A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 103

103. The Best Prescription

Jeong-o hooked Ji-heon’s arm over her shoulder and started climbing the stairs.

She wouldn’t even carry her 20kg (44 lbs) daughter up the stairs because it was too much, but now she was leading a man several times heavier up the stairs.

But strangely enough, she didn’t feel like she couldn’t do it. It was as if he was pushing her back, telling her to climb well.

He was whining about being dizzy. Was that all an act?

*If it was revenge, you’re really smart!* she thought.

Anyway, Jeong-o was deeply regretting the harsh words she had said to him outside, so she moved her feet without complaint.

Huff. Huff.

Jeong-o’s rough breathing filled the narrow staircase inside the building where there wasn’t a single breeze. There are moments when you realize your feelings through actions.

This was exactly that moment. Despite how difficult it was, Jeong-o realized how much she loved Ji-heon as she diligently climbed without abandoning him.

“Ji-heon, we’re almost there. Just a little further.”

Jeong-o encouraged him, and his body moved a little lighter.

Finally, the 4th floor.

Jeong-o pressed the password on the front door.

Hoo-ah!

*Is this what a mountaineer feels like when they reach the summit?*

Guk-soon, who came out of the room at the sound of the door opening, was surprised to see Ji-heon leaning on Jeong-o’s shoulder and asked.

“What’s wrong? Did you drink?”

“No.”

“What’s going on, really…….”

“He said he has a headache and can’t go home.”

“If he has a headache, you should take him to the hospital…….”

Guk-soon muttered anxiously.

“Mother.”

At that time, Ji-heon called out to Guk-soon. Unlike his slumped body, his voice was quite clear.

“Yes. Yena’s father.”

“I’m going to stay over.”

Jeong-o and Guk-soon’s mouths opened at the same time.

He was so confident that it sounded like he was demanding a room.

“Oh, sure, sure. Do whatever Yena’s father wants to do.”

But kind-hearted Guk-soon immediately agreed. She thought it was fortunate that he said he would stay here first, as she would be even more worried if he drove home in this condition.

Guk-soon opened her room and gestured.

“Come here. Sleep here. I’ve made up the bed.”

“No, I can sleep with Yena in that room.”

“Yena rolls around too much.”

“Then in the living room…….”

“What’s wrong with this room? Rest comfortably here.”

“…….”

“You can wear this. Refrigerator pants [light, breathable pants] and a t-shirt. It’s comfortable.”

Ji-heon, who was momentarily stunned by having his mother-in-law take away her bed and even lend him clothes, looked dazed. Guk-soon rearranged the blanket and went over to Jeong-o’s room.

Jeong-o found it a little funny that the man who had confidently announced he was staying over was now wearing a guilty expression at Guk-soon’s generous treatment. But since his expression outside the building couldn’t have been fake, she focused on providing warm care.

“Just rest. Don’t think about anything and sleep.”

Jeong-o took Ji-heon to Guk-soon’s room, placed a water bottle by the bedside, and closed the door.

*I’ll have to sleep in the living room today.*

Jeong-o spread out a blanket in the living room, thinking about going to the room where Yena was sleeping. She was worried because she didn’t know what might happen to Ji-heon overnight.

Panic. If Jeong-o had to give a name to Ji-heon’s appearance, that’s what she would call it. It was the first time she had seen him like that. Even on the day she found out that Yena was his daughter, he didn’t have that face.

The man who was quite ruthless to others and didn’t easily show his weak side to her had such an unstable face that seemed like he would collapse even in a gentle breeze, so Jeong-o couldn’t easily fall asleep because she kept worrying about him.

Even after the lights in the house were turned off, Jeong-o tossed and turned for a long time before falling asleep.

And about an hour later.

Jeong-o woke up with a start at the rustling sound. She blinked her eyes and sat up. She saw a huge man sitting at her feet like a well-trained large dog. Even in the pitch-darkness, Guk-soon’s red and blue refrigerator pants stood out.

“Ah, sorry.”

Jeong-o sighed in relief at Ji-heon’s serious appearance as he hesitantly got up. It seemed like he was back to his usual self. Jeong-o stopped Ji-heon as he was about to go into the room.

“Hey. Ji-heon.”

“…….”

“How are you feeling now? Are you okay?”

“……I’m okay.”

He answered awkwardly, as if he was a little embarrassed about what had happened a few hours ago.

“What’s wrong? Why did you suddenly do that?”

Jeong-o asked, relieved by his answer.

Ji-heon carefully opened his mouth.

“Suddenly, I couldn’t see well. My vision became like a pinhole…….”

He couldn’t honestly say that he felt like he was going to die, that he couldn’t breathe, that the ground was sinking and the world was disappearing, and that he felt a chilling cold that seemed to cut his skin.

Looking at her expression, he thought it was fortunate that he didn’t tell the truth. Nevertheless, he felt good that there was someone who worried about him more than he worried about himself.

“I’m fine now. I’m alright.”

“Go to the hospital.”

Jeong-o said with tears in her eyes.

Ji-heon, who roughly knew what the symptoms were, replied comfortably.

“I’ll be fine if I rest.”

“Have you had this before?”

“Not exactly the same, but I’ve had similar experiences.”

“What was it like? Was it worse than today?”

He couldn’t answer easily. If his past experiences were just moments of anxiety, today was closer to a seizure.

When he didn’t answer, Jeong-o asked another question first.

“Have you been to the hospital? What did they say at the hospital?”

“They told me to rest. They also gave me good medicine.”

Even though Ji-heon reassured her, Jeong-o’s expression didn’t ease.

“You weren’t like this before. At least you were okay when I met you.”

“…….”

“Isn’t it because of that accident seven years ago? Like post-traumatic stress?”

*Maybe that’s it.* Ji-heon, who agreed, nodded quietly.

“What about hypnosis? Have you ever tried it? Should I look into it?”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to worry.”

“How can I not worry?”

“Someone who worries, huh?”

Ji-heon narrowed his eyes and glared at Jeong-o. Jeong-o’s heart stung as if his gaze was a needle.

She knew what he was talking about. She had confidently told his mother that her son was finally happy, and now she was trying to make him anxious again.

If Jeong-o had known that he would be so shocked by her words, which were meant to give him a choice, she wouldn’t have said a word from the beginning.

Jeong-o curled her lips and lowered her head.

“Don’t say that anymore.”

“…….”

“You can’t abandon me.”

*No. That’s not what she meant by abandoning him.*

It seemed like her words sounded so harsh to him.

“I only have you.”

He reached out to her, who had already come close. Jeong-o couldn’t say anything because his quiet confession sounded so desperate and affectionate.

Ji-heon carefully tucked her hair behind her ear as if he was touching a thin glass bowl. She had to hold back her tears again. The pocket of anxiety he had found held more tears than she thought.

*I love you. Much more than you think.*

*I don’t want to be anything without you. What do I do now?*

“I only need you.”

“Why do you think you only need me? You have so many good people around you.”

“Still, I only need you.”

Ji-heon’s mind didn’t change despite Jeong-o’s rebuttal.

“Then what about our Yena?”

“Yena is yours too.”

“How is Yena mine? Yena is Yena’s.”

“Yeah. Because you’re that kind of person…….”

*Because you’re that kind of person, I love you.*

It felt like confessing love wouldn’t be enough even if they stayed up all night.

“If you’re there, Yena will follow. And your mother is your soulmate, so she’ll come too.”

Lee Jeong-o was the center for Ji-heon. Like a plant that needs sunlight to bloom, he felt like he could only share the love within him with anyone if he received a lot of love from her. Ji-heon was relying on Jeong-o more than Jeong-o was relying on him.

Jeong-o smiled as if she liked Ji-heon’s answer. Ji-heon finally said what he couldn’t say a few hours ago.

“You must have been very surprised to meet my mother.”

“No. I really wasn’t surprised at all.”

“…….”

“I said what I wanted to say. Actually, I think I was waiting for your mother to come.”

Jeong-o confessed everything to Ji-heon about the conversation she had with Young-mi.

* * * * * *

Early morning.

For some reason, Yena woke up first. As soon as Yena opened her eyes, she frowned when she saw her grandmother’s face.

“Why is Grandma here? Where’s Mom?”

She thought her mom had left for work, leaving her behind. Guk-soon got up from her seat and answered.

“Can’t Grandma stay for a while? How long are you going to sleep with only Mom?”

“I’m going to sleep with Mom forever!”

Yena shouted and opened the door, finding Jeong-o lying in the living room. She shook Jeong-o’s body.

“Mom. Why did you sleep here? I was worried.”

Jeong-o, who melted at Yena’s affectionate nagging, smiled contentedly with her eyes barely open and hugged Yena.

“Dad slept in Grandma’s room. So everyone switched rooms today.”

“Really?”

She was about to hug her tighter, but as soon as she heard Jeong-o’s answer, Yena jumped up. She was going to go to her dad.

“Dad was sick last night. So don’t wake him up. Let him rest a little more.”

“Okay. I understand.”

Yena answered carefully with a whisper and walked on her tiptoes to open Guk-soon’s door.

A child doesn’t become more careful just because they try to be careful.

Jeong-o shook her head, looking worriedly at Yena.

Ji-heon, who had fallen asleep late after talking with Jeong-o, slowly opened his eyes when he felt a tickling sensation on his hand. A fairy-like beautiful child was moving gently in front of his eyes.

*So there are mornings like this.*

It was a morning to be grateful for what had happened overnight.

The child, who had been fiddling next to Ji-heon, tilted her head greatly, brought it close to the floor to match Ji-heon’s eye level, and asked.

“Dad, are you very sick?”

“No, I’m not sick.”

Ji-heon responded with a smile to the beautiful question and hugged the little angel tightly. Yena giggled in Ji-heon’s arms. The laughter continued for quite a long time, and Ji-heon eventually laughed out loud with her.

After a while, Ji-heon came out to the living room and greeted Guk-soon first.

“Mother, did you sleep well?”

“Yes. Are you okay now, Yena’s father?”

“Yes. I’m fine thanks to you. I’m really sorry about last night.”

“No. Wash up and have a meal.”

Ji-heon became a little embarrassed as Guk-soon seemed to be holding back a big laugh. He wondered if he looked too funny in his refrigerator pants or if he had built a bird’s nest on his head, so he awkwardly smoothed his hair and headed to the bathroom, but stopped when he was about to open the door.

There was a temporary tattoo sticker on his right wrist. It was a cute and adorable baby angel, just like Yena.

While Ji-heon was staring at his arm, Jeong-o came out of the bathroom. Jeong-o also chuckled when she saw the sticker on Ji-heon’s wrist.

“That’s Yena’s favorite temporary tattoo sticker.”

Jeong-o said to Yena, who was standing behind her.

“Lee Yena! What are you doing playing pranks on Dad?”

“That’s a healing fairy. The healing fairy made Dad better.”

The Yena fairy, who was giggling, answered brightly.

“Dad, you’re not sick at all now, right?”

It was a better prescription than any doctor.