Yároslav promised his friends he would play football with them the following day at school on February 23, 2022.
It didn't take place.
The young Ukrainian's straightforward plan evolved into the impossibility in a matter of hours.
Yároslav doesn't know when he will ever kick a ball with his friends again because Russia invaded Ukraine over night.
He shares a room in a Scottish hotel with his mother Oléna Bólotova while his schoolmates are dispersed all over the world.
They have lived in the hotel for eight months.
The parents of Oléna are still living at home in Kharkiv, in northeastern Ukraine.
Everything changed over night, Oléna told BBC Scotland.
Nobody anticipated having to wake up one morning, cram everything they own into a single small backpack, and flee, she said.
"Kharkiv is located 22 miles (36 kilometers) from the Russian border. We had to flee to avoid the war when the full invasion occurred at 05:00 on February 24, 2022.
"We tried to relocate to various regions of Ukraine, but it wasn't simple and there aren't any safe places at the moment — there are no schools, there are electricity issues, and we were afraid of the winter.
"We were afraid for our children's futures, so I took my child and crossed the border. ".
It is a tale that almost 23,500 Ukrainians are currently living in Scotland as a result of using the Scottish government's super sponsor program.
Others were taken in by host families, while others were housed on cruise ships or in hotels.
Oléna thinks that the tens of thousands of mothers from Ukraine who fled their country in search of safety are a different kind of soldier, fighting to protect their children while the war rages at home.
Because I spent my entire life in Ukraine, it was nearly impossible for her to make a choice. "I had many plans for our future lives, including my husband, a family, a job, a house, a dog, and many others.
We had solid plans for the future and how to bring up our child in Ukraine as adults.
"War destroyed all future plans and expectations. It wasn't simple for any Ukrainian families when we had to flee. ".
Life is difficult for those who are left behind.
People make an effort to adapt to their new reality, said Oléna. "They are attempting to live normally while residing in bomb shelters. commuting to work.
"New children are born in Ukraine every day, so the country is active and fighting. Teachers are attempting to offer online instruction everywhere, even when there is no electricity.
"My husband can't come with us because he is in Ukraine. We have been separated for the first time in our lives despite being nearly 18 years married.
Men are attempting to live in a new reality free of wives and kids. ".
Yároslav loves his time at school in Glasgow, where he also plays football. Despite his friends' strong accents, his English is getting better.
Reflection, according to him, was painful.
"I recall that on February 23, 2022, I told my friends that we would play football the following day and attend school.
And at 5:00 a.m. on February 24, I woke up and wasn't thinking about school. ".
At first, he claimed, staying in touch was challenging.
They were staying in shelters without internet. They are secure after I call and text them, though.
My friends are now dispersed across the globe. I'm shocked by where some of them are—Poland, other nations like Indonesia. Some people remain in Kharkiv's extremely dangerous area. ".
Each day, he speaks to his father. Oléna makes an effort to talk to her parents every day, but she is concerned for them.
The news that the war is over is her greatest hope. But for the time being, they would prefer more long-term accommodations. Oléna is happy that she feels safe, but she also wants to prepare his meals, do their own laundry, and have their own space.
Oléna is an academic and university lecturer from Ukraine who recently started working as an administrator at a city university.
"I'm pleased that I can contribute something to this place and start paying taxes. I genuinely feel like a part of this Glasgow community," she continued.
The mother and son declare that they will be brave until they are able to return to Ukraine, a word Oléna claimed was frequently used to describe Ukrainians.
Not just for the front-line combatants, she added, but for every mother from Ukraine who travels with her kids in search of a safe place to raise them.
"Teachers and doctors are brave for staying in Ukraine and helping people. For everyone who is Ukrainian, brave.
"Ukraine lives within us always. We will remain Ukrainians for the rest of our lives.
. "
