A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 57

The sun had completely set by the time they reached Seoul. As they got closer to home, Jung-oh’s face flushed with excitement.

Ji-heon felt a little sulky seeing the woman, who had been so cautious and defensive when he had made his advances, now only looking out the window, her shoulders shaking with anticipation.

*I’m so sad to be parting with you, but you look so happy to be going home.*

“Are you that happy?”

“Of course. I’m seeing my daughter after a long time.”

Although her rendezvous with Ji-heon was enjoyable, it couldn’t compare to the excitement of seeing Yena. It was the first time she had been away from her daughter for so long. Jung-oh’s heart was already pounding at the thought of holding Yena soon.

“Please stop here. It’s faster to walk from here.”

As soon as Jung-oh saw the convenience store at the intersection, she quickly spoke.

Ji-heon stopped the car, and Jung-oh abruptly opened the door.

“Thank you for today. See you the day after tomorrow!”

A simple farewell, devoid of any lover’s sentimentality.

*Did she throw all that sweet, sticky air that had enveloped them an hour ago onto the road?*

Watching her rush away without even waiting for his goodbye, Ji-heon felt anxious again.

Jung-oh quickly climbed the stairs and stood in front of the front door. She was so excited that her eyes were already welling up with tears.

She could hear the voice of Yena’s favorite animation character from inside. She immediately opened the door and went inside.

“Yena, my princess!”

“Mommy!”

Yena, who had been waiting for her mother in front of the TV with a blanket spread out, doing somersaults, ran to the entrance at the sound of her mother’s voice.

“Mommy!”

“Oh, you pretty thing!”

Jung-oh hugged her running baby princess tightly and shook her around. Mom, Guk-soon, soon followed.

Guk-soon greeted her as casually as if she had seen her yesterday and the day before.

“Did you eat?”

“I ate a lot of in-flight meals.”

“Is that enough? Come and eat more.”

“Mom, where’s my present?”

Yena asked, clinging to Jung-oh’s waist. Meanwhile, Guk-soon took the bag that Jung-oh had brought and wiped the wheels. Jung-oh opened the bag and handed Yena her present. It was a doll of a mother kangaroo with a baby kangaroo in its pouch.

“Wow!”

As soon as Yena received the doll, she hugged it tightly as if she had fallen in love. After a while, Yena, with the doll tucked under her arm, ran to her room, brought back a sketchbook, and appeared.

“Mom, I drew a picture!”

The mother and daughter in the picture looked as affectionate as she and Yena, and Jung-oh was impressed for the first time in a while.

“Wow! Did you draw Mom and Yena? It’s so pretty!”

“No, it’s a kangaroo.”

“Wow! It’s a kangaroo. There’s such a pretty kangaroo!”

Jung-oh immediately changed her words and cheered even more excessively. Guk-soon burst into laughter as if she couldn’t help it.

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

At the same time.

Do-bin’s house was in a funeral atmosphere.

Do-bin burst into tears like a waterfall at his father’s order to quit the Go academy [Go is a strategic board game].

“I’m going to keep going to the academy. Go. Go.”

“Park Do-bin. Stop it, or else!”

“Go academy! Go academy!”

Seung-gyu’s stern scolding was useless.

Do-bin lay down in the living room, kicking his feet wildly into the air, venting his anger. Do-bin’s stubbornness, which even smallpox couldn’t overcome, revealed its ferocious teeth.

Jin-seo also complained to Seung-gyu, feeling upset.

“It hasn’t been long since Yena and he became friends, do you really have to break them up like that? He’s only seven years old, so what if his learning efficiency drops a little? It’s enough if he enjoys going.”

“It’s hard for him.”

“He says it’s not hard. I said I’ll take him and pick him up and take care of everything, so why are you doing this?”

As Jin-seo repeatedly asked for the reason, Seung-gyu turned his head away. Feeling even more suspicious, Jin-seo turned Seung-gyu’s head back to face her and asked again.

“Tell me honestly. Are you sorry to me, or are you regretting the academy fees?”

“…….”

“Tell me quickly. What’s the problem?”

His wife was pressing him this hard, so there was no other way. Seung-gyu let out a long sigh and revealed the truth.

“Yena’s mom’s name is Lee Jung-oh, right?”

“Yes. Lee Jung-oh.”

“She’s a copywriter at our company. Deputy Manager Lee Jung-oh.”

“Oh. Max Planning?”

“Yeah.”

“Then that’s even better! What’s the problem with that?”

Seung-gyu sighed again.

“Ji-heon likes Deputy Manager Lee Jung-oh.”

“Ji-heon has a girlfriend, right? Eun-bin or something.”

“No. That’s fake. The person he really likes is Deputy Manager Lee Jung-oh.”

Jin-seo blinked blankly, then tilted her head and asked.

“But why?”

“She’s a baby’s mom.”

“…….”

“She hid that she was a single mother. From Ji-heon.”

“…So Ji-heon told you not to meet Yena’s mom in the future? To you?”

“No. Ji-heon doesn’t know yet. That Yena’s mom is Deputy Manager Lee Jung-oh.”

Seung-gyu’s third sigh.

“I’m worried that Ji-heon will fall for her even more. I can’t hope that he’ll do well with a single mother.”

“Hey, Park Seung-gyu.”

His wife called his name as if he were her son, Do-bin, calling out to him. It was something that happened maybe once a year. Seung-gyu’s shoulders, which had been drooping, straightened up.

He could see lightning flashing in his wife’s eyes.

Seung-gyu had momentarily forgotten how scary his wife could be.

“I heard Ji-heon likes her. Who are you to judge her as you please?”

Her beloved husband. She tries to listen to what her husband says as much as possible because it leads to peace in the family. But today, Jin-seo was greatly disappointed in her husband.

In this man’s foolishness, knowing one thing but not the other.

“How wonderful Yena’s mom is, how wonderful! She’s much more wonderful than me! I have a perfectly good husband, and both my parents are still around, but even thinking about having a third child makes me feel overwhelmed. Yena’s mom had a baby all by herself without a husband, and she cheered up! Do you even know what it’s like to give birth? Huh?”

Before she knew it, her voice had grown louder.

The sorrow of her third pregnancy added to today’s anger, and her emotions surged.

“Do-bin and Do-yoon, who were in my belly. I wish I could put them in your belly for just one day. You don’t know that feeling. You’ll never know until you die, you.”

When his wife got angry like fire, Seung-gyu curled his lips inward to hide them.

Still, it was a relief that he was a man who understood when she scolded him.

Jin-seo sternly ordered Seung-gyu.

“Tell Jung Ji-heon the truth right away. And you, stay out of it.”

Jin-seo firmly believed in her gut feeling. Lee Jung-oh, as she knew her, was definitely not a bad person. Even if Jung Ji-heon and Lee Jung-oh became close, it wouldn’t lead to Jung Ji-heon’s life falling into ruin. She could guarantee that.

“Don’t let Yena and Yena’s mom get hurt. If you do, I won’t stand by.”

“…….”

“Don’t make my son cry either.”

* * * * * * *

The next day.

He had put off urgent work and gone on a business trip, so he had a lot to do. Ji-heon went on outside business here and there and returned to the company in the afternoon.

– Are you back in the office?

Not long after entering his office, Ji-heon received a text message from his friend Seung-gyu. Seung-gyu had been looking for Ji-heon several times today.

Ji-heon sent a reply and waited for Seung-gyu.

He had a hunch what the matter was. He had probably finished investigating Lee Jung-oh.

However, he wondered if it was something that required him to be found so urgently and repeatedly, which made Ji-heon nervous.

He hoped it wasn’t a terrible story. Like Lee Jung-oh was still meeting her ex-boyfriend.

But if it was a problem involving a child, it seemed natural to continue meeting the child’s father. The child would miss his father, and she would need to receive child support from the child’s father.

How much can I understand her story? In the end, it was a matter of his own heart.

Come to think of it, no matter what terrible story she had, his heart wouldn’t change much, so he didn’t think he needed to hear the results of the investigation from Seung-gyu.

While he was pondering, Seung-gyu came into the office.

“How was the business trip?”

“Good. Thanks to you.”

“What do you mean, thanks to me.”

Seung-gyu’s expression looked heavy as he replied. Ji-heon offered Seung-gyu a seat and sat down in front of him.

There was no need to drag it out, so he asked directly.

“Did you find out?”

“Yeah.”

“There’s no man, right?”

“There’s no man, but…….”

“The baby’s father, you don’t even know what kind of guy the ex-boyfriend is?”

“It seems like that’s not clear either…….”

“Then that’s enough.”

A smile quickly appeared on Ji-heon’s face. There was no need to hear more. But Seung-gyu’s expression was still not bright.

“No, there’s something more important than that. My friend.”

“…….”

“You know Yena, right? Do-bin’s friend, Yena.”

He paused.

The smile he had put on his face disappeared.

Ah.

He didn’t know why he felt that way at that moment. A steep wave arose in his heart.

It felt like he had found the bluebird he had been wandering around the world looking for, right next to him.

The feeling when a puzzle piece that made him rummage through every corner of the house was placed on his desk.

“……That child’s mother is Deputy Manager Lee Jung-oh, I hear.”

At Ji-heon’s blank expression, Seung-gyu jumped up and waved his hands wildly.

“I didn’t know! I really didn’t know! My wife said that Yena’s mom didn’t approach her, but Do-bin’s mom approached her first. Do-bin’s mom tried to become friends with Deputy Manager Lee Jung-oh. Because Yena is so smart and capable, and she thought it would be good for Do-bin and Yena to be friends…….”

He was excited because he was afraid of being misunderstood.

“At least she didn’t use Yena to approach you. That’s for sure. My wife is even more sure than me. I don’t know what it was like for you…….”

But Ji-heon.

“I thought so.”

“What?”

“I kept thinking about it.”

He just smiled faintly.

Now he knew. Why his heart felt so heavy when he looked at the child.

Because she looked so much like her.

It was as if his latent heart had already made a decision long ago, and he felt relieved for some reason.

“Can you help me a little?”

Ji-heon asked his friend once again.

“Help me.”

Seung-gyu was right. He really ended up asking for help.

* * * * * * *

After a long period of competitive PT [Personal Training or Physical Therapy, depending on context] preparation and weekend business trips, Jung-oh was granted a vacation, a well-deserved break from her relentless work schedule.

Although it was just a short one-day vacation, Jung-oh was able to relax for the first time in a while. Well, she wasn’t at the company, but it wasn’t exactly a break.

After sending the child to daycare, she helped her mother, Guk-soon, at her restaurant during lunchtime. With a magical talent for making any food taste bad as soon as she touched it, she couldn’t help with the cooking, so she only did the serving. Nevertheless, she was very busy.

Guk-soon told her to go in and rest, but Jung-oh stubbornly did the dishes.

After busily moving around, it was time for Yena to go to the Go [a strategic board game] academy.

Today, Jung-oh decided to take Do-bin and Yena to the academy. She also planned to invite Do-bin, Do-yoon, and Jin-seo to her house for dinner. Knowing that Jin-seo had been through a lot, she wanted to express her gratitude in any way she could.

She first stopped by Yena’s daycare to pick her up, then walked to Nightingale Daycare to pick up Do-bin, and then took a taxi. Even in the taxi, the children’s friendly voices never stopped.

Do-bin looked even more affectionate today. Jung-oh smiled as she watched Do-bin holding Yena’s hand tightly.

When they arrived in front of the academy and got out of the taxi, Jin-seo called.

“Yes. Do-bin’s mother, Do-bin and Yena have arrived in front of the academy now.”

Jung-oh thought Jin-seo was worried and called to check, so she immediately gave her the news as soon as she answered the phone.

“[Jung-oh, Yena’s mother, actually, I have something to tell you.]”

However, it was for a different reason.

“Yes. Please tell me.”

“I told you that Do-bin has a friend, right? I don’t know if you’ve heard about it from Yena, but he and Yena have become very close.”

Jung-oh’s eyes widened at the unexpected topic.

“Ah, yes. You’re talking about the person who played Go with Yena, right?”

“Yes, yes! That’s him. But he went on a business trip abroad this time and bought a gift. He said he wanted to give it to Yena with Do-bin.”

“Oh no! You don’t have to do that. It’s okay.”

“He said he bought the gift thinking of them, so I can’t just say no. It’s embarrassing, but…….”

“…….”

“He happens to be passing by the Go academy, would you like to meet him?”

‘I would usually refuse, but…’

“Yena’s mother must be curious about what kind of person the man Yena is talking about is, so I thought it would be good to see him once. What should I tell him?”

Jung-oh changed her mind at Jin-seo’s persuasion. She didn’t think it was a big deal to worry about.

In any case, he was a grateful person. Jung-oh was also curious about his face since he liked Yena so much.

‘Ah, it’s not because my mom said he was handsome that I’m curious.’

Jung-oh hid her slightly guilty heart and replied to Jin-seo.

“Yes, then I’ll meet him here and say hello. The children will know his face, so it will be easy to find him.”

Jung-oh said lightly and hung up the phone.

“Mom, why?”

As soon as she hung up, Yena asked with wide eyes.

“Remember the man who came to Do-bin’s house before?”

“I know! Go Uncle!”

Do-bin answered first to Jung-oh’s question.

“Yes. Go Uncle. He’s coming here.”

“Why?”

“He said he’s bringing a gift?”

“A gift for Yena?”

“What about Do-bin’s gift?”

Following Yena, Do-bin also asked with sparkling eyes.

“He said there’s one for Do-bin and one for Yena.”

“Wow!”

The children jumped up and down and clapped their hands. An age where they just like gifts without any burden.

Jung-oh also put down a little bit of the burden in her heart.

‘He said he’s giving the gift because he likes the child, so let’s gratefully accept it.’

Jung-oh held the hands of the two children and waited for ‘that person’ to come.

Soon, a car stopped a few steps away.

“Oh…….”

Jung-oh paused.

A car she had seen a lot. A vehicle license plate that had become familiar to her eyes.

Before she could even identify the person, her nose tingled.

Soon, the driver’s seat door opened and a man got out.

“Uncle!”

“Mister!”

The children ran towards him, calling him by the name that was easier for them to pronounce.

Jung-oh couldn’t move as if her feet were stuck to the ground.

Ji-heon patted Do-bin’s shoulder, who had run up to him first, and asked.

“Do-bin, have you been well?”

A slightly dry yet gentle voice reached Jung-oh’s ears like a cool breeze on a summer evening.

“Yes!”

Do-bin answered cheerfully to his greeting.

Soon, Ji-heon’s gaze moved to Yena, who was standing behind him.

Ji-heon took a step forward and knelt down in front of Yena to match her height.

‘Someday.’

A scene that always had to be prefaced with the word ‘someday’.

A dreamlike scene that she could draw in her mind with her eyes closed, but felt so distant when she opened her eyes.

That scene was now in front of Jung-oh’s eyes.

He greeted Yena.

“Hello, Yena.”

Haa.

A hot exclamation burst out. Jung-oh unknowingly covered her mouth.