The first time Luca saw her, she was dancing barefoot in a field of strawberries, her gingham dress swaying in the warm summer breeze. The setting sun turned the sky into a painting of gold and pink, and in the middle of it all, like a piece of a dream, stood Mina, the girl with the strawberry-colored hair.
She wasn’t really dancing—just swaying, lost in her own little world, humming a song only she seemed to know. Her hands, stained red from the fruit, lifted a plump strawberry to her lips, and she took the tiniest bite, closing her eyes as if it was the best thing in the world.
Luca, standing at the edge of the field, holding a basket meant for berry-picking, completely forgot what he was supposed to do.
"Who is that?" he mumbled.
His grandmother, a woman whose hands had worked this farm for decades, chuckled from behind him.
"That, my dear boy, is Mina. The Strawberry Girl."
"Strawberry Girl?"
"She’s been working here since she was little. I pay her in berries, and she pays me in laughter." His grandmother smiled, eyes twinkling. "And she’s the best strawberry picker this farm has ever had."
Luca watched as Mina giggled, twirling as if the whole world were nothing but a stage made of sunlit grass and ripe red berries. Something about her felt like summer itself—bright, golden, and fleeting.
And that was the moment he decided—he wanted to know her.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtyEeSmhIL
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Luca had never been good at making friends, but Mina made it impossibly easy.
The next day, he found her sitting on a wooden crate, sorting strawberries into tiny piles.
"This one’s for eating, this one’s for selling, and this one…" She held up a small, oddly-shaped strawberry with a mischievous grin. "This one’s for magic."
"Magic?" Luca raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Of course!" Mina popped the strawberry into her mouth and closed her eyes dramatically. "This one’s for making wishes. Every special strawberry has magic in it—you just have to believe."
Luca, who had never believed in much beyond school and his grandmother’s cooking, found himself wanting to believe just a little bit more.
And so, with a handful of strawberries, a girl who smelled like sugar and sunshine, and the endless blue sky above them, a friendship was born.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFe59sNDtp
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Every summer, their small town held a Strawberry Festival, where the streets overflowed with strawberry shortcakes, jams, candies, and all things sweet.
Mina adored it.
"I want to win this year!" she declared, pointing at the Strawberry Queen competition poster nailed to a wooden post.
Luca smirked. "You? In a pageant?"
Mina stuck out her tongue. "Not a pageant, dummy. The winner is just the person who sells the best strawberry treat." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I need to make something special."
And that was how they ended up in his grandmother’s kitchen, surrounded by flour, sugar, and an impossible number of strawberries.
Mina worked tirelessly, experimenting with jams, tarts, and even strawberry cinnamon rolls.
But nothing felt right.
That was, until one late evening, when Luca found her outside, staring up at the moon, a single strawberry in her hand.
"What if…" she murmured, thinking out loud. "What if I made something simple? Something that tastes like… like home?"
And so, they created "Mina’s Strawberry Kisses"—a delicate, fluffy strawberry mousse layered with fresh berries and cream, topped with a drizzle of golden honey.
"It tastes like summer," Luca admitted after taking a bite.
Mina beamed. "Then it’s perfect."10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7je7qPJbXC
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On the day of the festival, Mina’s stall was the busiest.
People lined up, drawn in by the delicate pink mousse, its soft texture melting in their mouths. It was magic.
When the winners were announced, the entire crowd cheered for the girl with the strawberry-colored hair.
Mina won.
But more than that—she shined.
And Luca, standing beside her, realized something.
He had always thought of summer as just a season.
But maybe… just maybe… summer was a person.
And her name was Mina.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9w3eb7rwv
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Years later, when the farm had passed down to Luca, and Mina had become the owner of a little café where the scent of strawberries and honey filled the air, he walked in one afternoon, holding something behind his back.
Mina, wearing an apron dusted with flour, raised an eyebrow. "What’s that?"
Luca grinned, revealing a single strawberry-shaped ring.
"A wish-berry."
Mina gasped, laughing as tears welled up in her eyes.
"You remembered!"
And when she said yes, the whole world seemed to smell like strawberries.
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