A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 174

174. [Side Story] The Children Grow Up (2)

Dobin glared at the rolling stone. But strangely… he had to look upwards.

Good heavens. That kid, whether it’s Kang Saebyeol or Heonbyeol, seemed to be taller than him by two finger joints.

What does he eat to grow so big?

No one paid attention to Dobin’s darkening complexion.

Saebom asked Yena,

“Where are you going now?”

“I’m going to the academy.”

“Ah, you go to a Go academy! We should move to the academy you go to too!”

“We have to move Go academies! Okay! It would be nice if we all went together!”

Jeongo, who heard the two children’s conversation, said happily.

Dobin felt like everything was going dark. But.

“Are you both learning Go? That’s great. Our Dobin also goes to the same Go academy, so you can all get along.”

Even his trusted mom! Jinseo welcomed the rolling stones, and Dobin felt a squeezing in his heart.

There’s no one to trust in this world!

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

Time passed amidst their respective worries and concerns, and before they knew it, the children’s elementary school entrance ceremony was just a day away.

Dobin wasn’t so excited about the entrance ceremony anymore.

The rolling stones, Kang Saebom and Kang Saebyeol siblings, finally registered at the Go academy yesterday. Saebyeol pestered his mom to register for art academy following Yena. Dobin glared at Saebyeol with fierce eyes, but it was no use.

“Yena, are you okay? My brother is really bad at drawing.”

Yena replied nonchalantly to Saebom’s concern.

“I’m bad at drawing too. It’s okay.”

Even bad at drawing!

Liking Go, being bad at drawing. Jung Yena and Kang Saebyeol had so much in common. In comparison, I like Yena, I like Yena, I like Yena…….

His eight-year-old life, with only Jung Yena in his heart, was full of worries. He felt like crying when he thought that Saebyeol would invade the art academy someday.

Jinseo had no energy to care for Dobin’s feelings due to other worries.

“I feel like the baby could come out any time now.”

Although there was still quite some time left until the due date, her belly was quite large. Her lean figure and protruding belly made her look even more precarious. They had scheduled induced labor for Friday according to the doctor’s schedule, but it wouldn’t be surprising if she went into labor before then.

“I hope the baby comes after tomorrow, at least. I hope the entrance ceremony goes smoothly.”

Seunggyu comforted his worried wife.

“You don’t have to go to the entrance ceremony. Yena’s mom is there too.”

But Seunggyu’s suggestion didn’t help Jinseo.

“No way. It’s Dobin’s first day of school, so I have to watch him go and come back properly. How can I leave this troublemaker to Yena’s mom? Yena’s mom is also heavy with child.”

“Don’t feel too pressured. What if you don’t watch him?”

“He might cause an accident while I’m not watching.”

“Eh. Surely not.”

“It’s not a matter of ‘surely not’?”

In the meantime, Dobin opened the refrigerator, poured milk into a cup, took a sip, and put it down as it was.

“Do you know how much there is to take care of? It’s not easy making a person out of a child. There’s still so much to teach.”

Jinseo, who was quietly watching this, sighed bitterly and picked up the cup Dobin had put down. Her hand, wiping the round milk stain where the milk cup had been, was fierce.

“How many times do I have to teach you, from pouring milk into a cup to putting down the milk cup? You don’t understand with just once! Park Dobin! What did I tell you to do after drinking milk!”

Jinseo raised her voice towards Dobin, who was moving away.

“It’s been a while since you turned another year older, but nothing changes. You’re going to elementary school tomorrow!”

“Mom, you don’t change either! It’s been a while since you turned another year older!”

She only raised her voice at a habit she couldn’t fix no matter how many times she told him. The child didn’t learn what he was supposed to learn and only learned to raise his voice along with her. Moreover, now that he’s older, he’s so good at talking back. It was as if he was attending a back-talking academy without his mom’s knowledge.

Pfft.

In the meantime, her husband was secretly laughing.

“Did you just laugh?”

“Huh……? No.”

“You laughed while I was getting angry?”

“No. No.”

Seunggyu skillfully moved his body towards Dobin’s room.

“Son.”

Seunggyu went to his son, who was lying on the bed blankly looking at the ceiling, and lay down next to him. For some reason, Dobin seemed edgy today.

He wondered if it was because his stage of life was changing, so Seunggyu quietly patted his son, and Dobin complained cautiously.

“Dad, time goes by so fast.”

“Huh?”

“Dobin’s height doesn’t grow, but time goes by fast.”

“…….”

“I envy time.”

……Is our son already going through puberty?

Seunggyu blinked his eyes at his son’s suddenly sentimental grumbling.

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

The next day. It was the children’s elementary school entrance day.

Jeongo, Jinseo, Guksund and fathers who were sending their first child to school, Jiheon and Seunggyu, went to school together.

“Park Dobin!”

Dobin, who came out of the house gloomily, quickly brightened up at the sound of Yena calling his name. The two children held hands and headed to school amicably.

The auditorium was noisy with first-grade children and parents. Soon, an announcement came out to sit by class. The children sat in a row on the prepared chairs.

Yena and Dobin also sat side by side in front of the 1st-grade sign.

“Yena. Dobin.”

Saebyeol, who was in the same 1st grade, spoke from behind.

“Saebyeol, hello!”

Dobin became gloomy again after seeing Yena smiling brightly and greeting him.

The child’s world has widened.

Today was also a day of overwhelming emotion for Jeongo.

The baby, who wouldn’t stop crying no matter how much she held and soothed, had grown up, running around, talking, making friends, and had become a student. Thanks to the child, the mom and dad also became parents.

Now, the child will be able to do more and more things on their own. And the mom will feel lonely because of everything she once cheered and celebrated.

She would be proud, saying, ‘Our Yena did this by herself!’ but she would also feel somewhat sad seeing her child go far away, beyond her reach. She didn’t need to feel that way yet, but Jeongo kept imagining that day.

Jeongo looked to the side with tears welling up in her eyes. Jiheon’s nose was also red. It must be a moment of heartwarming emotion for her husband as well. He must feel even more affectionate because he couldn’t watch all of the child’s days.

A normal day for every eight-year-old child. Also, a very special day.

But there was one mom who couldn’t afford to enjoy this feeling.

‘I feel like I’m in pain, but I’m not…….’

Jinseo’s worries deepened with the ambiguous labor pains today. This was her third childbirth, but she still couldn’t figure it out. However, she had to endure it somehow now. She thought she shouldn’t cause a disturbance at the entrance ceremony where the first-grade children were the main characters.

The children finished the entrance ceremony in the auditorium and went to the classroom. The moms and dads who sent the children to the classroom received materials related to the parents’ association and left the school. Jinseo, who had watched the entrance ceremony without any problems, sent Seunggyu to work and went home.

The problem occurred around the time the children were supposed to return home. Jinseo, who had found the school with her heavy body, felt a sudden labor pain.

“Sister, are you okay? You don’t look so good.”

Jeongo, who had also come to pick up the children, asked after examining Jinseo’s complexion. Jinseo was too overwhelmed to answer that question.

“Dobin’s mom! Are you okay? Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?”

Saebyeol’s mom, whom she had met a few days ago, also came and supported Jinseo. Jinseo was sweating profusely and barely nodded.

Jiheon and Seunggyu were both at work, so they couldn’t take Jinseo to the hospital. Jeongo was also heavy with child, so it would be difficult for her to take responsibility for Jinseo. Even if she contacted Seunggyu now, it would take time for him to come from work, so Saebyeol’s mom had no choice but to move.

“Yena’s mom, can you take care of Dobin and Saebyeol? I’ll take Dobin’s mom to the hospital.”

The situation, which had been chaotic, was immediately resolved by Saebyeol’s mom’s quick judgment. Jeongo contacted Seunggyu, and Jinseo and Saebyeol’s mom immediately took a taxi and left.

About 10 minutes later, the first-grade children who had finished class ran out.

“Yena, Dobin, Saebyeol! Here!”

Jeongo waved at the children.

“Mom!”

Yena found Jeongo and ran over. Dobin and Saebyeol were upset as expected because there was no mom waiting for them. Dobin asked first.

“Auntie, where’s my mom?”

“She went to the hospital. Saebyeol’s mom went with Dobin’s mom.”

“Why? Is Mom sick?”

“I think it’s time for the baby to be born. Your grandma is coming from the countryside, so you can go home when your grandma comes.”

“…….”

“Saebyeol’s mom will drop Dobin’s mom off at the hospital and come right back.”

Saebyeol’s mom is coming back, but my mom isn’t coming back……. Dobin’s face turned pale with fear at that fact.

“It’s okay, Dobin. Mom is okay. Don’t worry.”

Jeongo hugged Dobin tightly and comforted him.

Jeongo took the children to her house. Saebyeol’s eyes widened as she came to Yena’s house for the first time.

“Wow! This is the first time I’ve been to such a big house!”

“Yeah! And there’s a second floor too.”

Yena showed Saebyeol around the house with an excited face. While Saebyeol and Yena were running around the house excitedly, Dobin was sulking. He followed the two with heavy steps, but this time Yena suddenly took out a Go board.

“Shall we play Go [a strategic board game]?”

“Okay!”

Saebyeol also cheered, but Dobin couldn’t.

“No. Let’s play Alkkagi [a Korean game using small stones].”

“Then let’s play Go and Alkkagi.”

Yena tried to coax Dobin, but she couldn’t break Dobin’s stubbornness.

“I can’t play Go. Let’s play Alkkagi.”

“Okay. Let’s play Alkkagi.”

Saebyeol stepped up first. Eventually, the children ended up playing Alkkagi.

Yena and Dobin’s match was a draw.

Yena and Saebyeol’s match was Saebyeol’s victory.

And finally, Dobin and Saebyeol’s match. Saebyeol pushed all five of Dobin’s Go stones out and won easily, and Yena looked up at Saebyeol with surprised eyes.

“Wow! You’re really good at Alkkagi!”

“Let’s do it again.”

Dobin, who couldn’t accept defeat, asked Saebyeol for a rematch, but Yena, who was bored with Alkkagi, said let’s play another game.

“Let’s not play Alkkagi, let’s play house. I’m the mom!”

“I’m the dad!”

Saebyeol responded to Yena’s request and quickly shouted ‘Dad’.

An earthquake occurred in Dobin’s eyes. Kang Saebyeol, that guy is even threatening my dad’s position!

“Why are you the dad? I’m going to be the dad. You be the baby.”

“No. I said I’d be the dad first.”

Dobin argued, and Saebyeol retorted as if he couldn’t lose. Yena suggested another game, thinking this wouldn’t work.

“Let’s not play house, let’s draw!”

“Okay! Let’s draw!”

This time too, Saebyeol immediately agreed to Yena’s suggestion. So the three children gathered together and started drawing.

But this time too, Dobin was greedy. He kept snatching the crayons of the color that Saebyeol was trying to use. Before he knew it, crayons were piled up next to Dobin.

Again, Yena stepped in to stop him.

“Park Dobin, don’t take all the crayons.”

“I’m going to use this first.”

“This is mine. We have to use it together nicely.”

But Dobin only returned a few colors. He held on tightly to the sky-blue crayon that Saebyeol needed right away and never gave it to him.

Yena got angry when Dobin was greedy for his crayons.

“If you don’t want to use it nicely, go home and bring your crayons.”

At those words, Dobin felt choked up and sad.

Jung Yena. I only have you. How could you do this to me.

Angry energy escaped from Dobin’s nostrils with a hiss.

“Is it all because you’re pretty?”

It was the first time Dobin had been angry with Yena.

Yena couldn’t help but be upset by Dobin’s reaction. Yena replied in a tearful voice.

“Do you think I want to be pretty?”