Archive of Our Own

1) Shipping

To Baby’s surprise, Jinu’s plan was actually working. Granted, Baby could only compare the boy band plan to Gwi-Ma’s (endless) failed attempts at murder, destroying airplanes, and surprise attacks. Despite Baby’s low expectations and initial reluctance, being the maknae of a demon boy band wasn’t a true nightmare. The group was slowly forming a companionship and beginning to understand one another. 

Dealing with the fans, though, was a whole other problem. 

Baby knew the Saja Boys needed to break records and reach new highs for Jinu’s plan to become successful. What he hadn’t known before agreeing to Jinu’s plan was that humans were unhinged, displaying their fantasized daydreams for everyone to see. 

In the weeks following the Saja Boys’ intrusion on Huntrix’s signing event, Abby and Romance became quite addicted to the internet—a human invention. Baby stayed away because he had no use for it. They never had the internet in the demon world, so Baby figured he wasn’t missing much. However, his disinterest didn’t stop the other members from gushing about their findings every hour of every day. 

Once, they were all residing in their dance studio with the goal of practicing. It was becoming quite obvious that today’s goal was unachievable. Abby and Romance were glued to their smartphones—another human invention. Baby, after being forced to practice the choreography for their new single, was taking a much-needed break in the corner with only a lone water bottle as his companion. Mystery and Jinu were sitting by a spare table, drafting lyrics. 

“Jinu,” Romance said amidst the silence. “Humans made more fanart of you and… ah, what’s her name, again?” He glanced back at his smartphone. “Rumi.”

Jinu perked up like a dog when he heard “Rumi.” Baby almost rolled his eyes at Jinu’s reaction. 

“Really?” he asked, dropping everything to walk over to Romance and Abby. “There’s more?”

“Yep,” Abby said, popping the p. He turned the smartphone around to give Jinu his device. 

Mystery had also joined the club, standing on his toes to peer over Jinu’s shoulder. Baby decided that being left out was worse than being a student in a possible internet lesson; he and his water bottle made the journey to discover what the fuss was about. Jinu's thumb was swiping across the screen. Different images and drawings flashed by. They all resembled Jinu and the purple-haired Hunter. Baby frowned at the illustrated camaraderie.

“What’s your ship name again?” Mystery asked. 

Jinu stuttered, his face turning red like Abby’s hair. 

“Since when was Jinu on a boat?” Baby asked. “Was it when he disappeared during the night and wouldn’t tell us where he went?”

Romance smiled. “I can’t tell whether or not you’re joking.”

“Bite me.”

His hands flew up, palms facing Baby, but that smile was still anchored on his face. 

Abby said, “You know about Rujinu, Zoeystery, and Miromabby, right?”

“Ah, our precious Mira,” Romance sighed before placing his attention back on his smartphone. 

Baby just blinked at them. They had moments of bizarreness, but this was the top of the top. “I swear you’re making up words.”

“In a sense, they are made-up—just a blend of our names together.”

Never mind, Baby was starting to think that being left out was better than this internet lesson. He stayed silent and nodded, hoping that would end the lecture right then and there. 

He completely missed the mark. Politeness had failed him, so maybe violence was the answer.

“Ships are when humans think people should be in a romantic relationship together,” Romance continued. He turned his smartphone around to show more of those artworks. “So you have me, Abby, and Mira. There’s also Mystery and Zoey. And last, but not least, Jinu and Rumi.”

“And we’re looking through Rujinu fanart right now,” Abby chuckled. 

“Some are spicier than others.”

Jinu choked on nothing and started coughing into his arm. Mystery patted his back fruitlessly; Romance bent over, laughing his lungs out.

“Alright, then,” Baby said, his interest levels reaching a grand total of zero. 

“It’s unfortunate you don’t have one, Baby,” Abby said. 

“I don’t—”

“If you feel left out,” Romance breathed, after he survived his giggling fit. “Maybe you can have Zoey. What would that ship name be?”

Hearing this Hunter’s name, Mystery snapped his head toward Romance. “Why, Zoey? She’s mine. He can have Mira or Rumi.”

Romance whistled. “Possessive much?”

“Three Saja Boys with one Huntrix member…” Abby mused. “That doesn’t sound reasonable. Don’t humans like to share equally?”

“Well, I doubt Jinu wants to share Rumi,” Romance added, stifling yet another laugh. “So, she’s out of the question.”

Recovering from his coughing attack, Jinu stumbled over his words. “Wh-what are you implying?”

“I think you like your ship,” Abby answered with a sly smile. 

The redness became a darker shade, like a tomato. “No, I don’t.”

Romance just shook his head. “Even if you ‘supposedly don’t,’ the humans like your ship. Out of the three, it’s the most written on this site called A—”

“You guys can keep your ships to yourselves,” Baby interrupted, wanting to get out of this stupid conversation. 

What was appealing about a theoretical romance between them and their literal enemies? Baby could understand why human fans would be obsessed, but these four demons standing before him were out of their minds. The Saja Boys had no time for love when the Honmoon was weeks away from turning golden. Plus, their “friendly rivalry” was all a joint facade between the Saja Boys and Huntrix. The only thing they both shared was keeping demons, patterns, Gwi-Ma, and the Honmoon a secret from regular human fans. This whole ship thing was a waste of time. 

Bending down to grab his half-empty water bottle, Baby headed for the door. 

“Where are you going?” Abby asked. 

Outside? Away from this boring conversation? Back to the demon world? 

Either way, Baby didn’t answer, nor did he care. Without a second thought, he shut the door on them and teleported away.

*****

2) We’re dating!

One free evening, Huntrix hosted a dinner for the Saja Boys. It came out of nowhere but wasn’t completely unexpected. They had their disagreements in the past and all eventually set their differences aside. Neither group had to worry about the other group’s murder plans. 

Baby wouldn’t call his relationship with Huntrix anything more than close acquaintances. Even “friends” was pressing the line. He knew Jinu had gotten quite close with Rumi even before the new Honmoon had been sealed. She was cool, being half demon and all, but Baby hadn’t ever exchanged more than a couple of greetings from time to time. Due to a shared hatred of Gwi-Ma, Jinu and Rumi’s friendship was the highest tier out of any of them. Regardless, Baby would never turn down a hosted dinner (free food was the best kind of food). 

They all arrived at the Huntrix Tower on time (because Jinu forced them) with a strawberry cake in hand (also because Jinu forced them). Rumi turned into their tour guide, giving commentary and answering occasional questions. Eventually, they reached the dining room located on the top floor. The table was already set with clean white bowls and plates, silverware, and glasses. Large serving plates filled with delicious-looking food were all in the middle, begging to be eaten. 

“Food is almost done!” Zoey exclaimed from a room on the far left—the kitchen, Baby assumed. “Just finishing up the bulgogi.”

“Take your time,” Mystery said with a small smile. 

Mira groaned, tossing her head back. “If you tell her that, she really will take her time.”

Jinu chuckled at Mira’s exaggerations. Holding up the cake, he asked, “Where should I put this?”

Rumi draped her jacket over the top of a couch. Her purple patterns illuminated in the chandelier lights. “I’ll take it, thanks, Jinu.”

“It’s only the polite thing to do.” 

Rumi smiled warmly at Jinu before addressing the others, who were all standing around like lost children. “And you guys can sit anywhere.”

After the cake transfer, the Saja Boys took random seats scattered throughout the table. Baby chose one in the middle, near the action and food. Everyone except for Zoey, who was still in the kitchen, began to claim seats of their own. Jinu and Rumi sat across from Baby. He couldn’t help but notice that their chairs were oddly close together. 

“And here is the first round of bulgogi!” Zoey exclaimed, placing a large white bowl filled with meat in the center of the dining table. 

Mira sighed and reached out to scoop some onto her plate. “Looks delicious, Zoey,” she complimented.

The five demons all muttered their gratitude, voices overlapping like a broken audio clip. 

“Yeah, thank you so much, Zoey,” Rumi said, taking her turn after Mira. She dropped some onto Jinu’s plate before passing it to her left. “Eat up, Saja Boys! If we need more food, we can always ask Bobby for more.”

“Bobby?” Abby asked in the middle of scooping a ginormous pile of meat. 

“He’s the guy we asked some demons to pretend to kidnap,” Baby reminded him. “You know? During the Idol Awards?”

“A lot was happening that night, so it must’ve slipped my mind.”

Zoey gave a fake giggle. “It didn’t slip our minds.”

If Baby had a tension meter, he would feel it slowly rising. 

“Sorry about that,” Jinu apologized. “I know our plan wasn’t good, but—”

Rumi placed her hand on his shoulder. “Hey. It wasn’t okay at the time, but we all understand now.”

“It still wasn’t moral, though,” Mira muttered with a mouthful of rice. 

“Mira,” Rumi hissed. 

Romance, who was sitting to Baby’s left, spoke up. “You’re on our side?”

“I’m not taking sides,” Rumi insisted. Her patterns started to express a hint of a glow. 

Not even three minutes into dinner, bickering had already become a special guest at their table. Apparently, humans liked to hold grudges, especially when it hit them close. 

The drama was fun to listen to, but he wanted to eat. 

Baby slammed his fork on the table, startling everyone. He smiled internally from their reactions. “Guys, the past is in the past. Gwi-Ma was bad; Jinu was traumatized; Rumi was hiding her patterns; the rest of us were all following the plan; no one was communicating. Yada-yada-yada. We made mistakes, we’ve learned from them, we’re fine now, so can we just eat?”

All eyes were drilling holes into him. Gusts of wind blew against the wall window. Other than those sounds of nature, it was dead silent. 

“Wow, I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you speak,” Mira said. “The Baby demon is right—”

“Don’t squish my name between ‘the’ and ‘demon,’” Baby scowled.

“We have some regrets,” Mira continued as if nothing had interrupted her. “And we all messed up. But at least we’re on the same page about it.”

Some murmurs of agreement rose from the table. 

Romance jabbed him in the ribs. “Who knew you were such a public speaker?”

Baby stuck his tongue out at Romance. He’d ignored the meal for too long and rushed to dig in. Huntrix’s cooking was not bad at all. It was also his first time tasting some of these human dishes and drinks, but he had no complaints to give to the chefs. 

*****

Various conversations and second helpings filled the next hour. This evening was the most he’d ever talked to Huntrix. He had learned quite a bit about their history and future plans for the band. Having been alone for most of his demon life, it was strange to be a member of a close group. Everyone was chit-chatting, sharing food, and placing aside any differences and hatred. However, similar to being the maknae of the Saja Boys, it wasn’t horrible. It was actually—dare Baby say it—nice. 

Towards the end of the hour, when competition to grab more food was dying down, Rumi cleared her throat. 

“I have something to confess,” she announced. “There’s a reason why I wanted this dinner between Huntrix and the Saja Boys.”

“Not for the food or building up trust?” Zoey asked.  

Rumi chuckled but shook her head. “That, too, but it wasn’t the primary reason. Jinu and I have something to tell you all.”

Jinu? Baby wondered, looking at the demon. 

Jinu’s eyes wandered between each empty serving plate. Baby hadn’t seen him this nervous since the Idol Awards.  

Rumi rested a hand on his shoulder, immediately calming his jittery movements. “Juni and I are dating.”

The silence was worse than when Baby had told everyone off. However, the recovery period was quicker for the other Huntrix members. 

Zoey screamed like she had just discovered more Mystery merchandise. (For some reason, she was a huge fan.) “No way, Rumi! Are you serious?”

“I am. We are,” she clarified, earning a tiny hesitant smile from Jinu. 

Mira laughed. “I didn’t expect you to fall for a demon, but that’s… awesome. Happy for you two.”

“Oh, thank you,” Jinu said. 

Her expression suddenly turned as cold as ice. “If you do anything to Rumi, I will not hesitate to slice you in a million pieces.”

“Same with me,” Zoey added with a harsh gaze. 

Rumi only laughed as Jinu sulked. But he quickly recomposed himself. 

“Nothing will happen to Rumi,” he stated. 

He switched his gaze from Huntrix to the Saja Boys, obviously scanning their expressions for any reactions. 

Only one demon was still as a rock, processing this new information. While everyone else was giving their congratulations and initiating an interrogation, one was alone with his thoughts.  

A romantic relationship? Demons didn’t fall in love or experience romance. Baby hadn’t heard of any demon weddings or partook in conversations about love in the 200+ years he had lived in the demon world. He was certain that dating was only a human thing. They didn’t need to keep up an appearance around Huntrix. So why was Jinu going along with this? Was it a ploy or business contract—something with a hidden meaning? 

“Is that allowed?”

His question cut through the conversation like a sword dripped with poison. Baby usually enjoyed seeing mass confusion, but this was different—the confusion was directed at him. 

Rumi rubbed the back of her neck. “Unfortunately, there are some people out there who don’t take it kindly when idols date. Also, unfortunately, some of those people are our so-called ‘fans.’”

Mira and Zoey nodded solemnly to Rumi’s words.  

“But there’s nothing in our contracts preventing us from dating, and I know the Saja Boys have no rules, either. That being said, I would really appreciate it if this is kept from the public, at least for now.”

“Of course, Rumi,” Zoey said. 

“You can trust us,” Mira added. Then she glared at the rest of the table. “If any of you demons say anything, you’re done.”

Mystery shook his head. “You don’t have to worry about us.”

Romance clapped his hands like a child. “If you two want any wedding ideas—”

“Whoa,” Jinu interrupted, his face turning red. “Romance, one step at a time. We just got together a few weeks ago.”

More excitement pushed Baby’s bewilderment out of the table. Rumi’s answer wasn’t an answer. Sure, it gave him more confirmation that human fans were unhinged, but it didn’t solve the romance question. 

“So you’re not dating for the fans?” Baby asked, still trying to fix the gears in his brain. 

Jinu and Rumi shared glances with each other. 

“No, we’re not,” Jinu answered. 

“I love the fans—we all do,” Rumi said. “And, yes, the ‘Rujinu’ might’ve helped. But, in the end, it was our own feelings and connections that brought us together to share a special bond. That is why Jinu and I are dating.”

Jinu added, “I feel free around Rumi. It’s something I’ve never felt before in my entire life. She saved me and gave me my soul back. No one else has ever done that for me.”

Zoey and Romance aww’d at Jinu’s words. 

“And it’s not an obligation?” Baby asked, still not fully understanding.

With each question, the tension meter kept on rising, threatening to break. Rumi’s patterns started to illuminate more. Her posture stiffened like a statue. Jinu, on the other hand, looked hurt, almost offended. His eyes narrowed as if he had selected Baby as his next victim.

“I’m not,” Jinu said firmly. 

“It’s because of love?” Baby knew he should keep his mouth shut, but his curiosity was adding cracks in the dam. He didn’t care about the stares or judgement or whispers from Romance to “stop talking.” 

“Or attraction, or feeling like we’re”—Rumi chuckled—“free around each other… It’s all a long journey, but that’s what makes it fun.”

“Truer words have never before been spoken,” Mira said, giving an applause. 

Everyone joined in, perhaps hoping that it would dispel Baby’s negativity. Baby clapped, too, mainly to avoid getting his head sliced off for being unsupportive. However, it was the opposite; he was happy for them. Jinu wasn’t haunted by those voices anymore. When he was beside Rumi, he genuinely looked alive—one of the highest compliments given to a demon. Who wouldn’t be happy for them? 

*****

Once they had all arrived back to their place, Romance, Abby, and Mystery headed up to their rooms to recharge their batteries for the next day. Baby walked to the kitchen to grab a water bottle before planning on locking himself in his bedroom for the rest of the night. Jinu tore those plans into a million pieces. 

“Even if you hate Rumi, that’s not going to stop us from dating,” Jinu said to Baby, voice steady and harsh.

Baby’s hand was frozen on the fridge’s handle. “What? Where is this coming from? I don’t hate her. Well, I used to, but we all did.”

“Are you sure?” Jinu glared down at him. “You didn’t seem to like our announcement during dinner. I was afraid of everyone’s reactions, so it took a while for us to tell you guys. And your questions were proof of my fears—”

Baby cut Jinu off before he jumped to conclusions. “One: I don’t hate her; I don’t hate you; I don’t hate that you are dating. Two: those questions were because demons don’t experience love or romance or attraction or whatever, and I was confused as to why you insisted you love her. Three: I just figured it out because you have your soul back and the rest of us don’t.” Baby took a deep breath. “Is that clear?”

Jinu’s expression made it clear that Baby’s statements were not clear. It was blank; only question marks were dancing around. 

Jinu sighed. “Just because demons don’t have souls—”

“Except for you.”

“It doesn’t make us heartless or hinder our ability to feel love and attraction towards others.”

Now Baby had question marks dancing around him. His mouth dropped, but no words were flowing out. Jinu’s claims weren’t true; this was revenge from their dinner conversation. 

“No?”

“Yes,” Jinu insisted. “I can call the others to explain, too.”

Baby’s face twisted. “Please don’t.”

So the other members had felt love before? This was a greater realization than young humans learning that Santa doesn’t exist. Baby still had some doubts, but it sounded plausible and explained Romance, Abby, and Mystery’s positive reaction to Jinu’s announcement. Plus, Baby was the youngest, so maybe that contributed to his inexperience. 

“You’ve really never been attracted to anyone?” Jinu asked with a hint of a chuckle. 

Not a single face—demon or human—came to mind.

Baby shrugged. “Don’t think so. It’s not like I interacted with many demons before this year. I didn’t know about romantic relationships and dating until we came to the human world. And whatever human memories I had don’t exist anymore.”

“Maybe you knew the concept but didn’t have a word to describe it? I didn’t know ‘date’ had two different meanings in this day and age.”

I think the misunderstanding was your fault, Baby thought before pushing away any irritation. 

Baby shook his head. “Like I said, little interactions with other demons didn't give me much exposure.”

“You were a loner until I recruited you for the Saja Boys. It makes some sense.” Jinu placed a firm hand on Baby’s shoulder. “I forgive you.”

“Thanks,” Baby muttered, hoping this conversation would reach its end. “And, sorry.”

Jinu smirked. “Well, now when you feel drawn to a demon or human, you’ll understand why. And, don’t worry, it’s completely normal.”

But was it truly normal? Baby had no idea.

*****

3) Rom-Com

“Okay, Romance, it’s your turn to pick the movie!” Abby exclaimed, tossing the TV remote in his direction. 

Romance swiped the remote like it was gold, immediately typing into the search bar. Everyone else settled onto the couch or on the floor. Baby was a floor lover, getting a whole popcorn bowl to himself (and Mystery…). Jinu, Abby, and Romance took random places on the couch, with Romance in the middle for optimal viewing of his movie selection.  

“Get ready to have the best two hours of your life while watching the number one rom-com in the world,” Romance announced, pressing play on the remote. 

“I’m surprised it took you this long to pick a rom-com,” Jinu said. 

“That’s because you guys wouldn’t pick the dragon movie, so I had to pick it last time,” Romance retorted. “Now, shush.”

The opening credits began to roll. Names upon names appeared and disappeared. Baby pinned his attention on the popcorn bowl, adding more hot sauce as dressing. (He knew Mystery wouldn’t mind.)

“So, what’s the movie about?” Baby asked, still watching the credits. “More dragons?”

“It’s a rom-com,” Romance emphasized. 

“I don’t know what that means!” Baby said, stressing every syllable. 

“Guys, you’re missing some important information,” Abby said. 

Mystery stole a popcorn piece, one void of hot sauce. “You’ll find out soon,” he said. 

Biting back a remark, Baby started to watch the movie. It wasn’t the first time the plot was a mystery before he had watched it, and his reactions to those movies hadn’t been negative. So, it was possible this movie would end up in his top 10. 

*****

He was very wrong. 

In hindsight, maybe he should’ve realized that Romance would pick a romance movie. However, he refused to believe this was the “best two hours of his life.” All of the internal dialogue sounded artificial—more artificial than discussing how to fight against dragons. The scenes between the main characters were so gooey and gross. Baby could relate to movies about aliens more than whatever emotions the confession speech was supposed to invoke.

At first, Baby thought it was an exaggeration of the feeling of love, that it was only human nature to pursue it. However, he remembered his conversation with Jinu; those feelings were normal for demons, too. Still, Baby’s mood traveled from boredom to confusion and back. 

“Their first date,” Romance sighed during one scene. “How romantic.”

Baby had been in a long daze with his thoughts; once snapped out of it, he noticed the setting had changed from school to a karaoke room. 

The actor handed a tablet to the actress. “You can pick the first song.”

She fumbled with the device. “O-oh, I don’t know what to pick.”

“Anything you pick will be amazing.”

Abby chuckled. “You and Rumi should definitely go on a karaoke date.”

Baby looked back at the couch. Jinu was now busying himself with the popcorn bowl, clearly attempting to hide his expression. 

“I think we’d be discovered,” Jinu muttered. 

Abby clicked his tongue. “Right… I’m sure there’s a karaoke room in their Huntrix Tower.”

“Guys, quiet,” Romance whispered. 

“You want them to have a date at Rumi’s home?” Baby asked. It seemed counterintuitive to host a date at someone’s house. 

“All you need for a successful date is to experience a romantic connection with one another,” Jinu said, now in deep thought. “I don’t think she would mind having a date at the Tower…”

Mystery nodded along, stealing another popcorn kernel. 

“You’ve never heard of ‘at-home date nights’ before?” Abby teased, smiling down at Baby. “You’re hopeless, you know?”

All the pent-up frustration and wishes to toss a remote at the TV made something inside Baby snapped. “Want to know what else I’ve never heard of before?” Baby snarled. His patterns threatened to show. “Romantic feelings being this sappy and gross and unrelatable!”

Abby's face warped expressions in a split second. “Wh—”

“For the last time, shut up!” Romance yelled, his patterns illuminated purple in the dark. “I want to hear their duet.”

Everyone sealed their lips and opened their ears to the musical scene. 

“What was once dark is now anew,” the main characters sang in complete harmony. “You lit up my life, and I fell for you.”

It was times like these that Baby wished he hadn’t avoided ordering a smartphone. Scrolling through it would be a million times more entertaining than this. But, no. He only had the near-empty bowl of popcorn and red hot sauce to keep him from dying of boredom. He only hoped that the plot would turn a complete 180 and start to feature murder or fight scenes.

*****

4) Dating Sim Livestream

Romance adjusted the camera before looking back at Baby. “You ready?” he asked, excitement visible on his face. 

“Sure. But you’re still paying for my food for the next two months.”

Romance turned around in his swivel chair. Disbelief was written on his face. “Two? I’m sure we agreed on one.”

Baby leaned back into his chair, kicking his feet up by Romance’s keyboard. “True, but since you’re being mean and keeping today’s topic from me, it’s now two months.”

“Even though you’ll find out in two minutes?”

“Yep,” Baby looked at the main computer screen. The timer was slowly reaching zero. “It’s about to start.”

Romance wheeled closer to the desk. “If you move to your right, you’ll be out of the frame and can make a grand appearance.”

A grand appearance sounded like a plan to Baby. He swept his feet off the desk—avoiding the keyboard and monitors—to angle his chair out of the frame. At that second, the screen changed to display Romance and the room. A second, smaller screen between Baby and Romance had the overflowing chatbox. It was like watching water pouring down a waterfall. 

“Hello, everyone!” Romance exclaimed, making a heart by his chest with his hands. “Can everyone hear me?” After waiting a few moments for the chat to reply, Romance continued. “I know during the last stream I mentioned that we’d have a special guest, and guess what? He’s someone who’ve all been dying to see.” 

Baby took that introduction as the cue to make his appearance. Maximizing his persona, he threw his arms into the air as he saw himself on the computer screen. 

“Hello, it’s Baby Saja!” he shouted, using the livestream as a mirror to fix his yellow cap. “Romance bribed me to join him today, so here I am.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. Jinu had started the stream to get more humans to “join the pride” when they were all still servants for Gwi-Ma. Despite having no reason to keep it active, Romance took over. Other Saja members had appeared on Romance’s livestreams in the past. He hadn’t ever watched the entirety of any stream or bothered to intrude on them, so he was a blind bat who was lured by the promise of free food. 

“I have no idea what we’re doing today, because Romance likes keeping secrets from me.”

Romance shook his head like a disappointed parent. “We’re here today to play the newest dating sim on the market, Lost in Love ♡.”  

Baby swore he had cotton in his ears. Even though he’d learned a bit more about human culture and their sources of entertainment, “dating sim” never appeared during his research. However, “dating” was giving off red flags. 

“A dating sim?” he repeated, watching Romance change some settings on the stream. 

Romance hummed in confirmation. “It’s a game where you befriend and romance the characters in hopes of getting the one you want and have a happy ending. And you’re going to make all the decisions.”

The red flags were becoming red alarms. This was reminding him of the rom-com, and not in a good way. 

“Why am I playing?” Baby asked. “Isn’t it your stream? I’m happy answering the comments and drinking water in the corner.”

“Everyone wants to see you play.” Romance looked up at the camera. “Am I right?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Baby saw the chat becoming insane. Donations and voiced messages were flooding in. 

“Besides, I’m curious to see who you’ll choose.”

I’m choosing to poison your dinner after this, Baby thought behind the mask of a smile presented to the fans. 

Cheerful music came out of the main computer. Three fictional women and the words Lost in Love ♡ in a fancy cursive font were vibrating on the screen. 

“The blue-haired woman is so hot, just like Baby,” a robotic voice said from the side computer. 

Baby whipped his head to the side monitor. “What?” 

Romance laughed. “That’s a compliment.”

“Oh, thank you,” Baby said, making a half heart with his cheek and hand for show. He had no idea what made him or the character “hot,” but he didn’t care about the comment. 

“And thank you for the donation!” Romance made his own heart with his hands. 

Romance then rolled his chair to the far left of the desk, but still remained visible in the camera frame. Baby took his place and played around with the cursor. 

“Use that and the keys to—yep, just like that! You’re a natural.”

The screen turned black before a voice-over textbox appeared. The second the voice had a chance to take a break, Baby clicked the left button on the mouse. 

“How long is this game?” Baby asked during the introduction. So far, all he learned was that he was playing as a main character at a graduate school. 

Romance hummed. “It’s short; three or four hours. I think we can power through today!”

The comments from the chat confirmed Romance’s statement. 

Lovely; Baby was in for a long journey… 

But he attempted to find a silver lining. It was possible he’d learn more about love, and dating, and attraction. Maybe he would actually feel drawn to the characters like the rest of the demon and human populations. A secret side quest was activated, one with a satisfying reward upon completion. 

*****

That side quest was slowly abandoned, and the reward of knowledge was unattainable. 

The length of the livestream was reaching 3.5 hours—the longest 3.5 hours of Baby’s life. It wasn’t as terrible as the rom-com, but it was up there. His eyes were burning, his head was spinning, the feminine voices were echoing, water wasn’t enough to quench his thirst, and his persona was slowly dipping. Currently, the screen had all three human women standing around, blushing, hands folded nervously, and eyes downcast. In the middle, the three feminine names were dialogue choices—the only choices. According to Romance, this was the most important choice of the entire game. 

“So, I just pick one?” Baby asked, his finger hovering over the keys. 

Romance gasped dramatically, and a hand flew up to his chest. “You don’t just pick one. You pick the one you want to date, become your girlfriend, get married, have kids, and spend the rest of your life with.”  

Baby’s face twisted as his imagination latched onto Romance’s words. 

“Or pick the character whose love ending you want to see,” Romance clarified. “No pressure.”

Baby was tempted to hit all the keys at once, have chance pick for him, and move on with the game’s ending. However, he knew Romance and the fans would bombard him with questions about his “pick.” Saying, “I don’t care” wasn’t going to cut it. 

“Who would you choose?” Baby asked, stalling for time. 

“The pink-haired—”

“Why?”

“She’s pretty and—”

“Aren’t they all pretty? Isn’t that the purpose of the game?”

Romance nodded. “Yes, but it’s like having a favorite character. Everyone is drawn to someone, and that’s the beauty of love.”

Baby pursed his lips and glanced at the viewer chat. Names of every option were piling over each other, like a battle for first place. Some were way more energetic than others about their “pick.” Humans were even donating tiny amounts of money to get their character’s name voiced aloud. The chat wasn’t helping him too much, so he focused his attention on the characters. 

Well, he did have a favorite—the blue-haired one. Her in-game personality was interesting, and Baby genuinely enjoyed parts of her story. However, did he want to perform romantic gestures with her? Did he want to have a “relationship” with her? Would seeing her love ending ruin the character for him? What were the pros and cons of choosing her over the others? 

“Baby, it’s a game…” Romance said, his voice sounding like it was stepping on eggshells. “I can pick for you.”

Baby blinked out of his mental notetaking and put on the thickest mask ever. “Oh, I’m also choosing the same as you. Since she’s cute and… attractive, you know?”

Romance worry wore off and was replaced with a wide smile. “Twins! You have excellent taste.”

Baby mirrored his smile and selected her, still unsure as to why. 

*****

5) Q&A Event 

If someone had told Baby he would willingly interact with human fans in the future, Baby would’ve kicked them in the shins (if they were a demon) or stolen their soul (if they were a human) for lying. However, now that Baby was settling into the long gray couch on a stage, he could understand it wasn’t a lie. 

Jinu had organized for the Saja Boys to participate in a meet-and-greet/question-and-answer event to celebrate their one-year debut. Of course, anyone could’ve vetoed and canceled the event if they had tried hard enough, but no one did. 

The overhead lights shining upon them made it a little difficult to see the audience, but not impossible. Many fans were wearing merchandise that Jinu had created from their first weeks after their debut. Those shirts were historic, and Jinu desperately needed to design new ones, especially since the Saja Boys weren’t stealing souls anymore. 

Once everyone had their microphone and was as comfortable as possible, the event hostess spoke into her mic. “Welcome to the Saja Boys’ Q&A Event! We’re going to get started and, for the next hour, open the floor for questions. If there are any questions for every member, we’ll start with Baby and end with Abby.”

The plan sounded great to Baby. He loved getting the spotlight, and the fans ate it up. He rested his arm on the arm of the couch and used a random throw pillow to cover himself. The first question was only the beginning of chaos, but Baby was all in for it. 

*****

The Q&A was running along as smooth as silk. Jinu, the fan favorite, had been answering most questions, leaving less work for the other members. The questions had started off as normal and respectful as humans could be. Then, it got into unfamiliar territories. 

“I have a question for all the Saja Boys,” another fan from the left said after getting picked by Jinu. 

“Go ahead.”

Baby couldn’t see her face—distance and blinding lights were a poor combination. 

“Umm… Do you have a type?”

Have a type? Baby thought. 

The crowd’s volume reached a peak; it was breaking records. They only calmed down when the backstage crew told them off. Compared to seconds ago, it was silent. Baby realized why—they were waiting for him. 

“Type?” Baby asked. “Like, typing on a keyboard?”

The crowd giggled at his confusion. 

“No,” someone—he was unsure if it was the same person from before—said. “It’s a set of qualities or appearances you’re romantically attracted to. Like when you’re looking for a girlfriend.”

Baby’s brain scrambled to generate an answer while maintaining his persona in front of everyone. Maintaining his persona was simple enough; just a smile and kicking of his legs did the job. Searching for aspects to look for in a girlfriend felt as impossible as trying to destroy the Honmoon with only a fork. What was he supposed to say? His memory scanned through the endless number of women fans they’d met, trying to find a possible pattern. 

“I…” Baby started to say, because his silence was bordering suspicion. “People who are pretty?”

It sounded like a safe answer that also was somewhat true. Who wouldn’t want to have a pretty girlfriend? 

Some people “aww’d” at his answer. 

He looked over to his left at the other four members. No one had any judging expressions written on their faces. It wasn’t like the dinner when all eyes had been drilling holes into him for his offensive questions. 

Mystery brought the mic up to his mouth. “Black hair,” he answered. 

“Zoeystery!” someone yelled, earning more screams. 

Jinu’s chuckles were picked up from his mic. “I’m sure everyone here already knows my type. But for those who don’t, someone who’s open, honest, fun, and has long braided hair.” 

Romance and Abby were giving their answers, leaving Baby more confused. Jinu and the others were attracted to certain human characterization options? Romance’s answer was like retelling a description for a wanted poster, while Abby talked about physical and personality traits. Everyone had given specific responses, and nothing had sounded like a lie. He felt disconnected. 

What makes black hair more attractive than brown? Baby wondered, glancing at Mystery. Unfortunately, telepathy wasn’t a demon ability. 

“You, on the right,” Jinu said, pointing to the audience. 

“This is kind of random, but I asked Huntrix this question, and I want to know your answers in comparison, because I need advice.” The voice paused. “What is the most romantic date idea you can think of going on?”

What kind of questions are these!?

Not wanting a repeat of the “What’s your type?” question, Baby smiled politely into his mic. “Mystery, you go first.”

Mystery flashed a tiny smile back at him before addressing the fans. “It depends on the person. I’d talk first instead of springing a date. But a nice dinner at our favorite restaurant would be fun.”

“Communication is important,” Jinu agreed. “Although, if you’re looking for advice, I don’t think our answers will be better than Huntrix’s.”

“I still want to know!” a second voice screamed from the middle. Multiple fans expressed their interests as well. 

Baby bit the inside of his lip, the lights and sweater suddenly making him hot and uncomfortable. Taking brainpower away from holding the microphone and putting it onto developing an answer wasn’t working. He tried to think back to the rom-com and dating sim. The love ending with that pink-haired character ended up at a fancy dinner, but Baby didn’t want to copy Mystery’s answer. Karaoke had happened during the movie, so that was one option—the only option right now. However, was it the “most romantic date idea,” and was it one he’d imagine himself going on? He could imagine singing karaoke, but his mind was blank when it came to forming a person next to him, singing those mushy love song duets together. 

“…and then I’d make sure she’d get home safe and sound before leaving,” Romance said. His tone sounded like he’d just ended a three-hour speech. 

Baby mentally cursed at himself for being stuck in a trance for who knew how long. 

Leaning closer to Mystery, Baby whispered into his ear. “What did Romance say?”

Abby’s reply to the fan’s question was unintelligible to Baby. 

Mystery whispered back, “You weren’t listening?”

Baby bit back a retort. “No, that’s why I’m asking you.” 

“That’s too bad; his answer was really interesting.”

“Well, then, what was it?!” he whispered-screamed.

“Baby!” Abby’s voice boomed, making Baby bounce back. “You haven’t answered yet.”

“Uh, yeah,” Baby said instinctively. He brought the microphone up to his mouth.  “Karaoke. I would let her pick the songs, and if she wants to do a duet, we would sing them together.” Baby was forever grateful he didn’t erase that movie scene from his memory. 

“So you’d flex your position as an idol?” Abby teased. Romance chuckled at Abby’s joke. 

No disturbance or tension in the air was a favorable sign. Baby didn’t feel like he was overheating next to Gwi-Ma’s flames anymore, either. 

He smiled into the microphone. “Who wouldn’t?” 

The crowd seemed to accept Baby’s answer. More hands from around the room flew up. Jinu was just about to select another fan but was interrupted when the host’s voice took over the room’s broadcast speakers. 

“Just a heads up, there are five minutes left of the Q&A.”

Murmurs rose from the crowd. Even more hands were ascending. 

“Better hurry, Jinu,” Romance said. “Speedrun time.”

Baby fell back into the cushions when a fan specifically asked Abby a question. One hour felt like an eternity—and he knew what eternity was like. Luckily, the audience’s final questions kicked love out of the question. 

Until the last one. 

“I have a question about ‘Soda Pop.’ And anyone can answer.”

Jinu asked into the microphone, “What’s the question?”

“Is the meaning behind the lyrics romantic and sexual?”

A muffled choking sound came from Romance. His reaction causes Mystery to jump like a cat. 

Baby started to internally criticize that fan. He knew humans didn’t know about demons stealing souls, but jumping to that conclusion felt so senseless. 

“What? Why?” Baby accidentally asked. His voice was picked up by the microphone.  

“What Baby is saying,” Jinu said, speaking over everyone. “Is that he can’t believe how quickly all of our fans caught on. Since it was our first single, we were going for a hidden meaning within the lyrics.”

“You caught us,” Abby added with a hearty laugh. 

Some fans joined in on the laughter; others clapped when the host announced the Q&A was over. The Saja Boys stood up from the couch. A dizzy spell rushed to attack Baby’s head, and it took everything to avoid falling over from inactivity. Once everyone was steady, they bowed, expressing their deepest gratitude to the crowd. 

“Thank you for coming!” Jinu said. “Saja Boys love you!”

Baby curved his hand and placed it on his left cheek. His smile to the fans was artificial, as his brain was fixating itself on the prior hour, reviewing the questions and answers like watching a scene on repeat. He had messed up on some of his answers. Even though they all had some blunders, Baby’s answers for the romance-related questions were the worst. They had been more unsettling than witnessing Gwi-Ma getting sliced apart during the night of the Idol Awards. 

What is love? Baby thought once they were backstage. And why can’t I understand it?

*****

+1) Understanding Himself

Baby’s thumb lingered over the “send” button, his six-worded message sitting in the textbox for the past ten minutes. 

Meeting in the living room now. 

It was so stupid that he was struggling with an action so simple. They’ve had worse conversations before. 

Groaning, Baby hit the button and tossed his phone across the couch. It safely made contact with a pillow with minimal damage. Sinking into the cushions, Baby stared at the stairs, waiting for the other four demons to arrive. 

Luckily (or unluckily), it didn’t take long for some demons to join the impromptu meeting. 

“What’s happening?” Abby asked, standing by the entryway with Romance. 

Baby gestured vaguely to the empty couch. “Take your pick. Sit down.”

Abby and Romance shared glances before blindly following Baby’s order. Passing the lone smartphone back to Baby, they took the corner spot. 

Mystery flew down the stairs like a rocket. Once he saw the three demons relaxing on the couch with no danger in sight, his posture loosened up. He took the ottoman, getting an entire seating area to himself. 

Last but not least, Jinu, with his phone in hand, came walking down the stairs. A puzzled expression caused Baby to simply wave him over. 

Everyone was either resting on the couch or sitting on the ottoman, which were facing each other. Unintentionally, Baby was the middle demon, surrounded by the other four. 

“So,” Abby said, breaking the silence first. “What’s the meeting about?”

“Did you brainstorm new lyrics for the new single?” Jinu asked. 

Baby frowned. “Why would you think that? Creating lyrics is never my job.”

“I can’t think of any other reason why we’re all gathered here today.”

Internally sighing, Baby was starting to have some regrets. Was it too late to say “April Fools!” when it wasn’t even spring?

Bracing himself, Baby said, “I think there’s something wrong with me.”
“There’s always something wrong with you,” Jinu said in a flash. 

Something inside Baby broke into a million pieces. His hands felt like weights on his lap. At least explaining would be easier than he thought if they had already known. 

“So you guys noticed it, too?” Baby asked, his voice hardly above a whisper. 

Jinu blinked. “Oh, you’re being serious?”

“What’s supposedly wrong with you?” Romance asked. 

Another deep breath in and out. “I don’t understand romance,” Baby finally admitted. 

“Wow, thanks,” Romance said, in an artificial offensive tone. 

“No one understands Romance,” Abby joked, jabbing Romance in the upper arm. “There’s nothing wrong with you there, Baby.”

“No, not Romance. Like…” Baby paused, trying to find words to describe his internal struggles. “Love romance.”

Four blank faces blinking robotically at him weren’t reassuring. 

“I’m sorry. I’m not following,” Mystery said. 

“I told Jinu this a while back, but I thought demons didn’t or couldn’t experience love.”

A stifled chuckle left Romance’s mouth. “What?”

Baby glared at him. “Don’t laugh. I know I never talked to many demons until recently, but we hadn’t ever talked about love or romance or dating or crushes.” He threw his hands up. “I didn’t even know those feelings existed until Jinu gave us such boring lessons about humans.”

“Those lessons were not boring,” Jinu insisted. 

Baby ignored him and continued. “It wasn’t until Jinu and Rumi said they were dating that I knew demons could fall in love or become girlfriend-boyfriend. And then, I thought it was a soul problem, but you three”—he glanced at Mystery, Abby, and Romance—”are proof it’s not a soul problem.”

“But when we were creating the personas,” Jinu cut in. “I don’t remember you questioning anything about Romance.”

“Because we were basing them off human boy bands,” Baby pointed out. “I’m not an actual baby, for crying out loud. And I didn’t know Romance that well before Jinu brought us all together, so I thought he was just a good actor or knew a lot about humans.”

Romance smiled widely, sending a finger heart Baby’s way. “Awww, thanks.”

“But then the human fans started to…” Baby’s brain malfunctioned on the human term. “Boat our groups together and—”

“Boat?” Mystery repeated, tilting his head to the side. 

Baby knew he hadn’t had the correct term, but their interruptions still irritated him. “Like there’s you and Zoey—”

“It’s ship,” Romance corrected. “Relationship.”

“Right, ship, whatever. But you have to know what I’m talking about, right?”

Jinu leaned against the couch. “I didn’t understand it at first, either.”

“But that means you understand it now,” Baby explained. “I don’t. And that’s why when you started dating Rumi, I said those… things.”

“Is that allowed?” 

“So you’re not dating for the fans?” 

“And it’s not an obligation?”

Those comments echoed through Baby’s head. At that time, it was his curiosity speaking, kicking politeness out of the room. Now, he knew how much his words had hurt them. 

“I remember that,” Jinu said. 

“Sorry, again,” Baby muttered. 

Jinu didn’t speak, but his expression wasn’t filled with malice or hatred. Baby took his silence as permission to continue. 

“Also, the human movies, the dating game, and the interview questions… There’s just so much.”

“I liked the movie,” Romance said as if being pulled into the past. “The acting could’ve been a tad better, though…”

It also seemed like Abby joined Romance in a trip down memory lane. “That was a fun interview. It’s funny that the humans thought ‘Soda Pop’ was romantic.”

“It’s not like humans know about demons and Gwi-Ma and stealing souls,” Jinu said. 

Mystery spoke up, too. “Having that knowledge is like being part of a secret club.”

Baby’s deplenishing patience and regret were being tested. The tangent was not helping nor was it necessary. 

“Guys!” Baby exclaimed over the chatter. “I’m not talking about the acting or human ignorance.”

Maybe his intrusion on their conversation wasn’t smart. The tension in the room suddenly grew from each sides’ lack of understanding and communication. Confusion was emanating from all around.

“Then what are you talking about?” Jinu asked in a condescending tone. It hit Baby the wrong way. 

“Love, or attraction, or romance!” 

“And what about them?! That you haven’t met a nice demon or human? That you’re jealous? That you want us to find someone for you? I don’t understand, and I don’t think any of us do!”

“Jinu…” Mystery breathed. 

A discomfort started to fill the air, suffocating Baby. The lights, which were unnoticeable at first, made him stuffy and sick. Baby knew he shouldn’t have opened his mouth when his thoughts weren’t even whole. His eyes fell onto his lap, but he knew the others’ gazes were piercing through and judging him for not being normal. He didn’t fit in with the demons or the humans. He was just a heartless entity, separate from everyone else.  

Standing up from the couch, Baby whispered, “I’ll leave you guys alone. I’m sure you’ll want privacy to talk about removing me from the group.”

Exclamations exploded from the group like fireworks. 

“Whoa!”

“What?”

His hearing muffled their voices. Baby muttered, “Spending time with you guys was short but memorable; I’m sure I’ll get over it in a few decades.”

“Baby!” 

“Slow down!”

Right before escaping, Baby felt something seize him by his wrist. It was Jinu. 

“We’re not kicking you out of the Saja Boys.”

Baby twisted around, albeit limited in his movement. “Why?”

“Why are you asking us ‘why?’”

Jinu’s expression of sheer offense broke another string of patience inside Baby. Why couldn’t they just rip off the bandage in one swoop? No, they had to take their time and cause suffering every step of the way. Typical demon mentality. 

“You hated me after that dinner with Huntrix.” He yanked his arm from Jinu’s grasp to point at the rest, mirroring their stares back at them. “You all were judging me for my questions and confusion. You also paired me up with a Huntrix member, made me watch boring rom-coms, and play dating sims as if my life depended on which girlfriend I’d get. Let’s not mention teasing me for not finding anyone attractive or thinking of a good date idea. And I promise I was trying; I really was! So, I’m sure you don’t want an abnormal member who is broken and can’t find love!”

The room vibrated from Baby’s outburst. His patterns glowed a deep magenta, and his claws broke free from the human disguise. He couldn’t see. In fact, he didn’t want to see—didn’t want to see the disappointment or disgusted expressions on the demons’ faces. 

Instead, something—or someone—wrapped around his body. Nothing harsh or strenuous, but it was calm and soothing. The storm clouds vanished from his sight.  

“Hey…” It was Abby’s voice, enveloped in a soft tone. “You might be a soulless demon, a handful, and have an attitude at times, but you’re not broken.”

“None of us think you’re not normal, either,” Mystery added. 

“I’m sorry about the dating sim,” Romance said. His voice was laced with genuine pain. “I really am.”

Baby shifted, trying to escape, but it was impossible when the restraints were Abby’s arms and body. So he stood there, allowing the embrace and comforting words to swallow him whole. 

After a few moments, Abby loosened up; Baby wormed his way out. His entire body and face was hot from the outburst and physical touch. At least his human disguise was back to its whole self. 

“I’m also sorry—” Jinu started to say. 

“I know,” Baby interrupted, putting a hand up. He didn’t want the conversation to become any more embarrassing than it already was. “Just wanted to see if I’m actually different from you guys, and now I know I am. It’d be nice to understand why I’m so detached from love, but it doesn’t seem like I’ll ever know.”

Everyone broke Baby’s negativity, drowning him out. 

“Hold on.”

“Don’t give up now.”

“We don’t know that, yet.”

“Someone, somewhere, has to have an answer, right?”

Two seconds passed before their five brains landed on the same answer: Huntrix.

*****

Another couch meeting, only this time, it was at the penthouse of the Huntrix Tower and three humans had joined in. 

Baby sat on the coffee table while everyone else took spots on the semi-circular couch. It was a jumble of demons and humans. Jinu and Rumi were sitting next to each other to no one’s surprise. Mystery sat down by Zoey in the middle, which gave the last three members the entire left side of the couch.

So far, Baby finished retelling the same speech/mini-rant to Huntrix as he had done a few hours prior. The Saja Boys kept quiet, placing all their hopes onto Huntrix for an answer. 

Rumi was the first one to speak. “Your questions during the dinner make more sense.”

Baby flinched at her statement. Of course the wounds were still fresh for her even though he had already apologized twice that hour. He did feel guilty—a rare feeling for demons—but it was in the past, and he couldn’t change what he had said. 

Mira leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “Let me get this straight: you came to us for advice about romance?” She jabbed her thumb at the demon to her left. “Even though his name is literally Romance?”

Romance merely smiled at her, earning a scowl along the way. 

Baby tried to hide his exasperation. “Kind of… Jinu obviously loves Rumi; Romance finds rom-coms relatable; Mystery has a type; Abby knows a lot about dates. I’m the only one who’s different and don’t understand the attention surrounding it.”

His explanation seemed to resonate with the group. 

“Maybe humans aren’t your type,” Zoey suggested with a shrug. “Nothing wrong with that.”

“Add demons to that list,” Baby muttered. 

“Maybe you haven’t found the right one?” Rumi asked, looking over at Jinu. 

It was a plausible explanation. However, Baby didn’t even know about the concept of having a romantic relationship with another being until over a year ago. He had never wanted anything like that and still didn’t have any desires. 

“I’ve lived in the demon world for over 200 years,” Baby said. “I know I didn’t interact with a lot of demons, but I wasn’t a hermit. Rumi caught Jinu’s eye within two months, and I don’t think popcorn eyes are a usual reaction to seeing someone’s abs for the first time…” 

Zoey chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck. “We’re not going to talk about the popcorn eyes.”

“So, it’s not a timing issue.” Mira looked at the entire group. “Are some demons just born without the ability to love?”

The blank stares from the Saja Boys gave no verbal answers. Baby thought about her question. It would explain his initial confusion before he had been introduced to the concept. If love really was a basic emotion, it shouldn’t be necessary for it to be taught. He never felt anything similar to Jinu and Rumi, the actors in the movie, or the characters from the game. And he was a demon; it wasn’t rare for some emotions to simply not exist. 

“So, I am heartless… And not normal.” He glanced at Abby and Mystery, who were sitting side-by-side. “You were wrong.”

Abby’s eyes widened. 

Mystery’s mouth opened, but he was a mute fish out of water. 

“No, Baby,” Romance said. “You are wrong. You can experience and express love. I’ve seen it before. We all have.”

Baby felt his heart pounding with every passing second. What was Romance talking about? The “inability to love” explanation made sense, and now they had to change it?

Zoey tried her best to help. “Like, you have hobbies you enjoy, right? Or favorite foods. Or how about the Saja Boys—I’m sure you love them in some way, shape, or form?”

Baby took another look at the crowd. Huntrix slowly faded from view, leaving Jinu, Mystery, Abby, and Romance in sight. Years ago, he wouldn’t have cared for those four. But now, he enjoyed living under the same roof, their mundane practices, eating meals, fighting over popcorn, appearing on (non-romantic) livestreams, and pleasing fans. Everything done together as the five Saja Boys had changed his life. Regardless of their mild arguments and disagreements from time to time, Baby felt alive with them. Maybe it was a type of love. Maybe he wasn’t heartless. 

“Th-that’s true,” Baby said. “When I thought they were going to kick me out, it hurt. Not physically, but it made me feel sick inside.”

“You were going to kick him out!?” Mira exclaimed, sounding genuinely angry. 

“No!” Jinu yelled. He pointed at Baby. “He jumped to that conclusion! None of us implied anything.”

“I don’t blame you.” It was Rumi, curled up with her arms wrapped around her bent legs. “Believing like you’re different and unworthy does things to your mental stability. When you think you don’t deserve everyone’s love and respect because you don’t feel—or even are—normal…”

A vigil fell over the group. Everyone collectively understood what Rumi was referring to: a Hunter who was part demon.

Jinu scooted closer to Rumi, holding her tighter. The other Huntrix members walked over to Rumi, giving her their own group hug. For a brief second, Baby pictured himself and the Saja Boys. He understood why Zoey had mentioned his love for his group members. Love really did present itself in many ways. 

Once the hug was completed, everyone took their seats again. The mood in the room was brighter than before. 

“So, are all the questions answered?” Mira asked. 

It was nice to have some answers. Knowing he wasn’t fully broken was also reassuring. However, he didn’t feel whole. There were some chips here and there. 

“No… I still don’t feel normal.”

“Baby…” Mystery whispered. 

Romance bounced up. “But you’re not not normal—”

“I know that!” Baby snapped back. “But explain why I don’t have a type or like rom-coms or am interested in shipping or had insulted”—he gestured to the couple in the room—”their announcement! I’ve never been drawn to anyone no matter how hard I try or viewed romance as a necessity, and I’m sure that isn’t normal.”

Another outburst that could’ve shaken the entire room. Another silence fell over them, but not because of grief. Even the sun was now obscured by rolling clouds. 

“Hey girls!” someone called out from the entryway. 

“Hi, Bobby!” all of Huntrix greeted, shoving away any signs of depression. 

A brunet short man walked over to the couch, eyes pinned on carrying an overflowing box of snacks. When he glanced up, it was like a zap of lightning had struck him. “And Saja Boys! I didn’t know we had visitors today.”

Murmured greets came from the demons. 

“Oh, he does look familiar,” Abby whispered. “I remember the disguise now.”

Jinu shushed at Abby. 

“Are you actually considering my idea about a Huntrix/Saja Boys collaboration?” Bobby asked, dropping the box on the table next to Baby. Several chip bags clashed onto the table. “I just know the fans will love it! It’s too bad we can’t record a Hunter/demon fight for the music video…”

“A collaboration?” Mystery asked, looking over at Zoey for answers.

She laughed nervously. “It’s in the drafts.”

Collaborating on a single didn’t sound like such a terrible idea to Baby. If he could have a rap battle with Zoey…

“Well, I don’t want to intrude too long,” Bobby said. “Just wanted to drop off some snacks and remind you girls about the PR meeting tomorrow at 10.”

Groans left Huntrix’s mouths, and they slumped into the couch’s cushions. 

“This better not take the whole day,” Mira complained. 

Zoey stood up and started combing through the box. “That’s why we have pick-me-up snacks!” she said with a forced smile. “What do you want: chips?”

“I’m good with anything.”

Zoey looked at Baby. “You?” When she received a shake of the head, with an armful of snacks, she sat back down. The bags cascaded down onto the couch like a waterfall. 

A mix of Huntrix and Saja Boys members scurried for their pick.  

Rumi chuckled at the mess. “Thanks, Bobby,” she said, taking a piece from Jinu’s bag. “We’ll be there.”

“Unfortunately…” Mira added through a mouthful of chips. 

Bobby nodded and pulled out his phone, typing something into it. “Perfect! See you girls there.”

He began to leave, but, for some reason, Baby felt like an answer was leaving along with him. 

“Wait,” Baby called out. “Are you smart?”

Three gaping mouths filled with food stared at Baby as if his question had summoned the Devil himself. 

“I’d like to think so, yes,” Bobby said, tucking his phone away. “Why are you asking?”

Here goes nothing.

“Can you think of a reason why someone wouldn’t understand romantic love, no matter how hard they try?”

Bobby placed a finger to his bottom lip in thought. “Maybe romance isn’t their thing.”

“But it should be. It’s everyone’s thing, after all.”

Baby was starting to regret opening his mouth to Huntrix’s manager of all people! (He’d gotten really desperate…) But Bobby’s next statement reversed that regret in a snap.

“Not necessarily.”

“‘Not necessarily?’” Baby repeated. He glanced at the others for their reactions. Looking at four demons and three humans with mouths full of food hindered his expression-reading ability. 

Bobby walked back to the group, sitting down on a free armchair by Rumi and Jinu. “Some people just don’t experience romantic attraction to anyone,” Bobby said. “You can’t force attraction when it’s not there.”

Rumi swallowed her snacks in one gulp. “That does make sense.”

“Really?” Jinu asked. 

Rumi nodded. “Some people are only attracted to one gender, and some are attracted to multiple.”

“Huh,” Abby muttered. “I never knew that…”

“It’s not the majority of the human population,” Mira added. “But there are a lot who are members of this community.”

“Wait, I remember now—the community is huge!” Zoey exclaimed. “It’s full of people of all identities.”  

“So,” Rumi summed up. “It’s not completely unreasonable to believe that some people aren’t attracted to anyone.” 

“Not experiencing romantic attraction is a real thing?” Baby asked Bobby. “Like an established, accepted human concept?”

His heart was pounding. This sounded like they were getting closer and closer to Eureka. He braced himself for the answer, hoping it wouldn’t send them back to square one. 

“Yep,” Bobby replied with a nod. “I’m sure that, within the larger community, there’s even a smaller community with people who have those similar experiences."

“Others feel the same? And they understand what I’m feeling?”

“What you are feeling?” Bobby mused. His mouth created an O shape, and his face suddenly lit up as if he connected the two dots. “I can’t vouch for demons, obviously. But, humans? Yes, definitely.” 

It felt like the last piece of the puzzle was inserted. Baby felt understood, whole, and complete. A new feeling of pride swallowed him whole. He wasn’t alone; he never was. This day wasn’t the end, but the beginning. It was as if he had made it to the clearing after being lost in the dense forest for eternity. The new, open view fell ahead. What was even better were the companions who vowed to stay with him for the rest of the journey. Baby didn’t want—or need—anyone else by his side. 

Romance leaned against the couch and whistled. “Wow, what a revelation.”

“Yeah,” Abby agreed. “I think you discovered something important today.”

“Congratulations, Baby,” Mystery said.

Jinu sent a warm smile Baby’s way. “It wasn’t easy to get here. You should be proud of yourself.”

Baby was. He really was.