A Secret Admirer
Love On Ice
She sat on the edge of the rink, just under the edge of the bleachers, lacing up her skates with experienced fingers. Night was just falling, and the moon could already be seen glowing in the clear indigo sky.
It was mid- November. A blanket of snow covered the ground, giving the world an almost silent feeling. The trees were frosted with glittering icicles, and the ice upon the rink was a beautiful, smooth mirror. Jung Ah let out a breath, closing her eyes. It was a perfect night.
As she set foot onto the ice that was shining under the light of the moon, she sighed. Every time she stood in this spot, she was reminded of her older sister- the very one that was lying in the hospital, eyes closed and body motionless for months, yet still barely alive. Her only remaining family.
"The moment you step on the ice, everything changes." she could hear her sister say. "Hate turns to love, sadness into something beautiful. Close your eyes, Jung Ah, and let the world fall away." Jung Ah let a tear slide down her cheek, biting back tears, and did just that.
Her surroundings left her sight, and all she could see was the ice, her skates, and nothing else. As she glided over the ice, her skates scraped gently in a curving line against the surface. She built up speed, nearly flying over the ice; twirling, swirling, jumping, closing her eyes and willing the pain to fade away.
. . .
A gleaming black motorcycle with an infinite sign painted on its side raced down the street, tires squealing and engine revving as it whipped past Jung Ah. Muddy slush and snow sprayed in her direction, splashing all over her clothes and most importantly, her clean skates.
"Yah! Watch it!" she yelled at the driver, rather fruitlessly, since he hadn't even stopped and was already too far down the street to hear. Jung Ah rolled her eyes as she watched the motorcycle speed around the corner, leaning down to inspect her precious skates.
"Aish, they're all muddy now. Seems like I'll need to do some cleaning when I get home... " she brushed the snow off her soaked clothes, muttering incoherent curses at rude people these days.
Jung Ah made her way to her apartment, fumbling with the keys as she stood at the door. She finally managed to get the door open- revealing a small, slightly messy home, with pictures plastered over the walls and on shelves, and clothes scattered about.
She carefully put her skates in the corner and reminded herself to clean them the next morning. Glancing around at her apartment, she sighed, feeling the emptiness set in. Back when her sister was hospitalized, she was left to live alone. It had been almost a year now, since her beautiful family had been broken and shattered into a million pieces. She still remembered her mother's loving smile, her father's deep rumbling voice, and even her little brothers' obnoxious giggles as they would make trouble for their big sisters.
She had no one left now, no one to depend on, and with those circumstances, Jung Ah became independent. She didn't need the help of her friends, or anyone else, to live. All she needed, she reminded herself as she climbed into the shower, was determination and hard work. She closed her eyes, letting the steaming water relax her muscles and sooth her preoccupied mind.
. . .
"Woah, nice!" Sungyeol grinned playfully as the basketball sailed through the air and swooshed into the net, completing the perfect shot. Myungsoo wiped the gleaming sweat from his forehead, running his hands through his hair, and raised his eyebrows at his teammate.
"Yah. Are you just going to stand there and comment on my every action? Why aren't you warming up?"
Sungyeol rolled his eyes.
"Aish, fine, fine. I was just complimenting your skills, that's all. Mr. Grumpy." he muttered, picking up his ball. "No need to be so low all the- OW!" He yelped and then grimaced, rubbing the sore spot on his head that Myungsoo had lobbed his ball at.
"Yah! What did you do that for?!" Sungyeol demanded as the coach called them in. Myungsoo shrugged and picked his ball up off the ground, ignoring the pouting Sungyeol as he walked past.
"Hey, hey wait for me," Sungyeol called after him, jogging towards the spot where their team had gathered. "Did you hear about the winter festival our we're going to have this year? Wow, it's really going to be awesome. Apparently there's going to be tons of performances- even ice skating, can you believe it?," he rambled. "And of course, lots of food. The best part. How can our school even afford this, anyways?" he muttered the last part to himself, mostly. "Anyways, are you going to go? Huh? Are you?"
Myungsoo sighed, wondering how he ended up being friends with this guy in the first place.
"I don't really care," he replied, eyes glued to the coach, who was telling how important it was to win the next few games. Their team was doing well this year, and they were extremely close to getting into the finals.
"Aw, come on. Why do you act so cool all the time?" Sungyeol gave him a look.
"Yah, give the guy a break, Sungyeol." A handsome guy with a mess of wavy black hair sat down next to the two. "Let him do what he wants, you don't always have to criticize him."
"Hey, Woohyun, you're late," Sungyeol shot back, sticking out his tongue before turning back to the coach.
"What's up," Woohyun nodded to at Myungsoo. Myungsoo nodded back, glad that his best friend had finally showed up- or else he would have been stuck with that childish idiot for the whole practice. Woohyun was the only one that was there for Myungsoo when his mother passed away. They had been friends since the first grade- to Myungsoo, Woohyun was the closest thing to a brother he had.
"Hey, see you at lunch," Woohyun said when they were dismissed, on his way out the doors.
"See you," Myungsoo replied as he swung his gym bag over his shoulder.
. . .
"Hey, hey. Can I see what you got?" Jung Ah's best friend Yoon Mi reached over the table to grab the slip of paper from her fortune cookie.
"You can have it. They're all fake anyways, why do you even believe what they say?" Jung Ah asked through a mouthful of rice. She shook her head as her friend read her fortune with wide eyes.
"Your charm has a gained you secret admirer," Yoon Mi read aloud. "Wah, you lucky girl. This doesn't surprise me at all, you know. I wonder who it could be?" She glanced from side to side, studying the guys around us thoughtfully.
Jung Ah snorted. "Yeah, right. Stop believing that fortune crap. You're too gullible, Yoon Mi."
"It could be true, you know," Yoon Mi pouted, turning back to her lunch.
"Aish, just eat your lunch. Don't blame me if one day you get scammed, you foolish girl." Jung Ah shook her head, glancing at her friend and wondering how the sweet girl in front of her would manage to get through life after high school.
Meanwhile, there was a huge commotion at the cafeteria doors. Girls squealed, crowding around to catch a glimpse of the seven hottest guys in the school. The crowd parted as the boys walked in, confidence and charisma overflowing.
"M-myungsoo oppa, w-will you please accept my gift?" a cute girl with short hair stretched out her present shyly, blushing from being so close to her crush.
Myungsoo gave a sweet eye smile, accepting the gift with a "thank you" and walking on- leaving the girl and her friends squealing after him.
"Geez, why are you such a cool guy? Girls really love you," Hoya joked, walking beside Myungsoo.
"It's just polite to accept the gift. After all, she probably worked hard on it, right?" Myungsoo replied, shaking his head as Woohyun made hearts at passing girls. He heard Dongwoo's distinct laugh echo across the room; he was laughing at Sunggyu who had fallen prey to yet another prank of Sungyeol's.
"Yah. Yah!" Sunggyu yelled, picking himself off the floor and grabbing Sungyeol, who was laughing his head off as well, into a headlock.
"Hyungs! Let's sit here!" Sungjong's cute voice interrupted the squabble. He sat himself down at an empty table and the rest of the boys followed suit.
As they found their spots and Dongwoo, Sunggyu, Sungjong, and Sungyeol left to buy lunch, Hoya caught Woohyun staring at something- or someone. He raised his eyebrows, staring at Woohyun for a moment to see if he'd turn (he didn't) and finally looking in the direction of his intense gaze.
"What are you looking at?" he asked, craning his neck to see what Woohyun was so interested in. Hoya's eyebrows rose even higher when he saw the person Woohyun was so fixated upon.
"A girl, huh?"
"What? Huh?" Woohyun tore his eyes away, turning and jumping back at how close Hoya was.
"Woohyun likes a girl? Wow, who would have thought?" Dongwoo suddenly appeared beside Woohyun, making him start again. "Where is she? Who?" Dongwoo put his face beside his, looking for the girl Woohyun was apparently interested in.
"What? This kid likes someone?" Sunggyu asked, placing the food on the table and giving Woohyun a leader-like stare.
"I-I wasn't- I was just-" Woohyun stammered and turned red.
"Woah, man, are you blushing?!" Dongwoo pointed, laughing.
Sungyeol and Sungjong arrived at the table, carrying the rest of the food.
"Hyung, why did you leave us behind? You forgot your chopsticks!" Sungjong whined to Sunggyu. The leader was too busy interrogating Woohyun to notice. Sungjong turned to Myungsoo, who was in his own little world at the corner of the table, staring at his water bottle in pure fascination.
"Yah! Myungsoo! What's going on?" Sungyeol joined in, shaking the distracted guy to get his attention.
"Huh? What?" Myungsoo glanced up with a confused look on his face. "Woah, what's wrong with these guys?" he asked, finally noticing the commotion across the table.
Sungyeol rolled his eyes. "No use asking this guy," he let out an exasperated sigh, turning to Hoya, who was considerably more attentive, instead.
Hoya shrugged. "Apparently Woohyun has a girl he likes. At least we think so, since he was staring at her like a creeper. He didn't even notice me talking to him."
"Wow, Woohyun, what is this I hear about you liking someone?" Sungyeol grinned, turning to harass the already much-harassed Woohyun.
"Yah, leave him alone," Myungsoo called out. "How do you know he likes her? He was probably just spacing out." He ate a spoonful of rice.
Woohyun gave Myungsoo a grateful look, glaring at the ones making fun of him.
"Fine, fine, whatever." Sungyeol grumbled, taking a seat. The other guys sat down too, casting suspicious looks at Woohyun. They were soon distracted by the food, though, as most teenage guys would have been, and quickly forgot about poking fun at him. The boys ate noisily- thanks to Sungjong protesting loudly at Sungyeol, who had stolen his food, and Dongwoo laughing nonstop as usual. Woohyun rolled his eyes at his weird friends and turned his head, smiling softly to himself when he caught sight of the girl he had liked for as long as he could remember.
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