On September 7, 1986, in one of the houses in Levytatia Village, around 7 am.

Little Garuvy enters a bedroom through the room door.

Garuvy wears a blue T-shirt with a pink skirt. She has short black hair with blue color on the corners of the hair.

Garuvy sees a woman standing in front of a mirror placed on the wall.

The woman wears a white T-shirt, a red shirt, and blue jeans. She has long blue hair. The hair has bangs that are hanging over her eyes. She wears a light blue hairpin on her right bang to sweep it behind her right ear, so her right ear and her silver stud earring on her right earlobe are visible.

Garuvy approached the woman. “Mom.”

The woman turns to Garuvy. "Yes?"

"Do you want to go somewhere? Can I go with you?"

The woman sighed. "Come on, Garuvy. You have always been hanging out with me for years. You don't even want to play with your classmates. I told you before that now is your time to find a close friend. Aren't you bored of always going out with your mom?"

"But, Mom… I want to protect you forever."

"Yes.” The woman nodded before she added. “Thank you for your protection, but I don't need it right now! Go out and find a friend! Today is your holiday because your teachers are in a meeting. This is your chance to go out!"

The woman approaches her daughter. “But if you resist…” She touches Garuvy's right earlobe with her left thumb and left index finger.

The woman rubs Garuvy’s right earlobe with her left thumb. "You have a nice earlobe here.” She presses Garuvy’s right earlobe with her left thumbnail. “I can make it prettier."

Garuvy’s eyebrows are narrowed. "No!" She shouted.

The woman releases her left thumb and left index finger from Garuvy’s right earlobe. She chuckled. "Why? Most girls are pleased to have ear piercings, especially for the first time."

"Yes.” Garuvy nodded before she continued. “But not me! It's not because I'm afraid of needles! I'm already pretty without that!"

The woman chuckled. "It's alright, Garuvy. There are many girls and women like you in the world. But, since you don't want it, piercing your ears will be a punishment for you if you don't find a friend. Got it?"

Garuvy’s eyebrows are furrowed. She sighed. "Fine! I will go out right now!" She leaves the room.

Garuvy goes to the living room. She sees a man with black hair. He wears a white shirt with long sleeves, a black tie, a brown suit, brown trousers, and a brown bowler hat. He sits on a sofa and reads a newspaper.

"Garuvy!" The man shouted.

"Sorry, Dad!” Garuvy turned to him before she added. “I want to go out right now!" She turns back ahead.

She goes out of the house through the front door near the living room.

Garuvy walked around the village and reached the Flowery Field. It’s a field with grass and flowers around. She found some children playing a running race.

She watches the children for a while with a crumpled face. Then she leaves without trying to approach them. She finds a volleyball court. She sees some children playing volleyball.

She takes one step to approach them. Her face is crumpled again. She leaves the volleyball court quickly.

Garuvy reaches the Playground Field. It’s a field with grass and two swings in the middle of it. She sees a boy and a girl playing jump rope while three boys and three girls watch the two.

One of the girls notices Garuvy's presence and waves at her. "Heeeey! You want to join us?" She shouted.

Garuvy’s eyebrows are raised. Her face is crumpled.

One of the boys waves at Garuvy. "Come oooon! Come here!"

Garuvy runs away. It makes one of the boys’ eyes knitted. "Huh? What's wrong with her?"

"It's useless! I can't do it! I want to be with my mom!" Garuvy murmured.

It started to rain. The water cannot penetrate the village’s barrier. She hears a loudspeaker voice. “Ladies and gentlemen, the barrier will be opened in 15 minutes. Be prepared.”

Garuvy’s eyes are widened. “Oh, no! I have to get home fast!”

After a while, Garuvy reaches her house. After she reaches the front yard terrace, the upper part of the village’s barrier is opened. The rain goes inside the barrier.

Garuvy tries to open the front door. It is locked. "Ah, Mom is already gone."

Garuvy sits on the front yard terrace. She leans against the front door. "I'm alone. I can't find a single friend to play with..."

Garuvy touches her earlobes with the thumb and the index finger of her hands. "This is bad. There will be a hole in my earlobes soon..."

After a minute, she releases the thumb and the index finger of her hands from her earlobes.

"No!” Garuvy shakes her head. “She won't do that right away! She will give me a few days to try again! I hope... I hope she will give me another chance..."

Garuvy looks up to the rainy sky. "How should... I find a close friend?"

Around 11 am, the rain has stopped. The upper part of the village’s barrier has been closed. A white Honda Civic Wonder SB3 car comes to the house and enters the garage.

After a few minutes, Garuvy’s mother comes out of the garage. She walks towards the front yard terrace. She sees her daughter sleeping in front of the front door.

She approaches Garuvy and shakes Garuvy's left shoulder with her right hand. "Garuvy."

Garuvy slowly opens her eyes. "Mom?"

"You are home already? Are you tired?" Garuvy’s mother asked.

"Yeah," Garuvy nodded.

"You must have met new friends, right? Now tell me. Who are your new friends?"

Garuvy’s eyes are widened. Her eyebrows are highly raised.

Garuvy’s mother’s eyebrows are knitted. "What's wrong?"

Garuvy remains silent for a few minutes.

"I... still can't find a friend, Mom," Garuvy replied.

"What?” Garuvy’s mother’s eyebrows are raised. “Then what made you so tired?"

Garuvy remains silent again for a few seconds. "I found some children who I can play with, but I can't... approach them. I'm... too afraid."

"Seriously? You seemed brave before, but you can't achieve your goal?" Garuvy’s mother’s eyebrows are furrowed.

Garuvy remains silent again.

"Come on, Garuvy. I will take you to the piercing store." Garuvy’s mother extends her right hand to Garuvy.

Tears flowed from Garuvy’s eyes. "No! Please, Mom! Don't pierce my ears! I want to keep my earlobes intact forever! Give me a second chance! Please!"

Garuvy’s mother remains silent and lowers her right hand.

"Please, Mom! Don't be too fierce with your daughter!"

"If you really want to succeed, you should do it earlier. What makes you so afraid?"

"I don't understand myself, either. When I tried to get along with other people, I felt weird..."

Garuvy’s mother remained silent for a minute before she added. "Fine. I give you another chance."

Garuvy smiled before she added. "R—Really?"

"Yes.” Garuvy’s mother nodded before she continued. “You have seven days to find a friend, starting tomorrow. Use your time wisely and don't repeat the same mistakes. Understand?"

"Y—Yes.” Garuvy nodded before she added. “I'll do it! I'll do it for sure!"

Garuvy’s mother smiles. "Now that's my daughter. By the way, you have said ‘forever’ more often lately. Do you like that word?"

"Yes!” Garuvy smiled and nodded before she added. “I said 'forever' so I can tell people that I'm really serious!"

"Well, in my opinion, you said ‘forever’ so often because your mind is affected by your Gravity Bothyner."

Garuvy’s eyebrows are knitted. "My mind?” She tilts her head to the right. “Affected?"

"Yes.” Garuvy’s mother nodded before she continued. “Earth's gravity can last forever, you know? Maybe it has a connection with your favorite word."

"Oh.” Garuvy’s eyes are widened. She straightens her head. “I didn't realize it."

Garuvy’s mother chuckled. "How can you realize if your mind is being controlled?" She smiles.

They both remain silent for a few seconds.

"Thank you, Mom. I swear that I will protect you forever."

"What? Garuvy’s mother chuckled. “You're welcome. Now let's go into the house. I want to cook something. You're hungry, right?"

"Ah, yes." Garuvy looks down and touches her stomach with her right hand.

Garuvy and her mother enter the house through the front door after her mother opens it with a key.

***

On September 8, 1986, in Levytatia Village, around 4 pm.

Garuvy is now wearing a green T-shirt with a light green skirt. She appears in the Barren Football Field.

It is filled with two soccer goals and empty land, but there is still some grass, twigs, trees, and a long chair. After seeing Lyos, she hides behind a tree in the corner of the field.

Lyos has messy, spiky black hair. He wears a blue T-shirt with light blue pants.

Garuvy leans against the tree. Her eyes are widened. "That boy! It can't be!"

After a minute, Garuvy turns around and peeks at Lyos from behind the tree. "If I'm not mistaken, that boy is Lyos Bimasaktyo! What is he doing here?"

Garuvy watches Lyos drawing squares, triangles, and circles on the ground with a twig. "He plays by himself? Oh, yes.”

Garuvy looks down with a crumpled face. “He must be shunned by his friends because of that rule. Mom told me that if I want to play with him, I can only play for 15 minutes before I leave him alone. He doesn't have close friends. He's just like me..."

Garuvy remains silent for a few minutes. "Maybe... maybe I should approach him... and play with him for a long time.”

She smiles. “Yes. If I do it, he will have his first close friend, and I will feel that way too." She turns to Lyos. "That sounds good, doesn't it?" She walks towards Lyos. “Yes. I don't care about the rule!"

A gentle breeze started blowing in the field when Lyos turned to Garuvy.

"Hi!" Garuvy greeted.

The two looked at each other for the first time while being blown by the gentle breeze.

"Who are you?" Lyos asked.

"I'm Garuvy Ramona!” She smiled before she added. “Nice to meet you!" She tilts her head to the left.

"Oh, yeah. Nice to meet you too."

Garuvy’s eyebrows are knitted. She straightens her head. Her smile disappears.

"What do you want?" Lyos asked.

"I want to play with you!" Garuvy smiles.

Lyos’ eyes are widened.

After three seconds, Garuvy’s smile disappears. Her eyebrows are knitted again. "You don't want to tell your name?"

Lyos’ eyebrows are raised.

"Come on, tell me your name. I want to know you more," Garuvy continued.

"I am... Lyos Bimasaktyo. You already know about me, right?"

"Well, actually, I already know your name." Garuvy smiles and chuckles.

"What? Then why are you still asking? And why are you approachin' me? You know the rule, right?"

"Yes.” Garuvy nodded before she added. “But I still want to play with you."

"Oh, so you really want to play with me? Even if it's just for a few minutes?"

"Yes, but not just for a few minutes! I want to ignore the rule! I want to be your close friend!" She smiles.

Lyos’ cheeks turn red. "A—Are you sure you want to be my close friend? Is that really okay?"

"Lyos, I just want to help you get out of loneliness."

Lyos’ eyebrows are knitted. "Yeah, thank you, but what about your other friends? Why don't you just play with them?"

Garuvy looks down with a crumpled face.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Lyos asked.

"Actually, I don't have any friends, just like you."

"Huh?” Lyos’ eyebrows are raised. “Are you serious?"

"Yes.” Garuvy nodded before she continued. “I spent too much time with my mom. When I tried to approach my classmates or any children in this village, I was embarrassed. I'm not used to talking with new people. Therefore, my mom scolded me."

Garuvy smiles again. "But now, I'm motivated to find new friends. When I came to this field for that purpose, I found you, so please... let me become your close friend as my first step. This will be your first step too."

Lyos remains silent for a few seconds.

"Fine.” Lyos nodded before he added. “We're friends from now on." He smiles.

Garuvy smiles broadly. "Thank you. I hope we can be close forever."

Lyos laughed before he added. "However, there is one condition. You know about Ferbothy Disorder, right?"

Garuvy's smile disappears. "Huh? Yes, I heard about it from my mom."

Lyos' eyebrows are narrowed. "Don't make me angry, or you'll die. Understand?"

"Yes." Garuvy nodded. She smiles again. "Don't worry. I'm a friendly person."

Garuvy turns to her left side. "Even though there are some things that I don't like..."

"Oh, I see. What is it, then?"

"Well, you will know when we get along. Now, let's play!" She smiles.

"Oh, okay. What should we play?"

Garuvy remained silent for a few seconds before she added. "Let's run!" She pats Lyos' body with her right hand and runs away immediately.

Lyos’ eyebrows are raised. He remains silent for a few seconds before he drops the twig in his right hand and starts chasing her. They are running around the field with beaming faces.

When Lyos gets close to Garuvy, he pats her body and runs away immediately. It’s Garuvy's turn to chase Lyos.

They keep changing their turns for the chase and enjoying it for a while.

To be continued.