Being Famous Isn't Always a Dream

At four years old...

Rani happily skips toward the house next door and knocks on the front door.

The moment it opens, she beams at the woman standing there.

"Aunty! Can I play with Henry?"

Henry's mother smiles warmly.

"Of course, darling. He's in his room."

"Thank you, Aunty!"

Without waiting another second, Rani dashes upstairs.

She pushes open Henry's bedroom door and finds him sitting on the floor, surrounded by toy cars.

"Ha! What are you doing?" she asks with a grin.

Henry looks up and frowns.

"What are **you** doing in my room?"

"I came to play! My dad bought me a new toy."

She proudly holds up her favorite doll.

Henry crosses his arms.

"You think I'm a little kid who plays with dolls? That's a girl's toy."

Rani gasps dramatically.

"A girl's toy? You called my toy silly!"

Then she cups her hands around her mouth and shouts toward the hallway.

"Aunty! Henry is bullying me!"

Henry's eyes widen.

"You little troublemaker! I was only joking! Why do you always complain to my mom?"

He throws his hands into the air.

"I'm leaving this house! Nobody loves me here!"

Rani sticks out her tongue before climbing onto his bed with her doll.

"What do you want to play?" Henry finally asks.

Rani smiles brightly.

"I'll be the mommy, you'll be the daddy, and our children will get married!"

Henry stares at her in disbelief.

"What kind of TV drama did you watch today?"

"I saw it in a cartoon," she says proudly. "What's wrong with that?"

Henry lets out a long sigh.

"No. Let's play hide-and-seek instead."

Rani pouts.

"You're so mean. Fine! You hide, and I'll find you."

Henry shakes his head.

"Nope. You hide. I'll find you in one minute."

"Really?"

He nods confidently.

"You'll see."

Rani giggles and runs outside as fast as her little legs can carry her.

The moment she's gone...

Henry climbs onto his bed, opens a bag of chips, grabs his phone, and starts watching cartoons.

"I'm definitely not looking for her," he mumbles with a smug smile.

A few minutes later, his mother walks into the room.

"Henry, where's Rani?"

Henry shrugs without looking away from his phone.

"I don't know."

His mother places her hands on her hips.

"Go find her. I made her favorite meal today."

Henry finally looks up.

"Mom! Why do you always cook her favorite food? What about mine?"

His mother laughs.

"When you go to her house almost every day just to eat the food her mother makes, do I complain?"

Henry falls silent.

"You even tell me that Rani's mom is a better cook than I am."

Henry scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.

His mother points toward the door.

"So stop complaining. Rani is like my own daughter now. Go find her before the food gets cold."

Henry sighs dramatically.

"Fine..."

He slowly gets off the bed, still wishing he could finish his chips first.

Instead of searching the neighborhood, he slowly walks to the house next door and knocks on the door.

Rani's mother opens it with a warm smile.

"Oh, Henry! What brings you here?"

Henry looks around.

"Aunty, did Rani come home?"

She blinks in confusion.

"No. Didn't she go to your house?"

Henry nods.

"She did..."

His eyes suddenly drift toward the kitchen.

"...Aunty... did you cook chicken today?"

The delicious smell fills the entire house, making his stomach growl.

Rani's mother laughs.

"I did. I know it's your favorite."

She gently pats his head.

"Come inside and eat. Rani always eats at your house whenever Lina cooks, so it's only fair that you eat here ."

Henry doesn't need to be asked twice.

"Thank you, Aunty!"

A few minutes later...

Henry happily walks back home, rubbing his full stomach.

The moment he steps through the front door, his mother's voice echoes through the house.

"Henry! Where's Rani?"

His smile instantly disappears.

Henry scratches his head.

"She... wasn't there."

Lina's expression changes immediately.

"What do you mean she wasn't there?"

Henry shrugs nervously.

"I couldn't find her."

Without wasting another second, he runs into the backyard.

He checks behind the trees...

Behind the garden shed...

Behind the swing...

Every place he can think of.

But Rani is nowhere to be found.

For the first time that day, Henry starts to panic.

Even though he always acts like a grown-up around Rani and loves teasing her, he's only four years old himself—just five months older than her.

He always pretends to be the mature one.

But in reality...

He's just a little boy.

Soon, both families begin searching everywhere.

The neighbors join in.

They search every corner of the neighborhood.

One hour passes...

Then two...

Then five.

Rani's mother can't stop crying.

Lina keeps calling Rani's name over and over.

Henry stands quietly beside them, his eyes filling with tears.

His heart pounds with guilt.

*"I should've looked for her when she told me to..."*

*"Why does she always annoy me?"*

*"Everyone is going to blame me..."*

He lowers his head, feeling worse with every passing minute.

Then...

A tiny voice suddenly breaks the silence.

"Henry!"

Everyone turns at once.

Slowly, the small wooden door of the old doghouse in Henry's backyard opens.

Out crawls a sleepy little Rani.

She rubs her eyes, yawns, and smiles proudly.

"You couldn't find me."

She places her tiny hands on her hips.

"So... I win!"

For a few seconds...

No one says a word.

Everyone simply stares at her in complete disbelief.

Lina is the first to speak.

"...Rani."

"Were you hiding... inside the doghouse?"

Rani nods innocently.

"I fell asleep, Aunty..."

Then she rubs her little tummy.

"I'm hungry too."

Her mother immediately walks over and scoops her into her arms, hugging her tightly.

"You little troublemaker," she says, her voice trembling with relief. "One day you're going to give me a heart attack."

Then she turns to Lina.

"And you... you scolded Henry for nothing."

Henry's eyes brighten.

"See? I told you!"

But Lina folds her arms.

"He still deserves it. If he'd actually gone looking for her instead of eating chicken next door, we wouldn't have spent five hours searching."

Henry instantly lowers his head.

"...Sorry."

Rani's mother laughs softly.

"Come on, Rani. Let's go home."

She kisses Rani's forehead before carrying her away.

As they leave, Rani happily waves at Henry.

"Bye! I won hide-and-seek!"

Henry pouts.

"You only won because you fell asleep!"

---

Years pass...

The two children grow up together, but nothing about their friendship changes.

Every morning, one of their mothers takes them to school, and the other brings them home in the afternoon. Since both women are busy with work, this arrangement makes life much easier.

Although Henry and Rani are inseparable...

They're also experts at arguing over the smallest things.

"You cheated!"

"I did not!"

"You copied me!"

"No, I didn't!"

Their teachers hear those words almost every day.

Wherever they go, people can't help but stop and admire them.

"They're such beautiful children."

"They look like little models."

"So adorable!"

Many adults pinch their cheeks or gently pat their heads, making both children sigh in annoyance.

Still, they always smile politely and thank their elders.

Unfortunately...

They aren't nearly as kind to children their own age.

If someone teases one of them...

The other immediately joins the fight.

Together, they're an unstoppable team.

As a result, their parents are called to school more times than they can count.

"I'm so sorry," Lina says with an embarrassed smile.

Rani's mother bows politely beside her.

But before they can apologize further, the other parents quickly shake their heads.

"Oh, no! These two are so polite."

"They're such sweet children."

"They would never bully anyone."

"I'm sure our kids must've done something first."

Henry and Rani exchange a quick glance.

Then...

They smile the most innocent smiles they can manage.

Neither of them says a single word.

Because sometimes...

Looking innocent is the best way to get away with trouble.

Author's Note:

This story follows Henry and Rani from childhood to adulthood. Their journey will be filled with friendship, laughter, fame, challenges, and unforgettable moments. I hope you'll enjoy watching them grow together. ❤️