So hyun stepped into the school compound with a heavy heart. She was not in the mood for school at all so she practically had to drag herself to school this morning. She sighed as yesterday’s memories flooded her mind.

“He knew I am not their anti-fan. He thinks I am the one who circulated his pictures. He… hates me.” She thought as tears welled up in her eyes.

Everything was not going her way ever since the day she saw Myungsoo’s confession for Jiyeon. Sometimes she wondered whether seeing him from afar was better than all these encounters she had with him so far. If she had continued to look at L as a normal fan, maybe his image in her mind would still be perfect. Now, she wasn’t sure anymore.

“Is it just me or are people looking in my direction a little too often today?” she stopped and realized.

“Yah. Park Sohyun!” Someone called out.

Before Sohyun could turn around and find out whose voice was it, she was already being pushed against the wall.

“Joo Hee unnie?” Sohyun looked up at her in confusion.

Joo Hee was the fan club president of INFINITE in the school so being an inspirit, Sohyun could recognise her right away.

“Don’t use that dirty mouth of yours to call out my name.” She said crudely.

Sohyun pressed her lips together in fear as Joo Hee and her gang cornered her. There were quite some people crowding around them to watch the morning drama unfold.

“You sent the pictures in, didn’t you?” she accused.

“I didn’t!” Sohyun defended herself right away.

“So you’re not only a fake anti but also a liar, huh? You are seriously not worthy of our fandom, Park Sohyun.” She looked to the side and turned back to glare at her fiercely.

“It really wasn’t me! What do I have to do to make you all believe me?!” She yelled out of desperation as tears fell.

She was sick of being maligned and treated as if she really was the culprit.

“Don’t raise your voice at me, liar.” She commanded as she squeezed her cheeks tightly.

The crowd made a big commotion at the back. The inspirits within the crowd cheered louder at Joo hee’s actions.

“I am just telling you that you have to pay a price for your stupid actions, Park Sohyun. Real fans won’t do such things like what you did… The inspirits who really love INFINITE won’t let you off for harming our Myungsoo oppa. Take care of yourself well.” She said with a smirk before releasing her face with some force.

Sohyun’s hair swept over and covered her tear-stained face as the group walked off and high-fived some of the inspirits. That was just the start to their revenge for their Myungsoo for being suspended from INFINITE.

“Sohyun-ah, gwenchana?” Yoori rushed over to her side only when everyone dispersed.

“Didn’t you say that if I trust you everything will be fine? You said acting as an anti would be fine!” Sohyun straightened herself and questioned Yoori.

“Are you blaming me now?” she asked, irritated.

“Yes. Now all the inspirits and Myungsoo oppa thinks that I am a fake-anti, a jealous and lowly inspirit who circulated his pictures! I didn’t! I didn’t! How many times must I tell them so that they would believe me?! It’s all your fault! If I didn’t act as an anti, they wouldn’t have suspected I would have an ulterior motive!” She erupted with tears falling already.

“Yah. Park Sohyun! I gave the idea for your own good. If this is all I get from helping you as a friend, I regretted. I am not going to help you anymore!” Yoori yelled back in anger.

Then, Sohyun realized that she had taken things too far. It was indeed not Yoori’s fault because she merely wanted to help her from the start. Both of them didn’t want such things to occur.

“Yoori-ah, I am sor-”Sohyun raised her hand and touched Yoori’s arm gently.

Unexpectedly, Yoori slapped her hand away.

“Maybe they were right. Maybe it was really you.” She said with a smile which caught Sohyun by surprise.

“Yoori-ah, w-what are you saying?” she asked in confusion.

“I said maybe it was really you who sent the photos in because you were jealous of the two of them… Who knows what the truth is?” Yoori said with a shrug.

“Kim Yoori! I am fine if the others say that of me but you are my best friend! How could you doubt me?!” She shouted in disbelief.

“I side the truth, Sohyun. You have a motive and I remember how I saw you being all listless those days. You were probably in a dilemma whether to submit those pictures to the reporters and guilty for sending in the pictures after which, isn’t it? All the evidence is pointing at you so I can’t help but believe that you’re the culprit like everyone else. I am sorry.” She said with a smile.

“Yoori-ah…Why are you acting like this? It’s so unlike you.” Sohyun trembled a little as she tried to reach out to her friend who seemed so unfamiliar at the moment.

“I have always been like this, darling.” She added with a smirk before folding her arms.

“No, you weren’t like that before. The Kim Yoori from before would trust me and be on my side at times like this. She would smile and tell me everything would be over soon. She would trust me even if everyone doesn’t!” Sohyun said as she wiped off those pathetic tears.

“I’m sorry but I have changed. Like what Joo Hee unnie said, Sohyun-ah, take care of yourself well.” Yoori said as she patted on her shoulders before leaving.

“WHY?!” Sohyun screamed behind Yoori.

“Why do you have to do this to me too?” Sohyun muttered as she saw her best friend disappear round the corner.

“Why would I want to spite all the other inspirits by standing on your side now? That’s just so stupid. And Hoya oppa probably hates you like Myungsoo oppa does…” Yoori thought to herself with a hideous smile as she walked off to class.

Sohyun squatted on the ground as more tears fell and got absorbed in her skirt. Everything was going insane. First, her ultimate bias gave her money to gag and suddenly, his secret confession appeared on the headlines. The next moment, the whole world was against her and her only best friend turned her back against her. She was left alone, like before, to fend for herself. Sohyun laughed bitterly at her situation, amused at how all the events took a turn for the worse.

“Kim Myungsoo, you told them, didn’t you?” she mumbled to herself.

No one would have known since Myungsoo was the only one who knew she was there. Also, he was the only person who knew she was a fake anti-fan since he said to her that day. She had an obvious answer to her question already. An answer which she never wanted to believe in.

“Sohyun?” someone called out.

Sohyun looked up at the person with teary eyes and realized it was Hoya. He squatted down with a worried look on his face.

“Are you alright?” he asked the obvious too.

She nodded with a plastered smile.

“You heard about it too?” she broke the silence.  

“Yea. I heard about you being the one who sent the photos regarding L and Jiyeon to the press agencies.” He answered.

“If you have heard…Why are you here? Why would an INFINITE member come near a disgusting, lowly and jealous inspirit like me who harmed his team member?!” She admitted what others’ put into .

More tears fell as she looked away.

“I don’t believe it’s you.” He said.

Sohyun turned back and looked at Hoya in surprise. She didn’t expect him to take sides with her especially when they were nothing close to friends. Then, Hoya brought both his hands to her face and wiped off those tears swiftly. Hoya took his hands back but Sohyun just remained in position and continued staring at him.

“Why?” she finally blurted out.

“Because my mind tells me to trust you.” He said with another smile.

“Thank you.” Sohyun whispered softly.

“Thank you for trusting me.” She repeated as more tears fell.

That was enough. A simple “I don’t believe it’s you” when everyone says otherwise. Never once had Sohyun thought that at times like this, the one by her side was not her best friend but someone from her bias group whom she never paid as much attention as L. 

Author's Note: 
I wrote a quick chapter before sleeping. I did not check through my work thoroughly so I might do it another day. 
Going off to sleep now. 
I would appreciate if you comment before leaving!
Thank you for reading 'Melting Ice' !~ (: