He couldn’t take his eyes off her. The way she laughed, the way the sunlight hit her hair, the way she moved—everything about her made his heart race in a way he hadn’t experienced before. She wasn’t like the others; there was something uniquely captivating about her.

Aonung, his closest friend, nudged him with a teasing smirk. "Bro, you’re actually going to give it to her, right?"

Rotxo blinked, his stomach tightening. "Give what?"

"You know, the necklace," Neteyam said, his voice light but knowing. "The one you've been working on for weeks. The shell one."

Lo’ak, hanging lazily from a branch nearby, added with a grin, "Yeah, man. Just give it to her. What’s the worst that could happen?"

The worst? Rotxo could barely breathe just thinking about it. His palms were already clammy, and his heart pounded in his chest. How could he give her something so personal? What if she didn’t like it? What if she laughed at him?

But then he thought of her again—how her eyes sparkled with curiosity, how her presence felt like sunlight. It settled something deep within him. Maybe this wasn’t as impossible as it felt. Aonung, Neteyam, and Lo’ak would probably never let him hear the end of it unless he did.

He glanced at the shell necklace in his hand, the one he’d spent hours perfecting. It was beautiful, but it was also a part of him, and handing it over made him feel exposed. He wasn’t sure he was ready for that kind of vulnerability.

Aonung clapped him on the back. "You got this, bro. She’ll love it."

Rotxo nodded but didn’t feel much more confident. He took a deep breath, forcing his feet to move toward the group. With every step, his heart seemed to race faster, and his nerves only grew sharper.

As he approached, she was talking to Kiri, her voice soft and melodic. The moment she noticed him, though, her eyes met his, and that warm smile of hers made his stomach twist.

“Hey, Rotxo,” she said, her tone light and friendly. “What’s up?”

His throat felt dry. He almost couldn’t bring himself to speak. "Uh... I made something for you," he said, his voice quieter than he intended.

He held out the necklace, the beads glimmering in the sunlight. His hands were slightly trembling, and he could feel the heat of embarrassment rising to his face.