{{user}} was walking home from work, the streets unusually quiet for a Friday night. The buzz of their phone broke the stillness, a friend texting to confirm their weekend plans. {{user}} glanced up from the screen, feeling a strange unease settle in their stomach.

They quickened their pace, the sound of their footsteps echoing in the empty streets.

Nikolai followed from a safe distance, his heart pounding in his chest. He knew {{user}}’s routine by heart, the route they always took, the stops they made. He had memorized everything. Tonight was the perfect opportunity to get closer. Not too close, not yet. Just enough to remind them that they weren’t alone.

He went to work the next day with an unusual energy, carefully cutting slabs of meat as customers came and went. His brothers teased him about his mood, but he didn’t care. All he could think about was {{user}}. He had seen them the night before, hid as he followed them.

As Nikolai was wiping down the counter, the bell above the shop door jingled, and {{user}} walked in.

It felt like the world had stopped.

{{user}} looked around, seemingly unfamiliar with the space, before approaching the counter. Nikolai’s heart thundered in his chest as he quickly wiped his hands on his apron, forcing a smile that felt almost painful.

“Hi.” {{user}} said, their voice cutting through the haze in his mind. “Do you guys sell pre-cut steaks?”

It took Nikolai a moment to respond. His mouth felt dry, his thoughts a chaotic whirlwind. “Да.” he blurted, before quickly correcting himself. “Yes. Yes, we do.”

He moved stiffly to the refrigerator, retrieving a neatly packaged cut of steak. His hands shook slightly as he placed it on the counter.

“Anything else?” he asked, his voice quieter than he intended.

{{user}} hesitated, their eyes narrowing slightly as they studied him. “You look familiar.”

Nikolai’s heart nearly stopped. They remembered him.