A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 93

93. Reciprocity

While everyone was frozen, Eun-ju was the first to snap out of it and shouted.

“Assistant Manager! I’ve been looking for you. What are you doing here!”

Eun-ju quickly tidied up Jung-oh’s laptop and exclaimed,

“Okay, let’s hurry up and pack up, let’s go. Gi-hoon, get your things together quickly too! We have a meeting!”

Jung-oh had never seen the usually graceful Eun-ju, who never even ran, even when the other party was waiting, pack her things so nimbly.

Jung-oh was momentarily speechless, but she regained her senses thanks to Eun-ju’s quick thinking. She felt she couldn’t leave Gi-hoon and Ji-heon like this. She wasn’t worried about Ji-heon, but she was concerned about the innocent young man, Gi-hoon. She thought she should separate them quickly.

Gi-hoon, whose brain was numb from Ji-heon’s harsh words, was in a daze until Eun-ju grabbed him and led him out of the conference room. Jung-oh also gave Ji-heon a sharp look and left the conference room.

Leaving the conference room, she checked on Gi-hoon’s condition. Gi-hoon’s face, ears, and neck were as red as if he were made of pink clay.

Judging by his reaction, he must have heard everything Ji-heon said clearly. How should she handle this?

“Gi-hoon…”

Just as Jung-oh cautiously reached out to Gi-hoon,

“Assistant Manager Lee Jung-oh!”

Another voice calling for Jung-oh was heard from the opposite side. The Planning Team Leader, who had called earlier, came running with the team manager.

“Assistant Manager Lee, we need your help! Come quickly, please!”

“Huh? Yes? What’s wrong?”

“The client is asking for someone who can think on their feet, and you’re the only one who can do it!”

“Oh, oh, oh! I have a meeting!”

Jung-oh was grabbed by the Planning Team’s AE [Account Executive] and dragged away, shouting in a flustered manner.

“It’s okay. Go ahead, Assistant Manager.”

Eun-ju said to Jung-oh. In fact, there was no urgent meeting. It was just an excuse to get Jung-oh and Gi-hoon out of the conference room. It was fortunate that the Planning Team took Jung-oh away at the right time.

After Jung-oh was swept away like someone standing at the entrance of a crowded subway, Eun-ju quietly sighed.

Gi-hoon still had a dazed expression and kept his mouth shut. Eun-ju began to be mindful of Gi-hoon, something she had never done before.

Gi-hoon, who was about to sit down quietly, flinched for a moment. Behind Eun-ju, Director Jung Ji-heon was seen walking leisurely down the hallway. Ji-heon was also leaving the conference room and returning to his office.

‘Gi-hoon, hang in there. Overcome it. You can do it! Now, let’s get back to work and work hard!’

Eun-ju couldn’t bring herself to say it directly and sent a telepathic message of support from her seat.

However, Gi-hoon, who had been silently clenching and unclenching his fists, finally jumped up from his seat.

“Gi-hoon, where are you going…?”

Eun-ju called out desperately, but Gi-hoon didn’t answer. Eun-ju helplessly watched the young man heading towards Director Jung Ji-heon’s office.

Gi-hoon knocked on Ji-heon’s office door with vigor and entered.

“Director.”

Ji-heon, who was about to sit down, turned around and leaned against the executive desk, looking at Gi-hoon. Even though he was just looking at him without saying anything, Gi-hoon felt overwhelmed by his aura. But he bravely spoke out, overcoming it.

“Director, what did you mean by what you said earlier?”

“I thought Song Gi-hoon would be able to understand it, of course.”

As expected, Ji-heon answered clearly without being flustered or agitated. When Gi-hoon hesitated and couldn’t answer, he skillfully questioned him first.

“Or am I just imagining things?”

“…”

“Can you swear that you don’t have even a speck of romantic feelings for Assistant Manager Lee Jung-oh? If so, I’ll apologize.”

Since he had no intention of hiding it any longer, he didn’t mince words. He asked so sharply, as if he had seen through Gi-hoon’s heart, and Gi-hoon’s expression changed first. Gi-hoon suddenly realized.

Director Jung Ji-heon also likes Assistant Manager Lee Jung-oh.

But that can’t be the reason. The person involved might, but Director Jung Ji-heon can’t give him that kind of advice.

“…But I don’t know why I have to hear that from you, Director.”

Gi-hoon, whose feelings had been exposed, paused for a moment before replying.

“Why are you saying that, Director? That’s a matter between me and Assistant Manager Lee Jung-oh.”

“…”

“Just because you like Assistant Manager Lee Jung-oh doesn’t mean you can control my behavior or what I say.”

“That’s not it.”

Ji-heon replied firmly to Gi-hoon’s claim. Gi-hoon flinched again at his confidence. It was as if he was really being suppressed by Ji-heon.

“If you control my behavior or what I say, I’m…”

“It’s not that. I’m saying my feelings aren’t one-sided.”

Ji-heon clarified again because he thought Gi-hoon had misunderstood. What Ji-heon pointed out was not Gi-hoon’s behavior or words, but the fact that his feelings were not unilateral.

Gi-hoon, shocked, stared at Ji-heon with wide eyes. His idol-like appearance shone even more brightly as he widened his eyes. Ji-heon’s competitive spirit soared.

‘I have to make him give up,’ a primal instinct sent a stinging warning to Ji-heon.

“…If it’s not one-sided…”

“Reciprocal.”

“…”

“Does that answer your question?”

Gi-hoon’s eyes trembled at Ji-heon’s smooth answer. His heart sank.

“Gi-hoon, you said you were tight-lipped, right?”

“…”

“I hope you keep the secret well.”

Ji-heon left the office first, as if to give him time to collect himself. He was confident and relaxed until the end. That’s why he looked even more cruel and heartless in Gi-hoon’s eyes.

‘Why her, Assistant Manager? Why her of all people? Why with a man like that…’

It wasn’t that he had a burning desire to date Lee Jung-oh no matter what. But he wanted to protect her because she was someone he respected so much, someone who was so kind, and someone who was so pitiful.

He thought he was protecting her. But all he had been doing was interfering.

Come to think of it, the two of them had been acting strangely all along. Director Jung Ji-heon looked for Assistant Manager Lee Jung-oh unusually often. He seemed to have spent a lot of time alone with her, unlike other employees.

Director Jung Ji-heon’s decision to go on a business trip abroad also coincided with Assistant Manager Lee Jung-oh going on an overseas shoot instead of Team Leader Seong Mi-ran.

The moment the pieces he had been wondering about fell into place, Gi-hoon wanted to disappear.

“Gi-hoon, why, what’s wrong?”

Team Leader Park Young-gwang asked, seeing Gi-hoon collapse at his seat.

“Team Leader.”

“…”

“I want to quit the company…”

Gi-hoon replied in a voice that had completely lost its energy.

After that, Gi-hoon couldn’t come to his senses at all. It was the unfortunate event that Eun-ju had been worried about. The team’s youngest member lost his spark, and the work was not going smoothly at all. The results of the work, which he somehow managed to do with his powerless hands, were all lifeless.

“Team Leader, Director Jung Ji-heon is the biggest psycho I know. I think he came here to blow up this company.”

As soon as Eun-ju ran into Mi-ran in the hallway after returning from a meeting, she complained, fuming.

Jung-oh, who had been dragged away by the Planning Team, heard the news that Gi-hoon had stopped eating and drinking only on her way back from an outside business trip late in the afternoon. She became so worried that she packed a bowl of porridge from a local porridge shop and returned to the company.

Gi-hoon was sitting alone in the break room. Mi-ran had sent him to the break room because he showed no signs of recovery.

“Song Gi-hoon…”

“Assistant Manager.”

As she cautiously approached, Gi-hoon also called out to Jung-oh.

“Were you dating Director Jung Ji-heon?”

Gi-hoon asked the person involved directly. Gi-hoon, who finally confirmed it with Jung-oh’s trembling eyes, sighed bitterly.

“Who told you?”

“The director.”

“…”

“I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

After Gi-hoon gave a listless greeting and left first, Jung-oh also muttered ‘Oh my god’ and came out of the break room.

When she returned to the team, she saw Gi-hoon sitting at his seat, clicking the mouse powerlessly. Eun-ju sent a message to Jung-oh via the company messenger.

– Gi-hoon went to Director Jung’s office alone earlier. He’s been like that ever since.

Eun-ju gossiped with a curse, hoping that Jung Ji-heon would be coolly rejected by Jung-oh. Eun-ju’s curse was half-effective. Jung-oh clenched her fist and strode towards Ji-heon’s office.

A few hours earlier, Ji-heon, who was passing by the hallway, saw Gi-hoon sitting blankly in his seat with a hopeless expression. Ji-heon didn’t feel any pangs of conscience.

He was the leader of the headquarters, but he couldn’t be a good person to all the members. Lee Jung-oh was always his first priority, as he had lived his life without being obsessed with work. More important than work was his relationship with Lee Jung-oh.

Jung-oh, who was somewhat different from him in that regard, came to see him late in the afternoon, fuming.

“Did you tell Song Gi-hoon everything?”

‘Pfft.’ Ji-heon couldn’t help but laugh at her cute and funny way of speaking. But Jung-oh was serious.

“This is not a laughing matter!”

Jung-oh glared at Ji-heon, grinding her teeth.

“He would have found out eventually, but you shouldn’t have said it that way. I should have said it, very carefully!”

“When carefully?”

Since she was so serious, he couldn’t help but match her tone. It was an issue that had to be addressed eventually, so Ji-heon also carefully questioned her.

“You should have said it sooner.”

“When would I have had time to say it? Think about how busy we’ve been.”

“When Yena was hospitalized, I called you. You should have said it then.”

Ji-heon had his own grievances. He didn’t like the fact that the woman who had been so cold and distant to him was so kind to Gi-hoon.

He didn’t want to mention it because he thought it would seem petty to nitpick, but he had clearly hinted at it someday.

He said that he didn’t like the fact that Song Gi-hoon knew more about her than he did. He made it obvious, but she didn’t seem to understand his feelings at all.

Jung-oh sighed in exasperation and questioned him.

“Then? You’re saying I should have talked about it while riding in the car with Song Gi-hoon?”

“Yes.”

“To reveal that? At that time?”

“Of course. It’s a good opportunity.”

“Opportunity? Yena collapsed. In that moment of darkness, I should have told Song Gi-hoon about our relationship in detail?”

Ji-heon frowned at Jung-oh’s rebuttal. He understood her situation, her circumstances, but he didn’t want to admit it easily. He had won Yena’s heart, but he still felt like he hadn’t won Lee Jung-oh’s heart.

He was also frustrated that he was still in the position of emotional 을 [eul – someone in a subordinate position].

How should we make progress?

In the meantime, his cell phone vibrated. Ji-heon turned his head towards the cell phone, looking blank. The cell phone screen flashed. The name ‘Princess Yena’ caught his eye.

– I wish Dad would pick me up from school.

A text message containing the child’s wish to be picked up from school.

That short sentence smoothed Ji-heon’s frown like an iron for wrinkles. Ji-heon immediately picked up his cell phone.

It was the first text message the child had sent him. Ji-heon stared at the sixteen letters sent by the child for a long time, as if engraving them in his heart one by one. He was overwhelmed with emotion for each letter.

Look at how the seven-year-old followed the spelling rules. As expected of a copywriter’s daughter.

How long did it take to send this?

Imagining her fiddling with the cell phone screen with her tiny hands to send a text message made him feel excited even in the midst of a serious situation. It was as if the child was fiddling with his heart.

“What? Are you avoiding my question? Are you laughing now?”

The woman, who was still unaware of this situation, glared at him with a fierce look and questioned him. Nevertheless, a proud smile crept onto Ji-heon’s lips.

“Sorry.”

“Is this something that can be solved with an apology? What are you going to do now?”

Ji-heon calmly put on his suit jacket, facing Jung-oh, who was furious.

“Let’s talk later. I have to go out for a while.”

“No. No way. Finish talking now and go.”

Jung-oh stood in front of Ji-heon with a determined look.

“I have to go.”

In the end, Ji-heon had no choice but to show her the cell phone screen. He might have wanted to show off a little.

Jung-oh’s expression changed in various ways as she checked the text message on the cell phone screen. She frowned fiercely, then raised her eyebrows as she read the message, and looked at Ji-heon with a sulky, somewhat dissatisfied look.

“What? Did she call you ‘Oppa’ [term used by younger women to address older men they are close to] ?”

Not me, but she called you ‘Oppa’?