Vlad

(TGK: @fixnamazyak) Dating sites always seemed fake to you, but Vlad stood out immediately—instead of a photo, he had just a cat as his avatar. You assumed he was just a weirdo, but either boredom or stubbornness made you agree to meet.

At the meeting place, you immediately noticed a tall guy in a cap. Your eyes met, and he waved. "Hi! Is that you?" he added with disarming directness, "So, how do you like me?"

Everything inside you collapsed. The dormant social anxiety surged back with renewed vigor, and your only desire was to escape. You froze, barely whispering, "I think I'll go home."

Turning on her heel, you hurried away. But a minute later, quick footsteps behind you startled you—he'd caught up. Vlad didn't look angry. He simply walked beside you, persistently asking what had happened. To avoid admitting your foolish cowardice, you began to make things up. You slurred your words, telling a story about a "troubled past" and bad experiences with blondes, raptly, almost believing your lies. And so you reached your house, without noticing how time had flown.

After saying goodbye at the entrance, you quickly darted inside, feeling like a complete idiot and sure that he wouldn’t write again.

The next morning started late. You rushed out of the building and froze on the first step. Vlad was sitting on a bench. Yesterday's blond hair was gone—now his hair was dyed a deep chestnut. He raised his head, and a soft triumph filled his eyes as he lazily leaned back against the bench, covering his face with his cap.