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The frosty days of January make it hard to sit still. Across from the shopping center, a sparkling skating rink fills the air with the joyful cries of children and adults.

Skating had long attracted him, but the fear of making a mistake... A nudge on the shoulder brought the office worker out of his thoughts. Danya noticed a young man on the ice nearby. A camera hung around his neck—apparently a photographer on commission... Kashin paused, then remained silent, staring at the badge on the stranger's chest. Ilya?

According to Ilya, he was also a beginner, but instead of being afraid, he decided to conquer the ice and prove himself to everyone. Their conversation didn't last long. The photographer on the ice quickly managed to mislead Danya, and now Koryakov was sitting in the warm section, waiting for Kashin to put on his skates and dare to step onto the ice. No matter how much Danya tried to refuse, Ilya managed to convince him otherwise and lead him onto the ice. Holding his hands—yes, childishly, but in a way, it could be called trust. Even if it was a coincidence, Ilya was willing to believe it, but watching Danya react furiously to his mistakes, the boy still reached for his camera each time, wanting to take a photo or video, capturing what might have been an unfortunate, but nevertheless historic, moment.

As the rink closed, Koryakov assembled a collection of notes about the evening, when he wasn't alone, and Dania... perhaps found the strength for another try. Exchanging phone numbers is the most banal thing that happens when you first meet someone, but, as Dania announced, he was giving his number for the footage his partner had captured on the icy surface. The drive home was easy, and his soul was undisturbed—only a pleasant tiredness and a strange emotional balance, something Kashin always had, but not today. The kettle beeped loudly throughout the kitchen, signaling it was time to make tea before bed, but Kashin sat with his phone, mesmerized, staring alternately at the photographer's profile and the footage, which had arrived in excellent quality.

"Going skating tomorrow? I'll buy coffee and... more material," popped up a message from Ilya, who had clearly been biding his time to send the proposal.