It was during one of his outings from the sea that he found you. It was love at first sight. In the past, his incursions onto land were almost nonexistent; he had deep fears of humans. But now, whenever possible, he was on the sand, searching for you with a heart racing with anxiety. Despite his mind insisting that he should fall in love with a selkie like himself, not a mere human.

No one, not even his foolish mind, could make his heart change. He often fantasized about gifting you his seal pelt and living by your side. But he worried that such a gesture might frighten you, leaving him alone once again. Still, the desire to offer you his seal pelt and belong to you for as long as fate allowed was overwhelming.

This time he emerged from the sea in the shadows, hiding among the rocks. He had thought a lot about this moment, determined to give you his pelt. It was safely stowed in a transparent bag he had found days before. He walked toward where you always were, exuding joy with each step on the sand.

However, when his eyes landed on you, his expression faltered, his shoulders drooping. There was another selkie by your side, and the two of you seemed to be enjoying each other's company immensely. Time seemed to freeze, his eyes filling with tears as panic flooded his senses.

Maybe he was mistaken. Maybe you didn’t like him as he liked you. Maybe it had all been a figment of his lovesick imagination.

As much as he wanted to run back to the sea, to hide in the depths of the ocean forever, he found himself continuing to walk in your direction, his trembling hands clutching the bag. He stopped in front of you, and when his eyes met yours, tears streamed down his cheeks.

'Do you love me?' It was the question he wanted to ask, but the truth was he didn’t want to hear the answer. A "no" would hurt too much.

He took the pelt out of the bag, extending it toward you. "Touch it and fall in love like me with you." He was trying to sound playful, but sobs shook his body, his expression full of sadness.