WITH YOU

chapter 2

As the boy leaned closer, his face only inches away from hers, the girl looked at him without hesitation.

"You're beautiful."

The boy froze. His cheeks instantly turned bright red, completely caught off guard by her unexpected compliment.

The girl burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as she watched his embarrassed expression.

"W-Why are you laughing?" he stammered.

Without saying another word, the boy quickly stood up and started walking away, hoping to hide his flustered face.

"Hey! Wait!" the girl called after him. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to laugh!"

He refused to look back and simply kept walking, even quickening his pace.

Because of her tiny legs, the girl struggled to keep up. She puffed her cheeks and ran as fast as she could, but the distance between them only grew wider.

After a while, the boy finally glanced over his shoulder. Seeing how far behind she had fallen, he couldn't help but smirk.

"What now, short legs?" he teased.

The girl pouted.

"Hmph! I'll grow taller someday, you know!"

A small laugh escaped the boy.

"Hurry up then, short legs."

The girl giggled before shouting at the top of her lungs,

"Wait for me, beautiful face!"

"I am not beautiful!" he argued, his face turning red once again.

"You are!"

"I'm not!"

"You are!"

Their childish bickering echoed along the quiet shoreline until both of them ended up laughing together.

Just then, a sleek black luxury car slowly pulled over beside them.

The rear door opened, and the boy's mother stepped out gracefully.

"There you are," she said with a gentle smile. "It's time to go."

The boy nodded. Before he could even say goodbye, he was ushered into the car.

The door closed, and within seconds, the car began to drive away.

Standing by the shore, the girl quietly watched as the vehicle disappeared into the distance. She raised her small hand and waved with a bright smile.

"Bye-bye..."

The boy never got the chance to wave back.

When the car was no longer in sight, the girl turned toward the sea. The orange glow of the setting sun reflected in her sparkling eyes as a gentle smile spread across her face.

"He's really beautiful," she whispered to herself.

"I like beautiful faces."

With that innocent thought, she happily skipped along the beach, never realizing that this brief encounter would become a memory neither of them would ever forget.