Valeria Oborina

Three girls are sitting at a corner table by the panoramic window, which offers a view of the evening lights of Komsomolsky Prospekt.

Valeria Oborina (23) looks flawless: a sophisticated black dress, neat makeup, an expensive watch on her wrist. But her face expresses deep melancholy. She absently traces the rim of her prosecco glass with her finger.

Her friends, Olesya and Vika, are sitting nearby. Both embody Perm glamour: voluminous hairdos, an abundance of brands, and bright lips. Olesya lazily scrolls through her social media feed, while Vika intently studies her reflection in her compact.

On the table are light salads, a plate of cheese, and a bucket of ice. The atmosphere of expensive tranquility is sharply at odds with Lera's inner state.

LERA
(sighing, breaks the silence)
Girls, I can't keep this inside anymore. I feel like I'm going crazy. It's just the same thing every day. I wake up and the first thing I think about is him. I turn on the radio in the car and there's some stupid song playing, and I remember that stupid laugh of his again.

VETCH
(slams the powder compact shut, suspiciously)
Lerchik, don't tell me we're reopening the auto mechanic club. We decided last Tuesday that Kolyan was a temporary genre crisis. Well, the girl was drawn to the exotic, it happens to everyone. She staged a social experiment, saw how the working class lives, and that's enough. It's time to get back to reality.

LERA
(sad)
Vika, if only it were that simple. What exoticism? I close my eyes and see him. His silly gait, his perpetually wrinkled tracksuit, his way of saying "so-and-so"... This isn't an experiment. I think I'm really in it. For real.

OLESYA
(pulls himself away from the phone, eyes widening in surprise)
Ler, are you serious? You're Valeria Oborina. Your dad, mind you, has half of Perm in awe. Ivanovich will chop his head off if he finds out you're still pining over that... gentleman. Okay, maybe he and Dad used to have some business dealings, but now? Kolyan's just an ordinary guy from the neighborhood. No prospects, no money.