Two enlisted men from the 284th Rifle Division were under critical combat duty. Both must watch the enemy from behind a small mountain formed from a heap the size of a tank. One of them glanced at the plain beyond the hills, a place that had been reported as the location where the enemy troop would pass. That area was indeed a shortcut to the main front on the south side of the battle map. It was worth noting that these two young people were low-ranking soldiers who had just passed enlistment. The platoon commander gave them the task of just monitoring. His men must report immediately if they catch enemy movements. Yep, the battle aggregate for the next week is still being analyzed by the parties.

"Hey, are you scared?" asked the soldier named Alexei Fyodor.

"We're just here to watch, aren't we?" replied his friend, his eyes fixed on the telescope of his Mosin-Nagant¹ sniper rifle.

"Oh yeah, what was her name earlier?" provoked his friend to see Fyodor who even fell silent after asking a question.

"Who?" Fyodor was like a surprised person, "oh, you mean Sofia? Sofia Miroslava," continued Fyodor.

"Yes, yes, Sofia!" said his friend again. This kid actually just wanted the atmosphere not to be as cold as Fyodor's face because he realized that Fyodor was being attacked by fear. This was the first battle for the two of them, however, Fyodor tended to be smaller mentally and was six years younger than him.

"How did you meet her? lure his friend again.

"What?"

"You—, and that girl—, I mean your meeting," he said.

"Oh... yes, um..., she is my uncle's neighbor in the northern city..., um, her father is a sailor there. We are actually very different..., she likes athletic things. ..., I was once invited to go fishing by her father ..." now Fyodor spoke like a stuttering train.

"Hey, comrade, slowly, just tell me casually.

"Oh, sorry."

"I mean, you know, your story will be very useful because we're going to be here a long time," snapped his friend, but in a tone that didn't make Fyodor feel harassed.

"Oh ..., yes, well, that's about it, anyway, the story, at first," said Fyodor.

"Don't stop, tell me about your first kiss," his friend provoked again.

"Ouch, are you serious?" Fyodor doubted, or he had no such story himself.

"Yes why not?" He took his eyes off the telescope and looked at Fyodor.

"But—."

"What?"

"But, we haven't officially started yet," now Fyodor turned his back so he could look up. His position was like someone leaning back, and looking up at the sky, then he sighed.

"You know, actually, I'm not even sure if she thinks I'm her boyfriend, or at least, someone special to her, I don't know," Fyodor lamented.

"Oh ..., I thought you two were lovers," now he was even confused by the pessimistic reaction that Fyodor showed.

"No, no, she's even a few years older than me, I doubt... she seems to be your age, yes, I think she's the same age as you," responded Fyodor.

Meanwhile, Fyodor's arms crossed over his chest, one knee he folded so that it seemed to pass the height of the mound where they were hiding.

"After all this, you must confess your feelings to her. I'm sure she will accept you, you are a good and intelligent boy," he tried to reassure Fyodor.

"Comrade, sorry, um—, will you—, will accompany me when that time comes. I lack confidence when it comes to women's matters. You just have to sit across from me, looking at me from a distance like a sniper, when I'm about to confess my feelings to Sofia," Fyodor sounded like he was giving a final message. .

"With pleasure, comrade, but please straighten your knees, the Mauser² user on the other side may have seen it. Remember we are in battle," the soldier didn't want the two of them to be the butt of the Wehrmacht³ army.

"Oh... but, I don't think there have been any ripples since. You saw it yourself, didn't you? I doubted they would even pass here, but, alright," Fyodor complied with his friend's request, however, when he was about to turn around, a whistling sound was heard from a distance.

"Push your head into the earth! You hear, It's a gunshot," said his friend, but it was too late—.

✇✇✇

A month later.

A man was seen entering a small restaurant in the northern city. The goal is a table in the far corner.

"With—, um, Miss Sofia Miroslava?" ask the man.

"Yes, by myself, sorry?" The woman was a little surprised, as was the man sitting at the same table with her.

"Oh, it's true, sorry, I was just afraid of the wrong person," said the man.

"Yeah, what's the need, huh? The woman is still confused.

"Excuse me, this master is—?" The man hesitated a bit.

"Her father, I am her father, Yaroslaf, Tony Yaroslaf," said the old man sitting at the same table with the woman.

"Oh! Sorry, greetings sir," responded the man who was approaching them.

"Excuse me, do you know Alexei Fyodor?" He headed for the girl.

"Alexei... who, huh? He thought for a moment.

"Oh, Alexei, Alexei Fyodor, the nerd?” the girl's face lit up.

"Ha-ha, how's the kid doing? I heard he joined the army?" the old man was delighted to hear Fyodor's name.

"Hey kid, have a seat. It must be a very long story, what's your name?" urged the girl's father.

"Vasily, my name is Vasily Zaitsev, sir," said the man, then joined them, and then everything just flowed, just like Fyodor's death.

✇✇✇

¹ Union of Soviet Socialist Republics sniper rifle
² Wehrmacht sniper rifle
³ The armed forces of the Third Reich