This is the 2576th most frequent Japanese word.
少女
"少女" means "girl" or "young girl."
The term "少女" is used here to specify a young girl as the subject observing the scenery in the artistic depiction.
この絵には、一人の少女が湖のそばに立っています。
In this painting, a girl stands beside the lake.
"少女" here refers to the protagonist of the narrative, highlighting her as the central character.
物語はある一人の少女の旅に焦点を当てています。
The story focuses on the journey of a certain girl.
In this context, "少女" pertains to a young female as part of a descriptive past narrative.