Tired from the exciting day at the amusement park, Minji overslept the following morning, but since it was Sunday, it didn’t really matter. She never wanted to get up when she was cuddled up to Baëkhyun’s body, relishing in the sense of safety and warmth that his embrace gave her. His clinginess didn’t exactly make it easier to leave the bed either and so they ended up lazing around until it was almost noon. Only then did she finally decide that she needed to get up.

Trudging to the bathroom, she took a quick shower and put on fresh clothes consisting of a much too large hoodie she’d stolen from Baëkhyun, and comfortable leggings. Since it was fall, she preferred wearing warmer clothes, and Baëkhyun owned lots of cozy hoodies. Convenient.

She brushed her long black hair, taking a look at her face in the mirror. Her cheeks were rosy, reflecting her happiness. She had been over the moon since she got to spend so much time with him, and she sometimes still couldn’t believe that it was all real. With a smile on her lips, she pulled up the long sleeve of the hoodie and uncovered the white star on her wrist that glowed softly whenever Baëkhyun was close by. Tracing its outline with her finger, she watched it glimmer.

However, she was suddenly torn from her thoughts when the doorbell rang, announcing a visitor. Surprised by this, she left the bathroom and went to the front door. She didn’t expect any guests, but since she already sensed a familiar trace of fire demon magic, she had a hunch who was standing in front of her door.

And she turned out to be right, coming face to face with Tao who was throwing her a worried and slightly irritated look. “Minji!” he exclaimed. “I was worried about you! Why did you just vanish for over a week?! I came by a few days ago but nobody was home.”

Guilt overcame her, and she realized that she should have at least called or texted him to tell him she was alright. Somehow, she had been so busy with Baëkhyun and their new bond that it hadn’t even struck her mind.

“I’m sorry,” she said, pulling him into a hug. “I just… I had some things to sort out. A lot happened this past week.” She decided to leave her little trip to hell out of the picture for now since that would only freak him out more.

He hugged her tightly and patted her back. “You should have said something. I was already expecting the worst,” he said, but then he stilled, concentrating on something he hadn’t noticed before. The air around her flat was layered with a hint of light magic and he noticed that her aura had changed. It was different than it had been when he’d last seen her. Letting go of her, he took a step back and observed her with scrunched brows. His eyes got stuck on the oversized black hoodie she was wearing and widened.

He took her hand and pulled up the sleeve to uncover the mark on her wrist. “Y-You… you are bonded again? Since when?” he whispered in shock. “And to whom?”

“Tao, calm down,” she tried to reassure him. “It’s fine… it’s just… Why don’t you come in so we can talk properly?”

He cursed under his breath but complied and followed her into the living room. “Now explain what’s going on!” he said in a sharp tone that conveyed his irritation mixed with his worry.

The light magic flooding the apartment suddenly changed, sizzling and pulsing angrily. She straightened her back, cringing since she knew that the next few minutes would be anything but pleasant. As expected, Baëkhyun appeared behind her, his eyes narrowing at Tao who he stared down.

“What is this commotion here?” he spat, making sure to pull Minji away from Tao. He put himself between them, shooting the hunter a hateful glower.

Tao clenched his jaw. “I was just dropping by to visit my friend. Let me guess, you are Baëkhyun, the who left her alone for a whole month,” he hissed, a flame over his hand as his anger rose. “Do you know how badly you hurt her? Do you have any idea what this woman went through because of you? Selfish bastard!”

Baëkhyun tensed. Minji decided that it was better to interfere before they actually started a fight, moving in between them. “Tao, please. Don’t… don’t bring that up now,” she pleaded.

Instead of sitting down so they could talk it out, the two men stood in the middle of the room and stared each other down. Minji suppressed a sigh, taking note of the wild magic that swept through her flat. She caught a glimpse of Mochi hiding in the next room, deciding it was better to stay away.

“Why did you suddenly come back, huh?” Tao yelled. “Why, after you hurt her so much?”

“Shut the up, you have no idea what you’re even talking about!” Baëkhyun thundered, clenching his hands into fists. His bloodred eyes were fixed on Tao, and he looked furious through and through. However, when guilt and regret began to weigh on her chest, she knew that he was hiding his true feelings about the matter. She was the only person he couldn’t fool.

“How dare you show up here! A ing demon hunter has no right to be anywhere near her!” Baëkhyun snapped furiously. “You’re responsible for putting her in danger countless times and I should kill you for that! Why would you invite a human on your stupid hunts, huh?”

“I always made sure she’s safe!” Tao defended himself.

“No, you didn’t! If I hadn’t interfered when that high-class demon found her in the forest, she would have been murdered by him! You were nowhere near her and you could not have helped her in time,” Baëkhyun countered. His temper was getting the best of him.

The tension in the room spiked. Icy silence hung over them and nobody moved for a few seconds until Baëkhyun’s anger exploded. Hot light magic shot towards Tao who shielded himself with fire.

“Stay the away from her, you dirty hunter,” he snarled. She hadn’t seen him this furious since they had fought Chängho weeks back, and his burning hatred shocked her. He hardly knew Tao, yet he treated him like he was a terrible person.

“Are you asking for a fight?” Tao countered, riled up by his aggressiveness. “I would kill you without hesitation if you weren’t bonded to her.”

A terrifying growl resounded through the living room. The air was loaded with sparkling light magic, only waiting to rip Tao apart, and she couldn’t let that happen. “Calm down, please!” she interfered and took Baëkhyun’s hand, forcing him to dim his magic as not to hurt her by accident.

His bloodred eyes pierced her, looked feral when he stared at her. She flinched, but she made sure to hold on tightly to his arm to prevent him from attacking. “Don’t hurt him,” she said.

“Minji, he is a hunter and he is going to kill you sooner or later if I don’t do something,” he snapped and scowled, his eyes moving to Tao to make sure he didn’t move from his spot. “He’s endangered your life often enough in the past.”

“He wouldn’t kill me,” she insisted. “Just trust me!”

“You don’t understand,” he retorted icily. “That’s what hunters do… they lull you into a false sense of security and then they strike mercilessly. You’re not getting anywhere near this bastard. Never again.” To prove his point, he once more shoved her behind him and threw her a harsh stare over his shoulder.

Tao watched their exchange with narrowed eyes, not understanding why Minji had agreed to get bonded to him again after what had happened. In his opinion, she’d made the wrong decision since the demon was clearly too violent and dangerous for her to be around.

“I would never kill her,” Tao cut in, glaring at Baëkhyun. “And I would never hurt her either, other than you.”

Minji could almost see the last restraint Baëkhyun still had on himself snap in half. His fists were shaking, eyes blazing. “Shut. The. . Up,” he snarled. Now his anger drowned out his guilt. She sensed it, felt its boiling heat within her heart.

Helplessly, she watched as the two were about to fight, desperate tears pricking at her eyes. Why didn’t anyone listen to her? Why couldn’t they just talk it out like normal people? It wasn’t necessary to tear each other apart.

“Stop it!” she yelled, but they still didn’t listen, glaring at each other as the magic around her began to sizzle and buzz. If they started a fight in her flat, not only would it be destroyed, but other people might be hurt and that couldn’t happen.

Her tears spilled over, running down her cheeks. “Please, just stop,” she sniffled, tugging at Baëkhyun’s shirt and gazing pleadingly at Tao. Baëkhyun’s reddish eyes widened, his strong magic calming. The light that had been glowing in his palms disappeared. Tao scoffed when she hugged Baëkhyun’s waist, but he didn’t say anything, looking somewhere else.

“Let’s talk about this calmly, okay?” she said, rubbing her teary eyes. Baëkhyun the back of her head that she leaned on his chest and heaved a deep sigh.

“If it means that much to you,” he grumbled, not happy with this situation, but at least the worst of his fury had disappeared. Nonetheless, she felt his magic permeating the air, invisible yet ready to strike. It was like a blanket lying over her, and it would have made her feel protected if it hadn’t been for the fact that Tao was her friend and not an enemy.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, feeling relieved that the immediate danger had passed. Baëkhyun was like a raging storm sometimes when his fury surfaced, and even she had trouble holding him back. She hoped that he’d refrain from hurting Tao.

While she understood Baëkhyun’s hatred for demon hunters, she thought that he shouldn’t judge Tao too soon. He was a friend of hers and safe to be around. It was obvious that they wouldn’t ever get along, but she hoped they could at least learn to tolerate each other in the future.

Now that the demonic magic had calmed, Mochi dared to stick its head out the kitchen and looked at them curiously. Minji quickly walked over and picked it up, cradling the small cat to her chest. She petted its head, smiling to herself when it began to purr contently.

“You meanies scared our baby away,” she said and cuddled Mochi. “Our cute little baby.”

Tao coughed. “Y-Your baby?” he forced out, his jaw dropping to the floor. His gaze moved from her to Baëkhyun. He stared. “H-How?” he sputtered.

Baëkhyun rolled his eyes and sighed. “For a hunter, you are quite stupid.”

Minji didn’t get what they meant. “What are you talking about?”

“You don’t want to know,” Baëkhyun snorted. “He’s an idiot. Period.”

“Where exactly did that cat come from?” Tao asked.

She shrugged. “I don’t kno