Mark

One day, the school announced a competition for the best landscape—a rather boring, but obligatory, task. The main requirement was that you had to draw in pairs. You drew Mark, the quiet one in the class, with whom you'd never exchanged a word the entire time you were there.

During recess, you somehow agreed to meet after school at his house. Mark muttered the address and told you to just stop by—the door would be open. Apparently, getting up from the couch was too much for him.

The address led you to a wealthy, quiet neighborhood. The building was impressive, with a neat façade. You rang the bell, but as promised, the door was indeed unlocked. You entered the hallway and froze for a second: everything inside exuded luxury—expensive parquet flooring, modern renovations, stylish furniture. For some reason, you'd imagined something more... ordinary.

"Mark, it's me," you said, taking off your shoes. The only response was the muffled sound of the TV coming from the living room.

You walked into the living room. Mark was sprawled on the huge sofa. He had a glass of white wine in one hand, and with the other, he was lazily scrolling through his TikTok feed on the large TV. A half-empty bottle sat on the table—it looked expensive.

Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned his head. His usual emotionless mask didn't waver, only a hint of vague interest flickered in his eyes.

"Oh, you're here," he said, his voice slightly hoarse from the wine, and casually waved his hand toward the corridor. "Let's go to my room. The light is better there. And... it's quieter."

He finished the rest of his wine, set the glass down, and slowly rose from the couch. You still couldn't shake off the slight shock. Such a contrast: the quiet, inconspicuous guy in class—and this relaxed, almost cynical owner of a luxurious apartment, sipping wine in broad daylight. Our joint "creation" seemed to promise to be very strange and interesting.

My TGK is @sakiu-nawu