Breaking the Ice | 엔하이펜 | HEEHOON

07

"Whoa, Whoa Coach can't it be just like the two of us to go to this "ice rink" . . ." said the ice skater with his fingers air quotes.

"Can you drive?" Sunghoon raised an eyebrow at him.

Heeseung cupped the nape of his neck rubbing it sheepishly, guess he lost it at this one, he wasn't expecting that he would ask that question. "No-no," he replied in a mumbled tone and he swore that he heard Sunghoon chuckle. He quickly glanced at the ice knight and for the first time he saw his smile, the smile that he saw from him had felt an all-so-sudden thump in his heart.

And he hopes his cheeks weren't painted red.

"Don't worry. . . Jake and Jay are nice people they won't do any harm. . . I promise." said Sunghoon with a thumbs up. "You have been avoiding them in those past few days, again, may I ask why?"

Heeseung took a deep breath, there wasn't any use in hiding now. "I don't, I - I'm not good at socializing with two or more people."

Sunghoon blinked - did he hear that right? What in the world? That was it? "There are two of us now? Talking, you and me, me and you," said Sunghoon his index finger pointing at the both of them. Heeseung just rolled his eyes at him. "You know that's not what I mean, I mean I can handle and interact just by one person but if there were two of you, I couldn't help but feel anxious. . . Like what if we were talking right now and the other one cannot relate or you two are talking about something only both of you could relate and then I'm left alone."

Heeseung was like a little child complaining and Sunghoon just looked at him with a small smile, all this time that was the reason? And he thought he was hiding something, not that it was his business but at least he didn't find him that suspicious anymore. Of course, he acted this way, Heeseung maybe had a trauma from his childhood, considering the fact that he was left alone in that abandoned house, so maybe socializing was that hard for him to do. "Hey. . ." he slowly grabbed Heeseung's arm, trying to make him look Sunghoon in the eyes.

"You don't have to worry about them, you can act like it's just you and me talking. . . And you promised me that we would win this right? We need an ice rink."

Heeseung inhaled deeply and exhaled, nodding his head with a smirk. The thought of acting like it's only the two of them talking felt difficult to comprehend but if this is what it takes, then he isn't hesitant to say Yes to his Coach. "Okay. . ."

"Good. . . I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Will do Coach!" he playfully winked at Sunghoon giving that toothy grin. "See you when I see you Coach!" and then he drifted away, skidding to the other side.

"See you when I see you Heeseung," Sunghoon whispered.

Sunghoon called Jay and Jake that night saying he wanted to visit that old ice rink. Jay and Jake were confused as to why but they didn't ask any more questions. They felt like Sunghoon was slowly recovering and they hoped that he was.

"Are we going to go ice skating? Should I bring my skating shoes?" asked Jake enthusiastically. Sunghoon shook his head and told them that they should leave after everything is settled, they whined like little kids but if that was Sunghoon's want, then that was it. "Alright! Will do Sunghoon! 7 am tomorrow!"

They hung up. Sunghoon took a deep breath, what was he doing? He is going to see his home tomorrow - the ice rink, after almost half a year. He's finally going to see the presence of his first beating heart. And he hopes that whatever happens, he won't feel a lonesome feeling as to what he was about to do.

Morning came in just a blink, Jay and Jake had arrived early as they promised but Heeseung was nowhere to be seen. Where was he?

"Let's Go?" said Jay twirling the car keys but Sunghoon stopped them. "Wait just -- I'm waiting for someone," said Sunghoon staring at the frozen lake, casting his hues in the morning sunlight searching for his trainee.