Yim was brimming with energy as she immersed herself in her work. One by one, she checked the pets...cats, dogs, even a tiny hamster. All of them were perfectly healthy. Just as she was about to take a breath, the last person of the day stepped into the clinic.
In her arms was a tiny baby goat.
And that person was none other than Talotkan.
The moment she entered, her voice rang out loudly...
"Yim!"
The sound of her own name froze Yim in place. In an instant, everything came rushing back...last night, the chaos, the scene she had created, and most of all… the memory that she had clung to Talotkan, holding her all night long.
Her cheeks burned hot with embarrassment as she quickly turned her face away. She couldn't bear to look at her.
But Talotkan? She was smiling wide...so wide that it reached her ears, like someone who had just found a precious, long-lost treasure.
She gently placed the baby goat on the table, and Yim, trying her best to compose herself, glanced at the animal in surprise before beginning her examination.
Both of them knew what they were doing, yet the air between them grew heavier with every passing second.
The room was silent...except for the soft bleating of the goat.
Both girls longed to speak, to bring up that night, but their thoughts remained tangled, locked deep within their minds.
Then, Talotkan broke the silence.
"My grandmother… she's invited you over for tea," she said calmly, "and I… want you to come with me."
At the mention of Grandmother, Yim froze for a moment.....then her heart softened. That old woman had become a special figure in her life, someone who truly tried to understand her. And now, perhaps… Talotkan would become one too.
She hesitated for a breath, then gave a small nod, like someone who had been waiting for this moment far longer than she realized.
Deep inside, Yim's heart was whispering something sweet. Last night had been the first time she'd embraced someone… and for the first time, that embrace had been returned.
A strange warmth bloomed inside her chest.
Both of them stepped outside. Yim carried the baby goat, which Talotkan had practically forced into her arms.....because the goat and the tea were nothing but excuses. What Talotkan truly wanted… was Yim.
As soon as they walked out the door, Yim froze in shock.
There, parked right in front of her, was a rusty, ancient-looking motorcycle that looked like it had survived a war.
Talotkan grinned and announced, "I'm taking you on this."
Yim's jaw dropped. She immediately placed the goat down and bolted like a startled deer.
"No way! No way....I'm NOT getting on that dead piece of junk!" she shouted as she ran.
Talotkan cursed under her breath and gave chase.
"Yim! Stop running, you coward!"
But the next moment…
Yim found herself sitting on the very same motorcycle, right behind Talotkan, clinging tightly as the engine roared to life.
And instead of heading toward her grandmother's house…
Talotkan was taking her down a completely different road.