Unveiled
Melting Ice
The lift doors opened and Myungsoo took less than a second to recognize the person standing there. She saw him and both of them knew she could have walked away. However, she chose to walk in and stand beside him. Myungsoo stared at her the moment she stepped in and sensing his gaze, she turned to look at him. Making eye contact, Jiyeon flashed him a small smile. Myungsoo was hurt. It seems that she did not know he knows her more than she does. He knows exactly when the real Park Jiyeon is speaking, acting and smiling. Myungsoo couldn't describe his feelings with a word because Myungsoo thought there was a mixture of longing, hope, agony, pain and anger churning at the pit of his stomach right now.
“You. Have never seen me as more than a friend, right?” L asked coldly.
Myungsoo knows the answer wasn't going to be what he wanted to hear but he stupidly went ahead. Myungsoo- stubborn as always- was the kind who would rather have his heart completely shattered than leave it hanging at the edge of the cliff, half-torn. He waited for her response and he wished she would answer otherwise. Her silence made him regret, because each passing second made his heart crack a little more inside. Myungsoo took a step forward and stood right before her. Jiyeon raised her head to look at him, and she thought the space in the lift was suffocating. She did not wish to answer him because she saw pain in Myungsoo’s eyes. Not L's but Myungsoo's.
“Myungsoo, I-"
“Answer me, please.” He demanded.
Closing her eyes slightly, Jiyeon nodded.
“Myungyeon, it was all just for the fans’ eyes?” he confirmed, voice trembling.
Jiyeon bit her lips and nodded once more.
“I’m sorry.” She finally said, softened gaze staring at him.
Myungsoo let out a dry cackle. He then looked up and away. The sympathetic look she had on was killing him and he was thankful that the lift opened at the very moment. Turning his back on her, he ran at the fastest speed he could go. And he thought the broken pieces of his heart were powdered when she did not even bother to call out for him. Myungsoo stopped running when he noticed no one was in sight. Indeed, who would be loitering around during class time? At this thought, Myungsoo allowed his emotions to overrule and soon, a tear slipped. A real man shouldn't cry but he couldn't help it. The tears were like the untamed waves, uncontrollable. Clutching his left chest, Myungsoo bit his lips in an attempt to control his outburst of emotions.
“What are you sorry for? For being unable to return my feelings? Or for misleading me to think you like me too? Or is it for pushing all the blame to me?” Myungsoo asked and laughed.
The laughter was so loud that it was as if someone told him the best joke in the world.
"Joke indeed. Kim Myungsoo, you're the biggest fool in this world."
Then, Myungsoo wished he did not confess. Because he didn’t mind living in denial, thinking the feelings were mutual. Even if it was all an act for the fans and not for him, it didn’t matter. At this thought, he finally realized how pathetic he has become
-
“Don’t you have schedule to attend to?” The editor asked, slightly irritated.
“Today is my free day.” Hoya said, looking up from the magazines.
“An idol should not be wasting his precious free day at my office, isn't it?" The editor replied.
“It’s not a waste if you tell me the things I want to know, Editor Kim.” Hoya raised his eyebrows.
The editor looked back at his laptop and resumed typing, pretending not to hear anything.
Another hour passed and Hoya yawned out of boredom and he looked at his phone to find no message notification from Sohyun. And that made his heart fell a little. Hours later, the door of the office flung open showing a little girl being brought in by another staff.
"EunNa-ah, you're here! Daddy has been expecting you~" The editor sang and flashed a fatherly smile.
Unexpectedly, the girl merely sat down at the sofa beside Hoya and stared blankly ahead. She said nothing as if the editor hasn't said anything to her. Hoya was certain he noticed a wipe of pain and regret on the editor's face as he walked back to his seat, leaving her alone.
"Editor Kim, you've a meeting with the reporter from JBC entertainment."
"Noted. I'll go over now."
Hoya was staring and he met eyes with the editor who stood up.
"Will you be here until 5PM?" he asked.
"I guess so." Hoya replied with a lazy shrug.
"May I ask you a favour to take care of EunNa?" he asked.
"In return, you can tell me the information I want to know..." Hoya joked.
"Forget it th-"
"It's a joke, Editor Kim." Hoya clarified, shaking his head in amusement.
"Thank you so much." He said and left.
"Hey, little girl." Hoya called out.
He was getting bored sitting there.
"Your name is EunNa?" he asked.
She turned to her left and kept staring. Hoya thought it was awkward for he was being conveniently ignored.
"You can call me Hoya oppa." He continued.
The girl looked away uninterested and Hoya's lips parted in surprise.
"That wasn't very nice, EunNa-ah." Hoya reprimanded softly.
The girl ped her pink hello kitty bag and took out a stack of papers. Picking out the black oil pastel, she began making large, repeated bold black streaks across the papers. Hoya noticed that apart from the black oil pastel, the other colors were untouched. It was only then that Hoya realized there was something different about EunNa.
"I know of a person who likes black like you do." Hoya suggested with a slight smile.
"Oh. EunNa-ah, shall Hoya oppa show you something cool?" Hoya tapped her shoulder and asked.
The little girl paused for a few seconds before dropping the black oil pastel on the table. Picking out the other colors, Hoya colored the white paper with the rainbow of colors available. She stared at the paper filled with colors she hasn't experimented before. Then, Hoya started to use the black oil pastel to cover the first layer of brilliantly colored colors. She frowned and he noticed.
"Will EunNa hold this for me?" He asked, holding out a pick.
With his hands gently wrapped around her tiny hand, he guided her to draw on the now black sheet of paper. As they drew, colors surfaced and EunNa's eyes brightened. She giggled a little when she saw her favourite Hello Kitty forming. Then, a shadow casted upon the two. Hoya looked up to find the editor staring at them.
"She smiled... She smiled!!!!" He yelled hysterically.
Hoya creased his brows in confusion as he looked back down at the girl who continued drawing on her own.
-
"It was winter when she died."
Hoya lowered his head regretfully, "I am sorry to hear that."
"EunNa insisted to go on a bus ride to her grandparents' house when I was overseas. During the journey, the bus they were on skidded and crashed into the sides of the road. The medic told me my wife was hugging onto her tightly, using her body as a human shield for EunNa. Even though the metal piece had impaled through her left lung, she did not let go. It must have hurt a lot before she died..."
"Do you blame her?" he asked, glancing at the little girl seated away.
"My wife used her life to protect our darling and so I told myself I would use more than my life to protect her. Why would I blame her?" he replied, tears glistening in his eyes.
"But she stopped smiling, laughing like she used to. It was like she had built a wall against the world. Until today... She smiled. She finally smiled." He pinched the bridge of his nose, tears streaming down his face.
Then, the little girl ran over with the paper in her hand. She showed her father her drawing and after which, she rubbed her stomach.
"We'll go get some food but give me a moment, EunNa darling."
The editor switched on his laptop, unlocked it and opened a folder. He flashed Hoya a knowing smile before standing up and leaving the room. Realizing his intentions, Hoya hurriedly locked the office door and began browsing through the pictures in the folder.
They say editors always have the habit to keep their sources so as to protect themselves when circumstances arises.
There, Hoya found it.
He stared at the screen shot of the person handing a brown envelope over the counter. Despite the cap and shades worn, he recognized the person.
"S-She...was the one?!"
Taking his phone, Hoya hurriedly snapped a picture of the screen. He left a post-it note on the table with a messily scribbled 'Thank You' before leaving the office.
To: Myungsoo, Jiyeon
I have found the culprit as to who leaked the pictures. Meet me at Paradise Cafe.
Author's note:
Hey guys. This is going to be one of my last updates on AFF before exams end. :') Gosh. I was actually done typing this last night but I accidentally erased it.
I re-typed this lost chapter on my
my phone so pardon my grammar. Hope you like it and the culprit's identity will be unveiled soon.
No one has guessed it right so far...
Thank you for your patient wait. 'Melting Ice' is currently off hiatus and hope you'll enjoy reading. ^^ I will work harder. :')
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