With enthusiasm, they began to prepare. The runners quickly scattered, searching for the best positions to dodge. Tian and Damar exchanged glances and then nodded. They started passing the ball to each other, getting ready to attack.
Tian ran quickly, chasing Aris, his eyes focused on finding an opening to hit his friend with the ball. "Damar! Throw the ball to me!" he shouted excitedly.
Damar swung his arm, "Okay! Hmp...!" He threw the ball hard, but... "Ah! Sorry, Tian! I threw it too high!" he yelled in a panic.
However, Tian thought quickly. With agile movement, he ran and jumped high, at least three meters above the grass. The wind rushed around him as he reached out, catching the ball perfectly in mid-air.
Without wasting time, while still in the air, Tian immediately threw the ball towards Ark.
"WHOOSH!"
The cloth ball shot through the air like an arrow, and before Ark could react,
"THUD!"
The ball hit him squarely, making him stumble back a bit. The ball then bounced and floated out of the play area.
Tian landed lightly on the grass, the corners of his mouth lifting. "First one down!" he said confidently.
Without wasting any time, he quickly caught the bouncing ball and threw it towards Aris.
"SWISH!"
The ball flew again and,
"THUD!"
Hit Aris squarely! But the ball didn't stop; it continued to bounce and—
"THUD!"
Hit Lian, who was trying to dodge.
Tian clenched his fist in victory. "Yosha! Double kill!" he shouted with excitement.
Damar immediately cheered beside Tian. "Woohoo! We won!" he said, raising both hands in the air.
"What's going on here...?! It just started, and it's already over?!" Ark exclaimed incredulously. "And Tian! Your jump earlier… wasn't that too high?! That's not reasonable!"
They seemed to argue for a moment, throwing arguments at each other with faces full of enthusiasm. However, it didn't take long before laughter broke out among them again. Finally, they decided to continue the game by switching roles.
As the sun was directly overhead, Ark, Aris, and Lian's faces were already covered in drying mud, the punishment for the losers.
"AHAHAHA!"
The laughter of Tian and Damar echoed across the meadow. They could hardly contain their laughter seeing their friends' faces, now looking funny with mud smeared here and there.
Ark wiped his face, which felt stiff from the drying mud. Annoyed, he muttered, "That's enough! I'm going home!"
Aris sighed as he brushed off his now dirty clothes. "Right! I'm going too. My face is full of mud; it feels uncomfortable!" he said while trying to clean his cheeks.
Without saying much more, the four of them—Ark, Lian, Aris, and Damar—walked home, leaving Tian and his goat in the meadow.
Tian then walked towards a shady tree standing strong not far from where his goat was grazing. The leaves swayed gently in the light breeze, creating a cool shade beneath it. Tian sighed in relief before dropping himself onto the soft grass. Relaxed, he leaned against the tree trunk, letting his eyes gaze at the blue sky decorated with drifting white clouds. Occasionally, he could hear his goat bleating contentedly as it chewed on grass, blending with the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves.
However, Tian suddenly remembered his friends' earlier words, and it began to disturb his thoughts. He sighed softly, staring at the vast sky above him.
"If I only have a male goat... how can my goat multiply?" he wondered, frowning. He bit his lip, contemplating the possibilities.
"Maybe I really need to buy a female goat..." he murmured to himself. Tian shook his head, trying to dispel the troubling thoughts while continuing to watch his goat peacefully grazing in the meadow.
The day began to turn to evening, and the sky started to change to a beautiful orange hue. The sunset light softly illuminated the thin clouds in the sky. Seeing that it was getting late, Tian decided to head home. He slowly guided his goat back, ensuring it returned safely.
When night fell, the atmosphere in the house was calm after dinner. The dishes had been collected and neatly stored in the kitchen by his mother, who was now tidying up with his father. The tranquility of the night enveloped their small home, accompanied only by the sound of the gentle night breeze blowing outside the window.
Feeling full and a bit tired after a long day, Tian entered his room. The bedroom door creaked softly as he closed it, the sound marking the end of the day. He immediately lay down on his bed, staring at the simple ceiling of his room. Tian thought hard, "How can I get another female goat?" He recalled the conversation with his friends in the meadow. "Should I ask my dad again? But a female goat must be more expensive..."
His thoughts continued to swirl until gradually, sleepiness overtook him. Unconsciously, Tian fell asleep. His breathing became soft and regular, showing that he had drifted off into his dreams.
Days passed, and the morning sun began to pierce through his bedroom window. Birds chirped in the distance. As usual, Tian woke up, got dressed, and had breakfast with his family. After eating, Tian hurried to the back of the house to check on his goat. The sound of the wooden back door creaked as he opened it, and the goat was still faithfully tied to the post, waiting calmly.
"Mom, I'm heading to the meadow!" Tian called cheerfully as he untied the rope from his beloved goat's neck.
His mother, busy with a pile of dishes at the sink, turned to him. "Aren't you bored, dear? Why don't you just play with your friends today? Just bring some grass from the meadow; you don't have to bother herding every day," she said gently.
Tian shook his head firmly. "It's okay, Mom! I actually enjoy accompanying the goat to graze. The breeze there is cool and comfortable," he replied enthusiastically.
His mother chuckled. "Alright, but don't come back too late, okay?"
"Got it, Mom! I'm off!" Tian answered, bidding farewell. With a wide smile, he headed towards the meadow.
At the edge of the village, Tian saw his friends—Lian, Aris, Ark, and Damar—busy playing flat stone skipping in the field. Their laughter echoed in the air. Spotting Tian, Lian waved his hand and shouted, "Tian! Come join us!"
Tian shook his head while continuing to lead his goat. "Sorry, friends. Today I want to accompany the goat to graze first. Later, I'll sit under the tree and watch you play," he replied.
Aris approached Tian with a friendly smile. "That's fine. If you get bored, just join us!"
Tian took a small breath. "Yeah, I'll head over there first," he said as he walked towards the shady tree about fifty meters from where his friends were playing.
His friends resumed their game. Pyar! Pyok! The flat stones soared through the air, accompanied by joyful laughter.
Upon reaching the tree, Tian untied the rope from his goat's neck, allowing it to freely enjoy the fresh green grass. Crunch… crunch… The sound of the goat munching on grass filled the silence of the vast meadow. Tian sat leaning against the shady tree, feeling the cool breeze blowing gently. His thoughts drifted, remembering his desire to have more goats.
"I need to find a way to buy a female goat," Tian murmured softly while gazing at the expansive sky.