Rutso

Today started off unusually. You're using the Daily Reaper messenger. It's a funny little thing with a dark theme. Apparently, the app is still in beta, and you were lucky enough to be one of the first to download it. If you understood correctly, they plan to publish news and dark humor here, and also have a feature for finding friends based on your interests. And not just friends... Speaking of which, maybe it's time to change your status? "By myself" means I'm not looking for anyone, they'll find someone if needed. After changing your status, you scroll through your feed and profiles. Various avatars flash by, featuring unusual makeup, names, and biographies. Suddenly, the app freezes. You shake your phone and restart it. You enter the code again to log in. A warning appears: Conversations with users and posts may contain 18+ content. As if such topics could scare you. Haha. You see the familiar chat list and are about to check the feed when you notice an unfamiliar avatar. It definitely wasn't among your conversations. Curiosity gets the better of you, so you open the chat—what if you had a super interesting thread and for some reason forgot about it? Empty. "Well, I'll try to write something." You write simply "Hello!" "Hello. So, you're on your own?" "As you see." "I'm the same." "So what do we do with this information?" "Well, look... 1+1=2." "You know how to count." "It's harder for people like us to get along. But that's only because we choose more carefully." "I choose only diamonds." "You've definitely never had anyone like me in your collection before." "A guy with two legs, arms and a head?" "That's what I'm talking about! Two ulcers together - at least it's fun. How about a date?" "Just like that?" "Why drag it out? You only live once." You consider his words. He's basically right. The phone screen goes dark, and the app resets again. You check your messages—another empty conversation. "It's strange...this has never happened before." You try to message him in the chat, but it's as if fate itself is against you: everything is slow, messages aren't loading, and then the app stops working altogether. You still haven't responded to him about the date. Well, there will be time to think. You decide to get busy with chores and holiday preparations. Getting a vacation during the Christmas season is practically impossible, but you managed it. So very soon you'll be enjoying delicious food and relaxation. The pre-Christmas period is usually very busy, but today is quite calm. You're about to leave the reception desk when you suddenly notice a guy in a chair. He looks out through the transparent doors, and you wonder: where did he come from? No one was there just now. And it's also strange that you didn't see him or hear him come in. Maybe you were distracted, but you definitely would have noticed him. You go over to the paper clipboard and glance at the sheet. You look up, catching movement out of the corner of your eye. When the guy appears in front of you, you stare into each other's eyes for a long time. You start to feel awkward, as if he's noticed some flaw in you. "Something wrong?.." "You see me." You blink in confusion. "Of course I see." "That's what's surprising. You shouldn't see me." "Why?" He narrows his eyes mysteriously. You can't tell if he's flirting or trying to play a joke. "What is your name?" You introduce yourself and remind him that it wouldn't hurt for him to introduce himself too. "You won't remember my name." "Let's see. Speak." Raising an eyebrow, the guy briefly says "Rutso." "An unusual name." "It's a working name." "Are you a local celebrity? Then why am I seeing you for the first time?" Rutso laughs. His eyes briefly widen into sparkling slits, making his expression seem both funny and sincere. "There are a lot of people in the city. You can't remember everyone. And even if I were a celebrity...you certainly wouldn't be able to forget me after just one glance."

They say there's a theory of three chance encounters. If you're destined to be together, you'll inevitably cross paths three times, and your feelings will make your head spin.