Aksel stod ved kanten af Aalborg Havn og kiggede ud over den glitrende vandflade.

Aksel stood at the edge of Aalborg Harbor, gazing out over the shimmering water.

Solen skinnede klart, og han kunne mærke sommerbrisen ruske lidt i hans hår.

The sun shone brightly, and he could feel the summer breeze tousling his hair.

Det var den første dag på det internationale sommerkursus, og selv om han var spændt, kunne han ikke undgå at føle sommerfuglene danse i maven.

It was the first day of the international summer course, and although he was excited, he couldn't help but feel the butterflies dancing in his stomach.

Freja kom springende hen ad molen. Hun havde et smil på læben og et par bøger under armen.

Freja came bounding along the pier, a smile on her face and a couple of books under her arm.

Hun vinkede til nogen, sikkert en af de mange nye venner hun allerede havde mødt.

She waved to someone, probably one of the many new friends she had already made.

Aksel beundrede hendes selvsikkerhed.

Aksel admired her confidence.

Han ønskede, han kunne være ligeså åben, men han vidste, det ville kræve mod.

He wished he could be as outgoing, but he knew it would take courage.

Da undervisningen begyndte, lyttede Aksel opmærksomt.

When the classes began, Aksel listened attentively.

Hans yndlingsfag, marinebiologi, var på programmet.

His favorite subject, marine biology, was on the agenda.

Læreren bad om frivillige til at deltage i en gruppeoplevelse ved havets kant.

The teacher asked for volunteers to participate in a group activity by the sea's edge.

Aksel så sin chance.

Aksel saw his chance.

Med et dybt åndedrag rakte han hånden op.

Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand.

Freja kiggede på ham og smilede opmuntrende.

Freja looked at him and smiled encouragingly.

I gruppen arbejdede de sammen.

In the group, they worked together.

Emnet var havets biodiversitet.

The topic was the ocean's biodiversity.

Aksel delte sin viden om fisk og alger, og Freja lyttede med oprigtig interesse.

Aksel shared his knowledge about fish and algae, and Freja listened with genuine interest.

"Jeg vidste ikke, der var så meget liv under overfladen," sagde hun overrasket.

"I didn't know there was so much life beneath the surface," she said, surprised.

Endelig kom dagen for projektpræsentationen ved havnen.

Finally, the day came for the project presentation at the harbor.

Aksel var nervøs, men også spændt.

Aksel was nervous but also excited.

Han havde forberedt sig godt, og nu var det tid til at vise, hvad han vidste.

He had prepared well, and now it was time to show what he knew.

Under præsentationen forklarede Aksel roligt og indgående om de fascinerende skabninger i havet.

During the presentation, Aksel calmly and thoroughly explained the fascinating creatures in the sea.

Gruppen lyttede med store øjne, og Aksel fornemmede deres interesse.

The group listened with wide eyes, and Aksel sensed their interest.

Efter præsentationen gik Freja hen til ham.

After the presentation, Freja approached him.

"Det var fantastisk, Aksel! Jeg vil gerne vide mere," sagde hun med et glimt i øjet.

"That was amazing, Aksel! I want to know more," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

De satte sig ved kajen med en sodavand i hånden og talte om havet og livet i Aalborg.

They sat down by the quay with a soda in hand and talked about the sea and life in Aalborg.

De grinede sammen, da Aksel fortalte en sjov historie om en fjollet fisk, han engang havde mødt.

They laughed together as Aksel recounted a funny story about a silly fish he had once encountered.

Det var som om et lille bånd blev knyttet mellem dem, et venskab, der fik Aksel til at føle sig mere modig.

It was as if a small bond was formed between them, a friendship that made Aksel feel more courageous.

Det gav ham troen på, at han kunne åbne op og dele sit liv med nogen.

It gave him the confidence to open up and share his life with someone.

Efterhånden som sommeren gik, oplevede Aksel en forandring i sig selv.

As the summer went on, Aksel experienced a change within himself.

Han blev mere selvsikker, både i klasseværelset og blandt de nye venner, han havde fået.

He became more confident, both in the classroom and among the new friends he had made.

Freja var ofte ved hans side, og hendes smittende udadvendte natur gjorde, at han slap mere af.

Freja was often by his side, and her infectious outgoing nature made him relax more.

Ved kursets afslutning kiggede Aksel ud over havnen igen.

At the end of the course, Aksel looked out over the harbor again.

Men denne gang var han ikke alene.

But this time he wasn't alone.

Freja stod ved siden af ham, og de talte om fremtidige planer og drømme.

Freja stood beside him, and they talked about future plans and dreams.

Solen gik langsomt ned i horisonten, og Aksel vidste, at han havde fundet noget vigtigt denne sommer: Han havde fået en ven og troen på sig selv.

The sun slowly set on the horizon, and Aksel knew he had found something important that summer: he had gained a friend and faith in himself.