A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 79

79. I’m Not Giving You Anything

Jeong-o laughed, but a pang of sympathy struck her as she understood Ji-heon’s longing.

Ye-na’s sleeping face. It was irresistible.

“Hoo.”

“If it’s too much to ask…”

“No. I understand you perfectly well, Oppa.”

“……”

“I’ve seen Ye-na sleeping thousands of times, and I still can’t get enough. She’s a real angel.”

She couldn’t bring herself to admit her secret hobby of teasing Ye-na while she slept—holding her hand, touching her cheek, even kissing her. She feared Ji-heon might try it too and quickly become addicted.

“But are you sure? Once you see her, you’ll be thinking about her constantly, wanting to come over every day.”

“Could I just take one picture?”

“That won’t work. I can’t turn on the light to take a picture while she’s sleeping. And I can’t use the flash.”

“Ah. I guess not.”

Ji-heon’s worry deepened at her motherly refusal.

“I’ll ask Mom first.”

Jeong-o immediately contacted Guk-soon. She knew Guk-soon would understand Ji-heon. Guk-soon clicked her tongue about twenty times, feeling sorry for Ji-heon, and then told him to come over quickly before hanging up.

With Guk-soon’s permission, the car sped up and soon arrived in front of Jeong-o’s house. The two quietly climbed the stairs and opened the front door. Guk-soon was waiting in the living room.

Ji-heon greeted her first.

“Mother, how have you been?”

“Good. I see you often enough.”

“I’m sorry for coming so late.”

“No, come on in.”

Ji-heon carefully took off his shoes and went inside.

The first day to meet sleeping Ye-na. Ji-heon resolved to just take a quick peek and leave, then entered the room. Jeong-o opened the door for him.

Inside the dimly lit room, the light from the open door allowed him to see the sleeping child.

White cheeks, neatly closed eyelashes, plump lips quietly shut, soft, cute breathing. Everything tugged at Ji-heon’s heart.

*She really is a baby angel.*

Ji-heon quietly sighed.

When he was seven years old, Ji-heon often convulsed and woke up from nightmares. He dreamed of fighting monsters or being chased by someone and falling off a cliff, but his parents dismissed it as ‘growing pains’ [a common Korean expression for growing spurts].

He still occasionally has ‘dreams of growing taller,’ even though his growth has stopped.

Ji-heon hoped that the child’s dreams would be peaceful. He would protect her from all the storms of the world in the future, but he couldn’t protect her in her dreams.

As he quietly watched, the child’s fingers wiggled, and Ji-heon unknowingly placed his finger on her palm.

Ye-na tightly gripped Ji-heon’s finger. A thrill ran through his entire body. He wanted to stay locked in the child’s small hand like that forever. He felt like he could do it all night.

It was a night he was sad to leave.

Ji-heon steeled himself and got up. He earnestly hoped that one day, checking on his daughter’s sleeping face would become a daily routine.

As he quietly closed the door and came out, Guk-soon asked.

“Shall I get you some fruit?”

“It’s okay.”

“Eat before you go.”

The table was already full of fruit. Unable to refuse any longer, Ji-heon sat down. Jeong-o, who had washed up, also bustled into the kitchen.

“Ugh, I already brushed my teeth! If I had known, I wouldn’t have brushed them.”

“If you brushed, don’t eat.”

“Ugh. Still, how can I not eat? Our Madam [term of endearment for ‘Mom’] personally brought it here for me.”

“I didn’t put it out for *you* to eat.”

“Ugh. Still, if I don’t eat, you’ll worry about me, wondering if I’m sick or why I can’t eat the fruit in front of me.”

Jeong-o didn’t argue further, perhaps acknowledging it herself.

Ji-heon quickly glanced around, quietly listening to the mother and daughter’s conversation.

*So, this is what Lee Jeong-o is like at home.*

Lee Jeong-o in front of her mother was much more affectionate and energetic than the Lee Jeong-o that Ji-heon knew. It was a harmonious scene that couldn’t be compared to Ji-heon’s family, which was full of obsession and control. It was a peaceful and warm night that made him, who had so much, feel pathetic.

“Eat up. Eat a lot. You have to drive again.”

Guk-soon indifferently brushed off Jeong-o’s ticklish affection and placed fruit on Ji-heon’s plate. Ji-heon accepted everything Guk-soon gave him. Guk-soon watched Ji-heon eat with a satisfied expression and said.

“What are we going to do if something suddenly comes up? I’ve already booked the train tickets for tomorrow.”

“Exclude Jeong-o…”

“Mom and Ye-na will have to go alone.”

Ji-heon quickly spoke up at Guk-soon’s worries, but his words were drowned out by Jeong-o’s. Ji-heon wanted to exclude Jeong-o from weekend work, but Jeong-o’s will was firm. Guk-soon nodded as if she understood.

“That’s right. There’s nothing we can do. All my friends who live in Jeonju said they’re coming to see Ye-na, so we have to go.”

Ji-heon’s head naturally bowed in humility. Guk-soon recognized this and said coolly.

“Aigoo [expression of exasperation or endearment]. You don’t have to be so cautious, like a criminal. It’s not like this is the first time.”

“Yes…”

“You two can have a good time while Ye-na’s gone.”

Ji-heon, slightly surprised by Guk-soon’s open-minded thinking, replied with a shy expression like a new bride.

“……That’s not true.”

Guk-soon secretly chuckled at the voice that didn’t match his large frame.

*This guy. I can guess how you seduced our Jeong-o, but you’re pretending to be so innocent in front of me.*

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

Early morning.

Ye-na woke up before her mom and woke her up.

“Mom, Mom, wake up. It’s morning!”

In her dream, Ye-na celebrated Christmas. Like her friends at daycare, she shouted that Santa Claus was fake, but the Santa Claus in her dream laughed and told her to touch him because he was real.

Ye-na pulled on Santa Claus’s long beard. The beard didn’t come off. Having realized that Santa Claus was real, Ye-na cheered and took Santa Claus’s hand. The old man’s hand was big and warm, making her feel secure.

A truly amazing and happy dream. That’s why she felt good from the morning.

“Mom, hurry up and get ready, so Ye-na and you can go to Gunsan! Wake up quickly!”

At Ye-na’s urging, Jeong-o groggily woke up.

“Ye-na, Mom has something to tell you.”

“……”

“Mom can’t go to Gunsan with Ye-na today.”

The voice that had been so excited quickly darkened.

“Why?”

“Something came up at work, so I can’t go. But our princess will have fun and play for Mom too, right?”

Ye-na, with tears welling up in her eyes, retorted.

“Why can’t you go? Did that Mister make you work again?”

“No, it has nothing to do with Dad. Mom has a lot of work to do.”

To Ye-na, who stubbornly called him ‘Mister,’ Jeong-o steadfastly emphasized ‘Dad.’

From Ye-na’s perspective, everything was just upsetting.

She had a happy dream where Santa Claus appeared, but reality was despairing.

But Ye-na also knew that she couldn’t stubbornly insist on a normal weekend that wasn’t Children’s Day, Christmas, or her birthday. Ye-na swallowed her sadness with minimal requests.

“Mom, don’t play with that Mister. Okay?”

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

Ye-na burst into tears again the moment Jeong-o left for work. Guk-soon took out the ice cream she had hidden and barely managed to calm Ye-na down.

She wondered if they would even be able to go to Gunsan today.

Jeong-o left the house with heavy steps. Ji-heon was waiting in front of the house as always. It was only a few hours since they had last met. Jeong-o’s eyebrows drooped with a mix of happiness and guilt.

“Why did you come today?”

“We have to go to work together.”

“It’s a lot of work to commute this way every day. You might as well move over here, Oppa.”

Ji-heon, who was seriously considering it, smiled.

“Ye-na must be very upset that we can’t go together.”

Jeong-o was about to mention that Ye-na had just cried, but she closed her mouth. She was worried that Ji-heon might mix personal feelings into official matters.

The two arrived at the company without being late.

The competitive PT [presentation] was over, and she thought she could finally take a breather, but then there was weekend work again.

Fortunately, the client gave feedback right away.

Eun-ju and Gi-hoon refined the package drafts and sent them to the client early in the morning, and the client was roughly satisfied. Thus, after detailed exchanges of opinions, the production team was able to go home at 6 PM with the 4th draft.

Not missing this opportunity, Ji-heon came to Jeong-o.

“Lee Jeong-o-ssi [formal address], you’re going to leave work, right?”

“Yes, Director.”

“Shall we go to my house today?”

*Ughhhhh. Director Ji, you rascal!*

Jeong-o quickly looked around, worried that someone nearby might have heard. Fortunately, no one was there, but Ji-heon’s reckless remark could not be overlooked.

“I’m not going! Never!”

Jeong-o glared and shouted in a small voice. From Ji-heon’s perspective, it seemed like a very cute struggle.

He had spoken in the form of a suggestion, ‘Shall we go home?’, but it was actually a notification. His mother had also acknowledged it and told them to have a good time, so he couldn’t ignore those precious words. He was determined not to let her sleep alone.

Ji-heon turned away from the growling Jeong-o and signaled with his eyes. He meant that he would wait in front of the company.

Jeong-o, feeling like she had been pushed back by Ji-heon’s momentum, quickly moved even though she felt wronged. It would be a big problem if someone found Ji-heon outside the company because she was acting sluggishly.

“Wow, Jeong Ji-heon, seriously!”

Jeong-o, who had finished her work and rushed out, opened the door of Ji-heon’s parked car and huffed.

“Are you doing this on purpose? Because you want others to hear us.”

This man was capable of anything.

Besides, no matter how much I growl like this, he won’t reflect on his shamelessness.

Seeing the man nonchalantly driving the car, she wanted to hit him. But she couldn’t hit the driver.

“Oppa, when we go to Oppa’s house…”

Jeong-o, who had come up with a brilliant idea, opened her mouth in a gentle voice.

“I was going to give you a really good gift, but you were so careless that my heart has completely disappeared.”

Indeed, it was very clear that this man’s eyes had doubled in size.

“……Huh?”

“I’m not giving you anything.”

“Huh?”

“I said, no gift.”

“You have to give it to me. How can you say you’re going to give it and then not give it?”

But as if trying to hide his flustered heart, he didn’t raise his voice. He chose a method of persuading her very gently. But there was no way Jeong-o would change her mind.

“Here it is. I’m not giving it to you.”

“Then that won’t do.”

“It’s your own fault. I have to be in a good mood to give you a gift, but I’m not in the mood.”

“……I was wrong.”

Only then did he lower his tail. Jeong-o suppressed the corners of her lips, which were about to soar into the sky, and asked firmly.

“What did you do wrong?”

“Saying ‘come to my house’ at the company.”

“Then what are you going to do in the future?”

“……I’ll be careful about acknowledging you at the company.”

“Really? Can I trust you?”

“You can trust me.”

Ehehehehe. Jeong-o burst into laughter, which she had been holding back for a while. Ji-heon, who had been easily tamed, sighed deeply.

By the time they arrived in front of Ji-heon’s house, it was already dusk. The two parked their car in the underground parking lot and moved together.

Perhaps because the elevator had to go up so high, Jeong-o became a little nervous this time as well, just like when she first visited this place.

She knew too well how this man changed in a space where it was just the two of them, so perhaps her heart, remembering this, was reacting.

It felt like he was looking at her for longer, and the look in his eyes had become about 10 degrees hotter.

Since silence was somehow more uncomfortable, Jeong-o smiled and spoke.

“Shall I give you the gift now? It’s in my bag.”

“You don’t have to prepare anything like that. I have plenty at my house.”

Jeong-o’s nostrils flared.

“……Oppa, what do you even think a gift is?”