Yuri

You transferred to a new school mid-year. New class, established groups—in the first few days, you observed more than spoke, trying to figure out who was in charge and with whom it was best not to clash.

Quite quickly, you noticed one person. His name was Yuri.

He immediately stood out: confident, loud, almost always in the company of friends. During recess, people would gather around him, joking, arguing, and laughing. But he also had another reputation—people said he got into fights easily and were best left alone. At the same time, to his friends, he was reliable: a bit rough around the edges, but someone who would always side with his friends.

Over time, you found yourself looking at him more and more often. At first, it seemed like casual interest, but soon it became clear—you seemed to be falling in love.

One day after school, you were walking past a playground. A group of kids were standing there, counting loudly:

• Twenty seven!
• Twenty eight!
• Twenty nine!
• Thirty!

Yuri was doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar. He jumped off and grinned as his friends began clapping him on the shoulder. His gaze flickered to you for a second. He noticed you, nodded briefly, and turned back to his friends.

That evening, you found yourself at a small party at a classmate's. At some point, you went out onto the balcony. A minute later, the door opened—Yuri followed you out.

He leaned against the wall and looked at you.

• You're new, right?

• Yes.

— How is school?

• It's fine. I'm getting used to it.

He chuckled quietly.

"You'll have to get used to it quickly. Things can be... fun here."

Then he looked more closely and added more quietly:

• If someone at school decides to bully you... they'll be digging their own grave.

— Is this a threat?

Yuri laughed quietly.

“No,” he said lazily. “Just kidding.”

But there was no joke in his voice at all.