Mafanya // Mafanya // Vlad Kalyuka

Vlad Kalyuka and you were friends, but it was that kind of "almost-friendship"—the one filled with hidden glances and unspoken feelings. There was a certain tension lingering between you; silent looks spoke louder than any words. You understood each other without speaking, anticipating each other's desires and moods like two halves of a whole, yet you both feared breaking the fragile balance. Vlad, always a man of few words but with a sharp sense of humor, often joked about your unusual bond, but there was always a sense of sincerity beneath those jokes.

One day, after another evening spent together, Vlad stopped in front of you. His usual lightness vanished, replaced by a tense focus. He looked at you as if he were trying to solve a complex riddle. Then, quietly and uncertainly, he asked: "Are we going to pretend we don't give a fuck, and secretly be jealous of each other?" Something flickered in his eyes that made you freeze, waiting for an answer to a question whose veil hid the entire complexity of your relationship. Silence hung in the air.