A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 179

179. [Side Story] The Children Grow Up Too Fast (3)

CEO Max’s office.

Jiheon had returned to the office after a client meeting and lunch. He was sitting still when he dozed off. Seungkyu came to see him and discovered this, waking him with a soft voice, but Jiheon didn’t stir. It was the first time Seungkyu had seen his friend like this.

Seungkyu chuckled as he watched Jiheon’s hand twitch slowly, as if he were lulling a baby even in his dreams. A pang of sympathy hit him, so he gave up waking him and sat on the sofa.

The nap didn’t last long. Jiheon, who had been awkwardly propping his chin up and trying to sleep, suddenly opened his eyes when his arm gave way.

“You’re awake?”

At Seungkyu’s question, Jiheon sighed deeply, his expression serious. The dream was an extension of reality. Even in his dream, Jiheon was holding and comforting Yejun. And next to him was Yena, whining, ‘I like Mom better than Dad!’…….

Before Yejun was born, he had received a lot of advice from people, but theory and real-life childcare were worlds apart. Above all, he couldn’t get a proper night’s sleep. The baby cried day and night, and he had to hold him constantly.

Jiheon opened his mouth, his expression still sleepy.

“Park Seungkyu.”

“Yeah.”

“You’re really amazing.”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“Just. You seem amazing. I really respect you.”

Seungkyu laughed again at Jiheon’s resigned tone.

Now, the two of them had become comrades who could understand each other without having to complain or vent their frustrations.

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

First grade, Class 1 classroom.

Saebyeol, about to head home, saw Yena crying and approached her. Dobin tensed up.

“Yena, were you crying? Why were you crying?”

Yena, whose heart had calmed down thanks to Dobin’s comfort, replied,

“Because of Mom and my little brother.”

“Why Mom and your little brother?”

“Mom only likes my little brother.”

“…….”

“The second child must have it nice. Mom is always by his side.”

Dobin, another firstborn, agreed with Yena’s sentiment.

“I know, right? The second child must be really nice.”

“Guys, you know what? Being the second child is hard too.”

Saebyeol sighed deeply, as if she had lived a full life, at the two people’s complaints.

“I can’t argue with my sister. If I touch even a little bit of my sister’s stuff, she hits me with Go [a strategy board game] stones.”

“Really? Saebom unnie [older sister – term of endearment] doesn’t seem like that. She’s like an angel.”

“An angel! No way! My sister is a monster!”

“Why is your sister a monster! How can you say that?”

When Saebyeol raised her voice, calling her sister a monster, Yena also snapped. As Yejun’s older sister, and as a younger sibling who liked Saebom, she was furious.

“That’s right, you can’t call your sister a monster!”

Dobin, seeing his chance, chimed in with Yena.

“Ugh, I don’t mean she’s really a monster, just sometimes. You guys don’t understand.”

Saebyeol, who had been living with her sister for eight years, sighed again, as if the firstborns didn’t understand the feelings of the secondborns.

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

Dobin, returning home from school, greeted Jinseo.

“I’m home!”

“Did you do well on your dictation test?”

“Yeah! I did well!”

Dobin showed Jinseo his dictation notebook, half right and half wrong, with a score of 50.

“I didn’t even study, but I got half of them right, so I did well, right, Mom?”

Since her son had already concluded that he had done well and was asking his mother for confirmation, Jinseo had nothing to say.

“Yeah… you’ll be able to do better next time. Good job, son.”

“Yeah, thanks. And Mom! I did a good deed today.”

“What happened?”

Jinseo, who had been gloomy about the dictation score, asked with shining eyes at Dobin’s words. Had her son received praise from the teacher for doing a good deed?

“Yena seemed sad because of her little brother, so I comforted her.”

But as expected, this time too, the focus was on Yena. Jinseo smiled weakly with a deflated expression.

“Yena must hate her little brother. Isn’t that strange? I don’t.”

Son, you used to step all over your little brother.

There was a time when she was horrified to see her son stepping on Doyun’s arm, who was lying down and flailing his arms and legs. It was fortunate that he was a light child; otherwise, it could have led to a major accident.

“Anyway, I told Yena to get along with her little brother. I did a good job, right?”

Jinseo simply found the little frog who couldn’t remember his tadpole days cute. Compared to then, her son had become quite human.

Yeah. Dictation and everything else aside, Mom is grateful that you’re growing up so well.

“Good job.”

“Yeah. Mom, I did a good deed, so can I have ice cream?”

The well-behaved son was also very confident.

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

Yena opened the front door cheerfully.

“I’m home!”

“Yena’s here?”

Jeongo, who had put Yejun to sleep and came out to the living room to sit on the sofa, got up groggily. Despite Yena’s energetic greeting, Jeongo’s expression lacked its usual energy.

She had felt much lighter after being comforted by Dobin, but she felt sad again when she returned home.

Mom didn’t call her Yena Princess.

She couldn’t be a princess every day, but once she was aware of it, she couldn’t help but feel sad.

Little by little, I’m moving away from being a princess, and a new prince will take my place. The thought made her want to cry. She was also worried about the time to come.

May is Yena’s month. May, when Yena’s birthday is. But now, Yena would be living with worries even in this blessed May. Her younger brother was born even earlier than her birthday, making her worried.

Mom and Dad are so tired and busy taking care of my little brother, will they have time to celebrate my birthday?

Jeongo, unaware of Yena’s complicated inner thoughts, spoke kindly.

“Shall I cut some watermelon for our Yena? Do you want some watermelon?”

“Yeah.”

After answering weakly, Yena went into her room, put down her bag, and secretly went to her mother’s bedroom.

Yejun was sleeping soundly in his crib. Even when she tapped his cheek, her younger brother didn’t wake up. She wanted to bother him more, but she remembered what Saebyeol had said, so she didn’t bother him too much. She didn’t want to be called a monster by her younger brother.

“Yejun, why are you making Mom and your sister so tired?”

Yena confided her inner thoughts, taking advantage of her mother’s absence.

“Why were you born in May and ruin your sister’s birthday?”

She had been talking about her birthday a week in advance last year. Was it because she was a year older, or was it because she was anxious about being ignored by her mom and dad that she couldn’t bring herself to say it?

But she couldn’t give up her birthday either…….

After thinking carefully, Yena came out of the bedroom, took her dictation notebook, and went to Jeongo.

“Mom, I got 100 on my dictation test today. Look at this. May 25th!”

Yena said, pointing to today’s date above the number ‘100’ that was circled.

It was an indirect expression that the score wasn’t important, but the date was. She thought that if she reminded her mother of what day it was, she would quickly realize what day was coming up the day after tomorrow.

“Oh, really! Our Yena is good at dictation and writes well too!”

But Jeongo only praised Yena’s writing along with her dictation score. It was an unexpected obstacle for Yena.

Embarrassed, Yena threw an easier hint.

“Mom, I have another dictation test the day after tomorrow. On May 27th.”

“I see. Should Mom help you?”

“……No. It’s okay. I’ll do it myself.”

Yena, who had failed to imprint the date, drooped her shoulders and went into her room.

But she couldn’t give up like this. Yena thought again and secretly called her grandfather.

Drrr, she swallowed hard, listening to the dial tone. Fortunately, her grandfather answered the phone quickly.

[Is this our Yena Princess!]

As expected, Jaegwang’s voice was loud, as if Yena was his whole world. Yena’s energy returned at her grandfather’s reaction.

Yena went straight to the point.

“Grandpa! Do you know what day May 27th is?”

[May 27th? Of course, I know! It’s our Yena’s birthday. Grandpa is just waiting for that day.]

“Really?”

[Of course!]

“But Grandpa, I think Mom and Dad might have forgotten.”

[Why? How could they forget that?]

“Mom and Dad are busy taking care of Yejun.”

Yena’s voice became smaller.

“So, I was wondering. Could you tell Mom and Dad that May 27th is Yena’s birthday?”

[Can’t Yena tell them?]

“Yes.”

She didn’t want to be forced to do something. But she wanted to be taken care of.

She was still fortunate to have a grandfather to confide in.

[Okay. Then I’ll tell them, but Yena.]

“…….”

[Grandpa thinks our Yena is the best.]

Jaegwang didn’t forget to appeal to his granddaughter, taking advantage of her weakened heart.

[Even if Yena’s younger brother is born, and another younger brother is born, even if Yena’s cousins are born, our Yena is still number one to Grandpa.]

Yena’s heart pounded at the unexpected confession.

“Really?”

[Of course. Really.]

“Then, if I tell Grandpa not to hold Yejun, will you not hold him?”

[I will. I have to listen to everything our Yena says.]

Yena laughed at her grandfather’s unwavering answer.

In her head, she imagined her grandfather not holding Yejun, and her younger brother begging her grandfather to hold him. She felt sorry for her younger brother, who wouldn’t be able to receive her grandfather’s love.

Only then was Yena able to have a generous heart.

“Grandpa, you can hold Yejun. It’s okay because Yena is number one to Grandpa.”

Just having her love confirmed made her feel better.

Yena felt good thanks to her grandfather. But as time passed and her birthday was just a day away, she became unsure again. Mom and Dad were still busy and didn’t seem to have the time to listen to Yena.

And so, on the morning of May 27th.

“Yena Princess. Jung Yena.”

Yena vaguely realized it was past 8 o’clock, but she didn’t open her eyes. Jeongo came over and woke Yena with a sweet voice, but she closed her eyes even tighter.

“Aren’t you going to get up? You have to go to school.”

“No. I don’t want to go.”

Yena was stubborn. She didn’t want to get out of bed and face reality.

“Then you’re not going to have a birthday party either?”

Birthday party?

Yena’s eyes widened at her mother’s voice.

“Happy birthday, our Yena!”

Before Yena’s eyes were Jeongo and Jiheon wearing birthday party hats, and Yejun wearing a party hat knitted by Guksun and Youngmi. Yena’s eyes filled with tears.

“You didn’t forget?”

“Why would we forget that? It’s the most important day in the world.”

Jeongo answered Yena’s question.

Really? Is it really the most important day in the world? Even to Mom and Dad?

Yena was moved and hugged her mother tightly around the neck.

Next to her, Jiheon put his hand on Yena’s shoulder.

“Happy birthday, Yena!”

“Dad!”

Yena immediately moved into her father’s arms.

“Let’s play together today, Mom and Dad. Let’s do everything our Yena wants to do.”

“Aren’t you going to work, Dad?”

“I don’t have to go today.”

Wow! A burst of overwhelming cheers erupted.