viii.

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 It wasn't completely my idea... I never expected it to happen from the start, anyway. It's not my fault... I never did anything wrong. I just wanted to live a good life...

 Until he came to me.

 There's nothing wrong to answering a favor, right? Though it might be a very heavy burden in the end. I... Was just also helping, am I...?

 No one will find out, right?

  There were news spreading around Woollim Middle School. There was good news and bad news. The good news is - Classes were cancelled and will continue to be. The bad news was - Jung Hyoyi, the ice princess, is missing.

Well... It might be good news for Hyorin.

  Everyone was confused, including Choi Hyorin. She didn't know why teachers and other people kept on nearing her. Is it because they want her back to be number one? Hyorin smirked to this idea. But something was off... They were pleading - Pleading her to make Jung Hyoyi show up. What is actually happening, you ask? Well, it's simple - 

 Hyoyi's been missing for a week now.

 Yep. After a week from her transfer, she was gone. She disappeared out of everyone's sight without even her parents knowing it. The last person they knew that was with her before she went all "poof" was Hyorin alone. She didn't care about Hyoyi's disappearance. In fact, she wanted it. But all she cared about was her pride - People might keep on saying that it's her fault their perfect student was gone... Though she actually didn't do anything. She had plans, but Hyoyi outran her. Another thing was, why did Hyoyi ran off? Is she leaving her perfectly good life? Hell, that's all a waste. Hyorin shook her head in disappointed. Not just anyone would throw of a good life they had. However, there is the ice princess...

 Teachers kept coming, bringing along a million ton of questions about how Hyoyi left. Classmates kept on coming to her, asking her if she knew what happened with Hyoyi. Morever, Hyoyi's mother came to her, asking if she had seen any trace of Hyoyi. But no sign of hers was left unseen. It made her glad that her past life was back. So, all she did was lie. She lied, for the first time of her goody-little-two-shoes life. It did attract attention, since Hyoyi's kind and wonderful mother came running to her. She didn't regret it.

 She got what she wanted, so why would she regret about it?

 It didn't make sense... The whole situation did.

 Classes ended quickly today, but the students weren't their usual selves. They weren't as happy as they were when Hyoyi was still around. Supposedly, a shortened period in class is like their summer vacation, but this time, it wasn't. It was a crime scene. A 70's black and white movie film of Sherlock Holmes. If not, it could be Double "O" Seven. The case of the ice princess' disappearance wasn't closed yet.

 Questions lingered around.

 Hyorin did regain her lost pride, but then, something was off. Everything was. Even though she regained her composure back, her whole joyous school life disappeared along with Hyoyi. Truly, her existence meant a lot in the class... But how about Hyorin? Her existence did mean a lot - It was used like a questionare. After she realized it, she didn't like it one bit. She wanted her whole life back to the way they were. She realized that this whole situation was changing her - She became bruthless, evil. For heaven's sake, she even held a grudge on some innocent little kid! Which never happened in her whole life before. Hyorin didn't like what she has done. 

 Jealousy.

 Envy.

 Those feelings conquered her once pure body and mind. It didn't feel right; in fact, she never liked it. She fell down the deep pool of temptation. She was controlled like a robot, a puppet. It turned her into something else. That feeling changed her - It mixed up all her emotions, making her confused until she finally made a decision to hate someone - Hate the one person she wanted to be true friends with, now gone. The poor little girl's mind was in a tragic mess. It took time and attention for her to realize that...

 The current her, was not the real her. 

 She had a mission - To find a true friend.

 Hyorin put aside what she felt for the few days she was with Hyoyi, and replaced them with her future plans with her as a friend. She pictured them - The two were eating ice cream at the shop, having a group study, talking about boys and stuff, the two dying together... Still as friends. It was all flowery. She never wanted to imagine those moments, she wanted to experience it. Oh how she felt sorry for her little self which angered Hyoyi's life.

  She ran and ran with no exact destination. Only with the purpose of finding the girl who is very alike to her. But then, there showed a sudden hindrance. "Oof!" She bumped unto a certain someone. Nam Woohyun. 

 "Ah! You're..." He pointed a finger at Hyorin with wide open eyes. "..." Hyoyi kept silent and scratched her temples due to the pain when she bumped unto him. The two were facing each other, sitting on the dirt. Though Hyorin found the situation awkward, she was liking it.

 She liked the man in front of her. 

 "Are you... Hyorin-ssi?" He asked, eyeing her very carefully. He was studying her features like he never saw her before, though he did. The two suddenly locked eyes. Because of this, Hyorin averted her gaze and stood up. "I've got to go..." She started walking away, but the thing is, Woohyun stopped her by grabbing her wrist tightly. "Wha...?" She turned her whole body around, only to find Woohyun's pleading look. It was begging - Begging for something for her.

 "Could you do me a favor...?" He held her hand and grasped it tightly. Hyorin flinched from the sudden skinship. "W-What...?" She was all fidgety; she never expected this from someone she just met.

 "Could you... Pretend to be Hyoyi for a little while?"

 It confused little Hyorin, but she found herself nodding.