Imperfectly Perfect 2

5 : So Far

Chaeyoung, together with Tzuyu and Jihyo are now in a restaurant near the hospital the soccer manager was admitted to earlier. They are almost finished eating their early dinner.

"So you already told Mina, huh?" Jihyo starts after swallowing the last meatball from her plate.

Chaeyoung instantly wears an accomplished smile. "Yeah, I did. We talked last Sunday."

After Jeongyeon, the soccer player arrived shortly at the hospital. The three girls agreed to wait for Tzuyu's father first for about another hour before finally going inside to the room where Nayeon is.

When Jihyo, Chaeyoung, Tzuyu and her father stepped inside the room, the council treasurer immediately greeted the Chou's head of the family and introduced herself to Jihyo. Although she gave Tzuyu a nod with a blank expression, Chaeyoung didn't even receive one single glance from her.

The atmosphere would've been really awkward if not for Nayeon's father throwing jokes from time to time, filling the white noise in the room with his stories when he was younger.

Tzuyu scoffs and comments. "By the way your face is annoyingly looking positive right now, I'm guessing that no problems have emerged from your talk?"

"You're right. Minari is such an angel! I don't know what I did in my past life to deserve her. She was—"

"Wait." Jihyo cuts in Chaeyoung's impending daydreaming about Mina. "So... she knows everything now? She already knows that you and—"

"No, no, no. Not yet." The soccer ace quickly waves her hand in disagreement. "I wasn't able to tell her the elaborate story yet with our plan and the people involved like how I actually know Tzuyu even before we were introduced in the cabin last December."

Jihyo and Tzuyu remained silent in confused looks.

"She—" Chaeyoung then continued to speak. "She just knows now about my mom... and my current situation with my dad... and— and that I am engaged for marriage."

The cheer captain raises an eyebrow. "Did she ask anything further?"

"She didn't. She... told me that I can tell her the specifics one step at a time whenever I'm ready to reveal it to her." The soccer ace smiles in almost a daze. "She was so understanding. I never knew she would be like this. Even yesterday when we met again at school, I thought she would somehow act awkward to me knowing my situation but— but— I don't know. I feel like all she's doing is to make me feel that she will always be there for me."

Jihyo reaches out to give Chaeyoung's hand a soft squeeze. "I'm happy for you, Chaeyoung. Looks like being honest with Mina was really the right thing to do."

"Well..." The soccer ace flashes a sincere smile before guiltily adding, " that is after the fact that we somehow went through that 'not talking' stage for about a month."

The two other girls at the table chuckles at her.

"At least that's some progress!" Jihyo comments, then trails in a sarcastic tone. "Not like someone I know who is still keeping everything a secret from her childhood sweetheart."

"Hey!" Tzuyu quickly reacts and almost yells. "You know we have different situations!"

"Yeah, yeah. You three girls here have very different situations. Especially now that..." Jihyo counts in her hand while she pursues. "The first one of you who shouldn't have been involved in the first place has been unfortunately discovered by her long term girlfriend who hasn't been talking to her for days. She is now admitted in the hospital because of her miserable coping mechanisms, thinking that their relationship is now on the verge of collapsing."

The council president then glances at Chaeyoung. "And then we have the second one here who had to go through such a huge drama first that could even pass a mini movie before knocking some sense into her small head and finally voluntarily reveal things. As much as I didn't want her suffering, it still puzzles me how in the world could she be walking fine right now. I'm not sure what kind of love potion she gave her high school lover who she can't put a label on but I think Mina is being unreasonably kind."

Then Jihyo squints at Tzuyu. She pauses to give the cheer captain a menacing look. "And I'm not sure about the third one but maybe she's waiting to experience either of the mentioned regrettable events of the first two before she realizes that she's actually digging her own grave by prolonging this secret to her hamster."

"I'm telling you, I want Sana and my relationship to—"

"Yes, yes." The council president waves her hand in dismissal. "I already heard that reasoning Tzuyu for the hundredth time now. No need to remind me."

"And Tzuyu, now that I remember it..." Chaeyoung raises one of her eyebrows. "You have to explain something. Or more like do something."

"Hmm? What should I explain?" The cheer captain innocently replies. "What should I do?"

"Ugh. Minatozaki Sana." The smaller girl rolls her eyes. "Sana. About Sana. To Sana."

"Wha— what about her?"

The soccer ace looks at her unamused. "Valentine's day. Date. Dinner."

"Huh?" Tzuyu began to sound a bit annoyed. "Son Chaeyoung. What the hell is this? Some kind of charades? Can't you at least put what you're trying to say in a proper sentence?"

"Ugh. Chou Tzuyu!" The soccer ace replies with a more frustrated tone. "I had lunch with Sana and Mina at our school cafeteria yesterday and from how it sounded to me... it seems like your girl is still expecting—"

"OH MY—" Jihyo cuts in with widened eyes, getting into Chaeyoung's train of thought. "TZUYU!"

"What— what is it with you two?" The cheer captain's tone is now laced with both anxiousness and annoyance. "Can't you just please tell me the current context of your reactions?"

The council president quickly asks. "What's the progress with the date that you set up with Sana on Valentine's day? Last time, we agreed that you'll adjust its schedule because of conflict with the dinner with Chaeyoung's family!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." The soccer ace rolled her eyes and muttered. "There you go. That's your properly spelled out context, my forgetful lady."

This time, it was Tzuyu's turn to widen her eyes. She promptly gasps and abruptly stands up from her chair. "I was so caught up with Nayeon Unnie's situation that I wasn't able to make new date plans with Sana!"