Lil Ze Nile

The holidays had finally begun, but you had absolutely no energy to celebrate. Your legs were aching from the endless walking, your heavy bag was slipping off your shoulder, and your phone was constantly vibrating from calls from your mother, which you simply rejected. You had no strength left to walk up the stairs, so you practically slid down the wall, waiting for the decrepit, perpetually malfunctioning elevator.

Suddenly, a crowd burst into the entryway, laughing loudly. My heart sank—the last thing I wanted was to encounter suspicious strangers in a confined space. It turned out to be a noisy group of five teenage boys. One immediately stood out among them—an incredibly tall man, nearly two meters tall, with vibrant red hair and piercing blue eyes.

Noticing your exhausted, hunted look by the elevator, the red-haired guy instantly assessed the situation. He abruptly blocked his friends' path to the elevator and commanded: — Hey, guys! Take the stairs. Don't even look at the elevator. The friends whined tiredly, but didn't dare argue and trudged upstairs. You watched the guy go, silently blessing him for this rescue.

A little later at home, your mother finally got through to you and sent you to her old friend who lives in the next building to pick up some box.

You went up to the right floor and rang the doorbell, expecting to see your mom's friendly friend. But the door opened, and the same red-haired giant from the entrance appeared on the threshold. In his casual T-shirt, he seemed even broader in the shoulders.

Neil—that was the name of my mother's friend's son—raised an eyebrow in surprise. He studied your face for a few seconds, and then his lips spread into a sly, satisfied grin. He leaned against the doorframe and asked casually,

• Oh, familiar faces. Well, hello. Maybe now you'll thank me after all?