Chapter Text
Every generation, a new trio of Hunters are chosen to fulfill the ultimate duty, the Golden Honmoon.
For centuries, the chosen trio had strengthened the Honmoon with their songs, blocking the demons from entering their world. Hunting demons that invaded into their world and protected the people. However, the chosen trio weren’t always successful.
In some generations they were excellent at singing songs, voices strong that strengthen the Honmoon, but their strength as Hunters weren’t strong enough. The few demons that successfully crossed the Honmoon, stole the people's souls before the Hunters could hunt them. Sometimes the demons even hunted the Hunters, ending that generation.
The trio of Hunters might even just break from the inside. The conflict between them grows so strong that eventually they can't even be a team or friends anymore. Some Hunters got too tired and scared of their dangerous life and just ran away from their duty.
The Honmoon repeated to be strong and weak for centuries. In the generation of the Sunlight Sisters, the Honmoon almost turned golden. It was the first time the Honmoon showed a gleam of gold. However, the dream of making the Golden Honmoon was shattered when one of the Sunlight Sisters unexpectedly died.
After the Sunlight Sisters, the next generation of Hunters didn’t appear. There were candidates with talents however not enough to become a Hunter. Most of all, the Honmoon didn’t choose any of them. The world wasn’t in a demon apocalypse yet only because the Sunlight Sisters had almost made the Golden Honmoon. Although they failed, it still strengthened the Honmoon to be strong for years.
There were still a lot of people who still listened to the Sunlight Sisters songs, unintendedly strengthening the Honmoon. The remaining single Hunter, Celine, also continues to do her duty alone. However, without the new chosen trio of Hunters, the Honmoon was getting weaker and weaker. Demons appearing more frequently and stealing souls.
But the one thing that was left from the previous Sunlight Sisters Ryu Miyeong, made everything change. Her daughter Rumi. She was chosen to be a Hunter when she was just a little child. The new generation of Hunters, the HUNTR/X was built around Rumi. Rumi and her fellow Hunters Mira and Zoey were the strongest generation of Hunters that have ever existed. Their voices were strong and HUNTR/X don’t miss.
The Hunter who was half demon will make a new Honmoon with her fellow Hunters Mira and Zoey. A Honmoon that wasn’t gold but powerful enough to defeat Gwi-Ma. HUNTR/X was the first Hunters who fought with the demon king Gwi-Ma and even defeated him.
However, the most powerful Hunter trio HUNTR/X weren’t heroes from the start. No, they were actually just young teen girls who couldn’t fit in anywhere and each having their own flaws and trauma. They started as outcasts.
Unlike what it is known, Celine wasn’t the one who chose Mira and Zoey, to build HUNTR/X around Rumi.
It all started when they were applicants in an audition which they never even intended to apply in the first place.
Rumi was struggling with her heritage of being half demon, doubting if she was even a Hunter. Rumi was completely uninterested in the audition.
Mira was disowned and kicked out from her family, she was an angry teenager with countless inner wounds. Mira was desperate to pass the audition.
Zoey was an energetic and bubbly girl on the outside, but inside she was falling apart from her two lives. Zoey was hoping and struggling through the audition.
It was obvious from the start that they wouldn’t get along. Also the audition was becoming an overwhelming challenge to them. Especially when there was an imposter who lies, she was Ryu Miyeong’s daughter and Celine’s ward. While Rumi hides who she is, she starts to care for Mira and Zoey, then plans to make Mira and Zoey into Hunters chosen by the Honmoon.
A story of three girls from outcasts to becoming HUNTR/X.
I was a ghost I was alone. 어두워진 앞길속에 given the throne, I didn't know how to believe I was the queen that I'm meant to be.
All her life Rumi was told from Celine that she was a Hunter.
“We are Hunters, voices strong, slaying demons with our song. Fix the world and make it right. When darkness finally meets the light…”
Rumi hummed the song she sang her whole life while looking outside the window from the car. The view of the capital city of South Korea, Seoul, didn’t feel welcoming to her. Her entire life, she lived in a remote place in Jeju Island. Celine often took her to Seoul and stayed in Celine’s penthouse for days or weeks. So Rumi usually likes to visit Seoul.
But not today. When Rumi woke up this morning, Celine immediately started to take her somewhere without any explanation. Once they entered Seoul, Rumi finally got the answer where they were, no more accurately where she was heading to and why. Making Rumi very frustrated.
“We are Hunters, voices strong…”
Rumi started to hum the song again, almost as a whisper. It was a habit of singing this song to remind herself to stay strong as a Hunter. However, the lyrics itself were making her very uncomfortable right now. Rumi unconsciously grabbed her arm tight. Although she could feel the fabric sleeve in her hand, she was feeling the presence of something else that was beneath the fabric and on her skin.
She was a Hunter who would slay demons with her song. Just like her mother did. However, her other half was just the thing that she was supposed to hunt and kill. Her voice needed to be strong just like her mother did. But Rumi doesn’t know if she will ever be able to sing with a strong voice again.
“Slaying demons with our song...”
But Rumi was alone. Always has been. She never got close with anyone that could be called as friends. She was different from other people from the moments she was born. It felt…wrong…to pretend she was just human and blend into them. It always felt like she was in a place where she shouldn’t be. A monster deceiving others by pretending she was one of them.
“Celine… I don’t think this is a good idea.”
Rumi said to Celine who was driving the car. Celine didn’t look away from the road she was driving. But let out a tired sigh to the young teen sitting at the next seat.
“Rumi, we talked about this. We need to find the other new Hunters. This can’t be delayed anymore.”
“But you can do that by yourself. Every time when you make me meet with the candidates, things never have gone well. You should just choose the new Hunters by just your choice.”
After all, Celine was the former leader of the Sunlight Sisters. Celine was the strongest and most talented person Rumi had ever seen. Celine will have the knowledge and wisdom to recognize the new generation of Hunters. So why does she have to do this?
“If my choice could have made the Honmoon choose the next generation of Hunters, the two new Hunters would have already been found years ago. Rumi, you’re the first chosen Hunter of this generation. It might be your choice that the Honmoon will listen, not mine.”
Rumi tried hard not to let out a frustrated sigh. How could she know if the new Hunters will even be there? It might just be a waste of time with new unpleasant memories in her life. Also is she really a Hunter anyway? Yes, she could see the Honmoon and even touch it. However, that doesn’t prove she was a Hunter.
Rumi carefully touches the Honmoon. A bright blue light of strings started to intertwine her fingers. Rumi tried to grab those beautiful strings of light. The strings from the Honmoon were gathering in her hands, starting to form something. However…
Whoosh!
The strings from the Honmoon suddenly escape from her grip and scatter away. Another failure as always. She wasn’t able to pull out her weapon from the Honmoon. It meant she wasn’t a Hunter. Only the chosen Hunters could summon their weapons from the Honmoon.
“At the right time when you’re ready, the Honmoon will respond.”
Celine said to Rumi, knowing what Rumi was thinking. However, Rumi didn’t respond or answer. She just looked outside the window. Celine frowned at Rumi behaving like an immature angry child. But Celine kept her silence. She knows how much Rumi was feeling frustrated and anxious right now.
“We’re here.”
Celine stopped the car as they arrived at their…or more correctly Rumi’s destination. Celine could see Rumi making a frustrated grumble and leaning her back deeper into her seat. Her body language was shouting out that she didn’t want to get out of the car. However, Celine dismissed Rumi’s small resistance and pulled her out of the car. Celine gave Rumi her suitcase. Before Celine got back into her car, she looked at Rumi with a strict face.
“I warn you Rumi, if you fail or quit on ‘purpose’, I will make your training much harder than now, making you regret every second. And don’t you dare tell anyone who you are.”
“Yes, Celine.”
Rumi answered immediately to her guardian. Just like an obedience student will do to her strict and scary mentor. Rumi knows Celine was dead seriously from what she just said. Rumi didn’t want to face Celine’s wrath. She knows this too well.
“...”
Before getting back into the car, Celine hesitates for a moment and looks at Rumi. Celine’s lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, the words never came out. But Rumi saw Celine’s eyes quickly flashes with concern. Knowing why, Rumi unconsciously grabbed her arm and avoided Celine’s eyes. Celine slightly frowned at that but didn’t say anything and got inside the car.
Rumi watches Celine drive away until she can't see the car anymore. Rumi let out a long heavy sigh and grabbed her suitcase. She walked to the entrance of the huge building where Celine just dumped her. There was a large sign in front of the door.
Sunlight Entertainment’s Audition. Applicant reception is in the first-floor lobby. The audition is scheduled to run for two weeks. Applicants must bring their personal belongings and it is prohibited to leave during the two weeks audition.
Rumi walked in, expecting the next two weeks will be painful.
I lived two lives, tried to play both sides, But I couldn’t find my own place.
Zoey listened to the song coming out of her headphones. Her favorite song from the Sunlight Sisters was playing loud into her ears. Well, Zoey loved every song from the Sunlight Sisters and each time her favorite will change. Right now, it was ‘Sunlight rise’ that was her favorite. Zoey couldn’t help but close her eyes and concentrate on the ‘Sunlight rise’ lyrics, while banging her head at the music rhythm.
Colorful thoughts started to appear inside her head, turning into lyrics that played along with the music. While still closing her eyes, Zoey quickly wrote down the lyrics into her notebook. She has done this hundreds and thousands of times, that she doesn’t need to open her eyes to perfectly write down the words into her notebook.
Zoey kept writing. So many inspirations were coming out the more she listens to the song on repeat. Zoey opened her eyes only after her phone started to ring. Zoey tried to answer her phone but froze as she saw her surroundings. Everyone in the coffee shop was looking at her. Most were looking at her like she was very weird.
Zoey’s face immediately turned red and quickly packed her things and left the coffee shop. Leaving her half drank coffee left behind. Zoey quickly walked the streets trying to get away from the coffee shop as fast as she could. Her embarrassment was eating her up. Still remembering how everyone in the coffee shop was looking at her like she was weird.
“I forgot I was in Korea right now!”
Zoey whines to herself. Acting differently with others and completely expressing her thoughts and emotions with large body gestures wasn’t ordinary in Korea. She did it again. Being too much and different that she didn’t fit in. Zoey tried to ignore and suppress the hurtful sting in her chest.
Zoey looked down at the phone that was still ringing. She smiled and answered the phone with her bright and excited tone.
“Hi, mom!”
[Hi, Zoey. Where are you right now?]
“I actually don’t know. I was just wandering around the streets to find anything fun and interesting. I’m already walking in a new place I haven’t been and I…”
[Zoey, I told you to not wander around places you don’t know.]
“Sorry, sorry. It just kind of happened.”
[Come home now. Didn’t you decide to go back to your father’s house at Burbank tomorrow?]
Zoey paused for a moment. Her smile faded for a second then made a little awkward smile.
“I actually haven't decided yet.”
Right…she actually lives in Burbank and she was only just staying with her mother in South Korea during the summer vacation. She was trying to choose both sides, but her parents wanted her to choose one side. It hurts and she feels lost. Zoey thought she could live on both sides, but neither South Korea or America felt like a home she could stay. The more she tried, the more it was getting uncomfortable. She doesn’t even know if she wants to stay in Korea or go to America anymore.
[Zoey, if you’re not going, you should unpack your suitcase. It’s been standing in your room for days.]
“…I’ll decide today.”
Zoey quietly answered, feeling uncomfortable at her mother sounding pleased that she hasn’t decided if she’ll go to her father’s.
[Alright.]
Zoey sighed as soon as her mother hung up the phone. Going back to Burbank… She honestly didn’t want to go back, especially to her school. But staying in Korea and now living here? Although she was born Korean, Korea was now a foreign country to her.
Most of all, choosing either side -her parents- would lead to the same result. An argument and fight between her parents, using the phone. It would be a relief if one of her parents didn’t suddenly show up in front of the other’s house. That will be a disaster.
Zoey roughly shakes her head, trying to shake off the thoughts inside her head.
“Hm?”
Something suddenly caught her eyes in the middle of Seoul’s street. A huge building with a large sign in front of the door. Zoey started to read it.
“Sunlight Entertainment’s Audition. Applicant reception is in the first-floor lobby…”
At first she didn’t know why Sunlight Entertainment sounded so familiar. But once she remembered and realized, Zoey felt like her heart suddenly skipped a beat in excitement.
“Wait, Sunlight Entertainment?! Didn’t Sunlight Sisters Celine build this company?!”
Zoey couldn’t resist her excitement. She was a huge fan of the Sunlight Sisters, her whole life. She still remembers the first time she heard it when she was living in Burbank. How she immediately fell in love with Sunlight Sisters and will always carry around a magazine or album of them. It was also Sunlight Sisters’ songs that started her inspiration of writing music lyrics in her notebook.
“…”
Zoey carefully pulls out her notebook from her bag. She looked at it with some hesitation. She started to flip her notebook. Every page was filled with lyrics she wrote. The more she flipped the pages, the more her heart started to beat faster.
Until she couldn’t deny it anymore. Zoey wants this for her own life.
Zoey started to run back home as fast as she could. She was glad she didn’t unpack her suitcase. Because she needed it now! Zoey didn’t realize she was smiling while running home.
It took a few hours to persuade her mother with her sudden decision, but Zoey came back to the Sunlight Entertainment building with her suitcase and walked in.
Called a problem child 'cause I got too wild.
Mira knows she’s a difficult person. So much that her own family couldn’t stand her, just like how she couldn’t stand them.
But honestly, Mira never imagined this would actually happen. Her family disowning her.
Wham!
Her father throws out a suitcase that had Mira’s belongings in it. Mira was kicked out from the house. The suitcase her father just threw fell loud in front of her feet.
“I had enough of your wild, short temper and aggressiveness! Get out!”
“What?”
Mira could only let out a whisper with disbelief. Her family was kicking her out because…
“You’re kicking me out because I punched that disgusting creep?!”
“He was an important guest! Do you know how countlessly I had to apologize and bow to him because of your inexcusable violence!?”
“That creep tried to sexually molest me!”
Mira shouted in anger. However, her family seemed like they didn’t care. Instead, her mother let out an irritated sigh and started scolding her.
“You should have acted more wisely than that, Mira. Suddenly using violence with those unacceptable swearing languages to the guest. You should have just quietly left that room so nobody would have even known. Do you know what kind of shame you brought to our family?”
“I think our family is the shame.”
Mira spitted out in disgust. She did that to protect herself, does her mother really think it was possible to just quietly walk away from him?
Her father let out an outburst at Mira’s words.
“You’re not our family! I would never accept a problem child like you who only brings disgrace and shame to the family!”
His words stunned Mira, leaving her mind blank. Although Mira really hated her family, hearing this in her face actually gave her a shock. Mira looked at her mother and older brother. Both of them had the same expressionless face, but with agreement in their eyes. As soon as Mira realized this, an enormous anger burst out.
“Great! Because I don’t want to be in this rotten so-called family that only thinks about those hypocritical prestige and money!
“Those prestige and money are the reason you were able to live a luxurious life. You’ll learn the harsh reality now. Your unacceptable wild personality will always be your liability in your life, always bringing conflicts and troubles. You will learn that unless you get rid of your personality, you won’t get a proper job or earn money and you will never find people who will accept you!”
Mira greeted her teeth. Her father’s word sinking into her like a curse.
“Unless you kneel down and beg for forgiveness of all those unacceptable behaviors you’ve done your whole life, don’t ever hope to come back to our family!”
“I am never going to come back to this sickening family!
Mira looked at her so-called family in disgust and anger. She grabbed her suitcase on the ground and walked away. Mira could hear her father still shouting something in anger but she ignored it. She didn’t look back nor stopped walking (more like running). She got on the very first bus that stopped at the bus station. She didn’t know where this bus was heading but Mira didn’t care. She just wanted to get away far and fast from that place.
Mira sat down on an empty seat at the back of the bus. Luckily the bus didn’t have other passengers right now. Mira leans next to the window and buried her face in her arms, covering her eyes. She starts to let out all kinds of swearing below her breath, while trying to ignore the wetness on her arm.
It might have been an hour later until Mira was finally able to calm down. Mira looked out the bus window. Reading the signs on the street, Mira noticed the bus was in Seoul. Mira pulled out her phone and started to search for any useful information located in Seoul. She didn’t have a place to go, and that was the first thing she needed to decide. Then something caught Mira’s attention.
‘Sunlight Entertainment’s audition?’
It was an audition for a girl group. Mira knows Sunlight Entertainment. Sunlight Entertainment was built by Celine from Sunlight Sisters, and Celine still owns it. It was one of the most famous and successful entertainment agencies in Korea. It was also famous for their strange audition program.
‘The audition is scheduled to run for two weeks. Provides room and board for free. It is prohibited to leave during the two weeks' audition, unless the applicant wishes to quit.’
Mira stared at the audition program information. She likes singing and dancing. Actually, she loves it. It was the only thing she could just enjoy and have fun in her suffocating life. Her family hated that, but they were out of her life now. Also, this audition was providing room and board for two weeks and it was free. It didn’t take long for Mira to decide where to go.
By luck, the bus she was riding was going to stop in front of Sunlight Entertainment soon. Mira found it odd. Her current problem was suddenly solved so easily that it was too good to be true. Which never happened in her life.
‘Am I being just lucky or is this some kind of fate?’
Mira made a sarcastic smile to herself. Lucky? She was kicked out and disowned by her family that ‘being lucky’ was a bad joke. Fate? She must be really exhausted from all what happened today that she was thinking this kind of unrealistic stuff.
The bus stopped. Mira immediately stood up and got off the bus. She dragged her suitcase and entered the Sunlight Entertainment building, still with her sarcastic smile.