A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 53

53. If Our Lives Had a Camera

It was Monday morning. Eun-bi greeted Team Leader Seong Mi-ran, who was back at work after a long absence, with enthusiasm.

“Team Leader, are you feeling better? I was so worried.”

“Yes. Thank you for your concern. I’m all better now.”

“Because of your surgery, Deputy Lee Jeong-o got all the credit for what you’ve been working on.”

“No, it’s a relief, actually. Deputy Lee Jeong-o did the presentation too.”

“But the filming is different. It’s not just domestic filming, it’s overseas. The clients are going too, and his rank is too low. You must be very worried.”

As Eun-bi continued to talk to Mi-ran, Deputy Go Eun-ju interjected.

“That’s why Director Jeong Ji-heon joined yesterday.”

Eun-bi’s eyes widened at the shocking news.

“Section Chief Chae didn’t hear that Director Jeong was going on a business trip abroad? Oh, I guess you wouldn’t have.”

Go Eun-ju glanced at Eun-bi’s expression and twisted her lips.

A spasm ran through the muscles in Eun-bi’s lips.

‘Ji-heon went on a business trip abroad? Following Lee Jeong-o?’

The fact that Eun-bi and Ji-heon had broken up had spread widely in the company, and her colleagues were reluctant to talk about Ji-heon in front of Eun-bi.

Eun-bi also had little contact with Ji-heon, so she didn’t know what he was doing. That’s why she heard about his business trip abroad so late.

“It’s a relief that Director Jeong went. The clients will be relieved too.”

Eun-bi gave a strange reaction, neither laughing nor angry, and left them.

Go Eun-ju snorted as she watched Eun-bi’s back, and Mi-ran grabbed Eun-ju’s arm, looking embarrassed.

“Hey, it hasn’t been long since they broke up. You’re being too harsh.”

“Team Leader.”

But there is no such thing as remorse in the princess’s dictionary [referring to Go Eun-ju’s entitled attitude].

“I’m either a knife or not [meaning she’s all in or not at all].”

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

Eun-yeop, who had come to work, received a call from Eun-bi. Eun-bi immediately started to get angry.

[Oppa, are you even trying to figure out how to separate Lee Jeong-o and Jeong Ji-heon?]

Eun-yeop frowned at Eun-bi’s irritation. He didn’t like the way his sister was talking back to him.

[Jeong Ji-heon followed Lee Jeong-o on a business trip abroad! And you’re just standing by?]

Eun-yeop didn’t know that Jeong Ji-heon had gone on a business trip with Lee Jeong-o.

Before Eun-yeop could say anything, Eun-bi continued.

[She’s a mother! A single mother! And she’s hitting on Ji-heon oppa right now!]

Now Eun-bi was yelling.

Eun-yeop also knew this fact. He had been investigating Lee Jeong-o.

Lee Jeong-o. 30 years old. Copywriter. A single mother with a young daughter.

The child was seven years old. Jeong Ji-heon lost his memory seven years ago.

That fact made Eun-yeop uneasy. Eun-yeop thought that Lee Ye-na might be Jeong Ji-heon’s biological daughter.

If so, does Jeong Ji-heon already know this?

It was hard to guess because he was such an inscrutable guy.

What if he doesn’t know the truth yet?

Even so, if it’s the truth, he’ll find out soon.

“Chae Eun-bi, don’t be nosy. Got it?”

Eun-yeop warned, knowing Eun-bi’s impulsive personality.

“Just stay still.”

Eun-yeop gave a stern warning and hung up the phone.

A business trip abroad together. It was a headache.

The closer they get, the faster Jeong Ji-heon will reach the truth.

‘Then what can I do?’

He thought of several things.

Creating distrust between Jeong Ji-heon and Lee Jeong-o.

Putting a dent in Jeong Ji-heon and Lee Jeong-o’s past.

Scaring Lee Jeong-o. Scaring Lee Jeong-o’s family.

Making Jeong Ji-heon’s family kick out Lee Jeong-o and take away only the child.

Getting rid of the child, or getting rid of Lee Jeong-o.

He decided that several things should happen at the same time, without prioritizing them.

In the end, he had to make Jeong Ji-heon choose Jang Young-mi instead of Lee Jeong-o.

How much does Madam Jang know about Lee Jeong-o? Does she even know that Lee Jeong-o has a child?

He needed to find out right away.

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

Filming in downtown Melbourne.

They had sought cooperation in advance and obtained permission from the city hall, but unexpected problems always arise on site.

A traffic accident occurred in front of Flinders Street Station, a famous landmark in Melbourne. It was around the time the filming crew arrived on site and was setting up equipment.

There were no casualties, but it took quite a while to clear the scene, and the filming crew had to wait endlessly.

Jeong-o asked the police officers who were dispatched to the scene when the scene would be cleared and asked for their cooperation. At first, the police officers were annoyed by the filming crew and Jeong-o, but they showed interest after hearing Jeong-o’s Australian English pronunciation.

Ji-heon, who arrived late at the scene after having lunch with the clients, quietly watched Jeong-o rolling up her sleeves and walking around.

Yesterday afternoon, Ji-heon visited the restaurant ‘The Crown’ again. To look at the photos on the wall and talk to the owner more. But he couldn’t find any other clues about his traces in the restaurant.

Seven years was such a long time. Ji-heon left a message with the restaurant owner asking him to contact him if he found out anything about the woman who took a picture with him.

Since he couldn’t know the past, his worries shifted back to the present. Lee Jeong-o’s cold attitude kept coming to mind. In the meantime, he met her in front of the crosswalk. Again, she tried to run away as soon as she found him.

Almost within reach, but not quite, able to be caught, but not quite. She was always like that.

He wanted to get angry and ask her for various reasons, but when he had her in front of him, he couldn’t overcome the plea to please look at me. With that in mind, he handed over the room key.

But last night, she didn’t come.

Filming ended at 11 o’clock, and he knew she had entered the room after that. But she didn’t even contact him or show any sign.

After a night of waiting, he felt a little annoyed when he saw her appear on the set in the morning with a face as bright as the sunlight.

Because it felt like I was nothing.

Because it felt like I was of no value to her.

Even now, he wanted to chase after her and ask her why she didn’t come last night, but Ji-heon suppressed his impulse.

Will she come today?

What if she doesn’t come again today?

Should I accept the result and give up?

It was a matter of course, but it was not easy to accept.

Familiar with the language and geography of this place, she blended in well with all the backgrounds. It was like looking at the dazzling scenery outside the window. Scenery that could never be mine.

Nevertheless, the fact that he had once stayed in this place where she had spent her student days long ago gave him some comfort.

Lee Jeong-o. If our lives had a camera, maybe.

Maybe there was a moment when we were in the same frame.

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

Baduk Academy [Baduk is a Korean board game similar to Go].

Ye-na, who always had sparkling eyes in front of the baduk board, was sitting with a dispirited look for some reason.

“Ye-na. Do you want to come to my house today? My mom is making bread.”

Do-bin said to such Ye-na.

Ye-na, who flinched her shoulders once at the word ‘mom,’ answered sullenly.

“No.”

“Why?”

Ye-na’s lips pouted. Her face was almost crying now.

“…Mom went on a business trip and isn’t coming. She didn’t even answer the phone today.”

“That’s because she’s busy. My dad doesn’t answer the phone when he goes on a business trip either.”

Do-bin defended Jeong-o to comfort Ye-na, but Ye-na’s voice grew louder.

“But she should call in the morning! I have to say hello before I go to daycare!”

She had never been separated from her mom for this long.

There were times when she couldn’t see her mom’s face and fell asleep because of overtime work, but her mom was always by her side in the morning.

Even when she went to Gunsan [a city in South Korea] with her grandmother and her grandmother’s friends, she would meet her mom again after one night. When Ye-na cried because she missed her, her mom would run all the way to Gunsan the next morning.

But now, her mom was so far away.

“I’m scared that Mom won’t come.”

Eventually, Ye-na burst into tears.

There were times when what she desperately wanted didn’t come true.

“Oh, why is our Ye-na crying.”

The teacher ran over and hugged Ye-na tightly. But Ye-na didn’t stop crying.

Just then, Do-bin’s mom, Jin-seo, entered the academy.

“Mom!”

Do-bin, who ran to Jin-seo, grabbed Jin-seo’s sleeve as if in a hurry.

“Mom, Ye-na is crying. Come quickly!”

Do-bin asked Jin-seo for help with a very serious expression. Jin-seo was also surprised to see Ye-na crying.

“Ye-na, what’s wrong?”

“Mom went on a business trip to Australia, but she didn’t call Ye-na this morning.”

Ye-na answered, sobbing.

“Is that so? Maybe Mom was too busy to call. Should I call her now?”

Ye-na nodded her head greatly at Jin-seo’s solution.

Jin-seo immediately called Jeong-o. Hoping that Jeong-o would have time to answer the phone.

The long ringing tone stopped with a click.

Ye-na took the cell phone that Jin-seo handed her.

Jeong-o’s voice was heard from the other side of the receiver.

[Yes! Do-bin’s mother!]

“Mommy!”

Ye-na’s crying grew louder. Jeong-o, who recognized Ye-na’s voice, was surprised and asked what was wrong.

[Ye-na! What’s wrong!]

“Why didn’t you call me? Ye-na was worried.”

Ye-na held onto the cell phone and cried sadly.

It took a long time for Ye-na to stop crying. Even after she stopped crying and hung up the phone, she couldn’t open her mouth as if she was missing something.

In the car moving to Guksun’s restaurant, Do-bin said as if to comfort Ye-na’s heart.

“Ye-na. I’m going to go to baduk academy with you forever, for the rest of my life.”

“……”

“I’ll always be by your side.”

Driving seat. Jin-seo laughed silently at the shy confession of the cute pure love.

It seemed like her son had forgotten about his mom because he was looking at his first love, but Jin-seo was proud that she had contributed to her son’s love.

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

Jeong-o barely managed to soothe Ye-na, and called Jin-seo again to apologize for causing concern and to thank her.

In the morning, she was preparing for filming and couldn’t call Guksun. After that, Guksun called, but she didn’t have time to answer. She thought she would call when it was time for Ye-na to come home, but it seemed that the wait was painful for the child.

Unexpected things make my heart flutter. The same was true of what happened last night.

Jeong-o turned her head as if looking around the filming site and looked at Ji-heon. Ji-heon was standing in the back talking to the clients. Their eyes met for a moment, but he quickly turned his eyes to the clients as if ignoring her.

Seeing that attitude, it sometimes feels like what happened yesterday was a lie. The card key he held tightly in his hand was still in his coat pocket.

After receiving Ye-na’s call, she became more impatient.

I have to reach you quickly.

Because our child keeps growing.

I have to make him realize what he missed quickly.

But the fear that my child will be taken away if I move rashly makes me hesitate everything.

‘If I could secretly look at that person’s cell phone……’

I know it’s a bad thing, but the fastest way for Jeong-o to find out about Jeong Ji-heon’s mother was that.

But to secretly look at his cell phone, I have to get that close to him.

It wasn’t easy to make a decision with that thought.

The will to move towards the goal and the guilt of deceiving him again continued to fight within her.

“Thanks to Deputy Lee, we finished filming well. It looks like we don’t have to work hard until dawn. Everything will be cleaned up around 10 p.m. We can take the plane leisurely tomorrow.”

Section Chief Park Young-gwang announced the schedule. From 10 p.m. to dawn tomorrow was free time. It’s not a very leisurely time because we have to leave on a morning flight.

That time.

What should I do?

While she was worrying, the sun hanging between the buildings dyed the city red and then said goodbye.

The last night in Melbourne. Before she knew it, the model finished the last filming and said goodbye to the clients. Ji-heon was nowhere to be seen, whether he had left with the clients.

Jeong-o also finished cleaning up the filming site and returned to the hotel. Jeong-o, who only brought her luggage to her room, hesitated several times in the hotel lobby after coming out again.

It would be difficult to return the card key that Ji-heon gave her, so should she leave it at the desk?

While wandering around the lobby, the client called her.

“Deputy Lee, you were here. Are you waiting for someone?”

“Oh, no. I just… I just went around the city for a while.”

Jeong-o, who was embarrassed, barely made an excuse, and the client nodded and said hello.

“Yes. Then rest. Thank you for your hard work.”

Jeong-o also greeted the client politely. After the client left, Jeong-o sighed deeply.

In the end, she couldn’t hand over the card key to the desk and returned to her room.

She washed in the bathroom, dried her hair, and changed her clothes.

Jeong-o reflected her appearance in the mirror.

Lee Jeong-o, who was twenty-three years old and youthful, is now thirty.

I may have been negligent in decorating myself because I was taking care of my child and living hard. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was as pretty as I was when I was twenty-three.

Nevertheless, if he wants me, does that person think I’m still pretty?

At that thought, her heart fluttered again as it did back then.

She left the room with only one card key.

He was on the 5th floor. She was on the 4th floor. She was worried that she might run into other colleagues or clients while going to him.

She moved her steps anxiously and reached in front of his door.

If I open this door, something will change.

Should I ring the doorbell?

I wanted to, but I was worried that the sound would be too loud.

Is that why he gave me the card key? To open it and come in on my own.

‘But it can’t be.’

He may be talking to the clients in the room.

If I open the door with the card key and go in, I may be in a very difficult situation.

Yes. Let’s knock on the door.

And if there’s no sign, if he’s not in the room, let’s leave the card key at the desk and go back to the room.

Jeong-o put strength into her body and mind and knocked on the door.

Knock knock.

The sound wasn’t as loud as the firm spirit. It was a very timid tap.

But the door opened.

Was I waiting for this moment?

“Director……”

Before she could call him.

Jeong-o was dragged inside as if caught by his outstretched hand.