Darius's gaze didn't waver, his calm expression almost too steady to read.
"I want to play with you," he repeated, pointing directly at Ethan.
"They said… you're what they call the genius."
The gym seemed to still for a moment. Ryan let out a low whistle.
"One-on-one against Ethan… damn."
Louie stepped forward, cracking his neck with a grin.
"Hey—if you wanna go at Ethan, you gotta go through me first."
Darius didn't even flinch. His voice was even, like he was stating a fact rather than throwing a challenge.
"I didn't come here for anyone else."
Ethan's lips curved into a faint smile.
(This is the perfect time to put my training to use.)
Coach Fred glanced between them, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, looks like we got ourselves a little warm-up before the real drills start."
Ron folded his arms, watching closely, but his eyes flickered briefly toward Ethan.
(Let's see what you've got, kid…)
