Romance for You (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 13

Lee Su ran frantically.

She just wanted to get as far away from home as possible—anywhere was fine.

Her heart pounded so fast it felt like it would burst, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably.

It was the first time in her life—especially with her father’s wife.

More than the numb pain, unbearable shame made her shiver.

Soo Min’s furious face, slapping her cheek, wouldn’t leave her mind.

Only when she exited the alley and reached the main road did Lee Su stop to catch her breath.

“Haah… Haah…”

Her breath, anger, and sorrow rose up to her throat, all mixed together, choking her chest.

Her vision blurred from the tears constantly welling up.

“Mom…”

If only her mom were here right now.

If her mom had come to Seoul as promised, this would never have happened.

She both resented her mother and desperately missed her.

As her emotions overwhelmed her, the last bit of strength holding her upright drained away.

Her legs gave out, knees buckling, and Lee Su sank to the ground.

She could feel passersby glancing at her, but she didn’t have the energy to get up.

Still seated, hugging her knees, she suddenly felt something fall onto her head.

She looked up—raindrops were hitting her face.

“Ha… Of all days, it had to rain now. Perfect timing…”

Lee Su didn’t even try to take cover—she just stood there, letting the rain soak her.

She hoped the awful memory would wash away with the rain.

The tears pooled at the corners of her eyes mixed with the rain and streamed down her face.

In the cold rain, Lee Su cried freely, letting out every tear.

Her hair quickly grew wet, raindrops clinging to the ends, and her T-shirt became stained with rainwater.

It was still chilly in March, especially at night.

Now soaked by the rain, a deep chill began spreading through her whole body.

Yet, she didn’t want to go back home—not yet.

In her frantic escape, she’d grabbed only her phone from the bed, leaving her wallet behind.

“Well, that’s something, I guess.”

Lee Su looked around for shelter and headed toward a bus stop.

Sitting on the bench, waiting for the rain to stop, she started shivering uncontrollably as chills ran through her.

Her mind kept growing foggy.

She needed someone to help her.

As she searched for Ae Ra’s number with trembling hands, her phone suddenly rang—Seo Ji Ho’s name flashed on the screen.

Lee Su froze mid-motion.

She wondered why Seo Ji Ho was calling—then remembered their promise: if it rained, they’d meet.

Could he really be calling just to ask for his umbrella at this hour?

After a moment’s hesitation, Lee Su pressed the call button.

[Hello.]

Ji Ho’s smooth voice wrapped around her ears softly.

Strangely, just that one word calmed her heart.

“…Yeah.”

Lee Su forced the sound out through her tight throat.

[Are you… outside right now? I can hear rain.]

“…Yeah.”

Her jaw trembled so hard she could barely form proper words.

The wind, sharp against her soaked clothes and hair, stole every last bit of warmth from her body.

She felt cold to the bone.

[It’s raining hard… and it’s late.]

“…Yeah.”

Lee Su kept repeating that one word, as if she’d forgotten how to say anything else.

[…Lee Su.]

His voice was incredibly gentle.

Why did it feel so warm—just hearing her name from his lips?

She slowly opened her eyes, which had been tightly shut.

It was strange.

She’d heard her own name every day her whole life, yet why did hearing it in Seo Ji Ho’s voice stir her heart like this?

Her heart swelled dangerously, trembling all the way up to her throat, at the first time he’d ever called her by name.

Tears instantly welled up again and spilled over before she could hold them back.

“Huh… huh…”

She clamped a hand over her mouth, but once the tears started, they wouldn’t stop.

[Are you… crying right now?]

His voice sounded startled and deeply worried.

When she didn’t answer, Ji Ho called her name again.

[Lee Su…]

Why did it have to be Seo Ji Ho—again?

Why was she crying in front of this man—again?

Silence stretched as he waited for her sobs to subside.

Lee Su hugged her knees and cried for a long while.

It felt like everything inside her was draining away with her tears.

The phone in her hand felt as heavy as a block of metal.

Dizziness swirled in her head, and a wave of panic surged—she was about to pass out.

[Lee Su, where are you right now? I’ll come get you.]

The moment Lee Su’s sobbing eased, Ji Ho’s voice came through again, as if he’d been waiting.

**

Ji Ho stared out the window at the rain streaming down in long trails.

He’d half-joked about performing a rain-making ceremony—and past 10 p.m., the rain finally started.

Though this was the rain he’d been waiting for, Ji Ho looked oddly disappointed.

It was far too late now to simply return the umbrella.

Holding his still-silent phone, Ji Ho unlocked the screen.

12, 13, 14. He watched the numbers on the screen tick upward one by one.

Three minutes felt like three hours.

Gathering what little patience he had left, Ji Ho waited another seven minutes.

They’d promised to meet if it rained—and back then, Ji Ho had said he’d wait for Lee Su’s call.

But his patience had already run out; after barely hitting the ten-minute mark, he opened his recent calls and found Lee Su’s name.

It wasn’t that late—she probably wasn’t asleep yet.

And honestly, there was no real reason they couldn’t meet.

If Lee Su was okay with it, Ji Ho could just go to her place.

The thought that maybe she hadn’t called because she didn’t realize it was raining made his grip tighten on the phone.

What was this? Why so many thoughts over just making a single call?

Ji Ho let out a wry laugh and pressed the call button.

Bringing the phone to his ear, he gazed at the rainy night view.

The ringtone echoed several times.

Had she already fallen asleep?

He’d caught a brief glimpse of Lee Su sitting in the back of the lecture hall that afternoon.

He couldn’t see her clearly from afar, but she’d looked oddly drained.

Was she sick?

Just as worry flickered across his face, the ringing cut off—only the sound of rain came through, with no words.

When he spoke first, Lee Su replied with just a single syllable.

It sounded less like a voice and more like a reluctant scrape of her throat.

Ji Ho focused all his attention on the sounds coming through the receiver.

Amid the rain, he faintly heard quiet sniffles.

When he asked if she was crying, she didn’t answer.

That silence was answer enough.

‘Sigh—what now…?’

Instantly, heat surged in Ji Ho’s chest and his heart pounded fiercely.

He ran a hand over his face repeatedly, waiting quietly for a long time until Lee Su’s crying calmed.

During that seemingly endless stretch, Ji Ho’s eyes darkened.

All he could think was that he had to see her.

Wherever she was. However she looked.

Grabbing whatever clothes were within reach and without even knowing her location, Ji Ho snatched his car keys and headed out the front door.

Veins stood out on the hand clutching his phone.

By the time he reached the underground parking lot, Lee Su’s sobs had quieted.

“Tell me anything you see in front of you.”

Ji Ho got in the car, started the engine, and asked.

He entered the location Lee Su gave into the navigation.

At this hour, it was only a ten-minute drive.

“Don’t hang up—I’ll be there soon.”

Ji Ho urged her as he sped up.

**

She’d called Seo Ji Ho out on this rainy night.

Knowing full well how shameless it was, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse when he insisted on coming.

Since he’d already heard her crying, there was no point pretending she was fine.

Honestly, when he said he’d come, Lee Su had felt relieved.

Even though she knew it was embarrassing to let him see her in this mess.

Ever since she realized something was wrong with her body, she’d needed someone—anyone—by her side.

After all, it wasn’t the first time.

On the airplane. In the lecture hall. And now today.

Maybe Seo Ji Ho was even better than Ae Ra.

While waiting for Ji Ho, Lee Su kept the phone pressed to her ear.

Listening quietly to his calm voice and steady breathing through the line, she gradually calmed—just as Ji Ho’s car came into view.

Still curled up and shivering, she watched as Ji Ho stepped out of the car and quickly approached her.

Lee Su tried to stand, swaying unsteadily.

“Haah… What on earth…”

Ji Ho stopped short at the sight of her.

Soaked hair and clothes, tear-streaked face, pale blue lips, and shoulders trembling violently.

Instinctively, Ji Ho reached out and pulled Lee Su into his arms.

His body moved before his mind could catch up.

Her slender frame collapsed into his embrace without resistance.

Her wet hair brushed against his jawline.

“…Thank you for coming.”

Her voice trembled, barely audible.

“You don’t have to say anything.”

Ji Ho held her tightly, ensuring his warmth reached her, and gently stroked her back with his large hand.

Her clothes were cold and damp from the rain.

She’d been shivering so badly from the cold that her trembling didn’t stop easily.

Lee Su stayed quiet, fully leaning into Ji Ho.

Except for how warm and safe his embrace felt, she couldn’t think of anything else.

Her mind grew increasingly blank.

From the moment Yoo Mi entered the room until now, nestled in Ji Ho’s arms—

everything felt unreal, distant.

“You’ll catch a cold like this. Let’s get in the car first.”

Lee Su’s body shook violently.

Ji Ho wrapped an arm around her back and firmly steadied her trembling shoulders.

After helping her into the passenger seat, Ji Ho got in, grabbed a blanket from the back seat to cover her, and turned the heater to its highest setting.

“You’ll warm up soon.”

He looked at Lee Su, slumped against the seat, his expression grim.

She was dressed in comfortable clothes, like she’d just left home—no bag, and her feet were bare inside crumpled sneakers.

‘What on earth happened to her?’

Ji Ho felt his throat tighten.

Unconsciously, his hand reached toward Lee Su’s face out of concern.

As he tucked her wet hair behind her ear, he noticed a long, diagonal scratch across her reddened cheek—

a mark clearly left by something sharp.

At Ji Ho’s shocked look, Lee Su raised a hand to cover her cheek.

“You…”

He didn’t need to ask how the injury happened.

The wound was unbelievable even after seeing it with his own eyes.

Ji Ho couldn’t speak another word.

He pulled back his hand and gripped the steering wheel tightly.

The air inside the car grew unbearably heavy, suffocating.

With a stiff expression, Ji Ho leaned toward Lee Su and fastened her seatbelt.

“…Did you leave home like this?”

Lee Su, buried under the blanket up to her chin, gave a faint nod, still trembling.

Her mind grew hazy, and her eyelids kept drooping.

Ji Ho let out a quiet sigh, shifted gears, and drove off.

Not long after, the car entered the underground parking garage of a towering high-rise.

Ji Ho parked in his usual spot and turned off the engine.

He got out and opened the passenger door.

“Can you walk? Should I carry you?”

“…I’m fine.”

Lee Su didn’t even ask where they were—she simply followed Ji Ho out of the car.

Walking toward the elevator, her legs kept giving out, and she staggered several times.

“Lean on me.”

Ji Ho pulled her shoulder close, making her rest against his chest.

Her body felt scorching hot.

For a moment, Ji Ho considered taking her to the hospital—but with Lee Su in her current state, waiting in a crowded ER would be too much.

It was better to give her some medicine from home and let her rest comfortably while monitoring her condition.

If her fever didn’t go down, he’d take her to the hospital then—and with that decision, they stepped into the elevator.

Lee Su struggled to keep her heavy eyelids open.

Her vision blurred, and her ears felt muffled.

Inside the rapidly ascending elevator, she felt as if she were sinking endlessly.

As dizziness swirled in her head, she barely managed to clutch Ji Ho’s collar.

“Lee Su!”

His voice barely reached her, her mind already drifting away.

All her senses faded into the distance, and Lee Su closed her eyes.