A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 123

123. Call Mom

“How is your schedule today? I’ve cleared my evening for Eunbi.”

Eunbi couldn’t find the right words to reply to Ham Daegeun’s text message and just stared at her phone. Her heart grew more anxious with each wave of nausea.

Daegeun had texted her on Tuesday with trivial greetings about the weather. She had replied politely out of courtesy, and since then, he had strongly hinted at wanting to meet again. She had refused, citing work, until yesterday, but she couldn’t use the same excuse for the third day in a row.

Just as she felt tears welling up again, her phone vibrated. It was BJ, Eunbi’s friend. Startled, Eunbi answered the phone.

[What are you going to do now?]

BJ snapped at her before Eunbi could even ask what was wrong.

[The police called, said I need to come in for questioning. It’s about defamation. What are we going to do about this!]

It was coming. Lee Jungho must have sued BJ for spreading false information and defamation. Faced with BJ’s relentless accusations, Eunbi retorted sharply.

“Did I do it? You’re the one who uploaded the video.”

BJ scoffed in disbelief.

[You said I could upload it! And that no one would know because there’s only one camera!]

“When did I say that? You started this, why are you getting mad at me?”

[Hey, Chae Eunbi, don’t think I don’t have proof that you planned this! My friend remembers everything about you coaxing me. I have text records too.]

When BJ mentioned the evidence, Eunbi immediately changed her attitude. Her voice became low and calm.

“It’s just a defamation lawsuit anyway. Besides, it was quickly resolved, and there wasn’t much damage. The police don’t care about things like this. It’ll just pass.”

[…….]

“You know my brother is a lawyer, right? If I talk to him, there won’t be any problems. It’ll just be a minor incident.”

[I don’t know. You take responsibility. Tell your brother to send a lawyer when I go to the police station. Got it?]

After threatening Eunbi, BJ hung up without arguing further.

Eunbi immediately called Eunyeop. Eunyeop answered quickly but didn’t say anything. Eunbi had no choice but to speak first.

“Oppa [term for older brother used by females], my friend got sued. The BJ friend who uploaded the video of Lee Jungho’s restaurant. They said she needs to come in for questioning.”

Sigh. Eunyeop, who knew exactly what kind of mischief Eunbi had been up to, simply sighed. Eunbi’s voice grew softer, fearing she would be scolded for causing another incident.

“…You’ll come with me, right?”

Unexpectedly, Eunyeop didn’t get angry.

[I’ll take care of your friend’s problem, so you go meet Ham Daegeun today.]

Instead, he set a condition.

“No, that’s not what’s important right now…”

[Is this the time for you to be picky? What about my reputation if you do that?]

Eunyeop cut her off. He was trying to sound calm, but his voice was full of annoyance.

[He likes you even though you can’t do anything right. Do you think it’s common for a capitalist like that to like someone like you?]

She knew very well that she was inferior to her brother in every way. But it wasn’t like she couldn’t do anything right. Eunbi felt pathetic for always shrinking in front of her brother.

[Chae Eunbi. Get rid of a trash car like Jung Jihun and get a good car. Ham Daegeun said he can marry you right away. Marriage, which you’ve always wanted.]

When Eunbi, who had become sullen, didn’t answer, Eunyeop put more effort into persuading her.

[He’s a really good person. I’m recommending him because he’s a good person. If you marry Ham Daegeun, you won’t even have to worry about lawsuits like this. He’s someone who can cover for you and solve everything, no matter what you do.]

“…Really?”

Eunbi finally showed interest in Eunyeop’s string of words. The hand that wasn’t holding the phone slowly stroked her lower abdomen.

“No matter what I do… he can cover for me? That person?”

[Of course. Absolutely. He’s so crazy about you, what wouldn’t he do?]

Eunyeop answered without hesitation to Eunbi’s doubtful question.

A person who would even cover up murder… Eunbi’s heart pounded at those words.

[Get a marriage promise today. You can do it. You’re capable. Got it?]

He said she couldn’t do anything right a moment ago.

Eunbi chuckled at Eunyeop’s contradictory words, but she didn’t dislike being praised. With a somewhat convinced heart, Eunbi hung up the phone.

Drrr. As soon as she hung up, her phone rang again, startling her. The notification on her phone screen read “Gangnam Police Station.”

With a trembling heart, Eunbi answered the phone.

“Hello.”

[Is this Chae Eunbi?]

“Yes, it is.”

[Hello, this is the Gangnam Police Station. A lawsuit has been filed against you.]

“…Against me? You said a lawsuit has been filed directly against me?”

[Yes. So, we need you to come in for questioning.]

“What’s the charge?”

[It says spreading false information and defamation.]

Eunbi recalled that Jung Jihun had a recording of their conversation. Jung Jihun was a frighteningly persistent person. The thought of fighting him made her feel dizzy.

Hanging up the phone, Eunbi immediately sent a text message to Ham Daegeun. She was now desperate. She felt that Ham Daegeun was the only one who could protect her now.

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

The audience seats at the competition venue.

As Jihun watched Yena easily win all three matches, he was overwhelmed with emotion. The child placed her stones in the right places and even knew how to pressure her opponents.

While watching Yena, Jihun received a text message. It was a notification that the lawsuit had reached the defendant. Jihun sued Eunbi, and Jungho sued Eunbi’s friend BJ. Now, both of them would soon be questioned at the police station.

He also wanted to sue Chae Eunyeop, the main culprit who impersonated another lawyer and ruined the paternity test, but he hadn’t done so yet. Chae Eunyeop, a lawyer with a snake-like nature, could easily get away with it, and there was a lack of evidence.

It would be helpful if the genetics research center cooperated, but they were dragging their feet, citing law and security. In any case, they argued that Jihun’s paternity had been properly confirmed, so he hadn’t suffered any damage.

While briefly checking on matters outside the competition, the fourth match had already begun.

“Father, have you thought about Yena’s future career path?”

While filming Yena preparing for the match, the academy director approached and spoke to him.

“Doesn’t Yena say she wants to become a professional Go player?”

“I haven’t asked her yet. She just says she likes Go. I asked her if she would still like it even if she lost a match, and she said she would think about it after losing.”

While answering, he briefly lost sight of Yena. Jihun’s phone camera wandered around before finding Yena.

This time, it was a match against Group C. Yena was facing Group C, so Jihun, who was in the audience, couldn’t see Yena’s face. He couldn’t move his seat, so Jihun recorded the match with a regretful heart.

But for some reason, Yena didn’t move for a long time after the match started. Yena’s hands, seen up close on the zoom screen, looked a little different than usual. It seemed like her fingertips were trembling.

Noticing that something was wrong with Yena, Jihun moved the camera towards the child sitting across from Yena. When Jihun identified Yena’s opponent, his heart sank.

“Yena’s opponent is… Hong Jaein.”

“Yes?”

The academy director also seemed surprised and stood up from his seat.

Jihun continued to watch Yena’s actions closely.

He saw Yena, who rarely made mistakes, drop a Go stone. He also saw Hong Jaein pick up the Go stone and smirk.

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

The sound of Yena’s Go stone falling echoed loudly.

“Is that a forfeit?”

The supervisor at the progress table looked towards Yena. The supervisors nearby also looked at Yena. That woman also looked at Yena. Yena’s eyes, which were wandering aimlessly, brushed against the woman.

The moment their eyes met, the woman seemed to quickly turn her head away.

“Already scared?”

Jaein mocked Yena.

“No. She just dropped her Go stone!”

As if she would give her a break this once, Jaein shouted towards the supervisor and picked up Yena’s Go stone and returned it to her. Yena placed the stone that Jaein handed her back in its original place.

Jaein’s relentless attacks continued. The sound of the stones being placed on the Go board rang out loudly. Yena’s shoulders flinched at the sound.

She couldn’t concentrate. She remembered what her mom had said in the morning.

“It’s okay if you lose, so don’t feel too pressured and just have fun like you always do. Okay?”

Am I having fun right now?

No. I’m not having fun.

This was not a situation where she could enjoy the match. It didn’t seem like she could learn anything from the match in this state, even if she lost. Her heart was pounding so hard that it felt tight and sore.

Her body was at the Go board, but her mind was focused on the woman. But she was also afraid that the woman would look at her again or approach her.

“Teacher.”

Yena raised her hand high and called the supervisor.

“I want to stop.”

Jaein frowned as if she was dumbfounded and amused. But she smiled, as if she didn’t dislike winning the match by default.

Yena said to the supervisor who approached her.

“Please give me back my phone.”

The supervisor quickly moved to help the seven-year-old who was sobbing.

Yena turned around and looked at the audience seats. Her dad was not in his usual spot. No matter where she looked in the audience seats, her dad was not there. She felt even more anxious because she couldn’t see her dad.

Yena’s eyes searched everywhere for her dad. In the meantime, she found the woman again. The woman was hurrying somewhere. It seemed like she was going towards the exit.

“This is your phone, right? Call your mom quickly.”

The supervisor turned on the phone for Yena, who had a dazed expression.

Dad came, but why is he telling me to call Mom? While having strange questions, she thought of her mom again. She remembered what her mom had said when she bought her the phone.

“Lee Yena, I’m not buying this for you because you cried. I’m buying it so you can call Mom right away if a suspicious person shows up. Okay?”

Yena immediately pressed the speed dial number 1 on her phone. Her mom answered the phone right away, as if she had been waiting.

[Yena, Princess! Is the competition over?]

“Mom. I saw that lady. The lady who took Yena to a strange place.”

Yena told the truth in a hesitant voice.

With just a short explanation, her mom quickly understood. Her mom’s voice became serious.

[Where.]

“Here at the competition.”

[Inside the venue?]

“Yeah.”

[Lee Yena.]

Mom called me Lee Yena. I’m Jung Yena now.

But I could understand Mom’s feelings. Mom is just as scared as I am right now.

Yena answered with a trembling heart.

“Yeah.”

[You said it’s the venue, right? There are a lot of people around you, right?]

“Yeah.”

[Don’t be scared. It’s okay.]

No, Mom wasn’t scared.

[Take a picture. And shout!]

Mom’s brave voice dug into Yena’s ears.