I played with the card in my hand, staring at the phone number printed on it. I’ve been looking at it for so many times that I had already memorized the numbers.

I wonder what would happen if I call it?

Black Dragon? Ext. Corp? NV?

What does that mean?

And who gave me this number?

This card was like a card that you just don’t give out randomly to people. The design was eccentric, almost sinister.

It’s like a calling card of a freaking assassin or something.

I shuddered at the thought. That was scary.

The Math teacher, who was always late for her class finally arrived. I hid the card in my pocket, sat up straight and looked at the blackboard to listen to her boring lecture.

--

School was undeniably strenuous the past few days. After the video they posted that got viral in Facebook, I had never felt so humiliated. Sure, what they’ve been doing to me in the past was far worse but uploading those kind of videos in the Internet, that crushed my heart and soul. I never usually let their bullying get to me. I’ve been made fun of ever since I tripled in size and I got used to the insults and the embarrassment.

A week had passed by and the video was finally seen by the faculty. Everyone who was involved got called by the principal. I was expecting he would take my side since I was obviously the victim in the video but thanks to the parents of my asshole classmates who had the power to do anything just to protect their children from shame of being freaking jerks and lowly scums, the principal couldn’t do anything but to let them go without punishment. Not even a lecture for what they have done to me. I wanted to lash out, to scream at their faces that what those assholes did to me was unforgivable. They humiliated me, made fun of me and they even took videos of the said offense and yet they were pardoned.

No wonder this country stayed being shitty because of people like this. Using their power against the weak to right their wrongs.

I couldn’t stop the glare I was sporting when one of those jerks accompanied by their parents sneered at me before leaving the principal’s office.

Who am I kidding? I had no parent to back me up. I’m all alone in this situation.

This life really sucked.

And returning to that house made it even worst.

--

It was dark outside but I didn’t want to go back home. I just finished working my shift in the restaurant. I had been staying in the nearest 7/11 to kill time, waiting for my step-father to fall asleep because I’m certain I’m not in the mood to become the center of his mood swings.

I sat on the stool facing the windows, staring at the road getting less crowd every hour passed. It’s already 12 am but I still wasn’t sure if step-douchebag’s already asleep. Sometimes, he takes up all night drinking.

Better to be safe than to be sorry.

I played with my phone, feeling bored and sleepy. I’m still in my school uniform and I could tell the cashier lady was giving me the look because I’ve been staying in this convenience store for hours.

To make her stop glancing suspiciously at me, I stood up and went to grab a bottle of juice, spending the last ounce of my allowance for the day to buy it. I went back to my seat and put the change back to my wallet only to let the black calling card fall off on the ground.

Taking it, I stared at the number.

What if I call this now?

I mean, what’s the worst that could happen, right? It’s only a phone number. Besides, I’m bored.

I typed the number in my phone, put it on my ear and waited for Hogwarts or some other sort of magical universe to answer it.

A few rings later, someone finally picked up.

“...what…do you want?”

I shuddered at how deep the voice was. It was certainly a man’s voice, I’m sure of that. He sounded sleepy and groggy and irritated. Well, I couldn’t blame him. It’s already 12 in the morning.

“Oh…sorry. I was just wondering who own this phone number,” I said, “anyway, bye!”

I was ready to hang up the phone but he spoke in a way that made my heart skip a beat.

“Are you in trouble, Paige?”

I could feel my cheeks heating up. The way he said my name brought back nostalgia. I couldn’t explain it but I’m feeling warm. I’m nervous and yet I’m excited to hear more of this voice.

“Uhm, I’m not…in trouble per se,” I said, fighting the blush appearing on my cheeks because of the cashier lady looking at me while tending the counter.

“What’s wrong then?”

Aaaaagh! Why am I feeling like I’m in love or something! And to a man’s voice too?! Have I become insane?!

“I was just…c-curious who own this number. I actually…I f-found this in my room and uh…yeah, I don’t know who it belongs to.”

Why am I stuttering? I wouldn’t be surprised if I bite my tongue to be honest.

I heard a bed creaking followed by the person behind the phone chuckling in amusement. His voice sounded soothing, collected and it’s giving me a feeling of security for some reason.

“I gave you the calling card.”

“You did?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, okay. Why did you do…do that?”

“Because I want you to call me if something happens.”

I froze, surprised at what he said.

“What?””

“I offer a unique service of…let’s say, making people disappear.”

I blinked.

“What?” I repeated.

Disappear? What does he mean by that?

The person in the other line remained silent for a few seconds before continuing.

“If you want a certain person to disappear in your life, I can do that for you.”

“What kind of service is that?”

I didn’t mean to sound sarcastic but it did and I felt the person I was talking to became amused.

“If someone’s making your life a living hell, I can make them disappear.”

Flashbacks of my step-father’s abuse and my schoolmates bullying appeared in my mind for a split second. My throat felt dry and a chill ran down my spine.

“...r-really?”

“Yeah. They won’t bother you anymore, Paige.”

His voice changed to soothing to dangerous. This guy I’m talking to, he’s no ordinary guy. I stared at the calling card in front of me and read the text printed on it.

Black Dragon

09XX XXX XXXX

Ext. Corp - NV

I swallowed the stuck saliva in my throat before saying, “…they won’t bother me anymore?”

“I’ll make sure they won’t.”

I thought for a moment.

Disappear could only mean that he’s going to…

I clenched my fists. This couldn’t be true. There’s no way people like this exists.

“Y-you’re…you’re kidding, right? You’re just messing with me.”

He didn’t answer.

“How did you even know my name?” I said in a cheery voice but I was shaking.

“You really have a bad memory.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing. What are you doing? Why are you still up? It’s already 12 in the morning.”

His voice changed again and the dangerous aura in it disappeared. The strain in my heart vanished as well as our subject changed.

“I’m in 7/11. My dad locked me out of the house,” I lied.

I wasn’t sure why I did that but I could tell this person wouldn’t like hearing the fact that my step-dad’s abusing me.

“Where is he?”

“Probably out drinking with his friends.”

“You don’t have keys?”

“I lost it,” I said another lie again.

“Really?”

I gulped yet again.

“Y-yes, really. I’m really forgetful.”

“If you need a place to crash for the night, I know someone who owns an inn near where you’re living. Just tell them Black Dragon of North Vale and they’ll let you in,” he said in a monotonic voice.

He was about to hang up but I stopped him because I had a lot of questions popping in my brain.

“Wait! How did you know where I’m living…?! And North Vale? Black Dragon? What?! Who…who are you and how do you know me?!”

I was so confused with the turn out of events. I was expecting that this was a troll number but now that this person knows a hell lot of things about me made me snap back in reality that this wasn’t supposed to happen and it’s actually very dangerous.

“I think you perfectly know who I am by now, Paige Garcia.”

He hung up the phone, leaving me dropping my jaws in disbelief.

With all the confusion going on, I could only think of one person who could own this number.

Hiro Blaise.

--

In the end, I didn’t go to the place that guy was telling me to go to stay for the night. I went back to the house at around two in the morning. Fortunately, Jon was already asleep. I could smell the whiff of alcohol in the air and I could only roll my eyes in annoyance.

I went straight to my room, securely locked it before walking to the bed and throwing myself on top of it. The conversation I had with that person was still clear as a day in my mind.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Hiro. That voice definitely belonged to him. I don’t know why his it sounded so familiar and nostalgic, as if I have met him from somewhere a long time ago. It’s frustrating the shit out of me. I hated that jerk for being an asshole that time in the restaurant but why was he so gentle when he was talking to me in the phone?

Calm down, Paige. There’s a chance that guy wasn’t Hiro. I mean, that’s just impossible. There’s no way they’re the same person.

I stared at the ceiling for a few minutes before I rolled on the bed, dragging my heavy body to the side to bury my face under the pillow.

Aaaagh!

Stop thinking about Hiro, you dumb ass! He’s an arrogant asshole with a handsome face. There’s nothing more to him.

“If someone’s making your life a living hell, I can make them disappear.”

I stopped all motion and thought hard about what he said.

Was Hiro Blaise a person capable of doing that?

Back at the restaurant, I saw his piercing, cold eyes staring right into mine and I knew deep inside me that he was no ordinary guy. There’s an instinct kind of feeling that’s telling me he’s not just an ordinary senior high school kid who goes to an infamous school.

He’s not all that.

Hiro’s…something else.

And it scared me that a person like him exists in this world but at the same time, I’m curious to who he really was.

There’s like a magnet-kind of pull attracting me to those cold eyes.

I gripped the sheets of the bed and cursed.

Stop thinking about that jerk, Paige.

He’s only going to bring me trouble and I have enough to last me a life time.

Forget about him.

--