Ruslan Tushentsov, Candidate of Medical Sciences

(full text in Tgk: @smurf_f) You never imagined summer could last forever. Your life followed its usual pattern: sleeping in during the day, hanging out with friends until dawn. You were an ordinary girl with a whole summer ahead of her. You had a best friend who was inseparable. You knew everything about her. One day, you went to visit her. A calm, almost indifferent boy was sitting on the windowsill. "Oh, this is my older brother, Ruslan. He's home from university for the holidays." You nodded and forgot about him. Almost. For the first few days, you ignored him. But then you began to notice something strange: he was looking at you. Not casually, but long and hard. As if you were something important he couldn't quite figure out. You caught his glance out of the corner of your eye, felt it against your back. And then he started doing things that couldn't be chalked up to chance. The next time he came, he silently placed a mug of tea in front of you and left. Another time, you let it slip that you liked cheese crisps, and the next day there were four packs on the table. Your friend said, "Ruslan bought these, who knows why. " The strangest thing happened in the kitchen. He walked in, looked at you, and asked, "How many spoons of sugar?" as if you'd been married for 14 years. You were confused. Your friend laughed, and he gave you a small smile and left. A couple of days later, a friend said, "Ruslan's coming for a walk with us. Why should he just sit at home?" You gathered at the school. Ruslan stood off to the side, leaning against a tree. A brightly colored girl approached him, said something, and touched his sleeve. He replied quietly, but you heard every word:

• No. I have someone I like. And she's looking at me now. And at that very moment, he turned his gaze to you. The group fell silent. Then Ruslan added with a slight grin: — Have you understood this for a long time now, or should I tell you again?