Imperfectly Perfect 3

24 : Too Early

"Sana." Chaeyoung softly calls out in almost a whisper when the cheer captain cautiously enters the dorm room.

It is just five thirty in the morning. Sana was the first one to get up with the four girls who slept in the same room last night. She went out for her morning run much earlier than usual. It was just around four in the morning when her eyes abnormally flicked open.

The cheer captain exhales deeply. Seeing that Tzuyu and Mina are still sleeping, she didn't utter a word in reply and waved her hand, signaling the other awake girl in the room to go outside.

The two of them then walked to the corner of the hallways, moving away from the occasional strolling early risers in the building's third floor.

"What is it?" Sana asked in an unamused tone as soon as they settled flat on their feet, seeming to already have an idea of what their conversation's topic was going to be.

"I'm— Sana, I'm sorry." Chaeyoung looks around and looks at the girl in front of her with sincerity. "I'm sorry about last night. It wasn't you being sensitive, rather it was me being insensitive and all."

The cheer captain wasn't replying to anything. She is just maintaining a blank expression as she moves both her arms to cross in front of her.

The soccer ace then continued to speak. "Umm— Sa— Sana. The thing is... I— I also got into an argument with Minari last night when you and Tzuyu left the room. Please don't make it any harder for me."

Sana lets out a sigh. This time her expression changes into something with concern. "I knew it. Mina's my best friend for a reason. We may look like polar opposites but we do share some values and goals in life."

Chaeyoung looks to the floor and slumps her shoulder. "Yeah. I learned that one hard last night."

"Sorry, Chaeyoung. I also have to apologize to you. I also said some immature things. Plus, I'm also sorry that I can't agree to that deal which your mom has planned for all of—"

"No." The soccer ace shots her head up and waves her hand in dismissal. "No, no, no. You were actually making sense last night. And— and Minari's right. Marriage is something that's on a whole other level of commitment. It's not right to force it onto you right now just to save my hopeless ass who can't do anything in this situation."

The two of them stayed silent for a while after that. Awkwardly wandering their eyes anywhere in the hallways but to the figure in front of them. However, after another minute, Sana heard muffled sobs and when she darted her eyes to the smaller girl, she confirmed where the sound was coming from.

"Chae— Chaeyoung. Hey." The cheer captain moves to hold the soccer ace's shoulder. "Hey."

And Chaeyoung's cries just got louder. Her sobs started to get more audible as her shoulders even started to shake in a wave of emotions.

Sana instantly went into a mini panic and quickly pulled the smaller girl to her arms. "Hey, hey, hey. It's okay. What— Why are you crying? What's wrong?"

"I— I'm afraid, Sana."

"Wh— Why?" The cheer captain scrunches her eyebrows. "What are you afraid of?"

"I don't want to lose Minari. I love her so much. I don't want to lose her because of this stupid fixed marriage that I'm in."

"Hey, you're not losing her." The cheer captain continues gently patting the soccer ace's back in the effort of comforting her. "I— believe me. You won't lose her. Trust more in Mina, will you? Plus, you and Tzuyu are just engaged now by legal papers. When the right time comes, when Tzuyu and I are both ready, we'll be married and your engagement will just be automatically void."