i. the first time

Byul’s first time was with a shaman in what was then the Goryeo kingdom. One minute, she was lounging in Hell with her sisters, the next thing she knew she was face to face with a middle aged woman who was staring expectantly at her with a bowl of pig’s blood sitting between them. Something like dried rice grains floating in the liquid.

“I summoned you, demon,” the shaman intoned, “to strike a deal and save my village in exchange for this blood sacrifice.” Byul gently sniffed at the bowl of blood, doing her best not to flinch when the metallic smell assaulted her nose.

She spent a few moments looking around the small hut, at the candles that covered every available surface, and finally, at the carefully drawn pentagram below her, drawn in chalk and clay with offerings at each point before her brain finally caught on to what was happening.

Her first summoning. 

It was fun, all things considered. She granted the shaman’s village rich crops and healthy livestock and gave the shaman the ability to communicate with spirits from beyond the grave. Not long after, she was summoned again, by a different shaman from a different village and throughout those first few centuries she granted healthy crops, or helped emperors defeat their enemies, once she was even summoned to return a loved one back from the grave. That one turned out horribly, and she preferred not to look back on it.

Back then, the summoning itself didn’t bother her, as a demon she supposed it was an occupational hazard. It would be a lie though, to say that she wasn’t thankful when the proper summoning rituals were lost to time and age through the centuries. 

Still, every now and then, a group of giddy middle schoolers will stumble upon the right steps on the internet. Or a wannabe satanist will come across an old book that actually has the correct words. Now, when it happens Byul hates it.

She prefers not being summoned at all.

ii. while watching TV

Beside Byul, Wheein was on the edge of her seat, a pillow hugged tight to her chest while the TV played the latest episode in a new drama series she stumbled upon the other day. She could feel Wheein’s tail wagging incessantly as it thumped against the side of her arm. In the background, their microwave beeped softly. Wheein poked Byul’s side with her elbow.

“What?” the demon asked, equally transfixed to what was happening on the screen.

“Popcorn.” Wheein said, by way of explanation. She held back a gasp when the two leads passed each other on the street but failed to recognize the other. Damn these time-travelling romances. 

She knew it was a lost cause, but Byul tried anyway, “No way, I was the one who set it up, you should be the one to get it out.” There was a lull in the story on TV, a side plot set in the other timeline, Wheein took this opportunity to look at her and subject Byul to the full force of her pleading brown eyes. Byul resisted for all of five seconds before rolling her eyes and standing up.

Back on the sofa, Wheein laughed in triumph. “Thank you, Unnie!” Byul shook her head as she walked over to their kitchen. While she transferred their popcorn into a large bowl, she felt an odd tugging sensation at her nape, like gravity pulling her towards its center.

She stretched out a non-existent crick in her neck and turned to walk back to the sofa, bowl of popcorn in hand. Before she could take another step, she vanished from the apartment, their bowl of popcorn crashing to the kitchen floor. 

“What was that?” Yongsun’s voice called from upstairs.

Wheein peeked her head around the shelf, took one look at the mess and sighed, she paused the drama and stood up. “Nothing!” She said, heading towards their door and unlocking it first before crouching down to start cleaning the mess in the kitchen, picking up the scattered popcorn kernels and dutifully placing them back in the bowl.

When Byul opened her eyes, it was to the sound of startled screams and the feeling of grass under her legs. She looked around and recognized the skyline that surrounded Seoul’s National Cemetery.

“Y-you aren’t my grandfather!” A male voice said, pointing an accusing finger at her. 

Byul sighed, flopping down on the grass and trying to stamp down her frustration. “You think?” Byul said, her sarcasm coming out as a growl. When she sat back up, she looked around at her summoners. They looked to be a group of college students, most of them boys. 

“I don’t understand!” The male student from earlier said, flashlight pointing down at a piece of paper he was holding. “I followed the instructions perfectly, I even sliced my palm with my grandfather’s old knife!” Beside him, his friends were staring warily at her, some of them pointedly looking at her horns.

Mostly because she was annoyed at being pulled from watching TV, Byul let her eyes flash red, and took some pleasure at hearing all of them gasp in fear. She stood up and dusted herself off before walking over the student, grabbing the piece of paper, and holding it over one of the candles around the pentagram that summoned her, watching it turn to ash. “Don’t believe everything you download off the internet.” Byul said.

“And leave the dead alone!” She called out to the group as she walked away toward the cemetery’s east exit. 

It took almost an hour to hail a cab and get back to their apartment building. By the time she reached the door, finding it thankfully unlocked, she poked her head in and saw Wheein napping lightly in front of the TV, half-eaten bowl of popcorn balancing on her lap while the TV kept playing the drama they were watching. 

She reclaimed her earlier position and rewinded all the way back to the episode she stopped at, grabbing the bowl of popcorn and pressing play while Wheein continued sleeping peacefully beside her. 

iii. while grocery shopping

It was rare that Hyejin had to go out during the day. Thankfully, the myth of vampires bursting into a cloud of dust in the sunlight was completely false, but she would get sick for at least a week after if she stayed out too long. 

Today was one of those rare cases. Byul had caught the vampire eating the last of Wheein’s favorite noodles. When she pointed it out, the vampire stared wide-eyed at her before grabbing her wallet and begging that Byul accompany her to the grocery so she could buy more before Wheein came home.

“Thanks for coming with me, Byulie-unnie.” Hyejin mumbled. Gripping her umbrella tightly as she readjusted her sunglasses. It was a cloudy day, but just the ten minute walk to the nearest grocery was already giving her a headache. 

“You could have just given me money, you know,” Byul said, staring at the vampire with no small amount of concern. “I could have run to the store and bought the noodles myself.”

Hyejin resolutely shook her head  “I made the mistake, Unnie. I have to be the one to fix it.”

Byul sighed but let the subject drop. When they reached the grocery, she had to run inside to find the manager and then drag him back outside to where Hyejin was patiently waiting. A pained furrow on her brow. 

“Please invite my friend inside to enter your store,” Byul said, bowing slightly. Hyejin bowed too, taking great care to make sure her umbrella didn’t smack anyone in the face. The manager raised both eyebrows in surprise before addressing Byul.

“Why didn’t you just do the purchasing for her?”

Byul stared pointedly at Hyejin before shrugging at the manager. He stared at them curiously for a few more seconds before sighing and inviting Hyejin inside.

“That never gets any easier,” Hyejin said as she stowed away her umbrella. Inside the store she seemed less pained, but it was still early in the afternoon, and Byul wanted to get her home as soon as possible.

They were walking along the aisle full of instant noodles when she felt the familiar tugging sensation again. “Oh no.”

“What is it?” Hyejin asked, pulling out the one they needed. When the vampire turned to look beside her, Byul was already gone.

This time, when Byul opened her eyes, she appeared to be in an abandoned hospital, a circle of high school girls still in their uniforms staring at her wide eyed. 

“It worked.” One of them mumbled, looking stunned. Byul sighed, and ran a few fingers through her hair, past her horns. “Shouldn’t you girls be in school?” She asked, already getting up to leave and hoping that Hyejin would make it home alright. 

“No--wait!” A different girl said, holding up an old book, there was a library sticker at the lower base of the spine, “we summoned you! That means you have to do our bidding right?”

Byul snorted, dusting off her jeans and looking around at the dilapidated state of the building they were in. The stench of mildew and dust was heavy in the air, all the walls were discolored and peeling, some graffiti scattered here and there. The floor was covered in a thick layer of dust and various hospital equipment and papers left over from when the facilities were still in use.

“You girls wanted to make a deal with a demon?” She asks incredulously, “in here?” 

“There was a rumor that a demon haunted this hospital, causing one of the doctors to start murdering the patients.” One of the girls said, her tone somber, “And we heard that if you successfully summoned a demon, it would grant you a wish.”

Byul couldn’t help but scoff. 

“If you are the demon of this hospital,” another girl said, defiant now, “we summoned you, so you have to do what we say and grant us our wishes.

“First of all,” Byul said, “if there was a demon in this hospital, you girls should be glad they didn’t appear to do you harm.” She carefully side-stepped the students and their shocked faces, “Secondly, I’m not a genie,” she said, more than a little annoyed, “I don’t grant wishes, I make deals. I’m sure a bunch of high schoolers like you wouldn’t be ready to pay the price needed to strike a deal with me.”

As she walked away, she turned around just enough to stick a forked tongue out at the high schoolers, leaving cries of frustration in her wake.

When she reached the apartment,  Wheein was already home, happily slurping away at a bowl of noodles while Hyejin was getting ready to leave for her job. “Hyejin-ah! I’m sorry, I didn’t--”

“It’s okay, Unnie!” Hyejin said as she chuckled, walking past with a towel wrapped around her hair. “When I got home, Yongsun-unnie explained what must have happened. I’m glad you’re okay.”

“What were you doing out anyway?” Wheein asked over a mouthful of noodles. Byul and Hyejin’s eyes widened at the same time and the demon had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.

“Uhm. Emergency grocery run.” Hyejin said.

“Very important.” Byul added, smiling at Wheein then making a beeline for the stairs before the werewolf could ask again.

iv. while at work

This time around, Byul was thankful that she was at least three-quarters of the way done with the shoot before she was summoned.

One of the country’s bigger fashion magazines had hired her this time, and her subject was a rising girl group. She had just finished two outfit sets of solo, group, and unit photos and was waiting for the girls to get into their last set of outfits and makeup looks for the day when she felt the familiar tugging sensation at the back of her neck again.

Byul sighed, carefully placing her camera on the nearest table before calmly standing up from her seat and walking towards the bathroom.

“Where are you going, Moon Byul-ssi?” The magazine’s editor asked, standing up as well.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can!” She replied, closing the door behind her just as she vanished.

This time she was in a dorm room, staring at a couple of wide-eyed university boys, one of them holding up a knife to a cage that had a small kitten inside.

“Hey!” Byul smacked the knife out of the student’s hand and grabbed the cage, carefully extracting the kitten from inside and letting it burrow deeper into her hoodie. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Please!” The other boy said, prostrating himself in front of her, his forehead pressed firmly to the floor. “You have to help us pass our exams! If we fail, our parents will disown us!”

Byul frowned, before glancing at her watch. Hair and makeup usually took at least an hour or two, plus there were twelve members to that group, she probably had some time. “Okay, but no sacrificing animals and if you summon me again, I’m going to curse your souls to be tormented for all eternity.”

The boys looked at each other for a beat before nodding and turning back to her. “Deal.” They said in unison. Byul rolled her eyes, but stared around the dorm room for a few moments before her eyes landed on the boys’ cellphones on a study desk near the window. “Give me your phones.” She said.

“W-what for?” the boy with the knife asked, reaching over behind him to grab the phones and hand them to her.

“I’m not about to let you kill this kitten.” Byul said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the word. “The phones are your end of the deal.”

“What? B-but--”

“It’s the phones or I’m leaving and you can pass those exams on your own.”

The boys glared at each other, having a murmured argument while Byul played with the kitten on the floor of their dorm. Finally one of them sighed and handed the devices to her. “Fine. But this better work.”

“Oh ye of little faith,” Byul said. She smirked as she pocketed the devices. When she blinked again, her eyes had turned a deep black and the air in the dorm suddenly turned several degrees hotter. A swirling heat and dizziness overcame both students, one of them dropping to his knees as he clutched at his head. When it was done, both students were passed out on the floor, and Byul felt a little drained. 

She shook her head, cradling the kitten in her arms before exiting the dorms and hailing a cab back to the studio. Luckily, the housing center she was summoned to was only a thirty minute cab ride away. When she arrived, the girl group had just finished up with their hair and makeup and were chatting amicably on the set.

“Moon Byul-ssi!” The magazine editor cried, running over to her as she reentered. She glanced curiously at the kitten in Byul’s arms before continuing, “We tried to find you in the bathroom but you--”

“I’m really sorry,” Byul said, bowing once before heading over to the table where she left her camera, “Demon business.”

“Oh. Uhm. Right.” The magazine editor replied, nodding before motioning toward the kitten, “Was the kitten part of the, uh--”

“An unexpected bonus,” Byul said, grabbing her camera and heading to the set. A few of the girl group members perked up as she approached, “I figured we could use it for the shoot, then you can drop it off at the nearest shelter after, or one of the girls can adopt it, if their agency will let them.”

The final shoot turned out better than expected. The kitten added a nice element to the photos, and when the pictures went public, Byul’s photography account was spammed with girl group fans thanking her for taking such good pictures. Amongst the flood of fan love were two comments that thanked her for helping them with their exams. 

Byul smirked down at her new phone before pocketing it. Not a bad day’s work.

v. while sleeping

When they first started sharing a bed, Byul and Yong had learned early on that the best way to sleep was facing each other. Not even for any particularly romantic reason, but because if Yong turned her back to Byul in bed, the demon would get pushed off the mattress by the angel’s impressive wingspan and if Byul did the same, she ran the risk of gouging Yong's eyes out with her horns when she stretched in the morning. 

Face to face was simply the option that caused the least bodily harm. 

Which was why, when Byul felt an odd dropping sensation in her stomach followed by the feeling that she was now lying on a cold floor, she was sure it was because Yong had turned in her sleep and she had gotten shoved off the bed. Again.

“Yong. You did it again.” Byul grumbled, reaching a hand up to find the edge of the bed so she could hoist herself up; only there was none. What there was, however, was a very audible gasp followed by a voice that wasn’t Yong’s, “Oh my god.”

Her whole body woke up immediately then. Byul sat straight up, looking about her wildly and taking in the bedroom that definitely wasn’t hers. She growled and turned to the direction of the voice, coming face to face with a young girl, definitely no older than fifteen.

“I-I didn’t think that would work.” The young girl said, staring at Byul wide-eyed, arms hugging her knees tight. Byul stared at the shoddily drawn pentagram on the bedroom floor as well as the candles strewn about the room. Next to the girl was an open tablet screen to what looked like a cheesily decorated website for the occult. Of course.

Without warning, Byul reached for the tablet, closed the website page and deleted the girl’s search history before tossing the tablet unto the girl’s bed. She would deal with the website in the morning.

“It’s bad to summon demons.” Byul said, standing up and already making her way towards the girl’s bedroom door. She had barely taken two steps when she felt the girl’s hand grip at the hem of her sleep sweatshirt.

“Wait!” The girl said. When Byul turned around, she saw them. She sighed, frustration already fading away entirely as she crouched back down and took the girls arm carefully into her own hands. The girl refused to look her in the eye.

“What’s your name?” Byul asked softly, pulling the girl’s pajama sleeve back down over her forearm, covering the thin scars she saw there.

“Yang Ara.” The girl mumbled pulling her arm away and hugging at her knees again, self conscious. Byul sighed, rubbing at her face and making a feeble attempt to fix her bed head, combing strands of hair away from where they tangled up around her horns during sleep.

“Why did you summon me, Yang Ara-ssi?” Byul said, keeping her voice pitched low and comforting. The girl stared back at her briefly before shrugging, fingers picking at a loose thread on her pajama bottoms. 

“I didn’t think it would work,” Ara said again. They stayed quiet for a few moments before Ara looked up and said, “If you’re a demon, are you here to eat my soul?”

Byul chuckled, adjusting herself so that she was seated in front of Ara. “Human souls aren’t to my taste.” Byul said. She looked around the room some more, noting that it was rather sparse for a teenager’s room, no posters or photos or anything of the sort.  “You’re lonely aren’t you?” Byul asked, hedging at a guess. Ara stared at her wide-eyed before nodding, her eyes b with tears.

“Hey, don’t cry.” Byul said, scooting over a bit closer and rubbing at the girl’s arm. They stayed like that for a few minutes, Ara, quietly sobbing into her arms while Byul rubbed at her arm, whispering comforting words.

When Ara had quieted down at last, Byul grabbed at the blanket on her bed and gently dabbed at the tear tracks on her cheeks. “Would you like a friend, Ara-ssi?” Ara nodded.

Byul scuttled closer still, until they were sitting side by side, “I’ll make you a simple deal then,” Byul said, “Don’t try summoning demons again, and I’ll be your friend.”

“How will I contact you?” Ara asked, eyes turning pleading. 

“Give me your phone.” Byul held her hand out, accepting the device and adding herself as a new contact. “I don’t have my phone with me right now, but tomorrow I’ll even add you on KTalk and follow you on Insta. I’ll be the best demon friend ever.”

Ara laughed, taking her phone back and nodding in thanks. Byul chanced a glance at the girl’s covered forearm again before sighing and carefully placing an arm around Ara.

“If ever you get dark thoughts again, don’t hurt yourself okay? Just call me.” Byul whispered, rubbing calming circles on the girl’s arm with her thumb. She felt Ara nod against her side. Byul stayed until she felt Ara’s breathing slow, she checked to make sure the girl was really asleep before gently lifting her up and carrying her over to her bed. She snapped her fingers once to erase the pentagram on the floor, before sneaking out of the room. Trying not to wake Ara or her parents.

Once Byul had successfully sneaked outside the apartment unit Ara lived in, snapping her fingers again to lock the apartment door behind her, she was surprised to find herself inside her own apartment building, just a few floors above her own unit. She chuckled. “Well that’s fortunate.”

When she reached the outside of Room 1031, she paused, realizing the door was probably locked. Byul briefly wondered if she should try knocking, or just sit outside and wait for Hyejin to come home at dawn. When she tried the door, however, she was pleasantly surprised to find that it was unlocked

Byul stepped inside, coming face to face with a sleepy angel napping on the dinner table. Yong’s wing feathers all ruffled and her hair done up in a messy bun.

“Hey” Byul whispered, gently shaking Yong awake, “come on. Let’s go back.” Yong groaned once, acknowledging her before standing up and letting Byul help her back to their room.

“How’d you know?” Byul whispered once the door to their bedroom had been shut behind them.

“Felt you vanish,” Yong mumbled sleepily, already climbing into bed and lying on her side facing Byul. Within seconds they were both asleep again.

+1. while waiting for the train

The shoot she’d been hired to do for a skincare line had been all the way on the other side of Seoul, and by the time it finished, it was already nighttime. Byul considered riding a cab all the way back to her apartment, before remembering that the rush hour prices would be too much to handle. Sighing, she hitched her camera bags up a little higher on her shoulders and began walking towards the nearest train station.

She felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Wheein had texted her a photo to their apartment group chat. It was of their dining room table, covered in various side dishes and the old hot plate they had bought on sale a few years back. A few plates of pork belly and beef strips were in the very center.

Grill night! Came the text following the picture, hurry home Unnie!

Byul felt her stomach grumble in response. The train station was already ahead. She waited until she had descended the steps before shooting off a quick reply:

Don’t eat it all you pigs! 

By the time she reached the platform for the train that would lead her back to her own neighborhood, her shoulders were already sore from carrying her bags. Byul was just about to snap her fingers to make her bags at least feel a little lighter when the station’s PA system crackled to life.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, due to an unforeseen complication, the 7:47 train headed to Janghanpyeong will be delayed for fifteen minutes. We deeply apologize for this inconvenience.”

Byul felt her stomach growl again. She pulled out her phone and sent a string of crying emojis to the group chat.

Train is delayed. Save me some food.

By the time she pocketed her phone, she was just about ready to really snap her fingers this time. The weight of all her cameras already causing an ache in her lower back. That was, until she felt that tugging sensation again. 

“,” Byul mumbled just as she vanished from the station, startling nearby commuters.

When she opened her eyes though, she was back in her own apartment, the sound of Wheein and Hyejin laughing while Yong was smirking in front of her, a piece of chalk in her hand.

“Did you--?” Byul began, staring down at a perfectly drawn pentagram on the floor. Yong tossed the chalk to the sofa before helping Byul with her bags. “You sounded so pathetic on the chat,” The angel teased, setting Byul’s bags aside and leading her toward the dining area.

“Ooh, does this mean Unnie gets to do us a favor now?” Hyejin asked, already setting a few strips of meat on the hot plate.

“It doesn’t work that way!” Byul laughed, accepting a plate from Wheein, “and shouldn’t you be at work?”

The vampire shrugged, “The club is closed for routine inventory checks. I have the night off.”

“Come on,” Wheein cajoled, cutting up strips of meat for Hyejin to cook, “we saved you! You definitely owe us!”

“Fine, fine!” Byul said, palms up, feigning annoyance even though there was a telltale smile pulling up the corners of her lips. “just one favor, but that’s it!”

"Excellent," Yong said, her smirk downright wicked, "You can do the dishes and clean up after we're done."

"Nevermind," Byul said, pretending to turn around, "I'll take my chances with the trains."

The statement was meant with cheers and laughter, she smiled at all of them, settling down into the dining table. She still hated being summoned, and definitely preferred never to be summoned at all. Unless the summoners were her roommates. She supposed she could make an exception for them.