𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬

Chapter three

(Song recommend: cold as ice by FOREIGNER)

The next morning, Jihyo arrived at the rink with a renewed sense of determination. She was done letting Suho's icy demeanor control her emotions. Today, she would focus on her training and push everything else out of her mind.

But as soon as she walked into the training area, she felt the tension in the air. Suho was already there, his back turned to her as he spoke in a low voice on his phone. He seemed unaware of her presence, his posture tense and agitated.

Jihyo hesitated in the doorway, unsure whether to interrupt. She caught snippets of his conversation, the words muffled but the tone unmistakably angry.

"...I told you, this isn't the time... No, I don't care what she said, I'll handle it... Just stay out of it."

He paused, listening intently, his hand clenching into a fist at his side. When he spoke again, his voice was colder than she had ever heard it. "Don't call me here again. I said I'll take care of it."

He hung up abruptly, slipping the phone into his pocket as he turned around. The moment his eyes met hers, Jihyo felt a jolt of something between them—an unspoken tension that made her heart race.

"You're early," Suho said, his voice clipped, as if the phone call had put him in an even worse mood than usual.

"So are you," Jihyo replied, watching him carefully for any sign of what had caused his anger. "Everything okay?"

Suho's jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Because you look like you're ready to punch someone, "Jihyo said, crossing her arms. "Who were you talking to?"

"That's none of your business," he snapped, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You're here to train, not to pry into my personal life."

Jihyo flinched at the harshness of his words, but she wasn't about to back down. "Maybe if you didn't act like the world was on your shoulders, I wouldn't have to pry."

For a moment, she thought he might actually explode at her, the tension in his posture so palpable it was like a storm ready to break. But instead, he took a slow, measured breath, as if forcing himself to regain control.

"Get on the ice," he ordered, his voice low and dangerously calm. "We have work to do."

Jihyo stared at him for a long moment, her mind racing with a hundred questions she knew he wouldn't answer. But she did as he asked, stepping onto the ice and beginning her warm-up routine. Suho's presence loomed over her, a constant reminder of the secrets he was keeping.

As she glided across the ice, trying to focus on her movements, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more going on with him. Something he was desperately trying to keep hidden. But what? And why was he so adamant about keeping her—and everyone else—in the dark?

Is he married?

The thought hit her out of nowhere, an inexplicable instinct that made her heart skip a beat. But as soon as it crossed her mind, she dismissed it as ridiculous.
Suho wasn't the type to get involved with anyone, much less be married. His life revolved around skating, nothing else.

But as she stole a glance at him from across the rink, the way he held himself so tightly, the way he seemed so determined to keep her at arm's length, she couldn't help but wonder if there was something—or someone—he was protecting. Someone he had vowed to keep out of his chaotic world.

Jihyo shook her head, pushing the thought aside. It was just her imagination running wild. Suho was cold and grumpy, yes, but married? That was absurd.

Yet, the nagging doubt lingered in the back of her mind, growing stronger with each passing moment. And as she completed her routine, her eyes flicking back to Suho, she realized with a sinking feeling that she wasn't going to be able to let it go.