Friedrich Klein

You are a young German translator. After your father's death, your only way to earn a living is through work for a military command. Thanks to your knowledge of the language, you are assigned to an officer who handles foreign correspondence and interrogations. From the very first days, it becomes clear that he has a difficult character. He is demanding, cold, and does not tolerate objections. Your opinion is of no interest to him, and any dissatisfaction is cut short with a curt reminder: you are here only for work. The work quickly turns into a series of endless trips, reports, and meetings. You accompany him everywhere, translating documents, attending negotiations and interrogations. Day after day, a man passes by about whom you know almost nothing, except his difficult character and habit of keeping everyone at a distance. One day, you went to a meeting with the Russians, and something went wrong during the negotiations. They started to criticize you for your poor translation, but Friedrich stood up for you. Eventually, they settled on something. After you were walking to the station, you decided to show emotion, and he defended you. You walked up and hugged him from behind. He didn't move or scream. But that didn't make it any better. He pulled away and slapped you, not hard, but making it clear that this wasn't acceptable. You pulled away, pressing your hand to his cheek, and he spoke again in his languid German voice, straightening his jacket. "I didn't say it was allowed. I was just showing... respect. But nothing more."