A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 26

26. The Child’s Birthday (1)

After finishing an external task and returning to the company, Jiheon scanned the conference room before heading to his office.

He had heard that the AE [Advertising Executive] team had called a meeting to discuss the first proposal from Dawon Liquor.

It seemed the meeting had just ended. Jiheon received a briefing on the meeting’s content from the AE who came out of the conference room.

After understanding the meeting’s details, he wondered about Jungeo’s expression, as she was now stuck with the task. It seemed Jungeo was still in the conference room.

Taking a few steps closer to the conference room, he heard the voices of a woman and a man. The woman was Jungeo, and the man seemed to be Song Gihoon, a member of the same team.

Jungeo seemed quite close to Song Gihoon.

The friendly conversation between the two, which he overheard as he slowly approached the conference room, grated on his nerves.

“Assistant Manager, there’s something I want to tell you.”

“Oh, go ahead.”

“I like you, Assistant Manager.”

Soon after, Gihoon’s sudden confession was heard. Jiheon couldn’t listen to their conversation any longer and knocked on the conference room door.

He banged loudly on the already open door, cutting off their conversation.

“Assistant Manager Lee Jungeo.”

Both of them turned their heads simultaneously. Their expressions were somewhat similar, causing Jiheon’s fist to clench tightly.

“Yes, Director.”

“Don’t you have something to give me?”

“…….”

“My clothes.”

Her lips parted, and she froze, her eyes darting back and forth before she finally answered.

“……Ah…… Yes, just a moment.”

Jiheon let out a soft sigh as he watched Jungeo run out of the conference room.

Jiheon didn’t follow Jungeo but leaned against the door, his gaze fixed inside the conference room.

Because Jiheon was blocking the way, Gihoon was stuck inside the conference room, making futile gestures in the already tidied space.

Gihoon was watching Jiheon carefully, and Jiheon was scrutinizing Gihoon.

A young male employee whose face clearly showed that he had lived a smooth and untroubled life.

He was a relatively diligent employee who got along well with other staff members, and his team leader’s evaluation of him was quite positive.

And, trusting only in his youth and recklessness, he had confessed to Lee Jungeo…….

Jiheon stared at Gihoon for a long time with narrowed eyes.

After a while, Jungeo came running and held out his cardigan to him.

“Thank you, Director.”

“I told you that you didn’t need to wash it.”

“…….”

“Is your cold better?”

“Yes. It’s all better.”

“That’s a relief.”

Jungeo couldn’t look Jiheon straight in the eye.

She felt like he was going to grill her about why she was ignoring his texts, even though her cold was gone.

With her head down, Jungeo slipped past Jiheon and called out to Gihoon.

“Gihoon, come out when you’re done tidying up.”

“Yes!”

At the instruction of his savior, Jungeo, Gihoon hurriedly left the conference room.

The two of them passed Jiheon and returned to their seats.

“Hmm.”

As Jungeo was about to sit down, Gihoon deliberately cleared his throat and tilted his head towards Jungeo.

“That was the cardigan from that time, right? Last Friday.”

Gihoon asked in a low voice. Jungeo couldn’t answer.

“So, that cardigan was the Director’s.”

“I was too sick and looked cold, so the Director lent it to me.”

“The Director is surprisingly considerate, isn’t he?”

Surprised, teasing. Jungeo curled her lips to hide her emotions at Gihoon’s comment, which seemed to carry some feeling.

At that moment, Jiheon, who had appeared like a grim reaper from beyond the partitions of Team Production 2, called out to Gihoon.

“Mr. Song Gihoon?”

“Yes, Director.”

Gihoon stood up from his seat.

“I checked the outlet design, and it seems like you need to revise it yourself.”

An earthquake passed through Gihoon’s eyes.

“Bring your tools to my office.”

Jiheon, with an unreadable expression, gestured for Gihoon to follow and left first.

An earthquake also passed under Gihoon’s feet. Staggering, Gihoon collapsed into his chair and hurriedly gathered his tools with a look of utter defeat.

Deputy Manager Go Eunju, feeling sorry for Gihoon, asked.

“Gihoon, should I go instead?”

“No…… I worked on it, so I should go. Then, I’ll be back.”

After Gihoon left with slumped shoulders, Eunju shook her head and muttered to herself.

“I still don’t like Director Jung at all…….”

Jung Jiheon. You’re steadily accumulating resentment.

Jungeo gave a bitter smile and sat down in her seat.

Two hours passed before Gihoon returned. He looked emaciated, as if he had endured some kind of labor during those two hours.

Team Leader Park Younggwang was the first to comfort him.

“Gihoon. You’ve worked hard.”

“Haa.”

“How was it?”

“How do you think it was? The Director and I were alone in his office…….”

“…….”

“I almost became a turtle [Korean slang for someone who is extremely uncomfortable and stiff]. I thought I was going to die of discomfort…….”

Jungeo also reached out and patted Gihoon’s shoulder.

Before sitting down, Gihoon took out a large phone charger from his back pocket and placed it on the desk.

“When I said my phone battery was dead and I was going back to my seat, the Director gave it to me. I couldn’t refuse…….”

“…….”

“……The Director is surprisingly really considerate…….”

Gihoon’s grumbling continued intermittently after that.

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

Gihoon’s sudden confession was buried because of Jiheon’s appearance. Jungeo was able to avoid an awkward situation by chance, but she didn’t feel comfortable.

Was it genuine, or just friendly affection?

Gihoon’s attitude remained unchanged even after that. He was friendly and respectful. He didn’t bring up what he had said in the conference room again.

‘It’s probably just friendly affection.’

The cautiously speculating mind solidified into a judgment after a full day.

However, not long after she had made that conclusion, Gihoon spoke to her.

“You haven’t said anything.”

It was after another meeting, when Jungeo was left alone in the conference room to prepare the Dawon Liquor proposal.

Jungeo asked blankly.

“……Huh?”

“About what I said yesterday. In that conference room.”

“Oh…… Oh…….”

It was only after Gihoon spoke to her again, now that they were alone, that Jungeo realized. There hadn’t been a chance for Gihoon and her to be alone since then.

Jungeo hesitated in embarrassment before giving a late reply.

“I like Gihoon too.”

“That’s not what I meant, Assistant Manager.”

“…….”

“In a romantic way. As different genders.”

Gihoon changed his words precisely because he didn’t like Jungeo’s nuance.

He wasn’t trembling even while confessing, and he looked so confident and comfortable.

‘Kids these days are like this.’

Gihoon’s bright energy captivated Jungeo’s gaze.

The situation became a little more difficult.

To Jungeo, Gihoon was just a comfortable and obedient junior colleague, nothing more.

“Are you serious?”

“Of course. Should I say it one more time? I like Assistant Manager Lee…….”

“No! It’s okay.”

Jungeo hurriedly waved her hand.

Phew. She took a breath only after Gihoon closed his lips again.

‘Kids these days are like this…….’

Actually, there isn’t much of an age difference. Maybe it’s because I’m a mom, but a twenty-seven-year-old man seemed very young.

‘I feel like I’m living in a different era from Song Gihoon.’

“I just thought it was a joke.”

“Who would joke with those words?”

What should I do?

Would he be hurt if I rejected him with harsh words?

Because Gihoon was such a good person, she wanted to reject him with kind words.

But she was worried that she might leave room for hope if she rejected him with kind words.

“Since my job is to pursue beauty, I’m naturally very interested in people’s appearances.”

“…….”

“Assistant Manager, you’re really pretty, but I don’t think you know you’re pretty. That’s why you’re even more attractive.”

“No! I know! I know very well! I’m pretty. I’m very pretty.”

“Pfft. Exactly. You’re pretty.”

“No, I’m not pretty. Look here. I even have wrinkles, you see?”

“You’re being so funny because you keep changing your mind.”

Was he wearing some kind of love goggles? She found it amazing that Gihoon only saw the good in her.

Gihoon’s courtship continued.

“I just enjoy observing Assistant Manager. The more I see you, the more interesting you are, and there are so many cool aspects to you that I like you more and more.”

“Gihoon, are you perhaps a love-at-first-sight kind of guy?”

“I’m a romantic! I’ve only dated twice, once before going to the army and once after coming back…… No, why am I even talking about this?”

Gihoon ended up laughing at himself after talking about this and that.

He found himself being so honest in front of her that it was ridiculous.

“Anyway, what I’m saying is that I like you. Assistant Manager.”

Jungeo felt sorry for Gihoon, who was smiling.

Right now, Gihoon might be trying hard to create a bright atmosphere while trembling a lot so as not to burden the other person.

Although the situation was burdensome, if the other person was serious, she had no choice but to give a serious answer as well.

“Gihoon, I have something to tell you too.”

Jungeo, who had steeled her heart, opened her mouth.

“I’m actually a mom.”

“…….”

At Jungeo’s confession, Gihoon blinked repeatedly like someone with blurred vision.

Jungeo’s confession continued.

“My child is seven years old now.”

This time, he had a dumbfounded look on his face.

“……Assistant Manager, I’m a little hurt right now.”

“…….”

“Even if you hate me that much, how could you reject me like this…….”

“It’s true.”

Jungeo’s eyes became even sterner at Gihoon’s sulky expression.

“It’s true.”

Jungeo took out her phone, found a photo, and showed it to him. It was a photo of Yena sitting on Jungeo’s lap.

“This is my daughter. Not adopted, but my real daughter whom I gave birth to.”

“…….”

“I don’t have a husband, but I have a child. This Thursday is my daughter’s birthday.”

Gihoon, with a look of utter despair, stared at the photo for a long time and muttered to himself.

“But no one said anything about that…….”

“Well, there are circumstances. Since I’m not married anyway, it’s recorded as ‘single’ in the company’s personal information, and they told me to bring a copy of my resident registration, so I submitted a copy containing only my personal information. So, no one knows.”

“…….”

“I’m telling you because you’re too nice, Gihoon. I’m telling you for the first time in this company.”

Gihoon looked even more shocked than when he was held back by Director Jung Jiheon yesterday.

She felt sorry for having to say these words to Gihoon, but on the other hand, Jungeo felt relieved.

“Thank you so much for thinking well of me, but my situation is like this. I’m going to continue to protect my daughter well in the future. I’m sorry.”

“…….”

“I really support Gihoon’s dating life. You’ll be able to meet a good woman.”

It seemed that her confession had worked well.

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

The tasks she was assigned piled up one by one, eventually forming a mountain.

The most difficult thing was having to do both physical and mental work at the same time.

She also accumulated moments of regret, thinking that she could come up with better ideas if she concentrated more, and that she could find more data and create better results if she had a little more time.

Overtime continued from Monday to Tuesday and even Wednesday. Because Thursday was Yena’s birthday, Jungeo was desperate.

And the long-awaited Thursday morning!

“Mom! What day is it today?”

Yena, who had woken up early for once, shook Jungeo awake.

“It’s our princess’s birthday!”

Jungeo got up without even having time to wipe the sleep from her eyes and hugged Yena.

“Happy birthday, Yena!”

“Thank you, Mom!”

Guksun, who was preparing breakfast in the kitchen, came over to the room and handed over a gift box.

Yena strongly shook her hand.

“No, not that, Grandma!”

“Not this? Why not?”

“I’m going to open it at the party tonight.”

It seemed that the order of the birthday party was already organized in Yena’s head.

“What kind of extravagant party is our princess going to have…….”

Guksun smiled, letting her shoulders relax as if she couldn’t stop her.

A fragrant seaweed soup smell spread through the morning.

Yena’s seventh birthday had arrived.

Yena wore a pink princess dress.

It was Yena’s favorite dress, but she hadn’t worn it for weeks to make today shine.

With a pink princess dress, a crown headband, and a request to curl her hair round, Jungeo had to become a hairdresser.

“With that hair, you two look exactly the same.”

Guksun smiled contentedly, reminded of Jungeo’s childhood by Yena’s beautiful appearance.

“Mom, you have to come early today!”

Yena said, holding Jungeo’s hand tightly. It was a request she had made several times yesterday.

“Of course, I will.”

“Promise!”

Jungeo hooked her pinky with Yena’s.

Because she had overdone it and worked late yesterday, today’s work would be much easier. Jungeo waved to Yena, hoping that today would be perfect.

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

Even the wind on the way to work felt refreshing.

A clear morning as if all things in the world were celebrating Yena’s birthday.

Jungeo paused briefly when she saw Jiheon standing like a guardian spirit in front of the company elevator, but she greeted him brightly.

“Hello, Director.”

“Yes.”

Despite his dry response, Jungeo smiled.

Jung Jiheon.

Today is my child’s birthday.

So, I hope you are happy today too.

Because an angel was born because of you.

Jungeo got off the elevator and went to her seat, even humming a song.

Gihoon was sitting alone in the team.

“Gihoon, good morning.”

“Good morning, Assistant Manager.”

With his greeting, Gihoon slipped something over the partition. It was an object wrapped in pink paper, only half the size of her palm.

“What’s this?”

Gihoon leaned deeply towards Jungeo and whispered in her ear.

“I heard it’s the kid’s birthday.”

Jiheon quietly watched this scene from behind.