A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 60

60. I’ll Hold Your Hand

Eun-bi’s commute felt like a descent into hell.

Work had lost its appeal. She was increasingly irritated by the team leader’s constant demands for fresh ideas, and Jung Ji-heon’s indifference towards her was almost unbearable.

Adding insult to injury, today marked Lee Jung-oh’s return from his overseas business trip and vacation.

The thought of seeing Jung Ji-heon gazing at Lee Jung-oh with such adoration was more than she could stomach.

To make matters worse, her brother, Eun-yeop, had instructed her to stay put and not cause any trouble, which only added to her frustration and feelings of suffocation.

Yesterday, Ms. Jang Young-mi had called, but Eun-bi had deliberately ignored the call. She knew Ms. Jang was likely calling to ask if she had truly broken up with Ji-heon, and she couldn’t bring herself to confirm it. The words felt too heavy to utter.

Amidst her swirling frustrations, she spotted the root cause of her troubles: Lee Jung-oh.

She had seen him heading towards Ji-heon’s office about twenty minutes earlier, and now he was finally emerging. The thought of what they might have been doing together in the office during that time made her blood boil.

*Jung Ji-heon is mine!*

Eun-bi followed Jung-oh to the pantry and said coldly,

“Lee Jung-oh, are you aware that you’re disposable?”

“…….”

“Who would take you in, a single mother with nothing to your name? Eventually, even your brother will come to his senses, and you’ll be abandoned. What will you do then?”

“…….”

“I’m genuinely worried about you.”

The words, delivered in a clear voice laced with a smile, sounded anything but concerned. Jung-oh seemed to understand Eun-bi’s true feelings. In fact, he felt a pang of sympathy for her.

“Eun-bi, is that concern truly for me?”

Jung-oh asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

“Isn’t being disposable more your own story?”

Eun-bi’s eyes widened in surprise. Jung-oh offered a bitter smile and continued,

“I’m not referring to your relationship with Director Jung. I’m talking about your work, your job.”

“…….”

“Are you a valuable asset to the company? Since you joined, you haven’t produced any noteworthy copy or generated any significant ideas.”

“…….”

“If you continue down this path, I, as an assistant manager, will be in line to take your position. What will you do if the company abandons you too?”

Jung-oh noticed Eun-bi’s facial muscles twitching and decided to leave the pantry.

It was a harsh critique, but it was delivered with a hint of genuine concern. He hoped Eun-bi would redirect her energy towards her work rather than fixating on a relationship that was ultimately futile.

Eventually, Eun-bi would also come to realize that work, not relationships, was what truly sustained a person. But Chae Eun-bi might never grasp that concept.

Jung-oh felt as though he had been talking to a brick wall and returned to his desk with a sense of emptiness.

“Assistant Manager! I missed you!”

As he returned to the team area, Gi-hoon greeted Jung-oh with sparkling eyes.

“Gi-hoon, how have you been? Any difficulties?”

“It’s been relatively quiet. How was your trip, Assistant Manager? How’s the air in Australia? I heard you used to live in Melbourne. Did it bring back old memories?”

“Yeah, it hasn’t changed much. The air was good, everything was good.”

“Still, it must have been tough. I heard the director went too.”

Gi-hoon leaned closer to Jung-oh and spoke cautiously.

“Lee Jung-oh Assistant Manager.”

At that moment, Ji-heon’s voice, sounding like the grim reaper, echoed from afar.

Jung-oh couldn’t fathom how he always knew precisely when to call him at such moments.

Gi-hoon also returned to his seat and cleared his throat, while Jung-oh stood up and looked towards Ji-heon.

Ji-heon approached from the end of the hallway and said,

“Bring me the overseas business trip report by the end of today.”

Jung-oh glared at Ji-heon with all his might as he passed by him towards the conference room.

*Ugh. My eyes hurt.*

Abandoning his silent rebellion after a mere thirty seconds, Jung-oh placed his hands on the PC keyboard and resolved to take the next step quickly.

*I need to see a lawyer as soon as possible.*

He hadn’t had time to look for a lawyer due to the PT [presentation] preparation, Mi-ran’s hospitalization, and the overseas business trip. Only now could Jung-oh take a breath and begin his search.

There weren’t many law firms specializing in disputes related to single mothers, but there were still a few that stood out.

The law firms had posted relevant materials on their blogs or websites, which Jung-oh carefully reviewed.

*Oh. There’s a case similar to mine?*

Among them, one law firm that presented a case similar to his caught his attention. The blog post was also recent. It was a large law firm, but the fees seemed reasonable, and, most importantly, the initial consultation was free.

Jung-oh scheduled a consultation appointment with the law firm he had found and started working.

He had been away for three days, so there was a lot to catch up on, and it took him quite a while to complete the overseas business trip report. Moreover, Jin-seo contacted him in the afternoon, adding to Jung-oh’s sense of urgency.

Hastily grabbing the overseas business trip report, Jung-oh visited Ji-heon’s office again and placed the report on Ji-heon’s desk, saying,

“I’m late because I was swamped. I apologize, Director.”

“If you’re so busy, you could have done it tomorrow.”

Ji-heon said nonchalantly, flipping through the report. Jung-oh felt a surge of resentment.

*Jung Ji-heon, you jerk!*

*You think I’ll just keep getting pushed around? I’m going to mess with you too.*

“Come to think of it, there was one more good thing about that guy.”

Sure enough, he saw Ji-heon’s hand, which had been examining the report, twitch.

“He was incredibly cool when he cooked. And he was amazing at it.”

Ji-heon put down the report and slowly raised his head to look at her. Jung-oh was momentarily intimidated by his sharp gaze, but she bravely continued,

“He was so cool when he was chopping things. Especially when he flipped things with the frying pan, he was the best.”

“…….”

“When you make pancakes, you have to flip them, right? At that time, like this, like this. Do you know how to flip them with one hand? Using a flick of the wrist. Like this. Swish.”

Jung-oh even demonstrated the pose he made when he flipped them, deliberately provoking him.

And the finishing touch was a look of nostalgia in her eyes.

“He was really cool back then.”

Ji-heon pursed his lips tightly, trying not to betray any emotional reaction.

*Could there be another woman who talks so confidently about her ex-boyfriend in front of her current boyfriend?*

*No, am I even her current boyfriend? We’ve never even talked about it.*

“Lee Jung-oh, there’s something I want to ask you.”

“Yes, please ask.”

“What are we?”

“…….”

“Can I consider myself Lee Jung-oh’s boyfriend?”

“…….”

“Or are we just in a relationship where you only allow me access to your body?”

“Only allow you access to my body… No, I haven’t even allowed you that.”

“Never mind. I won’t say it.”

Ji-heon turned his head, afraid that she would deny it.

“I can’t even work because of Lee Jung-oh’s push and pull.”

“Yes, I didn’t intend to play push and pull, but I’m sorry for making it impossible for you to work. Then, I’ll be on my way.”

As Jung-oh shrugged and took a step back, Ji-heon became anxious again. *If this isn’t push and pull, what is it?*

“No, why are you leaving so soon?”

“Actually, I have to go out for a bit now.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Do-bin has a stomachache today and couldn’t go to the academy. There’s no one to walk Yena home after the academy.”

Yena. He couldn’t tolerate anything related to Yena either.

“Let’s go together. I’ll give you a ride.”

Ji-heon also got up from his seat.

Ji-heon made an excuse that he was going out for a while and took Jung-oh to Yena’s academy. For some reason, meeting Yena made him as nervous as meeting Jung-oh.

“What does Yena like?”

As they approached the academy, Ji-heon asked.

“Can’t you guess? She likes Go [a strategy board game], the toys that kids her age like, comedy shows, puns, things like that.”

“What about food?”

“She likes ice cream the most, but I don’t let her eat too much. She also likes tteokbokki [spicy rice cakes] and tonkatsu [pork cutlet].”

Ji-heon carefully memorized what Jung-oh had said.

*If he can’t win over the child, he’ll lose Lee Jung-oh too.*

*Conversely, if he gets closer to the child, Lee Jung-oh will open her heart more.*

He had a vague feeling that he would continue to be by this woman’s side.

He just wasn’t saying what he wanted to say because enough time hadn’t passed.

Time would pass, the seasons would change, he would visit her mother, and he would take care of any gossip that might arise in advance. He was confident that they would gradually take steps and eventually live together.

That’s why he wished time would pass a little faster.

There were many things he couldn’t do because his heart was full but time hadn’t accumulated.

Ji-heon realized that he had never thought about life or the future before.

It was only after meeting Lee Jung-oh that he became aware that he was truly living his life.

Jung-oh, who had gone up to the academy, quickly came down with Yena. The mother and daughter, holding hands tightly, looked good from afar and near.

The woman, who was particularly haughty and picky in front of him, had a completely disarmed expression in front of her child.

He didn’t feel much jealousy towards the gaze she gave her child. He didn’t have the same bubbling feeling as when he looked at the relationship between Song Gi-hoon and Lee Jung-oh.

“Mom, Do-bin didn’t come today.”

“I know. He has a stomachache.”

The child, who was moving her lips like a goldfish towards her mother, turned her head and looked at Ji-heon, and her expression hardened.

Here, there was one more woman who was particularly haughty and picky in front of Jung Ji-heon.

“Did you come again, mister?”

“Lee Yena, what do you mean ‘Did you come again, mister?’ You should say hello,” Jung-oh pointed out sharply at Yena’s prickly reaction.

Yena pouted her lips for a moment and bowed reluctantly with a displeased look.

“Hello, mister…….”

“Yes. Hello, Yena.”

Ji-heon reached out his hand in greeting. Yena stared blankly at the hand.

Ji-heon could understand the wary look in her eyes.

Perhaps it was because he remembered the way she had calmly said, ‘I don’t have a dad’ when he first met the child.

Seeing the child made his heart ache for some reason.

*I want to be friends with you, but I don’t really know how either. But I’m going to try. Because you’re the person Lee Jung-oh loves the most.*

In an instant, as if by a miracle, the child slowly began to move her hand.

Thump, thump.

Soon, a small hand, like a maple leaf, rested on Ji-heon’s large hand.

A strange tingling sensation arose inside his chest, like leaves rustling in the wind.

He became careful lest the leaf crumble. He couldn’t squeeze it tightly for fear of hurting the child, nor could he hold it loosely for fear of the child dropping it.

In that tension, his head suddenly tingled and buzzed.

*I’ll hold your hand.*

“Mister, what’s wrong?”

Yena looked up and asked when Ji-heon suddenly stopped walking.

Ji-heon, who had frowned without realizing it due to the sudden headache, quickly pulled himself together and shook his head.

“No. It’s nothing.”

Jung-oh also looked at Ji-heon with a questioning look.

The three walked to the parking lot. On the way to the parking lot, there was a bicycle storage area. Yena watched as a child, who looked three or four years older than Yena, rode away on a bicycle parked in the storage area, and asked,

“Mister, can you ride a bicycle well?”

“Of course.”

Ji-heon replied happily. He was glad for the interest the child was showing.

“Should I teach you how to ride a bicycle? I used to…….”

Screech-

*Ah!*

The headache, rushing from his ears to the back of his head and then squeezing his frontal lobe, blocked his thoughts.

The scenery in front of him receded as if a curtain was being drawn, and fragments of unfamiliar thoughts unfolded before him.

*To the baby who will be born someday.*

*I’ll let you be the first to step on the snow that fell overnight.*

*I’ll let you see the stars rising.*

*I’ll teach you how to ride a bicycle.*

*I’ll hold your hand.*

“Jung Ji-heon.”

Ji-heon, who had stopped walking and was covering his head with one hand, blinked.

Jung-oh was looking at him with a worried look. Below her, he could see the child, who looked just like Lee Jung-oh, staring at him with surprised eyes.

Ji-heon couldn’t say anything.

It felt like he had visited a moment in the past for a brief moment.

It was a heartfelt letter from Jung Ji-heon at some point in the past to someone.

……What is this memory?