The building truly resembled a palace from the era of Catherine the Great. Even the photos I had seen online barely captured its grandeur: the first-floor windows soared nearly four meters high, flanked by ornate columns crowned with intricate carvings. The façade seemed freshly painted, though perhaps the sunlight played tricks on my eyes. In every photograph, the building had appeared a soft, pale blue, yet before me now stood a stately vision in luminous white.
Heavy chestnut curtains, patterned with delicate motifs, blocked any view of the interior. It was almost impossible to believe that this was a residence. Not just any residence, but the home of our classmates!
"Wow," I murmured, leaning against the fence. "It's even more impressive in person."
"It must have been a different color before," Nikita said, his tone light. "Apparently, the heirs weren't satisfied after they returned. Same with the fence. The funniest part is, if you approach the building from the main road through the forest, you'd encounter a tall concrete wall—uglier than this one. From that side, you can't see a thing. The house only opens to view from the garden, where the Smirnovs live." He gave the iron bar in front of us a casual kick.
"Do you think it will ever truly belong to the city again?" I asked.
"Well, no one can take away its history. But I doubt the Smirnovs will leave anytime soon. At least not in the next few years."
"But their children—all five of them—are in our graduating class. Surely they won't all stay in the city for college. Eventually, the house will be too big…" I trailed off, only to hear Nikita chuckle softly behind me.
"You haven't met Dr. Smirnov and his wife yet. The house is enormous—even for the whole family. And yet, they manage just fine," he said, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around my shoulders. "By the way, Kserton State University isn't so bad. They offer eight undergraduate programs."
"Well, eight programs might just tempt me to apply," I teased, resting my chin on his hands.
Across the clearing, someone drew back a curtain, and for a moment, it felt as if their gaze pierced right through us.
"Duck!" Nikita hissed, yanking me down. I tumbled onto him, and we both burst into laughter.
"Adorable," I giggled. "But why are we hiding? We aren't even on their property."
"Well," Nik said, helping me to my feet, "technically, this part of the forest belongs to them. They hold the title, even if they don't manage it day-to-day."
"There was no 'No Trespassing' sign," I argued.
"Because that's on the main entrance side," he replied with a sly smile.
I crouched behind a brick pillar of the fence, high enough to conceal me completely, tugging at Nikita's sleeve.
"They'll notice," he murmured, attempting to rise, but I held him firmly.
"Don't be ridiculous. This all happened too fast for anyone to get a good look."
The figure at the window lingered, peering into the thicket, until finally the curtain dropped. We exhaled in unison.
"Seen enough?" Nik asked.
I shrugged.
"I wonder what it's like inside."
"Look it up online," he replied with a grin.
"I already did. I wonder if they left the place as it was?"
"Who knows? It's not like they entertain classmates."
"No one talks to them?"
Nikita's tone darkened with a hint of irritation. "Ask Stas when he shows up. You sit together in biology, don't you?"
I paused, suddenly aware of the irony—I had just been spying on the Smirnovs, the very act I had accused Stanislav of doing. Well, at least there was no evidence. For a first date with Nikita, it was admittedly thrilling. But we needed to leave—fast.
Before I could suggest retreat, two figures emerged in the clearing. Viola was unmistakable, her long golden hair glinting in the sunlight. Arthur Smirnov stood beside her, solid and imposing, like a sentinel. Even from a distance, they seemed aware of our hiding place, and I instinctively buried my face closer into Nikita's shoulder.
"I think I've seen enough," I whispered. "Let's go."
We began retreating into the woods in careful, measured steps, my eyes never leaving the Smirnovs as they approached the entrance. As they neared the door, another figure appeared, cloaked in dark gray, indistinct among the others.
"You can get up now," Nik said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder. I jumped, but managed not to scream.
We returned silently to the forest trail, the quiet only broken by the crunch of leaves beneath our feet. Questions buzzed in my mind: Why weren't the Smirnovs at school today? Could half the class really be absent? Parents would start getting calls—Kostya included.
"What do you think," I asked, keeping pace with Nikita, "can we still go back to school?"
"Why?" he asked, perplexed. "Our date's in full swing."
"Yes, what a lovely date—spying on classmates' houses," I muttered, but said aloud only, "They're skipping too. Who knows how many others joined in? Parents might get calls, even Kostya's."
Nikita considered this for a moment, then nodded.
"They've been absent so long, no one will call because of them."
"Right," I replied, feeling the lingering anxiety of the forest pressing in. The beauty of nature was now tinged with unease, a subtle fear threading through the shadows. Every rustle of leaves made me glance over my shoulder, only to find the same ochre tree crowns and soft moss undisturbed. Yet the sensation of being watched clung to me like a second skin.