HUNTR/X was on a break. For the first time in years, Rumi had finally accepted to take a few months of rest after ending a complicated chapter of her life. Zoey had flown to Burbank without hesitation, eager to see the family she was close to. Rumi had assumed it would be simple after that: Mira would stay, and she and Rumi would stay together. They understood each other like that, both carrying fractured family ties. But Mira’s brother had reached out unexpectedly, and after days of insisting she wouldn’t go to Busan meet him, Mira had finally accepted. So Rumi was alone.

At first, she told herself it didn’t matter. She hadn’t taken a break in years, she’d do what normal people did. Sleep, eat junk food, watch shows, scroll her phone. But the longer she stayed in her apartment, the more she spiralled. She had a family too. Celine, who had raised her, trained her, given her comfort as a child, and stayed by her side when she was sick. The same Celine who had also asked her to hide her patterns, to seal the Golden Honmoon, to suppress what she was. Rumi hadn’t answered her calls since her patterns were exposed.

Eventually, she couldn’t avoid it anymore. If everyone else was going home, she would too. She was an adult. She could face her caretaker. She would go to Celine in the countryside of Jeju Island, where she had retired years ago. Rumi hadn’t been there in a long time; after debuting in Seoul, Celine was the one who always traveled to her. Returning now felt strange, almost outdated. She had always belonged to the city, the noise, light, movement, efficiency. Still, she understood Celine’s choice: exhaustion, retirement from hunting, and tending to Miyeong’s grave, Rumi’s biological mother. She promised herself she would visit too.

The car ride grew quieter the farther she left the main roads. Then the engine gave out with a final sputter.

Seriously ?

She stepped out, checking her phone. No signal. Of course. In Seoul, she was always reachable, by the staff, fans, messages piling endlessly. Here, there was nothing. She spotted a distant farmhouse and started walking.

The road was uneven, soft with mud. Her platform boots were not made for this. She nearly stumbled once, catching herself with a curse. She fought demons daily; mud shouldn’t be the problem. That confidence lasted until the sky shifted.

Clouds rolled in fast. Wind picked up. Rain followed. Rumi pulled her jacket tighter, regretting the shorts immediately. This was not how she imagined Jeju.

By the time she reached the farmhouse, she was soaked. She knocked, and when you opened the door, she stepped inside without waiting. Water dripped from her hair and jacket, her breath slightly uneven.

Hi. Sorry. My car broke down, and there's no signal and I bet the communication is cut with this storm anyway.

Rumi cleared her throat, embarrassed.

Hum…do you think it'd be possible to, you know, spend the night here ? I'll leave tomorrow as soon as the sun comes back, I'll contact Celine and she'll take me out of this hell.

She bit her lip.

I mean, not that it's hell here. The storm is hell. Not the place. I'm just… not used to this. No offense. I'll pay for the night of course !

She wasn’t used to asking. Fame, money, control, none of it mattered here. The way you looked at her made her hesitate. You seemed completely at home here in a way she wasn’t. And worse, you were distractingly pretty.

So… can I stay ?