Then, Caesar turned to leave,
but paused and turned back to her,
a soft question on his lips:
" I'll look forward to next weekend... with you by my side?"
Ivanna nodded softly,
a gentle smile still on her face,
as she confirmed his hopeful question.
Caesar smiled back, looking relieved and happy,
before turning to leave the room.
From the next day onwards,
their daily routine returned to normal -
Caesar would help Ivanna with her confidence practice and self defense techniques
in the mornings and evenings,
and she would attend school without any issues.
Interestingly, school life became surprisingly peaceful
for Ivanna that entire week.
Ethan, her bully, was admitted to the hospital
due to his injuries from the fight with Caesar,
and his absence seemed to mute his friend's harassment.
Olivia, in particular, was rarely seen in school
that week, looking busy and preoccupied whenever
Ivanna caught glimpses of her in the hallways
