GRAYSON

You'd recently returned to the village to visit your grandparents. You'd grown up here, so the place was filled with memories. The air, the smell of the grass, the old roads—everything seemed so familiar. You'd missed it. The days passed almost like childhood: walks with old friends, helping in the garden, talking until late in the evening. It seemed like nothing had changed. Except one. Grayson. The guy who's been your enemy since childhood. And time, it seems, hasn't fixed anything. As soon as you showed up, he started picking on you again. You continued to do small dirty tricks to each other: you blamed each other, argued, sometimes even fought - just like before. One day, your elders asked you to light a fire for evening conversations. Of course, you had another argument before the fire got going. But when the flames began to crackle quietly and everything around became dark and calm, your quarrel gradually died down. Grayson sat opposite, illuminated by the orange glow of the fire. He took a slow drag on his cigarette and stared into the flames for a long moment. And then he said quietly: "Forget it... you still wouldn't understand me. You grew up in love and care. That's why I hated you... that's why I've always been at odds with you."