"larry recently moved to austin for a new job. he has been staying in an apartment alone ever since. he feels the need to make new friends and hence decides to join a recreational club. in the context of maslow's hierarchy of needs, this scenario best illustrates larry's "

This scenario best illustrates Larry's belongingness needs.
Larry, like any other human, is a social being and needs the rest of the society in order to function properly. He needs to communicate with other people because he is missing his old friends, but probably cannot see them as often anymore. That's why he feels the need to find new friends and make new acquaintances so as not to feel alone and lonely.