A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 17

17. Dad and Daughter

A hectic week passed, and the weekend flew by, bringing Monday around once more.

Today is a special day for Yena.

It’s the day she’s invited to Dobin’s house. Jinseo’s request from last week has finally come to fruition.

Jinseo was happy to extend the invitation, but Jeong-o was uneasy. The ideal and reality are always different, and she worried that her daughter might cause trouble and make Jinseo and Dobin uncomfortable.

Truthfully, she would have gratefully declined Jinseo’s offer, but Yena expressed her desire to visit Dobin’s house, leaving her no choice but to entrust her daughter to them.

“Do you really want to go to Dobin’s house?”

“Yes!”

“Why do you want to go?”

“Just because. I’m curious.”

“Don’t cause any trouble there, okay?”

“Okay!”

“You’re only playing for today, okay?”

“Okay!”

Yena answered energetically as always. Nevertheless, Jeong-o couldn’t shake off her unease.

How wonderful it would be if she could stay by her daughter’s side all day.

The company’s mandatory overtime felt a bit resentful.

.*. *. *. *. *. *.

Seunggyu felt like he wasn’t truly present in his own life.

Last Thursday, when he turned his back on Jihun, his superior and friend, after lashing out so harshly, he was honestly prepared to quit the company.

But then he thought of his growing children, his wife whose smiles had diminished while caring for them, and the 20-year mortgage looming before his eyes every hour.

And now, as Monday morning dawned again, he had to go to work. He didn’t want to go, but he couldn’t afford to quit.

His wife, Jinseo, seemed unusually cheerful, humming as she stir-fried anchovies.

Tiptoeing carefully so as not to disturb her good mood, he said,

“Honey, I love you.”

“Why? Are you out of pocket money again?” Jinseo asked, unimpressed. The wife who smiled so sweetly at the anchovies was like a cold wind towards him.

“You always think it’s about money when I say that.”

“Don’t talk nonsense and go to work. And stay out of the house when the kids come home today.”

“Why should I leave when the kids are coming? I’m their dad.”

“Dobin’s friend is coming over. A girl.”

“Yena?”

“Yes. When a girl is invited, the dad quietly leaves so you don’t disturb their playing.”

“I want to see Yena too.”

“Still, no.”

“That’s too much!”

Neither work nor home offered solace.

Nowhere to turn.

At least Jihun would have shared a drink if he were speaking to him, but he had said those things….

Seunggyu turned away with slumped shoulders.

But then Jinseo called out again.

“Honey.”

“Yeah?”

“Just come home early.”

The light returned to Seunggyu’s hollow eyes.

‘Ah, Jinseo, you’re the only one for me,’ he thought, about to confess his love.

“Come home and clean the air conditioner before you leave again, so Yena doesn’t get too hot.”

‘Ah, Jinseo….’

You wouldn’t even budge when your husband complained about the heat, but now you’re turning on the air conditioner because your son’s friend is coming?

It was a sorrowful morning.

.*. *. *. *. *. *.

The commute on Monday is always dreadful, but once you get to work, the day flies by.

The magic of Monday occurred in Production Team 2.

Team leader Seong Miran and Deputy Manager Park Younggwang left for the editing room, leaving only the junior staff to hold down the fort.

As evening approached, Jeong-o suddenly felt down.

She was hungry, but she couldn’t bring herself to go out and eat alone, out of loyalty to her colleagues.

The two graphic designers were busy putting the finishing touches on the final version of a media advertisement. The client wanted it delivered late tonight, so it became the top priority.

Jeong-o glanced around and took a cookie out of her drawer. It was a cookie she had received from Jihun last week.

“Hmm, it’s not bad. Jeong Jihun was going to throw this delicious thing away….”

There was only one cookie, so she savored it slowly, chewing it carefully, when she heard a snicker from beside her.

“Come to think of it, Deputy Manager, you eat a lot, but you don’t gain weight,” Kihun said.

Jeong-o felt wronged. Did she really eat that much…?

Still, she chuckled and accepted Kihun’s comment.

“That’s what they call bad fuel efficiency. But I’ve been managing it lately. I gave birt…”

She was about to respond without thinking when she almost revealed her secret. Jeong-o quickly pressed her lips together.

Kihun even turned his head and asked Jeong-o what she was going to say next.

“Yes?”

“Kihun, are you busy? If you don’t have time for dinner, should I buy you a sandwich?”

“Oh, that would be great. Thank you.”

Jeong-o smoothly covered it up, and the innocent Kihun fell for it.

Finally, she could eat! Jeong-o cheered inwardly and asked Eunju as well.

“Deputy Manager Go, what would you like to eat?”

“I have plans. I’m going to finish work in two hours and meet a friend.”

“Then I’ll just buy something simple to eat.”

Jeong-o got up from her seat, happy. ‘I should call Dobin’s house on the way back,’ she thought.

She was curious if Yena had arrived safely at Dobin’s house and was having fun, and if everything was alright.

Just as she was walking lightly towards the elevator, a man stole away the beautiful smile from Jeong-o’s face.

“…Hello, Director.”

She had been wondering why she was in such a good mood today, and it was because she hadn’t run into Jihun.

It felt like a dark cloud had suddenly appeared during her pleasant evening.

The director is leaving work very early, while the employees are working overtime.

‘Well, it’s better than sitting next to the employees working overtime,’ she thought.

Jihun simply nodded at Jeong-o’s greeting and got on the elevator that had just arrived.

Just the two of them in the elevator.

“Aren’t you getting on?” Jihun asked Jeong-o, who was hesitating, holding the elevator that was about to descend.

She wanted to say she wasn’t getting on, but she couldn’t.

Jeong-o sighed bitterly and got on the elevator.

The doors closed, and she felt suffocated. In her mind, she prayed and prayed.

‘Please, someone get on. Get on.’

‘Please, someone get on. Get on. Get on.’

And then, miraculously, the doors opened on the 8th floor.

Jeong-o’s face lit up when she saw the person outside the doors.

It was Park Seunggyu, Deputy Manager, Jihun’s friend of 16 years!

If she eavesdropped on their conversation, she might be able to get some information about Jeong Jihun. It was a good opportunity.

But, for some reason, Seunggyu was hesitating to get on the elevator.

“Deputy Manager! Get on! Get on!”

However, Seunggyu nodded with a darkened face.

“I’ll take the next one. Go ahead.”

What a bolt from the blue.

Why is he doing that? Did they fight?

Are they still fighting at the age of thirty-three?

She couldn’t have imagined Jeong Jihun doing that seven years ago, but the current Jeong Jihun seemed like he might….

Still, it was surprising.

“Did you two fight?” Jeong-o couldn’t contain her curiosity and blurted it out.

“How could you? With someone as angelic as him,” she added sarcastically.

After deciding to be brazen as ‘someone who knows about Director Jeong Jihun’s scandal from seven years ago,’ Jeong-o became more confident in her speech.

Even with Jeong-o’s audacious question, Jihun only frowned and didn’t answer.

They did fight.

‘I need Deputy Manager Park Seunggyu too,’ she thought.

“I don’t think Deputy Manager Park Seunggyu is someone who would do anything wrong….”

Jihun glared at her.

‘It’s because of you,’ he thought.

He couldn’t bring himself to say that he had said things he shouldn’t have said because he was overwhelmed by her situation.

As Jihun repeatedly gave her the eye, Jeong-o couldn’t provoke him any further.

“It was too presumptuous of me to interfere. He reminds me of my father, so I keep worrying about him. I’m sorry.”

“Is that what daughters are like?”

“Yes?”

“Are daughters that fond of their fathers?”

She spoke carelessly, but he understood her perfectly.

Jeong-o’s play is likely to continue for a while.

“…Yes.”

“….”

“Daughters are that, that, that fond of their fathers.”

Jihun nodded silently.

She couldn’t tell if he was imagining the affectionate relationship between a father and daughter or thinking about his emotional fight with Seunggyu.

Jeong-o cautiously offered her audacious opinion again.

“Anyway, don’t you think you should reconcile? Deputy Manager Park Seunggyu cares a lot about you.”

Jihun raised his head and stared at her.

Since Deputy Manager Park Seunggyu was also essential to her, Jeong-o hoped that Jihun would get along well with his friend.

“Try visiting him, and try to have a conversation. Shouldn’t you do that? He’s a precious friend.”

It was a sincere piece of advice.

It was also a message to herself from seven years ago.

‘If I had persistently searched for you seven years ago, if I hadn’t given up, if I hadn’t been disappointed in you and had trusted you more….’

“You can’t cut off a cherished ribbon with scissors just because the knot is tied.”

If that had happened, wouldn’t we be living a different today than we are now?

“Shouldn’t you try to untangle it little by little?”

Her chest ached as she conveyed her opinion.

.*. *. *. *. *. *.

Jinseo couldn’t hide her satisfaction as she fed the children dinner and did the dishes. Her cheekbones were raised high.

Yena was so pretty and capable, and with Yena around, her son ate well and listened well.

She thought she wanted Yena to come every day.

“Look at this. The jelly is sparkling, like your eyes,” Dobin said. He took out a bag of jelly to give them after they finished eating, and her son was wooing his girlfriend like this.

Where did he learn such expressions? She was so proud of her son.

‘I had times like that too,’ she thought.

“But why isn’t this guy coming home yet when I told him to clean the air conditioner?”

In the midst of all this, she thought of her husband, and her grip on the dishes tightened.

Just as she finished washing the dishes, the doorbell rang.

“Who is it? I’m not expecting anyone….”

Jinseo looked at the video phone screen at the front door and was startled.

Standing outside the door was Jeong Jihun, her husband’s high-ranking superior, high school and college classmate, and junior [younger in rank/experience] in the military.

“Oh my, oh my, oh my, what’s going on? What should I do? What should I do?”

Jinseo wrung her hands and opened the front door.

“Oh my, Jihun, hello!”

She had been told to call him by his name comfortably, but since he was her husband’s high-ranking superior, she couldn’t help but be polite in body and mind.

“Hello. It’s been a while.”

“Yes, it has. Hehehe. It’s been a while. Come in.”

“Yes. Then I’ll intrude.”

Jihun entered the foyer and handed Jinseo a large basket he had brought.

“I bought some fruit.”

“Oh my, hehehe… You shouldn’t have. Thank you. I’ll enjoy it. …But what brings you here….”

“I came to see Seunggyu. Is he home? He left work early.”

She told him to leave because his son’s girlfriend was coming, and he must be sulking.

“He’s not home yet. He must be nearby. I’ll call him.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“Come inside quickly.”

Jihun hesitated and stepped inside the house.

Doyun toddled over. Dobin also came out of his room to join in.

“Mom, who’s here?”

“Dobin, say hello. Dad’s friend, Uncle Jihun, is here. You know him, right?”

“Hello.”

“Yes. Hello.”

Jihun acknowledged Dobin’s greeting and craned his neck over his shoulder. He knew that Seunggyu had two children, but now he saw that there were three: a boy and two girls.

As Jihun was wondering, Dobin explained first.

“I have a friend over too.”

“Dobin, you should say, ‘I have a friend over, too.'”

“I have a friend over, too.”

Jinseo added her explanation.

“My son’s friend is at our house.”

“Ah, a girl.”

“Did Dobin’s dad tell you?”

“Yes. He mentioned it once.”

He said his son was completely smitten? That he had fallen in love at first sight?

Come to think of it, the conflict with Seunggyu started with that remark.

Seunggyu’s expression wasn’t really wrong, but she had unnecessarily become defensive and said things she shouldn’t have said.

A girl with round eyes looked up at him.

The child was very cute and pretty at first glance.

No, Jihun stared a little longer.

It felt like the child standing a few steps away was poking the inside of his eyes, and Jihun closed his eyes tightly and opened them again.

Jihun stood still for a long time, staring at the small girl who was shrinking her shoulders as she gazed at him.

Feeling like he had unintentionally inflicted an emotion on the child, Jihun quietly stepped back. Nevertheless, he couldn’t take his eyes off her face.

Her fair and pretty face reminded him of someone.

‘Children are all pretty.’

He knew that, but for some reason, his eyes stung.