My Perfectly Flawed (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 5
Ordinary days passed as usual, and before anyone noticed, it was already April.
It was a spring day filled with a gentle breeze carrying the full essence of spring, lush green leaves sprouting on trees, and light pink cherry blossoms beginning to bloom all across campus.
Couples crowded under the lovely cherry trees on dates, and groups of three or five gathered to enjoy hanami—everyone was busy chasing spring—but Yu In remained aloof, as if standing apart from their world.
Cherry blossoms bloom every year anyway. And what’s love—something invisible—compared to that? She held only cynical thoughts like these.
“Yu In, didn’t you say you had plans today?”
Jae Hee, walking beside her along the campus path where pale pink petals fluttered in the soft breeze, yawned loudly—still drowsy after sleeping through their entire liberal arts class.
“Yeah. With Nam Yu Jin.”
As Yu In replied, plucking an annoying petal that had clung to her long hair while fluttering aimlessly, Jae Hee’s half-lidded, cat-like eyes instantly sparkled as she cried out,
“Oh! I’m coming too!”
“No way. You’ve got a photoshoot today, remember?”
“Oh, right… I really wanted to see Yu Jin oppa after so long, though.”
Muttering quietly, “I don’t wanna shoot,” Jae Hee slumped like a cabbage thoroughly pickled in a short time.
Back on a certain day last year, Jae Hee had declared to Yeon Young that although she was still a student, acting wasn’t her true path—and began modeling.
What started with small online shops had now grown; Jae Hee frequently served as the main model for brands popular on social media and was currently rising fast in the industry.
Knowing today’s job was an important shoot, Yu In gently patted Jae Hee’s slumped shoulders, smiling playfully.
“Just watch me on TV.”
“Is that the same? Ugh, might as well just skip the shoot.”
“If you went that far just to come, Nam Yu Jin wouldn’t want that either.”
“Hmm… maybe she would? It feels like it’s been half a year since I last saw oppa.”
“That could be.”
Yu In let out a quiet laugh at Jae Hee’s exaggerated pout, scrunching her nose as if deep in thought while propping her chin on empty air.
Hearing the laughter, Jae Hee—who had been lost in serious contemplation—suddenly shouted,
“Ugh, I just want to eat the meal oppa treats me to!”
“Then I’ll video-call you once I get there. At least watch that.”
“What? Hey, Nam Yu In—you’re totally teasing me!”
Taller than Yu In, Jae Hee wrapped her arm swiftly around Yu In’s neck and gave a gentle squeeze.
At Jae Hee’s protest of “Stop teasing me!”, Yu In burst into laughter, her eyes crinkling like a child’s.
The two laughed boisterously on the cherry blossom–lined street for quite a while.
Only two people, aside from family, could make the normally cynical Yu In smile so brightly.
She didn’t need anything else—not even spring itself.
As long as she had her two steadfast friends who’d stood by her since high school, she truly needed nothing more.
****
“Thank you.”
Yu In gave a small bow and tumbled out of the taxi.
Without even glancing around, she rushed up the entrance steps, cursing Han Jae Hee.
Because Jae Hee had whined relentlessly until the very end—despite never actually intending to skip the shoot—Yu In had shoved her into the taxi, only to realize she was already cutting it close to her appointment with her sister.
Having already resigned herself to the inevitable scolding, Yu In had texted ahead from the taxi saying she might be a little late, but received no reply—probably because her sister was upset.
“Welcome. Do you have a reservation?”
“Uh… Nam, Yu In.”
Still catching her breath, Yu In gave her name before fully regaining composure. The staff member checked the list and gestured for her to follow.
Inside, soft music played in a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.
Walking down a long corridor lined with warm wood tones, she passed a neat courtyard where tall bamboos stood proudly among white pebbles.
Yu In, having calmed her breathing, glanced around at the doors lining both sides of the garden—but since this wasn’t their destination yet, they continued walking further down the path.
The staff member gave two sharp knocks on a door deep within the building, then gently pushed it open.
Inside sat Nam Yu Jin at a round table large enough for at least ten people, her chin resting moodily in her hand, wearing a petulant expression.
“What time do you think it is now?”
“Sorry. I texted you—didn’t you see it?”
Yu In exhaled the breath she’d been holding and plopped down into a chair, tossing her bag carelessly onto the seat beside her.
Yu Jin scowled and snapped sharply,
“Does sending a text mean you can be late?”
“I couldn’t help it—Jae Hee was clinging to me.”
“Han Jae Hee? Then just bring her along.”
“Ugh. Next time, you two meet without me.”
Already exhausted from hearing those exact words ringing in her ears until just moments ago, Yu In waved her hand dismissively.
Her sister, whose face mirrored her own, now wore an irritated frown.
“Who’s acting up after showing up late? Anyway… what’s with your outfit?”
“My outfit? What’s wrong with it?”
Seeing her sister narrow one eye as if spotting something bizarre, Yu In—still fixing her messy hair from rushing over—glanced down at her clothes.
Her cotton skirt, worn that morning, was slightly wrinkled, but otherwise seemed perfectly fine.
“It looks like… something you bought off the street. Didn’t you wear anything I brought you?”
“This is fine for a college student—what more do you want? I’m not a celebrity like you.”
“Stop being so stingy and wear the things I buy you. And get a new bag too.”
“I’ll handle it myself.”
“That’s exactly why I’m telling you—if you handled it yourself, I wouldn’t need to say anything. And what’s with that watch?”
Here we go again.
Each time, her sister handed over armfuls of luxury items—gaudy and burdensome, completely unlike Yu In’s style.
Though personal taste naturally differs from person to person, her sister refused to accept differences and always nagged and meddled whenever she saw Yu In hadn’t changed.
Yu In had even snapped before, saying she wasn’t in a job requiring her to look like her sister and to just leave her alone—but that sister of hers never budged, always acting the same.
Tilting her head sideways, Yu In said with a dissatisfied expression,
“Say one more word, and I’m leaving.”
“What?”
“Got more to say? Or should I go?”
“…You’re probably the only person in the world who’d reject something nice no matter how much I give you. My dear sister—truly one of a kind.”
“You’re not so different yourself.”
The two sisters, nearly identical in face but almost nothing else, ended their grumbling with mutual head-shakes.
A moment later, as if pre-ordered, an array of dishes arrived on large plates, covering the round table and beginning their meal.
Her sister had ordered far more food than two people could possibly eat—and hadn’t even hinted beforehand that their meeting spot would be such an upscale Chinese restaurant.
Thinking they’d just grab jjamppong, Yu In had assumed it was an ordinary Chinese eatery from the address alone.
While Yu In nibbled on chili shrimp, Yu Jin talked about her newly wrapped drama and, as always, inevitably brought up her agency’s director.
“Just the other day, I thought I’d landed a new drama—but the director went ahead and canceled it on his own.”
“Really? Did you really want to do it?”
“I wasn’t dying to do it, but the story wasn’t bad. So when I asked him why he canceled it, guess what he said?”
“What’d he say?”
“That it wasn’t meant for me. Said the drama would flop.”
Yu In set down her chopsticks and leaned her chin on her hand with an indifferent expression.
“Is your director secretly a fortune-teller on the side?”
Yu Jin burst into loud laughter, her mouth open wide enough to show her uvula.
“No! Didn’t I tell you before? He’s got the personality of a train wreck and acts like trash—but his instincts are genuinely sharp. Still, he’s never flat-out declared a drama would flop before.”
“Hmm.”
“Hearing him say that made me uneasy too. What actor would want to join a drama doomed to fail?”
“Exactly.”
“So I decided not to take it, and now I’ve got some free time. And guess what? He’s suddenly pushing me to try variety shows now! That awful man—he knows I absolutely hate them.”
Yu In, who’d been listening silently to her sister’s confusing mixture of complaint and praise, gave a vague nod.
The usual lengthy monologue about that very director finally began winding down—tracing all the way back to his parachute appointment into the company three years prior.
Having patiently waited for the right moment amid her sister’s griping, Yu In finally stood up.
“I’ll go to the restroom.”
“Alright. Let’s get ice cream after this.”
“Again?”
Frowning, Yu In questioned how they could possibly get ice cream when neither had touched their ordered food.
Yu Jin waved her slender arm dismissively, as if telling her not to complain.
It was obvious she’d drag Yu In to some fancy hotel again and order an absurdly expensive gelato neither could finish.
Sighing at the thought of when her sister had developed this compulsive spending habit, Yu In slid open the door.
Since their private room was so deep inside, she walked down the corridor a bit before spotting the restroom—decorated just as refreshingly as the interior.
After washing her hands, Yu In examined in the mirror the outfit her sister had called “weird.”
“It’s perfectly fine. She’s just looking for trouble.”
Pouting as she patted her wrinkled skirt, Yu In was just stepping out of the restroom when she lightly bumped shoulders with a man entering.
“Oh—sorry.”
“Yes, yes, it’s fine. Yes.”
Her apology was met with a slurred reply—he was clearly drunk.
Ever since Jae Hee’s birthday, Yu In had strictly avoided anything related to alcohol and didn’t even look at him properly before quickly turning away.
“Wait—hey, hold on!”
Yu In’s brow instinctively furrowed as she was stopped after just a few steps.
Slowly turning her head back, she met his gaze—his eyes glazed over with alcohol, staring directly at her.
“Let me just… take a quick look at your face.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Just your face—I want to see your face.”
The strangely muttering man slowly approached.
With every step closer, a strong stench of alcohol hit her, sending unpleasant chills racing across her skin.
Yu In’s voice trembled faintly.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Don’t people always say you look exactly like Nam Yu Jin?”
“No—they don’t.”
“Oh, come on! You really do! Are you a celebrity by any chance?”
“Hey, look—if you’re drunk, just go in quietly.”
“It’s not that—wait, just for a sec!”
Why had she even responded? She should’ve just ignored him.
As Yu In took slow backward steps, finishing her brief regret and turning to leave, her wrist was suddenly seized before she could get far.
The drunk man’s body heat felt unpleasantly warm, and his sweaty, clammy palm against her skin felt disgustingly unclean—like touching something dead.
A panicked cry escaped her lips.
“What—what are you doing?! Seriously!”
“Just a moment!”
A tug-of-war began between her trying to pull free and him holding tight.
Those mere seconds felt agonizingly long to Yu In—her toes curling inward as sudden fear slammed into her brain.
What do I do? How do I handle this? Of all times, this quiet corridor was completely empty.
Straining with all her might to yank her arm free, she suddenly felt the back of her head bump against something as solid as a wall.
What? Just moments ago, the corridor behind her had been wide open—completely empty, not even an ant in sight.
Startled, Yu In whipped her head around.
“What’s going on here?”
An icy, low voice sounded from above her.
Recognizing what her head had just touched, Yu In forgot her earlier panic entirely and covered her gasping mouth with her palm.
The tall man in a perfectly fitted suit, his chin tilted slightly upward with arrogance, gave her—the one leaning against his chest, unable to look away—a faint, eyes-only smile meant just for her.
Ah.
How could such a nightmare happen to her—again, in such quick succession?
Her mouth hung open in shock, utterly unable to close.
Though she’d thought the memory had been neatly sorted and erased from her mind over the past few weeks—it clearly hadn’t.
The moment she saw him, Yu In instantly recognized who he was.
He was that strange, suspicious man she’d met at the club.
When scheming men desperately battle for her favor in the male harem
This one’s also on my reread list! The rivalry, scheming between the men in the imperial harem are just as intense and thrilling as in classic palace drama novels, where concubines fight to the death. Give it a read, girls! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Synopsis:
“I am not worthy of her… but I still want to be by her side, even if only as a loyal dog…”
Those were the painful whispers of Yue Guanyi – the proud Crown Prince of the Great Qi, who was torn between deep love and a guilty conscience. Despite holding the supreme power of the Imperial Guard, he still could not forget the dark past when he was sold into a brothel.
Fate played a cruel twist when Qiu Shuzhi – a young female official who had just passed the imperial examinations with top honors – stepped into his life. She did not know that she was the one who had saved him from a tragic fate many years ago. And now, her heart was the target of pursuit for both Yue Guanyi and the powerful Empress Dowager Qin Qing.
While Yue Guanyi only dared to silently care for and protect the one he loved from afar, the Empress Dowager Qin Qing openly expressed his feelings and did not hesitate to take advantage of his power to approach Qiu Shuzhi. The covert struggle between the two most powerful forces in the imperial court began…
Trigger warning: All men in this novel are yandere style.
_____
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