**One day ago…**
In a small town far from the city center—let's call it S Village—stood the house of the village head, a rustic home made of wood with a wide yard full of livestock and farm produce.
This was the Darsono family's house, home to two beautiful girls.
The first was Lisa Darsono, their beloved daughter.
The second was Elvira, their niece, who had lived with them since she was a baby.
**Today.**
Vira was dragging her suitcase down the wooden stairs of the Darsono house.
"Hey, sis, where are you going?"
Lisa had just stepped out of her car and was surprised to see Vira with a suitcase. She rushed toward her cousin at the bottom of the stairs.
"I'm heading to the capital. The college entrance exams are starting soon," Vira replied.
"You're leaving for the capital now? With that suitcase? And wearing that dress?"
Vira raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. What's wrong with my suitcase and dress?"
Lisa scratched her head, looking puzzled. "Nothing, I guess…"
"Okay then, bye…" Vira continued walking away from the house.
Lisa stood still, trying to process everything. Wait! She wasn't finished talking.
"Sis! Wait up!" Lisa called, running after her.
Vira sighed. *What now…?* she thought, annoyed.
"Hold on! Just for a minute. I have something for you!" Lisa said, smiling brightly. Something about her looked different to Vira now.
"Congrats on getting into college in the capital! But before you go, I have a gift."
Lisa pulled something out of her neon-colored designer bag and waved it in front of Vira's face.
It was a plane ticket.
Then, she pulled out another item.
"What's that?" Vira asked, pointing to the small card Lisa held.
"Oh, sweetie… how could you not know what this is?" Lisa said in a dramatic tone.
"What card is that?" Vira asked again, still looking clueless.
"It's a hotel room access card! In fancy hotels, they don't use keys anymore—they use cards. Isn't that cool?"
So, it was a room key? Vira still didn't understand what it had to do with her.
Lisa gently took Vira's hand and placed the card in her palm.
"It's a graduation gift!" Lisa grinned.
"No way…" Vira blinked, full of disbelief. She looked at her cousin, who nodded proudly.
"Are you serious? You're giving this to me?"
"Why not? I'm proud of you. You're my cousin. We've been through so much together," Lisa said, rolling her eyes dramatically.
Vira grabbed Lisa's shoulders, touched. It was the first time Lisa had given her a gift.
"This is real, right?!" Vira's eyes sparkled.
"Of course! Oh—and there's more!"
Vira hugged her cousin tightly.
"Wait! Not so tight! My perfume's expensive and my makeup took hours," Lisa complained.
"Sorry! I'm just too happy!" Vira laughed.
Lisa smiled briefly. "Yeah, I know."
She reached into her car and handed Vira a shopping bag with a logo from a popular local brand.
Vira's eyes widened again.
"What's this?"
"A dress!" Lisa said with a shrug.
Obviously, it was a dress. Vira frowned in confusion.
"I mean, why are you giving me a dress?"
"For you to wear, of course! Go change. Your flight isn't until this afternoon," Lisa said, checking her watch.
She pushed Vira gently back toward the stairs.
Vira, still full of joy, followed her instructions. She went to her small room in the corner of the house—just next to the kitchen. It was a tiny space she had called home for years.
*Wow, where is all this kindness coming from? Lisa's never treated me this nicely before... maybe she finally sees me as part of the family,* Vira thought.
A while later, Vira came out wearing the gold calf-length dress.
"Whoa, beautiful!" Lisa gasped.
Vira looked down and smiled. "It fits perfectly. I almost don't want to wear it—it's too nice!"
"Eh, don't even think about changing back!" Lisa stopped her. "You look perfect in that dress!"
Lisa placed a hand on her hip. "I already called a friend. He'll pick you up at the airport, take you to dinner at a luxury hotel, and spoil you a bit. You can't show up in old clothes—that would be embarrassing!"
Vira blinked, overwhelmed.
"Your friend?" she asked.
"Yeah! We've known each other since we were kids. I told him my sister—*you*—was going to study in the city. And guess what? He offered to help. He even got your ticket and wants to pick you up himself."
Vira was stunned. Lisa was never this generous.
"Wait… who *is* this friend? Why is he being so nice?"