Imperfectly Perfect 3

8 : Chaeyoung's Parents

—— Six years ago, At the Son mansion ——

"I'm telling you, dad. She is really beautiful!" Chaeyoung yells in a proud tone. "She's simple and elegant and so pretty and so talented and kind and graceful and everything someone could ever wish for."

Mr. Son chuckles at his daughter's bravado. "Why are you bragging to me like she's already your girlfriend?"

It is the mid afternoon of a weekend. The soccer girl and her father are comfortably having some snacks on their mansion's patio while chatting cheerfully with each other.

"That's not— But dad! She really is beautiful! She is perfect! She is wonderful! She is—"

"Okay, okay. I believe you." The man shakes his head a bit with a wide smile. "And it's not like you're not telling me that every single time you get a chance. You're like a broken record to me now, young lady."

"Ugh." Chaeyoung looks far away, talking out loud with dreamy eyes. "How can her voice be so angelic and her face be so pretty at the same time? Sometimes I even think that she's not real."

"Uh huh." Mrs. Son arrives with a tray of fancy biscuits. She carefully places it over the table with the other junk food that her husband and daughter are already eating. "You definitely are heads over heels for her, young lady."

"And what if I am?" The soccer girl pouts. "She's even surreal sometimes. I can't help it but be in full awe of her."

Chaeyoung's parents give each other a knowing look with how their daughter is going at her fantasies with her crush over and over again.

Mrs. Son clears her throat as she slowly pulls a chair and sits with her family around the small table. "What was this girl's name again?"

"Myoi Mina, mom." The soccer girl rolls her eyes. "You have to remember it clearly! Why do you always forget about it?"

"Well, she is my competition now with my only child's attention." Mrs. Son points a finger to her daughter. "When you were just a teeny tiny kid, all you loved was mom. But now, look at you, non-stop blabbering about this Mina girl."

"Honestly though?" Mr. Son butts in to comment. "I thought our girl would be like playing around a lot of other students her age. Who would have thought she would be such a devoted hopeless romantic, huh?"

"Dad!" Chaeyoung quickly reacts in whining.

"What?"

"I will never be someone like that!"

Mrs. Son also joins the conversation. "Yeah. Why would you think our daughter would be some playgirl?"

"Well—" Mr. Son pauses to reason out. "She's got her mother's pretty face. She's got her dad's witty attitude. As a matter of fact, I heard that she's kind of a hot item in school. Isn't that a starter pack to a perfect playgirl?"

"Honey." Mrs. Son playfully hits her husband's arm. "Would you stop with that assumption? What if that comes true, huh? I don't want to see random naked girls running away in our staircase every midnight."

"Oh, come on. I was just kidding!" Mr. Son loudly laughs. He then lowers his voice and swiftly snakes his arm to his wife's waist. "Of course, I know our daughter won't be like that because all she is learning from this house is pure and sincere love from her parents."

Mrs. Son lightly giggles as she leans in to rub her nose with her husband's cheek. "I know, right?"

"Mom! Dad!" Chaeyoung yells as she playfully covers her eyes. "Stop flirting in front of a kid!"

"Aww." Mrs. Son speaks in a teasing tone. "Look at our little baby whining again with our faint display of affection. She really still has a long way to go to get through womanhood."

Mr. Son also imitates his wife's tone. "Maybe she's just jealous, honey. Why don't we give her all the hugs and kisses instead?"

"Good idea. Come here, baby girl."

"Nooooo— Mom! Dad!"

Chaeyoung wasn't able to do anything but just protest in chuckles as her mom and dad pepper her face with playful kisses and engulf her in embrace.

—— Present day, At a mountain cemetery——

Mina softly calls out to the smaller girl resting her head on the council president's shoulder. "Chaeng."

"Hmm?" Chaeyoung simply hums, playing with Mina's hands like a curious baby. The two of them are still comfortably sitting on the luscious grass in the area.

"I... I also have something to tell your mom. Can I— Can I speak with her?"

The soccer ace paused for a minute in wonder, then she faintly smiled and nodded.

Mina smiles back at her before facing the tomb of Chaeyoung's mother. She firmly holds the other girl's hand and gives it a gentle squeeze before finally speaking. "Mrs. Son... I met with your private lawyer days ago. And I'm telling you, he definitely gave me a really hard time proving that I was ready to claim your last will for me."

The council president glances at the soccer ace, then back to the marble plating in front of them. "Umm... Nonetheless, Mrs. Son, I— I already received your letters. And I would like to tell you that... I am so thankful for putting your trust in me. Even though we never met when you were still here in this world... I felt the warmth of your love and concern for your family through those letters. I will forever be amazed by how great of a woman you are."

Then, Mina directs her gaze at the smaller girl who has now visibly perked up and is looking at her attentively. "Chae—"

"Minari, what do you mean by those words? I— I can't seem to follow what you just said. What are you talking—"

"Chaeng." Mina heaves in a deep breath. "The person I was meeting outside of your university for the past few days this week was Mr. Song Joong Ki, your family's private lawyer. Your mom... she left me a last will in the form of handwritten letters."

"She— what? Huh? Why would she—" The soccer ace stares at her in utter wonder. "My mom did what? Why?"

The council president playfully squints at her. "I actually signed some confidentiality papers but... I think Mr. Joong Ki will not get mad if he won't know what I would tell you, right?"