Beautiful, Tall and Sexy

For generations, Honmun had been protected by women. Strong, warlike, and wise, they held back demonic assaults with stoic resolve, never letting ordinary people fall into despair. The protectors of Honmun kept their secrets, fighting silently under the cover of night. But the world changes, and apparently even magic has some concept of progressive values—because the new generation of Honmun protectors… were men. Maybe the selection criteria had always been something else—not gender. That would explain why two out of three members of the group ran straight to their boyfriends the moment their shift was over. Javier quickly and precisely wiped down his sword before sliding it into the scabbard. Lately, he’d been overcome with a sense of melancholy. He felt less and less purpose in what he was doing. Sure, his contribution to the group’s songs as the visual was minimal—occasional interjections at best—but he bore the burden of being the strongest member. Which meant he had to slay three times more demons than the rest. The paradox was, demon souls couldn’t be destroyed, no matter how hard he tried. So when he struck a demon’s body with his holy weapon, it merely got sent back to hell… and could return in a year or two. Ivan, responsible for vocals and constructing the golden barrier, had been writing lyrics so bleak lately that they were better suited for a funeral. Clearly, something wasn’t going well in his personal life, and it spilled into his creativity. Someone really needed to tell him to run the lyrics through a neural net or something. At this rate, Honmun would collapse within the year. Only the quiet Yoo Joonghyuk—who mostly rapped and promoted them through his online cooking show—was steady and calm. Apparently, he was planning to marry his weird-looking boyfriend, since he kept diving into his phone to aggressively type something every free second. Yoo Joonghyuk often talked about how unbearable his fiancé could be, so no one dared to disturb him when he was glued to the screen again. And despite the group’s general apathy toward their jobs, their band BTS (Beautiful, Tall and Sexy — all rights reserved) continued topping award charts and breaking streaming records on Spotify. Maybe their voices didn’t just build barriers against demons… maybe they brainwashed people a little too. But that was only speculation. "Here, take a look." Ivan, having also stashed away his weapon, approached with a page full of lyrics. Javier skimmed the lines, then slowly raised his eyes from the paper to Ivan’s smirking face. “Have you had your head checked recently?” Javier asked. “Yeah, ages ago,” Ivan replied calmly. “Go see a therapist.” Javier patted his shoulder and handed back the lyrics, in which Ivan compared himself to a parasite. Ivan’s yandere tendencies were starting to wear thin. Ivan just shrugged, as if agreeing, and walked off to bother Yoo Joonghyuk, who was glaring at his phone like it had insulted his ancestors. Out of the corner of his eye, Javier noticed movement. His hunter instincts kicked in, and he darted off after his prey. This part of town was usually empty at night, so any human presence was highly suspicious. Maybe they’d missed a demon during the last fight. The creature he was chasing tired quickly, zigzagging through narrow alleyways. Unfortunately for it, Javier knew this neighborhood too well. Within minutes, it had cornered itself in a dead-end. His sword slid naturally into his hand, shimmering faintly with a rainbow hue under the night sky. Javier slowly approached the figure cowering in the corner, trying to blend into its surroundings. Honestly, this demon was doing a decent job—in its brown coat, it looked a lot like a cockroach. Javier raised his weapon—and the figure screamed: "AAAAAA! Don’t kill me!" The light from his blade illuminated the face, and Javier recoiled in horror. First, because the expression was hideously twisted. Second—there were no demonic markings. He had just been chasing a regular person. Javier immediately sheathed his weapon. “My apologies, this was a misunderstanding,” he said, bowing low to the man still pressed against the grimy wall. “Please, forget this incident. I will compensate you for emotional distress.” Maybe mentioning compensation right away wasn’t the best idea—but Javier had never made such a mistake before, and his conscience now guided his actions. The man recovered suspiciously quickly. Dusting himself off, he crossed his arms and looked Javier up and down. “Hey, I know you,” the guy said. “You’re in that popular boy band, right? Yeah, for sure—Julian listens to you in secret, I’m certain. Javier, right?” Javier squinted skeptically. “How do you know he listens to us if he hides it?” Definitely not the question he should’ve asked. “Because I read his browser history,” the guy replied casually. “Obviously. I’m his older brother.” For the first time in his life, Javier felt relieved to be an orphan. This guy wasn’t someone Javier wanted to keep talking to, so he bowed deeply. “Please, name your compensation, and I will pay it immediately.” The man let out a long “hmm,” then exploded: “You shameless jerk!” he shouted, slamming his fist into Javier’s head. The impact nearly knocked him over. Javier straightened up, rubbing his bruised scalp, confused. “How dare you?! You think human life is worth some money?! That you can just buy your way out?!” “But…” Javier started, wanting to explain his weapon couldn’t harm humans, but the guy cut him off. “Zip it!” Javier shut his mouth instantly. The man advanced, poking a finger into his chest. “No amount of money can compensate for a human life! What, you expect me to go home and tell my parents and brother, ‘Hey, I almost died today, but here’s ten billion won in compensation!’? Think they’d be okay with that?” “I… I was wrong,” Javier muttered and bowed again. “I offer my sincere apologies.” “Oh no, that won’t cut it,” the guy continued. “Now you’re trying to dodge the issue?” “No, I’m listening to your terms.” “Great!” Javier looked at him, startled by how quickly he’d calmed down. The guy was now tapping his lips thoughtfully, wearing a wide, eerie grin. Javier felt a genuine sense of danger. “Here’s the deal,” the man finally said. “You’ve got superpowers or something, right?” “Yes…” Javier replied warily. “Show me.” Javier stared, confused—but complied, jumping nearly four meters in the air. “Perfect!” the guy grinned. “From now on, you’re working for me!” *** “Joonghyuk-ah, did you notice it too?” “Notice what?” “That someone’s got Javier wrapped around their finger.” Ivan said it loud enough for Javier to hear, just as he was changing out of his dance practice shoes, trying to make it home in time to see Lloyd. It was already late evening. “I don’t have anyone,” Javier muttered, reaching for the door handle—only to feel a strong grip on his shoulder. He turned around to find Ivan, smiling sweetly with his eyes closed. That signature face he used during fan cams, so his dead-eyed stare wouldn’t scare fans off. “You’ve been leaving practice, shoots, and even demon hunts the moment you get the chance. You haven’t stayed at the dorm in weeks.” “What’s so strange about that?” Javier raised a brow and met Ivan’s gaze coolly. “That’s exactly what I mean!” Ivan turned to Yoo Joonghyuk, pointing dramatically at Javier’s face. “He even talks differently now! The old Javier would’ve given some excuse. Now he just acts like nothing’s happening.” Javier froze. An unexpected emptiness washed over him. Ivan was right. Without even realizing it, he’d answered just like Lloyd would. It hit him like a freight train: an identity crisis. Javier was so stunned he dropped his backpack, which slumped from his shoulder and hit the ground. He really had been spending all his free time with Lloyd, helping him on the construction site and filming TikToks to promote his business. He even stayed overnight at Lloyd’s apartment just to save on travel time. And apparently, that had already started changing him. “I saw that ad,” Ivan said calmly. “Just be honest—does that guy exploit you? Does he have blackmail?” Javier decided not to lie. “Something like that,” he sighed, rubbing his forehead. He was only just now realizing how deep he’d gotten into this mess. “Is it photos? Video?” “No. Nothing like that. Just… his word.” Javier looked from Ivan to Yoo Joonghyuk, who was staring at him with an unreadable expression. Or rather, he looked like Javier had grown a second head. “So let me get this straight,” Ivan said flatly. “Instead of ignoring some scammer, you’ve been playing his errand boy for a month?” “Well… I nearly cut him,” Javier tried to defend himself. “With that thing?” Ivan summoned his long scythe. Like Javier’s sword, it shimmered with rainbow light. To demonstrate, Ivan sliced it across his own arm. As expected, it didn’t leave a scratch. Javier lowered his head in defeat. “I’m coming with you,” Yoo Joonghyuk said quietly from beside him. “If you can’t do it yourself, I’ll have a nice little chat with this businessman.” “Just don’t strangle him by accident,” Ivan called after them. Javier usually helped out on the construction site at night, when no one would see him hauling enormous bricks or bending rebar with his bare hands. All of it under Lloyd’s watchful gaze. And honestly, Javier knew he didn’t owe the guy anything. It’s just… the atmosphere was right. While they worked, he’d find himself telling Lloyd about his childhood, his training, and how terrifying it had been to kill demons at first. Lloyd would listen, occasionally sharing bits of his own life. It was refreshing. For once, Javier met someone who didn’t care about his looks or fame. Even the guys in his group never felt this close—sometimes it felt like the only thing binding them was the fight. But with Lloyd, it was different. Nightfall made it easy for Javier and Yoo Joonghyuk to reach the district by rooftop, moving quickly and silently. The uncomfortable silence between them only added to the reasons why Javier didn’t want to give up on Lloyd. After all, Lloyd wasn’t just sitting around watching. He lifted bricks too—fewer, sure, but he worked just as hard. They were close to the site when they both froze. In a near-empty alleyway near the construction zone, a demonic aura pulsed—just like the one Javier had sensed a month ago. The hunters moved without a word, staying quiet and weaponless for now. Crouched at the edge of the rooftop, they peered down. Javier felt a jolt of déjà vu. Lloyd stood in the alley, talking to a vaguely familiar man. He couldn’t hear the words, so he tried to creep closer—but Yoo Joonghyuk held out an arm to stop him. Javier turned and saw the tension on his face. Of course. Yoo Joonghyuk had once shown a photo of his fiancé—who was now standing there, talking to Lloyd. “That your ugly one?” Yoo Joonghyuk asked, pointing at Lloyd, who was making animated gestures. “Yeah,” Javier whispered. “And the other guy—he’s yours?” Joonghyuk nodded. Javier strained his ears. It felt wrong to eavesdrop, but something about this stank. “...I’m telling you, I’m out,” Lloyd was saying. “I’m ending this deal. No contract, no penalty. I owe you nothing.” “What happened to you?” the other man asked. Javier couldn’t recall his name. “You were doing great—we were so close to the goal. Lloyd, you’ll get your money soon. Why quit now?” What goal? Javier thought, bewildered. “It’s all bullshit,” Lloyd snapped. “You can’t earn all the money in the world.” “You’re right—but you can earn a lot. A lot. Enough to never work again. Isn’t that what you wanted? I’ll get it for you. Or is there something else? Don’t tell me… you’ve grown attached to these people?” “So what if I have?” “But you’re not one of them, Lloyd. You’re a demon too.” “That’s for me to decide,” Lloyd hissed. “Just because my grandma did crap in her youth doesn’t mean I have to follow her path.” “And yet,” the other man smiled, “why save the humans? You have no family left. So why side with them? Ah… I think I get it now. It’s that hunter, isn’t it?” Lloyd said nothing. The man kept pressing. “You didn’t sleep with him?” Javier whispered. “I did,” Joonghyuk replied bluntly. “And you didn’t realize he was a demon?” “No.” Javier noticed Joonghyuk’s fists clenching. He really hadn’t known. That could only mean one thing—his fiancé was high-ranking, powerful enough to mask his nature completely. In the next second, Yoo Joonghyuk summoned his sword and leapt, swinging straight for his fiancé—who dodged, of course. “Kim Dokja!” Joonghyuk shouted, blade glowing with holy light. Kim Dokja transformed mid-dodge. No longer a polished office worker in a white coat, he became a monster: gray skin, glowing purple demonic marks, long horns, and enormous black wings. Clearly, not a low-level demon. “Good evening, Yoo Joonghyuk,” Kim Dokja said, smiling softly. Javier’s gaze flicked to Lloyd—who was already running away. Javier jumped and landed right in front of him. Lloyd skidded to a stop but couldn’t brake in time, crashing into Javier. Javier grabbed him by the collar. “Javier, I can explain—” Lloyd began. Javier didn’t want to hear it. Without a word, he yanked the collar hard, ripping a few buttons. On Lloyd’s chest, from solar plexus to collarbones, twisted black demonic lines shimmered faintly. His hands fell limp. Lloyd seized the moment to break free and bolted. Javier’s eyes, filled with betrayal, followed his back as he disappeared around the corner. Then, without pause, he turned and ran to aid Yoo Joonghyuk—who had already begun battling his former lover.