After meeting the Saja Boys, you’d gathered a decent amount of intel on each of them.

Baby was the quietest—always glued to Abby’s side, usually with a lollipop or a water bottle hanging from his mouth. Abby, or Abs, lived up to his name, flaunting his chiseled abs at every opportunity, paired with a cocky smile and a swagger that screamed look at me. Jinu was the most deceptively ordinary, wielding his sweet, fake smile like a weapon. Romance was the smooth talker—the one who sang high notes and lured fans with winks and flirtatious lines.

And then there was Mystery.

Okay, here’s the thing with Mystery: he also sang high notes, but he was… different. Strange.

You first met during a meet-and-greet, when HUNTR/X was ambushed by the Saja Boys. Jinu cornered Rumi, Romance and Abs went after Mira, and you ended up with Mystery and Baby. And when someone tried to talk to Mystery, he didn’t answer—he barked.

Your instinctive response? A sharp: “Bad Saja Boy!” followed by a smack to the head with a pencil.

For whatever reason, that was the beginning. From then on, Mystery warmed up to you, despite his group being demons and yours being the ones tasked with hunting them. Whenever you crossed paths, there were always small waves and quiet smiles traded between you—even while your teammates glared daggers across the room. (Not that anyone mentioned it, but Rumi and Jinu were looking suspiciously close these days.)

Now both groups were in the city, “hanging out” under the guise of keeping an eye on each other. To outsiders, it probably looked normal—shopping, eating, wandering the streets—but for your teams, this was practically peaceful.

Like at the meet-and-greet, everyone had split into pairs or trios. That left you with Mystery. Baby had sworn you to secrecy before sneaking off to the food stalls, leaving you to wrangle his strange companion alone.

Walking with Mystery was a bit like walking a dog. When he got distracted, all you had to do was call, “Mystery, come here,” and he’d trot back to you without a second thought.

Now, however, his focus had locked onto a man across the street. The low growl building in his throat was enough to set your nerves on edge.

“Mystery. Back off.” You ordered before he could cause a scene.

Instantly, the growl cut off, replaced by a small whine. Instead of barking or lunging, Mystery simply caught your hand in his own, clutching it with a pout. His head ducked, hiding his eyes behind that long curtain of blue-white hair, making him look less like a dangerous demon and more like a sulking child desperate for reassurance.