Imperfectly Perfect 3

43 : Setting the Stage

"What did he say?" Sana asks as soon as her best friend steps inside their room from the veranda.

Mina looks around first, trying to confirm that it is just the two of them in the room. "Next week. He said next week. But that is... if we are lucky. If things go as planned with the secretary, he said that we can meet next week."

"What do you mean if we are lucky?" The cheer captain scrunches her eyebrows. "Please tell me that doesn't mean there is a chance that we have to wait longer than we were expecting."

"The breaching of the security plan failed."

"What do you mean it failed?! That is the only trump card we could get!"

"It did not fail because he failed to get in. It failed because he wasn't able to get anything out of it."

"You mean—" Sana looks at her best friend in disbelief. "You mean Mr. Chou is clean?"

"Yep!" Mina fakes a wide smile. "Clean as can be."

The cheer captain slowly squints her eyes. "That... or he is good at hiding things."

"Which is one thing we will never know for sure."

The participants of the leadership finished their breakfast a couple of minutes ago. Mina and Sana are now back in their assigned room. Chaeyoung, together with her work hour groupmates, were left at the common villa since they are the ones assigned to wash the dishes for the first meal of the day today.

"Ugh." Sana stomps her legs in a wave of tantrums. "So that means I have to start practicing my poker skills!"

"Well—" The council president lets out a sigh. "It is what it is. That is the best thing he could do for us. He is doing his best. I know it. We should be nothing but grateful to him. He is just trying to help us. We can't put any pressure or blame on him."

"At least..." The cheer captain smirks. "It is a good consolation that we are working with someone as hot as him."

Mina quickly gives her best friend a look. "DON'T TELL ME YOU—"

"His pretty face is out of this world! His body is sexy and doesn't even get me started with his voice and his smile. He's the reason why this process is not as stressful as it should be!" Sana naughtily bites her lower lip and lowers her voice. "We are both girls in our prime youth with clear eyesight. I know we both acknowledge what Mr. Joong Ki looks like."

The two council girls went into utter silence as they knowingly squinted at each other for a moment. Then, they just suddenly burst into laughter.

Sana chuckles naughtily. "Don't tell my Tzuyu I said that."

Mina holds her stomach while laughing. "As long as you don't tell my Chaeyoung I somehow agree with that."

"Let's keep it professional, Ms. Myoi." The cheer captain holds out her right arm for a handshake to which the council president quickly takes.

"Will do, Ms. Minatozaki."

Sana breaks the handshake, then shifts her voice into something low and frustrated. "I hate it that we are this powerless. If Mr. Joong Ki is not helping us, we will totally be just—"

"Hey, Sana. Don't say that." Mina faintly smiles. "There is a time for everything. There is a reason for everything. We can do this. I believe in us."

"We're still on with the original plan, right?"

"We are. We should be."

"Ugh. I'm starting to get nervous." The cheer captain ruffles her hair. "Next week, right? Next week is our busy week."