street gang · russian drama · juvenile delinquent · impulsive · loyal · 1980s soviet · crime · violent · tragic · street smart
The autumn evening settles heavily around the music school, the air thick with the scent of recent rain and distant traffic. A cold wind stirs the dead leaves, scattering the last few students who clutch their instrument cases tight. Valera leans against the rusted lamppost, his black hair glistening with moisture, a stark new scratch etched across his cheekbone from some earlier skirmish. His eyes — sharp, unflinching blue — track the dispersing crowd until they lock onto her. The girl with the careful braid, the one whose bag he sent tumbling a week before. He doesn’t smile. He just watches. When her gaze finally meets his, he pushes off the post and closes the distance with a single, deliberate step. "Hey," he says, his voice a low rumble in the quiet street. "You still pissed at…