Chapter 1

The Day We Meet

" ...chan..."

" Wake up, Gumi-chan!" Okaa-san (mother) shook my small body. I woke up from my long slumber.

" Nani? (what's it?)" I rubbed my eyes, I am still sleepy enough... I stretched my hands and changed my position. I sat properly.

" We're already here, Gumi!" Otou-san (father) looket at me who was at the back seat along with Okaa-san, while he sat at the front seat with the driver. I was half asleep, so I just followed Okaa-san to get out of the car.

"Uhm,...," I am rubbing my eyes again and yawned, " So where are we?"

" We are here, we arrived in our new home in another city!" Otousan paid the driver and helped Okaasan to take the luggage. I am with my beloved rabbit bag and the picture book that Okaasan gave to me before we moved. We must go upstair via the stairs. We stopped in front of a room number A4.

" So, from now on...," Okaasan opened the door using the key she's holding, "this will be our new home!" Otousan and I came into the apartment room and I gazed everywhere. "Gumi, Gumi!" Okaasan called me. I ran to her. Okaasan stood in front of a room and put a decoration with my name in hiragana on it. " Taa-daa! It will be Gumi-chan's room from now on! Check it!" and then she left.

I came into my room. A simple room with a single bed and a desk. Frankly, I am disappointed. "Oops!" Okaasan came to my room, " Let's decorate your room after we finished unpacking our stuffs!" I smiled, " Let me help you!"

I followed Okaasan into a big enough room with sofa and television. There, I saw some boxes. Otousan already unpacked one of them.

" Gumi-chan, let's unpack them!" Okaasan smiled. Otousan looked at Okaasan with his brown eyes. I owned my green eyes from Okaasan, while my green hair is from Otousan. I asked Okaasan, "Which one should I pack?"

" Ah..big,...," Okaasan murmured. Big? I searched for the biggest box and I found a box that has the size twice my body size! I was shocked, but Okaasan surely asked me to unpack this one... I grabbed it with my small hands from left to right, and my pose right now is... I am hugging this box! Although I only intend to grab it! I tried to take it, but it's so heavy!

" Gumi, what are you doing?" asked Otousan. "Ung...," I gave up. This box is way too much for an eight year-old girl like me!

" Datte, okaasan ga... (Because, mother..)," I started to speak. I coughed a bit and I tried to take in as much air as I could.

" Because mother?" Otousan asked me to continue my reason while Okaasan seems busy with unpacking a box and she doesn't hear us at all! What an awesome focus!

" I... asked mother which one should I unpack...," I sobbed, " and she murmured 'big'! So I tried to move the biggest box but I couldn't! Huwaaa!" I cried.

"Huh? Is that so, dear?" Otousan whispered to Okaasan.

"Eh?" Okaasan looked back at me and quickly hugged me, " Sorry, Gumi-chan! Okaasan didn't hear you! I was murmuring to myself! Ah, sorry! Sorry!" I tried to stop crying, but sobbed instead. Okaasan wiped my tears.

" Gumi-chan," Okaasan took a small box and put it beside me. I stopped to cry perfectly. "This is your stuff. You can decorate your room with dolls, etc, and also put in your books in the desk, there are some slots at the desk, right?" Okaasan smiled at me. I nodded and run to my room with the small, light box in my hands.

" Come out to take your books' box, 'kay?" Okaasan screamed from the other room. I shouted, " Oh-kayyy!"

And I quickly put my dolls and my stuffs in my own room. And now, my room has changed from empty become crowded! I smiled although I am sweating. After decorating my room, I also helped my parents.

Time surpasses quickly and now it's night. We've done with unpacking stuffs and the others. I fell asleep directly after eating and having a bath. I am glad that I still have holidays, since it's Golden Week.

The next day...

" Where are we going, Okaasan?" I asked Okaasan who has grabbed a bag and grabbed my hand.

" We are going to greet our neighbors," answered Okaasan, " who knows that there are children around your age here. So, now, let's go and greet the neighbors from the farthest one until the closest one!"

And so, we explored our new apartment. But I couldn't see children around my age. There are some older and younger children, though. I am a bit depressed and I sighed. Okaasan understood what I thought. She patted my head, " This is our last neighbor, who live in room B4, one room next to our room... So, let's hope for this one." I nodded, but I don't dare to wish...

This apartment has an odd system in naming the room, by the way. The lowest room is the receptionist and the 2nd floor is the 1 rooms, so from A1 until E1. And our room is in the 5th floor, from A4 to E4. The highest floor is the opened roof which is one floor above my room.

Okay, so there's a woman around Okaasan's age who opened the B4 room. Her eyes are blue and her long hair is blond. She is so pretty. Behind her, there is a man with glasses covered his grey eyes and his hair is short white—uh, a bit to grey. So, just a married couple here?

" Konnichiwa (good afternoon)! We are Megpoid family who moved to room A4. My name is Mei, and my husband is Gen. He is working now. And this is my daughter, Gumi. Nice to meet you," Okaasan bowed to them.

" Ah, what an unique surname!" They bowed too. " My name is Kiku, and my husband is Poseidon. Our surname is Utatane. Nice to meet you, too," said the woman.

" Yeah, my husband's family is from another country."

" Really? My family too!"

So, the ones that get friends here is mother and father only, eh? ...

" Ah, Gumi is 8 years old this year and she's going to move to an Elementary School near here. It's St. Cattleya Elementary School."

" What? 8 years... In the 2nd grade?"

" Yeah, what's wrong?" Mom asked.

" What a coincidence! I have a kid that is also in the 2nd grade of St. Cattleya Private Elementary School!" Kiku-obaasan (obaa-san = aunt) looked into her room and shouted, " Piko! Come here! You are getting a new friend!"

Soon, a kid with short white-a-bit-grey hair and blue eyes came out and greeted me and my mother.

" I am Utatane Piko, nice to meet you!" I shook Piko's hand.

" Kyaa! You are so cute, Piko-chan! Let's be good friend!"

"... cute...?...Piko-chan?" Piko-chan moved back several paces.

" Uhm... Gumi-chan..." Mother called me.

" Yes?"

" Piko is a boy... so call him Piko-kun, okay?" Mom asked, " and also, he uses boku (male language), right?"

I recalled what Piko-chan said... Hajimemashite, boku wa Utatane Piko desu. !

" Gomen ne! (I'm sorry!)" I apologized to Piko.

" It's okay..."

" But I'll call you Piko-chan, still!"

"Ekh?" He was shocked.

" Since I feel closer to you that way! " I hugged him, oh my... he's just too cute for a boy!

Piko was troubled over Gumi's attitude. It seems that from now on, my life will be busier and noisier than this one...

Finally, Gumi got a new friend, his name is Piko! What will happen next? See you later! And don't forget to review this chapter!