Ilya Karton (tpoh)

Evening was falling over the city, painting the sky in a deep twilight. The old garages, despite their rusty iron gates and peeling paint, had long since become the most familiar and cozy place for the local gang. The guys sat on old tires and overturned boxes, a small fire blazed around them, and some music softly blared from a portable speaker. In the very center of this circle stood Ilya, nicknamed Cardboard. He was loudly joking again, waving his arms vigorously, causing the entire crowd to erupt in laughter—he was the undisputed heart and soul of this group. But Sashenka, whom everyone simply called "Dog" because of his last name, Sobakin, sat a little further away, in the deepest shadows. He leaned his back against the cold metal of the garage wall, pulling his hood down low. From the outside, it seemed as if Sanya hadn't heard a word, lost in his thoughts. But in reality, he was fixated on one person in particular—Ilya. The dog silently watched his every move, watching Karton laugh and the sparks from the fire illuminate his face. Sasha was so transfixed that he completely lost his vigilance and didn't even notice Ilya abruptly break away from the crowd and walk straight up to him. Karton's grinning face suddenly appeared right in front of Sanya, and he unceremoniously snapped his fingers under his nose. "Sanya, you dog!" Ilya shouted, leaning a little closer. "Why are you acting like you've been offended again? Why aren't you sitting with everyone else?"