"How long have I been on this island?
A year! No, more than that, almost a year and seven months...
I don't know anymore — I've lost all sense of time."
He walked slowly across the soft sand, his hand trailing along the carved stone wall that bordered the beach.
The sea stretched before him, vast and silent, glittering under the sunlight as if whispering ancient secrets.
"Strange..." he muttered, his eyes scanning the details of the island.
"The trees I love... the spring flowers that only bloom in my homeland...
The design of the library, the books in it, even the food and the very scent of the place — everything fits my tastes.
Is this just a coincidence? Or... did she gather everything I love on this land?"
He chuckled softly, shaking his head as if he could hardly believe it: "Was she trying to build my own little paradise?"
At that moment, he spotted a figure standing in the distance, near the water's edge.
It was her — standing silently, dressed in a simple white gown, a gentle mask covering her face.
Her hair fluttered in the sea breeze, and her slender back was slightly hunched forward, as if she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders.
He approached quietly, his footsteps almost inaudible against the damp sand, his heart pounding with a strange heaviness.
When he finally stood right behind her, he slowly lifted his arms and wrapped them around her.
Her body shuddered suddenly.
Her breath caught, as if time itself had frozen.
His chest pressed lightly against her back, her warmth seeping into him slowly...
Her hair smelled faintly of vanilla.
She tried to free herself, but he tightened his embrace gently, resting his forehead against her shoulder.
"Don't run away..." he whispered, his voice low but trembling from within.
"Stay with me."
Her body remained stiff, yet she did not resist.
He wanted to memorize this feeling — her warmth, her nearness, her flustered heartbeat —
As if every fiber of his being was screaming: Finally... I'm close.
---
Her limbs tensed for a moment, and she stayed still, as if his voice had frozen the very air around them.
Stay with me...
His words were neither a command nor a plea — but a quiet confession from a heart unaccustomed to weakness.
Long seconds passed as he held her, his arms wrapped around her small shoulders, committing the warmth of her body to memory.
She wanted to pull away, but he was quicker.
He tightened his embrace, slowly, tenderly, as if silently saying: Don't leave. Not now. Not after all of this.
Lowering his head, he whispered again, this time near her ear:
"You know... I think I started seeing you in my dreams, even before I heard your voice."
Her body trembled again, as if his voice had slipped beneath her skin, her heart hammering violently — yet she gave no reply, didn't even turn to face him...
Her eyes stayed on the sea, but every part of her was anchored to him.
Then, carefully, she began to move, gently trying to break away from his touch — but not with firm resistance, only with confusion.
He noticed, and slowly let her go, as though his hands were reluctant to part... but he respected her choice.
He stepped back, putting a little distance between them, his voice still warm despite the space:
"I'll wait... but don't hide this time."
She finally looked at him — just once — but that single glance was filled with turmoil.
Is it really allowed for me to feel this? To be this selfish...
Is it acceptable for me to hope for something in return?
for someone to love me?
Me?!