“Quick! Come on, Max,” shouts Zieg, grabbing her boyfriend’s hand before rushing toward the pedestrian lights, which cross the main road.

“I’m with you,” replies Max, alongside Zieg and matching her stride for stride.

The young couple reach the roadside, where Zieg gazes intently at the red pedestrian light opposite.

Then Max quickly turns his head to the right because of the roar, followed by the whoosh of a powerful machine before it blasts past a meter in front of them at high speed.

Max turns again to see a large, all-black motorbike and its dressed-in-black rider wearing a black crash helmet.

“Wow!” shouts Zieg, quickly stepping backwards before freezing on the spot and ruffling her black hair around her ears due to the deafening roar of the powerful machine. 

 Max can smell the faint smell of two-stroke engine fumes as he steps backwards to face Zieg.

“I’ve got you!” says Max, stretching to put an arm around his girlfriend’s waist to steady her balance while straining his neck in an attempt to look over her shoulder to see the speeding motorbike licence plate.

“Maniac!” shouts Zieg, still standing fixed on the spot and looking toward the pavement. She continues ruffling her hair several times before stamping her right foot, shaking slightly due to agitation.

Max comforts Zieg, and she gradually calms down before reaching for his hand while raising her head to take a small, tentative step toward the pedestrian crossing.

“I don't want to be late,” says Zieg, forcing herself to move as a shiver runs down her spine and her breathing races before returning her focus to Max and her friends.

“You okay?” asks Max, knowing all about Zieg’s fear of loud noises.

“Yeah!” she replies quickly.

“Jeez, I haven’t seen you this excited in a while,” says Max, changing the subject as Zieg’s eyes sparkle and a smile returns to her face.

Max looks left and right at all the speeding traffic directly in front of them, only now with a firm grip on Zieg’s hand.

“I can't wait to see Nari and Dal. It’s been years since we last met,” says Zieg, still slightly jittery while edging closer toward the kerb edge.

 Max looks at the red light, and as soon as it changes from orange to green, he feels a sharp tug on his arm as Zieg starts to move forward.

“No!” shouts Max as a car stops quickly before the crossing.

“Now!” he yells quickly.

The couple dash across the main road past six lanes of stationary traffic. Several people walking in the opposite direction give them stern, disapproving looks and grunts of annoyance as they sidestep or dodge the quick-moving young couple.

Zieg and Max reach the opposite side of the busy main road to turn right.

Then rip! … 

Zieg snags her t-shirt on a long bent bolt on the steel pedestrian railings.

“Dam!” shouts Zieg as she stops running to inspect the damage.

“Come on! I’ll buy you a new one,” says Max, tugging Zieg“s hand.

“You want to meet Nari and Dal, remember!” he adds.