Imperfectly Perfect (MiChaeng SaTzu)

6 : Working Hard

"Here." Chaeyoung offers her tumbler to Mina.

The council president reaches out for it with a puzzled look. "What am I going to do with your tumbler?"

The smaller girl teasingly smirks. "You're a straight A student and you don't know what people do with tumblers?"

Mina just rolls her eyes.

Chaeyoung mischievously grins for a short while. Then, her face flashes a smile with concern. "It really is a shame that I can't help further today. The remaining tasks look like it might still take a while. It's warm today so stay hydrated. I will try my best to get back and help if soccer practice finishes earlier."

The term is ending and reports are flooding the council office. There are even clubs that Mina needed to specifically summon multiple times because they either miserably submitted the wrong term reports, or they ludicrously didn't pass anything at all.

Not to mention, it is the season of the finals exam which comes with final projects and final subject requirements, transforming a lot of the university's population into normal walking zombies.

"Thanks, Chaeng" Mina sincerely smiles. "But, I think we can handle things here. You already gave us a good helping hand."

The council president is actually barely getting enough sleep these days due to the heightening demand of council work and piled up academic stuff.

"Minari, are you sure you're okay?" The soccer girl asks with worry. "Your eye bags are getting deeper. You also seem to be more tired these days."

"Again, with the Minari." Mina answers stiffly in almost a whisper. She glares at the other girl. "And, why are you treating me like we are still in high school? In any case you don't realize it yet, I'm totally different now. I'm telling you, Chaeng. I can handle everything myself."

Chaeyoung then nods subtly, acknowledging her response.

The council president then points to one of the hall's exits. "You must leave now for soccer practice. That is if you don't want to run an additional ten laps around the field for being late."

The transferee lets out a sigh. She picks up her sports bag and grins one last time at Mina before jogging outside.

Student officers from different organizations are currently grooming the university's conference hall. The music club is holding an open festival there during the term break and the council office is overseeing the whole preparation. The event will somehow let the students celebrate surviving the first term, before, maybe, eventually getting crushed on the second.

It is already past six in the evening and three of the council members decided to take a short break from organizing the chairs across the hall. Sana climbed the stage and plopped herself there, while Mina had her back leaning on the wall adjacent to the stage. Dahyun is sitting comfortably on the floor, just a couple of steps away from the two council girls.

"Pres." Dahyun starts. "Is she your girlfriend or something?"

Mina choked on the water from the tumbler she was drinking as the council secretary suddenly asked her out of nowhere.

Sana, being the true friend she is, doesn't even lift a finger to help Mina and just laughs at her loudly.

"Abs— absolutely not!" the student president denies firmly in between mild coughs, covering her mouth with the back of her hands. "She's not— She will never— We're just friends!"

The two other council members are just intently staring at their president.

When Mina did not speak again, Dahyun and Sana knowingly looked at each other, then started asking questions to Mina again.