Ice: Thaw the Frozen Heart [EDITING]

Chapter 31

Kris took off his shoes and with slumped shoulders he dragged his feet to the bedroom. When he entered, his eyes were greeted by darkness. Yet, he smiled knowing Yeojin had fallen asleep.

He had been coming home late for three days now. The first day in the week he came home late, he was surprised to find Yeojin fast asleep despite the rain outside. Kris was just grateful the plush worked to ease her.

He sat down on the bed as he loosened his tie and turned on the bedside lamp. Unbuttoning his sleeves, he briefly glanced back at the sleeping Yeojin and a sigh escaped his lips. He kept on being reminded of Suho's words earlier.

"Our man told me he often saw a car around Yeojin's school."

"A car?" Kris raised his brow. "So?"

"It's tailing Yeojin, Kris." Suho looked concerned. "He can't confirmed whether the guy is Park Changsun's detective or not, but whoever he is, he wants something from Yeojin. He may be harmless, but we don't know that." Kris knitted his brows at that. "You gotta protect her either way," Suho suggested seriously.

Kris fully turned toward Yeojin. Seeing how she was hugging the plush, he thought that she looked just like the little girl who was always on his tail back then. To him, right at this moment, she looked like that girl he had always protected like his own little sister.

He carefully stroke her hair and sighed. "Look what you've gotten yourself into by marrying me, Jin."

__________

"If you don't know where to run to, then I won't be far."

Yeojin couldn't get those words out of her mind. She had been thinking of them for the past few days. And the memory of that accidental kiss- or peck on the lips as she would prefer- wasn't helping at all. Going to school had never been this nerve-wrecking before. She had been avoiding Sehun at all cost these past few days. When she had no choice but to be met by him during lunch, it was awkward. Or at least, it was so on her side.

"Your cereal isn't going to finish itself if you don't put it in your mouth, Jin."

Kris' voice cut her train of thought. Yeojin looked down and realized that she had been playing with her bowl of cereal.

"You seemed off lately," Kris noted as he drank his coffee. "Something bothering you?"

"N-no." She put a spoon of cereal in her mouth. How she wished she could just stuff her face in the bowl and disappear.

"You do know that we're friends again, right?" Kris cocked an eyebrow. Yeojin looked taken aback, but she silently nodded. "I'm all ears if you ever need to let your thoughts out, kay?"

"Yeah. Sure." Yeojin tried to smile. But how am I supposed to tell you that I just accidentally got pecked on the lips by someone else? She now really wished she could just disappear.

Kris cleared his throat. "Boyfriend problem?" He asked, looking down at his cup of coffee.

Yeojin's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. "N-NO!" It unintentionally came out as a shout which startled Kris. "I mean," she cleared her throat and spoke softly this time, "no." It suddenly became awkward. She then checked her watch and her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh no! I'm gonna be late." She quickly grabbed her bag. "Bye, Kris!"

"You haven't even finished your breakfast!" Kris hollered as she dashed out of the kitchen and waved her hand.

__________

Kris heaved out a deep sigh and massaged his temple. Suho just told him that the board of directors apparently held an "urgent" meeting while he was gone to China a week ago. But the problem was Suho, who was supposed to be part of the board, wasn't even invited. Suho would let it slide if he was abroad too, but he was in town when it all happened. Moreover, Kris as the chairman wasn't even notified of the meeting or the minutes of meeting.