Hidden Patterns | Kpop Demon Hunters x Reader

[ 03 ] a demon's curse

It's... him.

You remember the young man standing in front of you, whose hand is currently wrapped around your own. Of course you do. That just goes without saying. You've been singing the song he wrote for the past several hundred years, and even though you've lived a long life, your memory remains as sharp as ever. You will yourself to remember as many interactions as you possibly can. To remember the faces of the humans you've met, so then even when they inevitably pass on, someone will still carry their legacy into the future.

Naturally, your memory isn't perfect. You're bound to forget little things here and there. But for the most part, it's bright and unmuddled. Especially when you're staring at the person who sparked your love for singing in the first place.

Jinu. He told you his name, but you never told him yours. 400 years ago, that meeting took place. 400 years is a long time. Humans don't live to be that age—and if even they did have such an impressive lifespan, their appearances would reflect it.

If that were the case, if Jinu's skin had grown thin, crinkled, and sallow, you probably wouldn't have recognized him. And yet, he looks the same. He hasn't aged.

Nor does his soul carry the same pulse as that of a human.

"Jinu," you repeat, and he seems to flinch as you narrow your eyes at him. "You've made a grave mistake. You struck a deal with him, didn't you? You sold your soul to Gwi-Ma."

You watch the way Jinu's fingers twitch where they're still entwined with yours, as if even now, he hasn't quite decided whether he wants to hold on or let go. But regardless of what he wants to do, he doesn't pull away. Instead, he stiffens.

Not in surprise—no, the surprise has already passed. This... this is shame.

There's a flicker of something wounded in his gaze, the kind of raw guilt that only comes when someone realizes their sin cannot be hidden anymore. It's in the way he meets your eyes, then immediately breaks contact. In the faint tremble of his lips. In how his grip slackens. You could pull away now, if you wanted to. But you don't. Not yet.

Finally, he exhales, voice trembling. "I... didn't think you'd recognize me."

"I always remember," you reply.

He winces at that, almost as if it hurts to be remembered, despite the brief excitement he felt upon meeting you again. Mainly because you know now. You know what kind of choice he's made.

Still, trying to gather whatever composure he still has, he lifts his gaze up a bit more. "But... what about you?" he asks. "You remember me, and you haven't aged a day. You're not human either. You've lived this long, but you still look the same. You're just like me. You must have also made a deal with Gwi-Ma."

"No," you say simply. Calmly. "I was already a demon to begin with."

All of the color drains from his face.

Jinu stares at you, searching for any hint of deceit. A nervous laugh escapes his throat, though it's humorless at best. "W-What?"

"I never made a deal with Gwi-Ma," you continue. "I've always been like this."

"But... you helped us." His voice is faint, disoriented. Disbelieving. "You helped me. You helped my family. Why would a demon do that...?"

"It's complicated," you sigh, and truly, there's no other way of putting it.

You glance around. The street is busy enough for the two of you to speak like this, but not quite busy enough that you won't accidentally end up drawing attention to yourself. It's hardly the place for the conversation you're about to have. Your kind isn't exactly supposed to exist in plain sight, and you still don't know to what degree you can trust Jinu. You've never encountered a demon that's exactly like you before.