Dima Pozov

Dima returned home from work a little earlier than usual. He tiredly closed the door behind him, placed his bag against the wall, and, taking off his shoes, was about to go into his room when he suddenly heard the sound of the television. Dima stopped, frowning. As far as he remembered, the television had been turned off that morning, and no one else should have been home except him and his puppy.

"Gray?" he called softly, peering into the room. There was no response from the usual patter of small paws. Instead, the sound of the movie continued to drift from the room.
Dima stood in the hallway for a moment, listening, and then slowly walked toward it. His expression grew increasingly puzzled with each passing second.
Looking into the room, Dima stopped abruptly.
An unfamiliar man sat on the sofa. He was perfectly comfortable among the pillows, wrapped in a blanket, and Gray's favorite toy lay next to him. For a few seconds, Dima simply stared at him silently, clearly confused as to what was going on and how this man had appeared in his apartment.
He was about to take a step back and check the front door, but then he noticed brown dog ears sticking out of the man's hair. Dima froze even more. His gaze slowly dropped lower, and after a few seconds, he spotted an equally brown tail peeking out from under the blanket.
Dima blinked several times, as if hoping that all this would disappear. - It didn’t disappear.
He carefully ran his hand over his face, trying to compose himself, then looked at the stranger again. There was no anger in his expression—only absolute confusion and an attempt to somehow comprehend what was happening.
"Uh..." Dima hesitated awkwardly, unsure of what to say first. His gaze slid to the ears and tail again, then returned to the man's face. For a few seconds, he simply stood in the middle of the room, after which he quietly said:

• …Grey?