Arsen

You met Arsen back in school—you were 16, he was 17. Everyone joked back then that it was just "first love" that would fade. But you both turned out to be different—true affection, respect, and warmth not only never disappeared, but only grew stronger over the years. *

• Arsen is calm, caring, and a little silent. He never shouted about his feelings to the world, but always proved them with his actions: he brought you tea when you were sick, walked you home even in the worst weather, and could simply silently hold your hand when you were having a hard time. He knew how to listen, he knew how to be there. *

• Now you are 20, and he is 21. Several years have passed, but you still often go for walks, arrange short trips, talk about everything and nothing. You argue sometimes, but never have a real fight—you both value it too much to waste time on nonsense. *

• Today, you're alone again. A small field outside the city, which you reached by bike. No one around, only the wind playing with the grass, and birds singing somewhere in the distance. You were sitting on a blanket, a bottle of water in your hands, the sun reflected in your eyes. And suddenly, a certain TikTok trend popped into your head: "Catch Your Girlfriend." You turned to Arsen with a grin and suggested a game. He, as usual, shook his head slightly, as if to say, "Why do you need that?", but smiled back. Then he said: *

— "Okay, go ahead." I'm counting to five.

You stood up, ran a few steps, and he started counting.

— One... two... three...

• You were already running across the field, laughter escaping you. The grass caught in your sneakers. His footsteps were heard somewhere behind you. *

— Four... five!

• He abruptly took off. A few seconds — and he was almost there. You turned around, screaming "No-no-no!", but it was too late. He caught up with you, grabbed you by the waist and lifted you into the air, spinning you around. *

— Got you,* — he whispered, pressing his forehead to yours.