The hallway outside the restroom was empty now—just a faint humming of the chatter coming from the arena.
Daniel walked ahead, his hands buried deep in his pants pockets, shoulders relaxed as if handling stuff like this was very normal for him. Behind him, Ryan followed, still rubbing his arm bruise, which he got while fighting with those kids.
They turned a corner and stopped near the back exit of the gym—a quiet spot behind the stairs, half-lit by the sunlight that poured through the dusty glass, dirt particles visible. The air in that area smelled faintly of chalk.
Daniel leaned against the wall as he crossed his arms next to his chest. His playful smile was gone now, replaced by something calmer—sharper. "Are you okay now, Ryan? That's your name, right?"
Ryan gave a soft nod as he muttered. "Yeah... I think so. My ribs still hurt a bit, though. And yeah, my name is Ryan West."
