My Perfectly Flawed (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9

I was alternating my gaze between the laptop on my desk and the front of the room, listening to the monotonous voice coming through the microphone, when suddenly my eyes snapped toward my phone.

The screen of the phone lying beside my laptop lit up silently, drawing Yu In’s attention instantly.

[Yu In-ah. You’re going to the library again today, right?]

Just as Ji Han’s message appeared at the top of the screen and began to disappear, another message arrived.

[I’ll save your seat, so come to Reading Room 2 right after your class en…]

Though the rest was cut off, she could easily guess what it said. Since it was exam season, Ji Han, whose class had already ended, would head to the library first to reserve a seat.

Yu In glanced briefly at the professor, who was passionately lecturing, then launched the PC messenger she’d closed earlier and sent Ji Han a short reply.

[Can’t go today.]

The moment she hit send, the “1” next to the speech bubble vanished, and another bubble from the other side popped up immediately.

It said the exact same thing: “Why?”

Yu In quietly typed that she had something to do, habitually bit her lip, and closed the messenger.

Today was the very day she’d agreed—out of sudden worry—to meet in person after the man had insisted it couldn’t be discussed over the phone.

Though today would finally resolve the unease left behind by that man who’d transformed from a question mark into her sister’s agency’s director, she couldn’t help but feel tense about facing someone so uncomfortable to deal with, and her palms kept sweating.

Yu In flipped her constantly flashing phone face down and, rubbing her hands on her skirt, refocused on the lecture.

Twenty minutes before class ended…

Bwoooong.

The loud ringing of her phone echoed through the lecture hall, drawing everyone’s eyes toward one spot—Yu In, the owner of that phone, who widened her eyes and swiftly grabbed the ringing device.

“Hmm.”

Seeing the professor clear his throat to express displeasure at the intrusion, Yu In lowered her head slightly, then glanced at her phone and frowned.

[I’ll wait for you in front of the Central Library.]

It was a message from Do Gi Yeon.

As soon as the professor announced the end of class, Yu In hastily shoved her laptop into her bag and bolted out of the lecture hall.

Had “I’ll pick you up” somehow become “I’ll wait for you on campus”? When and how had that happened? Even as a Korean literature student, she had no idea.

She typed a message asking him to wait in the car, but never ended up sending it, and instead started sprinting as soon as she exited the Humanities Building.

“Huh… hah!”

About ten minutes later, breathless, she spotted him—the man who’d insisted on waiting right in front of the library, of all places, where crowds and curious eyes abounded.

Yu In stopped abruptly, standing a short distance away from him.

The man stood beneath the broad branches of a large cherry tree casting shade over his head, gazing idly at the petals drifting on the gentle spring breeze.

Perhaps because of the sudden rise in temperature, he’d slung his deep navy jacket over his arm, wearing a crisp white shirt with his tie tightly knotted—an image fit for a spring magazine spread.

“…”

As she watched him from several meters away, she lost count of how many female students kept glancing at him as they passed by.

Yet he paid them no attention at all, staring only into empty space, as if nothing in the world mattered to him.

Yu In found it hard to look away. Strangely, her chest fluttered and tickled, as if she might cough at any moment.

She kept staring for a long time—until he checked his watch by flicking his left wrist, turned his head, and finally noticed her.

Then, a fresh smile gently appeared on his previously blank face—so dazzling it hurt her eyes.

“…Ah.”

A jolt shot through her toes like electricity, making her gasp sharply. As if pulled by an invisible string, she began walking toward him.

When she finally got close enough for that picture-perfect smile to fill her vision, he spoke in a soft voice.

“Miss Yu In.”

“…Hello.”

Seeing her awkward bow, he narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled.

His cool gaze swept quickly from her toes to the top of her head, taking in her tense, rigid posture.

Then, with an even warmer smile, he asked,

“Did you follow the lecture well?”

Yu In gave a small nod and stared up at his flawless smile.

Meeting him on campus felt awkward and utterly foreign.

He seemed like an intruder who’d snuck into a hidden secret place—someone who shouldn’t be here—yet he fit so perfectly beneath these cherry blossoms that the contradiction unsettled her.

“The whole campus is filled with cherry trees. Do you like cherry blossoms, Miss Yu In?”

This time, Yu In shook her head. At the same moment, the man suddenly reached out his arm, and her wide eyes followed his movement.

He plucked a pink petal from her hair and casually let it flutter to the ground.

“They suit you well. So you dislike them, huh?”

Murmuring softly to himself, he smiled lazily.

The moment she realized they were thinking the same thing, Yu In was flooded with a strange sensation—her solar plexus felt itchier than before, and her cheeks burned hotly.

She quickly averted her gaze.

And that’s when her eyes met the group behind him, who’d been admiring his fine figure just like she had.

The subtle bubble of intimate atmosphere surrounding them just moments ago popped with a loud “bang,” and Yu In frowned.

“But why are you here?”

“I thought it’d be easy to find you, and I might as well get familiar with the area.”

Though the man replied lightly, as if nothing mattered, Yu In’s expression grew darker.

“Can’t we just go quickly?”

“Are you uncomfortable?”

At his gentle question, Yu In only looked up at him with eyes clouded by anxiety.

What exactly was he asking about? Was it Do Gi Yeon himself? Or those useless, prying eyes she was so sensitive to?

As Yu In bit her lip, hesitating over her reply, the man took a few steps forward—his broad shoulders and back instantly blocking her entire view.

As if shielding her from them.

“…Director?”

She called out, as if questioning why he’d done that.

With a faint smile, he teased playfully,

“You’re not even a company employee—why call me ‘Director’?”

“Huh?”

“You just called me ‘Director.’”

Yu In blinked like a rabbit, unable to catch up with the conversation that had suddenly veered so far off course, her eyes fixed on his firm shoulder.

Seeing her widened eyes, he chuckled softly, glanced left and right as if checking their direction, then gently nudged Yu In’s back to move forward.

Unaware of her own movements, Yu In asked him,

“Then… what should I call you?”

“You can call me by my name, like I do.”

Though the trailing murmur left a strange impression, Yu In, who didn’t catch it, glanced up at him and asked,

“Your name?”

“You know my name now, don’t you?”

At his casual remark, Yu In narrowed her eyes slightly.

She stared at him intently for a long moment, trying to decipher whether he truly wanted her to use his name—and if so, what his intention was—but gained nothing from her scrutiny.

“…I’ll just keep calling you Director.”

“Hmm. Are you planning to join my company anytime soon?”

Yu In stared at him in disbelief. Was he really that opposed to being called “Director”?

His business card clearly stated the title, and even her sister called him that—why was he acting this way only toward her?

“No.”

Seeming slightly surprised by her firm tone, he looked down at her and raised an eyebrow.

“Why not? We’re considered quite well-regarded in the industry.”

“I dislike that industry.”

“That industry,” he repeated flatly, then removed his hand from the small of her back.

Only then did Yu In realize the cool touch that had been there—and she frowned, glancing between her back and him.

With just the corners of his mouth lifted, the man had already reached a sleek, pitch-black sedan parked in the lot and opened the passenger door for her.

“Get in.”

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere good for talking.”

He grinned, as if to say there was no hidden meaning.

****

The second time riding in the man’s car, Yu In noticed again how neat and sophisticated it felt—just like its owner.

The interior, faintly scented of leather, showed almost no signs of use, as if brand new.

The man, watching the road, remained silent, and Yu In, picking up on his mood, also stayed quiet, staring only at the street trees passing by the window.

The stillness inside the car was finally broken when his car stopped in front of a building surrounded by dark brick walls.

“Miss Yu In.”

Turning her head sharply at his languid voice, she found him gesturing toward the door with a half-smile.

“Let’s get out.”

“Oh… okay.”

Had she looked clueless about how to exit? Embarrassed, Yu In quickly slung her bag over her shoulder and stepped out.

The man, having walked around the hood, gently nudged her back again, guiding her inside just as before.

After passing large potted trees at the entrance, they were spotted by the front desk, who greeted them without any formalities and simply directed them upstairs.

Yu In followed him like a doll, climbing the stairs and walking down the hallway as he led.

At the end was a grand hall with a huge chandelier, exuding an antique charm—and astonishingly, only a single table occupied the vast space.

Still dazed, Yu In sat in the chair pulled out by a staff member, and the man, tossing his jacket onto his seat, sat across from her and said,

“I ordered some simple desserts—would you like anything specific?”

“No, I’m fine without eating.”

“Is refusal a habit of yours?”

“Huh?”

Not catching his low murmur clearly, Yu In asked again, and he just smiled faintly, shook his head as if it were nothing, and checked his phone.

Puzzled, Yu In didn’t press further and instead looked around the unfamiliar space.

Up close, the chandelier looked even more majestic, and the antique frames above the fireplace on one wall made her feel as if she’d stepped into a medieval palace.

Though she’d felt it since the hotel, she couldn’t help thinking his choice of location was truly unusual—and as anxious curiosity slowly crept in about just what he needed to discuss that warranted such a place, she gulped down the pre-poured water and shifted her eyes restlessly.

“Still no burning questions?”

“Huh?”

At the sudden question, her widened eyes turned to him, and he, resting his chin on his hand, gave a slight smile.

“Me.”

Blinking slowly, Yu In finally spoke only after finishing the water in front of her.

“How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“That I’m Nam Yu Jin’s younger sister.”

The man frowned slightly with one eye, as if displeased, then gave a low “Hmm.”

“There’s hardly anything I don’t know about Nam Yu Jin.”

It was an evasive answer. Did knowing everything about Nam Yu Jin really make recognizing her sister so obvious?

Then again, she herself had unintentionally learned exactly when he joined the company, how he worked, and how he became a director—so she decided to drop that question and move on.

“If you knew, why didn’t you say anything?”

“Every time I tried, someone ran away.”

“…You seemed to have plenty of chances.”

“That’s why I did it then.”

Straightening his posture, he answered half-heartedly, eyebrows unmoving—his whole attitude screaming, “What’s the problem?”

Yu In frowned slightly, watching him turn suddenly insolent.

“You just handed me your business card and left?”

“Was it really that bad? Honestly, explaining who I was didn’t feel particularly important to me.”

“Then what is important to you?”

Yu In sensed something off in the conversation the moment she saw him lean forward, his interest clearly piqued now—unlike her own growing confusion.

Just as he gave a small smirk and began to open his mouth to answer, a loud vibration shattered the silence that had held nothing but their voices in the hall.

“Ah… excuse me for a moment.”

Startled by the sudden noise, Yu In asked for his understanding, and he leaned back comfortably in his chair, nodding as if it were fine.

Rummaging through her bag, she found her phone screen filled with the name of someone she really didn’t feel like dealing with right now, ringing persistently.

Yu In declined the call, sent a quick message saying she’d get back later, and returned the phone to her bag.

As she adjusted her posture, a low voice reached her.

“Boyfriend?”

“Huh? No.”

She answered reflexively, her expression turning uncomfortable.

Wasn’t that question crossing a line? Yet, unfazed by her obvious displeasure, the man folded his arms and pressed on.

“Or someone who will be?”

“Not at all.”

“Then?”

“Just a friend. But why do you care right now?”

Her voice, though soft, carried a sharp edge—but the man, having satisfied his curiosity, just let out a thoughtful “Hmm” through his nose and fell silent.

After staring at Yu In’s dissatisfied face for a long while, he finally widened his eyes and smiled.

“Because that’s what matters to me.”