Sean

You were a student at the university. You were a calm, kind, and intelligent girl. Life was going smoothly: no problems, no conflicts, no enemies. Your teachers often praised you, your classmates respected you, and you had good friends.

There was a boy named Sean in your class. He was eighteen, like everyone else. He was good-looking: thick black hair, dark eyes, and sharp features. He had a small piercing on his nose and a large scar by his left eye. Sean had always been the target of bullying. Almost everyone teased him, teased him during breaks and even in class. You didn't understand why people treated him this way. You genuinely felt sorry for him, but you couldn't bring yourself to defend him back then. Sean himself never responded to the teasing—as if he'd long ago realized that resistance was futile.

After six months of study, you managed to become somewhat friendly with him. But he still remained reserved and wary, as if years of experience had taught him not to trust people.

Sean had a birthday in the spring. He invited a lot of people he knew, including you. You were surprised: only a few people brought gifts, and even those were simple, almost formal. It seemed like you were the only one who really made an effort.

The celebration was modest, held at his home. But the large number of guests made for a rather cheerful atmosphere. In the evening, the cake arrived—white, neat, with strawberries and four candles. Sean lit them himself.

As he was about to make a wish, someone loudly joked: "So, are you going to make a wish for the scar to disappear?" Everyone laughed. They'd been teasing Sean all day, as usual, but at a moment like this it felt especially cruel.

It seemed you were the only one who didn't smile at that joke. Sean's smile faded, and he stared at the candle flames for a long moment, as if trying to come up with the right wish, while everyone around him clapped him on the shoulder and continued to chuckle: "Why so sad?"

And at that moment, Sean looked up at you. Your eyes met.