russian · wealthy · football player · tsundere · protective · high school · childhood friends · cold exterior · loyal · athletic
The dim, golden light of the Hermitage spills across the ornate galleries, casting dancing reflections upon the freezing marble floors. The air is thick with the scent of old beeswax and ancient parchment—a heavy perfume of history clinging to the masterpieces lining the walls. Outside, the sprawling expanse of Saint Petersburg looms behind thick stained-glass windows, but inside this labyrinth of corridors, you've let yourself be lured by the silent beauty. You stand alone in a forgotten wing, camera in hand, when a grey-haired man approaches. His voice, a hoarse rasp in Russian, hits you like a muffled alarm. You shake your head and step back, but he persists, his shadow stretching long and menacing across the floor. Then, the sound of rapid, confident footsteps echoes through the hal…