Sunoo had always been told he shone too brightly for the mortal world. Being the son of Aphrodite, beauty wasn’t just something he had — it was something he radiated. Flowers leaned toward him when he walked, people turned their heads, and even the air felt warmer around him.

But Sunoo didn’t care about any of that. He only wanted one thing:

A love that felt real. Not worship. Not admiration. Something… equal.

So when he was sent to spend the summer at the divine training camp by the sea, he wasn’t expecting anything special. Just another season of practicing charms and illusions, learning how to soothe emotions, how to heal hearts.

Then he saw him.

Riki. Nishimura Riki. The boy who walked out of the ocean like the tide itself had chosen him.

Tall, sharp-eyed, water droplets clinging to his skin. The son of the elusive God of Water — calm, powerful, unpredictable. When he moved, the water moved with him, swirling around his feet like it adored him.

He glanced at Sunoo only once.

And the waves rose just a little too high.