Ethan had watched enough fight videos to know what was coming. As the guy rushed toward him, throwing a wild punch, Ethan instinctively raised his arms, preparing to block. He was going to make it look good—at least that's what he thought.
But as his hands moved to intercept the punch, he miscalculated the distance. The fist landed squarely against his stomach with a sickening thud.
"Ughhh!" Ethan grunted, feeling the air whoosh out of his lungs as the punch connected. He stumbled back a step, fighting to stay on his feet, and for a second, the pain seemed overwhelming. He closed his eyes, letting the burn settle, allowing the tension to build in his chest.
The pain lingered for a moment, but then something strange happened. The ache wasn't as bad as he expected. In fact, it was almost… manageable? Ethan let out a chuckle, a cocky smirk crossing his face as the sharp pain slowly dissipated. He straightened up, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and looked back at the guy who had thrown the punch.
"Is that all you've got?" Ethan said, his voice low, steady, but carrying a sharp edge that cut through the tension in the air.
The guy froze for a split second, eyes wide. He had expected Ethan to crumple or at least show signs of weakness. But Ethan? He barely flinched. It was as if the punch had just bounced off him, not leaving much of an impact. The guy looked at his clenched fist, then back at Ethan, taking a half-step back.
"How the hell…?" the guy muttered under his breath, his confidence beginning to crack.
Ethan locked eyes with him, unshaken. He didn't even bother to look at the spot where he'd been hit anymore, his body already dismissing the pain. He stood there, his stance solid and unyielding, as if daring the guy to come at him again.
The guy swallowed, his hand shaking slightly. His bravado faltered. It was clear now—Ethan wasn't someone he could intimidate so easily. And despite the rush of adrenaline, the guy couldn't ignore the mounting doubt that started to creep into his mind.
"Go ahead, hit me again," Ethan taunted, his smile wide and full of challenge. "I'm waiting."
The other guy hesitated, his face twisting in uncertainty. The fight wasn't going the way he had imagined, and a part of him—deep down—knew he couldn't take Ethan down easily. The silence between them stretched on.
Then, with a sharp inhale, the guy took another step back. "This isn't over," he muttered, his bravado deflating. The confidence he had once worn like armor had cracked, and he turned to walk away, clearly deciding that Ethan wasn't worth the trouble after all.
Ethan didn't even flinch as the guy retreated, his smug smile never faltering. He wasn't about to let anyone get under his skin that easily.
"Smart choice," he murmured to himself, watching the guy retreat, but he didn't let his guard down. He still had the others to deal with.
As Ethan stood his ground, the three guys retreated to the safety of their original position, murmuring quietly between themselves. Their faces were still flushed with aggression, but now, a hint of fear had settled in their eyes.
"Who the hell is that guy?" one of the guys asked, voice shaking just a little.
"He's not normal," another guy muttered, keeping his gaze locked on Ethan, trying to make sense of what had just happened. "You saw how he took that punch—he didn't even flinch.
That's not some ordinary kid."
The third guy, the one who had initially attacked Ethan, still had his hand clenched into a fist, but now it looked awkward—almost useless.
He rubbed his knuckles, wincing slightly, and said, "I've seen some guys take punches, but he took it like nothing. We don't want to get involved with someone like him."
They were clearly shaken, their bravado wearing thin. They exchanged a few more hesitant glances before the first guy sighed in frustration.
"This isn't worth it. Let's get out of here before we make it worse for ourselves."
Without another word, the trio turned and began to walk away, casting quick, uneasy glances over their shoulders at Ethan as they retreated down the hallway.
Ethan's eyes followed them, an amused smirk creeping across his face. "That's right, keep running," he called after them, his voice dripping with mockery.
"Don't come back until you've figured out how to fight."
As the three of them hurried away, Ethan couldn't help but feel a sense of triumph. He'd made them think twice—and the power of intimidation, in this case, worked wonders.
Turning his attention back to the girl, he finally walked up to her, his demeanor relaxed and casual, as if nothing had happened. He looked her up and down, noticing how her posture had stiffened slightly.
"You alright?" he asked, his voice softer now, a genuine concern underlying his words.
"That was a little much for them, don't you think?"
She didn't speak immediately, her eyes still darting to the retreating trio. She seemed impressed but said nothing, simply taking in a deep breath before she slowly turned to face him. Ethan could see a flicker of admiration in her eyes, and that didn't escape him.
"Thanks for stepping in," she finally said, her voice steady but with a hint of gratitude. "Those idiots don't know how to back off."
Ethan smirked slightly, leaning against the wall casually. "No problem. I can't stand seeing grown men picking on someone who's clearly not afraid to stand her ground."
The girl gave him a skeptical look. "You've got a weird way of showing it, though. Charging in like a hero, without thinking of the consequences," she said with a soft chuckle. "But I guess it worked."
Ethan raised an eyebrow and smiled, his tone dripping with playful confidence. "What can I say? I'm just doing my part to help out the defenseless. Though, I don't mind the occasional thrill, either."
She shook her head but couldn't hide the slight grin on her face. "You're funny," she muttered.
Ethan's grin widened. "I try."
There was a pause, a shift in the air as the girl's expression grew more serious. "You didn't need to do that, though," she said, almost as if she regretted him getting involved. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into. That's one of the Iron Fang bosses. They don't take kindly to interference."
Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of Iron Fang, but he kept his cool. "Iron Fang, huh? Sounds like a tough crowd."
The girl didn't elaborate further, choosing instead to give him a look that said enough. Ethan could tell she wasn't comfortable talking about it, and he wasn't one to pry.
"Alright, alright, no need to tell me all your secrets," Ethan said with a grin, lightening the mood. "But don't worry. I'm not scared of them. Besides, if I let them walk all over people like you, what kind of person would I be?"
Her eyes softened, the fierceness from earlier gone for a moment.
"Still, you should be more careful," she warned, a slight edge to her voice. "Next time, don't jump in without thinking."
Ethan chuckled lightly. "I'll take that under advisement," he said, though he didn't intend to heed the advice.
"But you've got to admit, that was a good show. You didn't back down from them, even when they tried to intimidate you."
The girl's expression softened even more, and a small, appreciative smile tugged at her lips. "Thanks again," she said quietly.
Ethan tilted his head, feeling the moment linger for a bit before breaking the silence with a question. "So, what's your name, anyway?"
The girl's gaze flickered toward the ground for a brief second before meeting his eyes again.
"Aria," she said simply.
"Ethan," he replied with a grin. "Nice to meet you, Aria. You've got a lot of guts, I'll give you that."
Aria raised an eyebrow at his playful tone but said nothing more, her lips curling into a tiny, but genuine, smile. "Thanks. But, like I said, be careful next time. You don't know what you're dealing with."
Ethan gave her a casual wave, his smile never leaving his face. "Don't worry, I'll manage. See you around, Aria."
As she walked away, Ethan stood still for a moment, watching her retreating figure.
He didn't have all the answers about her, but he could tell she wasn't the type to back down easily. And that? That intrigued him.
With a deep breath, he shook his head and turned taking his leave.
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