Frozen Memories➔ps.ff

Chapter 14

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While Sunghoon's life was in shambles, so was Sarang's, though in a different way. After the competition, she had been over the moon, but her happiness was short-lived.

A week later, she had a doctor's appointment for a routine check-up. Everything seemed fine until her doctor dropped a bombshell.

"You need to stop engaging in intense physical activities," the doctor said, her tone serious. "It could exacerbate your endometriosis and cause severe health problems."

Sarang felt as though the ground had been ripped out from under her. Skating was her life, her passion, and now she was being told to give it up.

The thought of quitting so early, with so much of her career ahead of her, was unbearable.

She still had her senior year, the pinnacle of her skating journey, but now she wouldn't be able to compete. It was a crushing blow.

Her parents, understanding the depth of her despair, gave her space, knowing how much skating meant to her. But nothing could ease the pain. She cried herself to sleep every night, mourning the loss of her dreams.

In moments like these, she missed Sunghoon more than ever. But he had seemingly vanished from her life. She hadn't seen him at school or in the neighborhood, and her longing quickly turned into resentment.

He had ghosted her, left her in the dark, and now she despised him for it.

She removed the friendship necklace and stuffed it into a box behind her closet, hiding it away like a painful memory.

As the months passed, she buried herself in her studies, spending countless hours at the library, trying to fill the void left by skating and Sunghoon's absence.

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One afternoon, after spending half an hour in the library, Sarang decided to leave earlier than usual. The sky was still bright, a stark contrast to the late evenings she was accustomed to when she had Taehyun as her study partner.

As she walked aimlessly, her feet carried her to Sunghoon's house, now a painful reminder of everything she had lost.

She hesitated at the front door, unsure whether she should knock or turn away. The house seemed quiet, and the absence of Sunghoon's family was palpable.

After a moment's indecision, she decided to at least see if she could find Yeji, whom she hadn't seen in a long time. Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell.

A man in black overalls and a mask answered the door, a cleaning towel in hand.

He looked at her with a hint of surprise. "Hello, how can I help you?"

Sarang was taken aback by his presence. "Is Yeji home?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

The man's face softened with pity as he delivered the crushing news. "I'm sorry, but the Parks family sold the house and moved out last week."

Her heart sank, the words hitting her like a physical blow. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Are you telling me that the Park's family has left? Sunghoon has left?"

The man nodded solemnly. "Yes, miss. I'm sorry."

Sarang's world spun, and she numbly walked back to her own home, her steps heavy and unsteady.

Her mother was in the kitchen when she arrived, and Sarang barely managed to get the words out. "Did Sunghoon's family really sell their house and leave?"

Her mother looked up, surprised. "Oh, Sarang, I thought you knew. I was told last week by Ms. Park that it was a sudden decision, and they couldn't even say goodbye properly."

Sarang's heart ached.

Her mother continued, trying to offer some comfort. "You can still see Sunghoon at school, right?"

Sarang shook her head, tears escaping her eyes.

Despair overwhelmed her, and she dashed to her room, locking the door behind her. She collapsed onto her bed, her body shaking with intense, wracking sobs.

Her mind raced with hurtful questions and regrets. "Why didn't he tell me? Did he hate me so much? Was it my fault? Should I have reached out first?"

The self-blame was suffocating, and she cried until she could barely breathe. Outside her door, Dohwa and her mother called to her, but she refused to respond, consumed by her anguish.

She didn't eat that night, her tears flowing unchecked, her guilt and pain mingling into a storm of emotions.

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Days turned into weeks, and Sarang's grief transformed into anger. The feelings of abandonment and betrayal festered, morphing into a deep-seated hatred towards Sunghoon. She vowed never to forgive him for leaving her without a word.

They had shared so much, and now they were nothing more than strangers. Her anger was consuming, and she convinced herself that she would be better off without him.

Meanwhile, Sunghoon's life had turned upside down. The divorce had forced his family to sell their home and move to a smaller apartment far from their old neighborhood. The move to a new school was also jarring, but they managed to settle into their new life.

The financial strain on their mother was immense, and Sunghoon and Yeji both took on additional responsibilities. Yeji worked part-time at a bakery, while their mother took on extra shifts at the office.

Sunghoon threw himself into his training, using it as an escape from the turmoil at home.

His mother's exhaustion and Yeji's long hours only fueled his mind to be determined to become an Idol and succeed. He trained relentlessly, pushing himself to the limit in the hopes of achieving his dream of becoming an idol, even though that wasn't his real dream. The survival show became his sole focus, the prospect of success his driving force.

At home, he would often find Yeji collapsed on the couch with an unfinished cup of ramen beside her, a testament to her long day. His mother, too, was rarely home, her night shifts consuming most of her time.

The sight of his family's struggle tore at Sunghoon's heart, intensifying his resolve to make something of himself.

Despite his relentless training, Sunghoon couldn't escape the loneliness and regret that shadowed him. He missed the old days with Sarang, the times they shared, and the friendship that had been so important to him. But his focus remained on supporting his family, pushing aside his personal pain for the greater good.

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As the weeks turned into months, both Sunghoon and Sarang faced their own battles. Their lives, once intertwined, were now marked by silence and separation. The pain of their fractured friendship was a heavy burden they carried alone, their paths diverging as they struggled to find their way in their new realities.

Meanwhile, Sarang was nearing the end of her junior year, focusing solely on her studies. The absence of figure skating had left a void in her life, and her anger towards Sunghoon persisted. Her feelings towards him were complex—both love and resentment intertwined, a tangled mess of emotions she couldn't quite unravel.

Both Sunghoon and Sarang faced their own crossroads. Their lives, shaped by their choices and circumstances, were on divergent paths. The distance between them seemed insurmountable, but the echoes of their shared history lingered, a reminder of the bond they once had and the friends they used to be.

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