Trust | Lee Mark

Chapter 1

<August 2021>

"Min Eunhye."

I looked back and walked to my dance teacher who had just dismissed tonight's class. "Yes, Ms. Choi?" I asked her while keeping a small polite smile on my face.

"Great job on this month's assessment, the judges were very impressed with your skills. You're one of the best trainees in SM despite knowing nothing just 2 years ago." Ms. Choi complimented me.

I bowed politely to her, "Thankyou, Ms. Choi. I'll continue working hard." I thanked her. My smile faltered when she walked away, as I accidentally turned to look at the 2 trainees on the corner of the room.

Sori and Minsa.

They immediately look flustered and pretended to talk about other things. Other things that aren't me. Despite my unbothered face, I scoffed inside my head. I'm not stupid, I know that they were gossiping about me. They weren't always fond of me anyways, vice versa. 

I looked over from the corner of my eyes, it seems like they're trying to approach me. I sighed inwardly, preparing myself for these 2 annoying people.

"Min Eunhye, I see that you're not being polite to your older ones like always." Sori said, trying to make her sentence sound like a joke. 

I faked a smile, "I'm sorry, unnie. I was too focused on the lessons to greet you both." I said. Not like I would greet them willingly even if I was free though.

"That's fine, we totally understand. Especially since you've joined the agency quite late, I'm sure you need to practice more to keep up with the other trainees." Minsa said.

If this conversation were to be heard from outsiders, they would probably think that Sori and Minsa were being nice and supportive unnies for me. Nah, they aren't. They're just very good at acting nice to me. They were indirectly mocking my abilities that are below them due to joining the agency late.

I nod at them, "Yeah, I should go home now. Goodbye to you both." I forced another smile at them before walking away.

"Tch, ice princess is a too good nickname for her, she should be called rude bitch." I could hear one of them said from afar. I rolled my eyes, so much for being discreet. I walked a bit more before looking around if there's anybody around me.

None.

I quickly ran to the training room in my left, the only one that is not locked during midnights. I closed my eyes in fear while trying to search for the switch. Luckily, I've been to here so many times to the point I memorize where the switch is. I sighed in relief when the lights turned on and plopped down to the floor.

I closed my eyes and let the silence surround me. The previous encounter with those 2 trainees replayed in my head. Did I accidentally show that I dislike them? I always tried to convince myself that they were just nice people who had a bit of an ego. But it's been 2 years I've been here and they still act like that towards me.

I guess toxic people would always be toxic people, I'm numb to them now. No matter how nice I am, they'll always find faults within me. In the end, I can't stop them from badmouthing me. They have the right to badmouth, but it doesn't mean that I'll follow their footsteps and badmouth about them as well. But it doesn't mean I have to pretend to be super nice to them as well, I don't want to be as fake as they are. 

Which is why I keep minimal conversations while trying to still be polite to them, that's the bare minimum I can do. That's probably why they gave me that nickname.

Ice princess.

I mean it's a cool name and all, but do they think I'm as heartless as that? I'm just good at keeping my feelings to myself. I keep my distance from people, because I don't know who would suddenly stab me in the back.