Solen skinnede blidt over de røde murstensbygninger på den danske kostskole, der lå som en perle midt i et hav af blomstrende haver.

The sun shone gently over the red-brick buildings of the Danish boarding school, which lay like a pearl in a sea of blooming gardens.

Det var sen forår, og alt åndede af liv og farver.

It was late spring, and everything breathed life and color.

Lukas sad på en bænk, dybt i sine tanker.

Lukas sat on a bench, deep in his thoughts.

Ved siden af ham stod Emil og trippede med skoene.

Next to him stood Emil, tapping his shoes.

"Vi skal finde en gave til Sofie," sagde Emil med et bredt smil.

"We need to find a gift for Sofie," said Emil with a broad smile.

"Hendes fødselsdag er kun om to dage!"

"Her birthday is only two days away!"

Lukas nikkede.

Lukas nodded.

Han vidste, han måtte finde noget specielt til hende.

He knew he had to find something special for her.

Noget der viste, hvor meget hun betød for ham, uden at det blev alt for åbenlyst.

Something that showed how much she meant to him, without being too obvious.

Dog havde han et begrænset budget, og det gjorde ikke opgaven lettere.

However, he had a limited budget, and that didn't make the task any easier.

"Jeg har nogle penge," sagde Emil.

"I have some money," said Emil.

"Vi kan slå vores penge sammen.

"We can pool our money together.

Så kan vi få noget virkelig godt."

Then we can get something really nice."

Lukas smilede taknemmeligt.

Lukas smiled gratefully.

Emil var altid så generøs og hjælpsom.

Emil was always so generous and helpful.

Sammen gik de mod skolens butik, kendt for sine unikke varer.

Together they walked towards the school's store, known for its unique items.

Da de trådte ind, blev de mødt af en duft af friskt papir og træ.

As they stepped inside, they were met with a scent of fresh paper and wood.

Det lille lokale var spækket med interessante ting, fra bøger til håndlavede noter.

The small room was packed with interesting things, from books to handcrafted notes.

Lukas' blik faldt straks på et smukt notesbogssæt med en tilhørende kuglepen, der lå til skue.

Lukas's gaze immediately fell on a beautiful notebook set with an accompanying pen on display.

Det var perfekt til Sofie, der elskede at tegne og skrive.

It was perfect for Sofie, who loved to draw and write.

Han nåede lige at række ud efter det, da han hørte et par elever tale om, at Sofie allerede havde fået et lignende sæt af sine forældre.

He was just about to reach for it when he heard a couple of students talking about how Sofie had already received a similar set from her parents.

Han trak hånden tilbage og sukkede dybt.

He pulled his hand back and sighed deeply.

Hvad skulle han gøre nu?

What was he going to do now?

"Prøv at se på bøgerne," sagde Emil og pegede mod hylderne.

"Try looking at the books," said Emil, pointing towards the shelves.

"Du ved, hvilke bøger hun ikke har læst, ikke?"

"You know which books she hasn't read, right?"

Lukas nikkede og gik over til boghylden.

Lukas nodded and walked over to the bookshelf.

Han scannede hurtigt titlerne, indtil en bestemt bog fangede hans opmærksomhed.

He quickly scanned the titles until a particular book caught his attention.

Det var en roman, han vidste, Sofie ikke havde set endnu, men som hun ville elske.

It was a novel he knew Sofie hadn't seen yet, but that she would love.

Den handlede om eventyr og mysterier, lige noget for hende.

It was about adventure and mysteries, just her kind of thing.

Med bogen i hånden fandt han et lille stykke papir og en pen.

With the book in hand, he found a small piece of paper and a pen.

Han satte sig i et hjørne og skrev et kort notat.

He sat down in a corner and wrote a short note.

Det var en simpel, men ærlig besked om hans beundring for hendes kreative sind og venlige smil.

It was a simple, yet sincere message about his admiration for her creative mind and kind smile.

Han placerede sedlen forsigtigt inde mellem bogens sider og smilede for sig selv.

He placed the note carefully between the pages of the book and smiled to himself.

Sofie havde måske allerede haft alt for sit kunstneriske sæt, men i denne bog lå noget, hun ikke kendte til – Lukas' oprigtige følelser.

Sofie might already have had everything for her artistic set, but in this book lay something she didn't know about—Lukas's genuine feelings.

Han vidste nu, at det vigtigste var at være ærlig om, hvad han følte, ikke hvad han gav.

He now knew that the most important thing was to be honest about how he felt, not what he gave.

Da Lukas og Emil forlod butikken, følte Lukas sig let om hjertet.

As Lukas and Emil left the store, Lukas felt lighthearted.

Nogle gange var det bedste man kunne give, ikke noget der kom fra butikken, men noget der kom fra hjertet.

Sometimes the best thing you could give wasn't something from the store, but something that came from the heart.

Den erkendelse alene var en gave i sig selv.

That realization alone was a gift in itself.