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Melting Ice

“Who is it?” Myungsoo did not bother beating around the bush.

Jiyeon merely stared at Hoya and waited for his answer. Hoya had his usual serious gaze on as he sat up straight. He was clearly troubled having to be the one unveiling the truth. But that was the very least he could do for the girl he wishes to protect, he thought. Pushing the envelope across the table top, he prompted them to take a look at the content. The truth speaks louder than he does, he thought. Jiyeon snatched the envelope over and ripped it open and her eyes widened in horror at the culprit.

“How sure are you?” her voice was laced with hatred and betrayal.

“I got it from the editor directly.” Hoya replied.

Jiyeon smacked her hands on the table and left without a second word spoken. Myungsoo was about to give chase when Hoya stopped him.

“Let them sort things out. I’ve things to settle with you, now.” Hoya said.

Myungsoo took a last look at the door which Jiyeon had run out of, wondering if she would be fine alone. He could tell she was on the brink of tears and that she would definitely cry later on. She wasn’t as strong as she made herself out to be. After all, she was just a nineteen years old girl thrown into the idol world, forced to be an adult. He wanted to protect her, he always did. But it appeared that she didn’t want him to, not before, not now. And so Myungsoo stayed in his position and waited for Hoya to speak.

“I told you it isn’t Sohyun. Now, what do you intend to do?” Hoya brought up his concern.

“What do you mean?” Myungsoo replied nonchalantly.

-

Back in the dorm…

Jiyeon burst through the doors and went straight into her room. The girl in the room jumped in surprise as she hugged the fashion magazine she was reading. Her eyes flashed annoyance the moment she registered the intruder but it was soon professionally masked as she put on a fake smile.  This time, Jiyeon saw through the smile and it stabbed right at her heart.

“What’s wrong?” she asked innocently.

“Why?!” Jiyeon screamed as she threw the pictures at Hyomin’s face.

“You sent the photos in, didn’t you? Why would you do that?!” She yelled.

“Shut up.” Hyomin finally snapped, registering the situation.

Jiyeon fought back the tears because she didn’t want to cry before her. Not this time.

Hyomin got up from her bed and a smirk played on her lips. She advanced closer to the younger who was glaring really hard at Hyomin. She thought they were best friends. She thought she was her closest unnie in the group. She thought she loved her as much as she did. Best sisters, she remembers she once said that. She trusted her so much but never once had she expected her to be the one to stab her in the back.

“Why is it you?!” Jiyeon lost it as she gave Hyomin a tight slap.

She held onto her left cheek with her hand as she let out a bitter laugh.

“So you really want to know the reason, huh?” she finally spoke up.

“At least tell me why I am betrayed.” Jiyeon said bitterly.

“Betrayed?” she scoffed.

“Are you feigning innocence or do you genuinely not know, Jiyeon-ah? You’re seriously the best actress.” She spat.

“I don’t know wh-”

“It’s always you, Park Jiyeon. It was never T-ara, never me, never we but you! Your screen time is always hella more just because you’ve more fans, just because the staff likes you better! Dream high 2, it was supposed to be me! Me! But you stole it away, so effortlessly.” Hyomin’s bitter laughter made Jiyeon’s heart ache.

She never knew she thought that way. She never once saw through her pretense smile and words of congratulatory. All this while, she thought she was genuinely happy for her which was why she had always made it a point to tell her whenever she earned a new schedule. Then, Jiyeon realized something.

“Dream high 2? What do you mean? I thought you didn’t audition for it?” Jiyeon questioned.

“I lied.” She said, plopping herself on the bed.

“You know, I passed the audition. I trained so hard, those lines, even in the toilet. But because you suddenly decided to join the audition and you passed too, they chose you. The producer told me because you’ve more experience than I do; they decide to let you’ve the role instead. He told me that it’s okay since we’re in the same group and he knows I’ll be as happy. this .”

Jiyeon was struck by realization. She was oblivious to all this things as she enjoyed the spotlight shone on her. She never knew such things happened behind her back, and she didn’t know what to react anymore.

“But it’s not my fault tha-”

“Yes, right. It’s never your fault. It’s never you, Park Jiyeon’s fault. So I decided to make it your fault, this time. If I hadn’t done this, I wouldn’t have been casted for ‘The Thousandth Man’, wouldn’t I? Because it would have been yours, Park Jiyeon’s, again.”

“You’re so scary…” She mumbled as tears spilled.

“It’s not just me, actually. The other members feel the same way too.” Hyomin said as she crossed her arms.

“You’re too oblivious, Jiyeon-ah.”

Her words sank in deeper as Jiyeon ran out of the dorm, past the members who were giving her looks she couldn’t comprehend anymore. She wished someone had called her when she left but none of them did. Her heart went cold at the reality she was facing. Never once had she expected the girls she lived with, the ones she once laughed along with so heartily during training to turn against her in a heartbeat. And the member whom she spent nights having heart-to-heart talks turned out to be the culprit who wished she flopped.

Jiyeon did not know where she could go but she knew she couldn’t stay out like this. She would make it to the headlines again if she continued running and crying on the streets. Seeking refuge in a shopping mall’s toilet, she cried hard. In there, nobody knew she was Park Jiyeon. They’d just think it was some crazy girl who had a bad day.

-

To: Jiyeon

You alright? Want to meet me?

-Myungsoo

 

“Are you listening to me?” Hoya expressed his annoyance at L who kept staring at his phone.

“So what do you think I should do? Apologize to that Park Sohyun?” L questioned.

“What’s with your tone?” Hoya started to get irritated.

“I’m sorry, Hoya. You know that I’m worried about her…” Myungsoo sighed.

Hoya nodded in understanding, clearly knowing who he was referring to.

“But you do know that we can’t possibly tell everybody the culprit is Hyomin to return justice to Park Sohyun, right?” Myungsoo pointed out.

“I know.” Hoya ruffled his hair in frustration.

Hoya’s phone vibrated and he closed his eyes for a brief moment at the notification.

To: Hoya

Hyung, did you find out anything?

-JB

 

 “It’s getting late, we got to go back already.” Hoya said as he footed the bill.

L nodded and the two left to return to the dorm. They put on fake smiles and pretended to be normal. The members teased them for having a double date, shortly after Woohyun and Sungjong did. No one suspected anything and Hoya was in a dilemma. That night, he removed his headphones and replied JB whom he had put off for quite a while.

 

To: JB

Not yet.

-Hoya

 

Author's Note:
The culprit has been set by me since a long time ago. I finally took time to sit down and write this chapter.
Hope you guys enjoyed reading and do leave me comments~ ^^
 

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Author's Thoughts
watermelon
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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Rini6189 #1
Chapter 17: Hoya's got a point about this being Jiyeon's battle and that it's not Myungsoo's place to get involved. After getting his heart broken by her, it's baffling that he still deeply cares for her to the point of wanting to help her. This doesn't seem to be a good time for Myungsoo to be with her when she needs to be alone to process her feelings. When the actual perpetrator turns out to be the one close to her, it's heartrendingly painful. It's sad that those whom she considers family have all turned their backs on her. In her state of emotional instability, it seems possible that Jiyeon would reveal the truth with the evidence if it comes to that. When overwhelmed by emotions, one can do unpredictable things that lack rationale. Since returning to T-ara's dorm is out of the question, Jiyeon would need somewhere to stay for the night. She'd be fortunate if someone who only sees her as a person (not as an idol) would offer her a place to rest. It's a wonder what Myungsoo meant by them not being allowed to expose the real culprit to prove Sohyun's innocence. The exposure leading up to conflict for T-ara's management agency is a possibility.

It's JR who had volunteered to help Hoya with the investigation in proving Sohyun's innocence, so he should've been the one to message him. Inputting JB's name instead of JR's must be a mistake. JB doesn't know about Hoya partaking in an investigation.

Since it's been so long that you haven't updated this fic, you may have lost interest or the inspiration for it. It's understandable when your main priorities occupy much of your time for you to have difficulty continuing it.
Rini6189 #2
Chapter 16: <span class='smalltext text--lighter'>Comment on <a href='/story/view/161224/16'>Unveiled</a></span>
Having the harsh truth confirmed to him by Jiyeon is the reality check that Myungsoo needs. Living a lie is what'll make him miserable in the long run when he doesn't move on to grow and become a better person. It's plainly obvious that Jiyeon will never love him the way he does towards her. Since the Myungyeon thing is just a publicity stunt to raise her popularity and appeal to the fans, there's no realism to it. Because he's been such a jerk to Sohyun, I find it hard to feel sorry for him when he got his heart broken by Jiyeon. It's like he deserved it as karma for the terrible way he'd treated Sohyun and ignored her when she was being badly bullied. The scene with Hoya and the editor's daughter is sweet when he's able to make her smile. It's a nice reward from the editor in return for his service of keeping her company while he's busy. A good deed is its own reward for there to be a positive change made in an individual and help one find happiness.



Keeping the real culprit a mystery from the readers is a good setup to get others hooked in anticipation of further reading. It keeps things interesting for the perpetrator to not be discovered easily when there's vagueness or lack of clues. The suspense is good for keeping the readers on edge.
Rini6189 #3
Chapter 15: <span class='smalltext text--lighter'>Comment on <a href='/story/view/161224/15'>Worried</a></span>

Myungsoo silently condoning their bullying of Sohyun is very despicable of him. To see her idol regard her this coldly, it’d be reason enough to convince one to stop being his fan. Letting him go is the way to move on so that she wouldn’t have to bear the burden of yearning for him to take notice and care about her. Such cruelty makes him an indecent human being. If Sohyun become suicidal because of their consistent bullying, it’d make them criminals for encouraging her potential death. These vicious Inspirits would’ve been arrested if bullying was named a crime in the law. Although not much came of their visit to the news agency that published the scandalous article, at least it gave Hoya and JR a bit of a lead in their investigation for proving Sohyun’s innocence. It’s not much of a stretch that Hoya’s developing feelings for Sohyun to let himself be so occupied by her.

Indeed, “Melting Ice” has developed into a drama with the lead character having to experience so much angst and misery. Such emotional content helps the readers connect with the characters and identify with them to some extent.
Rini6189 #4
Chapter 14: That's a shocking revelation for JB to reveal himself to Jiyeon. She's bright to not easily believe the rumor about a fangirl (Sohyun) sending in those scandalous photos to the news outlets. That's a good deduction upon realizing that she wouldn't have such good connections with the Press or the paparazzi. It's one-sided on Myungsoo's part when Jiyeon doesn't reciprocate his feelings, so that means Myungsoo doesn't have a chance with her. That is vengeful when his intent is for her to be hurt after the pain he'd experienced from getting dumped by her. Seeing Sohyun getting badly bullied by the manic Inspirits is really disheartening. Repulsive stans like them give the Infinite fandom a bad name. It'd be good if Infinite could use their platform to address the injustice of bullying. This should be the wakeup call for Sohyun to accept that Yoori is no longer her friend by just letting her suffer at their hands and joining them. Even though she couldn't tell others about it due to being threatened into silence, it's good that Hoya and JR are perceptive to pick up on that from analysis. It's a blessing that JR happened to be nearby to catch sight of Sohyun in a wet mess and come to her aid. With JR joining them on the investigation, it'd help with covering more ground to get closer to the truth.
Rini6189 #5
Chapter 13: This is quite an intriguing chapter to get some background on Jiyeon regarding her connection with JB, which was subtly implied previously. Jiyeon must be hiding her true feelings in order to not appear vulnerable in his presence. Due to their past history together, it's troubling for Jiyeon to be seeing JB in person. In decision-making, having to make a sacrifice in order to gain something is a cruel twist of fate when it comes at a price of one's true happiness (which is love in her case). The dating ban in the idol's contract makes chasing fame a miserable pursuit when one doesn't get to enjoy a private personal life--like their lives are in the entertainment entities' control. JB must still have strong feelings for Jiyeon to be emotionally distraught over her being linked to Myungsoo.
Rini6189 #6
Chapter 12: It's nice of Hoya to watch out for Sohyun by keeping a close eye on things...even going far to prove her innocence in seeking the actual culprit. His meticulousness in observation is useful behind the scenes for investigation. Yoori seems to have malicious intent toward Sohyun to be heavily considered as a suspect, so it's plausible that she'd go out of her way to make life miserable for her. She is distorted to believe that Sohyun took something from her when Hoya isn't an object in her possession. It's not true love she has for Hoya when she's obsessing over him. For emboldening the manic Inspirits' bullying towards Sohyun, that makes Myungsoo just as cruel in a passive-aggressive way. Hoya's right to call him out on it. Jiyeon's encounter at the end leaves for a cliffhanger in anticipation of what's to come.
Rini6189 #7
Chapter 11: Although being on suspension from idol activities troubles him, it's for the best to be away from the limelight till the scandal gossip dies down. It's a wonder if Myungsoo and JB have a rivalry between them based on their brief, nonverbal exchange. Myungsoo can come off as intimidating for others to see that he's not one to be messed with/pushed over. If only Sohyun can have that kind of strength in herself, bullies would know to back off and leave her alone. Why is it that Sohyun just accepts it and let herself be a pushover? It's not surprising if Yoori's the one who encouraged this torment towards Sohyun as though she's set this up all along. It'd be great if Sohyun could make new friends that'd care enough to support her and encourage her to find the strength and courage within herself. Those that inspire confidence in others have a positive impact on people's lives for growth. It's good that JR stepped in to her aid when he saw her being bullied.
Rini6189 #8
Chapter 10: The bullying that Sohyun had experienced is something to explore for some background into her character and what makes her a susceptible target for others. She could've at least reported it to the teachers or the principal for help in dealing with this matter. Yoori isn't worthy of being her friend when she can just easily leave her for the other Inspirits in a situation that becomes favorable to her. True friends stay for the long haul through thick and thin. It makes me wonder if Yoori is a fake friend all along and just sticks around when it makes herself feel good...or if she's just a totally selfish person who doesn't care about anyone but herself. Hoya telling Yoori to her face that she'd never like a girl as cruel/wicked as her would be a real slap in the face for a rude awakening. It'd be even more sweet if Hoya and Sohyun end up closer together because of her when her plan backfires on her. Jiyeon seems unimpressed with JB's fan service to his adoring fangirls when it's just an act for his public image. It's not surprising if Jiyeon has a thing a thing for JB to be affected by it and not want to see it.
Rini6189 #9
Chapter 9: Even if the anti-fan act was Yoori's idea to help Sohyun get noticed by Myungsoo, it backfired when he saw through it. The "hideous smile" on Yoori's face speaks volumes of her true intention. It seems that Yoori isn't a true friend for leaving Sohyun when it turns unfavorably and believe it to be of inconvenience/trouble to her. At this point, Sohyun must've realized that she was the one who submitted those scandalous photos as much as she doesn't want to believe it. For Yoori to suddenly show her face after Joo Hee and her gang walk away, it seems suspicious like she'd been following her around. It appears to be a setup planned by Yoori to make her suffer, which she seems to delight in watching. At least having Hoya's support is something good that came out of this. He must be the type to pay close attention to his surroundings to have better awareness of others, namely Sohyun.
Rini6189 #10
Chapter 8: That's really cold of Myungsoo when Sohyun intervened to help get them off his trail. Even though he doesn't trust her, he should've at least been a little grateful that his hide got saved because of her. His emotional distress and anger has clouded his mind that he's not thinking clearly. Still, it's not much of a difference to his usual Ice Prince persona. It's apparent that Myungsoo keeps up his cold-looking demeanor to prevent other girls, except Jiyeon, from getting close to him. One person who'd be malicious and devious enough to frame Sohyun is Yoori. Yoori is spitefully jealous of Sohyun for having Hoya's attention that she'd likely go that far to ruin her or make her seem like the bad guy. It's like she's putting effort into ensuring that Yoori gets no chance to be close to her idol, Myungsoo, when she doesn't have a chance with Hoya. This seems so calculated for Sohyun to suffer. I feel bad for Sohyun to end up in this predicament.

I'd heard of that rumor regarding T-ara being bullies toward Hwayoung when she used to be part of their group. Hearing such news is upsetting. That's pretty much speculation. Since they're allegations without confirmed evidence/proof, it's likely false, which was later revealed to be the case. Since it's intended for Jiyeon to be portrayed negatively/unfavorably in this fic, this bullying controversy must be where you're getting inspired.
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