The hallway outside the gym was quieter than it had any right to be.
Muted footsteps. Whispered gossip. The distant echo of someone saying Aarvin's name like it was both a warning and a legend.
Aarvin walked with John at his side, shoulders tense, adrenaline still humming through his veins. His knuckles throbbed—half pain, half memory.
Nairi had told the others she needed a minute with him, and now she stood a few steps ahead, waiting.
Her expression wasn't angry.
But it wasn't calm either.
It was… complicated.
"Come here," she said softly.
John clapped Aarvin's shoulder.
"I'll wait at the exit."
Then he left them alone.
Aarvin swallowed and stepped closer.
The Conversation
Nairi studied him, eyes tracing the bruises forming across his jaw.
"What… was that back there?"
Aarvin looked away.
"I don't know. They pushed John. They pushed me. And something just… snapped."
Nairi didn't speak for a moment.
Then, to his surprise, she smiled—small, almost embarrassed.
"Being strong is a good thing ," she murmured. "And I… like strong people."
Aarvin blinked.
"…What?"
"When you were fighting," she continued, cheeks warming, "you looked… different. Not scary. Just… powerful."
That word hit him harder than any punch he threw.
"But," she added, stepping a little closer, "power without control is dangerous."
He nodded.
"I'll… try to control it."
"Not try," she corrected gently. "Promise."
Aarvin let out a slow breath.
"Okay. I promise."
Nairi's eyes softened, relief flickering there.
Why She Was Late
He tilted his head.
"how come you are so late today? You never miss games."
Nairi hesitated, then sighed.
"The bus broke down," she said. "And stupid me—my phone was at 2% when I left the hostel. It died before I could tell anyone."
She rolled her eyes at herself.
"So I had to walk the last stretch. By the time I reached… everything had already gone crazy."
Aarvin frowned.
"You okay though?"
She smiled.
"I'm fine, Aarvin. Just tired. You're the one who needs checking."
"I'm okay," he said quietly.
"You sure?"
He nodded again.
She still looked unconvinced.
The Unspoken Shift
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
The hallway lights cast soft shadows, and the world outside felt strangely quiet after the chaos of the gym.
Nairi stepped a little closer, her voice low.
"You know… seeing you like that, defending John, defending yourself… I didn't expect it."
She paused.
"But I'm glad you were strong today."
Aarvin's heartbeat stuttered.
"But," she added, tapping his chest lightly, "just remember—strength isn't about losing yourself. It's about knowing when to stop."
Aarvin nodded, absorbing every word.
"I'll be better," he said. "Like you want."
A faint blush crept up her neck.
"That's not why I'm saying it," she whispered. "I just… care."
The word lingered in the air, warm and dangerous.
The Walk Out
John called from a distance,
"Storm Pack, move! Before the coach finds us and kills us!"
Aarvin and Nairi exchanged a look.
She squeezed his wrist lightly—barely a touch, but enough to ground him.
"Come on," she said with a small smile. "Let's go."
They walked out together—John joining them, bruised and proud, Nairi walking close enough that her shoulder brushed Aarvin's arm every few steps.
The day had ended in chaos.
But something new had begun beneath it—
quiet, fragile, and full of promise.
The kind of storm even Aarvin wasn't ready for.