Suspicion

Melting Ice

Walking with linked arms, the two girls skipped out of school. Then, they spotted a big crowd at the school gate. Judging by the majority of girls, they knew right away that it was INFINITE. Holding her breath, So Hyun peeped in the direction, hoping to spot L. However, the first person that met her eyes was Hoya. Beside So Hyun, Yoo Ri was looking at Hoya with a shy smile spread across her face.

Hoya spotted the two girls and waved with a charismatic smile. Yoo Ri immediately waved back but stopped after a while. She realized that he was not looking in her direction. Following his gaze, she realized Hoya was actually waving to So Hyun who was also waving back. Biting her lower lip, she stuffed her hand back into her pocket angrily. An unknown rage was consuming her inside.

“Let’s go.” She said in an annoyed tone as she grabbed So Hyun’s arm and pulled her away.

“What’s wrong?” So Hyun asked after they walked away from the crowd.

“Why were you waving back to Hoya?” Yoo Ri questioned in an irritated tone as she released So Hyun’s arm.

“I… I was just…” So Hyun paused as she looked at the upset Yoo Ri.

“You are an anti-fan of INFINITE, not their obsessed fan now, my dear!” Yoo Ri reminded as she folded her arms.

“Yoo Ri-ah, mianhae. I forgot about it and almost wasted your efforts for coming up with this plan.” So Hyun said softly as she looked down.

Yoo Ri softened as she looked at her apologetic best friend.

“It’s alright. Just remember that you are supposed to show displeasure towards them, especially Hoya.” Yoo Ri instructed.

“Hoya?” So Hyun asked, confused.

“Ah, err… Because he looks like he is deliberately getting close to you. It seems like he might have suspected that you are not really their anti-fan and is testing you out.” Yoo Ri made up some reason.

“Oh. Speaking of which, he seems to be getting suspicious. Yoo Ri-ah, you know what? Today, he asked me the reason for being their anti-fan! I was so shocked and stunned so I lied that I hated everything about them…” So Hyun recalled the conversation they had.

“Don’t worry, So Hyun. You just have to ignore and give them cold shoulders, especially him since he is getting suspicious about our plan. Just listen to me and everything will be fine. The quieter you are, the more likely L would be curious and steal glances of you, their anti-fan.” Yoo Ri said reassuringly.

“Myung Soo looking in my direction…” So Hyun mumbled as she placed her hands together with a blissful smile.

Yoo Ri rolled her eyes as she recalled the scene when Hoya was only waving to So Hyun.

“Why am I so angry?” Yoo Ri questioned herself.

“Yoo Ri? Yoo Ri? Why are you spacing out?” So Hyun waved her hand before her best friend’s face.

“Oh, umm…Nothing.” Yoo Ri snapped out of her thoughts and said. She then started walking first.

“Okay…” So Hyun replied as they continued the walk home.

“Why is Yoo Ri acting so strangely today?” So Hyun thought to herself.

Back in INFINITE’s dorm…

“Free first row concert tickets… Each member has one.” Their manager said as they handed them the tickets.

“Hyung, what do we do with only one ticket? We can’t possibly invite only one of our parents, right?” Sung Yeol pointed out.

“I understand but the CEO only gave me this much, what can I do? He is getting stingier nowadays. Just randomly give it to your school friends then.” Their manager said as he stood up.

“Huh?” They looked up at him with the ‘Are-you-serious?’ face.

“I will leave first. I trust you guys to stay in the dorm, alright?” He said before walking to the door.

“Ne.” They choroused lazily.

“Aish. Who am I giving this to?” Sung Yeol sighed as he stared at the ticket.

“L, who are you giving it to?” Sung Yeol nudged L.

“Jiyeon because she is my… best friend.” He replied with a sweet smile.

“Hehes…How about the rest of you?” Sung Yeol turned to the others after winking playfully at L.

“My mum since my dad is busy anyways.” Dong Woo said as he kept the ticket away.

“I am inviting my mum too. Hi-5!” Sung Yeol beamed.

“Don’t know. Maybe I will just randomly give it away tomorrow.” Sung Gyu shrugged and answered casually.

“Will give to one of my ‘girlfriends’…” Woo Hyun replied with a playful wink.

“I will give it to Eun Jung noona since she gave me lollipop the other time.” Sung Jong said with a bright smile.

“I will give it to Park So Hyun.” Hoya announced.

“WHAT?!” All the members except L exclaimed in sync as they stared at Hoya. L merely gave Hoya a weird glare.

“Hyung, she is our anti-fan! Why are you giving her our concert’s ticket?!” Sung Jong asked in disbelief.

“Are you alright?” Sung Yeol said as he placed his hand on top of Hoya’s forehead.

“Aish. I am fine! What’s with the big reaction? I am doing our group good by converting her into from an anti-fan to perhaps a fan. Maybe after the concert she will quit being an anti-fan and appreciate us?” Hoya said with a smile on his face.

“You are crazy. Anti-fans are abnormal and you are messing with them…” Sung Gyu shook his head.

“But now that I think about it, she doesn’t seem like a hard-core anti-fan though. I mean she don’t act like one.” Woo Hyun pointed out as he scratched his head in confusion.

“True…” Hoya agreed.

“Perhaps she is just acting as one to attract our attention.” L suggested coldly.

Everyone turned to Myung Soo who suggested a likely answer to the riddle.


Author's Note:
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I need more subs to reach my goal so come on, guys !
Thanks for reading ^^
Going off to sleep already. Finally finished a new chapter :DPhews.. (:

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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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