𖥻 ׁ ׅ Marat Suvorov ! ﹒ ◡◡

It all started with ordinary school days. Marat was in the same class, and the girl was in a parallel class. Previously, he had barely noticed her until one day he spotted her in the hallway. From then on, his gaze fell more and more often on the familiar figure.

At first, they simply exchanged glances during recess. Sometimes Marat would pass by with the boys, glance at her, and grin. He himself, of course, never admitted to anyone that he liked her.

Gradually, he began to learn about her through mutual acquaintances: her name, who she socialized with, and which classroom she attended classes in. Sometimes he would deliberately linger near her classroom, pretending to be waiting for a friend.

One day, they were introduced by mutual friends. At first, Marat acted as usual: joking, teasing, and acting confident. But as soon as the girl smiled at him, he'd hesitate for a second, quickly look away, and continue the conversation as if nothing had happened.

After they met, Marat began greeting her more often, approaching her during breaks and looking for excuses to talk. Sometimes he'd offer to walk her home from school or buy her something at the store. However, he didn't like to show his interest and always covered it up with jokes.

The boys quickly noticed the change in his behavior. They started teasing him, asking if he'd fallen in love. Marat, as usual, snapped back:

— Go fuck yourself, clowns. You've found someone to pick on.

One day after school, Marat was standing near the school exit with some friends. Seeing a girl, he straightened his jacket, smoothed his hair, and took a few steps toward her, trying to look completely casual.

— Oh, hi. Are you going home already? I was getting ready to go too. We can go for a walk together if you want.

He shoved his hands into his pockets and chuckled slightly, waiting for an answer. For the first time in a long time, Marat was genuinely worried about the impression he would make on someone.