(This is my first time doing this so sorry if anythings wrongš) anways- AHEM
Will we ever see or learn readers back story? Everytime I read your fic I always get so curious about it, I feel like it will somehow lead into how shes so fast with all of the comebacks against the boys (or maybe the she's just online all the time Idk) Also I love that in the last part (12 I think? I forgot) you put in 'must've been the wind' thats been my favorite thing to say for so long. I also just genuinely love how you write in general and I have no clue how you do it but you are doing a fantastic job at it so keep it upš
OHH nothing's wrong, don't you worry! So, the Reader's backstory...honestly? I never really planned one. I just went "yeah, I'm writing a harem fic, let's go" and left the rest to my delusional brain and cooking things up on the spot. (Also reading some stories)
I also told myself, "Mhm. I'm just gonna let the readers decide with the details of their lore with this idea!" And then write like I'm running out of time (Hamilton, anyone...?)
As for her quick comebacksā¦let's just go with: she's either been on the internet way too long, like reading webtoons, manhuas, manhwas, mangas, and ofc. Wattpad. (these are one of the things that shaped us. Yk what I mean)
Ooor she just grew up around people who treat banter like a blood sport š Can be both. Either way, she's thriving.
And the "must've been the wind" line, I know! Ya all must've felt or seen it, I'm toying with the idea of Jinu picking up some internet lingo. I just hc he'd do it just to stay "in touch" with the group, because "what do you mean 'lit' doesn't mean that they didn't set something on fire??"
You can see the vision of him staying up all night just to search and write these terms up known as today's "slang" as his personal dictionary for new vocabulary.
And isn't it just fun when reader uses the uno reverse card? Personally, my fav so far is the "good girl", "good boy" part. I was kicking my feet when the idea popped up!
As for the writing, thank you so much š«¶ I've been getting compliments about it left and right (I'm gonna call you all 'cotton candy' don't call me cheesyšš„) and I'm literally becoming those beady eyes emoji.
(Getting sidetracked) Really, I just wanted to make this fic fun to write and read. This started out as a crack idea, but somehow the angst 'invited' itself to the party. Kinda like how anxiety did when we became self-awareā
Mostly, though, it's just a playground for wit and sass because I'm surrounded by people who treat out-sassing each other as a sport. Writing this is just me trying to survive that energy in text form šš (And before some of u ask if some of the scenes are ever inspired, nope <3 just the energy)
Okie, that's all. Thank you so much of the positivity and support! I just survived midterms. FREE!! I'm gonna start the draft for the next chapt after a nice sleep.
Keep safe and healthy. Don't make the Saja Boys or any of your husbands punch the wall and start blaming themselves. Mwaš¹
HAHA you actually added my idea about the gallery/folder and fanart idea. Literally jumping up n' down, running laps around my room šāāļø
HIHI AHH I'M SO GLAD YOU NOTICED šš I had so much fun sneaking that in!
The visual of those men proudly scrolling through their little cursed gallery of fanart still makes me cackle because imagine them in their room, looking through their gallery, giggling and kicking their feet HAHAHAHA
Honestly, I was planning to mash the other ideas together too, but then I realized the chapter was already too longš so I had to chill before it hit thesis-length.
And actually...I started the draft for chapter 13 right after dropping 12, but between school, writer's block, andā¦okay fine, visual novels, I got sidetracked (I love Ren and Casper btwāno one's topping them on my list so far)
Anyway, thank you sm for sending that idea in the first place!! I'll try to add or fit the previous ones as well don't worry, but if that doesn't happen...
Then I'll just try a different way, like write it off as oneshots or scenarios about 'A day in life with the Saja Boys' or somethingš„¹š«¶
Luv ya all! Thanks for being patient and understanding with me. Keep safe and healthyš¹
I love how two gifs can tell such an accurate story without even needing words
LMAOO I KNOW RIGHT?? I laughed way too hard at that one. It perfectly captures the energy of reading something you're really into and then realizingā that's it?? That's the end??
We've all been Zuko at some point, nose practically glued to the screen, betrayed by the scroll of doom.
Hello! I love your fic so much and just how much personality you give to the reader insert! Itās like how water tastes at 3 am outta the fridge with how refreshing it is for an insert to have personality!!!
Anyway, I am curious if youāve ever watched The Ultimate Kpop Demon Hunters Recap Cartoon because anytime I think of the Saja Boys now, I canāt get the image of their demon forms from that video out of my head. Theyāre so ugly but kinda cute and it makes me wanna grab and squeeze them like a stress ball. I can imagine the artist reader drawing the boys as these skrunkly little creatures any time the boys do something to make them mad. Like, look! I drew how I see you! And itās just the most goopiest, crustiest, googly eyed, pathetic little creature ever seen.
Rambling aside, I hope youāre having a good day/night/afternoon!
HELPP šš "like how water tastes at 3 a.m." is the nicest compliment I've ever gotten. Michelin-star hydration right there, thank you.
AND YES!! I'VE SEEN THE RECAP. I watched it the day it dropped and I havenāt known peace since. All I wanna ask isā¦ what did they do to my boy Romance BWAHAHA
He looks like a fetusā (I'm not gonna continue) everyone else looks like they could punch a hole through the moon.
Also, I love the idea of [Y/n] drawing them as crusty little demon-gremlins whenever they piss her off. Just pure, petty artist revenge art. "Oh, you wanna be smug? Congrats, you're the latest piece in my gallery: 'Creatures that should've stayed in the drafts.'" She'd probably even name the series something overly dramatic like 'Masterpieces of Time.'
Anyway! Thank you for the lovely messageāyou've given meā¦an...IDEA!! (Yes, this is a Croods reference. Grug energy eternal)
Kdksbe ily man (as a writer-) but Iām not even done reading the chapter and TWICE have you said āeight pairs of eyesā iejdiejdv assuming they each have two eyes (who knows about mystery and I donāt remember the artist reader ever meeting the bird) then everyone has ONE pair of eyes
5 people = 5 pairs of eyes = 10 eyes
4 people = 4 pairs of eyes = 8 eyes
Iām sorry but it was killing me bc it happened on TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS
HELPPP you're so right š I was clearly possessed by the spirit of "vibes over accuracy." (THIS IS SO AWKWARD ON MY PART)
I counted 2, 4, 6, 8 and somewhere in there, apparently decided to manifest an extra set of eyes. Who they belong to? No one knows. Maybe Mysteryās secret second head. Maybe my sleep paralysis demon.
...I just temporarily forgot how both math and human anatomy work. No worries, I've since revoked my own counting privilegesš Thank you, kind soul for taking pity on this wretched author. (/j)
[A/n]: YES FINALLY I GET TO PUBLISH THIS!! I've been working on this chapt since last month š writer's block and other stuff battling with me. Hopefully there's no errors or suchā¦or else I'm gonna crash out. ANYWAYS, I hope the wait was worth itā¦I made sure this chapter's extra long in case I take a bit of time againā¦..hopefully, again, it'll be the last one cuz gosh smite me
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, >Part 13<
The first thing you did after bolting home wasn't collapse onto your bed like a sane, responsible adult. No.
You made a pit stop at the convenience store, grabbed the cheapest bottle of soju you could find, and marched back like some tragic heroine preparing for battle.
All the way home you couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Not in the horror movie wayāmore like an oddly comforting shadow trailing after you.
Instead of spiraling into panic about becoming the next headline in the city's missing-persons streak, you found yourselfā¦reassured?
Yeah. Reassured. By an invisible stalker.
You'd sound absolutely unhinged if you said that out loud. Must've been the exhaustion talking. Or maybe the way your paranoia and common sense were tag-teaming you into speed-walking like an Olympian.
Either way, safe or not, you weren't about to risk starring in a true crime documentary.
So now you were in your room, cross-legged on the floor, with an empty bottle rolling lazily against the base of your bed frame.
You weren't drunk. Not exactly. Maybe a little warm in the face, maybe a little looser in the head. Enough to babble, not enough to black out.
"You'd think I'd be happy." You muttered at him, scratching under his chin. "No noise. No constant stomping in the hallway. No one barging in at seven AM or something with a mug of coffee like it's some kind of peace offering, and like I didn't just go to bed at five. No one nagging me about sunlight because apparently I'm not a plant."
Derpy blinked at you. Unhelpfulāactually, he was helping just by existing, all soft fur and big eyes, the world's best unpaid therapist.
"I'd get peace." You flopped back onto the floor, one arm draped dramatically across your face. "God, the peace. I could sleep until noon without Romance telling me I'm wasting my youth. I could eat dinner without the boys making it into a three-act performance. I couldā"
You cut yourself off with a laugh, a little bitter, a little tired. "Yeah. I could. But then who's gonna fight me for the most simple things? Or wash dishes while I dry? Or steal half my fries during movie night?"
Silence pressed against the walls, heavy in a way it hadn't been in weeks. You realized then how quickly you'd gotten used to itāthe constant racket, the overlapping voices, the ridiculous circus that came with living under one roof with the Saja Boys.
It had only been a week and a half. Barely enough time to break in a pair of shoes. And yet the thought of moving back to your own placeā¦ felt wrong. Too quiet. Too empty.
You laughed again, softer this time. "I'm dramatic, aren't I? It's not like I'm moving to another country. I can justāvisit. Drop by. Whatever."
Derpy, derpy as ever, only looked at you.
You smiled at him like you just received the most heart-warming speech, the kind you just needed to hear. "Thanks, bestie."
You sat up with a groan, rubbing at your temples. Tipsy, not drunk. Fine. You were fine.
Your phone buzzed across the floor, lighting up with a group chat notification.
Romance: My sweet princess.
Mystery: 'My'??
Abby: Careful, buddy. You're angering the family dog lol
Baby: Do you even know what 'lol' means?
You paused mid-scroll to raise a brow, only to snort...then feel slightly bad for Mystery. And yet you didn't exactly type in a reply to defend the slander.
You whisper an apology, a clear sign of the alcohol in your system.
Romance: Ignore them. Anyway, my sweet love. Don't you dare lift a single pretty finger in that kitchen.
Baby: I bet she's cringing at every word which is why your 'sweet love' is ignoring your messages.
Romance: Haters are so cute.
Abby: She's probably just sleeping but you should stop with those names, Mr. Romeo getting crushed by the chandelier mid-play
Romance: ???
Okay, that got you too. You didn't even bother to hold in a laughāit's not like Romance would hear the betrayal through pixels and Wi-Fi.
At least now you knew your insults had a shelf life. Long enough to ferment in their brains until they came back stronger, darker, and much funnier.
You grinned at the screen like some unhinged aunt at a family reunion. Honestly, watching them claw at each other was better than half the dramas on your streaming list. Free entertainment, zero ads.
Baby: Talk all you fools want. She prefers being called Sunshine.
Abby: Delusional.
Baby: Like you aren't?
Romance: Imagine using [Y/n]'s insults and not having that much effect. LOSER HAHAHAHA
Abby: Whose side are you on?
Romance: The winning side. Which, obviously, mine.
Mystery: She's looking at the messages.
Abby: Yeah. We saw. Thanks.
Baby: Guys, quiet. The leader needs to focus on his typing.
Romance: Those three dots have been there for a while now...
Jinu: Quit being loud here. You're killing her notification.
Jinu: [username] the others are ordering take out so just rest.
Jinu: I'll be there soon.
Abby: Finally, he drops the mysterious message
Romance: I'm screenshotting. Historic moment.
Baby: You're missing the point here. How come HE gets to go home first while we're stuck here waiting.
Abby, Romance, Mystery are typing...
You snorted, thumb flicking the screen closed before they could finish their collective meltdown. Idiots. Absolute idiots.
And yetāthe smile tugging at your lips betrayed you, stubborn and unwilling to fade.
For all their chaos, they could be decent sometimes. Sweet, even. Not that you'd ever admit it, but the warmth stuck anyway, clinging like the aftertaste of wine.
Then you remembered: takeout.
Right. They were ordering takeout. Which meant they were, whatācrammed in a car, squabbling at a drive-through window? The mental image nearly sent you doubling over.
No, no. They weren't that stupid. (ā¦Probably?)
You gave a shrug, settling on the answer that made for peace of mind: they weren't 'reckless.' Not with their identities. Not with their manager nearby.
You could picture it clearlyāthose same boys who terrorized you, like it's their sole mission on earth act all politely to some poor cashier, smiling like saints, acting like perfect, respectable idols. Decent.
Your nose wrinkled automatically, lips twisting into that mocking "nyeh nyeh" face you always made when the thought of them pretending to be civilized crept in.
Honestly, it annoyed you more than their usual torment ever did.
You'd take the evil personalities you knew over their "idol personas" any day. At least then you weren't being gaslit into thinking they were decent.
Normal was disturbing.
Shaking it off, you glanced back at your phone. You can't leave your 'boss' on delivered. You sighed, opened the thread, and stared at the last message until guilt pricked your skin.
Finally, you typed out a reply, saying that you'll need a few more days but is already working on the story.
Then you looked at other messenger. You stared at the text from your previous apartment. Your fingers hovered the keyboard, still undecided on what to reply.
In your head, it was just a simple yes or no answer, but in reality...you couldn't even type anything but just watch the vertical line blink over and over.
You glanced at Derpy, who was already looking at you as he sensed you were troubled about something. "I've intruded enough, right?"
Derpy sat up and nuzzled your face. You smiled before letting your fingers finally move, typing in the response.
You settle the phone down and your hand automatically reached for the adorable tiger. A few strokes of fur, a cheek pressed to his side, and the apartment felt quiet again. Safe. Grounded.
"Good boy." You muttered into his fur before dragging yourself upright. The buzz of alcohol lingered in your veins, loosening your limbs, softening the edges of your thoughts. Not drunk, justā¦ pliable.
Your tablet blinked awake under your stylus, and before long, quick sketches sprawled across the screen.
At first, they were automaticāsharp jawlines, smug grins, eyes that gleamed too knowingly. Then the mischief bled in.
Mystery became that wolf meme but with his bangsātragic, moody, and utterly unbothered by the words "pain š„" floating above his head
Then came Baby. You gave him bunny ears, doe eyes tilted up with fake innocence as he got cornered against a wall by Jinuā
Double tap. Double tap. Double tap.
You dropped the stylus, slapped both hands over your face, and went into a full time-out. Reflect on your sins, you told yourself, wheezing through laughter. Reflect. Redeem yourself.
On the bright side, at least this wasn't your sketchbook. You didn't have to commit to tearing out incriminating evidence.
Still tipsy, still undeterred, you picked the stylus back up. Redemption arc: Mystery again.
This time, a simple chibi version. bangs, blobby body, a tiny flower sprouting from his head. Cute. Safe. Non-criminal.
Then you undid the redemption in two seconds flat by drawing Baby againāthis time wrapped tight in a white blanket with a pacifier, dangling from a stork's beak.
The stork was Abby, of course, flexing in the mirror at his own reflection, biceps so massive you almost shaded in sparkles.
"That's art." You muttered proudly like what you just drew was the biggest masterpiece you've ever drawn known to mankind. "Michelangelo could never."
Moving to Romance, you swore you'd keep it just like the other two. But what your hand made was him being pretty. Too pretty. Disgustingly fine.
The kind of face that made you angry just looking at it.
Your hand twitched. You gave it a betrayal look before turning it into a half-assed caricature instead. "Beautiful."
Lastly, Jinu. Perfect, unshakable, provider-core Jinu. You stared at the blank screen, wondering if this was too far, before cackling and drawing him in a pink princess dressāfull Despicable Me Gru cosplay, crown and all. He looked good. Like, unfairly good.
You cackled so loud Derpy's tail slapped in judgment from behind you.
Therapeutic. Truly.
But soon enough, your hand steadied, the scribbles sharpening into focus. Work. Chapter. Lines and shapes folding together until you felt itāthe lock-in. That pump of adrenaline, mixed with the lazy courage tipsiness gave you.
Fifteen minutes later, your concentration collapsed.
The lines blurred, the resolve dissolved. You groaned, slumping back in your chair.
"I can't focus like this, Derp." You dragged your hands down your face until your cheeks squished and your lips flapped like a dying fish. Classy. "I miss the noise, and the...boys."
Silence. Then you blinked at him. He blinked back.
You gasped, smacking both hands over your mouth like you'd just revealed state secrets. Eyes wide, you leaned forward. "...Did you say that?"
Derpy's stare was confused.
"Don't worry." You whispered dramatically, slapping on a cheery smile like you hadn't just accused a tiger of voicing your feelings. "Your secret's safe with me."
A few pats to his massive head later, you stood up, trying to keep the dignity you no longer had. One foot out the door and you were already facepalming, groaning into your palm. "Oh my god. I'm traumatizing the cat."
You peeked back into the room, lowering your voice as if someone else might hear. "I'm sorry for blaming you, my dear blueberry. It was me. All me."
Derpy's tail swished for a second before he laid back down on the comfy floor. Whatever lifts your mood up, he guess.
You groaned again, shuffling toward the kitchen like you could walk away from your own stupidity. Alcohol really was justā¦ loosening screws that were already barely hanging on.
You leaned against the counter with a cold drink in hand, muttering under your breath about poor Derpy. Hopefully, he wouldnāt hold it against you.
The cat may have been a few brain cells short of a full set, but he still had feelings.
You set the glass down, splashed some water on your face at the sink, and told yourself you'd march right back to your desk, grab your stylus, and complete a masterpiece. Spoiler: you did not.
Instead, you found yourself on your balcony. Your balcony. Because apparently, you were now the kind of person who owned a room with a balcony and a viewāstill felt like a scam the universe hadn't noticed yet.
Elbows propped on the railing, you tilted your head back and let the breeze comb through your hair. It was peaceful. Nice. A rare, quiet little moment that almost convinced you life was cinematic.
Then came the voice.
"Are you posing for a photoshoot?"
You snapped upright like you'd been caught shoplifting, head swiveling toward the glass door.
And look who's homeāJinu. Propped against the frame like he'd been born leaning on doorways, casual to the point of infuriating.
His brown eyes glinted with just enough amusement to tell you he'd been standing there long enough to make this extra embarrassing.
"If you're the cameraman, this cover shoot is gonna flop." You said, crossing your arms.
Jinu's mouth curved, slow and lazy, like he had all night to sculpt the comeback. "Please. I've got range. Angles. Vision."
You squinted as he made his way next to you. "Vision? You don't even know how to attach a photo to an email.ā
He looked at you then blinked twice. "ā¦That's irrelevant."
You tilted your head at him, mock sympathy dripping from your voice. "No, that's tragic. You're one software update away from calling IT support in tears."
The corner of his brow twitchedābarely, but enough to tell you the jab landed.
Jinu's weight shifted on the doorframe, casual but sharp in the way he always got when he refused to take an L. "Keep talking. Let's see who comes crawling to me next time the Wi-Fi cuts."
You barked out a laugh, folding your arms tighter across your chest. "Bold to assume I'd ever crawl to you. I'd rather train Derpy to reset the router with his paws."
His smirk spread wider, like he'd just trapped you in his checkmate. "Then we'll both starve when takeout won't load." He leaned heavier against the frame, a picture of unearned smugness.
You let out a small snort before shaking your head with some more light chuckle. "Oh, please. You don't even touch the router. You stare at it like it's some kind of ancient cursed artifact. Pretty sure Baby does the resets for you."
And there it wasāthe slip. A flicker of guilt flashing across his face before he smoothed it over with practiced nonchalance.
"ā¦That's why I'm learning." He muttered, the tiniest pout tugging at his mouth as he glared out at the city lights below, like they were the ones taunting him. Jealousy wasn't in his vocabulary, at least not one he'd admit in a thousand years, but it was written all over him.
You blinked before leaning in slightly. "What was that?"
His lips pressed thinner.
Then it hit you. Your eyes widened before narrowing in delight. "Ohhh, you're learning. You're competing with Baby. Your competition really knows no bounds, huh?"
His mouth opened, shut, then clamped into that thin line again. He even had the audacity to cross his arms, like that would hide the faint pink climbing his ears.
"Adapt or die." He said finally, tone flat as stone. But in his head, he was cursing the "stupid mini light box"ābecause no way in hell was he letting you run to Baby every time the Wi-Fi so much as hiccupped.
Your grin stretched slow and wicked, teeth flashing like you'd just cracked the code to his entire existence. "Wow. I roasted you into evolving. Survival of the pettiest."
And just like that, the peaceful silence overtook you both.
You leaned your elbows against the railing, chin tipped toward the city lights. The breeze threaded through your hair, cool against the heat still lingering on your cheeks.
It felt goodāsimple, grounding. If you ignored the embarrassment from earlier and the buzz of alcohol loosening your tongue, it almost felt like peace.
Jinu stood a step away, his shoulder nearly brushing yours. He wasn't looking at the skyline though. His gaze stayed angled toward you, sharp in its stillness.
From the side, you looked relaxed, maybe even careless, but he knew better.
One bottle wasn't enough to get you wasted, but it was enough to mean something had been heavy on your chest. Enough to make him wonder what pushed you toward it tonight.
His fingers drummed against the railing once, quiet, a habit he used when he wanted to say something and held it back. He thought about asking, about cutting through the silence with a simple question.
But instead, he just stayed there, standing guard like he always did in ways you never noticed.
If you wanted to speak, he'd listen. If not, then at least he was here. Close enough that maybe you'd feel itāthe offer to carry whatever it was, waiting at the edge of his tongue.
Jinu shifted, his knuckles tapping once against the railing like he was thinking too hard for his own good. When he finally spoke, his voice was casual, but the words gave him away.
"It's getting cold." His voice was even, like he was only making an observation, but the way his eyes flicked to you said otherwise. You weren't moving, weren't talking, justā¦there.
And if you weren't going to take care of yourself, wellāsomeone had to at least point it out.
He shifted, knuckles tapping once against the railing again before adding, lighter this time. "If the others come back and see me in your room again, they'll act like we did something illegal." He paused to let out a soft chuckle. "Don't need that headache tonight."
"Yeah." You snorted, glancing at him from the corner of your eye. "Not only will they gang up on you, they'll drag me into it too. Really, why are you all so competitive over some small things."
He tilted his head, amusedātoo amused. "It may be small to you, but to us, hmm, yeah it's not." It's like you're refusing to see the signs.
"As much as you all are some fine specimen, you boys need to tone it down." You rolled your eyes and walked. "You don't want this artist sharpening her sword more than once again, right?"
Jinu trailed after you, that lazy smirk tugging at his mouth as most words fell deaf to him. "Fine specimen, huh? I knew you weren't immune to our faces."
"Jinu, I'm not blind." You leveled him a stare as flat as day-old soda, the kind of look that said he wasn't worth the carbonation. "Your face cards may not decline, but your personalities sure do."
He put on an offended look for all of three seconds before his smirk crept back in, playful as ever. "You know you love us."
"Hm, can't tell with all those drawings I made." You crouched down, ruffling Derpy's fur with a grin that said you'd already won. The sketchbook on your desk might as well have been bait dangling on a hook.
His eyes flicked from you to the sketchbookāand his mouth betrayed him. "If I see a drawing of myself on someone else's face, I swear I'm kissing you right here and now."
ā¦Excuse me?
You blinked at him. Once. Twiceālong enough to confirm he'd really just said that out loud.
Your radar immediately went haywire, shrieking in the back of your skull. Hadn't Romance threatened the same thing a few days ago?
And Baby before that? Actually all of them have participated it's kind of concerning. Perfect. So you really had gone and built yourself a goddamn harem without trying.
You knew your delusions and (half-assed) prayers would come bouncing back. It took years, but what matters is it got to you.
Out loud, though, your voice stayed smooth as glass. "Wow." You dragged the word out, lifting your brows with lethal calm. "You boys really have been going on and on about kissing me lately."
Jinu froze like a man realizing he'd just confessed murder on live television.
"Don'tā" His ears went pink, his shoulders shot up stiff, and he crossed his arms as if that might barricade him from his own words. "Don't let it get to your head."
"Oh, too late." You said sweetly, smirk sharp as a knife like you were trying to recreate a roblox expression. "It's already up there, taking rent."
Your gaze lingered just long enough to watch the muscle in his jaw twitchāsmall, almost imperceptible, but there. The kind of crack in composure you lived for.
Internally, though, you were sinking into your pillow, groaning at the ceiling. Because really. Were they serious about this? Or was this just their favorite brand of torment?
Either way, you were in trouble.
"Can't believe I'm saying this..." You leaned your cheek into your palm, smirk softening into something playful. "But I guess I'm just that irresistible."
Jinu huffed, arms still locked across his chest, gaze darting everywhere but you. Losing to you was starting to feel less like losing and more likeā¦ routine.
Which was insane, because in his head, he should be untouchable. A demon who'd survived centuries. And yet here he was, undone by one mortal with a sharp tongue and a sketchbook.
God help himāhe'd marry you tomorrow if you asked.
Why tomorrow and not on the spot? Well, obviously, because he needed to get things ready. Ceremony, paperwork, dowryābasic logistics.
The thought hung heavier than it should've, pulling the silence down with it. Jinu cleared his throat, shifting like he was about to retreatāback to his room, maybe the bathroom, anywhere less dangerous than standing here with you.
"Wait." Your voice snapped the air in two.
He turned just in time for something to smack against his chest and explode at his feet.
Money. Bills everywhere. Fluttering down like a low-budget blizzard, scattering across the floor like you'd just summoned the spirit of payday.
And there goes the loud silence yet again.
"Yeah, sorry." You crouched without hesitation, calmly scooping up the scattered bills like this was the most natural thing in the world. "The alcohol's getting the best of me and, frankly, I've been wanting to do something like this for ages."
Straightening, you shoved the stack at him with all the grace of someone handing over expired coupons. "Anyway, that's rent. Don't even think about refusing it or I'll draw you drinking canal water in realism."
Jinu justā¦ stared. First at you, then at the money, then back at you again. His brain clearly buffering, every possible comeback flashing red before dying in the queue.
The man who could usually smirk his way through anything looked like a laptop mid-Windows update.
Beside you, Derpy lifted his head, golden eyes narrowing as his tail gave a single judgmental thump against the floor. In his tiny tiger brain, this was probably some mating ritual behavior.
Strange, confusing, but probably important. He'd leave you two it which is why he's teleporting away now.
Jinu, meanwhile, still hadn't said a word. Not even a syllable. Justā¦
"ā¦" That was all he had. A demon four centuries old, stripped down to pure dot-dot-dot.
For a whole minute, Jinu just stood there. Absolutely still. Gears turning, puzzle pieces trying to slot themselves into places that didn't even exist.
Because seriouslyāreally, you were one of the weirdest, most maddening, most endearing humans he'd ever encountered. And yet here he was, still hopelessly yearning.
"Wow."
The single word dropped like a pebble into a pond of tension.
Your head snapped toward the doorway and your eyes went wide. 4 pair of eyes stared back. Wellā¦three and a half, technically.
Mystery's bangs still refused to reveal his, but you assumed there were eyes under there somewhere. (What color even were they? And why were you only thinking about this now? Were you really that nonchalant?)
Off-track. Focus. Where the hell was Derpy? Did he go to Jinu's room because he sensed the others will be here? What a smart cat he is!
"Whatever you two are doing..." Abby said, already stepping into your room without waiting for an invitation like some wannabe vampire or some shapeshifting entity, "You can put a hold onto that." Totally not jealous.
"Yeah." Baby added, sliding in behind him, glaring at their not-so-slick leader like Jinu had just committed treason. "Dinner's ready and we're starving. Exhausted, too." Totally not jealous #2.
Mystery sat on your bed with his lips curled down. " " #3.
"Princess!" Romance sang, cutting through the tension like a knife through butter.
Before you could blink, his arms were wrapped around you, his head dropping to your shoulder as if he'd just clocked out from a twelve-hour shift of missing you.
"Ah, finally home." Romance exhaled against your shoulder like he'd just survived war, his voice dripping smugness. "You missed me."
His words caused an inevitable reaction.
Abby's brows jumped, then narrowedāhalf a second of confusion before his expression shifted into a glare.
Baby's head snapped toward him so fast it was a miracle he didn't pull something, his face twisting like he'd just watched someone lick a subway pole.
Jinu stopped mid-breath, blinking once, twice, the stack of bills in his hands lowering an inch as if to say did he seriously justā
Mystery's lips pulled back, teeth flashing in that low, warning curl he usually reserved for actual threats.
Meanwhile you blinked once, slowly, like you were processing the sheer audacity.
Then you tilted your head at him, tone dry enough to suck the air out of the room. "If I missed you, I'd file a police report."
Romance laughed, soft but annoyingly genuine, like you'd just recited poetry meant for him alone. He even squeezed you tighter, chin nudging against your shoulder.
"You wound me, princess." He sighed, as if you hadn't just compared him to a crime. "But if that's how you show affection, I'll take it. Every insult feels like a love letter."
The burn in the room got darker. Baby's eyes narrowed, Mystery's jaw ticked, Jinu looked like he was calculating the fastest way to peel Romance off you, but the said guy didn't spare them a glance.
To him, it was just you. Always just you.
And as his cloying devotion sank in, you nearly made an audible sound of "eugh". Really living up to his stage nameāromantic in the same way a moldy love letter is still technically romantic.
Though, you have to admit. Some of his lines really hits or sticks. You actually mentally note them and write them in your phone when you're shackled free from whatever ritual the boys does.
You can use them in some parts of your story or in the future. Readers will probably 'em up. Everyone loves a pathetic, yearning man, especially in fiction, right?
Snapping back to reality, before you could fire off another salty remark, or strategize how to peel the pretty parasite off youāflip. A sharp crack of pages cut through the room, clean and rude as a whip.
Every head turned like a synchronized horror movie scene.
There he was. Abby. Your sketchbook dwarfing in his massive hands, thumbing through it like he'd just hit the jackpot at a yard sale.
"And you said you weren't obsessed with me, sweetheart." His grin stretched wide, all teeth, smug enough to qualify as a public menace.
Romance, chin still latched to your shoulder like a koala with boundary issues, tilted his head at the page.
His smile was there, but his voice came silkier, quieter. "What an interesting choice to draw, darling."
You didn't flinch or twitch which frankly deserved a medal.
Instead, you gave Abby the slowest eye roll you could manage. "Relax. If I were obsessed, you'd have a shrine. Candles, incense, maybe a fruit basket. Full package."
Abby's laugh came easyādeep, warm, and the exact sound that made his smugness unbearable. Great. His ego just gained a gym membership.
And you? You weren't thrilled. Sure, you liked your art being appreciated, but not if it meant him strutting around like your sketchbook doubled as his autobiography. He'd drag this out for days, not hours. Days.
God, please smite you before then.
While you were busy thinking of how your doomed future would go, Abby held your sketchbook higher, angling it toward the others like it belonged in a museum. "Hear that? She admits itāalready thinking about my shrine."
You resist the urge to let out a sigh. Instead, you deadpanned at him, unimpressed. "You'd probably worship yourself in it before I ever would."
"Not wrong." Abby said without missing a beat, grin widening as he stood in front of you. "But you'd still build it."
You snorted, keeping eye contact with the tall dude. "Keep dreaming."
He looked insufferably pleased, soaking in every second like it was the greatest victory of his life.
The others, meanwhile, were one collective breath away from an aneurysmāBaby visibly rolling his eyes, Mystery's fingers twitching in warning, Jinu staring like this was a crime scene, and Romance scowling so hard he might sprain something.
That only made Abby stand taller, chest puffed like he'd won a gold medal.
And just like that, the air shifted. The others stilledāwatchful, careful, the way a pack of wolves does when someone nearly exposes their teeth.
"Okay, but tell me this isn't proof." Abby leaned back with a grin sharp enough to cut glass, holding up your sketch like it was scripture towards the boys.
"She remembered me. The eyes, though of course I don't 'really' have 'golden eyes,' the smokeālook at it. She couldn't get me out of her head." He continued so smugly while the others exchanged looks like they agreed to take him down.
"Congratulations." Baby's nose wrinkled like the page smelled rancid. "You've unlocked the achievement for being in the room at the right time. Really impressive."
Abby smirked wider, unfazed. "Right time, right face. Don't be jealous just because she prefers mine."
Baby tilted his head, voice soft and mocking. "Mm. Sure, let's call it preference. I'm sure when she was choking on smoke and half-delirious, the aesthetic of your face was the first thing on her mind."
The jab landed clean, Abby's smirk twitching before he forced it back into place. Baby's lips quirked into a faint, victorious grinācool, unbothered, like he hadn't even tried.
Internally, though, his thoughts were sharper: 'Golden eyes. Cheap parlor glow. If she'd seen me instead, she wouldn't just rememberāI'd be burned into her.'
The air between them practically hummedāsmugness versus snark, ego versus ego, mint versus strawberry in an eternal flavor war.
Scenes like this always left you with the same thought: you should've been irritated. Really. Two grown men squaring off over who you drew better like it was the holy grail of validation? Please.
And yetā¦you weren't. Not even a little.
If anything, it tickled something sharp in your chest, the same way watching a trainwreck unfold always did.
There was a thrill in itāthe smug grin, the cutting remarks, the way their egos tangled like claws scraping down glass.
Who wouldn't be a little entertained when objectively hot men were ready to set the house on fire just for bragging rights over you?
God, it was ridiculous. Deliciously ridiculous. You can even re-create that joker reaction pic itself.
You almost laughed, almost rolled your eyes, but instead you let yourself enjoy it for half a second longerājust until it got exhausting.
Just until the noise started dragging at your patience, like static pressing into your skull.
Your gaze flicked to your desk, to the sketchbook still splayed open, pencil lines blurring in your memory. Ideas stirred in the back of your mind, little sparks for your next panel.
Maybe you'd turn this into a sceneātwo beautiful idiots circling like wolves while the heroine sat deadpan in the middle. K-drama fuel. Your readers would eat it alive.
Almost without meaning to, you tuned them out, drifting into the quiet place where stories began to weave themselves.
And that's exactly when Jinu's voice cut ināhe didn't even look up from the stack of bills he was shuffling, he already saw the drawing before anyways, though his brows were drawn sharp enough to cut paper.
"Please. She's tipsy. No way she'd tolerate you otherwise." His tone was flat, but the jab landed bitter, like he knew damn well you weren't that drunkājust enough for him to be jealous about it.
Mystery's lip curled, a growl slipping low in his throat, teeth flashing like a warning. "Grr..."
Romance, chin still hooked against your shoulder, tightened his hold around your waist, his voice dipping into velvet disdain.
"Honestly, darlingā¦" His eyes flicked to the sketch in Abby's hand, sharp enough to cut glass. "Of all the faces to immortalizeāyou chose that one?"
The contempt bled slow and deliberate, every word dipped in disdain. He leaned in closer, lips curving like a blade.
He cut Abby a glance, condescending in that effortless way only Romance could manage. "What a tragic waste of talent."
Then, like flipping a switch, the arrogance melted into theatrics. His chin nudged your shoulder, pout fully weaponized as he clung tighter.
But despite his attempts to push any buttons, Abby wasn't fazed. He leaned closer, grin wolfish, sketchbook dangling like hard evidence.
"Jealousy's ugly on all of you." His tone was light, annoyingly light, before his gaze slid back to youāpinning you between his smugness and Romance's cling. "Good thing princess here has an eye for beauty."
Sandwiched didn't even begin to cover it. Pinned like a bug in a middle school science project, maybe.
That was your cue. You snatched the sketchbook right out of his hand and glared at him half-heartedly.
"And here I thought you couldn't get more irritating than you already are." The words dripped like acid, your grip on the book daring him to try again. "Tone it down, pigeon-head. You're not cute enough to survive on ego alone."
Abby didn't even blink. If anything, the grin softened at the edges, the smug curling into something warmerāsomething he probably didn't notice himself.
The sass. The glare. The way you held the sketchbook to your chest like it was holy scripture. All of it struck him asā¦ annoyingly adorable. Hopelessly so.
"Sweetheart." He said, voice pitched low, teasing. "You don't draw a man like that unless it's a proposal."
Before you could roast him alive, he caught the loose thread at the hem of your shirt, tugged it free in one smooth pull, and wrapped it around your finger like it was a diamond band.
Your jaw dropped unconsciously.
"There." He murmured, tightening the knot with infuriating care. "That'll do for now. Don't worryāI'll get you a real pretty ring for your pretty finger first thing in the morning."
Hopeless. Absolutely hopeless.
You glanced down at the string, at Romance, who's for sure glaring and still scowling, then back up at Abby. You flashed him a smile, one that was all too bright and tender for his own good (and the others).
It gave the muscly one hope while the others to stare hard.
You let out a small laugh for more effect. "Please leave my room."
The blow landed with clean precision. Abby froze, then blinked, as though he'd been struck with a frying pan across the face.
The others were equally dumbstruck, not because of what you said. They're actually praising you for it. They're dumbstruck because of what their fellow demon friend did.
Collectively, their minds tripped over the same thought: A string? From your shirt? That's the grand gesture? They could've done better.
Hell, anyone could've done better.
Baby, however, had long reached his breaking point at whatever circus he was forced to watch for free. With the kind of heavy sigh reserved for people enduring secondhand embarrassment, he swooped in without ceremony.
One broad arm slipped casually over your shoulder, steering you away from Romance's sulking shadow and Abby's tragic glow.
"Thought you'd never say that, sunshine." Baby drawled, his grin sharp and triumphant as he tugged you closer.
In the same movement, he plucked the sketchbook from your grip, careful not to smudge or bend it, and flicked it toward the others like it was nothing more than a relay baton.
"Come on. Let's eat. Forget about these losers." He added, then tipped his chin with a lazy smirk toward someone considerably larger than him. "Particularly this one."
You were half-pulled, half-led out into the hall, your shoulder snug beneath his arm. Behind you, the sketchbook was caught in fumbling handsāthe sacred artifact passed around like holy scripture no one dared mishandle.
Abby still hadn't recovered. Romance looked like he was nursing a wounded ego. And yet Baby, smug as sin, didnāt care if they followed or notābecause for the moment, you were his.
He was still savoring that small victory when a voice slid smoothly into the hallway.
"Your room smells nice." Mystery materialized at your side, as if he'd been walking there the whole time.
His hand slid against yours, fingers intertwining without hesitation. His smile stayed easy, his bangs hiding everything else.
You stopped in your tracks and stared him down, expression flat. He only tilted his head and gave your hand a light squeeze.
Baby, meanwhile, looked like someone had just popped his balloon as his mouth fell open and his brows furrowed. "You really just let him hold your hand like that?"
You arched a brow, already knowing where this was headed. "What, should I start charging?"
Baby's mouth twisted like he'd bitten into something sour. His arm cinched tighter around your shoulders, his tone steeped in disdain.
"I'm just saying. But really? Him? Abby's just abs. A glorified torso with muscles stapled on. No personality, no charm. Meanwhile, me?" He tapped his own chest with a smug grin. "I've got the looks, the charisma. Cute, hot, funnyāthe full package. You should be thanking the universe I exist."
You gave him a long, flat stare. What an idiot. He's so obvious it makes you want to pinch his cheeks. "If you're the full package, then I want a refund."
His grin only widened, shark-sharp. "Cute. Keep pretending you're not obsessed. But I've seen the way you look at me. You're just scared I'm right."
"I look at you the way people look at clowns." You snorted, thinking that these boys are more delusional than you. "Pity mixed with secondhand embarrassment. I drew you as a clown before remember?"
He clicked his tongue, mock hurt flashing across his face. "Wow. You really don't deserve me."
"Finally." Your smile was saccharine. "Something true out of your mouth."
While the theatric scene happened up ahead, Romance narrowed his eyes at Jinu, suspicion dripping from his tone. "What's with the money? Are you openly flexing or what?"
Jinu didn't miss a beat. "Princess here insisted on paying rent. She threatened to draw me drinking canal water."
As they walked, Romance let his gaze linger on you aheadāyour face shifting from annoyed to flat as Baby teased about being your "next masterpiece."
You shot the idea down with a sharp remark, and Baby cackled, satisfied anyway.
Romance's smile didn't quite reach his eyes. His voice slipped out low, almost too casual. "Something's bothering her."
Jinu flicked a glance his way, sharp but brief, before returning his attention forward.
"You got home first..." Romance pressed, words quiet but pointed. Knowing you, you must've already felt it. Smelled the alcohol on her even if faint."
Jinu's silence said plenty, though his expression gave nothing.
Romance only shrugged, smirk tugging at his mouth like he wasn't saying anything dangerous at all. "Our princess is not the type to drink for fun, or alone. You know that."
For a beat, the air felt heavy between them, the echo of footsteps stretching long in the hallway.
"She'll talk when she wants to." Then Jinu exhaled slowly, his voice calm, steadyālike stone pressed into place. "Until then, we don't press. You know her."
The weight in his tone was enough to kill the conversation, at least out loud. And that shouldāve been enough for the pink-haired one to just walk in silence.
"Golden eyes in the dark?" Romance thought out loud before his lips curved into a playful smirk. "I bet princess blamed the smoke."
Jinuās eyes cut sideways, something clearly cooking in that clever brain of his.
"That works in our favor." He hummed with a tiny smile. "It's not like we can outright say what we are. The last time we told her Huntrix attacked us, she asked if we were on drugs."
"I wouldn't believe us either if I was in her shoes." Romance laughed under his breath then sighed like he was betrayed. "She was probably thinking that it was our fault, too."
"...She'll figure it out when she's ready." Jinu said, a soft sigh also passing his lips. "You know how perceptive our artist is."
This time, Romance didn't argue. His smirk only lingered, sharp enough to suggest he liked the idea of letting you stumble into the truth yourself.
Behind them, Abby finally blinked back to life, ignoring half of the conversation. His grin returned, softer, almost dreamy. Of course you'd drawn him so perfectly. Handsome. Hot. A hundred times hotter on paper.
You've obviously fallen for himāthe others were just too bitter, too blind to admit it.
Baby, still holding you against his side, groaned under his breath. His one quiet moment had turned into a parade.
He leaned in then, close enough that his breath brushed your ear, his shoulder pinning into yours, arm tightening like a shackle.
"Keep saying you hate me, sunshine." His voice dropped into a low, delighted whisper. "We both know how fast hate flips."
Before you could shove him off, a voice slid in smooth as silk. "Mmm. She looks like she's two seconds from flipping you onto the floor." Mystery's tone hummed right by your other ear.
Baby's grin cracked, teeth grinding as he whipped around. "Do you mind?"
Mystery leaned just close enough for the brush of his sleeve to ghost against your arm, his calm presence a quiet dare. Gold flashed under his bangs as his lips curved into a mocking smirk. "Not at all."
Baby's arm slipped from your shoulder, a scoff tearing free like heād decided to let go first. He folded his arms, only to stiffen when he saw your eyes drawn to Mystery's smirk, your tone calmer with him, as if soothing a guard dog.
The sound Baby made wasn't wordsāmore like a growl dragged through clenched teeth. He lunged back in, dragging you flush against his side with a grip just shy of bruising.
His glare clashed with Mystery's, who didn't so much as blink. Instead, Mystery tilted his head, resting a hand on the small of your backāclose enough to make Baby bristle.
The air stretched taut, a live wire between them, your body caught in the middle.
You sighed, deadpan. "Great. A me-tug-of-war. Exactly what I wanted right before dinner." Peace is never really present when you're with the boys.
The others slowed, exchanging quick glances between themselves. The tension coiled tighter with each breath, a live wire straining to snap any second.
You, meanwhile, looked maddeningly unbothered. At least for the first few seconds. Then you slipped free, striding ahead toward the kitchen like youād had enough.
Your words cut over your shoulder, honeyed and venomous all at once. "Really? You're both acting like guard dogs fighting over scraps. Hate to break it to you, but Iām not a chew toy."
"And youā" Baby bristled, already sucking in a breath to argue, but you shut him down with a flick of your hand, sharp as a whip. "If you're gonna cling, at least admit you're jealous instead of whining like a kid who dropped his ice cream."
His jaw ticked. Mystery chuckled low in his throat, clearly entertained, until you turned the knife on him too. "And you. Smirking like you're slick? Newsflashāyou're not. None of you are." That last line landed heavier, clearly aimed at the group as a whole.
You didn't bother looking back, but you could feel their stares burning into your spine. It almost made you laughājealousy, all dressed up as competition.
"Honestly." You added, voice raised just enough to sting, "If I wanted the full K-drama experience, I'd turn on Netflix, or other illegal sites. Rivals fighting over the girl? Cute on screen. Exhausting in real life. So unless either of you is paying me for babysitting, knock it off."
And just like that, the night dissolved into more bickering with the boys. Too much bickering, honestly.
Almost like they were pushing harder than usual, circling you with all their noise and anticsāas if drowning you in chaos might keep you from thinking too hard.
Weird. Maybe it was just you. You didn't think you'd been that obvious aboutā¦ well, whatever it was gnawing at you.
Still, none of them brought it up. Not the bottle, not the smell. Maybe because you never pried into their business, so they weren't about to pry into yours.
Either way, the ache in your chest only grew heavier, whispering what you didn't want to admit: you didnāt really want to leave.
So no. You'd made the right call. You were staying. With them.
Now the problem was how to tell them. Jinu had said you were welcome hereātemporarily.
Okay, maybe you'd acted on impulse. Maybe you hadn't exactly thought it through. But you werenāt drunk enough to blame it on alcohol.
That was a problem for future you.
Currently, you were staring at your finger, at the stupid little string Abby had tied there, and scoffing. Dumb. Absolutely dumb.
Which was why you tugged it loose, stuffed it into a tiny box, and tucked it safely away like it mattered. Which it didn't. Obviously.
You groaned, flopped into bed, and told yourself you werenāt soft. Definitely not soft. Okay, you sounded really stupid trying to convince yourself of that.
ā¦You were just tired. And maybe already losing brain cells from this circus.
You buried your face into the pillow, string box tucked safely in the drawer, and let the noise of the house hum around you.
Outside your door, the boys bickered and clattered, their chaos a thin veil over something heavier.
The house never really went quietālaughter, footsteps, voices spilling faintly through the walls, but you let it fade into background noise, the kind of chaos you'd almost gotten used to.
ā
The next morning came like any other day.
Baby leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, watching the scene unfold inside the dance studio.
"Not even a thanks." He muttered with half-lidded eyes. It was like watching a pack of addicts after their first hit.
It had started last night, right after you'd retreated to your roomāwell, more like they shoved you there, insisting you needed rest. Sweet, perfect husbands, the lot of them.
'Sweet, perfect husbands' who immediately ditched cleanup duty and hurled themselves into the black hole of fan-made content.
The chaos officially began when Mystery spoke with all the gravity of a prophet unveiling forbidden scripture.
"Apparently it all goes into thisā¦gallery." He said it like he was revealing ancient knowledge, when in reality he'd just learned what every twelve-year-old already knew.
Since Baby was the only one who knew how to actually save pictures and videos like a functioning member of society, the others turned on him instantly.
Bribing and practically begging, tossing their pride and egos out the window for some arts and vids.
Naturally, he milked the situation dry. "Yeah, sure, I'll show you. But you're doing the dishes. And scrubbing the table. And folding the blankets in my room."
By the time Romance was two seconds from actually jumping him for piling on more chores, Baby finally gave in with a sassy roll of his eyes.
Now here they were, in the studio on a supposed practice break, each one sucked into their screens with more intensity than rehearsals ever saw.
Jinu scrolled with his forefinger instead of his thumbādad posture, squint and all.
"Your spicy sauces are coming, so quit with the attitude." He said flatly, barely blinking as yet another fan edit of you played. Same clips, different music, for the nth time.
Romance leaned over, already snickering. "Are youāare you using your index finger to scroll? What are you, eighty?ā
"Shut up." Jinu replied, deadpan as always, though his eyes stayed glued to the video of youāspliced together with him.
Baby smirked. "See? I'm irreplaceable. Without me, you clowns wouldn't even know how to screenshot."
Abby ignored them all, eyes gleaming as he replayed the same photo for the eighth time. He'd gone from casual doomscrolling to full-blown stalking your account, combing through every sketch and doodle.
Some fans had already sniffed you out, tagging you in posts and pointing at your art like breadcrumbs on a trail. Naturally, Abby followed.
Now he was hunched over his phone like a mad scholar, cross-referencing your drawings against his own face, hunting for the tiniest resemblance.
"Tell me this isn't proof." He grinned, dreamy and dangerous all at once. "She's obsessed. Completely gone for me."
Mystery side-eyed him from beneath his bangs, then quietly shifted to a different spot where he could watch edits of you and stare at arts about you and him in peace.
"For the last time, Abby." Romance groaned, gesturing between the drawing and Abby's face. "The dude doesn't even look like you. She probably just referenced your body."
Abby glanced at his screen, then smirked wider. "Still counts. She thought of me."
The collective scoff that followed was so loud it nearly drowned out the audio from their phones.
You yawned as you stepped into the dance studio, arms aching under the weight of plastic bags.
The boys looked up in unison, their gazes snapping toward you like you'd just walked into the middle of a crime scene. Great. An audience.
You stopped and simply stood in place for a moment. A long one because what a view. Damn.
Broad shoulders, cocky grins, the faint sheen of sweat under fluorescent lights. They looked like they'd been ripped straight from an overproduced sports commercial. Disgustingly picturesque.
Jinu's brown eyes crinkled as he broke the spell, crossing the room in two long strides. He snatched the bags from your hands like he'd been rehearsing for it.
"Offering, lovely." He quipped, his voice smooth enough to sound expensive. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." You deadpanned, already too tired to humor him.
And then, because of course he couldn't help himself, Romance's voice floated from where he lounged against the mirror.
"Oh, darling." His smile was the definition of lazy indulgence, curling like smoke. "I saw you staring. No need to be shyāyou may admire me openly."
Every head turned toward you. Four pairs of eyes, expectant.
"Yeah, I was staring. Not only at you." You didn't even blink, only resisted that sigh. "Reference material. I can basically sell you in my commissions, Valentine."
The room exploded. Abby laughed so hard his head tipped back. Baby choked on a sharp snort. Mystery actually barked a laugh before he snapped his mouth shut like he hadn't.
Jinu shook his head, chuckling under his breath. It was always funny how quick you were with comebacks, though sometimes concerning because of how hard they tended to land.
Romance, however, froze. A statue mid-smolder. His lips faltered, smile stiffening like plaster, eyes flickering with the horror of a man who'd just been told his jawline wasn't sharp enough to cut glass.
For two seconds, the universe held its breath.
Then he straightened, recovered, and slipped the mask back on like it had never cracked.
"Ah. Of course." He pressed a hand to his chest with the flourish of a stage actor. "She stares not because she wants me, but because she needs me. Even her art bends itself to me. What a privilege, to be a muse."
"The only thing you inspire is my migraine." You muttered, already turning away before this could spiral into yet another circus.
You had barely taken a step when warm fingers hooked around yours.
"Leaving so soon, sunshine?" Baby pouted up at you, his voice sugared sweet, lashes batting like he was auditioning for pity points.
"Don't go." Mystery's tone was lower, softerādangerously close to a whine. It shot straight through your ribs and settled somewhere you really didn't want to acknowledge.
Favoritism or not, that man was cheating. Even if his lips were the only thing visible as usual.
Then Abby, because he never missed a chance to cause problems on purpose, slid an arm around your waist.
"Why don't you eat with us?" His smirk was all teeth as he leaned slightly close to you. "I can feed you. Or, betterā" His eyes gleamed, "You can feed me."
"Yes, darling. Stay." Romance unfolded from where he leaned against the mirror, looking like he'd been waiting for this exact cue. His voice dropped into that velvet persuasion he wore like a second skin.
"Let me feed you as well, if only to spare those tired hands. You can sketch us, capture usā¦you know we'll happily let you." His smile was lethal, carved for worship, as though he'd already decided your earlier words of rejection didn't apply to him.
Your gaze cut across the room to Jinu. It was the universal please control your children look.
He perked up, tilted his head just slightly, then shrugged like the picture of innocence. Who, me?
You scowled at him, but Jinu only looked unbothered. It's like he's supporting what they're doing and don't want you to leave just yet.
"Guys." You yanked your hands back, glaring at the lot of them. "I'm not going off to war. I'm literally just going back to work. You knowālike a responsible adult?"
They didn't budge. Baby pouted harder, his lips wobbling into a perfect imitation of wounded cherub. Abby's arm around your waist didn't so much as twitch, his smirk softening but not loosening.
Mystery's eyes followed you like a hawk even as he stayed quiet. Romance looked ready to launch into a sonnet about your betrayal.
"You deserve a break." Mystery said, quiet but steady, like if he spoke it softly enough, you might just obey.
"Yeah." Abby chimed in, tone too casual to be innocent. "You need to eat. Gotta keep your energy up."
He still had an arm looped around your waistāpossessive, heavy, like he was trying to make his point physically. (And maybe he was)
Baby tilted his head, smile sugar-sweet and camera-ready. "Come on. Isn't this scene kind of basic?"
His voice dripped with mock innocence, but you caught the glint in his eyes. The little bastard was calling you outāknowing exactly what you were thinking, how your life had started looking like one of those romance tropes youād read ironically.
It was almost funny, the way they framed it. Not a demand. A prayer. Soft words, practiced voices, hands warm but just a little too deliberate. Like an invitation. Like a trap.
You exhaled through your nose, pinching the bridge of it. "Thanks, but I already did. With a friend."
The shift was instantāsmall, but sharp enough to cut the air.
Abby's smirk faltered, the lazy curl of his mouth stiffening into something more guarded.
Baby's smile didn't move, but his eyes didāsliding, assessing, that false sweetness thinning at the edges.
Mystery blinked once, and beneath the fall of his hair, that faint gold stirredāquiet, deliberate, like a secret slipping through the cracks.
Romance's grin stayed where it was, too bright to be real, like he was trying to sell a calm none of them believed in.
Across the room, Jinu leaned against the mirrored wall, the corner of his mouth twitching as you glared at him. He almost laughedāalmost.
There was something about your irritation that entertained him, the way you tried to keep control even surrounded by chaos. But then your words reached him, light and careless: "With a friend."
His smile lingered, but the warmth behind it dimmed. The shift was subtleāthe kind only those who knew him well would catch. The humor in his eyes cooled, fondness giving way to something quieter, sharper.
If you didn't know better, you'd think they were a pack of predators catching another scent on your skin.
The air around them shifted, thick and heavy, like heat before a storm. You'd felt this kind of feeling before.
At home, when their playful banter sharpened into something elseāsomething that hummed beneath the surface, too charged, too instinctive.
The kind of tension that made your skin prickle. And now, again.
It wasn't something you could explain. Just that something deep inside always reacted to themāa pulse in your chest that whispered run, even when another part of you wanted to lean closer and see what would happen if you didn't.
Abby moved, too near. For a moment, his shadow spilled over yours and the world seemed to hold its breath. His scent hit first, sharp and clean, the kind that could trick someone into thinking danger smelled good.
You almost flinched or jumped in surprise.
He leaned in, smugness dripping like perfume. "Come on, princess. I know you wouldn't pass up an opportunity to be hand-fed by me. You're practically obsessed with me."
"Really now?" Your brow lifted, unimpressed, like someone forced to watch the same card trick for the hundredth time.
You jabbed a finger into his chest with casual precision. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're the one obsessed with me, muscles."
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut. Abby froze, grin faltering, caught between outrage and the oh-no realization that you might actually be right.
He coughed, straightened like nothing happened, and grabbed one of the containers with forced ease. "Hmph. Fine. Just go." He muttered, sulky as hell, jaw tight as he shoveled food into his mouth.
You blinked, suspicious that he's letting you go so easily...still you didn't waste the opening. The second his arm left your waist, you slipped free, strolling to the door as casual as ever.
By the time the others blinked, you were already waving a lazy goodbyeālike you hadn't just left emotional wreckage behind you.
"Unbelievable." Romance groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
"Nice going, genius." Baby shot, glaring daggers at Abby.
Mystery growled low, pacing like a wolf who'd just watched his prey vanish into the trees.
While they were busy lamenting at your 'disappearance', no one noticed their leader had also disappeared from his spot where he watched while feeling a sense of deja vu as everyone surrounded or basically ganged up on you.
Abby ignored their complaints. He chewed hard, jaw flexing, color crawling up the back of his neck. He was trying to ignore the hot feeling running up to his face.
Your voice replayed in his head like a cursed melody, every word striking deeper than it should. Obsessed with you.
He scoffed under his breath, shoving another bite into his mouth as if that could bury the thought. Let the others sulkāhe was too busy realizing you might just be right.
Back to you, who haven't even made three steps down the hall, Jinu caught so easily it almost made you flip him off.
From the corner of your eye, you caught the faint curl of his smile. "ā¦You won't convince me to go back and stay with Derpy's pics, Jinu."
He laughed, quiet and unbothered, then only shrugged, slipping into pace beside you like it was his rightful place. "I'm feeling generous today. Which is why I plan on helping you with some of your tasks."
Suspicion slid across your face as you eyed him up and down. This was Jinu, after all. Mischief wrapped in a deceptively polite package. The leader of losers. "I have enough help. You can go choke on your food with the others."
You turned away, lengthening your stride. He caught up again in half a step, hands tucked casually in his pockets, not even breaking a sweat.
"Mm. But isn't it more efficient if you just let me help?" His tone was maddeningly practical, like he was pointing out the sky was blue. "I'm already here. Faster than walking across the building to ask someone else, and better than dragging a busy staff member away from their own tasks. With me, you won't even have to wait."
He tilted his head, smiling faintly at your scowlāsoft, easy, like this was a normal conversation and not him trailing you down the hallway like some overly composed shadow. "Really, you'd be saving time."
You looked up at him, then sighed in defeat, the corners of your mouth twitching like you were fighting the urge to smile. "Fine. Whatever. I bet you'll trip along the way."
"Wise decision." Jinu said smoothly, ignoring the last part as he fell into step beside you again like he was personally assigned by fate to ruin your peace if you dared make the "wrong" choice.
The guy just wants to spend some more time with you. Is that too much to ask? Or even for you to get the hint???
You shot him a sideways glance, muttering under your breath, "Clingy. Every single one of you. I literally said no hovering at work, and yetā" You gestured at him, though your glare was more tired than threatening. "Here you are. It's a miracle the others aren't showing up."
He only hummed that low, maddening note of his, like he was tuned to a song only he could hearāone that somehow played right at the edge of your nerves.
"Don't take it personally." He said after a beat, calm as ever, voice smooth and infuriatingly sure. "I hover with purpose."
You blinked, then let out a laugh that was half disbelief, half surrender. "Of course you do."
He angled a glance your way, mouth tugging in that small, knowing smile that always looked too good for its own good.
You sighed, the ghost of amusement tugging at your lips. "Whatever floats your boat, buddy."
Jinu's reply came soft, deliberateātoo casual to be unintentional. "It does." A pause. "You're the boat."
You stopped mid-step, brows lifting, the corners of your mouth betraying you. "You didn't just say that."
He only smiled, eyes forward like he hadn't said anything at all. "Must've been the wind."
You shook your head, playfully exasperated, the smile becoming more evident. "You're picking up internet lingo, I see."
That was all it took. Just a few words, a curve of your lipsāand Jinu felt his brain short-circuit.
He didn't look at you, not directly, but his eyes softened, tracing the faint reflection of your smile in the window glass as you passed.
The image burned itself into his mind like a secret he wasn't supposed to keep but absolutely would.
His fingers twitched, like he wanted to reach out, to hold that fleeting warmth, but he didn't. He only walked in silence, hands tucked in his pockets, wearing the faintest, most unguarded smile.
You looked ahead, unaware...or maybe pretending not to be while beside you, the ever-composed Jinu was quietly replaying the moment like a song he didn't want to end.
ā
Back at the studio, you could practically taste the bitterness hanging in the airāthick, unfiltered, and served with envy on the side.
Romance let out a long, theatrical sigh from his throne on the couch. "Our great leader, off basking in the sun while we suffer. The betrayal runs deep."
"Relax." Baby didn't even look up from his phone. "He's probably just showing her how to file taxes or some boring dad activity like that."
Mystery's head snapped up, eyes narrowing. "Why would she need that?"
Baby finally looked up, one brow raised. "Why would he? The demon can't even figure out the notes app."
Abby barked a laugh, wiping sweat from his jaw. "You just know he's standing too close next to sweetheart and calling it teamwork."
Romance pressed a hand to his chest, scandalized. "Unbelievable. He's supposed to be leading us, not leading his heart into ruin."
"Big talk." Baby said dryly with a mocking look. "Weren't you the one sulking when she laughed at his joke that one time?"
"That was different." Romance shot back immediately. "His joke wasn't even funny. If one of you didn't so rudely interrupt, princess would've known just how funny and charming I am."
Mystery twisted open a water bottle, scoffing. "Yeah, because nothing says funny like your sad monologues."
Romance gasped before scoffing and rolling his eyes. "Excuse me, they're poetic!"
"Poetically bad." Mystery muttered, taking a long drink.
Baby hummed low, clearly amused. "I bet sunshine's getting under our dear leader's skin more than he does."
Abby chuckled and fist-bumped with him. "You bet she is."
And somewhere far away, their great leader was smiling, laughing, and enjoying your companyācompletely unaware that the studio behind him was one collective, jealous meltdown away from spontaneous combustion.
"Hand me that." You said, nodding toward the stack of flyers by Jinu's elbow.
He slid them over at a glacial pace. "You could've said please."
"I could've." You said, snatching them from his hand the moment it was within reach. "Didn't feel like it."
"Charming." He murmured, leaning in just enough for his shoulder to brush yours. An action he always does whenever he's close to you. "You treat everyone this nicely, or am I just special?"
You glanced at him over your shoulder. "Special's one word for it."
His mouth curved, slow and deliberate. "I'll take that as a compliment."
You let out a quiet scoff, lips tugging despite yourself for the nth time. "You would."
He hummed low in his throatāthat quiet, self-satisfied sound that somehow carried more smugness than a speech. Then silence again.
Not awkward, just...charged. Like the air couldn't decide whose pulse to follow.
You felt his gaze flick toward you every few seconds, subtle but never subtle enough. When you finally looked up, he was already watching.
"Eyes front, leader." You said, voice lighter than your pulse.
His lips twitched. "Hard to, when the view's better this way."
For a heartbeat, it didn't register. Then it didāand you caught the exact moment it hit him too. The flicker of realization. The composure splintering.
You blinked, then smiledāhalf amusement, half something dangerously close to fond. "Wooow. Was that you flirting, or should I call a doctor?"
A flush crept up his neck. "Iā That's notā" He cleared his throat, grabbing a random sheet of paper like it might save him. "You misheard."
"Riiiight." You dragged the word with a grin. "Must've been the wind."
He groaned quietly, dragging a hand down his face. "You're never letting that go, are you?"
You hummed teasingly for a change. "Not a chance."
The warmth on Jinu's face didn't fade, not even when he tried to look away. You were still smilingāsmall, faint, but real. And somehow, that was enough to steady him.
Maybe he'd ask later about last night. For now, he just wanted to keep this quiet and peace, let himself look a little longer while there no other possessive demons starting a reasonable war.
Because honestly, who could ever get used to the sight of you? You're impossible to not look at.
YOO THIS IS MY FIRST TIME GETTING MENTIONED š Kicking my feet, sliding down the wall, laying down on the floorā anyway, yes. I have been summoned. I'm working on the chapt now while I'm taking a day off from school! (Just once so I hope I finish this by today š)
AHHAHHAHAH I've been looking at this many times now and it still cracks me up. I love it. But sorry for the wait š
BUUUT fear not, warrior...the next chapter will be released...erm, eventually. Honestly, it should've been released ages ago but I got sick, I'm feeling good now tho no worries! šand also wifi went out to buy some milk for an entire week. It just got back today...
Hii! I absouletly LOVE your artist! reader series, itās so creative, especially the comeback reader says to the boys.
So I know youāre really busy but I had this idea for a while and I wanted to ask if you could make a short oneshot or something like that idk on how the Saja Boys would react if they saw a demon trying to eat readerās soul while she was humming Soda Pop. This could either be at work or at home or somewhere like that.
Anyways, thatās it, I hope you have a nice day and take care of yourself! Toodlesš
HELLOOO! I know it took me a while but here it is finally! I hope the wait was worth it and you like this. Take care ya all, and thank you š„ŗš«¶
Romance
The living room was quiet except for the scratch of your pencil and the little tune humming off your lips. Soda Pop.
You didn't notice the flicker of pink light in the corner of the roomāhalf a body slipping out of a portal, claws stretching toward you.
But Romance did.
From across the room, his eyes flashed gold. His stillness was enough to make the air shift. When you finally looked up and caught sight of him, a shiver ran down your spine.
"ā¦Why are you standing there so menacingly?" You asked with narrowing eyes.
He smiled, slow and unhurried, and strolled toward you. His hand reached down, fingers brushing lightly as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind your ear. His gaze, however, stayed locked on the demon.
The creature froze, whimpered, and retreated back completely in the portal like a shadow fleeing the sun.
Romance finally looked back at you, his smile softening as though nothing had happened. "I just saw a very ugly cockroach, that's all."
You blinked, suspicious. "ā¦Uh-huh. So what you're saying is, pest control is included in rent."
"Of course, princess." He leaned closer, arms slipping around you as if it was the most natural thing in the world. His smile curved, indulgent and warm. "Your comfort is my highest priority."
You looked at him, unimpressed as ever. "Are you gonna let go, or should I bill you for invading my personal space?"
"Try it." Romance hummed. He looked at you then flashed a charming smile, one that could blind anyone, even you. "I'll pay whatever you ask for my princess."
Baby
You hummed happily in the living room, sprawled with your sketchbook, when Baby leaned against the doorframe. He was all lazy fondness, watching you like you were the most entertaining show in the building yet again.
Then he saw the shimmer. The pink glow behind you, something clawing halfway out of the portal. His eyes sharpened, warmth draining in an instant.
You, of course, noticed nothing. Still humming. Still scribbling. Until Baby finally moved, stepping into your space like he owned the lease.
Another day, another invasion of your personal bubble by a guy with jawlines sharp enough to cut cardstock. His perfume hit you first, arrogant and expensive as everāright before he hooked a hand behind your head, squishing your cheek against his stomach as his gaze turned cold and unnerving.
The demon didn't last long beneath his golden eyes. One look from Baby and it whimpered back into the portal, gone without a sound.
You scrunched your face, about to protestāthen the perfect opportunity hit you. Mischief curved your lips. "I think the baby just kicked."
Baby stared at you like you'd escaped from a padded room. Then his smirk slid into place, infuriating and smug. The hand holding your head shifted, dropping onto your shoulder while his other toyed lazily with your hair. "I think you just felt me."
You recoiled instantly, disgust etched across your face. "That's another point for delusional."
Instead of arguing back like usual, Baby snorted and flopped onto the couch beside you. With the grace of a cat and the audacity of a king, he stretched out and dropped his head right onto your lap.
You squawked, shoving his shoulder half-heartedly. "Well, excuse you."
He only smirked up at you. "I should be rewarded, you know. There was something in your hair."
You rolled your eyes, already bracing for the nonsense. "What, a random leaf? That'd be too typical."
He tilted his head against your lap, casual as ever. "Exactly. Thatās why it was a spider."
That finally got you as you froze like Anna in frozen. "ā¦You got it, right?"
His smile curved, lazy but unfairly soft. "Have I ever let you down, sunshine?"
You looked at him, silent, before your eyes squinted as relief washed over you that he was bullshitting you. Honestly, you'd take that rather than a spider spawning on your head. "You piss me off daily."
"Exactly." He shut his eyes like he owned your lap, smug and comfortable. "Consistency builds trust."
Mystery
Your humming was soft, a little off-key, but steady enough to sketch the same curve over and over across the page. Soda Pop looped in the background; the room smelled faintly of coffee and charcoal dust.
You didn't see the shimmer behind youāthe sickly pink light seeping along the wall as something tried to push itself through.
Mystery did.
He moved like a coiled thing: quick, silent, and final. His fist slammed into the air where the creature's face would have been, and the sound that followed was a dark, low thingānot a word, but a claim. "She's mine."
The portal convulsed; the demon shrieked and sucked itself back, the rip sealing with a wet hiss. Mystery stood there a heartbeat longer that feral rumble still thrumming against his ribs like a warning.
You blinked, finally ripping an earbud free. "ā¦Why are you growling at the wall?" You asked, doing that half-laugh that always meant you were low-key unnerved.
He didn't answer. Just kept staring at the painted wall like it had personally offended him. The way his head tilted, the way his jaw flexedālike an animal caught sight of something only it could understand.
You hesitated, then raised a hand to your mouth. "ā¦Do you see ghosts, or what?"
The growl cut off like someone had yanked a leash. Mystery turned, one side of his face shaded by the long bangs that always wanted to fall into his eyes. The threat drained from him like fog. His expression softened into something almost foolishly sincere.
He crossed the floor without hurry, knelt down in front of you as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and rested his chin on your knee. There was a dogged, expectant tilt to his mouthāhalf dangerous, half pleading, like a tamed animal begging for a treat.
"Sing for me." He murmured, quiet and intimate, the music in his voice more insistent than any command.
You decided that for the sake of your peace and well-being, didn't probe for any clear answers.
You just sang. Let the music drown you both. Mostly you.
Abby
You'd ducked into an empty studio at work, humming quietly to yourself as you doodled in your sketchbook until Abby found you.
He leaned against the doorway at first, smiling faintly. You always looked soā¦ at ease when you were sketching. But then his gaze snagged on the ripple of pink light near the mirror.
Abby's jaw set, his whole presence sharpening into something colder, heavierāsomething that didn't belong in a workplace or any kind of earthly setting.
By the time you noticed him, he was already at your side. One arm slid across your shoulders, pulling you flush against him. The sheer suddenness of it nearly made you drop your pencil.
"Whaāhey!" You hissed, scowling at the very obvious invasion of personal space. "I told you many times not to get too close to me, especially at workā"
Abby didn't even look at you. His eyes were locked on the mirror, sharp and unflinching. The pink glow writhed once, and his mouth curvedānot kind, not warm, but razor-sharp as he mouthed a soundless command: Get lost.
The demon whimpered. It withdrew in a rush, the portal snapping shut like it had never been there at all.
Only then did Abby glance down at you, the dangerous weight in his eyes gone as fast as it came. His smirk slid back into place like it had been waiting there all along. "You really do make it sound like it's fine to be close at home, princess."
You frowned up at him, but the sharp retort died in your throat. For a moment, just a breath, you saw it: that edge he carried, the way his presence had felt almostā¦ otherworldly. Too familiar to ignore. You blinked, and then it was gone, like it had never been there at all.
Abby tilted his head, grin going cocky. "I knew you'd fall for me eventually, sweetheart."
You rolled your eyes, finally pulling out from under his arm. "Only if your mouth is sealed with glue."
He chuckled, unbothered. "Good thing I look good quiet, too."
"Miracle cure." You muttered, but your lips twitched despite yourself.
Jinu
Break time. You slipped into the quiet hall, phone, sketchbook and pencil in hand as you hummed the Saja Boys' debut song under your breath.
The silence was niceāfinally no boys breathing down your neck for attention. Or so you thought.
Because when you glanced up, you spotted Jinu at the end of the hall. And he wasn't looking at you. No, his eyes were fixed just over your shoulderāsharp, unblinking, like he'd spotted something crawling behind you.
You frowned, hoping that it wasn't some kind of insect that had many legs. Still, you were having this moment of 'He's behind me, isn't he?'
Before you could turn like some extra in a horror movie, Jinu was already there. One second away, the next right beside you, hand pressing firmly against the small of your back.
Your heart had the audacity to skip, but you masked it with deep frown. "Jinuā"
"Relax." His tone was easy, but his body was anything but shoulders squared, eyes cutting past you like laser beams. Whatever he was staring down must've thought twice, because it went away with a hiss.
Yeah, you weren't gonna ask anything about that.
You felt Jinu's grip loosen, his flawless smile sliding back into place like nothing happened. He lifted the extra coffee cup in his hand and wiggled it in front of you.
"Coffee?"
You stared at him, deadpan. "ā¦Do you usually maul people before offering them drinks?"
"Depends." He said smoothly, handing it over. "Did it work?"
You rolled your eyes but took it anyway. "You nearly cracked my spine for a caffeine delivery."
"Worth it." His grin was too satisfied, like he'd scored bonus points you didnāt know you were handing out.
You sipped suspiciously. "ā¦Why do I feel like this is less about coffee and more about your ego?"
He clutched his chest in fake offense. "I bring you free drinks and this is the thanks I get?"
"Oh, yeah?" You raised a brow. "I bet you're wounded because I didn't praise you for this drink."
His ears betrayed himāfaint pink creeping in despite the perfect golden-boy act. "ā¦It's good coffee." He muttered.
You smirked, taking another sip. "Sure. I'll add it to Derpy's record of your personal achievements."
That shut him right up. His mouth opened, closed, then he looked away with a coughāmask slipping just enough to show the cracks.
Just when we needed you most you disappeared. You promised me not to dissapear and now what...
why am I still here... just to suffer.
Sometimes, it's like it's right there. You see it too don't you? That vision of chapter 13 that leads to nowhere... But I don't wanna live that way
But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothin'
And I don't even need your love
But you treat me like a stranger, and that feels so rough
I was there for you in your darkest times
I was there for you in your darkest night
But I wonder, where were you
When I was at my worst, down on my knees?
And you said you had my back
So I wonder, where were you
š¢
I miss you
I miss your smile
And I still shed a tear, every once in a while
And even though it's different now
You're still here somehow
My heart won't let you go
And I need you to know
I miss you
P. S. THIS IS A JOKE
It is obviously a joke
I just wanted to add songs because my last ask had song lyrics too
But for real I made it just to make ppl laugh don't take it to heart. I just know that we all are anticipating chapter 13 very much
P. P. S.
Please please please~
don't do that thing where you add chapter number to a masterlist but don't have it posted
P. P. P. S. AGAIN, it was a joke to remember my first ever ask to you. Don't take me seriously and take your time. It's your work
Luv uā¤
OH MY GOD THE FIRST FEW LINES ALREADY HAD ME SMILING WIDELY!!
First of all, don't you worry one bit. I would never take this seriously (except seriously funny. U funny as hell. Imma track you) btw, the song choices? Slay.
CONTINUING ONā I'M KEEPING MY PROMISEEEE OKAY. Chapter 13 isn't forgotten, it's justā¦ me vs school assignments: eternal war edition.
Like I'll be, "Woo! I'm doneāfinally some peace!" and then I check the gc and BAM. Not one. Not two. But THREE new tasks waiting for me like a jumpscare.
But don't you fear. When things lighten up, I'll get back with the new chapter before ya all know itšŗ
Luv u right back š thank you for making me laugh way too hard tonight!
P.S. I'll try...not to bait ya all...with the 'putting the number chapter but there's no link'...
P.P.S Actuallyāļøš¤ it's not a bait or to tease, it's just so to make things fast and easy, so I can just drop the link...SO I won't forget that "Oh, right! Gotta update the masterlist!" Thing. Just some lightning McQueen action! KACHOOOW
P.P.P.S Have I mentioned before that I like you doing the p.s thing? If not, well I just wanna say that I find it cute ź°ā ā ā įµā ą¼ā įµā ź±ā Ėā ā”
Not to mention the fact that it really reminds me of my fav cartoon and the icon himself: Spongebob! š„ŗš«¶
Does gwima know of the boys fascination and affection towards reader? If so, how do you think heād feel about it? Since reader isnāt a demon hunter I donāt think heād care as much, but just like, remind the boys why theyāre there in the first place yk? Making sure theyāre not distracted ^^
-š anon
ā¦Actually this fic was supposed to be just reader being always at home, and the boys treat her like a plant that needs to get sunlight every now and then, and ofc the shenanigans about her art and them serving as real-life references. Models that she can see for FREE.
But back to Gwi Ma: he'd 100% know. Like how the boys are way too soft around her, how they dote on her, how pathetically they've fallen in love...
He'd let them play along for a while since it doesn't interfere with their missions. They can have some little fun for themselves. And another thing, you're absolutely correct! Gwi ma doesn't see her as anything but a disposable human. He'd only step in to warn them because their fixation is taking them off on what they need to do.
Something like: "You can dote on your little pet plant all you want, but don't forget our deal. Don't get distracted."
Buuut I'm not really planning on inserting this kind of scene...I just want comedy for my little lemony life. I want laughs and smiles. Kicking and giggling ā”
Tho on a 'serious' note šļø are you a mind-reader perhaps? Did you dig through my mind, brain?? Are you with the FBI?
Hello. I really enjoy reading your story, The Artist Who Lives for the Plot. I love the way she doesn't take the boys seriously sometimes and keeps them on their toes with her remarks and quick comebacks.
I thought of a little one-shot. If you don't mind me sharing. My idea is that her friends dare her to perform a song, just something different to do instead of her just staying home. The song I was thinking of is called "Blizty-Kun" by ToonFanatic. The song is about a human falling for a demon, calling him her Prince, and willing to give her soul to him. The song would be the opposite of how she sees the boys since she doesn't know they're demons. I thought the reader would be singing some of the lines. Rehearsing for her performance with her friends and the boys overhear her. They would assume that she's planning to serenade them with a song. Depending on the lyrics they hear. Some lyrics would change, like instead of dark red eyes. It would be golden eyes. She wouldn't say a name either, just to keep the boys guessing on who broke her.
This is just a small idea of mine. You don't have to use it. I hope you're taking care of yourself and take your time when it comes to updating.
OH MY GOD THIS HAS BEEN IN MY INBOX SINCE LAST WEEK I FEEL BAD š„¹
Tho to answer that...I JUST LISTENED TO THE SONG??? IT'S SO FUNNY HELP and I IMMEDIATELY SAW [Y/N]. She'd def be down to sing that song for fun. You only live once after all.
Besides, it's real shit that you can be confident and lose a 'few' braincells when you're with friends...
Continuing on! The Saja Boys. We know they won't "just happen" to be passing byāthey're always watching. Making sure no other demon is 'brave' enough to try and snatch her soul away.
For their reactions: Baby recorded the 'practice', sneaked in some few pics to add in his folder or gallery. Cannot wait for her to sing it to him alone.
Romance is swooning like she composed it for him, heart eyes and all. Already thinking of how'd he should react, play it cool? Or just jump in her arms right now, but he stops and thinks that she's probably 'practicing' on how she'll 'deliver her love' to him in her own way.
Mystery will just smile, the kind of thing you'd see on those red flag characters but is too colorblind to see, or do not necessarily care enough because hey, a hot guy is smiling in that type of soft smirk, fond, yet possessive way. His eyes are flashing gold beneath his eyes.
Abby will have a hand covering half of his face like he's trying to hide away that blush. Yeah, no one's paying attention because everyone's busy at their job in being DELUSIONAL. She did mention his golden eyes before.
Wait, does that mean caught up on his real form which means she loves him for it. He'd be like all smirking, chuckling, "Well, it was only a matter of time."
Jinu's staring, absolutely awestruck. Down bad. Eyes wide and sparkling without him knowing. He's trying to keep his self the calm and collected dude when in fact, he's already imagined himself buying the prettiest ring for her finger.
Though, he's confused. Because isn't it usually the guy who'd do this type of thing...? Oh, who is he to complain anyways. A confession is a confession! It's a yes. No, wait. Does she know he's a demon?? Did he worry for nothing or what.
When everyone's back at the apartment, there's an ambush in an instant. It's not the typical kind of thing that she can casually fight off with her dry as seaweeds remarks and quips.
In short, can we give our condolences to [Y/n]? Please comment: RIP
But ofc, this is her we're talking about. She wouldn't let it slide. So expect some horrendous artist threats, the kind that makes them pause because she's fully capable of following through.
She's describing nightmarish anatomies, cursed proportions, eldritch-level "fanart" that will haunt their walls if they don't shut up.
If they really push her, she'll sketch up some NSFW stuff starring them obv by pairs. She'll print, make copies, and spread it around the house.
What a perfect way to silence people. What an absolute gorgeous day to be an artist.
Oof this is long...ANYWAY THIS IS A VERY FUN IDEA!! If I recall this (please forgive my memory) I really might push this scene and also the previous ones, like mash them up! Or I can make them: A normal day with the Saja Boys...
No promises, just: We'll see! I love you all! Always take care of yourself.
Can I request Saja Boys (separate) x innocent reader, like she doesn't know what a French kiss is and stuff like that, she knows natural fluff things like cuddles, and the boys? Absolutely FILTHY, if not all at least Baby and Romance!!!
[A/n]: I KNOW I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LONG DELAY!! Requests for stories/oneshots are actually closed...but damn. I like this. Tho only two Saja boys have been put in...hopefully the long wait was still worth it and you like how this went šš«¶
Warning/s: NSFW, Fem!reader, mocking dirty talk, power dynamics, possessive behavior, the written request already says a lotāØ
Today, you and your boyfriend are both spending some quality time in your apartment. He was free despite the chaos of his idol schedule, and the two of you had settled into the kind of lazy afternoon you cherished.
A movie hummed in the background, the popcorn between you long forgotten as you leaned against his shoulder, talking idly about nothing in particular.
That was when you made the mistake of asking, with wide-eyed innocence, "Soā¦what's a French kiss, anyway?"
Baby froze mid-popcorn toss. Slowly, his lips curled. "You don't know?" He asked, tilting his head at you in that deceptively sweet way that usually meant trouble.
You shrugged, cheeks heating. "I meanā¦ I've heard it in dramas, but nobody actually explainedā"
His laugh was quiet, almost soundless, but his eyes gleamed with amusement. "That's adorable." He murmured, setting the bowl aside. He shifted closer, his voice lowering, lazy and sharp at once. "Want me to show you?"
Your heart leapt into your throat. You swatted at him, flustered. "I didn't mean likeā! I was just curious!"
"Curious." He echoed, savoring the word like it was something fragile. He leaned back against the couch cushions, stretching an arm behind you as if the conversation hadn't unsettled him at all. "You really don't know, huh? Guess that makes me your first teacher."
Baby's grin widened, deceptively sweet, but there was no softness in his gaze.
He looked at you straight in the eyes for a long second, playfully lazy yet at the same time predatory. "Lucky you."
You tried to roll your eyes, but he caught your chin before you could turn away. The touch was featherlight, but the look in his eyes pinned you in place.
"You really want me to explain?" He asked. His tone was calm, unbothered, but each syllable carried a weight that made your pulse race.
You opened your mouth to retort, but the words caught when his lips brushed the corner of yoursāso soft, so fleeting you almost thought you imagined it. Then another, against your jaw. A whisper followed, his breath hot at your ear.
"It's a kiss." Baby murmured, lips brushing your jaw as though every word needed to be tasted before spoken. "But deeper. Slower." His mouth drifted higher, breath ghosting hot over the shell of your ear. "Messier."
A shiver ran through you, making him chuckle low. "B-Babyā"
"Mhm." He hummed, pleased at how wrecked you already sounded, his voice curling smug around the syllables.
His mouth found your throat, featherlight kisses trailing down your skin, deliberate in how they left you waiting, aching, before he pulled back just enough to smirk. "What's wrong? You wanted me to explain, didn't you?"
Your protest never made it past your lips. He leaned in properly this time, pressing his mouth to yours in a kiss that was nothing like the shy pecks you'd shared before. It was slow, unhurriedāintentional.
He coaxed your lips apart with sly insistence, his tongue teasing the seam until your startled gasp gave him the opening he wanted.
He smiled against your mouth, wickedly triumphant, and slipped deeperātasting, claiming, savoring the very sound of your surprise.
By the time he pulled back, you were breathless, dazed, lips tingling with the shock of how much he'd taken in so little time. His eyes glittered, sharp with amusement and hunger both.
"See? Now you know." His lips brushed your ear again, taunting, his voice a sinful purr. "And I'm not even done teaching."
His hands slid to your hips, warm and steady, fingers digging in just enough to remind you of his strength.
With unnerving ease, he guided you over him until you were straddling his lap, knees braced against the couch cushions, your chest pressed to his.
The grin Baby wore told you this was exactly where he wanted youāexactly where he'd planned for you to end up.
"Better." He breathed, hands tightening on your hips, pulling you flush against the solid heat of him. His smirk widened at the sharp breath you sucked in. "Much better."
Your breath hitched, nerves tangled with the heat curling low in your stomach. His thumb pressed into the dip of your waist, grounding you there on top of him, and the smirk tugging at his mouth sharpened at your helpless expression.
"Comfortable?" His voice dipped, mocking sweetness coating the edges. His lips brushed your cheek in a way that could almost pass as tender, if not for the hunger lurking behind it. "You look like you might fall apart already."
When you tried to protest, his hand slid higher, fingers curling against your back as he tugged you down into another kissādeeper, messier this time.
He coaxed every little sound from you like he had all the time in the world, drinking them in with a satisfied hum.
Pulling back only when your body trembled, he tilted his head, studying you with lazy amusementālike a puzzle he'd already solved, a game he'd already won. His grin stretched wider, sharp and boyish all at once.
"Cute." He drawled, dragging the word out until it curved into something closer to mockery than praise. "You don't even realize how much you're giving me."
He leaned in, lips brushing your ear, his voice dropping to a purr laced with wicked promise. "And the best part?" His teeth grazed your skin, deliberate, cruel. "You haven't even started begging yet."
His chuckle was low, cruel. "There it is." He said, dragging you slowly, deliberately against him, like he wanted to etch the new sensation into your body. "That little sound I wanted."
Your pulse jumped, betraying you, and his hands shifted lower, firmerāguiding, pressing, keeping you pinned against the hard line of him. The smirk that followed was pure satisfaction, as though your stuttered breath had been his goal all along.
Your fingers clutched his shoulders for balance, but it only encouraged him. He rolled his hips once, slow and deliberate, smirking when your breath hitched again.
"You're too easy, sweetheart." His tone dripped with satisfaction, with the certainty of someone who knew he'd already won.
Baby leaned in, kissing you againāmessy, consuming, almost punishing in its sweetness. When he pulled away, a string of saliva still clung between you, his grin was downright wolfish. "Lesson's over. For now."
With a final, teasing press of his mouth to your throat, he let you go, lounging back like he hadn't just unraveled you in seconds.
"Go on then." He murmured, voice mocking and fond at once. "Before I forget how to be a gentleman."
Instead of moving away like he said, your hands flew to your face. You tried to hide the way your lips tingled and the way your chest still heaved.
"I-I didn't ask for a whole lessonā¦" You mumbled, voice muffled behind your palms as the redness even burned across them.
Baby only laughed, shameless and delighted, before tugging you into his arms. "I'm just generous like that."
The question lingered in the air like perfume, sweet and innocent, and it made Romance pause.
He was lounging on the couch with you sprawled over him, your weight was light but warm against his chest.
One of his arms was draped lazily across your waist, the other brushing idly over the curve of your thigh as if he couldn't quite help himself.
The movie flickered forgotten on the screen, but at your wordsāso guileless, so unguardedāhis touch shifted. Fingers flexed, tightening as though restraining something deeper.
He tilted his head, gaze catching yours with a warmth that carried something far more dangerous beneath it.
Slowly, a smile curved his lipsānot mocking, but indulgent, like he was humoring the darling child who had just wandered into forbidden territory.
"You don't know what a French kiss is, doll?" His voice was low and smooth, velvet wrapping around you. The way he said it made the simple question sound scandalous, weighted with promise.
You blinked up at him, sheepish. "I've heard of it. I just don'tā¦get it. Is itā¦more romantic or something?"
Romance chuckled softly, brushing his nose against your temple in an almost tender gesture that didn't match the sharp glint in his eyes.
"Everything is more romantic in French." His thumb skimmed along your bottom lip, slow and coaxing, testing how much of you he could claim without even leaning in. "But if you ask meā¦a French kiss is when you stop being polite with your mouthā¦and you start being greedy."
Your breath hitched. He drew back just enough for you to see his expressionāpatient, endlessly patient, yet with a gleam that said patience was merely part of the game.
"Would you like me to show you, mon amour?" The question was velvet, but the weight beneath it was iron.
His thumb lingered at your mouth as though you were something ripe, something waiting to be bitten into. For a heartbeat, something darker flashed in his eyesāsharp hunger, barely chained, the kind of look that made you wonder if he wanted to kiss you or consume you whole.
"Properly. Slowlyā¦" His smile curved, indulgent but edged with cruelty. "Until you never mistake sweetness for innocence again."
You opened your lips, fumbling for a response, but no sound came. He let the silence stretch, savoring it, the corner of his mouth curling as if your hesitation was the finest entertainment.
"Ah, look at you." He murmured, indulgent but edged with something cruel. "So eager to ask, so hesitant to hear the answer. You really don't know what youāre inviting, do you?"
And before you could retreat, his hand guided your jaw, tilting your face toward him. Not forcing, never forcing, but heavy enough to leave you dizzy with the certainty that you belonged nowhere but where he wanted you.
Romance's thumb pressed beneath your lip, parting it in silent command.
"That's itā¦" His whisper burned, reverent and consuming all at once. "So obedient when I guide you. You make it far too easy, sweet girl."
The first kiss was barely a brush of lipsāsoft, fleeting, cruel in its restraint. Another followed, lingering longer, his mouth tracing yours with maddening patience, as though he was memorizing the shape of you one peck at a time.
Each kiss dragged you deeper until your head swam, your body pressing closer, thighs tightening where you sprawled across his chest. His hand slid lower, urging you downāas though coaxing you to surrender inch by inch.
"So trusting." He breathed between kisses, tongue flicking against your lip, teasing. His thumb tilted your chin higher, keeping you open for him. "My sweet girlā¦you don't know how close you make me to forgetting myself."
The next kiss was sharper, catching your breath before it could leave you. He nipped lightly, then soothed, alternating tenderness with tease until you were trembling under the rhythm of it.
Every pull of his lips asked for more. Every pause made you chase him without even realizing it.
His laugh ghosted over your mouth, low and velvet. "Already leaning into meā¦do you even realize you're the one chasing now?"
His smirk curved against your mouth. "Look at you. Already learning how to beg without words." He nipped once more, gentle but cruel. "Shall I show you what happens when I stop being patient?"
And then reverence snapped into hunger.
His mouth crashed against yours, tongue sliding in with a hunger that left you gasping. What began as a lesson turned into a siegeāhis tongue twining with yours, stroking and curling, demanding you match his rhythm.
Every gasp you gave, he swallowed whole. Every tremble, he devoured like a reward.
His kisses grew filthy, spit-slick and consuming, one hand gripping your jaw while the other anchored you at the small of your back, grinding you closer.
The hard line beneath you was undeniable now, the press of his arousal a dark promise of what his so-called "restraint" was holding back.
A groan slipped into your mouth, low and raw, betraying him even as his rhythm never faltered. He tangled his tongue with yours until you couldn't think past the wet, messy claim of him taking everything you had to give.
He only slowed when your body sagged in his holdālips swollen, lungs burning, your little gasps desperate between the mercy he withheld and the onslaught he gave.
Romance tore his mouth from yours with a wet sound, spit shining on your lips, his own red and swollen. His forehead rested against yours, his chest heaving.
Fever-bright eyes devoured you, drinking in your wrecked stateāthe trembling, the parted lips, the innocence smudged by his hunger.
And then he smiled. Slow, deliberate, wicked, cruelālike a man savoring not what heād taken, but what heād chosen to hold back.
"That," He rasped, his voice velvet dragged raw. "was restraint."
His thumb dragged across your swollen bottom lip, pressing lightly as though reminding you of all he could still do, of how much he hadn't. His gaze gleamed with hunger, dangerous and unspent.
"You think that was greedy, mon amour?" His chuckle was low, indulgent. He dipped close, his mouth hovering just shy of yours, his words a taunt against your spit-slick lips. "Greed would have ruined you."
Your chest heaved against his, breathless, your lips parting on broken syllables that never quite became words. Too flustered to answer, too dazed to do more than bury your hot face against his chest.
Romance chuckled, then smiled, the sharp edges of hunger softening as his arms closed around you. He pressed a lingering kiss to the crown of your head, then another, indulgent and unhurried.
"Look at you..." He murmured against your hair, amused and impossibly fond. "Can't even catch your breath, and still you tried to keep up with me."
You lay still for a long second before finally daring to glance up, glare half-hearted and far from threatening with your face burning red.
His laughter rumbled low in his chest, playful now. "Careful, my roseā¦keep looking at me like that, and I might just forget about restraint altogether."
wanted to let you know there's a slight error near the end tho; pronouns are wrong ("she" instead of "you") for a couple paragraphs
""I'll really go ahead this time." She said as she started forward, raising her hand in a lazy little wave. "I'm dying to collapse and see a cutie."
That earned her a suspicious squint, or maybe something more, until his face softened with the realization. Derpy. Of course."
HEYYY I've fixed it!! Thank you so much for the reminder. Just like [y/n] I've been surviving on caffeine these days š¹THOUGHH I'll really do my best to not make any more mistakes like that š
I havenāt talked in a while and I lwk apologizeš£ I love love love your new chapters!! :D I lwk gasped when I saw you updated ^^ I seriously love the situations you write the boys and reader in. I specifically liked Baby and reader in the closet and any Romance+Mystery moments (can you tell who my biases are lmao) anywaysanyways the last moment in the the newest chapter had me giggling a bit Iām nglš I wonder if readerās gonna find out that theyāre demons? Ooo the angst potential is killing me- finding out theyāre the cause of so many missing personsā cases and the legit harbringer of humanityās demise. Interactions w reader and huntrix would be so cool!! Imagine huntrix tries to recruit reader like the boys originally fearedš® seems readerās gaining popularity among the Saja boys fandom, so I suppose it isnāt too out of the question for huntrix to approach themš¤ whatever route you have in mind for them, though, Iām gonna love regardless
Have a wonderful day :))
-š anon
š ANONNN!!! omg I missed you too šš thank you sm for dropping by, you don't even have to apologize (I hoard asks like a dragon anyway š).
Hehe you clocked itāBaby + [Y/n] moments always spiral into chaos and Mystery+Romance areā¦ well, them. You have taste š¤
And yesss the angst potential is THERE, I see it š reader finding out they're literal harbingers of humanity's doom?? The betrayal??? The delicious tears??? BUTTTT from the very beginning, I never planned for this fic to lean too heavy on angst. I want to keep it fun or just as is like how you've all been seeing or reading so farāmostly crack, romcom vibes, with just pinches of angst here and there (spice, not the whole meal, yk?) I dragged out way too much pain in my TR fic and lost the energy š so for this one, it's fun > angst.
Huntrix recruiting [Y/n] tho š now THAT'S a juicy "what if." (And also hilarious considering how the boys already panic about her liking Huntrix too much lmaooo) Definitely love the idea of [Y/n] crossing more paths with them!!
Thank you for always hyping me up š anon, I seriously love reading your thoughts. Hope you're having a wonderful day too š
