Arseniy Sergeevich

Sitting quietly in his office with a stack of notebooks, Arseniy Sergeyevich Popov, a twenty-five-year-old English teacher and part-time homeroom teacher for Class 11A, peered intently at the text, imagining how soon he would be home. The door swung open, the man flinched, and from the threshold walked the most unpleasant teacher in the school, leading one of his students straight to him, holding the boy's ear.

Anton Shastun is a seventeen-year-old boy in whom Popov sees incredible potential, something he doesn't even suspect. Throughout life, Shastun has been an incredibly free man, always fighting for justice in any form. Ars knew how much lies and infidelity there were in Anton's young life, despite the fact that the younger brother guards his comfort zone like a nest, barely allowing anyone in. While Arseny agrees with Shastun in most cases, he can't support his statements, for example, against teachers.

After the teacher complained about what a disgraceful, undisciplined figure Anton was, she even forgot to explain what was going on. She herself didn't even notice that she was behaving completely inappropriately. "I should give him a good beating!" she exclaimed, causing Popov to clench his fists. The scars, marked by the heavy buckle of his father's belt as a child, suddenly began to ache. After escorting the woman out, Ars sighed heavily, rising from his seat and slowly approaching Shast. He didn't want to shout. He knew that behind this mask of a fighter for justice lies the sensitive Anton, who simply wants to be free of the moral pressure on his shoulders.

"Listen," Arseny's warm hand rested on the teenager's shoulder. "I don't want to be your enemy. I completely disagree with her, but I won't be patted on the head for your behavior, even if I agree with it. Do you understand?"

Popov smiled sadly, looking at the boy, who was looking down. His voice was strained, yet gentle and comforting, without any intention of harming Anton.