The next day, Art went to school as usual.
His friends greeted him with smiles.
"Hi Art, are you feeling better now?" they asked.
"Hehehe, yes. I was in the hospital for a few days because of a weak heart and an injury on my leg from the soccer match the other day," Art replied, with a pale blush on his face.
His classmates felt sorry for him.
"Aww, poor you!" they replied in unison.
Then Art started remembering his hobby—playing soccer—which might be abandoned because of his illness.
Unfortunately, he couldn't join in some of the soccer matches anymore.
So, he could only watch his friends play.
At that time, they were playing against Team Zebra.
Tommy acted as the replacement captain.
"Hey Art, don't worry! We'll bring this team to victory!!" shouted Tommy from afar.
"Okay then, let's go! Keep the spirit!" Art replied, cheering for his team.
After that, the match began.
The crowd started to cheer loudly and enthusiastically...
The game began to be dominated by Art's team, led excellently by Captain Tommy.
Coach Mr. Joker kept giving instructions from the sideline.
Suddenly, they scored a goal,
and everyone cheered with joy...
Then in the second half, they scored again...
The final score was 3-2, with the Green Dragon team winning.
They all agreed to celebrate the match with a parade on the way home.
Art didn't join them. After that, he quickly went home first.
His heart was a bit disappointed because he couldn't play with them anymore due to his weak heart.
On his way home, a thought crossed his mind...
"Ahh, maybe I should go to the shop and help Guru with his store!" Art muttered.
Then Art turned and headed to the shop.
When he arrived, Guru was busy carving furniture like tables and cabinets.
Art immediately went over to help.
"Here, Guru. Let me help with the painting!" Art asked.
Guru handed him the painting tools.
"Oohh alright. Why do you look so gloomy? Is there something wrong, or are you sick again?" said Guru.
"Oohh hmmm, not really. Just a little pain in my heart," said Art while holding his chest.
Guru was startled, but he calmed himself...
"Hah, in that case, you don't need to help. Just get some rest!" said Guru.
"It's okay, Guru. I'll just do the painting. Painting and seeing the beautiful colors makes me happy," said Art.
"Hmmm alright, if that's what you want," Guru replied.
Then Art started mixing the colors and began painting.
While painting, Guru began telling a story to Art.
Back in his youth, Guru's life was very difficult.
His father and mother were both very ill, and he had to drop out of college due to the high tuition fees and the condition of his sick parents.
He was forced to make paintings and display them on the streets, hoping someone would buy them.
Besides painting, he also made children's toys like wooden toy cars and wax figures.
Soon, a little boy came along, interested in one of the toy cars, and bought it.
That boy came from a wealthy family.
Not long after, his father came along, bought one of Guru's paintings, and offered him a job—gardening in his yard.
Guru accepted the offer and started working in their garden every morning.
The house was huge, beautiful, and luxurious. That's how he earned money and saved it to pay for his parents' treatment.
After that, he quit being a street artist and worked daily at the rich man's house.
They were very kind and generous. Whenever Guru was hungry, they gave him food.
There was also a beautiful woman living in that house.
She was the cousin of the rich man's wife.
She often helped Guru in the garden, watering the flowers and tea plants.
Day by day, Guru fell in love with her, and he wanted to marry her.
Her parents and relatives agreed to the relationship.
However, Guru's parents didn't approve of it because of their different family backgrounds.
She was pampered and had expensive needs, unlike Guru's family life.
But Guru was already deeply in love and wanted to marry her.
Her parents wanted the wedding to happen soon.
Hearing the wedding news, Guru's parents were in shock.
Their health worsened and they were rushed to the hospital.
But sadly, they didn't survive.
Guru's heart was broken, full of sorrow and guilt.
He had to go through with the wedding ceremony already arranged by her family.
After the ceremony, they both agreed to visit Guru's parents' graves.
They brought beautiful rose bouquets, and Guru prayed.
After that, they played violin music together, as a symbol of seeking their blessings.
Then they both went home and planned to rent a house to live together.
Guru then started the artist shop business to provide for their needs until now.
Art listened with deep emotion. "Wooow, I'm touched by your life story," said Art.
"Yes, my boy. Life is sometimes mysterious and unpredictable," Guru replied.
"Wow, the cabinet and table are now finished and beautifully painted," Art added.
Then Art and Guru displayed them in front of the shop for sale.
They were a big hit—soon, a customer arrived.
"Wow, the cabinets, chairs, and tables look so nice and colorful, very pleasing to the eye. How much is this, sir?" the buyer asked.
"Oh, since you're our first buyer, we'll give you a 40% discount. The original price is 500 dollars, so you only need to pay 200 dollars," said Guru.
The customer felt lucky.
"Wow, thank you, sir! I hope your store sells well," she said.
Guru accepted the money from the customer.
"Yes, thank you, ma'am," Guru replied.
After buying the furniture, the lady left in her private car.
The day was getting late. As usual, Guru and Art cleaned up the shop and headed home.
Once home, Art and Guru enjoyed a meal prepared by his wife—fried fish that Guru had caught from the sea.
"Wow, the fish is so big!" said Art.
"This afternoon before going to the shop, I went fishing alone at sea," said Guru.
Then suddenly, they heard a knocking sound at the door...?
"Art, please open the door. It might be an important guest!" the Guru requested.
"Alright, Guru," Art replied as he walked to the living room to open the door.
However, after opening the door, it turned out to be none other than the Mavia of this city.
Art was shocked and ran to the back to inform the Guru and Mother.
"Wuah, Guru, this is bad! It's those Mavia again!" Art exclaimed.
"Hmmm, alright, Art. Now, please fetch my magical flute from the cupboard," the Guru requested.
Quickly, Art retrieved the magical flute and handed it to the Guru.
The Guru then went to the living room to face the Mavia.