Chapter 2
Rumi's phone rang, shattering the silence. She picked it up, and a warm smile spread across her face as she saw Bobby's name on the screen,it was a video call. "Hi, Bobby!" the girls chimed in unison, their voices overlapping in a joyful cacophony that filled the cabin.
Bobby's response was laced with a hint of exasperation. "Yeah, hi" he replied, his tone a perfect blend of manager and friend. "Ehm, what are you doing?" he asked, his curiosity evident in his voice.
Rumi's eyes sparkled with excitement as she replied, "About to eat a pre-show ramyeon." The prospect of the steaming hot noodles seemed to energize her, and her voice was filled with anticipation.
But Bobby's response was tinged with concern. "Pre-show? what about the show-show?" His voice rose, and he seemed about to launch into a lecture, but before he could continue, a group of girls in the background snatched the phone away from him. The screen flickered, and the girls' faces appeared, their eyes shining with excitement.
"Hey, that's my phone!" Bobby's voice protested in the background, muffled and distant. The girls, however, were undeterred. "We love you!" they chorused into the phone, their voices a happy jumble that filled the cabin.
Rumi, Mira, and Zoey giggled, their faces lighting up with delight. "We love you too!" they replied in unison, their voices blending in harmony.
As the phone changed hands, a collective wail pierced the air, the guys voices trembling with an almost palpable anguish. Their faces contorted in distress, eyes brimming with tears as they wailed into the phone. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey watched the display with amused fascination, their eyes locking in a shared glance. "Oh, so sweet," they cooed, their laughter tinkling like wind chimes.
One of the guys, impervious to the girls' theatrics, claimed the phone with a triumphant grin. "Yo, I just got this," he declared, yanking up his shirt to reveal a tattoo emblazoned on his stomach. The bold, intricate script read "Huntr/x" in a flourish of artistry.
"Uh" Zoey and Rumi muttered, their tone lukewarm,like they didn't know what to say.
Mira, on the other hand, chimed in with a grin, "Sick!" Her voice was laced with a hint of sarcasm, as if she was being facetious.
"Give me that!" Bobby's voice was firm, his hand closing around his phone as he snatched it back from the fan's grasp. The screen flickered, and the fan's face disappeared from view. Bobby's gaze snapped back to the girls, his expression stern. "Why are you so late?" he demanded, his voice rising in concern.
Rumi's brow furrowed, her voice questioning. "Late?" she repeated, her tone laced with confusion.
Bobby's response was immediate, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Fifty thousand fans are waiting for you. They make cute signs and everything. How can you be late.."
His voice was tinged with anxiety, his eyes narrowing with worry. The weight of their tardiness seemed to bear down on him, and he couldn't understand why the girls weren't taking it seriously.
"Keep your shirt on, Bobby. We'll be there in three," Rumi's calm voice soothed the air, a gentle counterpoint to the growing tension,the call ended immediately. Mira's response was immediate, a low, anguished groan escaping her lips. "Oh, I didn't even get to finish my ramyeoooon" she wailed, her voice heavy with disappointment.
Rumi's hand rose to her head, her fingers massaging her temples as if trying to ward off a brewing headache. "Why do they always interrupt our snacking?" she lamented, her voice tinged with exasperation.
Zoey's voice cut through the gloom, her tone confident and unwavering,as she munched in snacks. "They are going to face our wrath," she declared.
Rumi rose from her seat, her voice a polite but firm interruption. "Um, excuse me," she said, her eyes locked on the flight attendant. The attendant answered weirdly "Please take your seat."
Rumi's reply was swift, her tone laced with a sense of urgency. "Yeah, we don't have time," she said, her words tumbling out with a quiet intensity.
Then, without warning, Rumi's gaze turned speculative, her voice low and curious. "You're a demon, right?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as she studied the attendant's face. The attendant's response was unexpected – a smile spread across her features, warm and enigmatic "What do you mean?" she asked, her gaze piercing.
Rumi's words spilled out in a rapid-fire sequence, a stream-of-consciousness observation that defied logic. "You're smiling all weird, watering plants with coffee and those guys,come on."
"We were just..." The attendant's lips parted, but Rumi's hands had already reached out, enveloping hers in a rough grasp.
Rumi's gaze drifted, her eyes locking onto the attendant's hand "Oh, look," she breathed, "Patterns."
The flight attendant's words were brief, a simple "Oh, this..." before Rumi's actions took over. Rumi's movement was swift and decisive, a kick that sent the attendant stumbling backward.
As the attendant regained her balance, her body began to shift and contort. Her face elongated, her features twisting into a grotesque visage. Her eyes glowed with an otherworldly energy.
The attendant's transformation was complete, revealing her true demon face.
Rumi stood, her voice carrying across the plane. "The rest of you can come out. We're in a hurry." A pause, and then the pilot and remaining staff emerged, their bodies twisted and contorted into grotesque demon forms.
"Oh, you got the patterns," mira said, her tone dripping with malice."Now you're gonna die."
The largest demon sneered, its voice like thunder. "The only ones dying tonight are your.."
Mira let out a belch, the sound awkwardly timed. The demon's words continued, unabated. "I said the only ones dying are your.."
Rumi's stomach growled loudly, and she said "Oh, I'm sorry..what" in a mocking tone, the apology clearly insincere.
The demon's voice was a gruesome promise. "Your fans, we are going to eat your fans."
The girls responded in unison, their voices dripping with mockery. "Whoa."
Zoey's refusal was immediate. "No thank you."
Mira chimed in, her voice a crescendo of rejection. "No no no no no."
Rumi's firm stance remained unwavering. "Not our fans."
Zoey's warning was clear. "When you mess with our fans..."
Mira's ominous conclusion followed, as she cracked her knuckles,her voice cold and deadly. "We need to make it hurt."