A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 19

19. I’ll Never Let Go

With one problem resolved, Jiheon felt much lighter.

Tuesday afternoon. After finishing one of his appointments and heading back to his office, Jiheon glanced over at the production team.

All the seats in Production Team 2 were empty.

Jiheon, taking advantage of a brief break, went to the conference room where the liquor advertisement production meeting was supposed to be held.

He could hear the voices of two people from outside the conference room.

“Team Leader, I’ve noticed you always have a notebook in your hand. Do you record everything in your daily life?”

“No, there’s not much useful stuff in there. I’m just constantly thinking.”

“Team Leader, you’re the best copywriter I’ve ever met. I acknowledge, I acknowledge.”

“Gihun, you keep acknowledging everything I do.”

“There’s just so much to acknowledge.”

It was the voices of Song Gihun and Leejeong.

When he opened the door and entered, he saw the two of them sitting side by side at the end of the conference room.

Gihun, who had been talking, greeted him cheerfully.

“Director, hello.”

Jeongo simply nodded.

“When does the meeting start?”

“In 10 minutes.”

“Song Gihun, please print out the minutes from last week’s meeting.”

“Yes.”

Gihun got up and left the conference room.

Jiheon and Jeongo were the only two left in the conference room. An awkward silence fell.

Jiheon felt complicated as the woman who had been so actively conversing with Gihun kept her lips tightly shut in front of him.

Was her name Yena?

Her downcast gaze reminded him of that smart child from yesterday.

That child also said she didn’t have a father.

For the first time, Jiheon thought for a long time about a situation he couldn’t empathize with.

He wanted to do something for her, but he didn’t know exactly what to do.

However, if there was even a hint of an excuse, he should use it.

He didn’t want to be Leejeongo’s father, but if that was the only connection, he thought, what did it matter?

Jiheon said quietly.

“Come if you miss your dad.”

“Pardon?”

“You said I look like your father. If I’m okay, come and see me.”

“See you, Director?”

Jeongo frowned severely and asked again.

“See Director’s face?”

‘Am I crazy?

I’m already uncomfortable in this place, why would I go see you?’

“Don’t you want to? I’m saying this because I care about Team Leader Lee.”

But this man was serious. It seemed he was fixated on the word ‘dad’.

Anyway, it might be helpful to his plan to figure out his close associates.

“Thank you for the thought.”

His lips stretched into a smile that was almost visible at the lukewarm expression of gratitude.

With those words, he left the conference room.

Shortly after, Gihun returned to the conference room and, after confirming that Jeongo was alone, asked.

“Where’s the director?”

“He left.”

“He asked me to print out the meeting minutes, right?”

“I guess so.”

Gihun sat back down with a look of dismay.

Soon, all the team members gathered in the conference room. By chance, Jeongo ended up sitting across from Eunbi again. Eunbi, who made eye contact with Jeongo, gave a formal smile.

The meeting began with a general explanation from the AE [Account Executive, the liaison between the agency and the client].

“Since the client has set the target and concept, we requested production immediately last week. You’ve all checked the additional product specs and competitor analysis data, right? Today, I’d like to share ideas, and if we agree on something, the planning team will revise the proposal.”

Everything is difficult to start. The team members, not wanting to be the first to be criticized, were watching each other’s reactions.

At that moment, the door opened and Jiheon re-entered the conference room.

The conference room was large, and there were many empty seats, but Jiheon didn’t sit in the front and deliberately headed to the back. His choice was the seat next to Jeongo. It was also in front of Eunbi.

Jeongo hunched her shoulders with a tense expression, but Eunbi faced Jiheon and smiled softly.

“Shall I go first?”

Eunbi, feeling energized, raised her hand first.

“People in their 20s and 30s are physically at their peak, but mentally they’re often exhausted.”

For some reason, Jiheon was distracted. While listening to Eunbi’s presentation, he moved his legs and bumped Jeongo’s knee, and when Jeongo moved her chair slightly to the side, he started tapping the pen he was holding.

This distracting behavior was like a strange magic. None of the other team members paid any attention. Only Jeongo kept getting distracted.

“There are many things they want to do, but they have to do what others tell them first, they get scolded at work, and they get pushed around on the subway on the way home. The couples they pass in the park look so affectionate that they’re envious…….”

Thud.

Eventually, Jiheon dropped the pen he was holding on the floor.

Eunbi’s gaze also briefly lingered on Jiheon.

The pen fell under the table, close to Jeongo’s seat.

The man who had been so distracted became quiet after dropping the pen on the floor. Jeongo was dumbfounded.

‘That bastard. He dropped it on purpose. He wants me to pick it up.’

“……So, when those young people return home with tired steps, the first thing they look for faster than food is a beer in the refrigerator. When they take a sip of beer, they feel like, ‘Ah, this is why I work.'”

Jeongo, resigned, lowered herself from her seat and reached for the pen.

But at that moment. A large shadow approached and covered her hand.

‘Gasp!’

It seemed they had both reached for the same thing and touched, but Jeongo flinched and pulled her hand away because the warmth that covered her hand was too hot.

Jiheon stared at her expressionlessly and picked up the pen that had fallen on the floor.

Jeongo also returned to her seat.

‘He didn’t do this on purpose too, did he?’

Chae Eunbi is sitting right there.

Thump, thump, thump, thump…….

Her heart was pounding so loudly. She was so anxious that someone might hear her.

It wasn’t excitement.

This wasn’t what she wanted, it felt like she had done something bad.

Meanwhile, this man who had committed the act was sitting there shamelessly without even changing his expression.

Jeongo also struggled to concentrate on the meeting again.

“I thought of two main taglines: ‘Single? You need beer’ and ‘This taste is youth.’ The keyword is healing. That’s all.”

Some members of Production Team 1 applauded Eunbi’s idea. Eunbi also smiled contentedly.

Miran was the first to comment.

“It’s good. But I think it’s a bit too ordinary. The idea that youth is hard has been covered too much in all kinds of content. And Director Chae’s direction is healing, but healing feels too quiet.”

Eunbi’s smile faded slightly at Miran’s comment. Yeonggwang added his opinion.

“Actually, there’s also a visual problem. Existing beer commercials usually show a crowded pub full of young people, and a model drinking beer coolly and saying ‘Kyah!’ Is it really good to break this? Isn’t it risky?”

Following this, Jeongo raised her hand. It was now Jeongo’s turn.

“I think the key moment of that commercial should be when the model gulps down the beer. The noisy pub full of young people is seen through the TV. ‘Is it a noisy pub?’ The volume gradually decreases, and the commercial is filled only with the sound of gulping beer. They’re comfortably drinking beer alone while watching a movie in the living room. Conveying the feeling of ‘I’m enjoying this time alone to the fullest.’ And then, we finish with a scene that showcases the unique features of our product as much as possible.”

“That’s good. There are a lot of misleading commercials these days. You think it’s a food commercial, but it’s a cell phone commercial; you think it’s an apartment commercial, but it’s an air conditioner commercial.”

The AE reacted to Jeongo’s opinion.

As Jeongo’s opinion gained traction, Eunbi’s lips twisted.

“But would the client like a misleading commercial? The commercial time is only 15 seconds, and if we waste time by making the first 5 seconds look like another commercial, there will be a lot of backlash.”

“We can prepare a more powerful 10 seconds, right? People are enthusiastic about twists. And I don’t want to limit the model to singles. I feel like we’re narrowing the target too much.”

Jeongo immediately responded.

Miran nodded.

“Well, there are people who are lonely even when they’re in a couple, while there are people who are content even when they’re alone.”

“Yes. I don’t want the time that customers spend drinking alone to be sad or miserable. I want it to shine.”

The AE, nodding vigorously at Jeongo’s opinion, wrote down what Jeongo had said in her notebook.

Shortly after, Gihun also offered his opinion.

“We’ve been talking about singles, but what about couples? Since the concept is ‘alcohol to keep and drink alone,’ they keep thinking about their lover while drinking alone. You want to share good things with the person you love.”

“Gihun, are you really single? You have a complete couple mindset?”

The team leader of Team 1 teased Gihun. Everyone laughed lightly.

It was quite a friendly meeting. Many useful ideas came out, so the meeting could be finished quickly.

“All the ideas that came out today are good. Let’s develop the ideas further so that the sales points are tailored to the product.”

The employees were all satisfied with Jiheon’s overall review.

In fact, the employees didn’t really care about the details. Just the fact that Director Jeong Jiheon, who had only shown a cold appearance like the Siberian plains, smiled like this made them feel properly treated.

It also felt like someone who had felt so distant had suddenly become closer.

Of course, Jeongo wasn’t swayed.

Jeongo tidied up her seat with an indifferent expression. She wanted to leave the conference room quickly.

Why was Jeong Jiheon moving so slowly today?

Meanwhile, Deputy Jo Sina, who had gained courage from the thought that she had become closer to Jiheon through today’s meeting, cautiously spoke to Jiheon.

“Director, when you drink delicious alcohol, do you want to share it with the person you love? Do you keep thinking about them even when you’re alone?”

It was obvious that she had Eunbi in mind.

Jeongo secretly snorted.

Would Jeong Jiheon answer? Really?

“I wouldn’t be alone.”

But it was unexpected. Jeong Jiheon answered.

“I’d keep them by my side. I’d never let them go.”

Kyaaak.

The female employees of Production Team 1 squealed quietly.

Jeongo left the conference room immediately. She didn’t see who Jiheon’s eyes were on the whole time.

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

After the meeting, Eunbi continued to feel uncomfortable.

Jeong Jiheon is strange.

Jeong Jiheon wasn’t the kind of person who smiled at her like that. He was so stiff that she suspected he was a robot.

She was sure that she had been his closest woman for the past few years, but even so, Eunbi had never heard Jiheon’s jokes. Even less so, jokes that required affection.

That Jeong Jiheon, today, suddenly attended the meeting and laughed and joked.

Was it just her imagination? Jeong Jiheon had become strange after Leejeongo appeared.

The atmosphere when they ran into each other in the break room was also suspicious, and it was strange that he had found Leejeongo and left a note.

Above all, it was too strange that he sat next to Leejeongo instead of her during today’s meeting.

What’s more, it was so strange that the two of them suddenly disappeared under the table when she was giving her presentation. It seemed like it was because Jiheon had dropped the pen he was holding.

She thought it might not be.

Jeong Jiheon shouldn’t be like that. He was the kind of person who avoided women so much that his orientation was suspicious.

Eunbi suddenly became anxious.

She didn’t know what Jiheon was like, but she was serious. The heart that she thought she would eventually give up on because of his stiff attitude had now become something she couldn’t give up on.

She started growing her hair because he seemed to like long hair, and she read management theory books to share even one more word with him. And how well she treated his parents. She put twice as much effort into his parents as she did into her own.

The time and effort she had invested made her even more obsessed.

There was no other way now.

“Director, are you worried about something?”

Deputy Jo Sina, who found Eunbi leaning against the sink in the restroom and lost in thought, asked.

“No…….”

Eunbi trailed off and sighed deeply.

“Hoo.”

“What’s wrong? Tell me.”

“Haa…….”

“It’s okay. Tell me.”

Eunbi reluctantly started.

“……Then you have to keep it to yourself. This is a secret. Okay?”

“Yes! Of course.”

Deputy Jo Sina willingly got involved.

Eunbi lowered her voice.

“It’s about Team 2’s Deputy Leejeongo.”

“The new copywriter? Why?”

“Actually, she’s my high school classmate.”

“Oh, really? You two use honorifics with each other.”

“She told me not to act like we know each other at work. I guess it’s uncomfortable for me. But I don’t feel very good either.”

“Ah. So that’s what that atmosphere was. Deputy Leejeongo is surprisingly fierce. I felt that she was especially like that to the director, too.”

“That’s right. Other people can’t help but feel it.”

“…….”

“Actually, I know Deputy Leejeongo’s mother.”

“Oh oh! Are your families close?”

“No, not like that. Leejeongo’s mother worked in the cafeteria at my high school back then. There was a bad incident at that time, so she quit.”

“What incident?”

“She was taking out school food or something.”

“Oh my, oh my, oh my, oh my!”

Sina raised her voice excitedly. Eunbi laughed inwardly.

“She’s originally a friend from a difficult family. So I tried to be nice to her. But when I got close…….”

“Why? What was she like?”

“You know those types, right? The ones who just like other people’s things and copy them.”

“I know, I know! When I was going to cram school, there was a kid who kept copying my drawings, and I was so annoyed. I heard about it recently, and guess what, that friend was kicked out of the company for having an affair.”

Of course, Eunbi also knew about it. Deputy Jo Sina had mentioned it several times before. In fact, Sina was talking about it so much that she didn’t remember it all.

“You can’t change your habits, and you can tell what a person is like from the start. She had the seeds from then on.”

“Hearing that story makes me feel even more uneasy. Actually, Jeongo often visits our Jiheon oppa [Oppa is a Korean term used by women to refer to older male friends or brothers].”

“Why does she visit him?”

“I don’t know. I guess she has a lot to talk about. But it’s a bit uncomfortable.”

Eunbi sighed again, and Sina put her hand on her shoulder as if to comfort her.

“Hey. But the director is different. What kind of person is the director?”

Of course, Sina doesn’t really know what kind of person the director is. The story she heard from Eunbi was all she knew.

“He treats all women except our director like stones. Isn’t that right? Look at him today. ‘I’d keep them by my side. I’d never let them go.’ I almost screamed today. That was the first time I saw him like that.”

Eunbi flinched when Sina brought up what happened in the conference room.

Jeong Jiheon wasn’t looking at her at that time. He was looking at Leejeongo.

But she couldn’t say this fact.

“……That’s right. But Jiheon oppa is different…….”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on her, Director. If I see even a hint of that, Deputy Lee will have to be prepared to be buried in this industry.”

Sina clenched her fist tightly and burned with fighting spirit.

“Director Jeong Jiheon is Director Chae Eunbi’s man.”

Thanks to Sina, Eunbi was able to cheer up and smile again.

Now there was one more eye watching Leejeongo.

After finishing their conversation, the two of them came out of the restroom and sat down.

Shortly after, Deputy Jo Sina ran to Eunbi and whispered.

“Director, I think Team Leader Seong Miran was in the restroom. What should we do?”

Miran was seen coming out of the restroom and returning to her seat.

“Deputy Leejeongo is going to be hated. Team Leader Seong Miran’s husband had an affair with a colleague and got divorced.”

“I know. What should we do…….”

Eunbi trailed off worriedly. It was a different reaction from what she felt inside.

Eunbi also knew about Seong Miran’s past through rumors.

She felt like she had killed two birds with one stone.

Of course, that stone would kill a frog too.