Frozen Memories➔ps.ff

Chapter 9

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As time went by, Sunghoon started to feel the weight of everything on his shoulders. Mentally and physically drained, he was being pulled in too many directions at once—academy training, company training, school, finals, studying, and the constant burden of lying to his best friend.

The pressure built up inside him until he began to shut down, withdrawing from the world around him. The once inseparable bond between him and Sarang was beginning to fray.

Sunghoon became increasingly distant from Sarang and his other school friends. He barely spoke to her, always buried under a mountain of responsibilities.

They even stopped walking to the academy together. To make up for his reduced afternoon practice time at the academy, he started going early in the morning, missing their usual meetings.

Sarang, preoccupied with her own schoolwork and practice, didn't immediately notice the change. But deep down, she felt the growing chasm between them. She tried to arrange meetups, but Sunghoon would always cancel or reschedule, citing his busy schedule.

Sarang believed that once their hectic routines calmed down, everything would return to normal. She didn't realize how much Sunghoon was struggling.

Weeks passed, and the date of their national competition was fast approaching. They barely spoke anymore. Sarang would occasionally drop by Sunghoon's class to say hi, but he'd either be asleep or gone. Even at the academy, their interactions were reduced to a mere wave. Sarang couldn't shake the feeling of anxiety over their growing distance.

Meanwhile, Sunghoon was shutting down emotionally. He was numb to his surroundings, drifting through each day in a daze. He barely interacted with his parents, friends, or even Sarang. His daily routine had become a relentless cycle: waking up early, going to practice, attending school where he zoned out or slept, skipping lunch, heading to the company for non-stop training, and then collapsing at the end of the day.

The only person who seemed to notice the change in Sunghoon was his friend Jay, a fellow trainee at the company. Jay tried his best to support Sunghoon, but it was like talking to a brick wall. Sunghoon was too deep in his own thoughts, spiraling further into isolation.

With only two weeks left until the national competition, Sarang decided to attend a morning practice at the academy. She wanted to skip the afternoon session to study for finals.

Waking up early, she packed her bag with practice gear, school supplies, and food. The neighborhood was still asleep as she walked through the quiet streets, the cool morning air helping to clear her mind.

Lost in her thoughts, she almost didn't hear the faint voice calling her name. When she looked around and saw no one, she shrugged it off and continued walking. But then, someone suddenly touched her shoulder, making her jump. She spun around, ready to defend herself, only to find Sunghoon staring back at her with a blank expression.

"What the heck?" she blurted out, clutching her chest. "I thought I was getting kidnapped!"

Sunghoon breathed a small laugh, but it was devoid of any real humor. "Yeah, you'd definitely get kidnapped. What are you doing out here this early?" he asked, his tone laced with annoyance.

"As you can see, I'm going to practice. Where else?" Sarang replied, still glaring at him.

"Why are you even practicing in the morning when you can do it in the afternoon? And why are you out here alone?" His voice was growing more irritated.

Sarang was taken aback by his scolding. "You know, like you said, finals are coming up, and I wanted extra time to study and practice. Plus, Dohwa is busy, and Dad's out of town for a meeting," she explained, now looking at the ground.