Imperfectly Perfect (MiChaeng SaTzu)

13 : It is Her

"Do you know what seems to be more interesting this morning to the students than the start of the exams week?" Sana suddenly voices out as she closes the notebook she has been reading in her lap and moves to sit on the couch of their dorm room.

The council president raises one of her brows. She pauses for a second to maybe try and think of an actual answer. "I think everything is indeed more interesting to students than any start of any exams week ever."

Sana promptly chuckles at the reply while Mina just shrugs and smiles back.

Both of the girls are earnestly studying at the moment. Preliminary exams week started a few days ago and it is evidently a busy Monday evening for all the students who at least care about their grades.

The cheer captain calms herself and continues. "Well, while that is true my friend, I happen to hear around that there was a ruckus in the soccer team's lockers yesterday."

Mina suddenly paused the movement she was making with her highlighter. She slowly lifts her head and looks at her roommate. "And... what is it that you've heard?"

"Apparently, 'your' Chaeyoung." Sana explains while doing air quotes using her hands. "And 'your' Momo. They got into a fight"

"Why?" The council president quickly follows up. She gets back on her review materials and starts scrolling on the laptop aimlessly.

The cheer captain watches her best friend with a not so innocent look. "I'm not entirely sure but... what I heard from another whisper is that the team captain punched one of the members. So, if it is truly between her and Chaeyoung, then your tiger cub got punched."

And Mina entirely stopped any of her movement to stare silently at her laptop's screen.

"Why don't you ask Chaeyoung herself?" The cheer captain suggests to which the council president immediately rolled her eyes.

The two didn't speak then for a while and continued whatever they were doing before the talk.

Sana lied on her back this time, scanning a different notebook while mumbling some sentences to herself while Mina continued highlighting some more of her reviewers.

The cheer captain loudly clears her throat about thrice which sounded obviously not normal, then asks out of nowhere. "It is her, right?"

"Huh?" The council president looks in the other girl's direction. "What are you talking about so suddenly?"

Sana lets out a huge sigh. "It is Chaeyoung, right? She is that person."

Mina plainly stared at her roommate for a moment. Then, without uttering a single word, she goes back to her reviewers like there isn't a question up in the air for her to answer. 

The cheer captain glares at the lack of attention she received. She abruptly stood up, went right beside Mina, and consecutively cups her best friend's cheeks to force the other girl to only look at her. "Don't you dare ignore the topic, Myoi! I'm asking you one more time. It's her, right? It's Chaeyoung."

With a face currently puffed like a fish, the council president barely enunciates. "And I asked you what you mean?"

Sana annoyingly squints at Mina for a moment before removing her hands from her roomie's face. "There was this person who was like my best friend slash knight in shining armor in High School. It's a shame I was never able to tell that person about my feelings because we suddenly lost contact. And I think I'm somehow... still hung up on her. I'm—"

"Minatozaki!"

"What?" The cheer captain gives her best friend a confident look. "Am I wrong?"

Mina playfully scoffs. She simply shook her head while failing to suppress a shy smile.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. My dear Myoi Mina, I can totally read you like an open book!"

The council president gets out of her usual character and pouts like a kid. "Why are you still asking if you're already certain about it?"

"So...?"

Mina lets out a sigh in surrender, "Yes, yes. It is Chaeng. It has always been Chaeng." She fiddles with the pen she is currently holding. "She's the only person stuck in my head and unfortunately, in my heart all these years. The person I just don't know why I can't move on from."

"I knew it!" Sana starts laughing in satisfaction. "I knew I was right all along!"

"Why do you look so happy? It's not like it's something to celebrate."

Sana stops and stares at her sulking friend in wonder. "Why? Aren't you happy that— Scratch that. I'm seriously curious right now why and how in the world are you two not dating yet?"

"It is much more complicated than you think."

"You're hung up on her. Chaeyoung obviously likes you—"

"We're not sure of that yet—"

"Chaeyoung OBVIOUSLY likes you!"

"Sana." Mina spoke with a bit of authority which made the other girl instantly shut up for a moment.

However, after another minute, the cheer captain can't help but pursue the topic. "Seriously, Mina. I am saying this because you're my best friend and I want you to be happy. I saw how she looked at you and I saw how you looked at her. Should it really be that complicated?"

"I don't know. I wasn't prepared for this, Sana." Mina slumps herself on the chair she is currently in. "I never thought Chaeng would suddenly reappear and enter my life again."

Sana delicately pats the top of Mina's head. "But honestly, baby. Tell me. At the back of your mind, have you ever... as in never, even in the slightest bit... wished that Chaeyoung would one day suddenly reappear and enter your life again?"

Mina heaves in a really deep breath and closes her eyes before responding. "I don't know. I really don't know. I'm honestly confused as hell right now."

"Do you still love her?"

The council president went silent. Her eyes started to tear up as she even had to bite her lower lip. It seems like she wanted to answer but her words are stranded somewhere inside her.

The cheer captain then hugged her best friend for comfort.

The two council girls were both hushed for a moment.

Then, Sana being her usual self broke the silence and playfully uttered. "Mina."

"Hmm?"

"Just let me know if you're already sure that you don't want Chaeyoung anymore."

"Huh?" Mina scrunches her eyebrows. "Why—"

"Because I want to call dibs on her."

Mina immediately glares at her roommate who quickly ran away from her. "I was so wrong in telling you secrets, Minatozaki!"

Sana just loudly chuckles in response as Mina tries to target her with whatever object from her desk that is within her reach.