It was an ordinary day when she was playing hide and seek in the outskirts of the village with her friends. She got lost and began to wander, reaching near a pond. Tired and thirsty, she went near the pond to quench her thirst. There, she saw a boy crying under a big tree. Due to her curiosity, she went to the boy and asked, "Why are you crying?" He responded, "I am lonely, and I have no friends."
The boy was always alone since he was born. One day, he came down to the plains, saw some human children playing, got curious, and went near them. However, they ran away in fear. He felt sad and wondered if his big fangs scared them away. He had no bad intention; he just wanted to be friends with them. The children ran because they saw a huge tiger.
The next day, the boy came again, taking the form of a human child, but he couldn't approach even when in the form of a human. He was always left out, and his loneliness grew deeper. He experienced a profound yearning for companionship, so he was crying today. For the first time, a human approached him first.
"You can call me Julia," she said with a bright childlike smile and asked, "What is your name?" The boy, with a gloomy face, said, "I don't have any name." Julia responded, "Well, that's a big problem. Let this Julia give you a name – 'Johan.' How about it? Hey, don't be sad now. This name means a lot to me. My father told me a lot of stories about 'The Adventures of Johan,' and since I always wanted a friend named Johan, and now, I am giving it to you. Since I gave you this name, we are now friends."
Johan, the boy whispered softly; his sadness now turned into happiness. Now, he too had a friend, and for the first time, he wouldn't be lonely anymore. His heart danced in the sunlight of joy. The next day and so on, he would always come down the mountain, and they always used to play together. But in the tapestry of time, happiness, too, weaves fleeting threads, and one day Julia told him she was going to the town for studies.
Through sorrow's veil, a resilient smile adorned his face, and he gave her a bamboo bracelet. "It's very important to me. Keep it safe; it will bring you good luck." Slowly, Julia's memories began to fade, and she emerged out of her reverie. She remembered the things JoJo said about the spirits and the ashes and saw her bamboo bracelet. Finally, she knew who JoJo was. A soft smile bloomed on her face as she whispered, "Johan."
After a long while, the villagers returned to the village by crossing the same fire they passed when they arrived, guided by their belief that it wards off spirits and bad omens from the mountain. As they started crossing, only Julia remained. They called out, "Julia, come fast!" She snapped back to reality, and while about to cross, she glanced back and spotted Johan near the flowers, waving goodbye with a big smile. Julia reciprocated with a big smile, then crossed the fire, leaving the mountain behind.