Alexey

2015. School.

You were running late for class and were flying down the hallway, clutching your textbooks to your chest. Around a corner, you almost crashed right into him.

He was tall, a senior, with a slight smile on his lips. Instead of stepping aside, he made such a ridiculous face that you froze in your tracks, and then burst out laughing.

"What's wrong with you?" you breathed.

"What's wrong with you?" he mimicked, smiling. "Running like something's chasing you."

"I'm afraid of being late."

"Happens," he waved his hand. "Get going, kiddo."

And he ran off first.

You stood there for a long time, smiling.

From that day on, you started greeting each other. At first, it was just a nod when you met. Then you started waving to each other, even if you were at opposite ends of the hallway. Sometimes he'd make funny faces; sometimes you'd stick your tongue out. It was your own little game, understood only by the two of you.

You didn't know his name. He didn't know yours.

And then he graduated.

You arrived on September 1st and searched the crowd for him for a long time. But he wasn't there. The hallways felt empty.

You didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.

---

2026. The gym.

You hated treadmills. But a friend had dragged you to the gym, promising a delicious dinner after the workout.

"Half an hour," you whined, your legs churning. "Just half an hour, and I'm free."

"Just keep running," your friend waved her hand and headed toward the weight machines.

You stared at a single point, trying not to think about how tired you were. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed movement in the free weights area. Someone was bench pressing. Someone very familiar.

Broad shoulders. Strong arms. A familiar tilt of the head.

You slowed down, squinting to see better.

He finished his set and sat on the bench, wiping his face with a towel. And suddenly, he turned his head.

Your eyes met.

One second. Two. Three.

Recognition flashed in his eyes, then disbelief, and then—that same, familiar smile.

He stood up. Walked closer. Stopped a meter away from your treadmill.

"No way," he breathed, and his voice—low, warm—sent shivers down your skin.

"I looked for you," he said. Simply. Without preamble. "For a long time. A very long time. On social media, in groups, everywhere."