"The Uninvited Guest" by Anna Jane, summary Automatic translate

This book is a bonus story connecting the characters of two popular novel series by the author. It was published in 2016. It tells the story of a mysterious musician through the eyes of characters from another book, offering a fresh perspective on familiar events and the characters’ actions.

A sudden visit from an idol

Masha Burundukova and Denis Smerchinsky are settling into a comfortable life together, getting used to the rhythm of life under the same roof. Denis often surprises his girlfriend. One evening, a completely unexpected visitor shows up at their doorstep. This guest turns out to be Kirill, better known as Kezon, the second lead singer of the world-famous rock band "Red Lords." Masha is a devoted fan of the band. She is truly shocked by what’s happening. She can hardly believe her eyes, as her boyfriend and the rock star act like old friends. It turns out that Denis and Kirill have been close friends since early childhood.

The narrative seamlessly transports the reader back in time, detailing the humorous circumstances of the boys’ first meeting. They first met at a mutual friend’s birthday party, Petya. The little birthday boy tried to boss the invited guests around. He wanted to be the sole captain of the pirate ship and forced the others to obey. A heated argument ensued over the boys’ reluctance to play by someone else’s rules. It was then that the quiet Kirill suggested an alternative pastime: calling random numbers and loudly meowing or barking into the receiver. This strange pastime brought Denis and Kirill incredibly close.

In the present, Kirill continues to behave somewhat eccentrically. He perplexes the bewildered Masha with his strange jokes. Masha gradually becomes accustomed to her idol’s company, noticing a very vulnerable and profound person behind the performer’s mask.

A trip to the dacha and a conflict with a neighbor

Soon, a huge, noisy group of friends heads out of town. Among them are Petya, Igor, Lida, Leo, and the pregnant Marina. The boys plan to have a fun birthday celebration for Igor at their spacious dacha. Their morning nap is suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a local resident, Vasily Ivanovich. A belligerent old man with an impressive axe at the ready, he storms right onto the property. He loudly accuses the confused young people of stealing cherries from his trees. The situation quickly escalates.

The sensible friends manage to resolve the brewing conflict peacefully. The boys decide to sincerely apologize to the angry old man. They gather generous treats from the holiday table: fragrant shashlik, baked potatoes, a variety of hearty salads, and a bottle of wine. A whole delegation of them sets off to his home with their apologies. Vasily Ivanovich softens under the attention and forgives the young men.

The next day, something completely unexpected happens. A neighbor, now kinder, brings the boys two huge buckets filled to the brim with sweet cherries. Masha quickly puts together the known facts and deduces the true reason for such generosity. She realizes that Kirill secretly slipped the lonely old man a substantial sum of money, hoping to anonymously help him financially. Vasily Ivanovich accidentally found the abandoned bills and, as a token of gratitude, repaid him with the richest harvest from his garden. This noble act finally reveals Kirill’s true nature — kind, generous, and completely devoid of star fever.

The Secret of a Talented Musician

Closely observing the distinguished guest in his relaxed home, Masha notices distinctly odd behavior. Kirill spends long hours in front of a bright laptop screen, skillfully concealing himself under the pseudonym "Blue Beast." From this anonymous account, he persistently sends emails to a certain Anton Tropinin. Over and over, he stubbornly repeats the same terrifying phrase: "I know who you really are." Anton stubbornly ignores these messages.

Soon, Masha accidentally spots a photo of a cute girl on Kirill’s computer screen. She’s incredibly surprised to recognize her as Katya, a good friend of hers from long ago. The two had once crossed paths at a bustling music festival. Masha instantly recalls that Katya’s boyfriend is named Anton. In close-knit music circles, he’s widely known by the catchy stage name Kay.

Burning with irrepressible girlish curiosity, Masha decides to play a cruel prank on the celebrity guest. She artistically pretends to call Katya. Loudly and joyfully, she arranges a personal meeting at the cozy Solnechnye Iskry (Sunny Sparks) café. Kirill immediately perks up and eagerly agrees to go with Masha. Arriving at the designated establishment, Masha solemnly points to a completely empty table by the window. With a cheerful laugh, she admits it was just an innocent prank. The girl lightheartedly expects a hilarious reaction, but the end result turns out to be quite different.

The hard realization of the truth

Kirill’s reaction to this extremely unfortunate joke leaves Masha with a deep, painfully burning shame. The young man’s face instantly contorts with unbearable bitterness and profound disappointment. This completely reveals his true, intense feelings, skillfully concealed for years. Masha suddenly and utterly understands the gravity of the situation. Kirill is sincerely, immensely, and completely unrequitedly in love with Katya. She clearly understands how physically painful it is for him to be constantly on the sidelines. Anton Tropinin is a direct, successful rival of Kirill’s. This is precisely why the wounded musician desperately tried to expose him with strange anonymous messages.

Masha tries her best to offer moral support to her distraught friend, awkwardly explaining that the human heart is absolutely impossible to command. Kirill suddenly faces a difficult moral choice. He may well resolutely continue his uncompromising struggle for the unapproachable Katya’s heart. He may try to deceive her into ruining her current relationship and forcefully achieve her desired reciprocity.

An alternative, more difficult path is to retreat into the shadows forever. This will allow his beloved to be happy with the man she chose. A talented but deeply unhappy musician plunges into deep contemplation. He carefully and critically analyzes his passionate romantic feelings and the potential consequences of his selfish actions.

The right and noble choice

At the end of this touching story, Kirill makes an exceptionally mature, considered, and noble life decision. He clearly understands that true, selfless, sincere love inevitably implies a pure desire for the loved one’s immense happiness. And this applies even when that long-awaited happiness is firmly tied to someone else. Kirill writes a saddened Masha a short, yet incredibly succinct and touching email. In it, he explains his final position in life with utmost honesty and openness.

The guy flatly and categorically refuses to fly to Katya, firmly resolving to leave her in absolute peace. He bluntly declares that he absolutely does not want to be that hated uninvited guest. He refuses to treacherously and rudely disrupt someone else’s fragile harmony and bright love. Kirill consciously chooses to forever remain in the heartwarming company of his loyal friends — the sensitive Masha and the reliable Denis.

Masha reads his message with genuine joy and undisguised relief, trustingly resting her head on her boyfriend’s strong shoulder. Denis kisses her tenderly, firmly reassuring her that in their hospitable, bright home, Kirill will always find reliable, friendly support and genuine care. The main characters unanimously agree that this wonderful man will forever remain their most anticipated guest, whose presence they will be immensely grateful for.