The city felt alive.
The afternoon sun poured warmth onto the wide streets, casting long shadows as the city buzzed with its usual rhythm — voices in motion, vendors calling out, the scent of street food weaving through the air.
Daniel and his friends moved through the crowd like any group of high schoolers on the final day of a school trip — bags of snacks in hand, occasional laughter breaking out between them.
Julian stretched his arms overhead, groaning lazily. "Man… yesterday wrecked me. First the fight, then the DJ party. That was too much."
Zach snorted. "I swear, I blinked and it was morning."
Logan grinned. "Yeah, you were snoring like a war movie."
"Shut up," Zach elbowed him. "At least I slept. Can't say the same for everyone."
Up ahead, Daniel walked at his usual pace — hands in his pockets, a faint smirk on his face that said nothing and everything at once.
"I got some sleep," he said after a second. "Just not a lot."
Ethan tilted his head. "What kept you up?"
Daniel shrugged, eyes half-lidded. "Nothing in particular."
Rowan, trailing a few steps behind, kept his head low, expression unreadable — the type of quiet where thoughts brewed without words.
They were nearing an open plaza when Daniel slowed. Something caught his eye — or maybe it was just a shift in the mood. A group was walking toward them from the other side. Their presence wasn't loud, but it was hard to ignore.
They weren't random passersby.
Each of them wore matching deep blue jackets, lined with subtle white stripes, but it wasn't the outfit that stood out — it was the way they moved. Structured. Confident. Like they didn't need to prove anything.
There were four leading the group — each with a distinct aura, and yet something unified in how they carried themselves. Behind them, a few others drifted like shadows, present but unremarkable.
Daniel's eyes scanned them briefly. He didn't slow down, but his friends did.
The guy at the center had long black hair tucked behind his ears and blue-tinted shades that reflected the sun like a mirror. He walked like someone who didn't have to speak to be noticed.
Beside him, a blond-haired guy smirked lazily as his eyes casually locked onto Daniel's group. His posture was relaxed, but the edge in his presence said he'd been in more than one serious fight.
The other two weren't far behind — one with a sharp jawline and lean build, hands in his pockets, while the fourth… well.
The fourth had striking silver hair — long, perfectly styled, like he'd just stepped out of a high-end shoot. His deep-blue jacket hung loosely off his shoulders in a way that seemed intentional, almost like it was part of the look. Every step had a lazy rhythm to it, casual and confident, like the world around him was just background noise.
Ethan narrowed his eyes. "You guys seeing this?"
Zach nodded slowly. "Yeah. That's not a school group."
The guy with the shades was the first to stop. The group didn't block the way — they weren't trying to provoke anything. But they stood just close enough that the message was clear: this wasn't a coincidence.
He spoke, voice calm and oddly respectful.
"So… you're the ones those guys crossed paths with last night?"
Daniel blinked. His footsteps slowed, just slightly.
Ethan shifted a step forward, casual but alert — a line of calm defiance in his stance.
"We don't really keep track," he said coolly. "But I'm guessing you didn't stop us to chat about the weather."
The blond one gave a short laugh, shaking his head. "Easy. We're not here for round two."
Daniel didn't reply, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
The guy with the shades continued, tone still neutral.
"We fought them too — not long after you did. Let's just say… that crew's done now."
Zach frowned. "You mean, you took them out?"
The blond guy responded casually, as if it wasn't a big deal.
"Been in a long tug-of-war with them. Last night… we ended it."
The shade guy gave a slight nod. "Only later did we hear they'd already clashed with someone earlier."
He met Daniel's eyes. "You."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "So what?"
"They backed off," the shade guy said simply. "Didn't expect that — not from them. Unless they saw something real."
The blond guy chuckled, tilting his head slightly.
"So yeah… we got curious. Wanted to see who made our rivals step down—before we shut them down."
That's when his eyes landed on Rowan.
His grin paused. There was a flicker of confusion — then, slowly, it shifted to surprise.
"…Wait a sec." The blond guy stepped forward slightly. "Rowan?"
Rowan blinked, caught off guard. "Huh?"
The blond guy let out a breathy chuckle. "Thought so. Rowan from Eastridge Middle, right?"
Rowan's stance shifted, subtly. "Do I know you?"
"You might not remember me," the guy said, folding his arms. "But we fought once — back at the interschool boxing finals. That was the first final I ever lost."
For a second, the noise of the plaza faded, replaced by the roar of a distant crowd… But that was years ago.
Before he left fighting behind.
Before… everything.
He exhaled. "That was a long time ago."
The blond guy grinned, rolling his shoulders.
"Yeah. It was. I kept going, though."
His words weren't mocking. They weren't bitter.
But they carried weight.
Rowan could tell.
The guy was stronger now.
The guy with shades looked between Rowan and the blond guy, then back to Daniel's group.
Then, he smiled slightly.
"You guys are interesting."
Zach narrowed his eyes. "That supposed to mean something?"
The shades guy shrugged.
"It means you've got potential. But… it's kind of obvious."
His eyes settled on Daniel.
"You're the one holding them up, aren't you?"
Daniel didn't respond.
But something shifted. Barely. A beat of silence in the group.
The blond guy added, tone casual, "A real crew's only real when the others back the one who fights."
Not a threat. Not advice.
Just words left hanging — open to interpretation.
No one replied.
But in that pause, it lingered.
Daniel stood a step ahead. The others stood with him.
But somehow, not beside him.
The guy with the shades stretched lazily. "Anyway. We didn't come here to start anything."
He turned away, tilting his head toward the group. "City's small. If you're planning to make a name here… we'll see you around."
Just as they started walking off, one of them suddenly broke formation.
The silver-haired guy — his jacket barely hanging off one shoulder — strode toward Daniel with a huge grin.
Ethan stepped forward instantly. "The hell do you think you're—"
Before he could finish, the guy threw his arms around Daniel in an exaggerated hug.
"Bro, I actually respect you," he laughed. "You handled those two? I used to hate fighting them!"
Daniel didn't move. His expression unreadable.
Ethan looked like he was one second from swinging.
That's when the fourth one — the tall one who hadn't said a word until now — stepped in.
"I can't imagine you made it this far with that attitude. And to think you're the one leading others."
He walked up calmly, grabbed the silver-haired guy by the collar, and pulled him back like it was second nature.
"Enough."
The silver-haired guy just laughed as he was dragged away. "Damn, let me have my moment!"
"You always have a moment," the other muttered.
And just like that, the group turned and disappeared into the crowd — blue-striped jackets vanishing into the flow of people.
Ethan clicked his tongue, still on edge.
Daniel finally spoke, a hint of frustration in his voice.
"Ethan, do you really have to sound like that when you talk to people like them? It only makes them more likely to step in."
Ethan didn't respond. His jaw tightened slightly, gaze low.
Daniel glanced at him and added, more gently now,
"I get that you don't want anyone picking on me. But I'm not a kid, alright? I can handle this. If something like that happens again… let me do the talking."
There was a pause. Then Daniel let out a small breath and smiled faintly.
"It's not like we're some crew going around picking fights. We don't need to know how to throw punches to enjoy life."
His eyes drifted toward the street where the blue-striped jackets had vanished.
"So let's leave all this 'crew' stuff here, alright? Trip's almost over anyway. Once we're back, we've got final exams to prep for."
Zach raised an eyebrow. "Wow. That's the most school-spirited thing you've ever said."
Ryan spoke for the first time, brow slightly furrowed. "Those guys… really took out the crew from yesterday?"
Daniel didn't answer.
He was already walking ahead.
But for the first time since the fight, the weight in his shoulders felt lighter.