“I said that I’m not going anywhere! So stop forcing me!” Hyejin exclaimed, trying to walk away but Yoonmi quickly grabbed her wrist. Hyejin sighed; she really didn’t want to go, but Yoonmi insisted. Moreover, it wasn't a fun place to visit. Hyejin turned and faced Yoonmi with a rotten expression.

“Didn’t you say that you were curious before? I just want to clear up all of these things for you, so that there’ll be no more misunderstandings anymore, Hyejin-ah…” Yoonmi kept persuading her best friend. She knew that Hyejin would change her mind in no time. All Yoonmi needed to do was to keep persuading her. Yoonmi smiled slightly, but Hyejin glared at her in return.

“I’m not curious anymore, so stop all this nonsense already.”

“What nonsense?”

“This nonsense! You just asked me to follow you to that abandoned Music Room. Yes, I admit that I was curious about it before but when I thought about it again- let’s just forget about it. I’m not strong enough to face that ghost…”

Yoonmi chuckled at Hyejin's answer; she was already aware that Hyejin would say that.

“See? That’s what I’m going to tell you, there’s no ghost in there.”

“How do you know that?!”

“Uh… Erm… Well, let just say that-”

“Oh my God, did you meet ‘it’ already?! That's insane! I’m so curious how you could go out of that room alive…Yoo-Yoonmi-ah, you shouldn’t risk your life for that!” Hyejin grabbed Yoonmi’s shoulder as she shook it roughly, feeling extremely worried with Yoonmi’s confession.

“What do you mean with ‘it’, by the way? There’s no ghost in that room, trust me! That’s why I’m asking you to follow me, so that you’d be aware of the truth behind the rumor.”

Silence. Hyejin didn't answer. She was still in doubt with what Yoonmi was saying. Secretly, she sneaked a glance at Yoonmi before she let out a heavy sigh. “Ah…Seriously! Okay, okay! I’m on. I miss the old you, somehow…” Hyejin muttered, and looked blankly at the floor where she and Yoonmi were currently standing.

“Why? Which old ‘me’ are you talking about?” Yoonmi blinked curiously and her expression changed upon hearing Hyejin's sudden grumble.

“Yeah, the old you… The gloomy you who seemed to be ignorant about your surroundings and always in your own little world no matter how curious you are.”

“You’re not happy with my change? Is that what you mean? I’m sorry, then. I shouldn’t have forced you in the first place…” Yoonmi replied disappointedly as she tried to walk away before Hyejin stopped her.

“Yoonmi-ah… You know that's not what I was trying to say, right? Of course I’m glad that you’ve moved on and forgot all of those unpleasurable tragedies that happened in your past. Why wouldn’t I be happy to see the new you? I’m your best friend, aren’t I?”

“Really? Let’s go then!” Yoonmi grinned and Hyejin along with her toward the Music Room. Having no other choice, Hyejin ended up following her best friend even though it was obviously against her own wishes. Standing not far away from the room, Yoonmi stopped; and caught a glimpse at her watch. 5.34 PM. It was almost the exact time when she last visited the Music Room. Without waiting any longer, Yoonmi dragged Hyejin closer to the room and they could scarcely hear a voice singing. Hyejin frantically trembled upon hearing the singing voice while Yoonmi calmly listened to it full heartedly, there was nothing to be afraid of when she vividly recognised the voice of the owner. But it was kind of rare for her to hear him singing without a piano being played. This time only a guitar was played and accompanied his solemn voice.

 

Those freezing hands aren’t your fault
They carry scars from long before
Afraid to love someone,
You turn your back on the other side of the words…
Like ice, the embraced heart slowly starts to thaw
for anyone to be loved by someone,
Makes life in this world shine
if it was me, I’d make your heart warm once more
with eternal tenderness

Even if fate’s games hurt the heart…
On the other side of the tears,
a single ray of light will swoop down into the darkness

We know that this is so, as strong as the suffering,

We can feel people’s warmth…

 

-Love in the Ice-

 

“Yoonmi-ah… Did that ghost just break up with his girlfriend or something? His voice was so creepy and how can he sing with such grief? Oh Lord… What if that ‘guy ghost’ actually killed himself in that Music Room after breaking up with his girlfriend? This is so scary, I can’t do this anymore! Let’s just go away before he kills us…” Hyejin pleaded and tried to run away but Yoonmi got her. With Hyejin timidly following behind her, Yoonmi went straight to the room and carefully opened the door as her eyes caught two people inside.

“Oh, you’re here…” He spoke, smiling sincerely and walked straight toward Yoonmi as if he had been waiting for her entrance from before.

“Oh, Xiumin su-sunbaenim?! Yixing sunbaenim? It can’t be…” Hyejin exclaimed and popped out from hiding behind Yoonmi’s back with a surprised and bewildered expression. Yoonmi narrowed her eyes at her friend. ‘Sunbaenim’? Hyejin knew him? Yoonmi tilted her head, and glanced at the person who Hyejin called as ‘Yixing sunbae’. She had never seen him before. After realising Yoonmi’s blank stare, Yixing bowed slightly which showed his well-mannered attitude.

“So, sunbae is the ghost that the other students were talking about?!”

“I guess, I should leave now… I’ll come again next time.” Yixing said and directed his gaze toward Xiumin before he left with a white guitar in his hand.

“Sunbae, what are you doing in this abandoned room? Weren't you supposed to attend our Music Club’s meeting yesterday? You’re the head of the club after all.” Hyejin asked excitedly. She was relieved and glad when she saw Yixing and Xiumin just now, and she was thankful thatYoonmi for dragged her there. If not, she would have never known that it was actually her seniors who were rumored as the ghosts before.

“There’re still Yixing, Luhan and Yi Fan who were there to handle the club right?” Xiumin replied calmly, as his hands were busy picking up the music sheets on the piano. Yoonmi silently listened to their conversation so that she could understand how Hyejin knew who Xiumin was.

“Didn’t Yixing, Luhan and Yi Fan Sunbae tell you how chaotic the meeting was yesterday? Even though there were three of them, they still couldn’t handle the club’s meeting perfectly, especially when those Jongdae and Huang Zitao kids interfeared during the meeting, constantly urging and pressing Yixing Sunbae so that their suggestions and opinions would be accepted. They even sulked and whined when Yixing Sunbae opposed. What a disaster….” Xiumin chuckled upon hearing Hyejin's long explanation; he was already aware about it, and that was why Yixing came to meet him earlier. That was one of the reasons why he chose to separate himself in the old room, because he knew that no one would ever come into the room and pester him due to the haunted and ghostly rumors.

Being in such a chaotic room with so many troublemakers and disturbances wasn’t something that he would prefer. But, he had never thought that there was someone brave enough to enter the room despite the rumors and he was slightly amazed by that. Xiumin's eyes gently moved toward Yoonmi and noticed that she was secretly taking a close look at his music sheets that were scattered all over the place. Unknowingly, he smiled with his eyes fixed on her.

 

 

Hyejin raised her eyebrows, and shot Yoonmi with sly look before she pouted. She leaned her back to the chair with her eyes still on Yoonmi. After she realised Hyejin's awkward stare, Yoonmi rounded her eyes as she put a cup filled with hot coffee on the table and she felt extremely uncomfortable. Yoonmi looked around the café and thought that Hyejin might be staring at someone else, but there were only a few people around them and their seats were pretty far away from the other customers.

“Why?-"

“So, tell me… How did you meet Xiumin Sunbae?” Hyejin asked, as she was getting tired of waiting for Yoonmi to open willingly.

“By fate?” Yoonmi teased and Hyejin pretended to throw up, she had goose bumps due to Yoonmi’s cheesy and mushy answer. Yoonmi chuckled at Hyejin's reaction before she continued. “I met him coincidently; out of my own curiosity... I was just trying to prove to myself that there were no ghosts in that abandoned room and fortunately, I was right.”

“So, you checked that room out all by yourself and he was there? All this time?”

“Sort of.”

Hyejin nodded a few times, satisfied with her answer. If only she wasn’t that much of a coward, Hyejin could have followed Yoonmi that time and discovered the truth together with her. But it was too bad. She wasn’t as brave as Yoonmi.

“No wonder why he never showed up during our recent club meetings. He separated himself and benefited from the ghostly rumors surrounding the Music Room to prevent the other students from disturbing him… What a clever and mysterious guy…” Hyejin muttered.

“Is he really that mysterious?” Yoonmi asked; wanting to know more about Xiumin. She was already captivated by his sweet and gentle voice, especially when he sang, but she still knew nothing about him.

“Yeah! He only showed up when the club really needed him or when Luhan, Yi Fan and Yixing Sunbae couldn’t handle the club anymore. Just letting you know, Music Club is the most chaotic and disorderly club in our university, but it’s supposed to be the most peaceful and fancy club, just like the club’s name. I regret joining Music Club somehow… If there weren't those four flower boy sunbaes in that club, I would have just quit from the very start!”

“Oh, so is that your original purpose for joining the club? Not because you’re interested in music?” Yoonmi retorted and shook her head as she pretended to be disappointed while she knew the truth from earlier why Hyejin insisted to join the club when she had no interest in Music and Art.

“Uh, Oh! No... No-No… I do love music! Why didn't you join the club with me?!”

“Oh, what’s wrong with me not joining the club with you?”

“If only we were together, who knows… You would have known Xiumin Sunbae earlier.” Hyejin grinned mischievously, wiggling her eyebrows.

“I have no talent in Music and Art. I’d rather join the History Club than be a nuisance in the Music Club because of my talentless self.” Yoonmi answered in a lower tone. She did have an interest in playing a musical instrument, but she had no talent in it and she had no opportunity to learn because she was too busy fighting with her guiltiness and miserable life in the past. Now, she really regretted it, she regretted for not benefiting her time and life wisely.

“It’s alright; I’m not that good in playing music instruments either. Thanks to my Mum, because she always forced me to go to Piano Class when I was 12. Even though I always disobeyed her and talked back, but, yeah! It does show its beneficial effects, though. But, I’m curious about something!”

“What is it?”

“Is Xiumin sunbae the one who made you change your mind? After meeting him in the Music Room, you’ve decided to start a new life… Is that true?”

“Changing my mind?”

“Yeah, you changed your mind! Aish…Yoonmi-ah, stop playing dumb. You know what I mean… Is he the one or was it your twin sister Eunmi? I’m not complaining or anything, but it’s really nice to see the new you. Look at you now, your smile is not fake anymore; it doesn’t look like a forced smile either. It’s such a relief to see you smile and be cheerful again. If not, I’m pretty sure that we’d never be here; enjoying a hot coffee together in this café, because you’d choose to eat at our university cafeteria and head home straight away.”

Yoonmi smiled, she had nothing to say about it. Even she herself was relieved with her changes and what made her feel best was that Eunmi looked happier than before due to her her decision to start a new refreshing life. Yoonmi glanced around the café. For the first time in three years, she agreed to go out with Hyejin and have a drink outside the university area. Rather than before, when she just straightly headed home and waited for Eunmi, ignoring her own social life and neglected time for herself, it was all for her beloved twin.

“Lord, look at you! You’re contemplating and ignoring my question, Jung Yoonmi, what do I do with you?”

“Oh, sorry… Where were we again?” Yoonmi blinked. Once again, Eunmi had creeped into her mind and distracted her thoughts. Hyejin sighed helplessly at Yoonmi expression..

‘It’s gonna take some more time for her to completely forget her past…’ Hyejin thought.

“Xiumin Sunbae was the one who made you change your mind, isn’t he?” Hyejin repeated, and waited impatiently for Yoonmi’s answer. Yoonmi froze before she shook her head slowly and hesitantly, Xiumin wasn’t the one and she knew that. It was him whom she hadn’t met for quite a long time and she barely admitted that she had actually been waiting for his appearance, without even herself realising.

“Oh, was it Eunmi?!” Hyejin asked persistently and yet, another silent answer from Yoonmi, she only shook her head weakly, denying it silently.

“Who is it then?! Was it a she or a he? Stop putting me in this maze and tell me already…”

Yoonmi took a deep breath before she opened , attempting to answer her.

“It was-” Yoonmi was frozen as she paused when a small group of guys entering the café all of sudden while talking  among themselves excitedly. Her eyes widened when she saw a familiar figure standing within the group. She couldn’t move her gaze away because her eyes met his eyes and his eyes met hers. Both of them seemed to be surprised after realizing each other's presence in the café. He was frozen where he was standing while she was in a daze in her seat.

“Huh?” Hyejin hastened, and hinted at Yoonmi to continue what she was saying.

“It was… Him….” Yoonmi answered and Hyejin furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, trying to figure out which one of them Yoonmi was talking about.

Yoonmi's eyes were still fixed on him as he already made his move and left  his friends behind and stepped closer and closer toward her with his heart thumping wildly.