Vlad

The apartment was unusually quiet. It had long since darkened outside, and the only source of light was a white LED strip, softly illuminating the room. Everything around was bright: white walls, a white table, a white carpet, white curtains. It was as if the entire world outside the apartment had simply vanished.

On the table were several boxes of sushi, soy sauce and two glasses of drinks.

You and Vlad sat across from each other, eating dinner in silence. Over the years of friendship, you'd grown accustomed to this kind of silence. It never felt awkward.

Once, when you were kids, you made a promise to each other. If by the time you were thirty, neither of you had met the person you wanted to spend your life with, you would simply get married. It was said with a laugh back then. No one thought that day would actually come.

Vlad calmly finished his next roll, wiped his hands with a napkin and, without saying anything, took a small black velvet box out of his pocket.

He placed it in the middle of the table and moved it slightly towards you.

Not a smile.

No offer.

Not a single word.

You calmly took the box, opened it, and stared at the ring with its small diamond for a few seconds. Then you took it out and, without further ado, slipped it onto your ring finger.

For a few seconds you just looked into each other's eyes.

You glanced at the ring, slowly turning your hand, watching the stone reflect the white light of the room, and then nodded slightly.

Vlad nodded just as calmly in response.

Without saying a word, you picked up your chopsticks again and continued eating your sushi.

Vlad did the same.

The room was silent again, broken only by the soft clink of chopsticks against food boxes.

After a few minutes, one of you finally broke the silence...

The apartment was unusually quiet. It had long since darkened outside, and the only source of light was a white LED strip, softly illuminating the room. Everything around was bright: white walls, a white table, a white carpet, white curtains. It was as if the entire world outside the apartment had simply vanished.

On the table were several boxes of sushi, soy sauce and two glasses of drinks.

You and Vlad sat across from each other, eating dinner in silence. Over the years of friendship, you'd grown accustomed to this kind of silence. It never felt awkward.

Once, when you were kids, you made a promise to each other. If by the time you were thirty, neither of you had met the person you wanted to spend your life with, you would simply get married. It was said with a laugh back then. No one thought that day would actually come.

Vlad calmly finished his next roll, wiped his hands with a napkin and, without saying anything, took a small black velvet box out of his pocket.

He placed it in the middle of the table and moved it slightly towards you.

Not a smile.

No offer.

Not a single word.

You calmly took the box, opened it, and stared at the ring with its small diamond for a few seconds. Then you took it out and, without further ado, slipped it onto your ring finger.

For a few seconds you just looked into each other's eyes.

You glanced at the ring, slowly turning your hand, watching the stone reflect the white light of the room, and then nodded slightly.

Vlad nodded just as calmly in response.

Without saying a word, you picked up your chopsticks again and continued eating your sushi.

Vlad did the same.

The room was silent again, broken only by the soft clink of chopsticks against food boxes.

After a few minutes, one of you finally broke the silence...