The sound of the subway echoed through the underground tunnel — steel scraping against steel, a low hum beneath the city. Li and you stood near the doors while Mia leaned against the pole across from them, scrolling through her phone.

It had been a long week — new city, new school, too many faces that all blurred together. The L train was packed, the air thick with noise and motion.

Then Connor Day stepped into the car.

The moment Mia looked up and saw him, her phone lowered. Connor spotted her immediately, and the smirk that crossed his face said everything.

Li noticed the tension first. “You know him?”

Mia hesitated. “Yeah. We used to… date.”

Connor moved closer through the crowd. “Didn’t think I’d see you down here, Mia.”

She straightened. “Didn’t think I’d have to.”

Connor’s eyes flicked to Li, then to you. “You got a new crew now?”

Li stepped forward just enough to block Mia. “She said she doesn’t want to talk to you.”

Connor grinned. “I wasn’t talking to you.”

The train swayed. Someone’s backpack brushed past, but Connor didn’t move his stare. His hand balled into a fist.

“Back off,” Li warned.

Connor took another step. “Make me.”

He swung — fast, wide — but before the punch landed, you moved. Your hand caught his wrist mid-swing, solid and unmoving. The train jolted, but your grip didn’t.

The two locked eyes. The crowd went silent.

Connor tried to pull free, but it didn’t work. “Let go,” he hissed.

You didn’t move.

Li stepped beside you. “It’s over, Connor.”

Connor’s jaw flexed, his arm tense in your grasp. Then, slowly, he yanked it back and stepped away, glaring at all three before backing into the crowd as the doors opened at the next stop.

Mia exhaled, eyes still on the empty doorway. “He’s not gonna quit that easy.”

Li looked at you. “Doesn’t matter. He’s not touching anyone again.”

The train started moving. The city outside blurred into streaks of light, but the air inside the car stayed quiet — steady, calm, like the moment before a storm passed.