A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 30

30. Even If You Give Me Everything You Have

One day passed, then another, and another, and another.

Yena’s birthday passed, the weekend passed, and Monday arrived again.

Fortunately, the initial proposal sent to Dawon Liquor last Friday received a positive response. They requested that we prepare storyboards and product package mock-ups based on the initial proposal.

Jeong-oh, who had been suffering the previous day, was comforted by Miran. If Miran hadn’t consoled her so well on Friday, Jeong-oh might have really been tempted to run away from the company.

Jeong-oh’s laptop, which had been infected with a virus, was also returned. She had expected to receive it on Wednesday, but she got it on Monday. It seemed the employee had rushed the repair because of Jiheon’s special request.

“It seems like someone planted the virus, rather than it being a random occurrence,” the employee from the computer management office confided.

Jeong-oh had suspected something similar. It was strange that a computer she had received not long after joining the company, which should have been relatively clean, was infected with such a serious virus.

In any case, it was fortunate that she was able to fix the laptop safely, as it contained not only Dawon Liquor data but also materials for the competitive PT [presentation] preparation. The employee from the computer management office said it was a very difficult task and shook his head as if he didn’t want to experience it again.

Since the late-night work on Thursday, Jeong-oh hadn’t had a chance to face Jiheon. She came to the company even on the weekend, but she couldn’t see Jiheon.

She felt relieved because she hated him so much that she didn’t want to face him for the time being, but on the other hand, she hated him so much that she wanted to confront him and argue fiercely.

And yet, on the other hand, she was a little worried. Whether he was okay, whether there was a problem with his well-being.

While working late on Yena’s birthday, Jeong-oh muttered various curses inwardly because she hated him so much.

She wished that he would be sick for three days straight and starve, that he would starve for three days and barely be able to get up because he was hungry, but there wouldn’t be a drop of water in the house, that he wouldn’t have the strength to go buy water and would call his friends, but they would all be out having fun.

She put quite a bit of sincerity into the curse, so she thought that maybe the curse had worked properly.

But that didn’t seem to be the case. He came to work this morning looking perfectly fine and seemed to be working quite diligently.

Several people from the 1st division were called into Jiheon’s office and given different assignments. Some came out of the office feeling good, while others walked out looking like they had lost their souls.

One of them was Song Gi-hoon, an employee on Jeong-oh’s team.

“Assistant Manager, I want to die……” Gi-hoon sighed deeply, staring blankly at the paper he had received from the office.

“Why? Why? Why?”

“What on earth is this?” Gi-hoon handed Jeong-oh the paper he was holding.

“The director showed me how to do it like this… but I don’t know what it is.”

It seemed to be a promotional webtoon [online comic] for the home camera brand that Gi-hoon was in charge of.

‘What did this man do to the paper…?’

Jeong-oh’s brow furrowed as she looked closely at the drawing.

“What is this terrible drawing?”

“This isn’t just a terrible drawing. It’s a complete disaster.” Jeong-oh gave her honest opinion, and Gi-hoon lamented, revealing his true feelings.

Jeong-oh looked more closely at the bizarre drawing.

‘Jeong Jiheon, this man… Did you draw a dog or a bird?’

‘If you can’t draw, don’t draw. Why do you act up and make the employees suffer…’

‘I wondered why Yena kept drawing imaginary animals, but it was all in the genes.’ She felt even more angry as she seemed to foresee Yena’s art score in 10 years.

Team leader Seong Miran, who had come over to see what was going on, burst out laughing.

“Team leader, you shouldn’t laugh. I’m serious.”

“Ah, Gi-hoon. Sorry, sorry. The director seems to have insights, but his drawing skills are completely terrible.”

“So, should I draw a dog or a bird based on this?” Gi-hoon asked, and the laughing team members became quiet.

Jeong-oh, who had been thinking hard, stepped forward.

“Leave it to me.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ll just screw it up the same way.”

“……Screw it up?”

“An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. A dog-bird for a dog-bird.”

‘Just you wait, Jeong Jiheon.’ She wanted to seize the opportunity for revenge.

Jeong-oh, who had answered, looked at Miran. Miran sighed and nodded, indicating she would trust Jeong-oh.

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

Jiheon, who had received the weekly work report at the team leader meeting presided over by the head of the department after spending a boring weekend, called a few employees separately and gave them assignments.

Until a month ago, work and life were no fun, but after being assigned to Max Planning, he felt like he was having a little fun at work.

But the unpleasant feeling from Thursday night hadn’t improved.

After being stood up by the prickly Lee Jeong-oh, whom he had offered to take home because she was working late, Jiheon looked for a chance to talk to Jeong-oh again but failed.

He hadn’t even been able to give her what he had bought on Friday to give to Lee Jeong-oh.

Jeong-oh kept leaving her seat and was always with someone. The most annoying person among them was Song Gi-hoon.

After examining Gi-hoon’s work, Jiheon called Gi-hoon to his office separately and gave him work. He thought that the work itself would be so fun that they would want to take on each other’s work, although they would be busy, so Gi-hoon’s satisfaction would be high.

However, he had clearly given Gi-hoon the work, but when it was time to receive the report around dinner time, the members of Production Team 2, Lee Jeong-oh and Assistant Manager Go Eun-ju, came in, sticking closely behind Song Gi-hoon.

He was annoyed that Lee Jeong-oh was sticking close to Song Gi-hoon, but he was also satisfied that he could see her face like this.

“I gave the work to Song Gi-hoon?”

“Yes. We came together to explain because we were able to help Gi-hoon with the parts he was worried about,” Jeong-oh said cheerfully.

‘Was she trying to protect Song Gi-hoon in case he got scolded?’ Jiheon looked at the three people with suspicious eyes.

Assistant Manager Go Eun-ju placed a tablet PC on Jiheon’s desk.

The sight of the three people moving so closely together, like people in a three-legged race, was very funny.

“The director’s insights are very, very, very innovative, so we decided to use them as they are,” Jeong-oh began.

“What insights are you talking about?”

“This is it.” Jeong-oh pointed to the character on the screen.

Jiheon narrowed his brow and brought his eyes close to the screen, wondering what it was.

It was the puppy he had drawn for Gi-hoon in the morning. He copied and pasted the drawing and presented it as it was.

“Since it’s unclear whether the character is a dog or a bird, I’ll call it ‘Dog-Bird’ for now.”

Only then did he realize why the three of them had come together.

Lee Jeong-oh had brought two more team members to make fun of him.

While Jeong-oh was explaining the promotional webtoon, Assistant Manager Go Eun-ju’s face, which had only shown a stiff appearance, contorted several times. It was an expression of being unable to hold back the laughter that was about to burst out.

Song Gi-hoon was trembling at the corners of his lips. Jeong-oh’s explanation was so funny that he was about to die, but he seemed to be nervous because he was afraid of Jiheon’s reaction afterward.

Lee Jeong-oh was very nonchalant. She had such an angry face on Thursday, but now she had a variety of expressions as if she was possessed by a storyteller from the Joseon Dynasty [Korean kingdom from 1392-1897].

Jiheon knew he was being teased, but he was quite cheerful. He only looked at the shape of Jeong-oh’s mouth rather than the webtoon in front of him.

“The webtoon is good, but is Assistant Manager Lee Jeong-oh trying to play with me now?” After listening to the informative explanation, he asked with a cold smile. Since the other side had attacked first, he had nothing to say even if he threw a fastball at them [direct confrontation].

But Lee Jeong-oh was different. She asked in a voice that wasn’t intimidated at all.

“Huh……? What are you talking about, Director?” She was very nonchalant. Her expression of acting like a bewildered employee was excellent.

“I’m sure Lee Jeong-oh instigated them to bring the drawing I drew for Gi-hoon as it is. Assistant Manager Lee Jeong-oh.”

“To be honest, I had no choice. I really couldn’t tell whether it was a dog or a bird,” Jeong-oh continued very shamelessly.

“Please tell us, Director. Then I’ll fix it. Whether it’s a dog or a bird.”

“……”

“Whether you drew a dog or a bird.”

“……”

“Or is it just an imaginary animal?”

“Pooh.” Go Eun-ju couldn’t hold back her laughter and finally burst out.

“Dog,” Jiheon stared at Jeong-oh and answered.

“Ah, a dog. I understand. A dog.” Jeong-oh nodded greatly like someone who had gained a profound realization.

Jiheon turned his head and looked at Eun-ju.

“Assistant Manager Go Eun-ju, have you finished laughing?”

“Hmph. I’m sorry.”

“No. I should be sorry for drawing the picture wrong. But thanks to you, I had a very pleasant time.”

The three musketeers all had surprised expressions at the unexpected reaction.

Jiheon stood up from his seat with a strangely chilling soft smile.

“Song Gi-hoon, quickly fix the character and contact the writer, and Lee Jeong-oh, stay for a moment.”

The three musketeers were surprised once again.

Just before entering the office, Jeong-oh, Gi-hoon, and Eun-ju made an alliance: not to be left alone with Director Jeong Jiheon, to stay by each other’s side.

If Gi-hoon was called, Jeong-oh and Eun-ju would follow, and if Jeong-oh was called, Gi-hoon and Eun-ju would follow.

That’s what they promised, but as soon as they met Jeong Jiheon, this unfortunate event happened.

Gi-hoon and Eun-ju couldn’t move from their seats.

It was a difficult situation because Jiheon had specifically asked Jeong-oh to stay.

“But Assistant Manager……” Gi-hoon couldn’t finish his sentence and looked at Jiheon with difficulty.

Inevitably, Jeong-oh had to send the two of them away bravely.

“Go first. Assistant Manager Go, Gi-hoon.”

Jiheon, who watched the three people’s tearful farewell with blurred eyes, offered Jeong-oh a seat after Gi-hoon and Eun-ju left.

“Sit over there.” Jeong-oh sat down sullenly.

Jiheon didn’t sit directly across from her but turned around. And he brought a box placed next to the office desk.

Again, something was huge.

Jiheon opened the box in front of Jeong-oh.

‘What is all this…?’ Jeong-oh’s mouth slightly opened at the diverse composition inside the box.

A bundle of various beautifully packaged cookies and chocolates.

Jeong-oh’s brow furrowed as she became flustered.

“You said to call you if I was going to throw away food.” Jeong-oh recalled what she had said on the spur of the moment.

She had once told him to give it to her if he was going to throw away food in the future.

“……So, are you throwing this away now?”

“That’s what happened, so take it.”

Jeong-oh chuckled softly.

It was ridiculous that he was spreading out things he had obviously bought from somewhere and explaining that he was ‘throwing them away.’

‘Was he perhaps apologizing in this way? Did he have some regret towards her?’

She looked at him across the silence that had spread with the cookies.

She couldn’t read a sorry expression on his face.

Just… it was an arrogant look as if saying, ‘I’ll give you this, so cheer up.’

Jeong-oh retorted sharply.

“No, thank you. I’ve changed my mind. You were going to throw it away anyway, so just throw it away.”

“Then Assistant Manager Lee should throw it away. I did as Assistant Manager Lee asked.”

“I don’t want to do that either. Then I’ll get up now.” Jeong-oh stood up straight away.

Jiheon sat with his arms crossed and looked at Jeong-oh.

‘This woman, she’s still sulking.’ He had recognized her long-lasting temper.

“Were you so dissatisfied with being made to work late once?”

“Of course.”

“Everyone works that much overtime.”

“I asked you, didn’t I? Very desperately, that I had to go home that day. That if it was absolutely impossible, I would come back in two hours.” Jeong-oh felt like she had returned to that desperate time.

She felt wronged again, and tears welled up slightly in her eyes.

“So, what kind of family matter was it? I need to know that to understand Assistant Manager Lee’s feelings.”

‘It was your daughter’s birthday!’ She couldn’t shout it out, so her stomach felt as stuffy as if she had swallowed a stone.

“If I tell you that, you’ll arbitrarily judge the importance of the family matter. Even if it’s a very important matter to me, you might think it’s not.”

Jiheon also stood up from his seat at her bold retort.

The distance between him and her was getting closer and closer. Jeong-oh flinched, but she didn’t step back.

“If you’re feeling uncomfortable about what’s been going on, you should apologize directly instead of launching a cookie offensive.”

“What should I apologize for?”

‘Was it a mistake to bring up the word apology? He seemed to know nothing.’

But now that she had brought it up, she couldn’t take it back. Jeong-oh honestly told him about the things that had disappointed her.

“For pretending to be my dad in front of the convenience store the week before last, and for making me work late next to you last Thursday.”

“The week before last, you were wrong to be fooled. Last Thursday, I did what I had to do as a superior. The overtime pay was already agreed upon when signing the annual salary contract. Why should I apologize for that?”

“Because I was fooled, and because I was desperately asking, but I was completely ignored. Because I had to feel emotions I shouldn’t have felt because of you.”

‘Someday I might regret these words, but I have to say what I have to say. Because I am dignified.’

“How can you imitate my dead dad? You shouldn’t do that even as a joke. And as for overtime, I usually do it too. It’s my responsibility, so I should stay up all night to fix it. But at that time, I desperately asked you. It was something I could do enough at home, and I asked you because you could receive it by email. I also said that if it was absolutely impossible, I would come back in two hours.”

Of course, he was just doing his job as the head of the department. It’s not that she doesn’t know that.

However, he didn’t make any effort to understand the employee’s situation. He could have thought about alternatives together, but he only forced the answer he came up with.

‘That won’t do.’

“And, if you keep watching over them like that while they’re working, the employees’ efficiency will drop. I think I could have finished the work much faster last Thursday if you hadn’t been there.”

“……”

“So, if you apologize, I’ll accept it.”

“What if I can’t?” He retorted shamelessly and coldly.

His expression was also unwavering.

Jeong-oh’s lips let out a hollow laugh at his noble pride.

“If you can’t, you don’t have to, I guess.”

Jeong-oh also ended up giving up.

She might not have known before being reminded, but if he can’t do it even after being directly told what to apologize for, she has no choice but to give up too.

The person named Jeong Jiheon.

“You might regret it a little someday, but it doesn’t seem like it will particularly affect you if you don’t apologize now.”

‘It’s easier for me if I give up.’ She felt a little relieved.

Jeong-oh, who had bravely taken a step closer to Jiheon, said in a low voice.

“Do you think what you have is very great?”

“……”

“I wouldn’t trade my everything for everything you have.”

‘My everything.’ Thinking of Yena and her family, the tip of her nose tingled.

‘I decided to keep working at this company because of you, so if I give up on you, I don’t need to be here either.

If you’re that kind of person, I can’t show you Yena. I can’t let Yena meet you and hurt her. I want my daughter’s world to be warm.’

“I’ll quit, I guess.”

His eyes widened for a moment at her declaration.

“I’m going to quit everything. This damn company.”

“……”

“The moment I open this door and leave, it’s over. Do you understand?”

Jeong-oh, who had boldly spoken and stepped back one step at a time, grabbed the doorknob.

The door opened.

At that moment.

Jiheon, who had taken a big step, urgently covered her hand with his hand.

The door closed again.

Jeong-oh’s shoulder was trapped against his chest. His embrace was boiling hot.

He was looking down at her with eyes burning fiercely.