Imperfectly Perfect (MiChaeng SaTzu)

26 : Brown Sugar (1)

After deciding that they will all squeeze themselves in the large room. The girls all went upstairs shortly. They simply put their bags in the largest bed, not wanting to start another discussion of who sleeps where and who sleeps together with.

When they went back to the first floor, everyone immediately tried to busy themselves with their specific tasks.

Mina and Chaeyoung did the unpacking and organizing of the groceries, from putting what is meant to be in the refrigerator to loading the water gallon in the dispenser.

Dahyun and Jeongyeon were assigned to cook their lunch.

Nayeon and Sana flawlessly did the lazing around.

It is now a little past one in the afternoon and the group has just finished eating.

Dahyun is in the kitchen sink, currently washing the dishes. Like how the council usually decides the distribution of tasks that everyone hates to do, they drew lots and the poor secretary lost.

Sana is sitting on the living room's couch. She is browsing through Netflix on the smart television that is about the size of their dorm's window back in the university.

Nayeon is lying flat on her stomach on the sofa bed adjacent to the couch where Sana is. She is mindlessly scrolling on her phone, browsing on social media.

"Can someone please buy another pack of brown sugar?" Jeongyeon shouts from the kitchen table. She and Chaeyoung are preparing the marinade as well as the meat that they will be using for the dinner's barbecue.

"Haven't we bought enough? I remember we did." Mina shouts back from the patio, comfortably appreciating the view outside while sipping her black coffee.

They have been shouting to communicate with each other for a while now, obviously dispersed throughout the house that is too big for them. It is a relief that the cabin is a bit isolated so they don't have to worry for any neighbors who could potentially report them for noise disturbance.

Dahyun pops to the kitchen counter and sarcastically explains, "We did! It is just that someone..." she gazes at the council treasurer, "used it yesterday for coffee and now the opened pack is lonely because it was left beside the window of the student council office."

"I already told you I'm sorry a thousand times!" Jeongyeon yells again while Chaeyoung is heard loudly laughing at her roommate's clumsiness.

Sana lets out a sigh, listening to all the commotion. She turns off the TV and consecutively announces, "Since I don't have anything better to do, I'll go buy some."

"Should I come with you?" Nayeon immediately asks.

"No, it's fine. It's just a pack of brown sugar. I can handle it." Sana answers confidently.

"Are you sure? Do you remember where the convenience store is? It's a bit further than—"

"Yes, yes. Don't worry."

Nayeon then nods and smiles in acknowledgement.

"Dahyun! Lend me the keys to your car!" The cheer captain yells again.

"It's upstairs! I think I left it on the bedroom table!" The council secretary shouts back from the kitchen.

"Okay! Thanks!" Sana then stood up to promptly start her new task.

—— An hour and a half later ——

"Unnie?"

"Tzu! Are you still at the mansion?" Nayeon immediately asks in an obviously worried tone.

"Yeah. But I will depart shortly though to go to my school dorms since—"

"Sorry to cut you, Tzu. We just need you to do something."

Tzuyu also now spoke with worry in her voice, "Why? Is there something wrong?"

"You know that we're having a year end party at our cabin, right?"

"Yeah. Jeongyeon Unnie informed me."

"I am putting you on loudspeaker, everyone's here with me." Nayeon taps her phone, holds it away from her ear then towards everyone. "Sana went out alone earlier. It's been hours already. She should be back by now but there's still no sign of her."

"Huh? What do you mean? Did you try calling her?"

Mina says, "We tried but that is when we found out she left her phone to charge here in the living room."

"Where was she supposed to go?"

"In the nearest convenience store. We just asked her to buy some brown sugar." Nayeon answers.

The sound of the car's door closing loudly is heard on Tzuyu's line. "Did you look there already?"

Jeongyeon butts in to explain, "That's the other problem. We only brought one car which means that is what Sana used. You know how far the establishments are from your cabin's location."

"Okay." A car engine was heard starting. "I will check first around the convenience store areas."

Nayeon taps her phone again to turn off the loudspeaker and brings it back to her ear. "Update us immediately if you find her, okay?"

"I will."

"Bye, Tzu. Be careful when driving."

"Yes, Unnie. Bye."

Right after the call ended, Nayeon turns to the people currently gathered in the front porch of the house. "Don't worry, our mansion is just about an hour away from the convenience store's area. Tzuyu will be there before we know it."

Dahyun suggests, "Why don't we try looking for her also?"

"No. That is dangerous considering that not one of you is familiar with the roads in this place. Plus, we can't really reach anything that much by foot." Nayeon immediately opposes it.

"I agree with Nayeon." Jeongyeon seconds the statement. "Not to mention it is also late in the afternoon already. If we get out there and the sun sets on us in the middle of the road without any vehicle or in a location without cellular reception, we could end up missing ourselves."

"Please be safe, Sana." Mina is now starting to tear up as she roughly sits in one of the wooden chairs.

Chaeyoung promptly pats the council president's back, trying to calm her.

—— Twenty minutes later ——

Everyone quickly shifted on their seats when the soccer manager's phone rang.

"Hello, Tzu? Did you find her?" Nayeon promptly answers her phone.

Tzuyu answers while driving. "No. I'm now going to look at the roads where she might have passed when traveling to or from the cabin."

Nayeon looks and softly shakes her head at the expecting people around her.

Jeongyeon roughly snatches her girlfriend's mobile. "Hey, Chou Tzuyu!"

"Jeongyeon Unnie?"

"Not even thirty minutes has passed! The mansion's not that near to the nearest convenience store! What do you think of yourself? A member of Fast and Furious?"

Nayeon quickly snatches her phone back. "Don't mind your Jeongyeon Unnie's nagging. She's just also worried about you. We both know how much you want to find Sana right now but please have a sound mind and be careful driving, okay?"

"Yes, Unnie."

"Bye, Tzu."