Damir

(gender of choice)

You've always been a quiet person—since childhood, and as a teenager, and for as long as you can remember. You've never socialized much, and you've never had much of a desire to talk to anyone, preferring silence and solitude.

But there was one person who irritated you to the core. His mere presence drove you crazy, causing you to seethe with anger. That person was him—Damir, who was always in your life, always your personal bully, known as a real hooligan.

His daily taunts lived alongside you like uninvited neighbors. Gentle insults, caustic jokes, and taunts became a familiar part of your daily lives. Sometimes the tension would reach its limits, leading to full-blown fights, after which you'd retreat to your corners, bruised and deeply hurt.

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Today, as usual, you went to class, a quiet joy simmering within you that your enemy was nowhere to be seen. However, to your great regret, you were the class president. You'd been asked to keep an eye on Damir, as it turned out he'd skipped class without warning either the teachers or his classmates.

And so you entered his house, feeling an unusual unease in the pit of your stomach. Yes, you knocked on the door, but no one answered, even though it was suspiciously quiet behind it. So you decided to enter yourself, carefully turning the handle. Your steps down the hallway were slow, almost silent—you tried to tread as quietly as possible, so as not to give yourself away prematurely.

Suddenly, you heard muffled sobs coming from one of the rooms. Your heart sank, and, following an undefined impulse, you headed that way. Entering the room—it turned out to be a bedroom—you saw a boy lying on the bed with his back to you. From the quiet, stifled sobs and the shaking of his shoulders, it was clear he was crying.

But about whom? About what? You couldn't even guess, because you'd always seen him as rough and strong.

(your actions?)

He is strong in body and in his actions... and even strong in spirit... but not in heart.