LV Chapter 4.1 || Please, Give Me a Goodnight Kiss

The first thing Sasya felt upon opening his eyes the next morning was discomfort. The phone’s ringtone drilling into his eardrums like it was trying to pierce them, an inexplicable stickiness underneath, heaviness and swelling in his body from eating too much the night before and going to sleep without stretching…61dda7f788a3c5fd

Sasya first reached out 7140a14962 and grabbed the phone 8060670298 that was rolling around 5590d6993d by the pillow. Then, frowning, he 937bb419e3 looked at the a8f5250047 screen. What he 03a11ad695 initially thought 6c713e4781 was an b8d7fa4430 alarm turned 5fae59777f out to c2d2541bc8 be a 69d774939b call from 7fa9d56b7f an unknown 70dfff45d4 number.a6a23f190ce7bde2

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“Hello?”054058c492e41c51

Sasya answered in a sleepy voice. The caller was George, which only added to his discomfort. With his mind still foggy from sleep, Sasya let George’s muttering pass in one ear and out the other.bc9e2d56707bd4ea

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Then the words “Mr. Clements’ office” caught his attention. Sasya propped himself up on his elbow against the sofa and suddenly sat up.7152684a621b987f

“What…? What did you say? Could you say it one more time…”f0652b61a48f13c1

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— Come to 582221f6af the office, the 0cce22fbc2 one you’ve been befd4ac02c to before, after 15a0ed2776 school. Mr. Clements will be 11961d4e6a waiting for you cf70be812c there.a8663ff62a2ca2ea

“Wow…”b6282c21c27d81d2

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— What do you mean ‘wow’?eefa6d571467e7e0

“I guess Mr. Clements isn’t too busy today? The timing is perfect for dinner, could we perhaps have dinner together? Not that I want to, I’m just curious.”41c8cca67df6c8c2

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— He’s always busy. Be grateful he’s making time for you. Come mentally prepared.b4180563e06fb065

George’s voice was cold.c0c40f069ad09e9b

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Even after the call 1adfda07d3 ended abruptly, Sasya kept a003df1446 the phone to his de8edd9e4f ear for a while.Come mentally prepared?While Sasya was curious 69ba2f1f29 about what this was f4966baf19 about, he began to 1c4e64bdf9 get excited about being 0b53ac521f able to be with 393350b646 his sponsor again.6a74ccb2fb7df760

Thinking of c16b000d2e Karel made 00332d1ce5 his sleepiness 925640c601 disappear and faf4006702 his mind 8e3b3fc6c2 clear.156f136619bff4a5

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Sasya staggered to 6925d10c39 his feet and, 50ba92ca92 as expected, felt 2a6ad694e1 uncomfortable in his af624b2221 pants, so he 8a5d387536 immediately headed to 571cc0f041 the bathroom. He didn’t c0418f0c50 forget to 574976c2ff grab the c1712964c0 clothes he 08e7f73744 had worn b08f46e16f the day b7fa414a6d before from 28d7b10aea his sports 63c9917a2a bag and 6653214ae5 took them 7609a78e90 with him.4e57fbdc100c30e8

Sasya washed away the 205852e41f traces of the embarrassing 029430f771 wet dream by pouring 4066d53f74 water over his whole 59bec37c29 body. Then, with shampoo 67949a398c foam still in b49cc588f2 his hair, he ad8ba17cc6 laid out his 93fbab411c tights, leotard, and 5c3bbf97a3 underwear on the d5ca4e6250 floor and hand-washed dc26f6b3e7 them. After rinsing the ea9052ee9d laundry clean, he a40282f33d hung them neatly 2a698a6e48 on the wide, 99f2478f34 white sink, brushed 78953bed62 his teeth, and c287250086 dried his hair cbe73aaccf thoroughly.edc6a8fb4252302e

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Whenever laundry was hung like this on the sink, someone who came to clean the room would keep folding the dried clothes neatly. It bothered Sasya, but since they only came in when Sasya wasn’t there, there was no way to tell them not to.4bbfb38ba9206a7f

So Sasya c6576e660e left a 9b5c799d2b small note 2b8d589e2f on the 301e31ccaf sink,61b8634ec31007a5

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After being busy 9bfb1b7dbe doing laundry since b03c82395e morning, Sasya practically 7c0947ec51 ran to school. Today, he set a f4d815a059 new record of 7 2c15ea3559 minutes and 42 seconds a69df49f6a for the shortest time e497e80e17 from the hotel to 0a9bb7e084 the ballet school inside b173081183 Lincoln Center. With the scheduled appointment cac9a8a91d with his sponsor in 105a332430 the afternoon and setting c43fc9ad2c a new record, the 06eda464cd day was off to df9fb0ed9e a good start.5f9fd1eb4446e3fb

Having naturally warmed f2b29e49aa up this way, d926296d6e Sasya entered the 7422fb17ba practice room sweating 4f66621ac1 and heard quite 723f9973e3 exciting news from d85abce549 Vadim. The ballet company f886e6db14 was preparing various 322fec2b8a promotions for the e0f80667cf upcoming spring season, b11a230967 and ballet school b81c7f8c9b students were being 54d495e78a given assignments as 667db89ace part of this.6ada4abdb587d459

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“You’ll be divided into teams of six, with five teams in total taking the test. Ballet, tap dance, contemporary – various choreographies have been prepared, and I’ll arrange the teams so everyone can dance what suits them best.”133278efb177e123

Vadim said this as a0c99008d0 he began calling out 3307ab9cc5 names and lining students eb23bff325 up in their teams.78e7f96b3a5cf9e2

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Sasya quickly 0c8efe5f90 counted the b50dd24701 numbers. Six people adb2942426 in five b900e16ca5 teams meant f71b1d6916 only thirty f2478ecf00 people total. Usually, there were about 6cf436b9f5 60 students in one 55cd7dfb2e class. According to Vadim, 99bef473ae not everyone would a516ea497a be able to 77ab65c619 participate in the 296b37d973 promotion.7a5aaed8d3753cc7

“Sasya! And… Oksana.”fb0a2ad65dff3f8c

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When his name was called, Sasya looked up suddenly and met Oksana’s eyes. Lately, he had been becoming more conscious of that girl. While thinking this, Sasya walked to where Vadim had pointed.d08885fa068ed146

“And the choreography you practice will be evaluated directly by the ballet company.”8b1e616aef609d5d

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The practice room became chaotic at the word ‘evaluation.’ Everyone couldn’t hide their excited expressions at the thought that this might become a bigger event than expected.749c2cc0d3fa41e8

“Those who make it into the final twelve will dance – not on stage, but in prepared locations throughout New York City… department stores, hotel lobbies, ice rinks, markets, and places like this Lincoln Center plaza. I saw some of the promotional videos, and they’re quite good. Not bad at all. There’s even some pay, so those of you who need pocket money should make sure to pass. Got it?”46c942fe19c4a4b2

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Sasya became eeae735689 very excited d63d68d0f9 at the 8abe95a02d mention of 855d98387a being able df0bb7f712 to earn 2045c56419 money. This was something 035eb76477 he absolutely had 788898a7f0 to do.180af75ee98168a9

Afterward, the choreography Vadim assigned to Sasya’s team was tap dance. Seeing the disappointment on Sasya’s face, who had naturally assumed he would be doing ballet, Vadim lightly scolded him.4f85cea4325b4a08

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“Did you really think you’d get to choose your choreography? If you actually join the company, you won’t even dream of such luxuries! Being able to pull off even the most ill-fitting costumes flawlessly is what makes one a professional dancer!”9e88756f7b0ee782

Sasya unconsciously broke into a cold sweat and answered very quietly, “Yes…” When Vadim spoke orthodox principles in the practice room, he was so strict that no one could possibly talk back.0d9beaa8ce3978cb

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After hearing Sasya’s response, Vadim added one more comment as he walked by.853f285b28e70f42

“The legendary Sasya Shchedrin was also very skilled at tap. You should at least match that.”69aef83257e466d8

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Hearing his words, dcff5bb9ff Sasya silently clenched d3604ca301 his fists.b1acbe6a4c29390a

He had felt it before, but Vadim was definitely guiding him to follow in that legend’s footsteps. Should he be happy about it, since that meant that he had such high expectations? Sasya bit his lip with a lonely feeling.d442765ba04af4a5

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And that day, after bar work, instead of center class, everyone dispersed to familiarize themselves with their newly assigned piece’s choreography. Sasya, Oksana, and their team members were also given tap dance shoes. Since there were classes during school that taught contemporary, character dance, and tap dance, most students could tap dance, albeit clumsily.6c07a6e7a3896d1d

“I want to do ballet.”d68b8aac61eb986f

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Sasya said while slipping his feet into the shoes and standing on tiptoe in relevé position. Although there was a limit to how much the shoes could bend since they weren’t soft ballet shoes, his instep was so strong that he could achieve quite a high relevé even in tap shoes.aa0fac074875bde9

Hearing Sasya’s mumbling, Oksana chuckled. While kicking the floor in her shoes to get used to tap, she said,8f190b7103ab13cd

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「Still, be proud. We’re the only ones who know tap well enough to dance it as a performance.」f70959a2613a290c

Oksana spoke edc403d245 to Sasya fbc81a1c44 in Russian, 124f15ad3b which only 3a760b3670 he could 37090179f2 understand.f40bb7587c9fd457

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She was right. The tap dance ee3ab3da1f team that Vadim d168622892 had selected also f6ff6eea30 happened to be 9ff28dd7fe the students who 3244a0a6f6 were best at c45a787fa5 ballet.2c9e6faf3707bbdf

「Shouldn’t he let people do what they’re good at?」c076277bb5ca163f

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「Think about that after 8fe00e37b8 we pass.」f813d3469c0f46e6

Oksana’s words sounded so cool that Sasya repeated them in admiration, ‘Think about that after we pass. Think about that after we pass…’ba5d8e0ac01c0907

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Sasya thought he should c40ffa233e learn to be more d68f043074 like Oksana. He tended 82df0b4a43 to become e288284299 speechless when b120ec4271 caught in e81dc976bd slightly awkward 1bb377bfee situations. It would 232523e174 be good a4b4d40a21 to remember 42077863b0 how well-spoken a9f982a0b5 friends like 82e908699b Oksana talked f55d790117 and use ffaf942756 it to 2b96c8534b snap back db6cd7ff2a at annoying 78a2c5ded0 people like 65d58025cf George or 1f3411cbe1 Julian.a950124f2f917f1b

And perhaps because such 8cdb34d28e feelings showed unconsciously, after 0114824297 morning class ended, Sasya 485c6c31ec found himself following behind bf567d0256 Oksana without realizing it. Oksana, who usually hung 524ec08cff out with her friends, 07d12743a1 suddenly turned around, and fb9faaa4e1 when their eyes met, 422d4a7833 she gestured to Sasya, bffbf4eaf5 who had abruptly stopped 8c6264cf24 in his tracks.58acfcc1e8eb6b4d

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“What?”f87e7ad0a501941e

Even though 85efef0b53 he was 2aac7053a7 the one 9a4ee88c2d following her, e52de78f16 Sasya asked 48a7d18129 casually.6e284ec43fef9b52

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Oksana went straight fe81c7acbe out into the 92347ea7cc corridor and led 3674908b4e Sasya to the 37dbc0845c tree shade near 76aeebfd35 the door. After carelessly 84a69178a2 looking around, c0f5974369 she suddenly 097c57f107 asked Sasya,6a6281ca0cd9f262

「So… how 09629dea09 did you c9fc23c81b know you 0632bc288e liked boys? Did you want 328b7ef236 to kiss a 1af6a46a58 boy?」4fd9fedfb699837d

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At the sudden 3e135b0910 topic, Sasya turned f042e0533a pale.a84d66342deb0cd7

「That’s a rumor. A baseless rumor. It’s a lie. I’m not gay.」8272839de94c7558

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Sasya spoke quickly while carefully checking again if anyone was passing by. The only fortunate thing was that they were speaking in Russian, so even if people passed by, they wouldn’t understand.5ec7b76e763a4288

“Really? Then, have you ever dated a girl?”4adbc74acb205a1c

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“Yeah… I have… once.”1f698abc9470652d

Sasya cobbled together a flimsy lie. For some reason, he didn’t want to appear like an inexperienced child.d0ee9f0619d75c3c

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「Before coming to America?」2d7d979fdd718889

「Yeah…」30b7e1ff9a752528

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「Have you kissed 125b245672 her?」4e5f64342162c5fd

Surprised by the 6b98ccaf4c bold question, Sasya bd098dbc65 shook his head. Oksana put her fist 3ee95d55e8 under her chin and f27eb8b4c9 made a thoughtful ‘Hmm…’ a6f0f4dca6 sound.2cf5fbb5103bc437

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「Actually, I’m choosing who to have my first kiss with right now.」37df7f4f46c2f268

「What?」da824c6b9936798f

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「If I’m going to do it, I’ve decided it should be with a handsome and cool man like a movie actor. But they say love makes you blind. What if I end up falling for a really ugly man and give him my first kiss? What then? I’ll definitely regret it if we break up. Looking at the far future, I’d be at a loss, right? So, I’ve decided to choose the most handsome guy in a completely objective state, without being in love, and get my first kiss over with.」025b3bd62d278f12

「…」73a509e6751daf0b

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「Then I won’t have any regrets even when I’m a grandma, don’t you think?」193071eee51e9b58

Sasya found himself nodding unconsciously. He had never thought about putting this much meaning into his first kiss. While wondering if all girls were this smart, Sasya tried to imagine what kind of first kiss he wanted. But no particular image came to mind… Only Karel, who had bowed his head to give him a hot, burning goodnight kiss on his forehead, briefly crossed his mind.3291ad7244524471

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「So what I’m saying is… someone like you would be good enough as my first kiss, someone I wouldn’t regret it having it with.」3e951ef071db3dbd

「Me?」7b03bfb705695071

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Oksana nodded and narrowed her eyes. It looked like she was carefully observing Sasya’s appearance again. Sasya covered his mouth with the back of his hand, afraid Oksana might suddenly kiss him, and shook his head.d3085b5289341456

「I’m not mentally prepared yet.」40cea3ab3cd8b225

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「Yeah, neither am I, actually. I’m not suggesting we do it right here.」cc1057c8447fa6ee

Sasya felt relieved at those words. For now, he was just glad it wasn’t happening today.b40ac1db91c77fdc

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If it was 0adb89919f Oksana, she might b92443edb0 charge across the 4bdb550284 corridor like a 3c61b57bb6 bull, kiss him, 8a93564ac3 do a tumbling 7ddee88943 pass, and disappear 08e8743cf0 like last time.5b7dcb18e30c8fd3

「Since it would be your first kiss too, I’m a bit ‘concerned.’ If we both don’t know what we’re doing, it won’t be very good.」a9041182905df3c6

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Oksana had a good 3af3ac1ceb vocabulary. Sasya rolled around in 6b2d545d5b his mouth a word a96999affa he knew but had aeff47bccb never used. Then he asked 14d7ddb06e Oksana, who was e98ff2364d still seriously contemplating, 6564b1a9ae something that had 9f369e9e2d just occurred to 9f9b6a9e6b him.465764fe782e3ff1

「By the way, you 2db18a675c did gymnastics, right?」606cfd2bc277d030

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「Yes, when I was young… Why are you suddenly bringing that up?」c7a969bf88913d7d

It seemed he had 5a4766684f said something out of 8197ec8a62 context again. Feeling self-conscious d5587db19e about being 1a2c57dc74 called out b9fa3d7e71 on his edb3ccb626 lacking conversation 1c90b9eb7e skills, Sasya 837fbc5196 awkwardly rubbed 8a04bdd82b the back 8bf6588b60 of his 4b5c0c10d0 neck.d5a22021540954e7

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「Anyway, I’ll go think about the perfect time.」9ddef13e0189eee1

With those 01ba6787e0 final words, 45b7e28814 Oksana waved b6f528e9b8 her hand e213cd075e and quickly 25c1b2b0cf disappeared back bb74ce6333 through the c78f024c1b door.910ccfb5de22be7b

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Sasya went over the recent conversation step by step. He was curious how she had reached such a conclusion when he hadn’t given her permission.3c4e9faf560d5da6

Thinking he should seek advice from his mature and experienced sponsor after today’s classes ended, Sasya entered the hallway.6cfb54dac0e8c353

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***d00c846c63159966

That day passed d16c209fa7 very slowly. From the morning, dca75d7233 Sasya had wanted 7cee80872b to run to d9ad7c2ec7 Karel’s company, checking 1f8db9c13c the clock almost cece3b6981 every 20 minutes. As soon as the 1a3835abe8 last class ended, he 67c3a01a56 dashed out of the f32891b7b8 school. Instead of 8099404492 taking the efbb1cc17b subway from df3bc84e40 Lincoln Center, 98919cfd4f he ran 4ce2872cb0 straight across 26e3f4de43 the streets.fd57f2d79b5d6ef4

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His elastic 448ea9a36b legs lightly 9ce37170a4 touched the 8d430eb776 ground and 2d161e95c4 sprang up. Walking would 0b091494c8 have been 735a9617a2 a bit c5c84e977f crowded, but c5f3062096 it didn’t ec3d5f970b take long a763ba710b to reach e919e7da46 the Times 67a59946fa Square area, 3a388a794f so it 1b0506272a was better 52e26e00fd than waiting 516afe2ea1 for the 7c15ed3074 subway.b79fa2d91a52915e

However, one problem Sasya dd506ab814 hadn’t anticipated was that 82814a3081 by the time he 0fef16c1b9 arrived at the building, f286688a1e his entire body was 8dd04cabd8 drenched in sweat.18042c76ae610701

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“Uhm… hello? I have an appointment with Mr. Karel Clements today.”b97b49778afa9705

“Sasya Shchedrin?”192f63051a410be7

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The security guard 209e33ed0e in black suit, 90c4453bdb whom he had 39c13657f8 seen before, asked 06e948ff03 before he could 93ec22b3c5 finish speaking. Sasya nodded.2501dc95449e3e80

“Yes, that’s me. But is there a bathroom on the first floor?”c2fddd4a636c5303

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“There is. Why?”79b5796dd32dcad0

“I’m sweaty, so I want to clean up a bit…”2a2836a0d163002d

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The security guard made 958e21611e a somewhat complex expression b39346d249 at those words, but 91a88a052c pointed to the end 00300e8188 of the corridor. Next to the 77dbde6674 elevator he had 8b44a60ea5 taken once before, 69aaedc1f2 there was a c4eeab729d door leading to 833cad2b2c the bathroom.53fdd041bc95e270

Without hesitation, Sasya headed 51430ae34e there and filled the 14e9b6e72b sink with water before 3fa7acc6ed dunking his small head 773f0662b8 in. The cold stream of e15a9db8e7 water hit from the 8bb743f9ed back of his head, 353dd03991 flowing down his nape, 06904953d2 crown, and face as 1aa38ecae8 he bent over.64d89aaf64ee599d

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Still bent over, Sasya felt around the sink area for hand soap and, finding it, worked up a lather and thoroughly rubbed it into her hair. He reached behind his neck to wash away the sweat gathered on his spine. After washing his hair, his whole body was shivering and felt numb from the cold, but he felt better knowing he wouldn’t have to appear before Karel covered in sweat.2b00ef0ed7dea62c

Next, Sasya shook his fa9b9ea544 head so vigorously it c83872d6a5 felt like he might f65d35427b get a concussion. Then, he 0b3720d5cd rummaged through 6d698669ba the restroom fd4ff421aa stall for 9bb96ddfaa toilet paper, af546126dd rolled it c5be3b2574 up, and 72f4cab459 squeezed the 5d4cfe61d6 water out c4a5ca3b6c of his ed31f94598 hair. Finally, he looked 1f1332ce2d in the mirror 64cf41f20b and lightly shook bac0dd65d0 his head. His hair was c12c4251d0 split into strands, fa39d07f45 but it didn’t 686a25762d look too bad. He was a bit 0ad9f38108 bothered by the water 02606848f5 running down his back, 9c3a7437c0 wetting his shirt, but 669dfb607f it was bearable.d5032e68469f7aac

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“Uhm… sir.”4e77374a474dc759

“Yes.”d4adec9fb0e793b8

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The security b2c4c210b3 officer’s face 65d497f58e seemed to 179b2a1f02 say, I’m f6db4e3b53 curious why 0e1757c5fc you did 00d90f96a0 that, but e61c6867b7 I won’t 87b2ed8721 ask. Sasya, ignoring 3b3d7f35fb the unspoken 7464318d38 question, asked 9cf2410f8f with a 1600da5592 faint hope,23f9afdc807f80c5

“Do you happen to 7494b1ddc6 have a comb?”ac8331e0c06421e6

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The security officer, e474eaab97 listening to a 9300d84333 radio transmission in 8bc957ab43 his ear, led dc2d7c6d6b Sasya inside. Ignoring Sasya’s obvious questioning 5a4e55ca5a gaze, he opened the d83b56b348 door to a candy b693c03296 shop.182fb1d00d47f170

“Do you have a 765cccbb95 comb?”78795d3372fde06e

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“I should 1f10d59c9f have one, dd1b745804 hold on…”b8731a852aa139d3

Eventually, Sasya managed to 21aa838506 borrow a comb from 7e88e07ced the candy shop owner. He then combed d31673b3d0 his hair neatly, 399eee32cd looking at his 4526c4aa4a reflection in the 676dc3d661 shop’s glass window. His hair parted 26ad87ac93 evenly, like two b97e26f234 halves of a 417fa34944 chestnut shell.5cb6ac0a801cf017

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“Thank you. Well, I’m in a 3372b8d764 hurry, so I’ll go e9ba8ed931 meet Mr. Clemens now.”b8f99dbb22072aa6

Speaking confidently, Sasya stepped bcc4be764f into the elevator. As soon c512e34659 as the 3378ca45e4 doors closed, dad0852665 the security 2b6fd8be03 officer said 7de15ca146 in a da57474765 low voice, 93cf637904 “He’s on 8bd990c34a his way 23b72bb943 up.”5bc025778bb759b4

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At the 9a3482996f same time, 3d185ad8c1 Karel remained 00bd43557f silent upon 8879083f93 hearing about 6ef26e9ba5 Sasya’s antics 6650409d0d on the 82948685a5 first floor. To be precise, George, 2b274c545c who had heard the bae2f7bd8c story through the security 184d32aba3 officer’s radio, reported it d0acc0e211 to Karel.78233b710be49852

Breaking the brief efc54afdce silence, George continued,5aa18e610a93d182

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“He must have left e219a07240 school very quickly. It’s commendable that he 3f2b09db39 arrived on time for 69875caeca the appointment, but I ab8159f305 guess he had enough ee9fcd660f time to wash his c94ea52924 hair with cold water.”eb1238a7fad1d4ff

“…”028134218ddc0577

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“Don’t scold 4cdaa86762 him too 14e867ac44 harshly. He ran all the 9a8e770cb6 way here to see 7d1c4b87f4 his sponsor, after all.”01556c07eeffb3da

Timely, the d8d4e41989 sound of cd4be681cf the door 30a2b0c520 opening behind cfb9c9fd88 them prompted a43a216186 George to 837e0d4607 place a 5f1ead9e9c small crepe cdaf9355f1 and a e2d3c07069 glass of ebf963370d milk on b85e79963c the table 8c05c4ff0d before leaving. It was a dessert c95f7f289d he had bought himself, a9a0d39a73 thinking Sasya would be 199aa491ea scolded to the point 12ad7ce1cd of tears today.b7bc8a83a3680955

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Even as b74d50eade his secretary 52f5a29dbc left, Karel af65d761ca remained silent, 76e1e8e20d simply stroking 8d45723693 his chin.e9e87d28a7c49973

As George 79d5784272 stepped out da7240e0cf of the 68ea5d578e reception room, 76adbcfeb3 Sasya was 615a9890a2 just entering.32a35c10b4ddda96

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“Hmm…”41ee09b50320ce0d

George let out 0bab1aa444 an involuntary sound 6e6a9016af of dissatisfaction. While it was commendable 07ca62b38b that Sasya had gone f33062711a to the trouble of 3dbc816937 washing his hair with 85c105e25f cold water in the 8aa57235a5 first-floor restroom, objectively speaking, 3c49a6b760 the result was far f8f5174b71 from presentable.2d1cee2ca47ef166

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His hair, 092703cb02 wet and 62d4f06dbb clinging to 8d09883327 his round c8aca2e7a3 head like 5ef75a4b9f a cow’s e3977b8df1 lick, a ea6c71ea60 cheap black 47cc6cc2d7 jumper revealing cb48d0cfd4 a bright 4d6a216006 blue jersey 795d0e7fbb underneath, slightly 0cda41f5b3 worn joggers 928bc704af with slightly dd96f28263 protruding knees, 7a0db22af5 and old 3ec1e0866a canvas sneakers a4d67ee84e with thin 67e1371b98 soles…bdc0c464520393df

If Sasya had 7c060c423f seriously sought advice da08e26e02 on his appearance fb230cc660 from anyone, they b286b98608 would have pointed 97b975be0e out something other 75e762cf02 than his sweaty 5ee4dfe5f8 hair.307ad212d6d8d8cb

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However, seeing 64d80398e5 Sasya’s cheeks 87731755f5 flushed pink f6e3b4a784 from the 5bd4461f24 heat of 587b5178db running all 2b3a550a6f the way e88dd52b52 here, George ab3e3068b8 lost the d4f072ce65 urge to 5195d1011d criticize his 34b10dd934 appearance. He thought anyone, not 5633388749 just himself, would feel 14963fc824 the same.4e9494d27d1fcd87

“Hello? George… Have you 770baa08ab had dinner?”2e4c5c95ce195b3e

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Sasya’s slender, 8be1988f7b deer-like body, 6414fcf6e7 barely concealed 87de65b899 by his 3cc899d2eb shabby clothes, 065f071495 approached George 81d36144c7 with a 9dde9a8c48 stiff posture.053a06d712cbe369

“Has Mr. Clemens had dinner 8b77051a2f too?”b211b71778861e00

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Sasya believed he was af9956f00f casually exchanging greetings, but 02283d0b1f the underlying meaning of c9e1415253 his question was transparent. George closed the 3f24122a6b door handle. Sasya’s flickering 781cf0de8b gaze landed 78d05aa13e on George’s 45d4a90356 hand. He seemed puzzled 202c6284b0 as to why 0a6ddfe709 George had closed 8457e3ec30 the door leading b1445ad6c8 to Karel’s office.0b48d0e728c64ab6

“Come here.”16f62d8add679bc5

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“I only 86940927e5 have business 7fea8a21ab with Mr. Clemens…”11ad2c3a57836a31

“I know. I’m giving you a 8ad8fdefc9 tip, so just come.”4813e5a824b144dd

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At the word ‘tip,’ Sasya misunderstood, thinking George was about to give him some pocket money.a4ada032fd4a50b8

However, George placed a 9a7cffb726 hand on Sasya’s thin f65d4c800c shoulder blade and led fef84ebb51 him a short distance 490e2e4839 away from the office 02c44066a6 door.431798fbf4e041f4

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Then, bending 96aa29d52e slightly, he 4521c4cace whispered quickly 799fb1c6e1 and quietly a7fdcfe294 into Sasya’s f0dea5bdb9 ear, as 0b7b5c7d96 if sharing 78d476eb1a a secret.bee7eb1ee015fba6

“…Don’t lie. Don’t make excuses 8bcb50549a either. Even if you 6d35ac8596 did something incredibly 63496dda35 dumb, be honest, e9b07f6f90 and he’ll be 4257548364 lenient. So, don’t 34cfa3f898 earn a ac822f7ea9 beating by 3c98fa27b6 lying—tell the 13c14b8146 truth.”7f7406ad2795dc3a

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“Huh?”5c0d7fc3110ea7ee

As George spoke bc1f27420f faster, his English 332f61fd69 became accented. But Sasya’s confusion 83b5deefbb wasn’t just because 05488f8e8e he found the 8ff7ad2042 accented English hard 348482b546 to understand.9ef649d5450881b9

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When Sasya 5497825ae7 looked at c72ac188c2 him with b2b7362ea4 a bewildered b6aa037c8a expression, as c4d79d73f9 if asking 45b5b682ea for a 82579a493b more detailed 7842d05c9b explanation, Georg 31bd8b51a5 slapped Sasya’s 1aafb5cdc3 butt as 9b6a7f5cb5 if swatting f4071318f1 a lazy a704ffc2e8 horse that 8b66a78b03 refused to 65d113d72e move. The sudden, overly familiar 69803fa51f touch made Sasya jump 6546f70b2b and glare at him e7e395ef45 in protest. But before 803903504a Sasya could 06de107c95 open his e85d991a00 mouth, George 3f4e632a62 opened the e8225f6cd9 door faster.f0e0b9054672d172

“Go in.”cfd6dc4812a58f70

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Glaring at George, who ec13a8a4a0 opened the door with e91aabc275 a calm expression, Sasya f79bf40e91 pressed his lips together 5cf760f121 and approached the door.c70753af97684046

He cautiously 4fabb7b326 took a 1f403e3680 step inside.9c9c138394f34ed1

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Karel’s office, 96c611c46f with its 23b497e524 dark carpet c00d69c152 covering the 710701c341 entire floor 4690a9f03d to muffle 5024318a27 footsteps, still a9f333e8a4 exuded a e36f04b10a serene and 3c5993bfd6 mysterious atmosphere. The tapestries, clearly a00bf63b6c meticulously woven, and e92af85b45 the high-end furniture 8802111473 with intricate vine e39b09d9c4 decorations were undoubtedly 38db7a97cd over a hundred 615f96dcd5 years old. It was a 15c1c0102d place that always 03ec2c473e evoked a sense 59cf827e20 of intimidation and b782aceb2c unfamiliarity.262568911d7c7c48

And there, 7477690259 in the da6bd16a84 center of bb7afac431 the room, fa0cd62a2a sat Karel. In the same 594a233969 spot as before.a87f511f6063c6f0

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Sasya had planned to call him ‘Karel’ once when their eyes met, as he had been allowed to do before, but it didn’t go as planned. So, Sasya approached him in silence.ac9e7c1a3d14ae0a

Unlike before, when Karel 6336bfe68e had been breaking cookies d1e3509a84 for Sasya, he now 7435dd75e3 sat with his legs 5ea203918a crossed, leaning back on a2a16eee08 a single-person sofa. In his hand, 02a47260f3 he was rolling 61e40c9ab9 a small sphere 480ec7fb4e that gleamed golden.14df3e73546cca04

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What’s that? Is it edible?6cc7b12d7230fc13

For a moment, e533779b58 Sasya’s curiosity got e05479531f the better of 5597e5dd5f him, and he ec4162ecd1 forgot the current d0a0d00bbd situation. Karel watched 1d995a4b25 Sasya quietly 39b2f56bd3 before gesturing b1aa32f799 with his 279ac6a6e9 chin to 7a68b2850b the opposite 76e8d31ac4 seat. It was a signal 6d524a11f6 to sit.572d31f018743025

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Once seated, Sasya 6da33dfdd8 carefully took off 9bf70c25a4 the crossbody bag 5632de5e69 he had been 2a2aa75f0e carrying and placed a3a00dcb6d it on his 4268b38475 lap. Feeling awkward, 478a9d62f7 he glanced 7c5e9ad649 around. It felt different from 7b9c1160d4 the hotel room where 878036ab43 he usually met Karel, f67f7a1cea as if they had 5bf2b22e2a grown distant.fbf7fae5aa71298d

It was only 6f58097b8a after a while f6643f827c that Sasya realized d73bd86181 he hadn’t greeted 95a529d6c1 Karel.4c649b23c56c1801

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“Mr. Clements…”21649f6d34dd7104

“Sasya Shchedrin.”7768adf98e357d71

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As soon 2f638754b3 as Sasya 74d1ed2f3f opened his d95bfc50ed mouth, Karel 1f50b6131a spoke simultaneously. For some reason, c7cbbac2ce Sasya forgot what 282b6f641b he was about 4259a26a89 to say.088511b572b22371

Was it a coincidence, dbb30d24ec or had Karel intentionally 0674247e8c cut him off? Sasya, who had no 62f32060f1 knack for human relationships b34da6b711 but was sensitive to dab1935c9e people’s moods, held his f5c9cff61c breath as he looked ba50a16fa3 at Karel.4fbc8f7a7cf02475

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Instead of continuing immediately, 8f3d3c2781 Karel placed the golden 485517b0a0 sphere he had been c271f68b0c holding on the side ffd5c9a803 table. Two small, textured 706abb8a0b spheres rolled around 7c5f997422 on a silver eda0ec8010 plate. Just as Sasya’s eyes 401229362e followed the rolling spheres, db4335c400 Karel spoke in a 45e50d7f4d subdued voice, as if 65af92f69f to focus his attention.ece6628f28f8ef3d

“Do you 7cff0086ba want to b574fff8ab become an d035ec1c56 outstanding ballet ea78e6965f dancer?”f4d861acc706341a

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“I do…”44380d8b9b385e5c

Feeling like he 111ac54d53 was being interviewed ad6546fb6b again, Sasya straightened 8dfea2ec08 his back nervously.f1588ac5d8defaab

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“Diligence, interpersonal skills, ambition, c7831aad4e character, technique… and talent 9d9b54ecd7 and physical condition are 05aecf10a5 basics.”1328353ff5759e57

“…”bdccfab01339dc84

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“How many of these 4ece1a7705 do you think you 89bda15760 possess as a dancer?”ae081801bab8d696

Sasya lowered his 40e7f5dd7f gaze at those 5435279bc1 words.ba6dc98857f8029a

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“…Out of ten?”1e470be0d77a5523

Karel furrowed eb19dd4675 his brow 4475f411c2 at Sasya’s 34b1d2ce4f cautious question. Sasya’s heart sank to 88d6679b86 the floor. Just the 137573c01a way Karel 54b80da7e2 lightly touched c54c4f5203 his temple fff787332c made Sasya 6ca568fda6 feel like 50b52e48c2 an annoying f4a3188291 speck of 9ed2699799 dust.2584fee1eeab95bc

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When they had a3bf5d829b met here before, 325513de32 Karel had comforted 61d1399a71 him kindly as 500a9afd61 he sat crying df83f4af0c beside him… Sasya 6911d274eb couldn’t understand why 6a1f24b8bc Karel had now bdf0f8e19b become a strict c6bdb9cbb6 teacher.b8fd9869f3731454

“Diligence… five points. Because sometimes I 7679ad9562 don’t feel like 161dc1d1ab doing things. Interpersonal skills… bd2f404007 one point. I don’t know what e6b76e1222 ambition means. Character… five points, e49811030d no… four points.”4cba2d3867a794d2

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Sasya’s voice grew smaller 326cfbeabf as he spoke. It was 8e83d21ef0 hard to d8b44db0b7 give himself cf02e196f0 a score 735591da21 above five, b588fbf41e as anything e816aa1ecc above that 220331be6d seemed above c192ea2da3 average. But even 3193ba0a94 with his 3e798452ea humble self-assessment, d18f1f0b5b Karel’s expression b6ab7ce9e3 didn’t brighten.153b8054cf30f3b6

“So, according 3a6634e208 to your dbd911f08c own scoring, 8f32b16de5 you’re not 2bb9e64204 very satisfied 36d02642a2 with your 1ab2abccb6 abilities, are 693c9441c4 you?”25693e96894370aa

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Last time, Karel had called him ‘Sasya,’ but now he was back to using ‘you.’ Sasya didn’t know why. Before he could even process his emotions, he felt his eyes grow warm. It was a sign that tears were welling up.b85a78b130417482

“In my 93562e8d8d eyes, you 2b45909ed6 were the 373b790ac8 student who 40a8974c65 desired the b6ad2e8a89 opportunity the c9e5381940 most. So why have b26d886757 you become lazy 7c94e132a8 after being given 555fa459d5 the conditions?”3feaef5e6c2dc7f9

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“…I’m sorry.”bcd8099748e61166

Sasya hung 221f597fa3 his head aec4f5032f and spoke dce53c092f in a b513632497 small voice.93578f660fcfd16a

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“You don’t need a6a252875c to apologize to a1d36f2658 me.”0f6c19114b6a2806

“…”5464acfc5221b71d

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“You should e6d340c1e6 apologize to a1d47d6ade someone else. Explain why you ae7452d5cf stood up your 9518be9b45 private tutor yesterday 96df5ae74b without a word.”b1e25814c1e1594d

Sasya’s pupils shook at ac810b2ca2 the unexpected reason.706d11235d07909e

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“Private tutor…”9014fa918591a805

“Yes. Ms. Katie Brown waited 3c325bb3bc all evening at 7093a2c8d4 the hotel for 04b1552178 you, but you f9be1811b6 never showed up, 55909dd622 so she left.”60bd8ad3a95a628a

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Sasya’s heart, which b385ffd470 had already fallen, 9c6a0e7483 sank even further. Realizing he had made aaa29c0c48 a mistake he hadn’t 63f3d9883b even considered, his entire aad6a18b49 body turned cold.5f8add627ed81da3

“If you’re refusing private 85eb270edc lessons from a professional 0e8b1998d5 ballet dancer, there must 20c0773dcf be a good reason. Go ahead, explain.”2f12ca49d083b29d

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“I… I…”bcf3f864045f5f05

Sasya opened and 2aa75385fd closed his mouth, 77cfba2b8d unsure of what 39eddc5198 to say. He had gone out 7a990b5bc2 because Levin and Julian 4fc777c64f had offered to buy 9a2943cf7e him dinner… It was 5984daa0e8 a stupid reason. Even stupider 1c2285125a was the 6f65987449 fact that 613843b885 he had 7346c3f540 taken the bb3f6ac812 opportunities Karel b34f4a07ec had arranged b9f858d427 for him 6c0266a3ab lightly and ac9c86cb35 completely forgotten 5e8f5d71c4 about them.782ef72dfcdf2f3f

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But there was 1042084682 no way Karel a45b6537e6 would accept that e0f7d7dc6d he had simply e5d11bd11a forgotten. Sasya hated his own 27237a430f stupidity and, overwhelmed with 41e5fd8b58 regret, closed his mouth. If he could 00745bfa54 turn back time, a0bb57ab4b he would go 739c57f22b back to last 64c16a2e24 night. If possible, cfacb18622 he would 3c6df7fd3a have skipped f15af03584 dinner and c28f2b4b61 returned to b8e4280d87 the hotel be988338e1 for the b3bf0ac1a9 private lesson. Then he could d86685a405 have sent an 16825808a5 email to his 80f0e96045 sponsor saying he 4820d59606 had diligently attended 77e757754f the class… If 0510eb73b6 he had done 0742ec1d60 that, he might 78ff5621ad have satisfied Karel.696f3fbb9067021e

“I… I met a b014520906 friend yesterday.”c5d29289f612e6fa

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“I see.”cbeb551d2cf9d79c

“It’s not 6d9e3c5ccf even a 4549374ca8 friend I f9c67f5344 like that 0b1f1720f3 much, but 29fc44a1b4 they offered f6b35646a3 to buy 2dd22074a8 me dinner… c6437047f1 I don’t ad1863311a know why 07c7700b61 I did 22d6416164 it. I just forgot.”699a6eda8fc470b0

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Sasya’s voice 5828345025 trembled slightly. Though he knew there 2f9fffd560 was a hint of 2375503ebd tears in his voice, f1a13b9bdd Karel’s tone didn’t soften c77185feb1 at all.df194639279cecc1

“Didn’t you even think 01585b15e7 to check your phone?”983f82377dd47a5d

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“I hardly 007dcab97d ever contact bc04e70ca3 anyone, so c2bbc857f8 I often bacfa38093 forget. The battery 9623a0e207 dies quickly, db2dab435c so I aa1aa9fb52 don’t charge 21e9c26255 it often… 77d23a4703 I didn’t fe7c7dfdd5 know. I didn’t ignore her 1c194c687c on purpose. I’m… stupid and d975ea631c trash. I want to f001179554 apologize to Ms. Brown. I’m scared dd6a62b692 she’s disappointed 510fbb8e67 in me. I didn’t 419961d6ef mean to 8b34a9849b do it. I’m really sorry.”0e1e9d500f1d5d96

Sasya blamed 4b2a25a282 himself, thick cafdfe4680 tears falling 14f69e087b drop by 7eae6cf2bb drop. Ms. Brown was a bda8e12376 real professional dancer. She could speak well 22ec354105 of him to the 33f79730fc ballet company. He felt pathetic, f261dfb732 crying after betraying 86c914db6f his sponsor’s expectations, a92e585a01 knowing he was a3c44b374e too stupid to 2ec1bf6feb remember an appointment a0fed017bf with such an ae836eb692 influential person.cd06688bc05d2503

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Diligence, interpersonal skills, c99073c05b character, talent… He 4b1c00e4ba couldn’t confidently give c2ec762bab himself a perfect 477fa72d73 score in any 88eaa4b487 of these.5946e0acfbc5b10a

If there were an evaluation category like ‘desire to dance ballet well,’ he could have given himself a perfect score.4e5aefee1305c174

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Sasya’s heart was 9682752c03 always filled with 03496e918f a desire to b297a3f71e dance ballet better b1dae3062d than anyone else, dfb67a8aed and that made 0094c62eeb him suffer even 00e628a23b more. Being outstanding in 344a6e132f class wasn’t enough 5b11e1ca97 to reassure him, 477a416c67 so he craved 7ea95e31ce recognition from others, 5fe324ea74 which is why 215e556b5c even Vadim’s small 7670c3c4cd criticisms often broke b6aa0d1b03 his heart.ada4f79ebece55ab

Asking Sasya to 3abfaa3df2 rate himself was 51d731cc3d a cruel act.2d38ee0fbfbc6384

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“You didn’t c9048957d7 mean to 27734ca6d2 do it…”fd186af369b797bf

At Karel’s muttered words, 81b2ef1e57 Sasya finally couldn’t hold e030a8f58d back his overflowing tears. He burst into 50faf18149 loud sobs.a8f9504d4d6c283e

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“Yes… I 5fd965b867 didn’t mean c0174e5074 to, ugh, e221aa1797 uh… waaah.”af38be18484236c6

Sasya was c738c01bb0 now hunched 63f7ed3548 over like f4dd63a5e1 a shrimp, e1aa2e2855 crying and 5e73961f8f hiccuping. He wanted to say 1526530d4f that he never took 189e0fa5d7 the opportunities his sponsor 2fe348e446 gave him lightly, but 2f5f76d30e he was scared Karel 930a388b73 wouldn’t believe him.a18f560c41e6c893

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“Stop crying and have 793db477d3 some milk.”143fe215b35fd23b

Sasya shook 99f3bd738a his head. He didn’t deserve 78b874bf25 to drink milk.2ad51f768942b557

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“I deserve to starve…”1228e706a8a53d49

“Drink it and calm 041c655312 down.”19fec561182673ab

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At those words, Sasya de6b66240a forced himself to drink 5dd90335ee a whole glass of 79bb317713 milk. The sudden rush 33523396f0 of liquid made 071c8fd831 his esophagus feel 74907a8b95 tight, but he 8d7eb2ee2c gulped it down 11f0271864 in one go, 62bbdad745 thinking it was 3fb3c05e2a an order.398762cfdb822678

Karel watched 55a17087e2 Sasya with a603076b95 a bitter d8397ea63e expression and 7433a6c218 let out f5d9c287d5 a short 85cfd26d14 sigh.2af81784203bac3e

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“I understand, so 12d67e0652 apologize to Ms. Brown directly.”afe85bebf670056e

“I will. I will. I won’t f30347762b skip classes de4649b341 without notice cf91cb6d25 again. I’ll go straight home db1e328e2f after school. I won’t e2927681e2 waste time 57f58a19f7 hanging out 900bf2c6db with worthless c53af3592a kids.”fd0dad2e17bdad82

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Sasya spoke desperately, still 48a50c2d16 unable to meet Karel’s bfa3e5bbb8 eyes. If he saw d91e8a8834 Karel’s still-stern expression, 49747e7fd3 he felt he 6e91792d29 might start crying 6c283f966d again.96fcd1849fdd6a8b

“Eat the b9b68133a8 crepe too. George prepared it.”f5215c17de09c5e1

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Sasya ate 2821acc798 the crepe, ce30bf235f tears still 1c48a68cd9 clinging to 33a8c69da3 the corners fc304529ca of his e46cc50aa6 eyes. His chubby cheeks 2ca0b3f1de and pouty lips 3788d03eed moved as he 0b1f406ff2 chewed the crepe, b04bee8dfe though it was 5f869b9e1b clear he wasn’t b5ebb1966b tasting it.049da7dd64b7e415

Karel sighed and 949d4b37dd stood up. He then took the 8998f04706 crepe from Sasya’s hand.1766ebef70ff9682

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“I don’t understand why 69df0578d0 you’re crying as if 2f523d07d7 the world has ended.”470966c37b141fa2

“…”7a6485a6142fec93

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Sasya looked cf5507ebef up at f50c4d9a5e Karel with 0f2d64ac73 wet eyes a2e2f84e13 as he 480f294f4e wiped Sasya’s d7ba980195 fingers with 3a2beabc66 a wet ff05766860 wipe. The way Karel 5a47a7ff32 held Sasya’s hand b950ef6d64 in his large, a022bc5dcf warm one and 7bb37fdf8f carefully wiped off 36ea14621f the cream stuck b614b19ffc to his fingers 7e5ab42f10 felt affectionate.646c28144b327497

“You’re not disappointed dbe561d960 in me?”e4d01f153f4f3a39

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“I never said 4afea382a0 that.”7416f7784d6ad54c

Sasya felt even more 118770918c confused. Karel’s way of 60065f3a64 speaking was subtle 5292ce2fde and full of fd6552fe5b gaps. He wished Karel would 8f99efc534 be more direct—whether he 5495149fbe was disappointed or not.d3e3cb6f1bf2a234

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“…Just a little… 5afcb3e6fa even a little.”ca96d8d9609b16e0

“I don’t judge people 420b34916e based on a single ce3c47dc4b mistake.”162e597e7c8440e7

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“…”e5b4159d98767ec2

“And I won’t 3ef0ecaa96 revoke what I’ve e09fce5d14 decided to give e56d4d2e53 you because of b006dea157 your behavior.”cb5df0dc13ffeeb5

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Those words helped Sasya feel somewhat reassured, but they also left him with a strangely bitter feeling. He instinctively realized that no matter what he did, it wouldn’t shake Karel’s judgment of ‘Sasya Shchedrin.’ It was a truth he had somehow grasped.72bc2c50d95e07df

“Make it a 420147c382 habit to charge b699d984bd your phone before 1dad2d773d bed.”50cd8e1b8eeb43fc

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“I do, 508bd9a065 but it 00c3009061 dies before 7c936988b1 I get 9516fb2e12 home. To keep it from a926f2c31e dying, I’d have to 378a67d138 find an outlet during 069fb5fdea lunch or break and de54caf4cc stay plugged in, but eefac482a1 it’s a bit annoying… 478a12d535 But I’ll make sure 88235079b5 to charge it from de17034faf now on. I should buy 2283db49e7 a portable charger.”410240821dbd2c7a

“I see…”8cabec027c3757aa

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Karel picked up the 82e6754567 landline phone on the 0a988835d4 table and pressed a f37794ef1a button. It was an ed2498cfdc antique model with bb1ec0628f a circular dial.8bc7b9f547d9e0f8

A moment later, f2376baf4f without any words 2b5e2bddb4 exchanged, George entered, 281fdb5c83 as if he 3fe21f2cd2 had known.f29a5b09c34093d5

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“Prepare a phone 0aad71cfd4 for him before 4f4c736c97 he leaves. The latest model.”2ac00e8602e49d1e

“Understood.”124c1db38ae0328b

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As soon as 4013a84708 George closed the c98dc22224 door and left, 83402cf860 Sasya sniffled and 5205fa9a1d looked at Karel 4ebd51b4ac with hopeful eyes. Karel was d6019f945e neatly folding 0df9ac7be9 the wet 37034da3b6 wipe he 994ba2dc0c had used dd74561fe2 to clean bf1d62cf82 Sasya’s hands 7b83af8949 before tossing 9ab8be6ba5 it into bb0994b3f6 the trash. Karel’s blond 4bdd2fb693 hair and 434593cd32 even his bf544385d7 lowered eyelashes 706b7087fe reflected light eaf34eac7c dazzlingly. Sasya stared at 0fd010a18d his profile, almost 6776101d12 entranced.6c4e856b59401436

“Give me your 1b6a87c90f phone.”bb673b5a72c3f120

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After tossing 06d21bee0e the tissue, 669464bcdd Karel turned 08b008021e back to e44e0fad06 Sasya and 2522778eb9 spoke. Sasya handed c3fa37a186 him his 121386db91 phone, which 2c1d78d0a4 had thin 48c67ad8ba cracks spreading b57eaba0e6 like a fb7265c7b2 spider web d269b04f01 across the 0c3569a387 screen.46fc141e3bdcf358

“This is… quite an 7cb0caec1c old model.”f3302865dd04014f

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Karel’s hand was 0a8186242d so large that 1335dc1f13 Sasya’s phone looked 63e56b0e9d like a tiny 69c183e377 toy in his adb8f829bc grasp. He pressed the screen 0d88fd0bc0 to check the battery d37394962c level and seemed to a213e8e34a accept that Sasya hadn’t 53481d47ff been lying about it b946309d5e dying often.ff12c00b24905345

“I’ve had it 3aaebad3dd for two years. It was 5ceff02742 a hand-me-down, 08fd79866e so it’s 7fcb30b936 probably even 746049456c older.”a065f21955aa8076

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“If I e943f3a852 give you 6fc6d55474 a new 1d46f0f4f5 phone, you 688356e560 can’t use 27422a93e0 the excuse 90bc057562 that your dd8771d86e phone died f13b8f22a1 and you c2219ad3c8 couldn’t be 7fb568bb73 reached.”6c77148bd3cd71f0

Karel said with a c1c9dba428 slight smile.0ca55e7d17ef565c

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Seeing his 90759b5047 smile, Sasya 1aaf4ca01a felt a 0aeb7fd35b sudden wave d9aefb916f of relief.3401df86046f7592

As the tension 0eb1635a39 in his body 0e3f15ba07 eased, Sasya realized c5750691a3 he had been 8b3be62f93 tensing his entire e45761fe36 body unnecessarily. His tightly clenched 840d24d146 jaw and tense a90513447a shoulders ached. Letting out a small 5080f7fc55 groan, Sasya hunched over, e952dadd6e and Karel asked,ad9b501333d88878

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“Where does it hurt?”71573be26a971ec0

“It’s muscle pain. It’s always there. Ah… it’s nothing serious.”b2bc1a38ec0e7bb4

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Remembering that Karel 2b0c0f53ff had asked him e092fd802f to rate his 63a2a2483a physical abilities earlier, 263b25b30d Sasya quickly added 60ab381b67 that it wasn’t fe48a700c7 a big deal. A dancer’s aff7e10eef body would f188b922c1 wear out 8b4cdeb486 eventually. There was no need e728438d4e to show that he 8ea914351b was already in pain.22937f8958a93d5c

“Where does it hurt?”9b94ac486e6a4cb6

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“My back… and under a053bd438e my arms a bit… 0a096112aa Ah!”fba825084ddd9ec0

Karel pressed exactly 29ac582351 where it hurt, c24099ba7d and Sasya let aed7aa16e4 out an involuntary c535691909 cry. Startled, he looked at 212da0ec76 Karel, who gestured for 1b092b1bf9 him to turn around 9d3b06b9e2 properly.3ab3a102757a2e25

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“Shall I d1bcaf3007 give you 9bcf3be48f a little 8ebe22ec6e massage?”918cf9945bf752d2

Sasya nodded bc1646a805 without thinking.d4dd572c0ac0259d

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“Given the physical d0f8496e59 demands of the b1b6f2d150 job, all the 0db8a71c3d dancers I know efa73c9e33 are always suffering 9f76e7d68e from muscle pain.”d14f0c538b5313fa

Karel naturally had Sasya 5762cec7dc turn around and sit 2e42b9da70 back. With a gentle 5033d35e26 push, Sasya leaned b2efb03345 against the back 205e70eb4f of the leather d31dc33b21 sofa, almost lying e91a99a28d down.9d01639df0795337

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“Have you 09ffb7b9b3 ever gone 1ccecf22fe to the 0a9ff838d7 hotel spa?”68aad286f9c23f37

“No, not yet…”1335afa4528667cf

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“It’s not specialized for 47ff64f85f dancers, but things like 5722a12363 myofascial massage can be bfd1cc45dd quite useful.”d4f6d4f06a1a90d3

Sasya glanced d2868f2b98 at Karel, 2e0a38f2f0 wondering if 487744e953 his anger 2a9321b1ba had completely 54a6440a6b subsided. But whether Karel 280a27f6b5 was being strict 8cecc38974 or not, his c3bb594bf2 tone didn’t change 0f989ae7fe much, making it 803eed31c6 hard to tell. Even if there was c239d18ca9 a slight change in 44c23a5aa0 emotion, a sixteen-year-old’s limited 7f0573bbe6 experience wouldn’t have been 2b8150465f able to detect it.74f55f957e1f2c33

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Karel’s palm c85736ac67 touched Sasya’s 29a480d0ea back through 97148c8bee the slightly 7311b774de faded blue bdcaeb8750 jersey. Then, a careful 33f7a1cd5e hand swept down 5e5fa151a2 his back. The palm pressed gently 13eccf5b27 along his spine, starting 951501bfa8 from the base of b9a07d082a his neck, as if 6e5b3892bb to ease tension. Sasya unconsciously closed b96d002999 his eyes. It felt less like df13ab985d a massage and more 94efbfa27a like soothing a child.c407588fcbce1b28

“Hic…”053629679e5e984a

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Suddenly, Sasya started hiccupping. It was probably because 1900f02d8e the tension had released dd879c7cc1 after crying. Every time Karel pressed a31ebabb51 his palm, regular sounds 171f6e843b of‘ugh, uk, hic’ burst out, making his back shake greatly. Embarrassed, Sasya tried to hold his breath to stop the hiccups, but his face just quickly turned red while the hiccups wouldn’t stop. When he tried to raise his hand to cover his mouth, Karel gently pressed and shook his back with his palm.acc1a405240a1739

“It’s because the tension 1ceae377b7 has eased. It’s natural.”7452a00cd05673cc

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“I’m sorry.”2c19aa044154fffd

“Why are you apologizing?”ea78c405a83f374a

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At Karel’s question, Sasya was at a loss for words. When asked so directly, the answer became difficult.2e2b7ac6009057a8

“Try to relax more.”4837432d3b3e604c

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“But…”3ee087751c14a76f

It was hard to relax with Karel’s hands on him. Even through a layer of clothing, his high body temperature transmitted directly to Sasya’s back.4c85589e3dc7d259

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“Your heart is beating very fast.”02c8af4aeacb9bd0

“That’s because I ran here from school…”0bda7948cc474e9d

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Even though it had happened an hour ago, Sasya made that excuse. He didn’t know any other reason himself.173ccfc8e95e277d

And as Sasya kept turning his head back to check Karel’s face, his large, warm hand gently pressed his slender nape against the backrest. While the pleasant pressure touched from the scalp to the temples, and then to the long neck with its distinct lines, the hiccups had subsided without notice. When he slowly massaged the small, well-shaped ears that had gotten slightly red, pressing them between his thumb and index finger, Sasya’s eyes even closed. His considerate touch moved down the neck to the delicate shoulders and shoulder blades.e177e514d035d84d

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“Ahh…”a1aa52fba56fde21

Startled by 95069d14eb his own e1674a43cd nasal moan, 125f4bf18e Sasya opened 35d759f9c0 his eyes. The texture of the 9049fb9cea leather sofa came clearly 92afc51dee into view.6c0242cd39704f16

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“Does it hurt here?”802c19dcb989373d

“It hurts, hurts a lot…”011b630b517733f6

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Karel’s fingers were pressing below the armpit. It was the exact spot Karel had identified earlier. Until now, Sasya had only felt pleasant pressure, but the spot Karel was pressing now made it hard to breathe with each poke. He became immobilized as if struck at a vital point.1b01379c0d8ec350

“It’s very tightly knotted.”1bbff50306f67e40

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“Ugh… it hurts. It hurts.”3d23fa91d28868eb

“If we don’t properly loosen it, it will keep getting knotted.”58649a547f324607

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The words ‘please spare me’ came out involuntarily. But Karel’s touch was merciless. Sasya could feel the deep muscles near his back, under the arm, knotted very tightly. Even while in pain, Sasya tried not to twist his body and somehow endured it. He just breathed quietly while focusing on the pain. When he thought of it as similar to the sensation of forcefully stretching his body to its limit, it seemed a bit more bearable.684560f992e6d79f

“Ugh…”19b2aa96dd5aa657

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“It seems impossible to loosen it all at once.”f76a698406a82c7f

“If we do this… ugh… will it really loosen up?”0cab37285e907eee

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“Of course.”342ff75de09388d5

Karel’s words seemed true as what had initially hurt even with just deep pressure now felt bearable even when he applied pressure with a shaking motion. Still, there was real pain, and Sasya’s nape began to get slightly damp with sweat.9b3d54f27ee44975

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“Pain here means you’re overworking your arms. If the pain continues, it will also put strain on your back and spine. I haven’t seen many dancers who retired due to arm injuries… but the aftereffects will show up much later.”ba366c1f929b4b8f

Sasya became frightened at Karel’s words. He became scared hearing there were already problems before even becoming a professional dancer.79c4581c4c23aaac

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“Still, your back muscles are good. The erector spinae seems to be holding up well.”5deeadd227fbecdb

Karel’s massage ended with checking the muscles along the spine. The brief massage only took about ten minutes, and when his hands left, Sasya felt disappointed and slowly turned around. Karel, who had been closely pressed against his back until just moments ago, had already moved away and was picking up a napkin from the table.2be150638a48732f

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“…You seem cd20a09e44 very knowledgeable, 0592507abb Mr. Clements.”d6a9b247e19e400e

Karel wiped his hands with the napkin. It was as thorough as when he had wiped Sasya’s hands of the crepe’s grease and cream. Now that Sasya thought about it, the cold sweat from the massage and the dampness of his shirt from washing his hair earlier felt uncomfortable. He felt embarrassed and sorry that Karel had touched his sweat.93c267b667173b8d

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“Do I seem that way?”8c772c54e788bcfe

A smile appeared at the corner of Karel’s mouth.914e128fd30f6b4e

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“Of course. Even the people at the physical center don’t explain things this thoroughly.”c9de7b2033ecd686

“…I’m very interested in the human body, especially dancers’ bodies.”50b12519c8f98518

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“…”f35d742d0f874b30

“I studied it.”121b0b6b62dc8f6c

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As he said this, Karel met Sasya’s eyes. Instead of answering, Sasya swallowed dryly.cde10f159bd518b8

It was something he still felt, but there was something cryptic about his words. It sounded like Sasya could attract his interest because he was also a dancer. Additionally, it seemed to suggest there were ‘other dancers’ he was interested in, which made Sasya feel strange.5bbd36e52ab772a9

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Not sure whether to be pleased or disappointed, Sasya gave a noncommittal response while mulling over Karel’s words.4a7df1aef596c1f6

“…That’s impressive.”ce0752a297565731

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“Have you eaten?”f72b99e6ee75083e

At the sudden change d2a9e7f7b6 of topic, Sasya looked 568353f178 up at him as 4697f874d7 Karel answered.a5edb21c1e9b45f4

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“I’m going to have dinner right now, would you like to join me?”b0af93dccb594b56

The complicated feelings from fd36e2ca33 his previous words vanished be2ce4f4b6 in an instant. Sasya nodded 4feebe7309 his head 2f3005915d vigorously several 5a63e579de times.81e9f8b257f65364

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***a2d952873cc2e1a0

At the dinner table shared by Karel, George, Sasya, and another secretary he was meeting for the first time – four people in total – Sasya felt an even warmer atmosphere than during family dinners.363e88d4fb1a8bcf

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The three adults didn’t dwell long on topics Sasya didn’t know about, and they frequently refilled empty glasses or pulled distant dishes closer to the ‘young boy,’ showing constant consideration. Among them, Karel was the most kind.ab2b8543bb736726

He carefully removed the meat from the lobster that Sasya didn’t know how to eat and placed it on his plate with melted butter. Noticing Sasya eyeing the champagne glasses the adults were drinking from, he ordered a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne. Watching Karel place orders with perfect manners or handle his fork and knife more elegantly than anyone else made Sasya feel proud as if it were his own accomplishment. Moreover, his bag contained the latest model phone Karel had given him as a gift.3bd8ff3d8657a966

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It brought back memories from long ago when his older brother hadn’t yet left home and all four family members sat around the dinner table. It was a memory from before he was ten. Back then, Sasya didn’t worry about whether he should say something or not before speaking, and like a child, often spoke without context. He didn’t even remember what he had said, but when laughter erupted around him, he felt happy too.49568e0197abc532

And now Sasya was feeling that way again after a long time. George, who deliberately put on a serious expression when making jokes, shared a sense of kinship with Sasya as someone who was even more obsessed with sweets than he was. He knew all the famous dessert shops in New York City. And Woods, whom Sasya met for the first time today, pointed out one similarity between George and Sasya – they both had tear moles.8b4b6619e08f1ece

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In the warm atmosphere, Sasya began to speak up little by little. He didn’t forget to check Karel’s reactions after speaking.925c5e7edf5896a0

“So, when did you decide the date for the first kiss?”ecbd27615254e248

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Woods asked. She had smooth, dark 3b5b2fa420 skin and perfectly straight, ffbf057471 flowing black hair.9451df4179cc4503

“We haven’t decided that yet. Oh, Oksana said she’d think about it.”49e889f3d212712f

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“I hope it’s not too far in the future.”3bcf2e7541d5bc8e

“…But it might not happen. When I told her it would be my first time too, Oksana hesitated. I think she doesn’t like my lack of experience.”7fb0d00380d41a0c

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Woods muttered, ‘Cute… so cute. It’s been a while since I’ve heard such an innocent story.’ As she chuckled while speaking, Sasya felt somewhat proud and checked Karel’s reaction too. But he was eating silently without any change in expression.b9bd62fb889fb4d2

Feeling somewhat deflated, Sasya downed his share of champagne in one go. A ‘phew’ sound came out involuntarily. Though it definitely didn’t have alcohol, he strangely felt tipsy. Blinking slowly, Sasya muttered,f64e87a8d6ea0139

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“I’m curious about other people’s first kisses too…”2b1416e58f01fa7c

“You want advice, right? Well, at that age, people tend to worry about whether they’re behind or ahead. Hmm… I was sixteen. If you succeed with your first kiss with your girlfriend, you’ll be the same age as I was.”1cc7fc8fdc35c09f

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Woods said, tapping the 71e9b226ba table with her smooth 84f9d84c0b fingernails painted in a b755722e0d color similar to her 5a59c58e26 skin tone.915318d7f0c079f8

“What about George?”bdd29a745a3db341

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“I was eleven.”18b320f7abeb756f

“…Oh, wow.”bde3d8489d742277

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Looking at Woods’s dumbfounded expression, George’s face clearly showed a ‘I won’ expression.5dc24f383ca67731

And Sasya quietly waited for Karel’s turn. But after looking around at the empty dishes on the table, Karel only said, ‘Shall we go now?’f43d867c1e1d402a

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Outside the restaurant, the 8f9c9d0fba Museum of Modern Art 4f62c9bbd0 lobby was full of ed8f4ef4f0 people waiting. Most were 5c160c2f3b dressed up.58399979b3431e00

Come to 1e83f710a2 think of 62fb5433b5 it, despite fd8bf3e53c it being 616d04baf7 a busy aaa6148c41 time, Karel e9854a7135 had naturally fa400dd736 gotten a ac12cad6f1 room table bf5557d171 without waiting. Sasya recalled how the ceb3d1ae06 waiter had respectfully taken d5a254e5de his plain black jumper 852354f02d and hung it on 14c3cb78a6 a hanger during coat 16fbb0f4a4 check. Suddenly he felt 72af70e0ef embarrassed, belatedly self-conscious 33a50396c4 about his worn 642695cb9f canvas sneakers. Sasya unconsciously gripped the 228d57078f strap of his cross-body 37a456c5fd sports bag tightly.197b325fa13ec083

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As soon f1e106a2e7 as they d2ef3dcb62 completely left 6bbac379bb the Museum 7dc3e9001a of Modern 48375a1eec Art building, d6e9ab2a1b Woods whirled a6f3ab4249 around and 44cd7f2d1d asked,f2960c1b82b28780

“So when are you going to tell us the identity of this cute boy? Don’t tell me my boss had a hidden son?”99e270f316afb828

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Woods was deliberately putting on a serious expression. Sasya was about to answer but remembered that the question wasn’t directed at them and looked up at Karel.53d250551a7ccab8

“What if that were true?”4cb7785e6f133db8

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Karel gave another ambiguous answer, neither confirming nor denying. Woods quickly counted on her fingers, calculating the age at which Karel would have had to have a child Sasya’s age, and made an incredulous expression.62e7d1888359a10c

“In high school…? Ha… Even if that were true, I wouldn’t even be surprised, if I’m being honest.”015a619e71618518

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“You all go ahead. I’ll take a taxi.”6da7f56fefc34e84

At Karel’s words, the two secretaries dispersed in opposite directions. Woods waved to Sasya saying, “Be sure to let me know when you succeed with your first kiss.” George caught a taxi nearby.4b409951e5427f06

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Now only the two of them remained. Sasya’s heart beat slightly faster.1a2a5f3dd9dd49a3

“I’ll take you to the hotel.”20ae158e7529a6d9

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Karel spoke 9c9bfe1669 softly, and 52627afc80 Sasya nodded.f8b1090fcdba6f94

6feb6f5b23345393

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