My Perfectly Flawed (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 14

Yu In was staring at her phone so intently that she had completely forgotten she was supposed to be taking notes during the lecture.

[It’s raining now. I’ll drive you home after class.]

What on earth was this all of a sudden?

The man had been quiet since their exchange that morning—his message saying, “The weather’s nice, have a good day at school,” and her reply, “I hope you have a great day too, Director Do.”

Out of nowhere, Director Do Gi Yeon had jumped straight from asking if she had an umbrella to declaring he’d come pick her up—an utterly unexpected suggestion.

Though she no longer felt outright dislike toward him, they certainly weren’t at ease enough for such offers. Hesitating with her fingers over the screen, Yu In glanced outside; the sky looked hazy, but she couldn’t see anything actually falling.

Just as she began typing a refusal, a loud “swishhh—” of rain started pouring outside the lecture hall window.

“Students by the windows, please close them,” the professor requested.

Though all the open windows were shut, the sound of heavy rain lashing against the glass with the wind continued relentlessly.

It really was raining. After watching the rain-whipped tree branches sway for a moment, Yu In shifted her gaze back to her messages.

[I can just buy an umbrella at the convenience store.]

Even though his statement had now become fact, her reply remained unchanged from before, so she sent it as-is.

Almost instantly, her phone vibrated—apparently he’d been waiting for her response.

[It’s too windy; an umbrella won’t help. You hate getting wet in the rain, Yu In. Don’t be stubborn—just come along comfortably.]

Haaah. A sigh of frustration escaped Yu In’s lips.

Ever since their encounter at the hotel, this problematic Director Do Gi Yeon had grown increasingly bold in crossing boundaries—but never as abruptly or as embarrassingly as today.

After all, saying it’s a shame you can’t stop the rain and saying I’ve come to shield you from it are worlds apart.

Just why did it matter so much to Director Do that she disliked rain?

She’d somehow evaded confronting it until now, but today, she felt she absolutely had to ask him point-blank why he kept going this far for her.

Would he just tease her again with something like, “Yu In, you figure it out yourself”?

While she was still pondering what to say if he did exactly that, the storm-like man struck once more, seemingly intent on leaving her no chance to refuse.

[Just tell me which building to go to.]

Ugh, seriously. Yu In let out yet another exasperated sigh.

It was utterly baffling why only such persistent people kept ending up beside her.

An hour and a half later—

When Yu In stepped outside after class, the rain had lessened slightly from earlier but was still falling with stubborn force.

Caught off guard by the unforecasted downpour, students at the entrance each chose their own way to dash out: squeezing under someone else’s umbrella, flipping their textbooks over their heads, or even stripping off clothes to cover their hair.

Amid the commotion, the person Yu In was looking for was nowhere to be seen—impossible, considering his height made him stand out unmistakably among the crowd.

Just as Yu In was scanning around anxiously, a plain black umbrella silently appeared right before her.

“Hello, Nam Yu In.”

The man, dressed impeccably in a sharp suit, greeted her with a childlike, guileless smile that clashed oddly with his formal attire.

Startled by his sudden appearance and disoriented by his uncharacteristically gentle smile, Yu In blinked—and, without realizing it, mirrored Ki Yeon’s expression with a similar smile of her own.

She was struck by the unfamiliar thought: So he has this kind of face too.

Yet, Ki Yeon’s expression gradually faded—the neatly upturned corners of his mouth flattened into a straight line, and his slightly lifted eyes returned to their usual place, now heavy with a somber glint.

“…Why?”

Surprised, Yu In wiped the smile from her own face and widened her eyes at him.

Unmindful of his dress pants slowly soaking through in the relentless rain, Ki Yeon kept his gaze fixed solely on Yu In and let out a low, hollow chuckle.

“I’ve never seen it before.”

“What?”

“Nam Yu In smiling.”

Oh, really? Since he’d pointed out something even she hadn’t known about herself, her cheeks warmed awkwardly, and she rubbed her face with the back of her hand.

It made sense, though—most of their encounters left her dealing with unexpected situations, hardly the time for smiles.

Was it really that strange to see her smile? Embarrassed, Yu In’s gaze dropped lower and lower, until Ki Yeon reached out his hand from under the umbrella.

“Let’s go. We need to walk a bit to the parking lot.”

“Huh… together?”

“There’s only one umbrella.”

He added a playful, faint chuckle.

Staring at his outstretched, slender fingers, Yu In hesitated momentarily—until he gently shook his arm and urged softly, “Come on.”

She lifted her eyes to meet his. Ki Yeon had returned to his usual composed self, lips only faintly curved upward.

It was the same gentle smile she’d seen dozens of times before, yet today it felt subtly different.

His unwavering gaze—never once looking away since they’d met—and the hand he’d extended, oblivious to his own soaked sleeve, seemed to scratch delicately at the deepest part of her heart once more.

Taking a deep breath, Yu In stepped into the rain. Ki Yeon moved half a step closer, ensuring not a single drop reached her.

“Good job.”

Ki Yeon softly wrapped an arm around Yu In’s shoulders as she stepped beside him.

Yu In looked up questioningly, as if to ask, “Good job at what?”—but Ki Yeon only closed his eyes slightly and smiled without answering.

Though they’d used an umbrella, both were thoroughly soaked—hair, clothes, and shoes alike—by the time they reached the car, having trudged through puddles and battled wind and rain in the brief downpour.

“Use this to dry off.”

Ki Yeon grabbed a blanket from the back seat and draped it fully over Yu In’s head.

The fluffy black fabric carried a crisp, sun-dried scent, freshly laundered, that tickled Yu In’s nose.

“Thank you,” she murmured quietly as she dried her wet hair with the blanket. Meanwhile, Ki Yeon removed his soaked jacket, now darkened by the rain.

He unbuttoned and took off his waistcoat, then loosened the tie constricting his neck—and just as he did, he sensed someone watching and turned his head.

Yu In’s clear, round eyes, fixed on him, flinched slightly.

“What is it?” he asked in a low voice.

Yu In immediately dropped her gaze and shook her head rapidly.

Ki Yeon gave a soft chuckle, tossed his clothes carelessly onto the back seat, and gently rubbed the blanket covering Yu In’s head.

“No need for a comparison—you’re drenched like a little puppy.”

“…Why do you keep calling me a puppy?”

Her slightly pouted lips complained like a child throwing a tantrum. At that, Ki Yeon’s smile deepened.

“In my eyes, you really do look exactly like one. Haven’t you heard that before?”

“Not at all. No one but you sees me that way.”

“How strange.”

Ki Yeon tilted his head as if genuinely puzzled, then wiped the remaining moisture from Yu In’s cheeks and neck before pulling the blanket down to cover her shoulders.

After quickly running his fingers through his own damp, disheveled hair, he spoke lightly.

“Oh—and one more thing.”

“…?”

“Nam Yu In doesn’t look like Nam Yu Jin at all.”

“Now that’s something I’ve never heard before.”

Yu In wore an expression as if she’d just heard the most random thing imaginable.

Ever since childhood, people had mistaken them for twins—but never once had anyone said they didn’t resemble each other.

Even as Yu In shot him a look full of disbelief, Ki Yeon remained unfazed, flashing a bright smile as he roughly combed his wet hair back.

His usually neat black hair now fell loosely over his forehead, and with his white shirt unbuttoned slightly at the collar, tie gone, he looked years younger than his actual age.

Watching him quietly beside her, as unexpectedly as the sudden rain, Yu In slowly turned over in her mind the words she’d resolved to say today.

After a long pause, her lips finally moved to call his name.

“Director Do.”

“Yes, Yu In.”

Ki Yeon, who had been patiently waiting for her to speak, answered softly.

Not avoiding his unwavering gaze fixed solely on her, Yu In finally voiced the question she’d kept locked inside.

“Why are you doing this to me?”

Ki Yeon’s brow furrowed briefly. He fell silent for a moment, as if choosing his words, then spoke.

“Didn’t you find the reason I told you to look for?”

“No.”

“Not at all?”

Yu In gave a faint nod.

She was somewhat aware of her awkwardness in relationships, but Do Gi Yeon felt like a labyrinth to her.

The more she thought about it, the less she understood—and she couldn’t even find a thread, let alone an exit.

Moreover, the very nature of their relationship was constrained by too many imaginable possibilities.

Unable to ignore the enormous stepping stone of Nam Yu Jin between them, Yu In had no choice but to ask him directly like this.

“Hmm. Has Yu In never been in a relationship?”

“…No.”

Ki Yeon, who had maintained an air of calm composure until then, instantly stiffened upon hearing her answer.

His expression turned incredulous, mouth slightly agape as if he’d lost his words—then he exhaled a short breath and slowly, repeatedly ran his hand through his hair.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. I haven’t… but what does that have to do with why you’re acting like this?”

Yu In trailed off mid-sentence. Even her fingers, fiddling with the soft fabric over her shoulders, froze in place.

Like Ki Yeon moments earlier, she swallowed hard, her shoulders trembling slightly—and fell completely silent, stunned into stillness.

For a while, the only sound inside the car was the steady drumming of raindrops against the roof and windows.

Of the two, equally flustered but for entirely different reasons, it was Ki Yeon who spoke first.

“I think you’ve figured it out now, but let me say it clearly again.”

Ki Yeon turned fully toward the passenger seat, bracing one hand on the center console as he leaned closer to Yu In.

His usual playfulness and lightness vanished entirely; his serious, focused demeanor pinned Yu In in place, rendering her unable to move.

“I’m interested in you, Yu In.”

His low voice, mingling with the sound of rain, was deep and calm.

“Very much so.”

His dark, intense eyes slowly traced every feature of Yu In’s face.

They finally settled on her lips—clenched so tightly from holding her breath that they’d nearly drawn blood.

His expression softening ambiguously between a smile and something else, Ki Yeon gently cupped her chin—his cool touch making Yu In’s shoulders flinch.

His thumb brushed beneath her lower lip, then pressed firmly to pry loose the lip caught tightly between her teeth.

Staring intently at her, Ki Yeon spoke in a low, husky voice.

“I like you, Yu In. That’s what I’m saying.”