𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓 | (𝐆)𝐈-𝐃𝐋𝐄

𝐋𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞, 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞)

Yuqi’s heart pounded in her chest as she sprinted down another side street, calling out desperately.

“Bibble! Bibble, come on, baby! Where are you?”

Her voice cracked. Her eyes scanned every corner, every sidewalk, but there was no sign of the fluffy white ball of chaos she adored more than anything.

A leash dangled uselessly from her hand.

She hadn’t even noticed it had come loose—one second he was trotting beside her in the park, and the next… nothing. It felt like her whole world had unraveled in that moment.

“Oh God,” she muttered, breathless, tears prickling her eyes. “This is all my fault.”

In her panic, she barely registered the figure she collided with, nearly knocking them over.

“Whoa—hey!”

Yuqi stumbled back, startled. The woman she’d just crashed into blinked at her, equally surprised, her hoodie slightly askew from the impact.

It took a second for Yuqi to register who it was.

“Wait… you’re—”

“Soyeon,” the woman supplied with a faint smile. “Yeah.”

Yuqi stared, wide-eyed. Soyeon. The Soyeon. Charismatic, bold, genius-level rapper. She was about to stammer something fan-girly and embarrassing, but Soyeon was already frowning in concern.

“Are you okay? You’re crying.”

That broke the dam. Yuqi sucked in a shaky breath.

“I lost my dog. His name’s Bibble. He’s small, fluffy, kinda looks like a cloud that got hit with static. The leash unhooked and he just—he ran, and I—I can’t find him.”

Soyeon looked at her for a long second. Then, without hesitation, she pulled her phone from her pocket, shoved it back in, and said:

“Alright. Let’s go find him.”

“Wait, what?” Yuqi blinked.

“You’re not gonna find him standing here crying. Come on.” Soyeon gave her a small grin. “I’ve got good instincts. And a loud voice.”

---

What followed could only be described as mayhem.

They ran through puddles, slipped on wet leaves, shouted “BIBBLE!” so many times that it started to sound like gibberish. At one point, Yuqi sprinted into a pet store because she swore she saw him in the window—only for it to be a Shih Tzu in a sweater named Mochi.

“Are you crying or laughing?” Soyeon asked, catching up with her, both of them soaked from the rain.

“Both,” Yuqi gasped, her laugh dissolving into a sniffle.

Soyeon took off her hoodie and threw it over Yuqi’s head.

“Hey, don’t let it soak in. You’ll get a cold. I can’t carry you home.”

Yuqi peeked out from under the hood, heart flipping. “You’re nicer than I expected.”

“What, you thought I was mean?” Soyeon raised a brow.

“No,” Yuqi grinned. “I thought you were too cool to care about a stranger’s lost dog.”

Soyeon chuckled. “Guess you don’t know me that well, huh?”

---

Just as the sky started to darken and their hope dimmed with it, a voice called out behind them.

“Hey! Are you looking for this little guy?”

They turned. A woman approached, cradling a very familiar fluffball in her arms. Bibble wagged his tail, tongue lolling like this had all been some grand adventure.

Yuqi nearly collapsed in relief. “Bibble!” She scooped him up and hugged him like her life depended on it. “You little menace. Don’t ever do that to me again.”

The stranger smiled. “I saw the posters you put up earlier. Figured I’d walk around a bit and see if I ran into anyone calling his name.”

Yuqi thanked her a hundred times, promising to send a gift basket or a lifetime supply of dog treats.

Soyeon stood nearby, arms crossed, watching the reunion with a soft smile.

---

Later, as they stood on the curb, Bibble now curled up sleepily in Yuqi’s arms, there was a strange, quiet moment. The kind that hums with something unsaid.

Yuqi looked up at her. “Thanks for today. I know you didn’t have to…”

“Don’t mention it,” Soyeon said. Then paused. “Actually. Do mention it. Maybe over coffee sometime?”

Yuqi blinked. “Wait—are you asking me out?”

Soyeon grinned. “Well, unless Bibble’s your boyfriend. In which case, I don’t stand a chance.”

Yuqi laughed, cheeks warm. “No. He’s definitely not my type.”

“And I am?”

“You just might be.”

---

As they exchanged numbers and said goodbye, Yuqi glanced at Bibble curled in her arms, then at the retreating figure of Soyeon walking off into the soft drizzle.

Somewhere in the chaos of a missing dog, she’d found something else entirely.

Maybe, just maybe… love had been wandering the streets with her all along.