Imperfectly Perfect 2

48 : The Ace's Crush (1)

"So that is the story of Son Chaeyoung's secret crush on a certain voice." RM concludes after telling Mina one of the soccer ace's experiences when she was in Junior High School.

The council president simply nods a couple of times in acknowledgment.

He then adds in. "I'm just not sure if Chaeyoung was able to meet her mystery crush at that time. That small girl never told me the rest of the story no matter how much I bugged her. But, oh well. I don't think she did. She might just be afraid to admit that despite being the popular girl at school... she's kind of a wuss, you know."

The soccer quickly objects. "Hey! I'm not like—"

"Oh! That reminds me." RM points his finger rapidly to both of them. "You two have been hanging out during senior high, haven't you?"

Mina just nods again.

"Please don't get this wrong, Mina." The guy seems to not want to stop talking even for a second. "But everyone was really shocked when Chaeyoung started hanging out with you that time. It was like you suddenly put the soccer team's ace in a charm spell. You two were at the opposite ends of the school's social ladder like you were— AWW."

"RM!" Chaeyoung pinches his arm without holding back. She flashes an obviously fake smile to him. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"I don't have— Ouch!" RM reacts in pain again after the soccer ace stomps on his feet this time. He rolls his eyes and sluggishly stands up from his seat. "Okay, okay. I get it. I'm interrupting a special date. Sorry for not realizing it so soon."

"No. It's not like that." Mina quickly replies, waving her hand in disagreement. "You're always welcome—"

"We don't want to hold him up too long at our own table." The soccer ace speaks. Although she is not looking at Mina at all, only staring at her best friend, giving him a knowing look. "Don't we, Minari?"

"Okay, okay. I'll go now before some small bean evolves into a cute hulk." RM laughs, finally seeming to get the signal from Chaeyoung for the first time since he joined them. He points a finger to the soccer player. "I'll just get your contact from Chaeryoung. Just so you know, you just broke my heart because you looked like you haven't missed me."

Chaeyoung just rolled her eyes. "Just go, RM. Before you inflict any more unnecessary damage on my image here."

"Bye, bye love birds." He waves to both the girls at the table, still in faint chuckles before treading away to the shop's counter.

"Tsk." Chaeyoung rolled her eyes again as soon as he walked away. "He really is going to be the death of me one of these days."

Mina was simply staring at her with a playful smirk on her face.

"What is it, Minari?" The soccer ace asks as soon as she notices her, unamused and sensing the incoming teasing. "Just spill it out."

The council president giggles. "So you were once a girl who had secret crushes, huh?"

"Ugh. I changed my mind." Chaeyoung picks up her coffee and stands up from her seat. "Let's get your council book or whatever we were supposed to get below and let's part ways for school. I think spacing out in my Physics 101 is better now."

Mina just continued to stare at her in silence, maintaining her playful smirk.

The smaller girl lets out a sigh and sits again.

"So..." Mina flashes her gummy smile. "Were you ever able to meet the owner of the voice?"

"Seriously?" Chaeyoung squints with a bit of a shock. "You're seriously asking me that?"

The council president innocently replies. "Why? I'm just curious."

"Minari."

"What?" Mina slightly tilts her head.

The soccer ace pauses for a moment, staring at her. Then, she lets out a deep sigh and shakes her head. "Never mind."

"Huh? What do you—"

"Don't." Chaeyoung quickly raises her hand in front of Mina, imitating a stop sign. "Don't ask anymore."

The council president started to whine. "But I want to—"

"Don't."

"Chae—"

"Nope. You're not going to get any answer from me."

"Okay." Mina slumps her shoulders and stays silent. She slowly stands up and goes to the mini library situated at the corner of the cafe. She scans the mystery section and picks up a book and quickly opens it, walking back to their table with her reading it on the way.

All the while, Chaeyoung was watching her. Both of them stayed silent for a couple of minutes until the soccer ace decided to give in to the obviously sulking girl. "Minari."

The council president didn't respond though. She just moved to take a sip from her coffee, then continued staring at her book's open page.

Chaeyoung then shifted on her seat. She is currently occupying the chair right beside the other girl. She leaned right behind the book that Mina had been reading. "Minariiiii."

But the soccer ace still got no response.

About a minute of hopeful peeking at the council president's eyes has passed before Chaeyoung lets out a defeated sigh. "Okay, okay. I'm telling you."

That is when Mina puts down her book, stifling a smile. She repositions herself on the chair to look attentively to the girl now in front of her. "So...?"

"Tsk." The soccer ace rolls her eyes. "You know... you are one slow straight A student."

"Hmm?" The council president slightly tilts her head. "What do you mean?"

"You went to the junior high of the same high school where we became classmates in senior high, haven't you?"

Mina nods. "I did."

"You were part of the gardening club in junior high, weren't you?"

The council president nods again. "I was. But that was only because it was mandatory to join at least one club and it was—"

"Where were you at the last summer vacation after our last year in junior high?"

"Huh?" Mina scrunches her eyebrows. "How could I remember that? That was like six years ago!"

"Ugh." Chaeyoung facepalms herself and shakes her head furiously. "I give up. Why did I even try? You're one of the most dense people I have ever met, Myoi Mina."