Thin Ice- SunSun

Intro: Thin Ice

An immense amount of pressure weighed on Sunghoon's shoulders as he skated onto the ice. This four and a half minute routine could make or break his career. If he makes even one small mistake, all the years he spent working towards this would be wasted. This stoic young boy didn't care about making friends, he didn't care about sleep, he didn't care what pain he had to endure... all he cared about was skating. It was his escape from the world. When it was just him and the ice, he never felt more free. 

But in life, it's never that easy to escape reality. Once again, Sunghoon was surrounded by roaring crowds, thousands of people all here to see if he'll choke. "You're Park Sunghoon, this glory will only last as long as you deserve it". These words, spoken by his coach, crossed the boys mind every time he stepped onto the ice. He knew that one win doesn't equal glory, he had to keep fighting. Contentedness was his worst enemy. Therefore, he made sure he never forgot those words, as they were the platform to keep him grounded. 

Sunghoon wasn't phased by the cold, sure his life was lonely but the ice brought him comfort. Those feelings of security, happiness, solace, all helped him focus during the toughest of competitions. However, today, something was different. For the first time in a long time, Sunghoon felt a sudden chill dance around his body, leaving him to shiver. Standing in the middle of the ice, the young boys striking expression turned soft. His eyes darting all around the arena, frantically searching for the one thing that brought him warmth. 

*three months earlier*

Sunghoon was no stranger to the darkness of an early morning. The future Olympian had to wake up at 4 am each day if he wanted to get practice in before school. Wrapped in a beige, cashmere scarf and a black, heavy parka, he grabbed his pre-packed skating bag and headed to the car. 

His incredibly devoted mother drove him to the rink every day despite their unstable relationship. She truly cherished these car rides as this was usually her only chance to spend time with her son. 

"I heard you walking around the house again, did you manage to get some sleep?" Trying not to impose too much, his mother was careful with her wording, this way she wouldn't annoy her son so early into the journey. 

"I did." A reply too familiar to Sunghoon; his mother asked him this question every day. Even though he had no belief in God or religion, he sometimes prayed that she would leave him alone for just one car trip. Unfortunately, these prayers only fueled his disbelief in anything holy, as the prayers were never answered. 

"Your grades are looking really good at the moment. I even heard your father bragging about you to his colleagues the other day." His mother bares a big smile as she talks, clearly proud of her sons achievements. Whenever she mentioned Sunghoon's father it was in a positive light, due to the fact that the two rarely spoke to each other. She was desperate to get the family back together; it was what she wanted more than anything else. 

Rolling his eyes at the mention of his father, Sunghoon leaned his head back on the car seat frustratedly. "Good for him. I'm glad he can use me to make himself look less of a failure as a father." 

"Sunghoon! Your father loves you, that's why he talks about you. He's not using you to make himself look better and he's not a bad father." With the red light ahead, Sunghoon's mother takes the opportunity to look back at her son. Her desperate eyes can see he has no interest in what she has to say. The reality that she faced was that Sunghoon felt little emotion; he didn't care about anything that didn't benefit him. 

"Sure whatever. As long as he pays for my skating, he can say anything he wants." Already over this conversation, Sunghoon rustles around his bag in search of his earbuds.