Chapter Text
Living in a small town has its advantages. Nothing ever happens. That constant tranquility can be a blessing... or a curse. Always the same faces, the same routine, the same sense of security. But that never bothered Till. He never expected anything truly exciting—at least, not until that day. That was the day he met him: the annoying guy who kept crossing his path at every turn.
From the very beginning, Till found him suspicious. Who in their right mind would move to a small coastal town where nothing ever happens? Worse still, it seemed like this stranger was following him everywhere. Like today, for example. Till just wanted a quiet time at the beach, but there he was again, like a persistent shadow. Till was about to turn around and take another route when he heard the other guy's voice.
“Hey, you! Aren't you the guy who's always following me?” The voice sounded oddly familiar to Till. No, it couldn't be. Could that voice belong to the idol who had briefly collaborated with Mizi and then vanished after some nasty harassment rumor just a month ago? He turned his head and got a good look at him. Yes, it was definitely him. That unmistakable smile, impossible to confuse. Till felt a surge of anger. The rumors about him had also affected Mizi, and that made him furious.
“You're the one who follows me wherever I go,” he replied disdainfully, unable to hide his irritation.
“Oh, really? Sorry, I'm just new around here,” the guy responded with an annoyingly polite smile. Till frowned. That smile drove him up the wall. Without another word, he decided to turn around and leave. He had had enough of him for one day.
Days went by, and Till buried himself in his routine, taking refuge in the café where he worked. He tried not to go out to avoid that intruder, but his curiosity was stronger. Between serving customers and cleaning tables, he started to dig into the new guy. Yes, it was true; he was an idol.
One afternoon, while organizing the counter, he heard that voice again.
“Oh, you're the guy from the beach.” Till looked up, and there he was, again. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool.
“Yeah, that’s me. What do you want to order?” he asked, though deep down he regretted starting the conversation.
“I'll have a strawberry smoothie,” he replied with a polite smile. Till nodded, jotted it down, and turned to make it. As he did, he watched the guy take a seat. The café was empty, just the two of them. Till decided that if he had a chance to find out why someone like him was in a place like this, it was now.
“Here’s your order,” he said as he placed the glass on the table, and before the other could respond, Till sat down across from him.
“Aren't you supposed to be working?” the guy asked with a smile, raising an eyebrow.
“You're the only customer right now. Besides, it'll be a while before anyone else shows up,” Till shrugged.
“Oh, it really is a small town,” said the guy, whose name Till had discovered was Ivan.
“Yeah, that's why I wonder why someone like you would come to a place like this,” Till looked at him with suspicion.
“For a vacation,” Ivan replied lightly, smiling.
Till smiled too, but his gaze grew sharper.
“Really? Someone like you would come just for a vacation? Or is it because you're trying to escape the press?” The question slipped out with more emotion than Till could hide. He had spent almost a week researching everything about Ivan, and he wanted answers. But seeing Ivan's smile, he started to wonder if he had made a mistake.
“No, I’m actually here on vacation. But you seem to be quite a fan of my music, Mr. Till.” Ivan glanced at Till's name tag, pronouncing the last phrase with a mocking tone.
“I'm not your fan. I only know about you because you're always on TV. But still, it's suspicious that after that rumor, you decide to take a vacation.” Till looked at him coldly.
“Maybe,” Ivan shrugged. “But it shouldn't matter to you, right?” His eyes locked onto Till's. “But if you're worried I'll bring bad fame to this town, I'll leave in a few months.” He gave a playful smile. “Until then, you'll have to put up with me, Till.”
The days went by, with Ivan following him around like a duckling. At first, Till found it annoying, but over time, he began to enjoy his company. Ivan would tell him stories about his life in the music industry, anecdotes Till never imagined he’d hear. He still remembers the first time Ivan saw him playing the guitar. He watched him with those onyx eyes and burst out laughing.
“You really are a guitar guy,” he said, with a warm smile.
Now, if you ask Till if he ever imagined becoming friends with an ex-idol and accompanying him back to the city to help clear his name and save his career, he'd say you're crazy. But everything changed during one of their walks on the beach. Till was worried about Ivan’s situation. After months of rumors and harassment, no one seemed to defend him. The company had announced the termination of his contract.
“Are you really not thinking about going back on stage?” Till tried to sound casual, though inside he was tense.
Ivan smiled sadly.
“Are you worried I'll become the new favorite of the elderly?” he joked. Till laughed but felt a knot in his stomach.
“I’m going back next week,” Ivan suddenly said, staring at the sea. “I'm really going to miss this place.”
Till looked at him and felt there was something tragic about his story. Ivan’s eyes, black as the universe, always tried to reflect a light that was constantly absorbed by darkness.
“Are you going to break the contract?” Till asked with fear.
Ivan looked at him and nodded with a resigned smile.
“Yes, I think in the end, music isn't for me.”
The pain Till felt was immediate. He couldn't bear to see Ivan give up like this, after all those months talking so passionately about music.
“How can you give up? Are you going to let people think you're a harasser?” Till couldn't hold back and splashed a handful of water at him, making Ivan stumble back. “I won't let you abandon the one thing you're good at!” Ivan looked at him in surprise and then burst into laughter.
“Fine, then you'll have to come with me,” he said, smiling as he took Till's hand to stand up.
That was the beginning of something new. The story of Till and Ivan, which began with distrust and rejection, turned into a bond that led them to face the world together.