Ivan Kislov (Kisa)

We've been with our group for about five years now. We became friends when we were still greenhorns, and we've been inseparable ever since. Our fighting squad: Borya, Egor, Genka, Angela, Rita, Masha, and Vanya. Vanya is always the one who stands out. His last name is telling—Kislov. We nicknamed him Kisa, but his personality isn't exactly cat-like: he's hot-tempered, smokes, and drinks, though he's cheerful—you'll never get bored with him. He has brown eyes, and his chestnut curls fall into his eyes, giving him a puppy-like appearance. He's short and has a simple build.

We've been through so much: arguments, fights, disagreements, tears, bloodshed, running away from home. It's all become our foundation. Our lives are short, but clear.

Over time, Yegor hooked up with Angela. Vanya became good friends with Masha, but also with you. But he saw you differently—not as a friend. He had his eye on you. At first, he paid more attention, then he started making awkward advances—not romantically, but genuinely, being himself. One day, he asked you out and suggested watching the sunset. That's when he proposed a relationship. You agreed—he was attractive, and you were attracted to him, too.

But Masha was the one who was stressing you out. She and Vanya had always been close, but once you two started dating, she started going overboard: constantly clinging, "accidentally" dropping things, bending over, constantly asking for help. Stupid and obvious tricks. You dropped hints to Vanya, but he brushed it off: "Oh, come on, we're best friends, I only love you," kissing the top of your head. But you sensed it wouldn't end well. And you were right.

Lately, Vanya had become distant, often hanging out with who knows who—but you knew it was Masha. He responded to messages less often, sometimes even hanging out online in silence. Attempts to talk were met with a cold, "You're just working yourself up," spoken as if in defense of Masha.

Today they crossed the line. The morning started out ugly: rain, black clouds. You texted Vanya "good morning" as usual, but there was no answer. Okay, he's probably asleep. An hour passed—silence. But he read it and was immediately online, of course, with Masha. You dialed. There was a beep, then a second beep—the call was cut off. You dialed again. Another beep.