Ice: Thaw the Frozen Heart [EDITING]

Chapter 59

Sycophants. Or in a more understandable but much less appropriate term:  ass-kissers. People who never made Yeojin their target.

Until now.

Yeojin knew some of these people now crowding around her had been genuinely good classmates to her. Some she even considered good friends. Although, she couldn't help but to notice some other were only pretending to be friendly because they had come to know who she really was.

In Jaesan High School where kids of wealthy families gathered, making connections rather than making friends is an everyday game or unwritten rule. And she just had to be the wife of Kris Wu of the Titan Wu.

Kris Wu might be one of the most sought-after bachelors before; but now, Yeojin was one of the most sought-after prey for the sycophants in Jaesan. And she wasn't really sure how to drive these people away, so she could have her lunch. But this bunch of a dozen kept on following her as she walked to the cafeteria, talking with her as if they had been friends from the start.

"Jin," Sunhee suddenly called from behind her, looking even more timid than she usually was. "Can I talk to you?"

After three days of being ignored by Sunhee, that was an offer Yeojin could not refused. Besides, she had an excuse to get away from the bunch. "Sure!" She beamed and immediately jogged to her friend's side, locking their arms together and dragging her somewhere else.

They stopped at the empty stairway and Yeojin sighed in relief. "Finally!" She looked back over her shoulders just to make sure no one was following her. Then she turned to her best friend again with a pout. "Ya! Do you really have to ignore me for three days? What kind of best friend are you!" She crossed her arms to make a point that she was upset though not that much.

Sunhee kept her head low then sniffed. "I'm sorry," she mumbled as a drop of tear fell on her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she repeated, wiping the tear away. "I'm sorry," she said louder while suddenly bursting with sobs and hid her face in her hands.

Flustered, Yeojin stammered, "H-hey-hey!" She quickly moved to hold Sunhee's upper arms. "Hey, I was just joking." She heard her repeated muffled apologies and sighed before pulling her friend into her arms. "It's okay." She stroke Sunhee's back. "It will all be okay."

Yeojin gave Sunhee a bottled water and sat down across her. "You okay now?" She asked with a smile to which her friend nodded. She then silently pressed a pack of sandwich to her hand. Looking around the cafeteria, she was glad the classmates who had been following her had enough common sense not to crowd her again for now.

She was only guessing when Jongdae talked to her, but it felt unreal now that Sunhee had told her. She couldn't fathom what her friend was feeling, knowing that her boyfriend was arranged to marry someone else though it was set to happen next year. She wondered if Areum felt the same way Sunhee was feeling now when she heard Kris was getting married to someone else. The thought was driven away as quickly as it came.

"I'm really sorry, Jin," Sunhee quietly said.

Yeojin rolled her eyes. "Girl! You've been repeating that forever! Stop, alright? I've told you it's okay."

"Still..." Sunhee trailed and pouted. "I was so childish. I should have just told you. But out of frustration, I ignored you instead." She raised her gaze to Yeojin. "It's just that everything's going well with you and Kris despite how it was at the start. I'm scared Jongdae will fall for the girl too." Her shoulders slumped as she exhaled. "Maybe it would be different if my family is a little wealthier. I just hate all this arranged marriage thing!" She gritted her teeth then belatedly realized what she just said. "No offense to you," she added to Yeojin.