𝐁𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬

Chapter eleven

The following morning, jihyo woke up to the pale light filtering through the room curtains. Her mind was foggy from the restless night, but there was no time to dwell on it. The day ahead was packed with more training, interviews, and, of course, the ever-present tension that had become her constant companion.

She dragged herself out of bed, feeling the weight of everything that had happened pressing down on her. Her father's ominous words from the night before echoed in her mind, a reminder of the darkness that still loomed over her life.

After a quick shower, she headed to the rink, hoping that the familiar routine of practice would clear her head. But as soon as she stepped inside, she felt the tension in the air. The skaters moved with precision, their movements sharp and focused, but there was an undercurrent of unease, a sense that something wasn't quite right.

Jihyo's eyes scanned the rink, landing on suho, who was watching her from across the ice. His expression was unreadable, but there was a hardness in his eyes that hadn't been there before. It made her heart skip a beat, though she wasn't sure if it was from fear or something else.

He didn't approach her, didn't say a word. He just watched, his gaze never leaving her. It was as if he was daring her to make a move, to do something that would shatter the fragile peace between them.

But before she could dwell on it, Coach Harrise appeared at her side, his usual warm smile in place.

"Ready to get started?" he asked, his voice smooth and reassuring.

Jihyo nodded, forcing herself to focus on the task at hand. She couldn't afford to let her emotions get the better of her, not now.

The practice session went by in a blur. Jihyo pushed herself harder than ever, determined to block out the noise in her head. She executed each move with precision, her body moving on autopilot as she fought to keep her mind clear.

But even as she skated, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. Every time she glanced over, she caught suho's piercing gaze, his eyes following her every move. It was unsettling, and it only added to the growing knot of tension in her chest.

After what felt like hours, Harrise called for a break. Jihyo skated to the side, catching her breath as she leaned against the boards. She was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, but she couldn't let it show. Not here, not now.

As she sipped water from her bottle, Harrise approached her, his expression concerned.

"You're pushing yourself too hard," he said gently. "You need to take it easy."

Jihyo shook her head, wiping the sweat from her brow. "I can't afford to take it easy. I have to be perfect."

Harrise frowned, his gaze softening. "Jihyo, you're already an incredible skater. You don't have to prove anything to anyone."

His words were kind, but they only made her feel more conflicted. She wanted to believe him, but the pressure to succeed was overwhelming. She felt like she was teetering on the edge of a cliff, and one wrong move would send her plummeting into the abyss.

Before she could respond, suho appeared beside them, his presence a stark contrast to Harrise's warmth. His expression was cold, his voice clipped when he spoke.

"She needs to push herself," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "There's no room for weakness at this level."

Jihyo felt a pang of hurt at his words, but she hid it behind a mask of indifference. She wasn't sure why his opinion mattered so much to her, but it did. And that scared her more than anything.