Exposed

Melting Ice

So Hyun took a deep breath of the still air and smiled.  It had been some time since she last came to this forgotten corner of the school. Walking past the ruins of the broken fountain, she scanned the surrounding. Despite the run down environment, she still liked this place. In her first year of high school, she used to hide here and eat alone. All along, this area of the school was abandoned and conveniently forgotten after being cordoned off for some time. In the past, So Hyun hated to eat by herself because of the constant glances people shot her. Then, she preferred coming here, enjoy the peace and eat her fill.

“It has been some time…” So Hyun thought as she sat at the hidden spot she used to eat in.

Last time, So Hyun was afraid to be discovered eating alone pitifully there so she hid herself although few people comes to the area. So hyun giggled as she recalled how she used to eat during break times. Now she has Yoo Ri to eat and chat her with in the cafeteria during break time. Everything was different and years had passed without her realizing. Shaking her head in amusement, she got up.

“Yoo Ri’s lessons should be over already. I should go and meet her now…” So Hyun thought.

Then, she spotted a familiar figure standing beside the tree. The person turned to the side slightly, showing So Hyun his side profile clearly. She gasped and covered . Unconsciously, she went back between the walls and hid herself.

“It’s L!” She screamed mentally as she tried calming her racing heart.

Peeping from behind the walls, So Hyun confirmed what she thought was a hallucination. The next second, someone walked into the scene.

“Isn’t that T-ara’s Jiyeon?!” So Hyun thought as she ensured that they couldn’t spot her.

“Why did you bring me to such a deserted place?” Jiyeon questioned as she looked around in disgust.

“I…I have something to tell you.” Myung Soo said as he tried hard not to stumble on his words.

“What is it?” Jiyeon asked, uninterested.

She folded her arms and looked up at Myung Soo.

“Gosh. I am eavesdropping on their conversation.” So Hyun thought as she hit her forehead lightly.

“I…I…” Myung Soo paused.

“Be a man and just tell her what you feel. I have a feeling she likes you so everything would turn out fine. Trust me.” L recalled Sung Yeol’s words last night before they slept.

“Aish. There so many freaking mosquitos here! Just say what you want to say already!” Jiyeon rushed as she slapped her arm in an attempt to squash the mosquito.

“To hell with this.” Myung Soo thought as he opened his mouth.

“I…I…like you.” The three words kept in his heart finally left his lips.

Jiyeon’s eyes widened as she heard what Myung Soo said. So Hyun’s back hit the wall as she felt her heart drop at L’s words. Without her realizing, something dropped out of her shallow pocket due to the impact.

“Aish! Like seriously, why must he confess?! Now what?  I can’t possibly accept him since I don’t like him and it’s prohibited… But I can’t reject him upfront because I still need to make use of him to be the perfect ‘visual couple’ in the eyes of the fans… What should I-” Jiyeon’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted.

Myung Soo had grabbed her shoulders, leaned down and kissed her soft lips.

“All successful confessions end with a kiss.” Sung Yeol’s words played in Myung Soo’s mind as he moved his lips against hers.

Jiyeon snapped out of thoughts as she pushed L away and covered her lips with her fingers.

“Yah! Kim Myung Soo! Wh-What was that for?!” She screamed.

Myung Soo  pressed his lips together and looked down in embarrassment. Calming down slightly, he regretted heeding Sung Yeol’s advice.  

“Nothing’s over, nothing’s over~ Nothing’s over, nothing’s over~” So Hyun’s phone rang in her hands.

“.” So Hyun muttered under her breath.

Fumbling with her phone carelessly, she quickly hung up on Yoo Ri. Clutching onto her phone tightly, she adjusted herself and tried to hide better. So Hyun’s heart was thumping loudly in her chest and she could hear her own irregular heartbeat.

“Wait.” Myung Soo signaled to Jiyeon to stay put as he walked in the direction of the sound.  

“Should I stay put and let him discover me? Or should I give it a try and run away?” So Hyun thought as she gripped onto her bag tightly.

So Hyun could hear L’s cautious footstep advancing towards her hiding spot. She bit down on her lower lips and decided to give it a run. Stepping out of her hiding place, she escaped from the other end which Myung Soo was not at. L could only see her run off as he didn’t manage to catch her in time. Stepping forward, he ruffled his hair in frustration. Then, he felt something below his shoes. Moving his foot aside, he bent down and picked up a student card.

“Park So Hyun.” He read off the card and looked at the picture.

“Park So Hyun…? Damn. It’s her!” L thought.

“Oh my god. That was close…” So Hyun mumbled as she panted heavily from the fast run.

“Yah!” Someone shouted and slapped her back.

“Ah!!!” So Hyun screamed as she turned around.

“What’s wrong?” Yoo Ri asked in a slightly worried tone.

“No-nothing.” So Hyun lied.

“Who are you running away from?” Yoo Ri questioned.

“No one. I was just…just… running away from a bee.” So Hyun lied again and looked away.

“Fine. Then why didn’t you pick up my call just now?! I was looking for you all over the place after my make-up class...” Yoo Ri whined.

“I…I was in the toilet.” So Hyun said as she avoided eye contact.

Yoo Ri wasn’t paying attention as she was looking around, hoping to see a certain someone. Hence, she didn’t see through So Hyun’s poor acting skills.

“Let’s go home quickly.” So Hyun suggested as she pulled Yoo Ri hurriedly to the school gates.

 

Author's Note:
Hello everyone !:D
I am so happy to be able to update again after so long :)!
My life is seriously getting too busy nowadays D:.
And my lap top is giving me lots of problems >< *Sigh*
Thankfully, I finished my work faster than expected so I was able to do up this chapter.
I hope this chapter was not too bad and that you guys will comment :D!
I definitely appreciate new subscribers ^^!!
Thank you so much for reading 'Melting Ice' ~ <3

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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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