Some truths are better left hidden.
Talotkan had only one day's worth of medicine left, but she knew very well it was of no use anymore. She didn't take it. Beside that medicine lay her reports, silent proof of the truth she was trying to conceal.
She stood before the mirror, staring at herself. With a deep breath, she forced a smile....bright, cheerful, almost convincing. A mask to hide the storm inside. She knew she had to look happy, if only to fool her grandmother, just as she always did.
Moments later, she came downstairs, lively and radiant, her smile as bright as the morning sun. She hugged her grandmother tightly, greeting her with a warm, "Good morning."
Seeing her glowing face, Grandma's heart lit up as well. But then her gaze fell on the bike keys in Talotkan's hand. She understood immediately.....Talotkan must be going to meet Yim.
Just as Talotkan was about to leave, Grandma called out softly from behind, her voice full of love.
Soon after, the two of them sat outside near the shop, beneath the dense, cool shade of trees. The autumn season was weaving its quiet magic...trees shedding their leaves in a golden rain, while colorful fabrics hung nearby swayed gently with the breeze.
In that tranquil moment, Grandma spoke lightly, her tone calm and affectionate.
"So… are you going to meet Yim today?"
But Talotkan, flustered, immediately denied it. She fumbled, her words shaky, and lied that she was only going to buy colors today.
Grandma chuckled warmly, unable to hold back her laughter. Talotkan was utterly hopeless at lying. With a smile that held both love and amusement, Grandma said,
"Oh really? But you do know the shop remains closed on Sundays, don't you?"
Talotkan's lie was caught, and she sat there, embarrassed, her silence betraying her.
Then Grandma's tone shifted, becoming deeper, steady, like that of a teacher guiding her disciple. She said softly,
"Listen, my child… it is a wonderful thing that you have found a friend. In this life, friends are truly precious. But… just as a river, once it meets the ocean, can no longer be called a river....because it has become part of the ocean itself...so it is with bonds. Sometimes, a friend becomes something far more."
Talotkan froze for a moment, surprised. Something within her stirred uneasily. For the first time, hearing Yim referred to merely as "a friend" from Grandma's lips did not sit well with her. She couldn't explain why, but it felt wrong. It bothered her.
And Grandma noticed. She could read her granddaughter's face as clearly as an open book. With another gentle smile, she tried again to guide her, her words flowing like wisdom etched in time.
"Talo… when a tree blossoms, it knows which flower will bear fruit. But when the tree senses that a flower is weak, or that it cannot grow into fruit, it lets that flower fall.....so that another may take its place.
Friendship and love are much the same. If what you both share is truly love, but you keep mistaking it for friendship, then.....just like that flower that falls too soon...this bond of friendship will also break and wither. That is why… it is important to nurture it before it is too late."
Her words struck Talotkan's heart like an arrow, sharp and unmissable. Because deep down, somewhere in the hidden corners of her soul, this very question had already been haunting her.
What was this strange restlessness that Yim's name brought her? What was this ache that felt too heavy for mere friendship?
Lowering her head, her voice trembling with hesitation, she asked softly,
"Then Grandma… what should one do, if one wants to protect this bond?"
Grandma smiled tenderly again, placing her hand lovingly on Talotkan's head.
"These are questions of the heart, my child… and only the heart can answer them. Ask your own heart… Do you truly wish to remain only her friend? Or… something more?
The heart never lies, Talo. Never."
And with that, Grandma rose slowly to her feet and walked away, leaving Talotkan sitting there...her heart heavy, her thoughts a storm she could no longer silence.