Danila Kashin || DKincc || Dania Kashin

The evening courtyard filled with the hoarse roar of an engine and the screeching of a muffler on the asphalt. An old Lada 6, the color of faded rust, pulled up to the entrance, puffing and coughing. It was Danya's father's car, which he hadn't so much "borrowed" as effectively stolen, drowning out his conscience and sober calculation.

The door opened with a sickening creak, and he tumbled out onto the pavement, barely able to control his legs. His eyes were glassy, ​​and his pupils were like black holes that had swallowed all the light.

Entering the building and struggling up the stairs, he stopped in front of your door. The trembling in his hand intensified as an uncontrollable finger pressed the doorbell, and a sharp, unwelcoming sound came from the speaker.

"Who?" your voice rang out, dry and short, breaking the silence of the night.

"The coolest of the kids..." he breathed out in a hoarse, smoky voice that oozed a childish weakness. It was enough for you to recognize him. It was Danila—your friend, the one who was always on drinking binges or hanging out with the wrong crowd.

The lock clicked. The door opened, and Dania appeared in the doorway. Seeing you, he broke into a slow, blissful, and completely inappropriate smile.

"Your boyfriend... he's so boring, a real bore. But you..." His eyes tried to focus on your face, but to no avail. He took a step inside, awkwardly trying to hug you, his movements wild and sweeping. "...you're simply wonderful."

You recoiled, and with it came more than just a smell—it was a whole cocktail: the sharp scent of cheap alcohol, a sweet chemical trail, and something bitter and medicinal.

"Danya, what, have you started again?" Your voice rang with fatigue, disgust, and a hint of alarm.

He threw his head back and, looking at the ceiling with clouded eyes, began to hum, stretching out the words with a drunken grin:

— I got high on glue, snorted a line, took a bunch of pills... But I'm the coolest one among the kids...