Return in the Bass Storm

It is a hot summer evening in Essen, and the air above the open-air venue vibrates with bass and the murmur of voices. Zonja with Z, now 14, stands a bit apart from the crowd, a notebook in hand – an old habit. She notes the approximate number of people holding beer cups when her gaze catches a familiar, gaunt figure. Green swim trunks are no more, but the protruding ears and cautious gait are unmistakable: Mucks. Her heart leaps, and all the pent-up energy of the last two years discharges in a single, loud call of his name.

Friendship, tested by time and distance, but still strong

The open-air concert in Essen is a sea of lights, people, and deafening music. Teenagers and adults crowd between the stages; it smells of grass, sweat, and roasted almonds. In this chaotic, loud environment, so unlike Zonja's orderly world of libraries and statistics, two souls meet who found each other years ago in the silence of an outdoor pool. The city of Essen itself becomes the stage for their reunion – with subway shafts, rundown corners, and surprising places that both must discover anew.

Zonja wants to understand why Mucks simply disappeared back then, and whether the old connection between them still means something – despite the secrets and the time that has passed.