<div style="text-align: justify;">Mariya could understand Vitali’s confusion. She also felt a little confused, and it didn’t even need to involve her ulterior motives. It was just the confusion that was to be expected when someone was suddenly taken off track. She had expected a different reaction from Vitali, to be honest. She had expected him to care about her, even like her as more than a friend. But hearing from him that he loved her was a big surprise. Something had changed in her friend, and Mariya was a little confused about it, trying to figure out what it was. But for a brief moment, she decided to allow herself to simply enjoy that warmth inside her chest.<br/><br/>When Vitali said they should find a place to sit, Mariya nodded in agreement immediately. She felt like she would have agreed to whatever he wanted right now. It was a strange feeling that made her want to please him, as a way of making up for what she was planning on doing. “I agree, finding a place to sit would be for the best”, she replied, her voice quiet.<br/><br/>She felt that sitting and just spending some time together would be good for both of them as well. And it would give them time to take a breather and adjust to that new reality. Taking a step back, Mariya held out a hand and held Vitali’s. After a moment of silence, she laughed softly. “I’m sorry, I’m just… I was caught by surprise”, she explained, keeping her hand touching his.<br/><br/>“What do you want to do, where do you want to go?”, Mariya finally asked, preferring to allow Vitali to take the lead for now.</div>