A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 109

109. A New Home

Her skin flushed wherever his warmth touched. Her eyes, brimming with tears of joy from his proposal just hours ago, were now wet with a different kind of heat. Shallow breaths came in quick succession.

His desire built within her, layer upon layer. It was definitely Jiheon’s time to take advantage. She couldn’t help it. No matter what he did, how he teased her, she couldn’t get angry, couldn’t run away to another room, couldn’t even scream.

Without hesitation, without being rushed by time, without anyone disturbing them, he possessed Jeong-o to his heart’s content.

Yet, he became somewhat fierce. Was it because he still felt anxious that she might leave him someday? Why did he feel that way when he was the one who had left?

Is perfect happiness always accompanied by anxiety? Is it like how the shade deepens on a day when the sunlight burns intensely?

It was definitely Jiheon’s time to take advantage, but that was only a physical victory. As before, he was overwhelmed by Jeong-o.

He was madly in love with her as she muffled her moans with the back of her hand. It felt like light was swallowing him whole, helplessly flowing into it, severing his reason and driving him. Bewitched and crazy.

Still, he wanted to fall deeper. He even entertained the foolish wish that this moment could last forever.

Jiheon vowed to remember this feeling for the rest of his life. He would never forget it again.

At the peak of their intense pleasure, Jeong-o pursed her lips as if she had something to say.

But in the end, she couldn’t say it. The never-ending climax repeatedly sealed her lips. He asked Jeong-o, who was tearful and eventually sulky from his persistence,

“Did you have something to say?”

He asks so late. Jeong-o answered him, filled with resentment,

“I was going to say thank you for today, but I don’t feel thankful at all anymore.”

Jiheon’s heart stirred again at her cute grumbling.

“Lee Jeong-o, this is a problem.”

Everything about her only served to stimulate him.

* * * * * *

The next day.

Golden light streamed in through a small gap in the blackout curtains. Jeong-o, checking the time, jumped up but flopped back down, feeling stiff all over.

Ah, that fake Jeong Jiheon.

In front of Guksun and Yena, he acted humble, like the lowest member of the new family hierarchy, but when it was just Jeong-o and him, he always took the lead.

I’ll get my revenge! I’ll never forgive him!

She steeled herself and trudged into the living room.

“Mom! Mom’s the last one up!”

Princess Yena, who was putting together a puzzle, shouted first.

“You’re just waking up?”

Guksun asked languidly, sitting in the massage chair. Jiheon, who had been sitting next to Yena, had already gotten up and gone to the kitchen.

A neat breakfast for one was prepared on the table. It was Jeong-o’s favorite egg drop soup and tofu sushi.

“I heard you like this. Eat up.”

Ssheek, ssheek. I was going to get my revenge.

Jeong-o picked up her spoon with a resentful expression. Her whole family knew her weakness: her heart softened in the face of food.

Before Jeong-o, who was already losing her sulky expression and gobbling down her food, Jiheon sat down. Resting his chin on his hand, he gazed at her lips moving as she ate with a pleased expression. Jiheon asked,

“Should I get you some tonic?”

“…….”

“You need to build up your stamina.”

* * * * * *

After lunch, Jiheon took Jeong-o, Yena, and Guksun to Seunggyu’s neighborhood. First, they decided to look around Seunggyu’s neighborhood as he had recommended.

Even if it wasn’t the apartment Seunggyu had recommended, it was a good area to raise children. In front of the real estate agency Seunggyu had recommended, Jiheon met Seunggyu’s family.

“Yenaaaa!”

As always, Dobin was the first to shout Yena’s name loudly and run over. Jinseo and Seunggyu also approached and greeted Guksun and Jeong-o.

Jiheon’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Why did you come too?”

Jeong-o answered Jiheon’s sulky question instead.

“I told him to come. He readily agreed. It’s good to look together. You two know this neighborhood well, and Dobin’s mother is meticulous.”

“That’s right. You have to look at houses carefully.”

Seunggyu seconded Jeong-o’s opinion.

In the end, a large family of eight went to look at houses. Jiheon’s criteria were clear, so they searched as far as the neighborhood next to Seunggyu’s. However, all the houses needed interior repairs, so he wasn’t very keen on them.

They checked the property Seunggyu had mentioned the other day after seeing two houses and feeling their expectations plummet.

“Wow!”

Yena exclaimed as soon as she entered the house. Her reaction was definitely different from the previous houses. Jeong-o and Guksun’s expressions were the same.

An open view, warm sunlight, and a spacious, clean house. Even the picky Jiheon couldn’t find any faults.

“The view is great, right! It’s not too high, just right.”

Jinseo spoke to Guksun.

Jiheon sensed something fishy. He felt like Seunggyu and Jinseo were colluding with the realtor. Showing them a few bad houses on purpose to make them choose this one.

It wasn’t quite a couple scamming team, but there was a slight feeling of a couple scheming team. Still, it was a good thing to have a friend who was so involved in his affairs, so he couldn’t say anything.

“The owner did a complete renovation because they were planning to live here for a long time. But suddenly, they got a overseas assignment and had to move to the United States after only living here for a short time.”

The realtor explained about the house.

“It’s the top floor, but it’s only the 7th floor, so it’s not too high. There are many rooms, it’s a duplex so the kids can run around without any problems, and there’s a terrace on the roof. It’s vacant, so you can move in anytime. Especially, if you come to this veranda, you can see the elementary school.”

The realtor led Jeong-o and Jiheon to the kitchen veranda.

“You can even see the children entering the school.”

Jeong-o’s eyes, which had been smiling slightly, changed. She was completely captivated by the elementary school view.

The children were already running around as if it were their own home, laughing. The quick-footed Yena had already gone up the stairs to check out the rooftop terrace and returned to Jiheon.

“Daddy!”

“Does Yena like it?”

“Yes! I love it! I like it so much.”

“What do you like the most?”

“That it’s close to Dobin’s house!”

“……Let’s think about it a little more.”

Jiheon’s lips, which had been happily raised at Yena’s joyful reaction, drooped slightly. Seunggyu poked Jiheon in the side again.

“You have to decide quickly. If it’s such a good house, it wouldn’t be strange if it was sold tomorrow.”

There was no disagreement that the house would be sold soon. Jiheon decided to change his mind.

“Should we just buy it? We can always move again if we don’t like it after living here.”

A vacant, spacious house. A house where they could live together as soon as possible. In fact, that alone would be enough to satisfy him.

Jeong-o smiled at Jiheon’s question.

* * * * * *

Youngmi still couldn’t get out of bed. Jae-gwang, who had briefly come into the room the other day to comfort her, hadn’t shown his face since.

Youngmi was starting to feel uneasy. What if even Jae-gwang got tired of her and left? Not meeting anyone and just lying down made her feel even more depressed.

“Excuse me, ma’am.”

In the meantime, a member of the household staff approached and called out to Youngmi.

“Lawyer Chae Eun-yeop called my contact number…”

At the staff’s words, Youngmi jumped up from her seat. After the paternity test, Youngmi had blocked Chae Eun-yeop. Realizing this, Eun-yeop was trying to approach Youngmi again by contacting a staff member he knew.

“Why do you have that kind of guy’s contact information! Delete it right away.”

“Well… he said he absolutely had to talk to you, that it was important…”

“……”

“He said the hit-and-run driver from seven years ago said he would take revenge… what should we do?”

Youngmi was also startled by the story the staff member recited with a troubled expression. In the end, Youngmi ended up calling Eun-yeop.

A brief ringing tone sounded, and Eun-yeop’s voice was heard.

[I’m finally able to reach you. Mother.]

Youngmi’s empty stomach churned at Chae Eun-yeop’s cunning voice, which she had never noticed before. Youngmi asked directly, intending to hear only the business and hang up quickly without reacting.

“Kim Jin-gu is out of prison?”

[That’s right. He contacted Eunbi directly. He threatened to get rid of our Eunbi as soon as he was released.]

“……”

[To think that this is the price for righteously testifying as a witness. I feel so bad for Eunbi. Eunbi is also very upset.]

“If you were thinking of getting my help, you shouldn’t have done that in the first place.”

Youngmi scolded. Her voice didn’t come out clearly. Shouting without having eaten anything made her head ache as if someone was stabbing her with a needle.

Even with Youngmi’s rebuke, Eun-yeop showed no remorse.

[I don’t know what you’re talking about. Mother. I was just trying to help as Jiheon’s friend and your lawyer, but I was abandoned.]

“It’s no use if you don’t know your mistake. I don’t want to talk to you any longer.”

At that moment, her husband Jae-gwang entered the room.

And at the same time, Eun-yeop’s chilling voice was heard over the receiver.

[Mother. You hired a voice actor seven years ago, right?]

Her heart sank. The knuckles of her hand holding the phone turned white. Jae-gwang in front of her and the voice on the phone. Everyone seemed like a grim reaper.

[I’m friends with that voice actor. It’s a small world.]

Eun-yeop’s voice continued to be heard on the phone.

While Youngmi was frozen, shocked by both things at the same time, Jae-gwang strode over and took Youngmi’s phone.

Jae-gwang, who had come to check on his wife’s condition, heard Youngmi’s voice from outside the door. She had no energy because she hadn’t eaten anything, and phone calls must be difficult, but he heard a very serious voice.

What she was saying was also suspicious. He thought that his wife might be being threatened by someone.

Youngmi immediately reached out to Jae-gwang, who had taken her phone, but Jae-gwang stepped back faster than she did. Jae-gwang switched the phone’s volume to speakerphone. Eun-yeop’s voice filled the quiet room.

[That voice actor friend said he received a very strange request from you seven years ago. He said you asked him to imitate Jiheon’s voice and call Jiheon’s girlfriend.]

Youngmi’s face, which had been pale, turned blue.

[The woman you separated from Jiheon back then was Lee Jeong-o, right?]

“……”

[In the end, Jiheon didn’t even know about the existence of his child for seven years because of you, Mother.]

Eventually, Youngmi hurriedly got out of bed, snatched the phone Jae-gwang was holding, and turned it off.

The bedroom became quiet again.

But it was already too late. Jae-gwang looked at Youngmi with eyes full of anger.

“What the hell is this about?”