A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 83

The air inside the conference room felt warm and still, a stark contrast to the turmoil outside.

Jiheon’s large hand offered a comforting reassurance, and Jeongo momentarily indulged in the desire to be embraced. However, she quickly pulled away, mindful of potential interruptions. “Someone might come in.”

Jiheon, understanding her apprehension, didn’t press the issue. Yet, he found himself reluctant to leave the conference room. He longed to prolong their conversation. “Is it true I was good at cooking seven years ago?”

As Jiheon opened the door to the topic, Jeongo responded with enthusiasm. “Yes! Very, very much! My studio apartment kitchen was all yours. You were in charge of cooking.”

Then, tilting her head, she inquired, “You haven’t cooked at all in seven years?”

“Yeah. Because I didn’t even know I had [the ability or memory of cooking].”

She hadn’t taken his earlier boasts about cooking as a hobby seriously, but his nonchalant reply struck a chord of pity within her.

She wanted to offer him a glimmer of hope—the possibility that buried within his subconscious lay dormant memories waiting to be awakened.

“Oppa [an affectionate Korean term for ‘older brother’ used by a female], do you want to see this?”

Jeongo retrieved her phone and opened her photo album, navigating to a picture she had saved separately while organizing Yena’s photos.

Jiheon moved closer, peering at the screen. The photo depicted a small, cozy room that evoked a strange sense of familiarity. It bore a striking resemblance to the end room of the apartment he had decorated.

“It’s my old room. My studio apartment that you used to visit often.”

“Ah…”

Jiheon exhaled softly.

Like pieces of a puzzle falling into place, scattered fragments of memory began to coalesce. A dull ache resonated in his head and heart.

So, was that the reason he felt so at ease in that room? Because it was Lee Jeongo’s house?

“You said you liked my studio apartment more than your own house, and the reason was…”

Jeongo voiced the question that had been swirling in Jiheon’s mind, then abruptly stopped herself. Jiheon raised his eyebrows, prompting her. “What’s the reason?”

“There’s a reason.”

“What is it? Why are you stopping mid-sentence?”

“Try to remember it yourself.”

“I don’t want to. Just tell me.”

“Try to remember. It’ll come back to you.”

*Lee Jeongo. Aren’t you being a little harsh?*

Jiheon, craving affection, frowned deeply. He leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes, and stroked his forehead.

“Ah. Suddenly, I have a headache… It feels like it’s going to split open.”

“Ah, does it hurt?”

“It seems hard to remember.”

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s because when you’re in the studio apartment, you can see where I am and what I’m doing, so you said you liked my studio apartment.”

Jeongo, startled by his exaggerated display, confessed immediately.

Her heart ached at the sight of his apparent distress, but Jiheon quickly perked up. He straightened from his reclined position and stretched his lips into a wide grin.

“I see. That’s so like Jeong Jiheon.”

“What? Were you lying just now?”

“You should have realized that much.”

“Wow, Jeong Jiheon, really!”

As Jeongo’s voice rose in indignation, Jiheon swiftly brought his index finger to his lips, silencing her with a “Shh.” Jeongo reluctantly suppressed her resentment.

Before she could fully express her annoyance, she found herself listening to Jiheon’s lament. “Why did I forget the most precious thing?”

“…”

“I should have never forgotten that, even if I forgot everything else.”

“We haven’t known each other for that long.”

His gaze, heavy with emotion, penetrated Jeongo’s eyes. The man who had been irritating just moments before was now tugging at her heartstrings once more.

“Still, it will gradually come back to you. I believe it.”

In the end, she found herself offering him comfort yet again.

* * * * * * *

Jiheon left the conference room and headed toward the elevator. In the hallway, he spotted Deputy Manager Park Younggwang approaching the same elevator.

“Oh… Director.”

Younggwang, noticing Jiheon, flinched and bowed his head. He felt as though he were walking on eggshells. Being alone with the director was always awkward, but it was even more so after witnessing a scene he shouldn’t have seen.

Jiheon addressed Younggwang, who could only swallow nervously. “The Tuesday filming is proceeding as planned, right?”

“Yes. If there are no further complications, it’s definitely possible.”

“Thanks to the hard work of Production Team 2, we’ve been able to maintain the schedule. I’m looking forward to the filming.”

“Yes. We’ll make sure to do a good job.”

“I respect you a lot, Deputy Manager.”

Younggwang, who had been avoiding eye contact, slowly raised his head. He wondered why he was suddenly being told he was respected, especially when they were discussing filming logistics.

Jiheon’s face was stiff and expressionless, belying the words of respect he had just uttered.

Cold sweat began to form on Younggwang’s forehead.

“No, why are you respecting me, Director…?”

“Because you get along well with your colleagues and consistently deliver excellent results. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

Jiheon’s eyes held a fierce intensity, as if the intimate scene Younggwang had inadvertently witnessed was nothing more than a figment of his imagination.

*This is… a message to keep my mouth shut to my colleagues and work hard, right?*

Pressure disguised as respect. The quick-witted Younggwang swiftly grasped Jiheon’s underlying message.

“Yes. I will work hard.”

Younggwang replied, barely able to breathe properly.

* * * * * * *

After working late and returning home, Jiheon plugged the USB drive Jeongo had given him into his PC once more. This time, it appeared that all of Yena’s photos had been successfully saved.

He began meticulously examining each photo as if reading a book, realizing it would be impossible to view them all in a single night. Yet, Jiheon showed himself no mercy, repeatedly saying, “Just one more, just one more,” until he had checked every last one.

And then, morning arrived.

“Gasp!”

Jiheon had overslept for the first time in ages. In fact, he couldn’t even claim to have slept properly.

It was past 5 a.m. when he finally decided he would ruin Monday if he continued. He closed his eyes, but fearing he would struggle to wake up on time if he lay down, he leaned back in his chair and drifted off. When he awoke, it was 7:55 a.m.

He leaped up, quickly washed, dressed, and rushed out of the house. He was in danger of missing the real Yena because he had become so engrossed with Yena in the photos.

Yena’s school bus arrived at 8:20 a.m. He had to reach Jeongo’s house within 20 minutes. He had promised the child he would be there every day, and he intended to keep his word, even if she hated or ignored him.

He managed to find a route with relatively light traffic near Jeongo’s house, but the road became completely congested as he neared her street. Now, only 3 minutes remained. Anxious, Jiheon parked the car in an alley, jumped out, and sprinted the rest of the way.

In the distance, he spotted the kindergarten bus parked at Yena’s usual stop. And, even from afar, he could make out two incredibly pretty, cute, and lovely women: Jeongo and Yena…

Hooo…

*Yena, Daddy’s coming!*

He had never run so desperately in his life. The headwind clawed at his throat, stinging like needles.

*Still, Daddy’s running!*

Haaaaaa!

And so, he barely made it in the nick of time.

Huff huff huff.

He was so out of breath he felt nauseous, his head spun, and the world seemed to have lost its color. Nevertheless, he focused on the one princess who was clearly visible.

“Yena, hello.”

A monster’s voice escaped his lips, distorted by his ragged breathing. Yena frowned and boarded the bus without acknowledging him.

*Ah, that cute and tiny thing is my daughter.*

As always, Jiheon waved his hand vigorously until Yena settled into her seat, as if he were sending off a soldier to war. Yena glanced at him briefly before haughtily turning her head away.

“Why did you run so much?”

After the bus departed, Jeongo rubbed Jiheon’s back, as if she felt sorry for him being ignored.

“I couldn’t help it because the road was blocked.”

Jiheon said in a hoarse voice, struggling to catch his breath.

“I went to bed late last night looking at Yena’s photos, so I was late.”

“Oh my. I can’t live. Our Yena is catching her dad [teasing him for being so devoted].”

*Still, it’s okay. He said hello. He kept his promise.*

Yena. Daddy will come to see you every day, even if he becomes a monster from running out of breath, even if his body is crushed.

* * * * * * *

Yena, who had enjoyed a reasonably good day with her friends at kindergarten, boarded the afternoon bus and found herself thinking about Jiheon from that morning.

Just seeing his face for a moment in the morning, what was it about that that made that man run over from so far away?

For some reason, she felt like she shouldn’t ignore him, so she slowly got on the bus, though no one knew of her internal conflict.

The man who made a monster sound because he was so out of breath while running. His voice was so hideous that she immediately turned her head away.

As always, she didn’t say hello. If she didn’t say hello and he didn’t come tomorrow, she would never talk to him again. She made a firm plan.

Her heart was firm, but she smiled the whole time while riding the bus to kindergarten.

Monsters often appeared in the fairy tales her mom read to her, but her mom only knew how to do pretty monsters. It seemed like the man could do hideous monsters. She discovered the man’s use.

After thinking about the man’s use, she felt a little sorry for not saying hello to him. It was just a feeling of sorry, and she wouldn’t be able to move her lips again tomorrow.

“Yena, we’re here. You have to get off.”

Before she knew it, the bus arrived in front of the academy and stopped. The teacher got off the bus with Yena. Since the academy teacher hadn’t come out to meet her yet, Yena and the teacher were left waiting on the street.

“They must be a little late today. I’ll call the academy.”

While the kindergarten teacher was calling the academy, Yena stood there blankly. The front of the academy was a taxi stand, so sometimes there were people standing in the spot where the academy teacher was waiting.

Today was one of those days. She saw a grandfather in a suit standing towards the road, glancing at her.

The poses of the people standing here are all the same. They’re raising their hands towards the taxi.

Is this grandfather waiting for a different car besides a taxi? It was a little strange that he was standing still without catching a passing taxi.

*This is the child.*

Jaekwang secretly looked at the child out of the corner of his eye.

It was a cool day with quite a bit of wind, barely out of the typhoon’s influence. The wind scattered the child’s bangs, revealing her round forehead. The pink salmon patch [birthmark] firmly embedded in her forehead gave him a strange heartache.

The urge to talk to her once, the urge to hold her hand, tormented his lips and fingertips, but Jaekwang overcame it well. The driver and executive secretary, who were watching from afar with the car parked, waved their arms greatly.

*Chairman, your schedule is tight. You have to go. You can’t keep standing there.*

If he delayed any longer, the executive secretary seemed like he would run up to this point and shout, “Chairman.” Jaekwang slowly moved his feet. Regret clung to the tips of his toes. Yena also stared for a long time in the direction the grandfather was leaving.

“Yena!”

Dobin ran towards her from the opposite side. Only then did Yena turn her head. Jinseo and the academy teacher also ran over at the same time.

After the kindergarten teacher left, Dobin, who ran over first, asked happily. “Yena, were you waiting for me?”

“Yeah. I was waiting.”

It wasn’t true, but Yena answered that way. As expected, Dobin’s mouth widened. She learned that she could lie with the hope that someone’s mood would improve. For some reason, she thought of the man again.

The man who comes to our house every morning. The man who she doesn’t know whether he’s lying or not.

Will the man come again tomorrow morning?

If he doesn’t come, she feels like she’ll be curious. That feeling was a little bothersome.