13

She couldn't hear anything aside from the frantic

beating of her own heart, her gasp-like breathing and

the echoes of his question. What should she say? A part

of her brain was screaming a 'yes', while the other was

saying otherwise.

Yes! Yes! I love him so much! I can't find a better guy!

Her love-struck mind yelled.

Her more rational self answered, No. Tell

him to give you more time. Sort out the problem with

Hanade first.

What should she say? Her thoughts were slipping

away as she inhaled his spicy breath. His gentle fingers

were tracing the line of her jaw, while his left hand was

squeezing her right hand on the carpet. Both of them

jumped as they heard the doorbell rang, followed by

Faye's cellphone.

"Uh, c-can you check out who's at the door? It

must be the maintenance," she said with a shaky voice.

No good. She was disoriented. Jared tactfully kissed her

nose, stood up and went for the door while she fumbled

over her phone.

Unknown number.

Her face was so hot. "H-Hello?"

"Sorry to disturb your moment." The cold voice

snatched all good vibes she had accumulated completely.

Fear crawled on her spine. It was undoubtedly

Hanade Minamoto. How did he know her number?

"Don't let anyone in."

"What –"

She turned around, a scream building in her

throat. Jared was lying limp on the floor. A man about

two or three years older than her was standing beside

him. His hair was so blonde, it was almost white, and he

had a sinister grin on his face. He spun to fully face Faye.

She dropped her phone.

"Nice to meet you, Gifted. I'm 04."

hanade's voice faded into the background as the thin

mobile fell from Faye's grasp. Her eyes couldn't seem to

focus, her attention both drawn towards the limp body

on the floor and the vile creature standing before her.

"W-Wha–" she started saying, but her lips

trembled so much that she couldn't let a whole word out.

The stranger paced towards her; for each step he took

forward, Faye responded by treading backwards.

"Oh, don't be so afraid," he said with an all-toofriendly

tone. "I won't hurt you."

Actions speak louder than words.

Faye couldn't believe him, not after what he did to

Jared. She could see it in his eyes. He had the same eyes

as Hanade. Cold and hard to read. Eyes that had seen too

many a death. The eyes of a murderer.

The guy calling himself 04 stopped in the middle of

the room and turned around. As if reading her thoughts,

he smirked. "Don't worry. He's not dead."

Faye watched the rise and fall of Jared's chest. The

fear that gripped her slowly disappeared. She wasn't

afraid of the stranger. It was the thought of losing Jared

that pained her to a point that was past terror. Knowing

that he was simply unconscious relieved her.

Summoning all the strength she could muster,

she returned her thoughts to the white blonde guy.

He looked kind of familiar, in a sense. He was clearly not

American, and by the commanding presence he emitted,

not a common folk either.

"What do you want?"

The other guy frowned. "No need to be stuffy. I'm

not here to harm you. I'm a lot better than 06."

"06?"

"You've met him." He walked towards the couch

and sat down. "Sorry to be rude, but I gotta help myself.

You didn't ask me to sit. You need to be hospitable to

visitors, right?"

"That's a helluva thing to say for someone

uninvited."

He laughed. "You don't sound afraid. That's good.

06 was not mistaken when he described you."

"By 06, do you mean –?"

"Harude, Harate, something like that."

A can of beer came flying from somewhere, aimed

towards 04. He simply raised his hand, catching the can.

No. It gravitated towards his hand. Faye couldn't miss

how the can changed the direction of its projectile. It was

too unnatural.

"Get out," Hanade growled. He was leaning on

the doorway. His face was crumpled with anger and

displeasure, an expression Faye had never seen before.

Obviously, those two weren't on good terms with each

other.

"Whoa! Fast!" 04 chirped merrily. "I didn't think

you would actually come here. You got guts, man. You're

already stalk–"

Hanade was expressionless. "Leave!"

04 didn't seem to be reading the mood, but Faye

did, and the last thing she would want was her suite

burnt black. Suddenly, the lights flickered. Both men

were already standing, glowering at each other.

"Learn your own place, 06. I'm your superior."

Superior? Faye didn't like sound of that.