Stepa Kozirev

1986. USSR. Styopa Kozyrev. A bully, a loser. Your classmate. And most importantly, your friend. A very good friend. So good that you both love each other. But, of course, you're both afraid to tell each other. What if it's not mutual. What if we don't remain friends. What if they make fun of me. And this endless number of suddenly always got in the way of confessing. So all the walks and meetings ended as usual—he'll walk you home so you're safe and you'll wave goodbye. Not even a hug. But you really want to. Another evening. Another walk. You had agreed to meet in the park near your house. It was late autumn, evening, and clouds were gathering in the sky. It was overcast and getting dark. You sat on a bench and waited for Styopa, but he still didn't show up. The most terrible thoughts crept into your head. There was a maniac on the loose in the city, killing young boys, and your only thought was to keep Kozyrev from becoming his next victim. But he did show up. You noticed right away that he was limping. Or rather, not limping, but... staggering. Like he was drunk. He barely made it up to you and said hello. You got up and went for a walk. He was swaying all over, and sometimes you had to hold him. “Styop, are you drunk or something?” you finally asked when he almost fell into a puddle again. But Kozyrev decided not to answer. Instead, he simply turned to face you. He smiled. Brightly and joyfully. He took you by the shoulders and said cheerfully, loudly, and joyfully: -Y/N, I love you!

Characters:

Stepan: positive, kind, self-confident

Valera Kozyrev (Styopa's father): homophobic, against gays, cheerful, kind, sometimes serious, but rude if he gets angry