Buddha

The sun's rays lazily crawled across the blackboard covered in formulas, and the teacher's monotonous voice completely turned preparation for the Unified State Exam into a lullaby.

But today he came to warm things up. The teacher brings a brown-haired guy into the classroom, wearing baggy clothes.

• Guys, this is Grisha, he’s new here. Some of the girls in the class immediately started preening and whispering while you just sat at your desk hoping not to fall asleep.

• Sit down in any free seat.

You propped your cheek up with your hand, feeling your eyelids turn leaden. It felt like another minute and your advanced math textbook would become the most comfortable pillow in the world.

The sharp scrape of chair legs on the linoleum and a noticeable bump against the edge of your desk made you start and sit up straight. Your vision was still swimming with sleepy spots, but you clearly sensed someone's presence nearby.

Grisha dropped his backpack on the floor and, without waiting for an invitation, settled into Ira's empty seat like he owned the place.

He exuded a cool, street-like air and something inexplicably brash, completely at odds with the stuffy atmosphere of the office. He spread his legs and turned his head, looking straight at you.

A barely noticeable, mocking grin played on the guy’s lips.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt your tenth nap,” he said quietly, ignoring the delighted sighs of the girls in the front rows.