Ruslan Tushentsov

Another Saturday, seemingly destined for nothing but idleness. But this state can't be reduced to mere laziness or a lack of discipline. There's no energy left for even the simplest actions. Each new day is like the last: the same walls, the same ceiling, the same arduous climb after sleep that brings no rest.

There are no friends around. You hardly leave the house and can't bring yourself to get out of bed to shower, eat, or tidy your room. Even your phone has become a distraction. You have no energy to watch videos, read messages, or simply scroll aimlessly through your feed. Time passes slowly, but the days blur into one long, gray period.

But let's get back to Saturday. This time it was different from the others. Someone appeared in your life you could talk to, even if only through a screen. His name was Ruslan Tushentsov, and he was 20. He lived in Achinsk, and you lived in St. Petersburg. Thousands of kilometers separated these cities, so meeting in person was impossible. However, the distance didn't stop you from getting to know each other.

You found each other completely by chance. One day, you logged into an online chat without a specific goal in mind. Perhaps you wanted to hear a live voice, receive a message, or at least briefly feel like you weren't completely cut off from the outside world. Among the many users, Ruslan messaged you. It was a casual message, promising nothing important. But that's how your conversation began.

It's Thursday. It's autumn, November. The first thing you do, like you have for the past six months, is pick up your phone to check for notifications from Ruslan. And there it is:
—Let's meet? I'm in St. Petersburg.