There are some days when life and you just want to bail; for Jisoo who was now sitting on her chair and watching Taehyung possibly feed the rabid fangirls around them with reason to kill her, these are one of those days.

"You've met before?" Jimin asked, eyeing her curiously.

"Y-yeah," Jisoo answered curtly as she turned her attention towards her plate, hoping the topic would stop there.

"I asked you to be my girlfriend."

She choked on the kimchi she just ate while Jimin and Jungkook stared at the blonde boy with the boxy smile as if he just grew two heads in front of them.

"What the heck are you talking about?!" She hissed after downing the glass of water Jimin offered.

"Is this true?" Jungkook asked wide-eyed, shifting his gaze between the two. He was surprised to learn his friend liked someone, Taehyung never told him anything "Why didn't you tell me-"

"I thought I said no." Jisoo spoke, her eyes warily scanning the tables around them " I thought you understood that."

The jerk has done it now, he has hastened her death sentence.

"I understood." Taehyung smirked before a grin appeared on his face "But I reject rejection."

Jisoo stared at him in disbelief. "You don't even know me!"

"It was love at first sight."

"Yeah right, Do you even know my name?" She scoffed.

"Kang Jisoo," Taehyung answered proudly, his arms crossed.

She raised an eyebrow at him "You got that from my locker didn't you?"

"It's not illegal." The boy shrugged before leaning into the table with his arms, challenging her into a stare-off with a smug look on his face.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Jisoo gritted her teeth as she looked away in annoyance. She could feel her face heating up and she didn't like it one bit. She didn't know how a boy could manage to be so attractive yet so irritating at the same time.

What was happening to her? She didn't see him as an eye-candy before when Hyeri pointed at him the first time so why was she feeling different now?

"No." She uttered, leaning into her seat with a firm look on her face. "I don't want to be your girlfriend."

"What is this?! Do I hear Taehyung asking a girl out and getting rejected?"

A lively laugh caught the group's attention, their heads shifting towards a beaming Hoseok whose eyes were glinting with amusement. Behind him were the school's academic king and Jisoo's Kimchi Hero.

The ray of sunshine met her eyes and he smiled blinding her with his perfect set of white teeth "Oh, Hi! You're that girl yesterday!" He waved.

"How unbecoming of a 'Kim'." Namjoon eyed Taehyung in disappointment as he folded his arms. It's as if he expected all 'Kim's' to be successful in life just because they have the same surname as him.

The arrogant look on his face made her blood boil as she remembered how he mocked her yesterday.

Her gaze turned towards the onlookers and she shifted on her seat uncomfortably, the attention pouring into their direction has now immensely grown with six of Demian's most beloved students crowding in their table.

'Great'

Now Yoongi just has to come in and she's collected all the pokemon in this school. Gotta catch them all, you know?

"Look, I do not have time for this." She uttered, standing up from her seat and grabbing her bag. 

She has more important things to do than talking to Kim Taehyung or drowning herself in anger at the sight of Namjoon's face. Finding the rest of the demons is a hundred times more important than anything.

"Where are you going?" Taehyung grabbed her wrist before she could step out of the door. He looked awfully annoyed.

"Will you let go." She uttered, matching his sharp glare.

She couldn't understand why he was so adamant to make her his girlfriend, it isn't funny anymore.

Taehyung laughed "I don't know why you don't like me." He uttered before saying something Jisoo thought he'd only hear in dramas.

"I'm Kim Taehyung." The blonde boy said pointing at himself "Can't you see I'm a catch? How could you reject someone like me?"

Jisoo's jaw dropped in disbelief. It was obvious someone like him would say it, she just couldn't believe she was hearing it right now.

Her gaze went to Jungkook who sported the same expression as she was "Is this boy for real?" She asked him.

"S-sorry, he's not usually like this," Jungkook uttered, his ears red from embarrassment.

"Let's go Taehyung." The bespectacled boy uttered, holding his friend's arm only to be pushed aside.

"No, I'm not finished yet!"

"Oww," She winced as the guy tightened the grip on her wrist "Stop, you're hurting me-"

"Hey!" Jimin stood between them, forehead creased as he grabbed Taehyung firmly by the shoulder. "She told you to let go." 

"Who the heck are you?!"

Jisoo gasped as Taehyung pushed Jimin away, the tension around them starting to rise.

"I'm her friend-"

"Yeah, just a friend." Taehyung gibed "So why don't you mind your own business, go wait some tables at a cafe-"

A punch landed on the blonde boy's face earning a gasp from everyone as he staggered back on the floor.

"Say that again you bastard?!" Jimin uttered, gritting his teeth as he glared down at the boy who taunted him.

"Stop it, you two!" Jisoo hollered, frantically pulling her friend from the blonde boy's collar.

"What?!" Taehyung smirked as Jungkook helped him up. "Does waiting tables not give you enough money anymore? I can give you some if you beg for it!"

"You-"

"Please stop it! Please!" Jisoo caged Jimin from the back, she could feel him shake with anger, like a kettle about to blow off.

"Let's go" She uttered softly "Please, let's just leave..." she said pulling him out of the door.

"What?!-"

"Tae, stop it already!" Jungkook spoke firmly, blocking the entrance.

"What are you all looking at?!" Taehyung glared at the staring crowd making them cower in fear. He turned towards the door with hands on his hips, blowing off air to control his anger.

"Tae, you've crossed the line." Jungkook said, holding him solemnly by the shoulder "You shouldn't have said that-"

"Shut up!" The blonde boy hissed.

"Tae!" Jungkook called his friend worriedly, following him out of the canteen.

"That... escalated really really quickly," Hoseok uttered, an astonished look plastered on his face as he turned towards Namjoon and Jin.

"This is why I told you not to bother talking to the likes of them," Namjoon uttered, shaking his head before taking his seat at their table.

"What?" Hosoek asked, giving Jin who was innocently biting on his sandwich a puzzled look "Did I do something wrong? I was just saying hi."

"Let's just go and eat. Their problem is not ours." Jin uttered.

"What? What do you mean it's not ours? Taehyung's our friend, right?" Hosoek said as he tailed behind the boy with pink hair "and Jungkook is too! "

Jisoo watched the furious Jimin mutter curses as they walked away from the canteen, the intimidating look on his face scaring off girls that tried to say hi as they trudged the hallway. He was still holding her hand and she couldn't find a way to tell him, afraid that he'd explode like a grenade if she talked.

She looked back just in time to see Taehyung storming out of the canteen and Jungkook following behind him. By the entrance stood a puzzled looking Hosoek with Jin; cutely resembling an alpaca as he munched on his food, and Namjoon wearing a stoic look on his face.

"What's wrong?" Jimin asked, noticing the nervous glint in her eyes.

"N-nothing." Jisoo smiled in reply "I'm fine."

'Pride and Gluttony.'

What was supposed to be a normal picture of an aftermath of a fight was made peculiar by the golden lion tattooed on Namjoon's neck and the pink boar on Jin's cheek.

______________

Jisoo looked like she was watching a group of schoolmates do a practice match from the bleachers, her eyes busily following the soccer ball from player to player. Truthfully, her head was full of thoughts about the seven demons and how they pick their hosts.

Right now she's found the demon of Sloth with Yoongi, Wrath with Jungkook, Pride with Namjoon, and Gluttony with Jin. All of the hosts have one thing in common, they were all Demian's popular students.

The question that's remained unanswered in her head: why them?

Jisoo groaned in exasperation, she should have asked Saeron about this. Unfortunately, the angel couldn't enter the school because of the barrier.

She bit her bottom lip, staring intensely as one of the players scored. If, for some very bizarre reason the demons do choose their hosts based on popularity, then does that mean that Jimin, Taehyung, and Hosoek are hosting demons too?

Or was it just purely coincidental that some of the hosts are popular?

"You!" Hyeri's voice startled her out of her thoughts, her eyes landing on the girl who pointed an accusing finger at her.

She blushed shyly, giving the disgruntled watchers around her an apologetic smile.

"Come with me!" Hyeri uttered pulling her out of the crowd and behind the nearest tree. The girl scanned their surroundings for potential eavesdroppers before grabbing the witch's shoulder.

A high-pitched, fangirl scream came out of making Jisoo cover her ears.

"Calm down, Hyeri!" The witch uttered, "What is going on?!"

Hyeri's eyes grew like saucers, her face full of disbelief as she shook Jisoo by the arm.

"Are you listening to yourself? What is going on?! That is my question! I didn't join you for lunch for just two days and I get a rumor that YOU are friends with Demian's beloved students?!"

Hyeri sighed dreamily clasping her hands "How was it?" She asked,

"Was it thrilling to be stared at by Jungkook? Did the carrot slices that Jimin shared taste like sweet apple tarts? Did your heart get all excited when Taehyung asked you to be his girlfriend?"

"What?! I think you misunder-"

"Or Do you feel like a goddess when Sunshine Hosoek, Prince Jin and King Namjoon poured their attention on you?!"

"Hyeri, I-"

"Oh! Come on, Jisoo! Tell me!" Hyeri grabbed her arm again, her face beaming with excitement "How does it feel?! How did you do it?! Oh, you have to introduce me too, pleaaaseee!"

"HYERI!"

Her friend flinched at the sudden rise of her voice. Jisoo sighed as she met her eyes "I do not know what you heard but it was awful."

"Awful?" She blinked, the word unable to process in her head "How are meeting Demian's popular boys awful?"

"Oh, Hyeri." Jisoo's face turned sour at the thought that she had to disappoint her.

"Oh gosh, that is awful!" Hyeri cried dejectedly as she leaned on Jisoo's shoulders.

They were now sitting on a bench at the school's back garden where Jisoo spent a couple of minutes explaining to Hyeri what really happened at the canteen, omitting the part of the glowing tattoos of course.

"I can't believe, Tae would say that to Jimin." Hyeri sat straight. "He knows how sensitive Jimin is about money. They're cousins, you know-"

"What?!" Jisoo turned abruptly at her friend, her eyes almost bulging out of her sockets. "Repeat that, what did you say?"

"I can't believe-"

"No, not that, after that."

"He knows-"

"No, no" Jisoo waved her hand "The last one!"

"They're cousins-"

"They're cousins?!"

Hyeri blinked "Yeah" she answered before grinning sheepishly "I forgot to tell you on your first day of school but everyone in Demian knows about it."

"Then why do they act as if they don't know each other?"

"Their families aren't that friendly despite being related, you know?"

An idea popped out of Jisoo's head, the missing lines of her unanswered question suddenly becoming clear.

"Hyeri..." Jisoo uttered as if she had just solved the hardest mathematical formula on earth "Perhaps, either business or blood, are the boys... all related to each other?"

Hyeri's simple nod blew her brains out.

"Namjoon's family's legal firm are Hosoek and Jin's fathers' legal consultant. Taehyung's family is business partners with Hosoek's, and their families are friends with Jungkook's. Jimin's Mother and Taehyung's father are siblings, and Jin is the only person Yoongi tolerates so they're friends."

Jisoo felt her jaw drop as Hyeri finished her explanation.

"That's it, though I can't tell you why Jimin and Tae's family has a sour relationship because no one really knows anything except that Jimin's mother just suddenly cut ties with her family."

"N-no, it's okay" Jisoo uttered, "I understand."

It now makes sense to her why four of the hosts were chosen, because they were either friends or blood relatives, and Saeron told her that the demons have to stay close to be stronger.

"Hyeri... listen." Jisoo stood up from her seat "I have to leave."

"What? Wher- Hey!"

Jisoo ran towards the greenhouse cafe praying that Jimin would be there, this time of day was when he usually would hang out at the place. After hearing Hyeri's story it's more than possible that the remaining three were hosts too.

That means...Jimin, he hosts a demon. She must not have seen it because he wasn't exhibiting the symptoms or she just wasn't around when it did. It's also a problem that the demon's mark doesn't stay in one spot of the body.

"Jimin..." She whispered worriedly.

Jisoo's tracks were stopped when she saw two familiar figures going her direction. Her forehead creased when she realized who it was.

Taehyung and his girlfriend.

"Tae! Wait, please! " The girl called, grabbing the blonde boy's arms with tears streaming down her face.

"Leave me alone, Lin!" Taehyung spoke in annoyance, swatting the girl's hand off him "What do you not understand about a break-up?!"

"I d-don't understand..." Lin sobbed as she wiped her tears, the poor girl had her mascara ruined and Jisoo suddenly felt pity growing in her heart "W-we were fine yesterday."

"Yeah and things change, so we are done!"

'Oh, wow...' Jisoo thought awkwardly.

She wasn't sure whether to go back where she came from or just wait and watch until they finished. She didn't think it would be possible to pass by while the two were fighting.

"Look I made a mistake..." The annoyed look on Taehyung's face turned solemn.

Jisoo was sure she saw a mixture of pity and confusion in his eyes as he gazed at Lin, almost as if he was sorry this was happening.

"I don't know you and we just met yesterday." The boy grabbed Lin's arms, his eyes asking for her to understand "I don't know why I did it but it wasn't right to ask you out, so let's stop this."

"But I like you!" Lin cried as she held on to Taehyung's shirt "I really do..."

"Lin, I'm sorry..." Taehyung uttered, "but I don't feel the same way."

Lin ran off from him in a mess of tears and an exhausted sigh of relief escaped his lips as he watched his now ex-girlfriend's silhouette disappear.

Taehyung closed his eyes and massaged his aching temples. He didn't know what was happening to him. One moment he was normal, then he blacks out after a very bad headache and finds himself making out with a girl he barely knows.

He froze when his gaze landed on a familiar pair of dark, fox-like eyes, pinkish pouty lips, and waist-length hair that framed a beautifully structured face. The girl looked as surprised as him when their eyes met but her expression soon turned to worry.

"You saw the whole thing." He chuckled helplessly.

"I.." Jisoo scratched the back of her head in embarrassment "didn't mean to."

"Look," He uttered, looking at her sincerely "my memory is all fuzzy, I don't know why I asked you to be my girlfriend earlier but can you please act like I didn't do that?"

A smile curved on before she parted her lips and pulled a puzzled look on her face.

"Huh? I don't know what you're talking about." She crossed her arms and shrugged. "I just met you at the lockers and that was it. We didn't talk and went to our respected classrooms."

The boy felt the weight on his shoulders disappear and a grin flashed on his face. He covered the distance between them before lifting his hand for a handshake.

"I'm Kim Taehyung." He said, an amused look plastered on his face "You are?"

"Kang Jisoo." She smiled in reply.

The spring-like scene of both of them smiling in the middle of a brick-paved path surrounded by rose bushes and healthy green trees was immediately shattered by Taehyung's sudden stagger. Jisoo grabbed his arm in panic, placing it around her neck to support him.

"A-are you okay?" She asked wide-eyed, his heaviness forcing her to bring him to the side where he could sit on the grass and prop his back on a tree trunk.

"I-I'm fine." The blonde boy winced as he grabbed his temples "J-just a headache."

'A symptom' All the other hosts had headaches. She wasn't sure about Jin and Yoongi but considering Jungkook and Namjoom had them, then the former pair's symptom must have kicked in when she wasn't around.

"How long have you been having the headaches?"

"The night before y-yesterday." Taehyung's answer confirmed her suspicion.

'The same night I chanted the spell' 

The blonde boy turned silent and her frantic hands went to the phone in her pocket. He must have fainted because of the pain.

"I-I'll call the clinic, Tae, please hold on-"

She flinched when he suddenly grabbed her wrist before she could dial the school's emergency number.

"What are you-"

Jisoo's gaze landed on the purple deer tattoo glowing on the back of Taehyung's hand, and her face paled in fear as she met the mischievous glint in his eyes.

It was back. The feeling of being seduced by his gaze. The way all his movements; something as simple as smiling, looked very attractive to her. Even without the demon mark, she should have known who he was hosting.

'lust'.

"Tae..." she uttered, her heart beating nervously like a drum.

Taehyung pulled her in a split second and before her head could process what he was about to do, their lips crashed.

Jisoo could feel her body heat up as Taehyung's lips moved aggressively on hers. Her sudden gasp as he bit her lower lip allowing him to slip his tongue inside her, deepening the kiss.

More, she wanted more, like a dangerous drug she was begging for it. She was delirious, her hand resting on his chest unconsciously sliding up to his shoulder. A smirk tugged on his lips when she finally answered his kisses.

It was not until his lips traveled from the side of her chin to the base of her neck that she woke up from her bewitchment.

Jisoo felt as if someone splashed ice cold water on her face, a shiver running down her spine as she realized what she had done, or more importantly what they were doing.

"Tae!" She gasped, pushing the blonde boy who was busy peppering her neck with kisses.

Taehyung groaned, grabbing the hands she used to push him "What is it, kitty?" He asked in a daze, his deep voice almost intoxicating.

"I-I" she stuttered, avoiding his lustful eyes "This is wrong, we should stop-"

"Stop?" He chuckled, "Kitty...I can't stop."

"N-no, Taehyung, this is not you- listen to me!"

He leaned forward, his tongue glancing on her earlobe as he locked his arms on her waist to restrain her. The wheels on Jisoo's head turned as she struggled to push him again only to fail, her strength obviously no match for his.

She flinched when she felt his hand fiddle on the buttons of her uniform, and in a panic, she said the only spell that came to mind.

"Somnus!"

Taehyung dropped on the ground and she stared wide-eyed at his now sleeping figure.

'It worked!'

Who would have thought that the spell Saeron taught her to make demons sleep would also work on hosts as long as their demon marks are glowing.

Jisoo cleared , fanning her reddish cheeks as she frantically dialed the school's emergency number.

______________

Jisoo stood in front of an abandoned building, her eyes scanning the bare wall where the door of 'Peaches and Cream' Antique Shop once was.

A shiver run down her spine as hundreds of frantic thoughts entered her head. It was gone, the shop where it all started was gone. It's as if it existed just for a specific reason and now that its purpose has been fulfilled, it completely disappeared without leaving a trace.

"Ah, nostalgia."

Jisoo turned and met the eyes of the man behind her, the frame of his silver specs glinting against the moonlight.

"H-Hyun!"

"I'm sorry if I startled you." The man chuckled as he folded his arms. "I was just happy to see I wasn't the only one who missed the shop."

She froze as her eyes landed on the glowing dark blanket that covered his figure, it wasn't visible to normal eyes but she could see the pair of horns on his head and the animated tail behind him. The aura of a demon.

"You-" Jisoo felt her knees shake as she took a step back "W-who are you..."

"Oh, I forgot a witch like you can see through a demon." Hyun laughed, waving his hand "I'm a harmless underworlder, so relax."

"The shop..." she uttered, her heart beating nervously inside her chest "You planned it all."

"Nope." Hyun tutted "I followed the plan made by my boss, and you," he pointed at her with a grin "fell for it."

Jisoo's forehead creased, her eyes glowing an angry silver as she willed the sharp pieces of broken glass from the building's windows to float.

"You!" She hissed "Do you know how many people are suffering because-"

"Oops!" Hyun shook her head, the grin on his face still intact "Are you really going to use magic in front of normal humans?"

As if on cue, a shadow ran past behind him followed by a screaming lady and a policeman.

The floating shards dropped on the ground before anyone could notice and Hyun laughed at the horrified look on her face.

"You saw that too, right?!" Hyun mused as he pointed at the running shadow "The demon mark on that thief's neck"

"Pick, little miss." The demon in front of him uttered "Are you going to waste time with me? Or help your friend from getting caught?"

"F-friend."

"If you take my directions you'll arrive just in time to save him."

Jisoo cursed as she ran through the dark street, heart pounding painfully in her chest as her lung screamed for oxygen. If finding the hosts weren't her priority right now she'd be jabbing pieces of glass on that demon shop owner's face.

She took a right turn on the narrower part of the alley just in time to grab the man with the glowing green snake on his neck. She threw the bag he stole on the other side of the street to divert the policeman's attention.

"Hey-"

"Shut up! They'll find us!" She whispered, covering the thief's mouth before he could say another word.

Sweat trickled down her cheek as she waited for the policeman and the woman to find the bag, making a minute pass to make sure they were gone before unhanding the man he captured.

Her eyes met with familiar dark orbs, the man's face flashing the same surprised expression as she was

Her heart broke as his name escaped her lips "Jimin...

__________

A/N: I finally finished writing this chapter T.T it was sooo hard. 🤣 Do tell me your thoughts about this? 😊💜