Two handsome young men were walking side by side down a busy street, chatting leisurely, and from a distance they could easily have been mistaken for a romantic couple.
Many passersby glanced at them — some out of curiosity, others because of their striking contrast, which immediately attracted attention.
The first one, walking a step ahead, looked like he had stepped off the cover of a magazine for young athletes. The guy was about twenty, tall, with a confident gait and a muscular build that made girls bite their lips as he walked by.
His short brown hair shone slightly in the sunlight, and his warm amber eyes seemed particularly expressive under his straight eyebrows. With an open, handsome face, broad shoulders, and a natural ease in every movement, he was the kind of person who attracted attention without even trying.
He was dressed simply: a blue sweatshirt, black jeans, sneakers. But even such unassuming clothes could not hide his athletic and attractive appearance.
His companion made a completely different impression.
From a distance, it was easy to think that a fragile and very beautiful girl was walking beside him — so graceful was his silhouette.
Long blond hair fell in soft waves almost to the waist, a slender neck, a neat snub nose, and the same large amber eyes, but much softer and warmer. There was something airy, almost weightless, in his features and movements that involuntarily made one want to look back again.
He was dressed in a delicate pink dress with white lace on the hem and sleeves — a dress that emphasized his fragility and made him look like a porcelain doll. The dress was perfectly complemented by white tights and neat brown boots.
On his head was a pink hat with a ribbon, tilted slightly to one side, and in his ears were small crystal earrings that sparkled beautifully with every step.
"And why did I have to come with you in the first place?" grumbled the guy in the blue sweatshirt, whose name was Rick. He didn't even try to hide his irritation. "I have my own business to attend to, by the way..."
"By 'things' you mean hooking up with Leila?" the second guy, the one wearing the pink dress, asked skeptically. Nathaniel, or just Nat, didn't even turn his head — he said it casually, but with a tone that hit the mark.
"Well... that too," Rick muttered, clearly not intending to justify himself. "Actually, I have a lot planned for today. And instead, I'm forced to help you with your... hookup."
"Don't call it that!" Nat flashed instantly, his cheeks turning pink under a thin layer of powder.
"This is a very important day in my life, by the way! And you have to help me. At least today."
Rick rolled his eyes so demonstratively that anyone else would have been offended long ago.
"Nat, really... You'd be better off asking one of the girls from your class. They definitely know more about this stuff. I don't know anything about jewelry," he sighed, giving up in advance.
"Too late," Nat smiled, and that smile was suspiciously smug.
He deftly grabbed his brother by the elbow and literally dragged him into the jewelry store they had just stopped in front of.
Rick barely kept his balance as he rushed inside first. The light scent of polish and expensive perfume immediately hit their noses, and the light from hundreds of small bulbs reflected off the display cases, turning the entire room into a glittering cloud.
"Come on, let's go," Nat said, pushing his brother forward. "Since you're my only free relative today, at least try to look like you care."
"Yeah, right," Rick muttered, resigned to his fate. "Just try to say I'm a bad brother later."
"I won't," Nat smiled softly. "If you help me pick out a ring."
A sales assistant immediately approached them — a pleasant young woman with neat hair and a warm smile.
"Can I help you?" she asked in a soft voice, as if she wanted to win them over right away.
"This guy is going to propose," Rick quickly interjected, exchanging glances with Nathaniel, "and he needs a ring."
The girl's eyes widened for a moment, she looked at Nat in surprise and stammered, slightly embarrassed:
"Oh... well, that's in that department, please follow me..."
They followed her, and soon Rick and Nat found themselves in front of a small display case filled with a dozen rings of various shapes, sizes, and materials. Gold and silver, with and without diamonds, simple and fancy.
Nat sighed softly as he looked at all this splendor, while Rick, slightly nervous, touched his brother's shoulder.
"What kind of ring are you looking for?" the girl asked cautiously, smiling in a way that made it seem like she genuinely wanted to help. "Gold? Silver? Pearls?"
"Diamond," Nat replied confidently. His fingers touched the bag that held the money he had carefully saved over many months.
Nat had been dreaming about this moment for almost two years. Every week, he put aside every extra dollar he had, thinking about the day when he would finally give his girlfriend the ring. It had to be perfect — a symbol of his feelings for Ashlyn.
And also because Rick once said with a smile, "A girl's best friends are diamonds." Those words stuck in Nat's mind.
"Excellent choice," the girl smiled approvingly. "The diamond rings are in this display case. If you want to take a closer look at any of them, just let me know and I'll help you."
"Thank you," Nat nodded, trying to hide his excitement, and the girl walked away, leaving them alone with the sparkling stones.
Nat stood in front of the display case, his chin slightly raised. He knew that among them must be the one ring — the one that could convey the depth of his feelings.
Rick, watching his brother, smiled slightly, realizing that today he would not just be a witness, but a participant in the most important moment of Nathaniel's life.