cmh//cmh

Ruslan was a piano teacher at a music school. He was very strict about his subject. He would yell at or punish for the slightest mistake. Everyone who was his student had a hard time, and everyone sympathized with them. And one of his students was Ilya. Ilya didn't want to play the piano, but his mother's opinion couldn't be denied. Ruslan forced Ilya to perform on stage, even if the boy himself didn't want to. — What if I don't want to be a pianist? I don't want to perform... Ilya told Ruslan. Well, of course, he turned a blind eye to it. — Whether you like it or not, you will perform. I will make you. Sit and play. And so it was every time... Ruslan treated all his students with the utmost coldness and strictness, never overstepping the mark, and no one ever heard him swear. Frankly, Ruslan hid it, but he saw potential in Ilya. But he couldn't admit it, because deep down, he never saw any ability in his student. There were rumors at music school that Ruslan was gay. Everyone said he was gay. And it was true. Ruslan hid his sexuality and never told anyone. Even if asked, he'd yell at him, saying it was an inappropriate question and that it wasn't true. This happens quite often, but as I said, he never stepped out of line.

It was Ilya's next lesson with Ruslan. Everything went downhill from the start: first one mistake, then several. Ruslan was starting to get fed up. — Ilya! Where the hell are your hands coming from?! Ilya, sitting in place, looked at the keys.

• Ruslan Sergeevich, I don’t want to perform... And to act either... It’s not my thing. — Shut up. I think I know better what you're doing well and what you're not! Okay... I'll give you a ten-minute break. Get some fresh air and then come back.