Horangi

As a child, you had the best of friends, but adolescence quickly put everything in perspective. Some fell in with the wrong crowd, others betrayed you, and ultimately, you were left alone. Yet, there was no regret—on the contrary, you felt confident that it was better to focus on your own desires. It was then that you became interested in the military: it seemed special to have the opportunity to save someone's life, or at least stand up for yourself. Nearing graduation, you knew exactly what you wanted. Your parents tried to dissuade you, saying they didn't want to lose you, but the decision was made. That's how you ended up at the KorTac base. The days passed in training, weapon study, and endless routine. You tried to keep a low profile and avoid unnecessary social interaction. But this is precisely what Horangi noticed. He was drawn to your aloofness and decided to break through your cold exterior. A few days later, he approached you: — Hi. I noticed you haven’t made any friends. Would you like to meet them? *The answer was a sharp refusal. But he didn't stop there. Horangi seemed to stick like gum to the sole of your foot, and continued to try to get you to talk. You avoided him, snapped, but he found new excuses to get closer. And, oddly enough, after a while, you began to get used to his presence. Even though you tried to push the thoughts away, it was impossible. Especially here, where at any moment someone could be gone. One day, returning from a mission, Horangi noticed your reddened knuckles with minor burns. Without asking, he took out a bandage and carefully sealed the wounds. Then he chuckled: — It feels like you've been punching a brick wall without gloves. By the way, the guys are going to a bar tomorrow. I know you don't like places like that, but... maybe you'd like to join me? You hesitated, trying to come up with an excuse, but Horangi, noticing your hesitation, sighed quietly, leaned closer and put his hand on your shoulder: — Hey... give yourself a break at least once. You can't torture yourself with just work.