A Ritual In the House?

5

"Hello again fellow mortals."

Hyunjin grins, nearing towards the trio who have just met up after Jiwoo's classes, interrupting said girl who was in the middle of complaining about her major (which is computer science may she add).

"Mortals? Who do you think you are? God?"

"No, but we do hang out sometimes, He's chill." She plays along, satisfied at the groans of exasperation she receives.

"Hekkie, why is she always here? She doesn't even go here." Jiwoo grumbles, her voice getting deeper which happens occasionally when surrounded by close friends and is just in the right time of being exhausted.

Unlike the displeased older girl, Yerim smiles widely at the brunette demon, always finding their, Jiwoo and Hyujin's, habitual disagreements to be top notch entertainment.

"At least someone is pleased to see me."

She goes on to annoy the group of friends, spiking on Jiwoo's nerves until she starts to pout and whine Heejin's name out for help.

The girl responds to her grievance.

She calls for the demon and the her attention is immediately torn away from the oldest. "Why are you here?" Her approach is far from threatening, eyes softer compared to their bygone banter. She doesn't look like she wanted to murder her anymore.

Heejin doesn't want to admit it and she probably never will, but the more the demon sticks close to her, the bigger the sense of security she feels.

A week has passed after the incident, and they still don't talk about the situation, Heejin is too prideful to admit that the demon did in fact save her —After crying into her arms all night, all Hyunjin got was a simple thank you before the bunny locked herself in her room. But it doesn't mean that Hyunjin failed to discern the anxiety of the shorter girl, it's enough drive to send her to accompany Heejin on her way to work or school, or anywhere she goes. And she always does. Yet always disguising her attendance as a form of boredom, also pride getting in the way of her admitting that she cares.

"Well, I was bored."
('I just want to make sure you're doing okay.')

"You can't keep doing this."
('You don't have to do this.')

"Who are you to tell me what to do."
('You know you can't stop me.')

Once reaching a silent end to their conversation, they turn to the two who were listening closely to their interaction, they detected a different tenor between the pair.

Heejin is thankful that the demon has been by her side after the ambush, and with her sudden convention of tender and softness, Hyunjin understands that she is indeed thankful and chooses to continue to her ulterior mission. So yes, the pair also sense a different atmosphere with one other.

But they don't say a word about it. It's just there and it doesn't make signs of leaving soon.

(Jiwoo was first to address the change days before, she noticed that in a span of a week, Hyunjin's presence became constant and her friend was quieter than her normal self.

Herself and Yerim spent one whole McDonalds meal analyzing the strange absence of their repartee.

"Why are you guys not shouting at each other like teenage boys?"

"No energy." Her friend simply answers, limply flailing a fry infront of her face.

"And you?" The purple haired girl points at the other across.

"It's no fun to attack if your opponent won't do the same"

And they left the conversation to that.)