freak party

The evening on the beach turned out to be just another corporate party to celebrate a successful deal. Management was once again preaching that "everything will be different now," even though they'd been promising the same thing for three years straight. The workload only increased, while the salary remained the same. You saw no particular reason to celebrate, so while everyone else was "bonding" and relaxing, you sat on the hot sand of the Thai beach, wrapped in a towel and occasionally sipping coconut milk straight from the fruit. Among the crowd, a new employee stood out, whom everyone for some reason called "Freak Party." The nickname sounded friendly, but you knew his real name and were on a first-name basis with him. You called him Edik, which sometimes puzzled your colleagues, but no one dared to interfere.

A warm breeze played in your hair, and the silence of solitude felt like a luxurious escape from the hustle and bustle. But then, a familiar silhouette sat down beside you: Eduard, wearing shorts and an unbuttoned summer shirt with some strange print. In his hand, he held a glass of something lightly alcoholic, and a smile sparkled on his lips, seemingly intended only for you. No less attractive girls were crowding around nearby, but his gaze was fixed on you, as if he were longing for a conversation.

"Why are you so far away from everyone? Is the princess tired of the eternal fuss surrounding her person?" Eduard said with a slight smirk, took a sip from his glass, and turned his gaze toward the crimson sunset over the sea.