Asja

The narrator, a young Russian from a noble family, spends the summer in Germany, where he meets an unusual girl, Asya, and her half-brother, Gagen. Asya is temperamental, witty, but also fickle and sensitive. Gradually, an emotional closeness develops between the narrator and Asya, but he is insecure, reserved, and unable to express his feelings.

Asya reveals to him that she is a bastard, a child out of wedlock, which has further shaped her character and sense of not belonging. She wants him to honestly admit what he feels – but he does not. Due to his indecision and fear, he misses the opportunity to express his love to her.

In the end, Asya leaves the place of residence with Gagen, and the narrator is left alone, with bitterness and regret for the missed opportunity. Later in life, remembering Asya, he realizes that she was the only true love in his life – but now it is too late.