A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 18

Fringes framed her forehead, highlighting her fair skin, round eyes, and plump lips that moved constantly as she spoke.

She was such a lovely child, easily mistaken for a doll.

The girl held up the doll that Dobin’s younger brother, Doyun, had been playing with and said to Dobin,

“Pretty.”

“You’re prettier.”

“I know.”

Kids these days are something else.

Jiheon held his breath, trying not to disturb them.

He was beginning to understand Seunggyu’s feelings a little better. He felt like he could understand Dobin’s feelings too.

For some reason, his eyes kept drifting back to the girl.

He couldn’t quite place it, but she vaguely resembled the face that had been on his mind for the past few days.

*Is that what it takes to fall in love at first sight?*

*Or does Lee Jung-oh just have a face that makes it easy to fall in love at first sight?*

*Or is it just that if someone is pretty, he automatically thinks they look like Lee Jung-oh?*

When he stared at her, the girl looked back at Jiheon.

Jiheon thought it would be rude to stare at the child, so he turned his head.

Jinseo was flustered, repeatedly pressing the call button on her phone.

“Hello? Honey, where are you?”

It seemed she had finally connected after several attempts.

“You said you were leaving work early, so why are you still there? Jiheon is here at the house right now.”

Holding the phone, Jinseo quickly headed into the master bedroom.

“I’m talking about Jung Jiheon, Director Jung Jiheon!”

Jinseo’s voice was clearly audible even from the master bedroom. Jiheon couldn’t help but notice how Jinseo’s tone became sharper with each pause.

*I should probably head to the parking lot.*

Jiheon, who had come all the way into the living room, turned back. As he reached the front door, Dobin stopped him.

“Uncle, do you know how to play Go [a strategic board game for two players]?”

“Uh… just a little…”

“Uncle, play Go with me.”

Before Jiheon could even answer properly, Dobin grabbed Jiheon’s hand and pulled him along. Jiheon was dragged along without a chance to resist.

Holding Jiheon’s hand tightly, Dobin led him to the Go board and slyly said to Jiheon when Yena wasn’t looking.

“I’d like it if you could let me win, Uncle.”

*The desire of a man to look cool in front of his girlfriend.*

Jiheon, who had been about to leave, was in a difficult position but had no choice. He was in a position where he had to score points with his friend’s son.

“Do you even know how to play Go?”

“Yes. I learned at the academy.”

Dobin answered confidently, carrying the Go board and Go stone containers.

The Go board was placed on the living room table.

“Yena, look. I’ll show you how I play Go.”

Yena approached with curious eyes.

The two boys sat facing each other across the table. Yena sat next to Dobin.

“Uncle, you go first.”

Dobin said nervously, signaling with his eyes. Jiheon looked up from the Go board at Dobin.

“No, black goes first.”

Yena, who had been watching, interjected.

“Ah, I know that.”

At Yena’s words, Dobin placed a black stone on the board.

Jiheon placed a white stone next to it.

Then, Dobin’s second move was a little strange. Only then did Jiheon smile slightly.

He said he knew how to play Go. It seemed he really only knew how to place the stones on the Go board.

*No matter how he played, the children wouldn’t know, so he could just play something similar to Gomoku [a five-in-a-row game] and tell him he won.*

But before long, Jiheon found himself in an unexpected situation.

“No, no. You have to put it here. If you put it there, you can’t block the liberties [the number of open points adjacent to a stone or group of stones].”

The frustrated girl began to actively coach Dobin from the side.

*That wasn’t what Dobin had in mind….*

“Hey, look. You put it right here. Then the mister will put it here. Then you put it here.”

The girl could read the moves quite accurately.

…*Can a seven-year-old really do this? Or is she not seven years old?*

Jiheon was also quite taken aback. His moves, which he had made carelessly because he had underestimated the children, had become blunders.

“Then if I put this here?”

Jiheon asked the child, placing a white stone in an unexpected spot. The child pondered for a moment before placing a stone in a slightly distant spot.

Several moves later, it was a spot that Jiheon had no choice but to attack.

The child was more than just smart; she was remarkable. She seemed to be a prodigy.

The game soon became between Yena and Jiheon.

Before he knew it, Jiheon had forgotten about waiting for his friend and was focused on the Go game.

When he played Go with his father, there were many restrictions.

His father used Go as a tool to suppress emotions. He also told him not to let his expression give away his moves.

So he was always nervous when playing Go….

But now, he found it amusing to watch the child’s expressions.

The child’s expression subtly changed as she pondered her moves. A child who didn’t get nervous in front of adults and focused solely on the Go game.

A young child who was fully enjoying the refreshing fun that he hadn’t been able to enjoy when he was young.

Facing such a pure child, he also enjoyed Go for the first time in a long time.

Jiheon began to consider the outcome of the Go game for the first time.

Should he lose by a narrow margin, or should he win by a narrow margin?

If he followed Dobin’s request, it would be good to let him lose, but somehow, he felt that winning might also help this child’s growth.

As he was thinking about what to do, Jinseo approached and said in an excited voice.

“Our Yena is really good, isn’t she! I’m so proud and love her to death.”

Jinseo’s eyes shone with admiration.

The corners of Jiheon’s lips also lifted slightly.

“Mommy, potty.”

In the meantime, four-year-old Doyun grabbed Jinseo’s leg and said.

After Jinseo and Doyun left, Jiheon spoke to Yena in the quiet.

“Your name is Yena?”

“Yes.”

“Who taught you Go?”

“The teacher.”

“Not your dad, but the teacher?”

“…I don’t have a dad.”

Yena hesitated for a moment before answering expressionlessly. Jiheon flinched. He had made a slip of the tongue. He felt a cold sweat running down his back.

Dobin asked Yena cheerfully.

“Then, should I give you my dad?”

“No. It’s okay.”

Ahem, ahem, while the children were having a cool conversation, Jiheon cleared his throat a few times.

Just in time, his savior Seunggyu arrived.

Seunggyu still looked sulky, as if his anger hadn’t subsided.

“…What brings you here?”

“I came to see you,” Jiheon replied, getting up from his seat. He excused himself to the children as well.

“I have to stop now. You two play together.”

He wanted to leave quickly because he was embarrassed, but Yena looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

“When will you come again, mister?”

“Why?”

“Because it’s fun.”

It seemed she had already forgotten about the dad story. Her expression was so serious that Jiheon couldn’t answer for a long time.

“If you come again next Monday, can I see you?”

“I have work then.”

“What about the Monday after that?”

“I have work then too.”

“Then what about the Monday after that?”

If he kept refusing, it seemed like tears would eventually fall from those round eyes.

“Let’s play again. Go.”

The child pleaded, and Dobin and Seunggyu waited for Jiheon’s answer.

“Okay.”

And so, Jiheon made a reckless promise.

*Monday in three weeks. The child will probably forget about it soon.*

Jiheon and Seunggyu went outside right away.

“I can’t stay long. My wife told me to clean the air conditioner.”

Seunggyu said sullenly, looking at Jiheon, who had come to see him first and said he had come to see him, then pressed his lips tightly.

It wasn’t that he still hated Jiheon that he said that. It was because he thought Jiheon would never open his mouth if he didn’t push him.

Seunggyu still cherished Jiheon. Even if their relationship had been more severely damaged, he wouldn’t be able to hate Jiheon.

Seunggyu was always sorry for Jiheon.

‘He was okay seven years ago.’

There was a time after his discharge from the military seven years ago when his eyes sparkled. He thought that he had finally come to his senses, but that thought didn’t last long.

Due to the accident seven years ago, his precious friend regressed again.

Some people say that he’s all better, that he’s fine now, but Seunggyu thought differently.

Seven years ago. That winter, which was so terrible for his friend, still seemed to be not over.

On the outside, he looks cool and fine, but something inside him is severely twisted.

He wanted to fix it, but Seunggyu didn’t know how.

Just listening to his story.

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

“For talking to you harshly.”

“Do you really think I’m on your mother’s side?”

“No. I don’t.”

“Hmph.”

“I really mean it.”

“Okay. That would be too upsetting!”

Seunggyu flared his nostrils and revealed his feelings.

“If I were on your mother’s side, I would have told her about you and Section Chief Chae Eunbi a long time ago.”

When Seunggyu brought out the resentment that was deeply buried in his heart, Jiheon nodded slowly as if he had finally realized it.

“Does it seem like emotions have to be all or nothing to be certain? No. Even just a part can be enough to be broken and painful. Like how Doyun cries his eyes out when he breaks just a tiny bit of his fingernail.”

“……”

“You’re a part of my life. Not the whole thing, but a definite part.”

Now Seunggyu was almost crying. From Thursday evening when the conflict broke out until an hour ago, Seunggyu had been heartbroken and depressed. It was because his friend was so precious to him.

“You are. So I hope you’re truly happy.”

*I hope your winter ends.*

The corners of Jiheon’s lips quietly stretched out as he listened silently.

“Thank you for coming. I’m sorry for talking harshly too.”

In fact, just the fact that Jiheon had come to see him first was enough for Seunggyu to erase all his hurt feelings.

“But how did you think of coming all the way to my house?”

“……”

“Because I’m precious to you?”

“Yeah.”

Jiheon just laughed.

He couldn’t bring himself to say that it was because of the advice of someone he met in the elevator. His friend would make fun of him for sure.

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

After finishing his overtime work, Jung-oh hurried home.

Yena, Jinseo, and Dobin were standing in front of the house.

Yena called out to Jung-oh loudly and ran to hug Jung-oh’s waist.

“Mommy!”

Dobin also greeted her warmly.

“Hello, Auntie!”

She was relieved that everyone looked cheerful, but Jung-oh couldn’t shake off her apologetic feelings.

“I could have picked her up. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. Yena had a good time today. She ate all her food too. Since Yena came, our kids have all been listening well.”

Jinseo, who had been continuing to speak with a satisfied expression, paused and carefully changed her expression.

“Oh, and there’s something I need to tell you. My husband’s friend from work came to the house and stayed for a little while. He came and left quickly, but….”

Jinseo was carefully watching Jung-oh’s reaction, but Jung-oh didn’t mind much.

“I know you must be worried already, and then suddenly a guest came, I’m sorry.”

*She has that much flexibility.* Jung-oh was grateful to Jinseo for telling her in advance so that she wouldn’t have any other misunderstandings.

“No, it’s okay. Thank you for having two teams of guests. You must have been tired.”

“It wasn’t tiring. Thank you for understanding.”

“I’m the one who’s grateful for taking care of Yena. Thank you for contacting me first today and sending me pictures.”

Jung-oh thanked her repeatedly. It seemed like she had made a good connection thanks to Yena.

On the way home, holding hands together, Yena was constantly beaming with a happy expression.

Jung-oh asked affectionately.

“Was it that fun?”

“Yeah.”

“What was fun?”

“It’s a secret.”

“A secret from Mommy?”

“Mommy, I’m going to go again in three weeks. On Monday.”

Without answering the question, the sassy daughter confidently announced.

“Can I go to Dobin’s house again?”

Decision first, permission later.

Jung-oh chuckled, feeling like she was seeing Jung Jiheon from seven years ago.