How They Became Demons HCs With Saja Boys
Most of Jinu’s backstory is already revealed in the movie, with him being born into an extremely poor family
I believe his father left when he was young in order to find better work, making Jinu promise to protect his mother and sister
Jinu agreed, not knowing he would never see or hear from him again
From there Jinu took it upon himself to become the provider of the family, doing whatever it took to care for them
He worked odd jobs, no matter how degrading or difficult, including cleaning up after animals, becoming a blacksmith assistant, miner etc
However none of these were ever stable, with those in charge often taking advantage of those beneath them by cutting their pay through the threat of being replaced or even abused
His last hope was busking on the streets, as seen in the film
However, he received little success with this since most people in his village only respected professional musicians
At this point his insecurities got louder, saying he was a failure to his family and that he broke his promise to his father
That night, he couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like if things were different; if he was talented enough to get people’s attention with his music, knowing he’d do whatever it took to make it happen
Then the next day, when he tried busking again, something amazing happened
People actually stopped to listen; applauding and even paying him after each song
He was able to make a stable living from this, providing his mother and sister with a stable source of food and housing
Eventually news of his abilities reached the emperor, and he was invited to perform for the royal palace
Unable to refuse, he followed the guards, promising his family he would return with good news
After his show, he was gifted with praise, money and gifts; things he would have never dreamed possible for someone like him
He profusely thanked the emperor, who also praised his talent
He dined with the other performers, all of them bonding over their fortune
However, near the end of the night, he insisted on going back to his family
He showed them the silks, jewelry and food he was given; memorising the smiles on his mother and sister’s faces as they saw what he brought
Eventually he was invited to the palace again, only this time to stay permanently
He was escorted with his family to the gates, eager to show them the life of luxury he witnessed
However, they were stopped by the guards as they tried to enter; clarifying that only Jinu was invited to stay
He hesitated for a moment, confused and heartbroken that he wasn’t able to bring his family
But before any arguments could leave his mouth, the voice appeared again
They reminded him of the humiliation and torture he had to endure while on the streets, constantly being faced with his family’s upset faces and the guilt he felt from it
He then let go of his sister’s hand, promising to find a way for them to stay when he was able to speak to the emperor
His sister screamed and cried for her brother not to leave as their mother held her back; sadness filling her gaze as she felt the uncertainty in his words
Then as the gates closed, Jinu saw the heartbroken faces of his family for the last time
Days would go by where he lived in the palace, enoying his newfound lifestyle
He would constantly miss his sister and mother, wanting to approach those in charge to see if they could stay with him
But after he brought up the idea to a few nobles who quickly turned him down, the voice in his head got louder; telling him that if he asked for too much that he would be kicked out
So he stayed quiet, secretly sending things to his family over the following weeks
He reseceievd letters in return, but was too guilt ridden to open them
He had given up on asking for his family to stay with him, and he lived in the palace for months while still making sure they were provided for
Then one day, the letters stopped
The voice said it was Jinu’s own fault, that he was a selfish son and his family finally realised that
It wasn’t until years later, when he finally left the palace for one of the emperor’s international guests, did he find where he was sending the money and gifts
Instead of the humble cottage he thought his mother and sister were in, there was an empty plot
Apparently the village had been using what he sent to provide for the townsfolk, and no one knew what happened to his family
He lived with the guilt of abandoning them for the rest of his life, and was constantly reminded of it by Gwi-Ma even when his soul was brought to the demon world
After being tortured with the memory for so many years, the exact way he betrayed his family became overley focused on that one moment when he let go of his sister’s hand at those gates
Gwi-Ma made sure he didn’t remember any of the times he tried straying away from the voices in his head, all so Juni would remain under his control
Grew up in an orphanage, living in and out of overcrowded rooms for most of his life
But he was used to it, making the best out of the situation and entertaining himself by playing tricks on the people in the neighborhood
This could be as small as just drawing on their face while they slept, or escalate to him stealing their car
Would always manage to recruit other kids he knew to get involved with his schemes
However, if they ever got caught, he would take responsibility; saying he deserved the ‘credit’ for any prank they pulled
Would therefore get punished frequently; getting scolded, running errands for his victims, missing out on meals, dealing with the police, even having to transfer orphanages a few times
But he thought it was worth it, knowing these pranks brought joy to both him and his friends
However his behaviour also scared off a lot of potential parents, most not wanting to adopt him
This would often times make him feel lonely and unwanted, not thinking it was possible for a family to be able to handle who he really was
He would begin to outgrow the other kids; becoming one of the oldest orphans in the building
It frustrated him seeing all his friends leave, not understanding why they didn’t want things to stay as they were
Eventually decided to not interact with the new kids that often, knowing they were just going to leave when they found something better
Would hear a voice telling him they’re all just waiting for him to leave, wanting to abandon him the first chance they got because of how immature he was
His pranks then became more frequent and malicious, even targeting it towards the other orphans
Would purposefully do this when potential parents came, not wanting any of them to get adopted
One day, when he locked in his room as punishment, he couldn’t stop obsessing over the fact that he was almost about to outgrow the orphanage and be kicked out
But then he began to think about what if he didn’t have to; dreaming of if he could stay young forever, never needing parents or being told off for being immature
The next day he would wake up, forgetting about the thoughts he had the previous night and continuing his normal routine of pranking
However, over the next couple weeks, he noticed those around him looking different
Kids would start to look older a lot faster, some of them growing unreasonably tall overnight or getting wrinkles all over their face
He wouldn’t think anything of it, but noted that the same thing happened even when he transferred orphanages
Meanwhile, he himself never seemed to age a day and even began to look younger
A few of his friends would come by to visit him- some of them adopted while others still living in orphanages-, hearing news that he was still refusing visits with potential parents
They said they worried about him since he wasn’t outgrowing his childish habits, thinking he’d never be ready for life as an adult
Naturally he’d lash out; telling them that they were the ones that changed for the worse and he shouldn’t be told off for being true to who he was
From then on he drove away anyone that still tried to connect him, and eventually just decided to leave without a trace
Would frequently steal and do a few odd jobs to get by, not wanting to find anything more stable
However, the longer he was from the orphanage, the faster he seemed to age
Within a week he would be getting wrinkles and a few grey hairs, but excused it as the of stress of living on his own
However, when he was particularly struggling, he managed to find a shelter to crash in
It was then he began to look a lot younger, with those around him physically changing the same way people at the orphanage were
While he never fully acknowledged it while he was alive, he saw subconsciously recognised that whenever he looked younger those around him aged faster
Took advantage of this, using his youthful appearance to manipulate those into trusting him so he could steal from them, get gifts, receive preferential treatment etc
Even got a few modelling and acting jobs from it, everyone astonished with his face despite his age
The longer he lived this lifestyle though, the faster those around him began to age
It got frightening, seeing people grow older in mere minutes and not being able to stop it
The guilt began eating at him, but the voice in his head prevented him from fully processing that it was his fault
However, when he was trying to pickpocket a middle aged man and witnessed him dropping dead in front of him, he began to panic
Ran from the scene, sprinting by other people who began to fall to the ground
Wasn’t paying attention and eventually died when a car hit him; the driver passing out at the steering wheel
His final moments were surrounded by people he killed, and all the guilt began to rush back to him; that his inability to grow up caused so many people to feel pain
He brought nothing but suffering to others for his own selfish reasons, and the memories of that put him under Gwi-Ma’s control for the rest of his existence
The area he lived in was rather conservative, everyone being expected to act a certain way
This pressure was particularly prevalent in Romance’s family, with them being highly respected in their neighborhood
Therefore he was needed to act perfect at all times, wanting their son to be seen as the ‘golden boy’ of the community
He was enrolled in various classes since he was young; etiquette, fencing, debate, art etc
Even at school he was always the captain, leader, teacher’s favorite, the poplar kid
Whatever someone wanted him to be, he would find a way to make it happen
However, this put him under an immense amount of stress
He would obsess over every aspect of himself, finding random flaws in everything he did
Whether that be a single hair out of place, or if something he said didn’t have the exact reaction he was expected
His parents would drill this mindset into him, further criticizing anything they deemed wasn’t perfect
This made him feel like he was never enough, filling that void by getting validation from others
He would try to charm all of his peers, feeling a rush of satisfaction with every love letter and confession he received
Even with people who didn’t like or feel anything for him initially, he would manage to talk his way into their hearts and get on their good side
However, he would eventually come across someone who didn’t like him
This wouldn't just be indifference, but pure hate no matter what he did
When he finally managed to confront them on it- confused as to why they wouldn’t like him since they hadn’t even interacted as much- he would just be told that he seemed really fake
Since this was so close to the truth, he wouldn’t know how to react; stuttering out disagreements as his brain rushed to find ways to convince them otherwise
Since that moment, his insecurities began to eat at him even more
Thoughts of this person telling everyone that he was just using a persona, or that maybe his peers felt the same way and were just pretending to be nice to him
It’d cause him to spiral, overdoing everything he usually did
Would spend hours on his physique and style to the point of exhaustion, hung out with multiple admirers one-on-one to get their praise, spending every waking moment trying to get more praise
But even then, it wouldn’t feel like enough
Not if there was someone out there who saw through his mask and didn’t like him
This would make him feel more insecure about his true personality, wanting to hide it even further
So the voices in his head got louder and louder, until it was the only thing he was able to think of
All he wanted was to be be perfect to everyone, obsessing over how he would do anything to make it happen
Then one day, everything seemed to fall into place
When he went to school, everyone began to obsess over him more than usual
He didn’t even have to do anything to charm them before they were tripping over themselves trying to get his attention
Even the only person that hated him began acting strange, hovering nearby in case he needed anything
At first he was confused, but also relieved that everyone was back to loving him; trying to relish in it no matter how unsettled and intense the change in behaviour was
But when he came back home, his parents were acting the same way
There was no more criticism, only pointless praise and obsession
He managed to convince himself that this was for the best; that he was finally perfect and fulfilling the role he was always meant to do
So he played into their obsessions, not wanting the validation to go away
Even as he got older, things remained the same
Every interviewer, stranger, even friends he tried to make treated him like he was some kind of deity
Sometimes he considered letting the mask fall and actually forming a genuine connection with someone
However the voices in his head would quickly disagree, reminding him of the anxiety he felt when he was confronted by someone who hated him
So he played pretend, being the person who everyone wanted him to be until the day he died and was put under Gwi-Ma’s control
Was most likely raised in an extremely competitive environment, where strength was the only thing he was valued for
His athletic abilities were recognised when he was really young, and he was pushed into a solo sport such as boxing
Spent most of his childhood in tournaments and trainings sessions, doing more press events when he was older and started winning more
Loved the praise he received from his coaches, family, and the fanbase he got from it
The validation was the main thing that motivated him into being the best, causing him to be known as one of the more cocky and narcissistic competitors
Won most of his matches and was disrespectful about it afterwards, practically spitting on his opponents as he egged on the crowd to keep cheering for him
However if he lost, he’d get extremely pisses; screaming insults at the referee and competitor as he was forced out of the ring
Has been suspended from the sport frequently, but he used the time to train even harder and tell his fans that the organisation was just scared of him
The only reason he wasn’t banned entirely was cause his coaches got him to stop right before it got too serious
Was also a fan favourite so removing him would lose the industry a lot of money
By the time he was a teenager he was extremely well know, having fan bases across the country as he made his way to the national level
Was surrounded by competitors that also believed losing wasn’t an option, emphasizing this mindset in him
His coach told him he was destined to be the best and if he failed, he was worth nothing
Caused him to give it his all as he prepared for the national qualifier match, frequently passing out and needing to see doctors because of how hard he pushed himself
He tried to play off his nerves when entering the ring, trash talking immediately with a cocky grin on his face
However, the round ended quick; with his opponent getting a few good hits in that had Abby almost falling to the ground
He stood his ground for a bit, but ended up losing in a knockout
When he came to,- slowly getting up from the ground and realizing what had happened- he froze
Instead of the usual anger that coursed through his veins when he failed, all he felt was fear
He believed that this proved he wasn’t good enough to be with the greats, and that everyone now knew it
When the interviewer came in, trying to get him to comment on his recent match, he snapped
Pushed the camera out of his face and was seething at everyone who was in his way as he made his way to the locker room
His coach came in, causing Abby to freeze and look down in shame
The only thing he was told was to win the next qualifier, and then he was left alone
Refused to see anyone after that, training constantly and being fueled by the fact that he had to win this next tournament
Responded online to his fans a couple days later, saying that his opponent got lucky and that they should still expect great things from him the next time he fought
Began studying the other people in his division, the doubt creeping in when he saw their abilities
This feeling was emphasized by the fact that more fans and sponsors were doubting his abilities, with him losing some traction in the industry
He constantly felt that petrifying fear from the ring all over again
Thinking that maybe this is it, that he’ll never be able compete at a higher level
In the days leading up to the qualifying match, these emotions skyrocketed and he could barely pay attention enough to train properly
The voices in his head made him focus on being the best, not being able to think about anything but the fact that he’d do whatever he needed to be the strongest
He put on an act for the public, telling the press that he was ready to prove he was the greatest
When he stepped into the ring though, he felt a surge on energy flow through him
When the bell rang, he threw a singular punch and managed to knock his opponent out
The entire arena was quiet for a few moments, before the crowd erupted into cheers
He stood dumbfounded, not expecting it to be this easy
But when the referee put his hand up- signalling he was the winner- he snapped out of it and an arrogant smile creeped onto his face
Bathed in the praise, telling the interviewer that he was going to win this entire thing
And sure enough, all his matches went a similar way; ending in only a few seconds as Abby was too fast and strong for his opponents
His coach put him on a press tour after he won nationals, saying he was the best in the country and soon the world
Those around him told him to cherish this spotlight, not knowing when it was going to drop
From this, his fear of people doubting his abilities like they did when he lost his first nationals would constantly arise
However, he’d cover this up by being a lot more cocky and rude
Would never shy away from hate comments either, saying they were just jealous
Eventually became renowned on the world level, doing extremely well on the international stage as he represented Korea
However, he’ll never forgot the last match from that tournament
He let the energy in him guide him as usual, going in for the knockout
But then a deafening crack filed the stadium, his opponent crumpling to the floor
When he looked down, he saw the man’s skull caved in as a pool of blood appeared around him
Some people in the audience screamed, others cheers, while many remained quiet
Abby was rushed out of the ring, his coach preventing anyone from talking to him
Was kept in his room with limited contact until the police arrived, needing his statement since his opponent died instantly
It was scandal, with many people thinking he cheated somehow or that he did it on purpose
But the matter was quickly dealt with, with his coach pushing Abby to keep going and prepare for the next torunmanet
The voices in his head told him to not stop, or else he’d never be the greatest and people would know he was worth nothing
So he continued, putting on his mask and not letting the doubt get to him
In his career, there were multiple instances of the same terrifying thing happening; his opponents getting basically bruistlised, some to the point of paralysation and even death
Every matter was swept under the rug because of his popularity and notoriety
However, while didn’t do it on purpose and even tried pulling his punches a couple of times, he would never forget each person that died by his hands
He continued to fight for his ego and own selfishness, never letting himself fester in the doubt and guilt; instead letting it fuel him
He never felt the extent of these feelings until he faced Gwi-Ma, who now never let him forget his mistakes
Had a rather tight knit friend group growing up, all of them being inseparable since they were young
Even going as far as having matching bracelets or something similar
Had a few regular hang out spots all over the city; mainly abandoned areas or parks where they could be by themselves without anyone bothering them
If they weren’t there, then they’d either be at some arcade or messing with people in the neighbourhood
Mystery was one of the only members that didn’t try to branch out and make other friends, content with the group that he had
None of them even considered the fact that they would leave each other
That was until they started high school
Slowly, everyone started having a reason to leave
Whether it was having to move because their parents got a new job in a different city, getting too busy to hangout as often, or merely just drifting apart
Eventually it was just Mystery and one other friend
But even he began to grow distant, and Mystery could feel their friendship slipping away no matter what he did
Mystery then confronted his friend on it, feeling fearful of the idea of being left alone
The friend told him that these things just happen sometimes, and the two began to argue
Ended with the friend taking Mystery’s friendship bracelet, saying he was stupid for keeping it
He then ran off, and Mystery went to chase him as they made their way through the city
At one point the friend was too distracted with getting away that he went into a subway and fell onto the tracks
Before Mystery could react, a train came and killed him instantly
He was stuck in place; not moving as those around him screamed and pushed past him to see what had happened
He only reacted when some officers pulled him aside, questioning him since the two of them seemed to be in an altercation
Was rather quiet in the interrogation room, answering everything short sentences
The investigation stretched out for a while, with the media trying to get Mystery comment on the event
Classmates would even corner him at school, bullying and calling him a horrible person for killing his own friend
Even a few people from his old group reached out, some asking how this could have happened while others asked how he could do such a thing
Would get to the point he couldn’t go out with being bothered; whether that were people asking him questions, the media, people making fun of him or just weird stares
Ended up staying home most of the time, skipping school and only leaving if he needed to
Would find solace in going to his friends’ old spots since he knew no one would find him
Kept getting flashbacks of that moment in the subway, not being able to handle the guilt
He knew he deserved all the hate, and wanted nothing more than to disappear
He kept thinking that he’d do anything for people to just leave him alone
EVentually he went back home, feeling that things were eerily quiet but brushing it off and making his way to his room
The next morning, however, he noticed his parents weren’t there
Everything was untouched; nothing being out of place but no trace where they could have gone
He just assumed they went out, continuing to get ready to go to school and mentally preparing himself for the looks he would get
Everyone just looked passed him, not acknowledging his existence
He was confused, but took it as a small win as he made his way to class
It was then he noticed something was really wrong, when the teacher didn’t even call his name during attendance
The same thing happened multiple times later during different periods, but he didn’t want to ask about it and bring attention to himself
Had to take the train back home because his parents didn’t end up picking him up
He dreaded it, not wanting to be noticed and bombarded with questions again
However, nothing happened
Then when he came home, the house was still empty
He looked around for his parents and even tried calling them but got no answer
Weeks would go by with this happening; being alone in the house and no one acknowledging him when he went out
When he did try approaching someone, catuously asking if they knew who he was, they gave him a weird look and denied it
Felt a bit scared at first, thinking it wasn’t possible for everyone to have forgotten him
Then tried approaching a few old classmates who would reply and say that they knew him, not understanding why he was asking such a thing
However, the moment the conversation ended, they would act as if they didn’t know he was there
He wasn’t sure if this was ideally what he wanted, but was internally relieved no one was asking him about the incident
The main thing he worried about was the disappearance of his parents
But then the voices in his head got louder, telling him they probably left because he was a murderer
Flashes of that day at the train tracks played in his head again, and it felt like the guilt was suffocating him
Never went out of his way to find his family again, thinking that they left on purpose
Spent the rest of his life like this, hovering as a shadow no matter where he went
Even when he did consider trying to open up to someone again, the memory of what happened to his old group would fill his head
He believed it would be best if he just kept to himself, and remained unknown
So he did, all the way up until his death; the memory of what had happened allowing Gwi-Ma to control him forever
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