48 : About Time

                                    

                                          
"UGH." Chaeyoung has been ranting to her friends for about an hour now. "What am I supposed to do? I can't tell her the reason yet."
"Are you sure that's what you still want to do?" Jihyo asks while cutting the last portion of her steak.
"I don't want to lose her again. I honestly don't know what to do with myself if I lose Mina in my life."
Chaeyoung, Jihyo, and Nayeon agreed to meet up at a restaurant halfway around their universities' area. They decided to have lunch there while the soccer ace narrates the drama she and Mina are currently in.
"But Chaeyoung—" Jihyo softly scoffs. "I hate to break it to you but... doesn't not telling her also don't guarantee that she will stay? You're punishing her so much by keeping her out in the dark with what's happening in your life. You might think you're trying to keep her but what if you're actually pushing her away? I mean— Look at the situation you two have right now. How long has she been avoiding you?"
Nayeon cuts in to answer, "If it was since the awarding ceremony, then that's almost three weeks from now, right?"
The soccer player nods in agreement. "She's not answering my calls. She's not responding to my messages. She's also avoiding me at school. I just— I just don't know what to do anymore. I think I'm starting to lose my mind."
Nayeon and Jihyo knowingly look at each other.
"Chaeyoung." Jihyo starts.
"Hmm?"
"Don't you trust, Mina? You have been trying to settle this with your father not just for yourself but also for her, right? Don't you think she has to at least know that?"
"I— I'm just afraid that she won't accept it." The soccer ace sadly looks down. "That... she will hate me for it."
Nayeon butts in to ask, "So you really don't trust her?"
"Hey, Chou Nayeon!" Jihyo quickly glares at the soccer manager. "You don't have the right to ask Chaeyoung that."
"WHA—"
"You're also hiding this from Jeongyeon."
Nayeon pursed her lips and let out a sigh. She simply nods in guilt after.
"Jihyo, don't be like that to Nayeon." Chaeyoung states in a calm tone. "It was me who asked her to hide this from Jeong. I was also afraid that if she knew about this, she might slip it to Minari since they are always together in the student council."
"And what about Tzuyu?" Jihyo further asks.
"Tzuyu was neutral about it at first. But then... When we thought about how protective Jeong could be to her friends, she might even deliberately tell Sana about it. So— we ended up asking Nayeon about this favor to keep it a secret from her girlfriend."
"Ugh! This is so messed up." Jihyo massages her temples. "But for the record, my opinion about this still stands. Hiding this from them will just do you more harm!" She turns to the soccer manager. "Especially for you Chou Nayeon! Look at how your lies with your girlfriend are starting to pile up inadvertently."
Nayeon's phone suddenly rang. She promptly picked it up after seeing the caller ID. "Hello, babe?"
"Babe, you really don't want me to pick you up? It looks like it is gonna rain. Do you have an umbrella with you?"
"It's okay, babe. I will just take a cab to get back to the dorms."
"Okay, if you say so."
Nayeon just awkwardly chuckles as she glances at the two other girls at the table who are now silently back to eating.
Jeongyeon continued speaking from the other line. " Ugh! I'm bored. Chaeyoung also went somewhere. I'm all alone with nothing to do. Anyways, I won't bother you much. Message me if you change your mind, okay?"
"I will, babe. Thanks."
"Im Nayeon."
"Hmm?"
"You know that I love you so much, right?"
Nayeon sincerely smiles, "I know, babe. And I love you, too. Let's chat more when I get back to the dorms later, okay?"
"Okay. Bye, baby bunny."
"Bye, bye."
"Chaeyoung." The soccer manager calls out with a serious expression as soon as the call with her girlfriend ends.
"Hmm? What is it?"
"I'm sorry but... I can't do this anymore. Jihyo's right. I have to tell Jeong about all of this before it gets too late."
Chaeyoung softly smiled, "I understand. I'm so sorry about all this mess that I dragged you into."
"Hey, you and Tzuyu asked me and I complied. It was my own decision. Also..." Nayeon reaches out to softly squeeze Chaeyoung's arm. "We all know that this situation has been the hardest on your part. Agreeing to your request was the least I can do to try and help."
"Thanks, Nayeon. I truly appreciate it. But, hey. Do you want me and Tzuyu to accompany you when you talk to Jeong?"
The soccer manager forces a smile. "Thanks but no, this has to only be between me and her."
The two other girls genuinely looked at the soccer manager with concern. Their table was silent for a minute.
Nayeon continues to speak, "Though... I'm afraid of how she is going to react to it."
"Jeongyeon loves you so much." Jihyo holds the soccer manager's hand and squeezes it a little. "I know she'll understand."
"I hope so. I really hope so."
"When are you planning on telling her?" Chaeyoung curiously asks.
"I have to find the right amount of courage and the right timing to say it. I honestly have been thinking about it for a while now but... maybe I'll tell Jeong when we are on our trip after Valentine's. We're planning to go on a long ride out of town. Since it is also our anniversary, it'll just be the two of us."
"After Valentine's, huh?" Chaeyoung mumbles. "Then, I think I also have to prepare myself and tell Minari about it."
Jihyo scoffs. "Finally coming to your senses, huh?"
"Hey! Why are you reacting differently to my situation? You were so soft and concerned when it was Nayeon?" Chaeyoung playfully reaches out to Jihyo and softly punches her arm continuously.
"Hey! Okay, okay." The council president just laughs at Chaeyoung's action. "I'm sorry! I'll be more supportive to you from now on."
The soccer ace stops and abruptly grabs the glass of cucumber-lemon juice beside her. It was still more than half full but Chaeyoung didn't seem to want to stop drinking while there was still some liquid left in the container.
The two other girls were just staring at her silently with amusement while the soccer player was chugging the juice in one go like some military wine.
After emptying the glass, Chaeyoung puts the container down on the table with force. She grabbed again another glass, this time the one with her service water in it. Then, she raises it and says, "Okay! We're telling our girls about it! Cheers to no more secrets!"
Jihyo and Nayeon automatically smiled widely and also grabbed their glasses to respond to Chaeyoung's actions. They answered in unison. "Cheers to no more secrets!"
Nayeon also adds, "And good luck to us! May we get through this alive!"
The table was filled with laughter as they clink their glasses together.
Jihyo suddenly asks, "Hey. Aren't we forgetting something?"
Chaeyoung chuckles. "Or someone?"
"Ahh. That's right! We still have to talk to Tzuyu about this." Jihyo comments. "Where is she by the way? I thought she would just be running late but then she canceled at the last minute."
"Our Dad wanted to talk about something with her. Maybe business related that's why they're taking a little longer than expected."
The two other girls simply nodded in acknowledgement as they went back to eating and chit chatting.