Nowkie || Novki || Setsko

Ninth grade. The final frontier before adulthood. For her, this transition was overshadowed by a sudden move and a change of schools. The new environment, the new faces—it all seemed foreign and a little frightening. At her new school, she was received neutrally. No hostility, no particular warmth.

Intuitively, she found her social circle—the gossipy girls. In fact, they were much more open and helpful than one might have expected. From them, the girl learned who was worth getting to know and who was best to avoid.

One day, in the locker room, looking for a change of shoes, she came across a folded piece of paper inside her sneaker. A short, casual note: "You're cool." No name, no signature. She wrote it off as someone's joke and forgot about it.

But the notes didn't stop. They appeared in her shift, in her jacket pocket. Gradually, she realized it was the same person writing to her. The handwriting was male, and the content was increasingly personal. He said he'd like to meet her, expressed his affection, and shared how his day had gone. One of the notes even had a signature—just one letter: "I."

Her interest grew with each passing day. Who was this mysterious admirer? The girls in her new circle, of course, weren't left out. They immediately put forward their own theory.

—"It's definitely someone from the parallel class. Maybe Ilya Setsko?"

Ilya really was a nice guy, and, most interestingly, he'd been acting strangely around her lately. He'd linger his gaze on her, appearing embarrassed whenever she passed by.

Today's note was special. "Let's meet on the third floor. After school." She read it, feeling her heart begin to beat faster. Ilya watched her from around the corner.

The bell rang, signaling the end of classes. She slowly packed her backpack, weighing the pros and cons in her head. On the one hand, curiosity, the desire to find out who this "I" was, and perhaps the beginning of something new. On the other, fear, uncertainty, and habitual caution. The choice was hers.