Imperfectly Perfect (MiChaeng SaTzu)

12 : The Soccer Team

"As per protocol, there will be no practices next week." The soccer team's coach instructs the players. It is the week of the Preliminary exams and the soccer team is about to end their huddle for last minute reminders in the lockers. "If you are a starting player, make sure to pass all your tests. I don't want to hear problems from your professors complaining about your poor grades. Got it?"

"Yes, coach!" The team members answered in unison.

The student council, along with the university board, imposed a rule among the other clubs and organizations that they can't hold any practice or event within exams week. Other than students transforming into the most religious people a day before the exams, the administration wants to ensure that its undergraduates have ample time to review their subjects for real, days before it.

The team's mentor was about to exit the room when he suddenly turned around to the already rowdy kids. "Oh! And Chaeyoung, can I talk to you for a sec?"

The soccer team's ace promptly stands up and follows their coach out of the room. They stopped just right outside the lockers.

"Listen." The coach promptly begins. "I was thinking of introducing a new role to the team. I know you are relevantly new here in terms of tenure, but I saw your resume and was greatly impressed by your playing history. So to cut the chase here, I have been watching all of you closely during practice and I believe you will make a great vice captain."

Chaeyoung smiles widely and is currently out of words. The coach grins in return and continues. "I already talked with Momo about this. Think it over next week and let me know your decision."

"Coach, this is a great opportunity!" The team's ace answers with utmost excitement. "I— I promise I will make sure to put my mind into it before deciding."

The mentor softly nodded and tapped her right shoulder.

Then, before finally walking away, he humorously waves and shouts. "Just minimize getting late during practice because you're too busy scoring with girls!"

Chaeyoung tried to react immediately but the coach was faster at walking out, loudly laughing at her reddened face that can be seen even from a distance.

"I only have one girl though!" The petite girl still shouts in protest as the mentor vanishes at the far end of the hallway's turn.

The said soon-to-be vice captain then makes a beeline back to the locker room to start packing up her things. The vicinity is now starting to get busy with the soccer team members scurrying around. Some are going in and out of the door, preparing to line up for a quick shower. There are others tidying up their sports gear, folding towels, and rummaging locker items.

"If ever I would be given a choice, like only if, I just want to play soccer all my life!" One soccer girl who is sitting on the floor, untying her shoes proclaims out of nowhere. "No classes. No quizzes or any tests. No subject units. Just soccer. I mean— How great could that be, right?!"

"Hey, Captain Momo!" Another player shouts after grinning at the girl on the floor. "Can't you talk to the instructor or the student council to give us special considerations? We're aiming to bag gold medals here. It's the university's name that'll be honored in the end anyway."

The Collegiate Soccer League is the biggest known event for every soccer club every year. It has prestigious universities all over the country registering to compete for its shining trophies and needless to say, outstanding bragging rights.

And Momo's team have been working their asses out for the past weeks, trying to perfect their plays and stretch their physical stamina because the said to die for event among egotistic athletes is just less than a month away.

Momo mockingly laughs while sitting on the bench in the middle of the room. She is still drying her hair with a white towel while she nonchalantly replies. "Oh, come on! You can always aim for the lowest passing score! And remember. When in doubt, always choose True. Tests ask explanations only for False."

The room is then filled with loud frisky laughter from the members in the room.

"OR..." Another player who knowingly grins while wiggling her brows pursues the topic. "Maybe if the council president was your girlfriend, you could've asked her to tutor us. You know, overnight learning sessions could be more exciting due to a lot of reasons I don't even want to mention."

One member teasingly adds. "It really is an unfortunate thing our captain wasn't able to get ahold of her. You know, the famous Myoi Mina."

Momo raises her hands up in the air. She tried to make her face look a little serious for a couple of seconds, making most of the voices in the room subside and even make some of the members exchange nervous glances.

"That may be right." The soccer captain nods. "But it is still a mystery to me. I mean... look at this!" She raises her white shirt to reveal her stomach and points to her well-toned abs. "How could you say no to this, huh?!"

And so everyone bursts out in laughter much louder than before. Some of the girls are shouting in agreement to their team captain while some towels are even flying around in complete merriment.

"What if she's just trying to play hard to get?" Someone wanted to throw in one more comment. "You know—"

However, that player was cut off by a loud sound. It came from an abruptly closed locker door, obviously packed with much more force than it should be that it even made some of the team members sensitive to sudden loud sounds flinch.

"This is not High School. You don't get plus points in English because you got a trophy in a Declamation contest." Chaeyoung mutters, not specific to anyone else but enough for the people in the room to hear it. She picks up her towel, roughly shoves it inside her sports bag, and walks towards the exit. When she was right in front of the door, she trails with the same voice she used earlier. "Muscle heads."

And so everyone in the room went silent.

"Wait!" Momo shouts with heightened annoyance before the soccer team's ace was able to take that step outside of the room. "Do you have a problem? With us. With me."

Chaeyoung immediately sighs, stops on her tracks, and slowly turns around. Her face is devoid of any emotions. She simply shakes her head and calmly replies. "None. No problem here. Unless there is something that I have to give more attention to because it seems to love it."

Everyone else in the room is still silent. They seem to be eagerly waiting for whatever is coming next. If someone could offer the team members popcorn right now, they might gladly take it.

The team captain scoffs. She looked at the ceiling, squinted her eyes, then looked at the floor.

And then Momo started walking towards Chaeyoung and stopped right when she was about a foot away.

In a swift succession, Momo balls her hands to her sides, scoffs again, then throws a punch straight into the smaller girl's face.

The nearest members finally got the weight of the situation and sprung from their locations to get ahold of their team captain.

Momo is just intently staring at Chaeyoung who is now down on the floor.

"Can I go now?" The soccer team's ace spits as she stands up on her feet. She didn't wait for a reply though. She just picked up her bag, glanced back one last time at Momo, tauntingly smirked like she won the fight, and exited the room.