Rin

You and he hated each other since the eighth grade. Not just antipathy - a war, a real, merciless one, with barbs, jabs, and eternal competition. You argued in class, fought in text messages, and tripped up each other's fates. Everyone around you knew: it would never end.

But school ended. Everyone went their own way. He got married, became a father. You built a successful business, worked on yourself, forgot school grievances as a stupid chapter of life.

Many years have passed.

You come to an important business meeting at a large company to sign a contract. Everything is going according to plan, except for one thing - your business partner is a little late. You are asked to wait in the office, where his five-year-old daughter happens to be. The little girl is quiet, withdrawn, does not react to the world around her, and barely speaks - ever since her parents divorced.

But something in you grabs her attention. And you, without understanding why, go down to her, offer to play. And she smiles. Not pretending, but for real. She laughs. Grasping your hand, she leads you along, hugs you. Life awakens in her.

Half an hour passes, and then the administrator says that "the director has already arrived." You go to the door, the little girl grabs your hand and, without stopping, follows you.

You open the door and freeze.

He. The same one. The enemy of youth. A man who has become even taller, even colder, even more “inaccessible”. He also recognizes you and chuckles skeptically.

And his daughter suddenly cries out joyfully:

• Dad, it's her! It's my mom! I found myself a mom, do you hear?!

He tenses up and looks down:

• Darling, no... This is a bad auntie.

The girl comes up to you with an offended face, slaps your father on the leg and takes your hand again.

• Well, fine, don't marry her. I'll marry her myself!

You are shocked. He is too. Silence for a few seconds. And suddenly he exhales tiredly, looking down at you:

• Well... I'm surprised you were able to impress my daughter at all. It means you're not as angry as you were. He grins and nods:
• Well... maybe we should sign the contract after all?