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“Girls, this is going to be your new manager starting from today. Mr. Song, this is the group you’ll be handling, and I believe introductions are in order. This is our youngest, our main rapper, Zoey.”
Celine put a hand on Zoey’s shoulders while introducing her, and seemed to completely miss the dumbfounded look on all of the girls’ eyes. Then Celine waved towards Mira. “This is our main dancer, Mira.” And finally, she nodded towards Rumi, avoiding eye contact with the eldest. “This is the leader of Huntrix, our main vocalist, Rumi.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet all of you.” The guy dressed in all back greeted them politely, a small smirk on his lips. “I hope I can help Huntrix reach heights of success. Although Ms. Celine has already given my name to you, I would like to formally introduce myself again.”
He gave the entire group a small bow. Then, he looked straight at Rumi, and without breaking eye contact with the girl, he spoke up. “My name is Song Jinu. But you may call me Jinu. I hope we can get along well.”
“Well, I have some work right now, so I’ll be leaving you girls in his care. Mr. Song, I’ll send over the itinerary for the next week to you in a while, so please do arrange their schedules accordingly.”
After Jinu nodded, Celine briskly walked off, unaware of the bomb she had dropped.
Mira and Zoey pulled out their weapons at his throat the moment their CEO left them, but Rumi was frozen in shock. She wordlessly mouthed, “Jinu?” Like she couldn’t believe her eyes. It felt as if she was hallucinating, because how on earth was Jinu in front of her right now?? He should’ve been dead, was her mind just playing tricks on her??
“Rumi, are you okay? Did this bastard do anything?” Mira asked fiercely, holding her weapon threateningly so that it was just an inch away from his throat.
Jinu just held up his hands in surrender, his gaze entirely focused on Rumi. He briefly let his gaze off her, trying to reassure the other two girls that he wasn’t a threat. “Girls, I did nothing to her. I’m your manager, not a threat.”
“You’re a demon is what you are. Or do you want us to forget the fact that you almost raised Gwi-ma and destroyed the whole world?” Zoey jabbed her dagger handle at his side, her words and actions eliciting a small wince from him.
Rumi finally snapped out of her daze when she saw the current situation, and immediately sprang into action, putting her hands on her friends’ shoulders. “Guys, he is not a threat, and I’m fine, I was just… Shocked.” She finished and looked up to peer into Jinu’s eyes again, trying to question whether or not he was real.
Jinu gave her a soft smile which made her emotional while also making her heart flutter, and piped up, “Yeah, I’m totally innocent.” He gave a boyish grin, and the weapons, which were slowly being lowered, raised up to his throat again.
Rumi rolled her eyes, yup, this was definitely her classic Jinu. “Okay, let’s take this discussion somewhere else. Guys, he’s not going to hurt us, and if he tries to…” She gazed sharply at the man in front of her, and he just raised his thumbs. The message, and the thinly veiled threat, was well received.
The four of them went to their dance practice room, and after checking to see whether it was empty or not, they entered the dimly lit studio, locking the door behind them.
Jinu walked into the room and sat on the floor, waiting for the girls to do the same. Rumi plopped down beside him, and after exchanging a hesitant gaze, Mira and Zoey sat down as well, putting their weapons down, but well within their reach in case the demon tried to attack them.
The four people sat in an uneasy silence for a while, not knowing what to ask first, before Mira finally broke the silence. “You’re… Jinu. The demon, am I correct? And I assume that you remember what happened, seeing that you clearly recognize us?”
Jinu looked at the pinkette, then slowly nodded his head in agreement. “I am indeed the Jinu you know, but also not the one you know.”
“Speak clearly,” Mira warned, briefly grasping her weapon, which lay by her side.
“Well, you guys knew me as a demon before… But, I’m not a demon now. I’m a human, just like Rumi.”
Zoey furrowed her eyebrows. “What do you mean you’re a human now? You still have those scars, just because Celine didn’t look too closely doesn’t mean we can’t see them as well.”
“Well, it’s a bit of a long story.” He started, but got interrupted by Rumi.
“We have time. Tell us, how did you return?” She asked softly, a pleading look in her eyes.
Jinu wanted to reach out and hold her hand, but he refrained, he knew her friends would kill him before he laid a hand on even a single strand of her hair. He clenched his fist to control his instincts and breathed deeply before beginning to recount.
“After the demon world was sealed, and we were, well, about to be eradicated, we were suddenly brought before God. I know it sounds unbelievable, and although I can’t really tell you exactly what transpired, They saw some of the demons… Fit for redemption. I don’t know what They thought, but They gave some of us, a second chance, a chance to start over, to do things right this time. They asked us whether we wanted to erase our memories or not, before They sent us down to Earth. I refused, because I would lose the purpose of returning to Earth if I lost my memories.” He gazed with a gentle smile as he directed his last line towards Rumi, who glanced away shyly.
“You are not possessing someone else’s body right now, are you?” Zoey demanded.
“It’s not a manhwa, Zoey.” He laughed slightly. “Well, I suppose it is sort of like a manga, except this body is 100% my own. I don’t know how They did it, but God just sort of like, put me on Earth within a family, like how you would place a new book on a bookshelf. I have memories of my family, although I didn’t know them before, when I was a demon, and they have memories of me, which, again, I don’t think they had when I was a demon.”
“That sounds… Surreal. How can a human just integrate into society if they never even existed previously?” Rumi asked in confusion.
“I’m guessing it might have something to do with the enchantment that keeps humans from seeing the true faces of demons,” Mira spoke up, deep in thought. “Maybe God weaved around the enchantment in such a way that would seamlessly take in the demons who are taking on a human form now, and the same enchantment would add memories of the demon into everyone’s minds around them.”
Jinu hummed inquisitively. “I’m not sure of the nitty gritty details of this process, nor am I interested, frankly speaking. Now that we have me being a demon out of the way, what else do you guys want to know?”
“You’ll be serving as our manager?” Rumi asked.
“Yupp, unless you or your company fire me, I think I’m pretty content in my position, actually.”
“And how do we know that this isn’t one of your schemes to drag down Huntrix and steal our fans again? You seemed pretty determined to do that the last time.” Mira raised an eyebrow and leaned forward.
“This is because I’m here for a purpose.”
“And what would that be? Doesn’t sound very promising, nor does it sound like it’s anything good.” The youngest of their group piped in.
“Well… I just wanted to talk to your leader again.” Rumi and Jinu’s gazes briefly met, but this time Jinu was the one to look away first. Apparently, not even he had a thick enough skin to say such things brazenly without getting embarrassed.
“Oh God I knew you were up to no good.” Mira groaned dramatically, rolling her eyes and then quickly pinning him with a glare. “What do you want from her?”
“Nothing much.” He smirked. “Just… Her number, maybe?” He took out a card and handed it to Rumi. It was the same “Save the Date” card they used before to communicate.
Mira got what was going on and started standing up. “Nope, Celine, change the manager, he has no good intentions.” Rumi saw through her friend’s dramatics and pulled down the pinkette to sit again.
“Oh no, I don’t like this.” Mira groaned again.
“Wait, you’re not trying to make a move on her, are you?” Zoey glared at him as she pulled Rumi into a side hug. “Because I won’t let you, Mr. Manager.”
“I won’t, I won’t. I just want to get to know her better. Our… friendship ended in an unfortunate event last time. I want to do better this time.” His gaze, filled with sorrow and guilt and hope, told her all she needed to know.
He stood up abruptly, and it made the girls flinch, hands reaching for their weapons. His deep voice resonated in the dimly lit room. “For what it’s worth, I am sorry for all the pain and suffering I caused, and… I hope that I can do better this time. This second chance by God means everything to me… and… I hope that you can find it in your heart to give me a second chance as well, undeserving as it may be.” Then he bowed as deeply as he could, before sitting down on the floor again.
The girls looked at each other with trepidation. Giving him another chance might mean that he would betray them again, but if he truly was as innocent and repentant as he portrayed himself to be…
“We don’t trust you,” Mira spoke firmly. “We have no reason to, but,” She glanced once at their leader before continuing, “Rumi once told me that you tried to help us. I trust her, and I trust her judgment of people.”
Zoey spoke up slowly after Mira finished, choosing her words carefully. “The hurt you caused, we can’t forgive you immediately just because of your apology, even if it’s genuine. But, as Mira is saying… We are not, well, totally opposed to giving you a chance. However, if you dare to hurt any of us, you know what you’re in for.” She made a slicing motion across her throat with her thumb, her eyes squinting in suspicion.
Rumi spoke at last. “I… never thought that I would see you again. I’m very happy… that you’re alive, but it is going to take time.” She looked hesitant, but due to the encouraging and supportive looks from the others in the room, she continued after inhaling deeply. “I’m still not over everything that has happened, none of us are. The wounds are too fresh, the hurt is too deep. I know you were under Gwi-ma’s control, but you hurt me nonetheless.” His eyes looked pained, and his smile turned akin to a grimace as he heard her speak, but he kept quiet, staring at her all the same.
“You gave me hope that you’d help me, and then you betrayed me. Then you sacrificed yourself for me. Everything’s just, way too complicated.” She said brokenly, and felt arms briefly wrap around her as Mira hugged her lightly before letting go.
She looked up at him and continued. “I am so happy you’re alive, Jinu.” Her hand grazed his face slightly, as if to make sure that he was a real, breathing human instead of a spirit. “I thought I lost you for good.” A tear rolled down his cheek, and she wiped it away lightly. He nuzzled his face into her hand, relishing her touch.
Mira and Zoey watched silently, unwilling to interrupt the scene in front of them, although the moment felt too intimate, too private.
“I am so sorry.” Jinu’s voice cracked. “No amount of apologies can soothe the pain I’ve caused, but you deserve an apology regardless. I promise to do better, if you give me the chance. Please, you showed me the way, now all I need is a chance to show you I’m better now. Please, Rumi.”
He held her wrist in a silent plea, and could see the conflict in her eyes. “I am afraid to trust again, Jinu, but I don’t think I can take it if you leave me again. I’m willing to give you this chance because… I think we can change.”
“But I won’t if you’re not by my side.” He completed the words, an unspoken promise being created between the two as they uttered the words of their song. “Thank you. I won’t disappoint you, Rumi. I would be a fool to do. How many people would get a second chance like this? I got… very lucky, to have this chance from all of you, and I intend to do my best to show that I’m truly trying.” He stared at each of them with a determined glance, with a promise to try his best to show through his actions that he was ready to change for the better.
They all stood up slowly, trying to take in everything that went down.
Zoey cut the tense atmosphere with her question, “So you’re our manager now, huh, Mr. Song?”
“Please, call me Jinu, and yes, as we have clarified before.” He raised an eyebrow at the short girl.
Zoey clapped her hands together. “Great! Your first duty, is to help us get a day off tomorrow. Chop chop, clear our schedule for tomorrow.”
Jinu chuckled. “First day at work, and you want me to help you slack off?”
Zoey put her hands on her hips. “It’s a test you see, how well you can manage to postpone our commitments without pissing off any of our sponsors or business partners.”
Mira and Rumi looked impressed at their maknae’s cunning scheme and grinned at each other, the test seemed to be pretty solid.
Mira smirked. “Yes, you can’t make Huntrix lose out on any opportunities, and you should really get going now if you even want enough time to negotiate the postponement with Mr. Kim from the fashion boutique. He’s very stern about timings, and we are supposed to have a collab photoshoot with him tomorrow.”
“You know, for all the hunting you did of demons, you girls are pretty devious yourselves.” He looked impressed, his smooth voice rolling out insults which sounded like compliments.
“Aww, thanks, now go to work, Mr. Song,” Rumi laughed a bit when Jinu shot her a betrayed look, then grumbled something about manipulative girls and making his life hell before he slowly walked out the door.
He couldn’t tell exactly when, but shortly after he walked out of the office after hours of negotiating with Mr. Kim, that nightmare of a rule-stickler, he was suddenly yanked into a room by someone.
He looked up at his kidnapper and saw Rumi, and immediately felt conscious of himself. “Hey, you.” He breathed softly. Rumi’s eyes were puffy, and his heart ached at the fact that he might’ve unintentionally made her cry.
They held each other’s hands for a while, taking in each other’s presence, making sure that the other was real, that the entire situation was real.
“I kept your soul safe the entire time.” She said softly, and he remembered their last conversation before he died.
“I had no doubt that you would.” He spoke with conviction.
“Are you real? Am I going to wake up tomorrow and see that all of this was a dream?” She asked, her voice so quiet, as if speaking loudly would break the illusion.
He held her hands tightly. “I am as real as they come. I… This feels very surreal to me too. I thought I lost you for good, I will never stop thanking God for giving me this opportunity to meet you again.” He paused for a while, then continued. “You know, the entire time I kept thinking, when I meet you next, I would tell you, how I really feel. But now… Now I’m just content to stay beside your side. We can deal with the other things… Later.”
Rumi nodded. They had their own issues to deal with first, before they could even think of anything else. “Same, I thought if I ever got another chance, I would tell you too. But it's too soon, I’m not ready, and well, it's not like you're going anywhere anytime soon, are you?” She gave him a soft smile.
“Not if I can help it.” He promised.
“Then we have all the time in the world for now.”
“We do, and I don’t want to waste any of it, so… Can I have your number?”
“Are you being a bit too forward, Mr. Manager?”
“Why would you say that, it's for… Business purposes only.” He winked slyly at her.
She huffed in mock annoyance, taking his phone. “Here you go, for… Business purposes only, huh?” She quirked an eyebrow in question.
“Yes, of course, my lady.” He gave a mock bow.
He straightened up and held her hands again. It felt like such a privilege, getting to be close to her again. he never thought himself worthy of forgiveness, but this wonderful woman, she saw him, and although he hurt her so much, here she was, baring her heart to him again, deeming him worthy of keeping it again despite his misgivings. No, never again, he silently promised himself. No more mistakes, no more betrayals, he never wanted to see her cry or suffer because of him again.
They let each other go after brief moments, which felt like an eternity, but they were unwilling to part. They basked in each other’s presence, drinking in the warmth the other offered.
“Are you… Free tomorrow?” He asked unsurely.
“Well, if you’re good at your job, then I should be.”
He huffed. “Are you questioning my dedication and work ethic right now? Of course I did.”
“So, where do you want to go tomorrow?” She asked in a straightforward manner.
“Why do you think I’m taking you anywhere?”
“Because otherwise you wouldn’t ask me that question.” She had him figured out, and it was unnerving.
“Why? Can’t a colleague just ask his fellow colleague?”
“I would believe it if it were literally anyone, but not you, Jinu. Your acting is too unconvincing.” She laughed, and he felt blood rush to his cheeks.
“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes. Her lips were upturned in mirth, and it never failed to catch him off guard. She always lit up the room when she smiled, she was beautiful.
He cleared his throat in an attempt to stop his thoughts. “Well, I was thinking that we could go for a walk by the Han River, then grab lunch somewhere.”
Rumi hummed. “Sounds good. I’ll ask Zoey and Mira as well.”
He nodded in agreement. He knew it was way too early to be asking her to go with him alone, but he still hoped that he could take her on a date someday… preferably without her teammates tagging along like overprotective parents who glared at him if he even dared to breathe a word to or look at Rumi.
“See you tomorrow then, Rumi.” He gave her a small smile, and she echoed his words before parting ways with him, giving him a small wave as she turned around the corner and disappeared.
He felt his heart beat faster. He tried to control his smile, but his heart was overflowing with joy.
Jinu was finally on his way to redeem himself, and he felt grateful. He walked out of the company doors with his head held high, breathing in deeply the smell of freedom and of new beginnings.