"Why do you look so surprised? I'm just kidding"
Ariys said while laughing. They arrived at a luxury house that looked abandoned. Ariys got an idea on how to repay his kindness. She invited Fri to come and have dinner at her house. Fri accepted it, he thought nothing would go wrong, not until he saw the food Ariys served to him. The food's colour was purple, the same colour as the poisonous things that appear in this world. He even asked her if the food was safe to eat or not. She just convinced him that the appearance didn't reflect the taste would be. The moment of truth came; he took one bite of those food although his hands were shaking badly. Ariys feeling so happy because this was one of her wishes, that is cooking for someone although she actually didn't know how to cook. She think as long as she followed the recipe, it would be okay. Her expectations were completely crushed by reality, now that she was watching Fri vomit from his behind in the toilet.
Ariys apologized to Fri after he was done vomiting. He just sat there, thinking about his earlier decision. Ariys looked restless. She decided to go buy food from the store and told him to stay here but he declined and asked her if she still had some leftovers ingredient. Ariys nodded. He then told her to wait in the living room while he cooked.
Thirty-eight minutes passed, and the food was ready and served on the living room table. Ariys was stunned to see the fancy food on the table. She even double-checked to make sure it was really the food he had cooked from the leftovers.
"Hey, you didn't order food from a restaurant, right?" she doubted him because it was too unbelievable that he had cooked this just from the leftover ingredients.
"Let's just eat" he was too lazy to argue with her.
"Hey don't ignore my quest..."
Fri stuffed her mouth with a spoonful of rice and fried chicken. Ariys felt angry but the delicious taste made her let him go. She also joined him in eating. After a few minutes, they were done and started to cleaning up the table. Ariys said thanks to him for the food while she cleaned the table.
"It's been so long since I ate someone else's cooking, thank you Fri for the food"
"Didn't your mum cook for you?" he asked.
Suddenly, Ariys stopped for a moment before answering; she told him that her mum had passed away when she was little. She doesn't even have any memories of her mum. She only knows about her mum from her father's letter, her mum was an adventurer, a pure-hearted one, she was always helping others, even when her life was on the line. That's why she wants to become an adventurer too, she wants to be like her mom.
"Oh, sorry I ..."
"No, it's okay you don't need to feel guilty. After all, we just met today"
Fri looked down. Afterwards, she accompanied him to the fence of the house as he was leaving, they waved at each other before walking in opposite directions. Back inside, Ariys looked around her house and felt lonely again.It has been a long time, since the house felt lived in for her. The night drifted away in a blur of quiet despair.
The next morning, Ariys walked down the street carefully, not wanting to let her guard down for a second. She worried that something might happen after yesterday's problem. Other students who saw her thought she had gone crazy.
After arriving school, she was relieved that nothing had happened, though she still didn't let her guard down. A soft voice could be heard in the distance. Ariys showed signs of recognising the voice, so she looked towards the sound and saw Qylaa, her best friend at school, who had returned from working as a model in the fashion city. They hugged. After a while, Qylaa want to express how much she missed her, but when she let go of the hug, she saw Ariys had been crying so hard that mucus was coming out from her nose. She hugged her again, not letting anyone else see her crying out loud.
"Why? What happen Ari? Is you Soto bothering you that badly again? It's okay, I'm with you now, so stop crying, okay?"
Although she had stopped crying. Qylaa still hugged her tightly and took her to the toilet.
In the toilet, they finished cleaning themselves. The school bell rang before Ariys could tell Qylaa what had happened to her yesterday, but it was okay because they were always together during break time and after school, so she planned to tell her then. While walking to class, Ariys felt grateful to have a best friend like Qylaa. She's always been by Ariys's side when she needed it most.
--------------
Ariys, 6 year old, she was walking back home as usual, going to the store to buy dinner and then heading home. Outside the store, she saw the other kids around her age being pampered by their parents. She felt envious watching them. She tried to call her dad to bring back his cheerfulness but her dad didn't even answer the call. Feeling sad, little Ariys went to the playground. She sat on the swing, and although the playground had many children her age, none of them wanted to play with her because Little Ariys didn't talk or act like a typical kid. They thought little Ariys was like a grown-up woman and not fun to play with. Suddenly, Soto come over to bother her. Everyone else in the playground ran away when Soto came, but little Ariys couldn't leave because all his attention was focused on her.
"Hey, you are so beautiful, do you want to play with me"
Little Ariys rejected his offer.
"No you don't have option here.You need to play with me"
Soto grabbed her hair, not letting little Ariys get away. Little Ariys struggled to free herself. She closed her eyes, resigned, knowing no one would help her, not even her father. Meanwhile, Soto smiled happily until he was kicked in the face by Qylaa, making him fall to the ground.
"Oi, Soto don't bother her"
Qylaa standing in front of him. Soto just crying being kicked and go to his underling but his underling cannot do anything because Qylaa is daughter of police chief, he doesn't want any trouble with her father. Little Qylaa quickly helped Little Ariys after they left the playground.
"Are you okay?"
Little Ariys doesn't say anything at all. Little Qylaa don't know what to do so she just held her hand.
"Let's go play with me"
They walked to the police station, and the police officer was confused by Little Qylaa.
"Qylaa you should know this is not a playground" a police officer said to little Qylaa who brought little Ariys to play cooking there.
"Hum" little Qylaa sigh.
"Just let them do whatever they want" a big man with black hair like Qylaa hair came out of the room.
"It's rare to see kid have fun at police station"
"Dad" Qylaa run to hug her father
"Look dad I brought a friend along too"
"What's her name Qylaa?"
"I don't know"
"What? You can't call someone your friend if you don't know their name yet"
"But dad said the person dad save is dad friend"
"Yes it's true but we intro each other first before being friends, but hey you sure are brave little girl saving someone else, that's my little girl" her dad's understand that little Ariys being saved by little Qylaa.
"Oh I see" little Qylaa come to Ariys and intro herself.
"Hello , my name is Qylaa Panda" little Qylaa while extended her hand to handshake.
"My name is Ariys Nirsa" little Ariys shake her hand.
"Okay now we are bestfriend forever, if you being disturb by Soto after this you can call me.I will come to save you"
Little Qylaa politely said unrealistic things like that, while the others smile at the two little princesses.
--------------
At the break time the two princess are having session of expressing feelings. Ariys have told her everything from A to Z. Qylaa seem to understand the story.
"It must be tough for you"
"Yes you bet it is"
"But don't worry, now you have me, your bestfriend are here to help you Ari"
Qylaa confidently tells Ariys not to worry after this. Ariys feel more relieved now, she thanks Qylaa. She smiled and told her it's not a big problem.
"So where do you plan to meet with the guy named Fri?" Qylaa asked.
Just now feeling relieved, she went back to feeling sad again. She tells her that she forgot to set up a place to meet. Qylaa calmed her.
"Relax Ari, maybe he will come for you at your house"
Ariys wipes away her tears.She convinces herself saying 'that's how it will be' . Qylaa asks her if she want to be accompany until tomorrow. Ariys said she's okay by his own but if Qylaa still insist to come it's okay there's no compulsion.
On the way home, they walk with full hand carried plastic bags full of instant food since none of them can cook. From distance they see two men and one woman are standing in front Ariys house, they are peeking inside the house. Qylaa quickly grab Ariys to hide. Meanwhile, Ariys has started panic, she afraid of being targeted by gang Crow again. Qylaa try to calm her but she cannot hearing Qylaa at all. The brave girl then walk out from hiding and try to get rid three of them by herself. She strike them by doing tornado kick to the woman, while she turn a man has standing in her way, the woman just smile looking at her.The man casually deflect her kick to his left side protecting himself and the woman, he quickly doing triangle choke to her.The woman then ask her if she know the owner of the house. Qylaa shook her head.
"Is it true that you don't know the owner of this house, or do you want me to ask your friend that is hiding over there?" the woman threatened her while pointing in the house alleyway.
"No, don't you dare touch her" Qylaa tries harder to free herself but the man doesn't budge at all.
"Fri get her" the woman said.
Suddenly, Qylaa went quiet. Fri stopped moving, while the woman asked her partner.
"Kyle, you don't choke her to hard are you"
Kyle let her go. The woman looked at Qylaa, she was glad upon seeing Qylaa still breathing.
"Why are you suddenly being quiet?" she asked firmly.
"You guys are not bad person so no need to fight and Ariys is at there but I can't calm her down" Qylaa replied.
"I see"the woman ordered Fri to take Ariys.
While showing straight face, he casually walk to there. At first, he struggled to take her so he knocked her down and take her with all the belongings.They all seem surprised with Fri act. Qylaa want to smack him for treat her bestfriend like that but she stopped because the woman already smack Fri first.
"You shouldn't treat woman like that, Fri"
"Why? it will be more faster if I just knocked her down than try to calm her"
The woman becomes angrier, Kyle tries to calm her but he also being scolded too. On that moment, for the first time the brave girl not feeling brave enough to interfere.
--------------
The moon has arise, Ariys has wake up from fainted and get up to sitting position. All she could see is her house is full of people, she could see Fri is cooking with other man while Qylaa is chatting with woman she doesn't know. Qylaa realized that she had woken up and called the others. Now, all four of them are standing in front Ariys. Qylaa ask her first if she's okay. Ariys nodded. Ariys nodded. Qylaa wanted to introduce them but was blocked by Ellie.
"Let's us introduce ourselves"
"Okay"
"My name is Ellie Hibiscus"
Ariys like her voice that is beautifully soft. She have a curtain bangs hairstyle. Her eyes and hair colour is Brown
"Next, my name is Kyle Sparks, Ellie partner in crime" Kyle said while give her a cup of water
"Wow, this one is so gentle" She liked how Kyle introduced himself. He had a middle part haircut with brown colour while his eyes were silver.
All eyes see on Fri.
"Do I need to introduce myself too?" he asked.
He yields after being looked by them for so long.
"My name is Fri"
As usual he always wears all black.It's lucky that his skin and eyes are not black too. His haircut is undercut middle part.
"Now it's my turn; my name is Qylaa Panda," the brave girl introduced herself.
She was the uniqueness of them all. The panda name really show her appearance by having both black and white colour on her hair and eyes. Her hairstyles is half-up, half-down.
"Now, it's my turn to introduce myself" Ariys get up from sitting.
"My name is Ariys Nirsa, the shortest one here" said the girl who has a messy bun hairstyle .Her eyes and hair is the same colour as Ellie.
"Nice to meet you all" Ariys said while smiling.
"Nice to meet you too" Kyle, Ellie and Fri replied.
Qylaa also smiled, seeing that Ariys was happy now. Kyle suggested they eat now, but Ariys wanted an explanation first about why their all peeking her house like a kidnapper or theft. The woman easily handle her by said 'you know it's hard for me to control this two idiots' and just like that Ariys understand and feel sympathy at her too then the girls walk first to eat leaving Fri and Kyle behind.
"Did we just get forgotten?" Fri asked Kyle.
"It's normal Fri, you need to get adapted to this when Ellie gets female friends" Kyle replied while patting Fri on the back.