Imperfectly Perfect (MiChaeng SaTzu)

65 : Not as Planned

"Oh, Jeong!" Nayeon's father yells as he walks down on the long stairway from the second floor's balcony.

"Dad!" Jeongyeon stands up, smiles, and nods politely at the man who is in full business attire.

"When did you arrive? Nayeon told me that you two are planning to go somewhere on your anniversary?" He walks towards the two girls.

"I got here just about... maybe two hours ago." Jeongyeon sits. "I'm more like a moral support here. Nayeon does everything."

"Well, I bet in between you two, that girl is the one who is most likely to rant about the trip when things don't go her way."

Nayeon rolls her eyes, still tapping some keys on her laptop. "I can hear you two, you know."

Jeongyeon and Neyeon's father promptly laughs in teasing.

"So you girls are not going somewhere on Valentine's day? Like a date or something?"

"No, dad." Nayeon presses the 'enter' key on the keyboard one last time to confirm her hotel booking. She smiles, looking accomplished as she faces the man in the room. "This has been our setup ever since we started going out."

"That's a shame. I can set something up for you two last minute if you still want to." He turns to Jeongyeon. "How about you, Jeong? You really don't want to date this pretty girl on that day?"

Nayeon butts in to answer, "Dad, it's okay to not have a date on that day, we always go all out on our anniversary trips anyway." She looks and winks at her girlfriend, "Right, babe?"

The council treasurer simply smiles and nods in response.

The soccer manager's father then continues to speak, "If you girls don't want it. Then, should I set something up for Chaeyoung and—"

"DAD."

Nayeon suddenly yells, stopping the man midway through his statement.

Jeongyeon has visibly perked up at the old man's cut statement though. She is now blankly staring at her girlfriend.

"Hmm? What is it, Nayeon?"

"Should— Shouldn't you start to get going?" The soccer manager flashes an awkward smile. "Lunch hour is rush hour. You— You don't want to get stuck in traffic."

"Ahh. That's right. I should get—"

"Wait, dad." This time, Jeongyeon was the one to cut in on the conversation.

"Yes, Jeong?"

The council treasurer's mood shifted into something serious. She glances at her girlfriend, then looks directly at Nayeon's father's eyes. "I was just wondering... was the Chaeyoung you were referring to earlier perhaps named as... Son Chaeyoung?"

"Oh? Do you know her? The one who plays soccer really well?" He innocently smiles. "Ah, right! She also goes to your school."

"Dad, Son Chaeyoung is my roommate."

"Ah! Really? Then you girls should be clicking well as friends!"

"You..." The council treasurer heaves in a deep breath. "You seem to know her well."

The soccer manager slowly moves to intertwine Jeongyeon's hand but the latter closes hers firmly.

Nayeon's father chuckles, unaware of the tension in front of him. "Saying that I know her well may be an underestimation! I have known that kid since she was in diapers. I treat her like my third daughter!"

"Umm... Babe—"

Nayeon tries to cut in but Jeongyeon quickly speaks again. "So Nayeon also knows her?"

"Of course! She wasn't able to mention it?"

Nayeon's eyes are now starting to water. "Babe—"

"Maybe, we weren't just able to open the topic." Jeongyeon scoffs and glances at her girlfriend. "How close are they?"

"Hmm... I can't say for sure about them but the Sons have been our good business partners for who knows when so our girls have been friends for quite a while now."

"I see." Jeongyeon's eyes are now also starting to redden with the impending tears. She smiles one last time before waving the man goodbye. "Rush hour might get you, Dad. You better get going."

"Yeah. I should, right?" He smiles at both of them. "Bye girls!"

As soon as Nayeon's father was out of sight, Jeongyeon immediately shakes her girlfriend's hand off on hers.

"Babe." Tears are now falling freely from the soccer manager's eyes. "Babe, please let me explain."

"That shirt." Jeongyeon glares at her. "Was that Chaeyoung's shirt?"

Nayeon softly nods. "But— But please hear me out first."

The council treasurer looks at her in disgust. "Are you two..."

"NO! Gosh, no! Babe, I would never cheat on you."

"And you expect me to believe that right now?" Jeongyeon scoffs. "After you lied to my face all this time?"

"Jeong, please. Calm down and let me—"

"CALM DOWN? YOU WANT ME CALM DOWN RIGHT NOW?" Tears are also welling up on the council treasurer's eyes. "HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU EXPECT ME TO CALM DOWN RIGHT NOW?"

"Babe, I'm sorry." Nayeon holds on to her girlfriend's arm. "Babe, please. Believe me, I was planning to tell you everything. I was—"

"Tzuyu was also in this?"

The soccer manager hesitatingly nods.

"So you, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu, huh?" Jeongyeon scoffs. "How was it? Did you three enjoy making a fool out of me all this time?"

"Babe, that's not—"

"I'm leaving."

"NO! JEONG! PLEASE, WAIT!"

Jeongyeon hastily walks away, straight towards the door, and onto her car parked on the spacious lot in front of the mansion. Nayeon was desperately following her, crying and pleading for her girlfriend to listen and stay.

"MOVE." The council treasurer commands. She is now sitting in the driver's seat of her car.

Nayeon is holding on to the car's door. "Babe—"

"I said, move!"

The soccer manager is just silently staring at Jeongyeon with reddened eyes, still not letting go of the vehicle's door. She bites her lower lip while trying to stifle her sobs. Her teeth did not stop until it pierced, immediately causing a small amount of blood to descend from it.

The council treasurer stares back at her girlfriend for about a minute in silence, maybe contemplating what to do. Then, she lets out a sigh and reaches out to Nayeon's bleeding lip. She softly wipes it using her thumb, with utmost care. She looks back sincerely at the eyes of the girl pleading in front of her.

This time, Jeongyeon speaks in a calmer tone. "Nayeon, please let me leave. I have to think about this myself first. I'm in a bit of a shock right now. I can't believe my suspicions were right all this time."

"But babe—" Nayeon now audibly sobs. "Babe— You might get the wrong idea if you don't let me explain. I— I don't want you to leave me. I— Please, babe. Please, let me—"

"You should've thought about all of this first before lying to me!" Tears continue to fall from Jeongyeon's eyes. "Please let me go for now. I promise that we'll talk in the future."

"When— When is that future?"

"I don't know. Could just be later. Could be next week. I honestly don't know. I just feel like my heart's going to burst right now. I don't think we can have a decent conversation when I'm feeling like this."

"Jeong—"

"IM NAYEON."

Nayeon flinches as her girlfriend's voice once again raises. She hesitatingly lets go of the car's door which Jeongyeon quickly closes with force.

Seconds after, the car left revving along the mansion's gates, leaving a crying Nayeon alone in front of the house.