A Thin Line
(Moe Thet Oo Lwin)
Thet Oo gently pushed open the window. A soft, golden sunlight poured in like liquid gold, accompanied by a cool, gentle breeze that drifted into the room. This region, with its four distinct seasons, had left behind the biting cold of winter and welcomed the fresh, awakening touch of spring. But as spring passed, its restless energy faded, making way for the calm stability of summer. And now, it was undeniably summer.
The Pistovo Canal is located in the northern part of Moscow. During the summer, Russian traditional summer cottages called “Dacha” and fitness camps were built along its banks for students to relax and enjoy their holidays. The Pistovo Canal, which cuts through a bend of the Volga River, serves as a serene route for leisure cruises sailing along its waters. At the very edge of the canal, the student recreation camp stood—a distant outpost belonging to Thet Oo’s university, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT).
"Hey, man... you're up early, huh?"
Set Paing, still half-asleep on the other bed, mumbled as he yawned. He had woken up when Thet Oo opened the window.
"Hey, man… we're going to miss breakfast! Get up, wash your face… and wake up the guys in the other room too!"
At the mention of breakfast, Zeya and Htain Lin, still rubbing their sleepy eyes ,groggily got up from the next room.
"Hurry up, guys! If we're late, the old ladies will clear everything!"
Once everyone was ready, the four friends changed into their clothes and walked toward the dining building. Along the way, they noticed cars parked near the small wooden houses. Until yesterday, these houses had been empty. From the looks of it, new arrivals must have come this morning.
"They're MSU students... I overheard someone mention it yesterday,"
Htain Lin said, recalling what he had heard. MSU referred to Moscow State University, the largest university in Russia.
"Isn't this camp owned by our university? What are they doing here?"
"Our university used to be part of MSU's Physics Department, didn't you know? It split off in 1942. Whatever the case, MSU students get special privileges. In Moscow, there are no restrictions for them."
As Htain Lin spoke about these "privileged students," Thet Oo glanced over at them. Of course, coming from such a prestigious university, they were probably from wealthy families. He could see them unloading their belongings from high-end, luxury cars parked in front of the dorms.
Just then, a girl stepped out of the fourth house near the entrance. She turned to Thet Oo and his friends and… smiled in greeting. For some reason, he felt something unusual stir inside him. Did a pretty Eastern European girl from a country that doesn’t think much of black-haired, greet fair-skinned, small-built Burmese guys like him? He wasn’t sure if he had smiled back instinctively.
"She's adorable, isn't she?"
Zeya suddenly commented as they arrived at the dining hall. Though unrelated to the conversation, it was clear that his "adorable" remark referred to the smiling girl from earlier—just as if someone had responded, "Bless you," to a completely unrelated sneeze. The three others immediately understood but chose not to comment.
After finishing their meal, they headed back. In the afternoon, some friends planned to go swimming in a nearby canal. Since Thet Oo wasn't a strong swimmer, he decided to stay at the dorm. As the midday heat made his eyelids heavy, he dozed off for a while.
When he woke up, it was already around 9 PM. Since the sun didn’t set until about 11 PM during summer, the sky was still bright. The swimming group hadn’t returned yet. He recalled overhearing that they planned to have a barbecue in the forest, so that probably explained their absence.
He lit a cigarette and gazed out through the window. There she was, the girl from this morning, carrying some bags as she walked past their dorm. It looked like she was moving into a house inside the compound. She must have noticed Thet Oo watching because she turned and smiled again. This time, though, he didn’t feel the same unusual stir as before. He simply smiled back. She then walked toward the small wooden house at the farthest edge near the forest and went inside.
As dusk finally settled, wild mosquitoes began swarming. He shut the windows and flopped onto his bed, an inexplicable feeling stirring in his mind. Somewhere near the canal beach, the sound of a guitar echoed through the night. He immediately recognized it—it was a Burmese song, meaning his three friends must have been the ones playing.
Just then, he heard footsteps outside near the wooden house. Curious, he peeked through the glass.
It was her.
She was heading toward the main road—walking away, her steps brisk and purposeful.
As Thet Oo watched without understanding, he let out a deep sigh. Thinking deeply, he dozed off for a moment. Then...
