The gentle waves rolled onto the shore as the golden afternoon sun painted the sea with warm shades of orange. A grade school girl walked barefoot along the beach, letting the cool water kiss her feet. She admired the peaceful view—the endless ocean, the salty breeze, and the distant cries of seagulls.

Then, she noticed someone.

A teenage boy sat alone on a large rock near the shoreline. His head was lowered, and his shoulders trembled ever so slightly. Even from a distance, she could tell he was crying.

Without hesitation, the little girl walked toward him and quietly sat beside him.

Startled, the boy quickly wiped away his tears before turning to face her.

"Aren't your parents worried?" he asked. "Didn't they teach you not to approach strangers?"

The girl simply smiled.

"What? Do you think you're a bad person?" she asked innocently. "I don't think so. That's why I came over. Besides..." She tilted her head curiously. "Why are you crying?"

The boy blinked in surprise.

Why is a grade school girl this bold? he wondered.

She waited for an answer, but when he remained silent, she crossed her arms.

"Not gonna answer me?" she asked.

"None of your business," he replied coldly.

The little girl only shrugged.

The boy couldn't understand why she stayed. Most people would've walked away by now. Instead, she quietly sat beside him, enjoying the sound of the waves.

He turned his gaze back to the sea, hoping she'd eventually leave.

She didn't.

Instead, she stared directly at him while he looked toward the horizon.

"Your eyes are beautiful," she suddenly said.

"I know," he answered with a sarcastic smirk.

"Hmph." She puffed out her cheeks and looked away, pouting.

For the first time that day, the corner of the boy's lips lifted into a genuine smile.

She's kind of adorable, he thought.

"I saw you smile," the girl declared, turning back to him with a triumphant grin.

"No, you didn't."

"Yes, you did." She pointed at him, still pouting. "You smiled."

The boy finally looked straight into her eyes.

"So what if I did?" he asked, a playful challenge hidden behind his once-sad expression.

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.