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[Alexandr Korol]

going where all the tourists go, always trying to show off, meet someone, learn something, get something from them. I’ve never needed that. On the contrary, people always flock to me, and I’m always with my ideas, discoveries, studying something. And I get it all, of course, not from people, but from somewhere inside. I knew I wouldn’t be lost, that I was super smart, quick-witted. So, none of my relatives ever worried that something might happen to me, because yes, I have brains, I’m responsible, and I’ll never get involved in anything bad. There was a time when my mom said, I remember... I started helping a friend organize parties at a bar with guys from the “Zerkalny” children’s camp, and I helped them with the parties. My mom got scared and said, “Don’t go there, it’s full of drugs, people, mutants with improper orientations. Why do you need that?” She was right, because, in truth, I could have fallen under their influence and become like that, but I didn’t have that weakness of character. I listened to classical music and just counted money, watching and realizing I was above these people, not a victim. So, that was my approach when I was young. And I always looked at the system, and saw all the people in it. I saw that there were systems of good levels, where people were doing great, being in those positions, and there were those where people were deteriorating. Naturally, I worried about those people, but since I could see this from the outside, how could I become a victim of these decaying social layers? I would never have gotten involved in that, but I could see it clearly, while they just didn’t, and that’s why they sank into it.

So, who could have thought or said I was “strange”? Well, friends and the people around me were different. And it turns out that people who, you know, are without complexes, with an open heart, simple-hearted, and straightforward, they never thought badly of me and never felt embarrassed by me. But the people who, interestingly enough, might look visually successful and beautiful, but actually have problems. They are very complexed, insecure, bitter, unhappy, and all these people, naturally, were scared of me or shy around me because I didn’t fit their image of being cool. They had to be among the cool ones, and here was this Alex, this strange boy, and while they found me interesting, they were still shy, fearing society would judge them if they were seen with me. This was already noticeable even at 18, 19, 20 years old — a lot of fashionable,