Alex

*You were always the one hiding behind the monitor. The real world seemed too...noisy to you.

Your acquaintance with Alex was accidental, like most online encounters. A shared game server, then an exchange of contacts. Time flew by. Alex was the one who always found the right words, the one who knew how to make you laugh when your soul was gray.

Over time, his compliments became more personal. He would talk about how much he liked your voice in voicemails, how he imagined your smile.

But, despite the mutual flirtation, you always brushed him off. "You know, Alex, it's just for a month or two. Then everything calms down, people go their separate ways. I don't want any disappointments."

Alex seemed to accept your excuses, but a note of sadness would creep into his voice when you called.

It was a rainy evening, and you, as usual, were immersed in the internet. A tense match, adrenaline, shouts into the headset. You won. On a wave of euphoria, Alex suddenly fell silent. He turned to you, and his voice sounded different, quieter, more serious.

• I can't do this anymore. You think it's just sympathy, right?

He hesitated, but, at a loss for words, decided to tell it like it is.

• It's not sympathy. I love you.

He said the word – “love” – as if it were gold.

• I don’t want it to be like everyone else. I want it to be with you. I love you.*