The next day, Ash sat in his usual seat on the bus, gazing out the window as they passed row after row of buildings. He hadn’t left any notes for Blake today, breaking his streak for the first time in weeks.

Somehow, it felt odd- almost like something was missing.

But he brushed it off. ‘I can’t let myself get too carried away. A break’s probably a good idea.’

The bus hummed along, and he thought back to lunch.

It had been a rare, quiet one, with Jason absent and Lucas busy with his own things.

There’d been no bickering, no Jason and Lucas fanboying, and no juicy gossip. Just Ash, sitting alone, picking at his food.

‘Maybe Jason’s out sick,’ he thought absently. ‘But Jason rarely misses school. Maybe he is out finding his hero.’

Ash chuckled sarcastically.

The bus came to a stop, and Ash made his way down the steps and onto the sidewalk.

After reaching home, he went inside. Luke was on another business trip overseas, Noah and his mom were out visiting their aunt in a nearby city.

They weren’t going to come any sooner.

Ash tossed his backpack to the chair and slumped down onto his bed, rubbing his temples as exhaustion washed over him.

“Man, I’m exhausted. I really want to take a nap, and then I’ll have to make dinner for myself. Now…what should I eat?” He sighed, already dreading the effort it would take.

Cooking had never been his strong suit- that much he knew.

Whenever he was home alone, he’d usually rely on takeout to survive. But today, he’d forgotten to pick anything up on the way back.

“Guess I’ll take a shower, then a little nap, and then...noodles. Yeah, noodles are easy enough.”

His eyes drooped as he thought about it, the comfort of his bed slowly inviting him. He sprawled out, enjoying the soft, inviting feel of the blankets beneath him.

“Man, this feels good.”

But just as he was about to drift off, a sharp, loud sound pierced through the silence of the house, jarring him awake.

His eyes flew open, pulse quickening as he tried to make sense of the noise. He sat up, glancing around the dim room, his senses on high alert.

“The phone…right.”

Shaking off the haze of sleep, Ash reached for his phone on the nightstand, groaning inwardly.

‘Heh?’

When he saw the caller ID, it was Lucas.

‘Lucas..? He never calls me. Forget that, where did he even find my number….?’

He picked up the call.

“Ash?”

‘It is Lucas, where did he find my number…? Screw how, I'm gonna ask him right now.’

“Where did you find my number?” Ash asked, not thinking of manners anymore.

No, he was too exhausted for that.

“Oh thank god, it’s Ash! Are you home?” Lucas’s voice shouted in an absurd way.

“...”

Ash didn’t respond, since Lucas didn’t tell him the details.

“...Oh, Man, Did you forget?! We exchanged numbers that day before?”

“We- What?”

Ash frowned, trying to recall, and then it hit him.

So much for ‘exchanging numbers’.

Jason and Lucas had started a little group chat for “Operation Hero Sidekick” when they’d both become obsessed with Blake’s mysterious stalker, calling him their “hero.”

They’d pulled his number from the student attendance list, somehow convincing him to join their crusade against Blake.

Not that Ash ever contributed to the chat.

Jason and Lucas messaged almost every five minutes with some new theory or “sighting” of their so-called hero, and though Ash mostly ignored it, he’d sometimes felt a bit...glad.

Like maybe, somehow, he wasn’t totally left out of their antics.

“O-Oh right.” Ash finally replied.

“Sooo, are you home?” Lucas’ voice was urgent.

“Yeah, why?” He asked.

‘Something’s off.’

“Um, have you heard about Jason?” Lucas’ voice was almost tense, Ash could feel it in his voice.

And one thing Ash could confidently say about Lucas was, he was hardly ever tense.

“No? What…happened?” Ash was not liking the way this convo was going.

“Yeah… so, Jason didn’t show up at school today, right? And- well, it was pretty serious, Ash.”

‘Serious? Fight?’ Ash's thoughts raced.

“...”

Lucas hesitated, then sighed. “Blake. He ran into Blake at the gym last night.”

Ash’s stomach dropped. He’d kept Blake under a careful radar, like the quiet yet inevitable clockwork of those notes- every morning, always the same way.

He never let up. And now, the one time he hadn’t sent anything…

“What…exactly happened?” Ash asked, his voice quieter, the sense of guilt deepening.

“From what I heard from a friend, Blake and his crew started it- picking at him, you know, taunting him. Jason tried to ignore it at first, apparently, but then things got heated. And Blake…” Lucas trailed off for a moment, his tone rougher now, “...he just wouldn’t stop. It was five against one. I mean, Jason held his own for a bit, but Blake had his lackeys hold Jason down so he could go at him.”

A flood of guilt washed over Ash, and he shut his eyes for a moment, gripping the phone tighter.

‘The one day I skip a note, and this is what happens,’ he thought bitterly.

He hadn’t been there when it mattered. He could almost hear Blake’s mocking voice echoing, like it was laughing at him through all of this. ‘Should’ve kept going… I let my guard down.’

“Ash? You still there?”

Ash took a shaky breath, forcing himself to respond. “Yeah, yeah. Sorry, I’m… processing.”

Lucas’s voice softened. “It’s messed up, I know. Jason’s in the hospital now. I was going to head over there and see him. I thought maybe… you might want to come too?”

Ash swallowed, feeling a mix of anger and determination settle in his gut.

This wasn’t something he could just ignore. “Yeah,” he replied, his voice steady, “I’ll come.”

Lucas’s relief was almost tangible over the line. “Alright, I’ll text you the address.”

“Fine.” Ash murmured, his mind already racing through a hundred thoughts.

For now, there was only one thing on his mind- getting to the hospital. And from here on out, he wouldn’t be skipping any notes. Not again.

‘Guess I’ll be skipping the noodles, one nap, and mental health problems.’

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ash arrived at the hospital, his thoughts heavy but his pace quick.

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He pushed through the glass doors, feeling the chill of antiseptic air wash over him, a constant reminder of where he was. He glanced around, and there, just by the waiting area, was Lucas, looking impatient but relieved when he spotted Ash.

Ash stepped to him, nodding at Lucas, who returned a small smile that barely hid the worry underneath.

“Glad you came,” Lucas murmured, “Let’s go. They told me Jason’s room is down the hall.”

‘Right, he must be waiting for me.’

Together, they navigated through the maze of corridors, their footsteps echoing off the sterile tiles. When they reached the room, Lucas gently pushed the door open, and they both peeked in.

Jason lay propped up on the hospital bed, his arm in a sling, a few bruises visible on his cheek, and bandages wrapped around his forehead.

But he didn’t look as bad as Ash had expected. Instead, Jason grinned broadly at them, eyes gleaming with the same spark they’d come to expect.

‘So, he looks too cheerful for someone who just fought with someone and nearly got all his ribs broken.’

“Boys! Welcome to my humble abode!” He raised his good arm in a mock flourish, looking entirely too pleased with himself given the circumstances.

Ash blinked, surprised. “You look… not terrible?”

Jason laughed, and Lucas chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s Jason for you. No one can keep him down.”

While Lucas plopped down next to him on the bed, too casually, and smacked him on the good hand.

“Hey, this isn’t a humble abode! This is a…” Lucas hummed, then continued, “This is a medical prison!”

Ash seemed like everything was out of context.

‘A medical prison? Wait, where do I sit?!’

Ash quickly dragged a chair and seated it on one side of Jason’s bed.

“So, my fellow worthy sidekick! Mind telling us what happened?” Lucas asked, looking as if he was some kind of a henchman for a pirate.

Jason leaned back, looking almost relaxed, like he was lounging in a cafe instead of a hospital bed. “Alright, so, here’s how it went down,” he started, a glint of excitement in his eyes as he relived the scene. “I was just minding my own business, right? You know, just there to work out-”

“And maybe overhear a thing or two?” Ash asked, completely unaware of their reaction, their eyes popped out of their sockets, mouths gaping, and then Jason shedding a fake tear at Ash’s sarcasticness.

“...Maybe?” Jason said.

Lucas snorted, nudging Jason’s arm again. “Uh-huh, sure. The ‘innocent bystander’ act. Classic.”

Ash watched the two of them banter, caught between amusement and confusion. ‘Okay, so he’s in a hospital bed and still has the nerve to mess around like this?’

Jason grinned, unfazed by Ash’s and Lucas’s mockery. “Anyway, I accidentally overheard Blake running his mouth about, well, I can’t tell here.”

‘W-What?’

“Man, not cool! You were just about to tell us something, I can clearly tell that from the shores away, so tell us, please!”

Lucas asked, over and over again.

“My worthy hero sidekick, I was just about to tell you, all I was about to ask was, you should lean in a bit, since walls do have ears~”

Ash and Lucas leaned in, both clearly curious at what Jason was about to tell.

Jason leaned in, lowering his voice as if they were conspiring in the middle of a heist. “Okay, you two, brace yourselves, because I’ve got news. Big news. This whole mess with Blake? Turns out he’s not the actual mastermind. There’s someone else.”

‘H-He’s kidding, right? Right? Ahahahahahaha-’

While Lucas seemed unfazed for a split second and then, he almost tripped over, nothing.

“What do you mean?!”

“Heh tell me Jason, tell me!”

Lucas asked, nudging Jason.

Ash and Lucas then exchanged wide-eyed glances.

“You’re serious?” Ash asked, leaning in, his curiosity piqued despite himself.

“Absolutely,” Jason said, eyes glittering with a strange excitement. “I overheard Blake calling someone his ‘boss.’ And get this- he didn’t seem thrilled about it. It’s like this boss is the one pulling all the strings.”

Lucas’s eyes widened with excitement. “Wait, you’re saying there’s, like, a secret boss?! Someone who’s even got Blake under their thumb?”

‘I’ve been sending the notes to the wrong man, then. Ahahahahah- but still it’s too unreal-’

Jason nodded, looking entirely too smug for someone lying in a hospital bed. “Exactly. It’s just like those crime shows. Blake’s only the big fish in the small pond. There’s a shark out there.”

Lucas and Ash didn’t respond.

They just glared at Jason, wide-eyed.

“You know the guy likes to talk big, but this time, he was just about to spill who was the boss.. So I figured I’d get in close to hear more.” He paused, eyes widening dramatically.

“Sooo, tell us, who is it?!” Lucas asked, leaning in a bit.

“Yeah, who?” Ash asked, this was suddenly becoming a bit too like a big game.

Then Jason leaned back, and slapped himself on the forehead, and said, sobbing fake, “I’m so sorry, my hero! I couldn’t do this one job- And…I’ll accept any punishment you bring upon me!”

‘....Eh?’

“Nah man, don’t tell me!”

“Yes my worthy sidekick! I might have made it a little obvious, cause then Blake saw me lurking and got all riled up.”

Ash cracked a smile. “Yeah, ‘a little’ obvious. So you just strolled into their conversation? Idiot.”

Jason shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. “I thought I was doing great until Blake turned around and spotted me. Next thing I knew, his lackeys were all like, ‘He heard too much!’ And then the ‘you deserve a beating’ talk started.”

Ash shook his head, caught somewhere between disbelief and sympathy. ‘The guy seriously got himself cornered just to hear Blake complain? That’s either bravery or, well, complete recklessness.’

“So, they dragged me back to Blake, who looked pretty pleased with himself.” Jason paused for effect, his eyes gleaming as he continued. “But I wasn’t about to go down without a fight. I threw out some taunts, told him to go ahead and hit me, but that he should do it fair and square, right there in the gym.”

Lucas whistled, giving Jason a look of admiration. “That actually took guts, man. I’d be shaking.”

Jason’s grin faltered a bit, and he lowered his voice. “Yeah, maybe. Honestly, I was terrified. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might just jump out on its own. But I kept talking because I knew if I looked scared, they’d just go for me.”

Ash glanced away for a second, feeling a pang of guilt. ‘All this happened when I stopped sending those notes. If I didn’t, maybe Blake wouldn’t have tried anything. But still, a boss? Ahahahahaha-’

“But I did manage to land a punch or two,” Jason continued, looking a little too proud for someone with multiple bruises. “And then, Blake went down for a moment. Thought I actually won there for a second!”

Lucas laughed, shaking his head. “Except then his lackeys grabbed you and turned the tables, right?”

“Exactly!” Jason exclaimed, nodding as though Lucas had been there to see it. “They yanked me up and held me, and before I knew it, Blake was back on his feet, and he was angrier than ever.”

Jason sighed, looking more sheepish now. “After that, well… let’s just say they made sure I wasn’t getting out without a few ‘battle scars.’ But hey, at least I know I got under Blake’s skin. And now we’ve got some dirt on him and his so-called ‘Boss.’ And also, Blake was injured enough that he is…in this same hospital.”

‘What? Then should I give him a piece of my mind here orrr-’

Ash took a breath, feeling a bit guilty but also sympathetic.

He’d walked right into that mess just to satisfy his curiosity and get some information they didn’t have before. And Lucas, of course, laughed along, shaking his head but clearly impressed.

“Well, next time you go after Blake,” Lucas muttered, and Ash felt a smirk tug at the corner of his lips, “maybe try not to get all your bones rattled in the process?”

Jason grinned, wincing as he shifted in the bed. “Oh, forget that, man. We’ve got some juicy gossip, and we should, as worthy hero sidekicks, tell our other fellows about it, whaddya think?”

“...Oh, I forgot about that part.” Lucas said, taking out his phone.

Half an hour later, Ash excused himself.

Lucas decided to stay a bit with Jason, which had clearly uplifted Jason’s mood. While Ash would’ve done the same, but duty calls.

‘I don’t have a piece of paper with me, so I’ll borrow one from the counter, but I can’t go inside myself,’ he thought, pacing his steps. ‘ I’ll give it to the nurse somehow… But will the nurse even go along with it?’

When he reached the reception counter, he casually asked for a piece of paper, hoping he didn’t look too suspicious. The receptionist handed him a small pad, and Ash quickly jotted down a short note.

Satisfied, Ash folded the paper carefully and tried to figure out how to get it into Blake’s room. He scanned the hallway and spotted a nurse preparing a few items on a tray. A plan slowly pieced together in his mind, though he couldn’t quite ignore the butterflies of anxiety in his stomach.

‘Okay, Asher. Just play it cool. She’s just doing her job, and you’re just… helping her do her job a little more theatrically,’ he thought, chuckling nervously to himself. Timing his approach, he cleared his throat just as the nurse was about to turn down Blake’s hallway.

“Um, excuse me,” Ash said, smiling politely. “Could you, uh, give this to whoever's in Room 512? Someone, um, asked me to leave him a message earlier, but I… I can’t go by myself.”

The nurse raised an eyebrow but shrugged, adding the note to the tray with the rest of the supplies. “Sure thing.” She said before heading off down the hall.

Ash watched her disappear around the corner, the thrill of his little mission buzzing through him. ‘Heh. There it goes. If Blake even reads that, he’ll probably go nuts trying to figure out where it came from.’

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Boss, that jerk, why did he call me when I’m clearly trying to heal from all that happened last night?

Blake shifted uncomfortably, pacing in the dimly lit hallway as he cursed the Boss under his breath.

He had just found another note in the tray the nurse brought him, and he was really thunderstruck.

He had told the Boss about it immediately, but the Boss summoned him to the hideout, out of the blue.

He hadn’t thought that whoever was sending him notes would send him to a hospital room!

That’s right, he was playing it safe, but he didn’t want anyone other than his lackeys to find out that there is a boss, who is actually in control.

‘Nothing,’ Blake would think, ‘Nothing is worth it. Because the Boss is going to beat him, wherever and whenever he wants to.’

The note’s message was different this time, short and sharp, almost taunting

.

.

“Do you think I’ve stopped watching? No, Blake. Everyone knows you’re not in control. Everyone knows… that You’re going to break soon.”

.

.

“Who does this guy think he is?” Blake muttered, glancing around to make sure no one overheard him.

It wasn’t just the Boss calling the shots from the shadows that was unnerving- it was the fact that someone else had the nerve to sneak messages to him even in his hospital room. The same hospital room where he’d been lying, bruised and humiliated, thanks to some wannabe kid, who probably spread the word of the Boss’s existence.

‘Just my luck,’ he thought bitterly. ‘And now this mystery note-passer is probably laughing at me from somewhere. As if the Boss isn’t enough.’

Blake’s jaw clenched as he reached the hideout.

He knew what awaited him behind that door- the same thing that happened every time he “failed” or didn’t cover his tracks well enough.

Each step down the hallway felt heavier than the last, his muscles still throbbing from the last encounter. The familiar dread settled in his chest as he opened the door.

The Boss was waiting inside.

He barely got a step into the room when he was met with an impatient glare. The Boss was seated, his gaze sharp and cutting through Blake like a knife. “Well? Care to explain what happened?” the Boss asked, his voice dripping with disdain.

Blake opened his mouth, fumbling for words. “It was just… some kid,” he stammered, trying to keep his voice steady. “I had it under control. He shouldn’t have heard anything important-”

“Under control?” The Boss cut him off, his expression hardening. “Under control doesn’t get you in a mess like this, Blake. That ‘some kid’ heard more than you think.” He rose from his seat, the anger in his eyes undeniable. “Do you have any idea what could happen if word got out?”

Blake swallowed, feeling his confidence crumble. “I-I swear, Boss, I’ll make sure he keeps quiet. No one else will know.” He tried to stand his ground, but his legs were like jelly. His mind kept flickering back to that note.

That stupid, cryptic note.

The Boss’s voice interrupted his thoughts. “This is a waste of time, Blake. Everyone already knows. If you can’t handle things, I’ll find someone else who can.”

Before Blake could respond and brace himself, the blows began, each one harder than the last.

“If you think you shouldn’t be replaced, then show me that maybe you aren’t as pathetic as I think.” The Boss said, in between blows, “ Or I’ll show you how dealing with me feels like.”

‘Right, Real good advice, jerk.’

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Days passed in a weird blur.

Ash was back at it, leaving those notes that always threw Blake off, making him question everything and everyone around him.

Meanwhile, Jason was still recovering in the hospital, and Lucas took every chance to visit him, bringing snacks and sharing wild stories to keep him entertained.

Ash, on the other hand, didn’t bother visiting Jason in person. Instead, he’d call him sometimes to check in or get updates through Lucas.

Back at school, things were different too. Blake had been lying low, avoiding confrontations. For once, he wasn't the one dragging anyone down, and the rumors about this "boss" figure were everywhere, like an itch everyone was dying to scratch. Students whispered in the halls, sharing theories about who this shadowy figure could be and what he might be doing to keep even Blake under his thumb.

And as much as Blake hated to admit it, even he was starting to get spooked. The notes, the whispers… this whole thing was beginning to spiral beyond his control.