A/N: Here's the new Chapter! Which also means the next FIVE chapters are up on my Patreon for early access!

This all makes perfect sense to Jinu, he's not sure why everyone else is so confused about things.

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Jinu feels like he probably shouldn't be too surprised that Rumi was apparently oblivious to everything that lay between her and her girls. But he is anyways just a little bit… because it was just so obvious to him. Just as it had been rather obvious to him how this whole situation between the four of them was likely going to work moving forward.

With a grunt, he rises to his feet, Rumi still in his arms. Yelping, the half-demon wraps her limbs around him for a moment before quickly scrambling out of his grasp and getting back on her own two feet. She looks a little bit queasy as she stares at him.

"Jinu… that's really not how things work in the modern world."

Raising an eyebrow, Jinu tilts his head to the side.

"Isn't it?"

Before Rumi can respond, he waves his hand through the air.

"I mean, I know things have changed a lot in the last four hundred years, obviously. As women, you all have a lot more power these days then the noblewomen back in my day. You control your own money and while I'm aware that there is a business above your singing group, it is run by your mentor, no? Another woman… in what is effectively the position of a Noble Lord if not outright Emperor."

Rumi's mouth opens and closes for a few moments before she finds her voice.

"Well… yes, I guess..."

Nodding, Jinu smiles and forges onwards.

"On top of that, you and your girls are hunters. The Honmoon connects the three of you together… just as it has now connected me and you. Your very souls are intermingled, no? I was certain from my observations and studies that that was how it worked."

Rumi flushes, biting her lower lip.

"I-I mean…"

"Meanwhile, I am a nobody. Even setting aside that I am a demon and you three are hunters, I am also a peasant with no real identity or wealth in this era. I was playing your songs to get by in the very same park you three confronted me in before Bobby came to me the other day."

"That's…"

"I know you do not need to keep me around for entertainment as was done back in my day… but Rumi, this Tower IS akin to a Palace. Your girls are nobility and you… you might as well be royalty. It makes sense that in terms of hierarchy, your girls would come first for you. That was never a doubt in my mind. They are your…"

Here, Jinu trails off for a moment, grasping for the word that they'd used all those centuries ago back in the Emperor's Palace. Finally, it hits him and he snaps his fingers with a smile.

"Gyobung! That is what they called it, back in the day. 'Making friends', heh."

Far from expressing realization or understanding, Rumi groans and covers her face with her hands.

"Jinu… please stop talking."

Humming, Jinu does as he's told, though he also arches a brow as he waits for her to collect herself. Frankly, he's not sure why she's upset with him. He's not the one who's confused here. And hey, at least he told her what was going on with her girls rather than letting her wallow in her insecurities and angst over a misunderstanding for days on end!

"… That's not… exactly how things work around here, Jinu. You weren't exactly wrong about any of it… but even if we are 'royalty', we still mostly practice monogamy in the modern day. Meaning that even if Mira and Zoey do have feelings for me, it doesn't matter because they're together now. And even if I have feelings for them, it doesn't matter because I want to be with you."

Furrowing his brow, Jinu can't hold his tongue despite her previous command.

"That doesn't make any sense though. You like me, sure… but you love them."

Rumi's eyes widen at that, her jaw dropping open and her face turning redder than ever, before she begins to sputter in response.

"W-What, t-that's not… you… I… I-I love you too!"

Jinu smiles softly at that and shakes his head.

"You've only known me for a collective total of two and a half weeks counting both timelines. Most of which I spent in a constant effort to manipulate and hurt you. You don't love me Rumi, you're infatuated with me."

For a long moment, Rumi just stares at him. Then, she gets teary eyed again for some reason!

"You… i-is that how you feel about me too?"

Blinking owlishly, Jinu shakes his head and responds without thinking.

"Oh no, I definitely love you. You gave me my soul back. I'd kill for you, Rumi, just so we're clear. But as previously mentioned, I'm a peasant and you're the equivalent of a Princess. It's expected that there's some imbalance and-"

SMACK!

And then she slaps him again!

"You… you big dumb IDIOT!"

And then she kisses him again!

Jinu thought he understood women. Frankly, he thought he understood Rumi. But good lord this is all starting to get rather confusing. Especially when after ending the kiss, Rumi clings to his shirt and just bangs her forehead into his chest a half dozen times like some sort of cute cat.

"… You okay Rumi?"

"N-No I'm not okay! You're seriously driving me up the wall here, Jinu! You can't just go around telling me my best friends are in love with me one moment and then tell me I'm not in love with you the next, you dork!"

Lifting her head from his chest, she gets in his face, really glowering at him.

"And how dare you tell me what I'm feeling for you, jackass! I'm allowed to fall in love quickly if I want to! That's my prerogative, got it?!"

Slowly blinking, Jinu just nods. He still doesn't necessarily agree, but he knows when to concede an argument, especially with Rumi.

"… Got it."

"Good!"

Rumi lets go of his shirt at long last and begins angrily cleaning up the dishes from breakfast. Watching her, Jinu scratches his cheek with a finger.

"… But you do love them too, Rumi."

Snarling, she bangs the plates into the sink a bit hard and whips back around to him.

"Yes! Yes, I fucking love them! But what does it matter? They have each other now!"

"But they want you to join them."

"But I want to be with you!"

"And I've already said I don't mind sharing you with them."

Finally, Rumi stops and just stares at him for a long moment, looking like she's a moment away from lunging in his direction again. Jinu prepares himself for another game of teleportation-tag, but instead of leaping at him, Rumi's shoulders slump.

"… What if you're wrong though? What if they don't want me like that? Or what if they do and make me choose between them and you?"

Jinu opens his mouth only for Rumi to snarl at him and raise a fist threateningly.

"And don't you dare say I should choose them in that scenario!"

Jinu closes his mouth. Even if that's exactly what he thinks she should do.

"Even if I did choose them, even if I s-sent you away or something… I would regret it for the rest of my life. And I'd resent them for making me do it too. But if I let them know I was interested only to turn around and choose YOU… it would ruin everything. It would be the end of HUNTR/X as we know it!"

With a groan, Rumi slumps down into the nearest chair and hangs her head, looking like a particularly wet cat.

"… I dunno what to do. How do I tell them any of this?"

Jinu hums for a moment… because once again the answer seems obvious to him and he's surprised it's not obvious to Rumi. But… he hates seeing her sad like this.

"You don't tell them."

Rumi's head snaps up, her face morphing into a confused look. Jinu just smiles.

"You sing it."

Blinking rapidly, Rumi's entire demeanor goes through a transformation as she rises from the chair.

"You mean…"

"Yeah. Gotta turn the Honmoon fully iridescent anyways, right? And I figured we'd use that song to do it. So why not also use that song to test just how deep your love for each other runs? Let all of your feelings out into the music. Let them see everything you are and hope they meet you halfway just like they did last time."

Rumi lets out a shuddering breath.

"… But I couldn't give them their memories of the future like you did for me. How will they know their lines?"

Scoffing, Jinu shakes his head.

"They didn't have them the first time around, did they? If it's meant to be… it's meant to be."

As far as endings to rousing peptalks go, it's probably not his best. But Rumi is desperate for anything at this point, so she gleefully latches onto the idea.

"A-Alright! Let's do it! But you need to play your Bipa for us, alright?"

Wait what? But Jinu doesn't get a chance to argue because Rumi is already moving, already on a mission.

Grabbing up her phone, she shoots off messages to her girls and then begins rushing all over the place getting things ready. Jinu just watches as she disappears for a second… and eventually comes out in her costume from the Idol Awards minus the jacket. Bare shoulders, bare arms, bare legs, bare abdomen.

It looks good on her, admittedly. So do her Rainbow Patterns, even if they're not as visible as they were on Future Rumi. Jinu grabs his Bipa, still not sure about playing the string instrument on such an important occasion… but it is what it is.

Zoey and Mira arrive up the elevator shortly after that looking nervous and uneasy still. Of course, they both freeze up like a pair of lovestruck fools when they see how Rumi is dressed. This time, Jinu is pretty sure even Rumi doesn't miss the signs. Though she also doesn't call them out, instead plowing onward.

"Alright girls! It's time to turn the Honmoon the rest of the way to Rainbow!"

Latching onto that, the other two hunters nod energetically.

"R-Right. Let's do it."

"Should we get into our own Golden Costumes?"

Licking her lips, Rumi eyes them both up and down for a moment… before shaking her head.

"N-No. That won't be necessary. This performance is just going to be for us. I just… needed to get into the right headspace is all."

Neither questions it. Zoey is all smiles as she chirps out a response.

"Okay! What are we singing exactly?"

Breathless, Rumi lets the words slip out in a tumble from her lips.

"New song. Something… completely new."

Mira frowns at that, crossing her arms over her chest.

"A new song? From the future?"

Her perceptiveness catches Rumi off guard a little bit, but she jerkily nods all the same.

"Y-Yeah… that's right."

That gets both girls a little more engaged. Even their current romantic troubles were nothing compared to the prospect of Future Music, apparently.

"That sounds awesome! What are the lyrics?"

"Yeah, sounds pretty sick. Does it have choreo we need to learn?"

Rumi hesitates for a moment… before shaking her head. Then, she offers out her hands. Both Mira and Zoey freeze up, but in the end they eventually force themselves forward and each take one of Rumi's hands. Instinctively, without even having to think about it, they take each other's last remaining hand as well.

"We didn't exactly work on this song at all. It just came tumbling out. And there was no choreo either because… well, we were fighting demons at the time. I think… I think if we're going to use it again, it has to be from the heart. Or maybe from the soul. I think… if I get us started, you two will be able to join in even if I couldn't give you your memories of the future. Jinu knows it too so… so he can help us out with his Bipa."

Jinu watches as Rumi licks her lips, her eyes darting between her two girls. He also watches as Mira and Zoey glance his way before sharing a look for a moment as some sort of understanding and resolve passes between them. They look back at their leader and nod in unison.

"Alright Rumi, sounds good."

"Start us off, we trust you."

Jinu smiles as Rumi blushes at their words, ducking her head for a moment. But then, with her head still down… she starts to sing all the same.

"Nothing but the truth now,

Nothing but the proof of what I am"

The reverberation on 'proof' rocks Zoey and Mira, Jinu can tell. To be fair, it rocks him back a little bit as well. Jinu starts to play around this point, strumming the Bipa and letting the music fill the background as Rumi sings.

"The worst of what I came from, patterns I'm ashamed of,

Things that even I don't understand"

Meanwhile, Mira and Zoey stand transfixed now, their mouths open, their eyes wide. Rumi's head came up on that last line and she's looking at them both as if she's trying to convey all of her worries, all of her fears, all of her hopes… all of her love.

"I tried to fix it, I tried to fight it,

My head was twisted, my heart divided"

It doesn't apply the same as it did in the stadium in that future that never was. But that doesn't mean it doesn't still work for this situation. Nor that it doesn't hit just as hard here in the penthouse with just the four of them.

"My lies all collided,

I don't know why I didn't trust you to be on my side…"

Zoey and Mira suck in sharp breaths, but the glow of their souls is obvious as they resonate with Rumi's words in a big way. After all, they're the ones keeping a secret now, or so they think. Worst kept secret in the world, but they tried at least.

"I broke into a million pieces, and I can't go back,

But now I'm seeing all the beauty in the broken glass"

There are tears streaming down Rumi's face, but also a big smile as she sings loud and proud, the words coming freely now, even as Jinu increases the tempo.

"The scars are part of me, darkness and harmony,

My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like!"

The moment of truth arrives. Will Zoey and Mira feel the music? Will they know the lines? Heh, to be perfectly honest… Jinu never had any doubt.

"Why did I cover up the colors stuck inside my head?"

The look on Zoey's face is hilarious though as the words spill forth from her lips. Mira too, a moment later.

"I should've let the jagged edges meet the light instead!"

Rumi though, is beaming from ear to ear even as she joins the two of them, all three coming together in harmony on the next lines.

"Show me what's underneath, I'll find your harmony

The song we couldn't write, this is what it sounds like!"

They're clinging to each other now, their knuckles white from how tightly they're hanging on to one another. Jinu keeps playing in the background even as he sees Rumi's patterns lighting up, even as he feels his own doing the same. And the Honmoon… of course, the Honmoon starts to react as well.

"We're shattering the silence, we're rising, defiant

Shouting in the quiet, "You're not alone"

We listened to the demons, we let them get between us

But none of us are out here on our own!"

These are very different circumstances than last time. Last time, the old Honmoon had already been torn asunder. Gwi-Ma had been summoned fully into the human world. Last time was desperation meeting hope made manifest… and it was a miracle it had worked at all.

"So we were cowards, so we were liars

So we're not heroes, we're still survivors!"

This time around, the old Honmoon is still fully intact, albeit already well on its way to being completely converted to the Rainbow Honmoon. Between his Bipa and the Honmoon, the need for an audience of souls to resonate with isn't quite so dire. Instead, this entire moment is so, so much more personal for all of them.

"The dreamers, the fighters, no lying, I'm tired

But dive in the fire, and I'll be right here by your side!"

They come together in another embrace on 'side' just like last time, though they don't have to fight through three hordes of demons to do it. The hug though… Jinu can't help but smile as he plucks his Bipa, providing moral and melodic support at the same time.

When they pull away this time, they go right back to holding each other's hands. There's no Demon King to turn to this go around. No Gwi-Ma to confront. All they have… is each other. And the Honmoon, of course.

"We broke into a million pieces, and we can't go back

But now we're seeing all the beauty in the broken glass

The scars are part of me, darkness and harmony

My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like (ah)!"

As Rumi and her girls sing the rest of 'What It Sounds Like', the Rainbow Honmoon glows brighter and brighter around both them and Jinu. The original Honmoon also glows bright, even as Jinu watches out of the corner of his eye as the spot of Rainbow where Celine had tried to imprison him just the other night starts to expand MUCH more rapidly.

"Why did we cover up the colors stuck inside our head?

Get up and let the jagged edges meet the light instead

Show me what's underneath, I'll find your harmony

Fearless and undefined, this is what it sounds like!"

By the time they're nearing the end of the song, the Honmoon within the penthouse is ALL Rainbow and has spread out from the Tower. And by the time they finish completely… it's done. The Rainbow Honmoon is ascendant. The three of them have done it.

"My voice without the lies, this is what it sounds like

Fearless and undefined, this is what it sounds like

Truth after all this time, our voices all combined

When darkness meets the light, this is what it sounds like!"

They go in for another three-way hug as the singing comes to an end and Jinu finishes off the music with one last pluck of his Bipa. Everything starts to settle and the moment is well and truly perfect.

Maybe that's why he gets a little ahead of himself and lets out a loud 'whoop!' while hoisting his Bipa into the air.

"Now kiss!"

All three girls whip their heads in his direction at that, with Rumi in particular looking DISTINCTLY unamused.

… Oops?

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A/N: Goddammit Jinu…

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