A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 145

145. It’s You, Isn’t It?

On Saturday, Jiheon visited Chaeseo-bok’s funeral hall with Jaekwang. Only Eunbi and Chaeseo-bok’s wife were in the mortuary. Eunyeop was nowhere to be seen.

Eunbi looked very tired, yet surprisingly composed. It seemed she no longer harbored any feelings for Jiheon.

There were no disturbances inside, but they were exposed to several reporters guarding the front of the funeral hall. The reporters kept following them, asking about his current feelings and the ongoing lawsuit, but Jiheon did not answer. The 30 minutes of offering condolences felt as long as a day.

Aboard the car, Jiheon loosened his tie as if he was suffocating.

“It’s quieter than I thought. There isn’t much public sympathy either.”

“Everyone feels bitter. They only learned about Chaeseo-bok during the confirmation hearing, and he passed away before they could even get to know him properly.”

Jaekwang clicked his tongue with a somber expression.

“I wonder if Mother will come?”

“She’s not feeling well.”

“Is she very ill?”

He wanted to say that she had been lying in bed, unable to move, and that she needed to get checked out, but Jaekwang held back. Instead, he voiced a small wish.

“How about you visit briefly when your mother is around? Even if it’s just you.”

“……”

“If you speak to her first, your mother will reluctantly accept it.”

“Not yet. After things settle down a bit.”
The son refused. But his expression was a bit odd.

“Settle down?”

Noticing Jaekwang’s puzzled look, Jiheon smiled and added a word.

“I’ll tell you later.”

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

Monday.

Jiheon visited the hypnotherapy center at noon. He wanted to tell the doctor that he had recovered some memories.

“Last Friday night, the moment I saw my wife’s pregnancy test, memories came flooding back. The scenes were as vivid as if they happened yesterday.”

“That’s wonderful! Would you like to tell me more about it?”

Jiheon told the doctor everything that had happened on Friday. The doctor listened to Jiheon’s story and fell into thought.

“The events of the day before the accident are scattered like puzzle pieces, but can’t we put them together? Meeting Leejeong-oh, what happened, leaving Leejeong-oh, what you did, when you went to buy the ring, and when you went to the flower shop. The next day, you said you were preparing to propose to Leejeong-oh, what did you do, and you said you were thinking about the child to be born, what plans did you have?”

Jiheon nodded at the doctor’s suggestion and spoke again.

“Oh, doctor, there’s one more thing I remembered.”

“Yes. Please tell me.”

“I told you that the man who caused the hit-and-run accident passed away recently. But the fact that he seemed quite wronged keeps bothering me. It’s unlikely, but I wonder if someone really framed him.”

“……Are you saying you want to recall the memories of the accident itself?”

“Yes. It’s an event close to the day my memories returned. I thought it might be possible.”

“……”

“I vaguely remember regretting not being good to Jeong-oh at the time of the accident. I have memories of the day before the accident, and memories of when I collapsed right after the accident, so I think I can recall the memories of the accident itself.”

Jiheon accurately understood the meaning of the puzzle. Seeing Jiheon’s determination, the doctor had no choice but to do his best as well.

To find the memories of that day seven years ago, Jiheon closed his eyes as instructed by the doctor.

“November 2nd, seven years ago. Let’s go back to that time. You found your girlfriend’s pregnancy test. One on the desk, three in the drawer. Your girlfriend looked very embarrassed, but you couldn’t comfort her and left her house right away. You had an appointment. What appointment was it?”

“……I went to a charity event.”

“And after that?”

“On the way back, I bought a proposal ring and stopped by a flower shop… I ordered proposal flowers at a flower shop called ‘Flower Dream.’ I made a reservation for the next day and wrote a card….”

“Did you go straight home after that?”

“……I went home and made a phone call, to Jeong-oh….”

Amidst the content that Jeong-oh also knew, Jiheon added a new memory in a slow voice.

“……I told her to go to the hospital and get a prenatal [pregnancy] care booklet. And, I’m sorry….”

“What were you sorry for?”

“I was sorry for holding her back when she must have had many things she wanted to do.”

It was a story they had never told each other. Jeong-oh, who had been watching quietly in another room, felt her eyes well up with warmth. Her heart was pounding.

His memories are coming back.

“We decided to meet at three o’clock the next day.”

“Did you fall asleep right away?”

“I couldn’t sleep well, but… I tried to sleep anyway.”

“Then shall we talk about the next day? What did you do when you woke up?”

“……I sent Jeong-oh a text saying I would pick her up.”

“…….”

“Jeong-oh sent a reply, ‘Ita bwa’ [See you later in Korean], and I laughed.”

“Why did you laugh?”

“Because she was so cute.”

At that answer, the doctor briefly forgot his role and chuckled. Jeong-oh also smiled with tearful eyes.

“……Then my mother called. She talked about my brother… She said my brother was attacked with eggs. So I told my mother not to worry. …I also said I had a friend to introduce.”

“What was your mother’s reaction?”

“She asked who it was, but I only replied that I would contact her again.”

“Then it must be time to leave the house.”

The slowly continued voice had already reached the time when the hit-and-run accident occurred.

Before continuing, the doctor checked Jiheon’s body temperature, breathing, and pulse. It was a tense moment for the doctor as well.

Jeong-oh’s heart was pounding as if it was pressing against her entire body, making it hard to watch. Still, she steeled herself and kept her place.

“You would have taken the elevator down to the parking lot, right? What were you thinking as you walked to your car?”

“I was thinking about the new baby. I was thinking about what I wanted to do for the baby.”

“And then?”

“And……”

“…….”

“I couldn’t think anymore……”

Jiheon’s hand clenched tightly. The veins on the back of his hand and forearm were bulging. He tried to open his mouth, tried to make a sound, hesitated, struggled, his face contorted greatly, and he let out a rough breath, ‘Huh!’

As if feeling the impact of the accident once again.

Jeong-oh jumped up from her seat. She thought it was dangerous to recall any more.

The doctor made the same judgment.

“It’s better to open your eyes. When I count to three, you’ll come out of the memory. One, two, three.”

Jiheon opened his eyes wide. The traces of him rushing out of the hypnosis in pain remained in his eyes and breath. His chest heaved greatly.

“It’s okay. You did well. Hoo… Breathe slowly. Hoo….”

The doctor calmed Jiheon, who was breathing roughly with a dazed expression. Jiheon, still not calmed down, carefully, haltingly uttered a strange question.

“……Heard it, have you?”

“What did you say just now?”

“……While saying something, he asked me if I had heard it. That man.”

“That man? The man who caused the accident spoke to you? To Jeong-jiheon?”

“The man got out of the car and asked me. Something… if I had heard it.”

“…….”

“What was that?”

Jiheon asked, frustrated that he couldn’t remember anything more. It wasn’t a question to the doctor, but a question to himself.

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

Guksoon headed to the academy [private educational institution]. She was starting to study again after almost 20 years. It was tough to study at the same pace as the young people, but on the other hand, she felt younger and was happy and excited.

When Guksoon arrived in front of the academy, someone approached and spoke to her.

“Madam, how have you been?”

“Oh my, who is this! It’s been a while.”

It was unexpectedly Kwonbaeil. He was wearing a hat pulled down low, so it took her a while to recognize him. Guksoon greeted him happily.

“I heard you’re coming to our house tomorrow. I heard it from our son-in-law.”

“Ah… there’s a bit of a problem with that….”

Baeil trailed off, looking embarrassed.

“Why? Are you busy?”

“Yes. Something came up tomorrow. I have to go back down to Jinju urgently.”

“Oh my, what should we do? Our son-in-law, Jeong-oh, and Yena must have been looking forward to it a lot. That’s disappointing.”

“I’ll stop by again when I come to Seoul later. Ah, or I have some time today.”

“Really? Then would you like to have dinner together today? I’ll cook you a delicious meal. So you’ll keep thinking about it even when you go to Jinju.”

“Would that be alright?”

“Of course. Come around seven o’clock later. I’ll prepare a delicious meal.”

“Yes. Then I’ll do that. I’ll contact Jiheon.”

“Would you? Thank you. Then I’ll see you later.”

Guksoon greeted Baeil and went straight into the academy building. Baeil stared at Guksoon’s back for a long time.

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

“Kwonbaeil.”

Last night. Chae Eunyeop came to find Baeil. There was no way to know how he found out and came to his place.

“You know me, right? You must know. You can’t not know.”

Eunyeop had a smile on his face. It hadn’t been long since he had sent his father away, but he had a rather energetic face.

No, it was murderous intent.

Eunyeop asked Baeil, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, as if he knew everything and had come to find him.

“You’re the one who did that to Kim Jin-gu seven years ago, aren’t you? It’s you, isn’t it.”

“…….”

“You tried to get rid of Kim Jin-gu and Jeong Jiheon at the same time using your police status. You’re a scary guy.”

Eunyeop was certain.

He traced the traces of 24 years ago. Finding the unmarried mother who moved her residence from Seoul to Namwon and died was a difficult process, but it was not impossible.

The clue ‘Baduk [Go] player from Namwon’ was useful. The famous Baduk player, Lee Kangho, was from Namwon. Eunyeop searched the village where Lee Kangho lived and the data from the elementary school Lee Kangho graduated from.

After much effort, he found the name Yoo Soo-il. A boy the same age as himself. After his mother died, the child was adopted into his aunt’s house and his name was changed. From Yoo Soo-il to Kwonbaeil.

Kwonbaeil was a police officer at the Yongsan Police Station seven years ago, and had the same height and similar build as Kim Jin-gu.

And surprisingly, Jeong Jiheon’s elementary school classmate. From the Baduk prodigy class.

After grasping Baeil’s personal details, Eunyeop could be certain of everything.

Kwonbaeil clearly had a grudge against not only Kim Jin-gu but also Jeong Jiheon.

“What grudge do you have against Jeong Jiheon that you would do such a thing? Huh?”

“…….”

“You tried to kill Jeong Jiheon, and then you lived next to Lee Jeong-oh’s house, watching Lee Jeong-oh’s movements.”

“…….”

“Did you fall head over heels for Lee Jeong-oh? Huh?”

Eunyeop confirmed that Baeil flinched at the word ‘Lee Jeong-oh.’ He thought he would never have anything to laugh about again after losing his father, but it was so thrilling and fun that he kept laughing. Eunyeop said in a cunning voice.

“How does it feel to see that bastard still living well? Don’t you want to kill him?”

“…….”

“Let’s get rid of Jeong Jiheon together. How about it?”

I found a good way to fulfill my wish.

“If you do as I say, I’ll give you 1 billion won [approximately $750,000 USD].”

“…….”

“How about it? Does it tempt you?