely destabilize her, but also by making it public—globally.
Even with that, her heart couldn’t bring itself to hate him. She tried to justify it, to find some reason behind it all, to believe he wasn’t like that. Her heart still wanted to believe him, desperately searching for one last hope to keep it from fully breaking from everything that had happened so quickly.
But when Jinu convinced her that she was nothing more than a demon… she simply wished she could die.
Without her friends, without the two people she cared about most in the world, betrayed by the one she had opened her heart to, exposed globally, and with the part of herself she hated the most now fully visible—and Celine landing the final blow with her words and trying to get her into more lies—
She couldn’t take it anymore. She didn’t know how she didn’t fell apart right then and there. She didn’t know where she found the strength to get up, to go face Gwi-ma even if she was alone, destroyed, and her heart heavier than ever, with Honmoon completely shattered…
But not all endings are bad.
After all, she knew now that her heart was tied to Mira’s and Zoey’s. Honmoon had chosen it that way. Chosen them. The three of them. And that bond, she realized, was stronger than anything.
And Jinu… in the end, she knew she hadn’t been wrong about him—at least not now. She knew what he’d done. She didn’t want to delude herself with the image she’d built in her mind during the time she was knowing and accepting him. She knew he had worked for Gwi-ma for way too long and everything that meant. She knew he had lied. That he had betrayed her in the worst way.
But in the end, he had redeemed himself. He saved her… and even if that didn’t erase anything, she preferred to remember Jinu as someone she’d hold close to her heart with a special kind of affection—as the one who helped her accept herself, defeat Gwi-ma, rebuild Honmoon, and most of all, to finally be herself.
This time, truly herself. Rumi—not the cover Rumi, not the leader of Huntr/x, not the perfect idol. Just her. Fully accepting everything she was and everything that came with it. And most importantly, being free. Rebuilding her life from this newfound freedom, from this new perspective of herself.
This time, living with her voice, without lies.
To be happy.
Rumi couldn’t help but squint her eyes, overwhelmed by the mix of emotions. She hadn’t finished processing everything. And she knew maybe she wouldn’t anytime soon. But at least now she knew that was okay. That she was okay. In every sense
A small whimper beside her pulled her from her thoughts. She immediately turned toward the source and couldn’t help the small smile that formed on her face.
“Rumi…?” Zoey mumbled sleepily beside her. “Why aren’t you asleep?”
“I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”
Zoey shook her head, followed by a lazy yawn before cuddling back up against her. Rumi watched her with a soft smile until her breathing slowed again—steady and calm, showing she’d fallen back asleep.
She turned to the other side, where strands of pink hair spilled over the pillows—Mira still sleeping peacefully. Her smile grew.
Since the night following the Idol Awards, neither Mira nor Zoey had left her side. Well—except for the necessary things. A light blush crept onto her cheeks at the memory of Zoey insisting on never leaving her alone ever again—even waiting behind the bathroom door the first day, every time she had to use it. Thankfully, she hadn’t done that again… but still. They had truly focused on taking care of her.
From that first night, Mira and Zoey had sneaked into her room, declaring they would never leave her alone again. And despite Rumi’s insistence that she was fine and it wasn’t necessary, they had ended up cuddling into bed with her. Hugging her—really hugging her. Embracing all of her. Her patterns, her scars, her secrets that had been buried for so long. All three had cried. All three knew there was still a conversation pending. But that hadn’t stopped them from coming to her, from making her feel accepted, loved, and seen for who she really was—without judgment. Just acceptance.
And for that, she was deeply grateful.
Two weeks had passed since then. And ever since, the ritual of Mira and Zoey curling up with her at the end of the day had become a routine. At first, it had been strange—she’d always slept alone—but now she found it comforting, warm, and pleasant.
She nestled back in with them, pressing closer to Mira and Zoey, chuckling softly as Mira grumbled at the movement and Zoey murmured something about turtles. She let herself sink into that newfound peace and safety they brought just by being there. Closing her eyes, letting sleep take over. Knowing that with them, it was easier to relax. To stop overthinking. To not drown in herself.
It was new—but it was good.
She let her body relax, lulled by the sound of their breathing, wrapped in blankets and pajamas, the soft scent of them both and the warmth blooming in her heart from feeling loved.
And just like that, she drifted off.
Tomorrow would be a new day.
But not like before—
Not another day of surviving herself.
Another day of living—
But now, from this new perspective.