A Child Who Resembles Me [EN]: Chapter 95

95. Did You Save the Universe or Something?

Sooin’s mom, facing Jiheon’s murderous glare, trembled, clutching her hands together.

“Jaein, Sooin, let’s go home.”

She didn’t apologize in the end.

“Teacher, I can’t send my kids to this academy anymore. Please return the tuition fee.”

Instead, they were completely removed from the academy.

“Teacher, you know Jaein was preparing for the Baduk [Go] tournament, right? If he wins an award at the Baduk tournament, it would be great publicity for the academy, but it’s a pity. If you do business like this, the academy might have to close down.”

Sooin’s mom, holding Jaein and Sooin’s hands tightly, cursed until the end. It was not a graceful exit.

The director didn’t bother trying to stop Sooin’s mom.

“I’ve been discourteous. I’m sorry.”

After Sooin’s mom left, Jiheon apologized to the director.

“No, it’s okay.”

Later, it turned out that Sooin’s mom had been threatening to move to a rival academy for a long time if Jaein wasn’t given special attention. With them gone, the director looked relieved.

A little later, Jinseo arrived at the academy. Jinseo recognized Jiheon and greeted him brightly.

“Jiheon is here to pick up Yena today!”

“Yes, hello.”

Jiheon politely responded to Jinseo, greeted the academy teachers, and left with Yena and Dobin.

Walking down the stairs, Dobin told Jinseo what had happened that day.

“Mom, today I fought with Hong Sooin’s mom and the Baduk [Go] uncle. But the Baduk uncle said he was Yena’s dad.”

“Dobin, the Baduk uncle *is* Yena’s dad.”

Jinseo told Dobin. Dobin blinked and asked.

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why? Because he’s Yena’s dad.”

“Why?”

Dobin, who didn’t know the story of Yena and Jiheon, couldn’t help but be confused. Yena, who was listening next to him, answered instead.

“I lost my dad, but I found him.”

“Wow! Really?”

“Yeah. We have the same map in our blood. Right, Dad?”

“Whyyy?”

Even as Yena raised her head and spoke to Jiheon, Dobin interrupted, stuck on his question.

Trapped in the cycle of ‘why,’ Yena told Dobin the story she had heard from Jeongo.

“Dobin, the reason why our dad is our dad is the same as beans coming from where beans are planted, and red beans coming from where red beans are planted.”

“What’s that? Does it mean you planted the Baduk [Go] uncle like beans?”

Dobin asked again, not understanding the metaphor. It seemed it would take a long time to convince Dobin.

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

– Could you spare some time after the hair loss prevention shampoo meeting today? I have something important to tell you.

After the meeting, Team Leader Sung Miran and Deputy Manager Park Younggwang from Production Team 2 remained in the conference room, following Jeongo’s text message. Soon, Assistant Manager Go Eunju also returned to the conference room and took her seat.

It was Jeongo who had called the meeting, but she had hurriedly disappeared after the meeting and hadn’t appeared yet.

Miran asked Eunju.

“Where’s Assistant Manager Lee Jeongo?”

“She went to call Gihun.”

“Assistant Manager Lee Jeongo said she had something to say. What could it be?”

The team members’ expressions were very dark, so Miran asked in a deliberately bright voice. Eunju replied sullenly.

“Don’t you already know, Team Leader? You have the best intuition.”

Ah, Assistant Manager Go Eunju had noticed too. Miran smiled awkwardly and replied.

“If you pretend not to know, the person speaking will enjoy talking more, right?”

“Do we have to make it enjoyable to talk? Gihun is dying like that?”

“Still, we should celebrate what we need to celebrate, shouldn’t we?”

“I really don’t want to.”

Miran tried to lighten the mood, but it didn’t work. Eunju retorted cynically.

“I hate the atmosphere of getting a couple stamped and approved. I really hate Director Jung Jiheon, and honestly, I wish she wouldn’t stick to Assistant Manager Lee, and I’d feel relieved if our fresh Gihun and Assistant Manager Lee worked out.”

“Still, that won’t do.”

Miran retorted, watching Eunju’s heated expression.

“Even if all the couples in the world break up, you can’t touch that one.”

“Team Leader, whose side are you on?”

Eunju burst out. It was a new side of Go Eunju, who rarely showed emotion about other people’s affairs.

“How can you say that when the angelic Assistant Manager Lee has fallen for that psycho? Aren’t you angry that our smart and hardworking Song Gihun is neglecting his meals?”

But we can’t stop fate.

Miran couldn’t say anything and just smiled awkwardly.

Before Eunju’s harsh words could continue, the conference room door opened, and Jeongo came in.

“I’m sorry I’m late.”

“Where’s Gihun?”

“…He left work early.”

Jeongo replied to Miran’s question with a helpless expression. Eunju turned her head and sighed bitterly. She had never resented Jeongo as much as she did today.

Jeongo opened her mouth.

“I’m sorry everyone is busy. The reason I urgently requested this meeting is…”

“We know everything, Assistant Manager.”

Eunju couldn’t stand Jeongo starting to speak and cut her off in the middle. Jeongo’s eyes widened for a moment at Eunju’s cold reply.

“Oh, how?”

“Everyone has a sense.”

“…Then do you also know that my daughter is Director Jung Jiheon’s biological daughter?”

This time, Eunju’s eyes went blank. She wondered what she had just heard. Deputy Manager Park Younggwang opened his mouth like someone whose jaw had dropped.

“Ah, you didn’t know that. That’s what I was going to tell you.”

“Wait, wait, wait. What, what, what did you say?”

A chill ran through her heart. She felt like her fingertips and toes were freezing. What? Whose daughter did you say?

“Who is whose daughter?”

Eunju couldn’t believe what she had heard.

Once, Eunju had seen a picture of Yena. A princess recognizes a princess. Eunju thought that the same blood flowed through Yena as she did because of Yena’s beauty and loveliness. Yena had to be a noble being born from something noble.

But, whose biological daughter? Not an adopted daughter, but a biological daughter?

While Eunju and Younggwang were in shock and couldn’t close their mouths, Miran’s expression remained calm. Eunju looked at Miran with a betrayed feeling and questioned her.

“Is that what you meant earlier, Team Leader?”

“Team Leader, did you know?”

Jeongo also found Miran’s reaction surprising and asked. Miran nodded awkwardly.

“Assistant Manager Lee mentioned it once, didn’t she? That she knew Director Jung before the accident…”

In fact, the only person who properly understood the relationship between Jung Jiheon and Lee Jeongo was Team Leader Sung Miran.

Miran had noticed the relationship between the two a long time ago. That’s why she had been staring blankly at Jeongo so often. She had noticed, but she couldn’t believe it, and her mouth was itching to ask.

“Director’s accident was seven years ago, and the child is seven years old, so I thought it might be possible. But I wasn’t sure.”

But she couldn’t bring herself to ask, so she was frustrated, but today she found out the secret, and honestly, she felt relieved.

While an excited Eunju was fanning her flushed face, Younggwang asked.

“Did you tell Gihun too?”

“Yes.”

“How did he react?”

“…He blinked blankly and left.”

“It was a game that Gihun couldn’t win from the start. So Gihun was shocked and left.”

Hearing the news of their relationship and the news of the child would have been the last straw.

“Deputy Manager Park, comfort Gihun.”

“I will.”

Deputy Manager Park Younggwang got up from his seat first at Miran’s request. Eunju followed.

Miran comforted Jeongo, who was very nervous.

“Assistant Manager Lee, don’t worry. Gihun is a bright person by nature, so he’ll shake it off tomorrow and come to work as if nothing happened. He’s just a little dazed right now.”

“Yes, I believe that too.”

Eunju chattered, sticking right next to Younggwang.

“Deputy Manager, you went on a business trip with the director and didn’t know that?”

“I know, right? I didn’t know anything. How can such a dramatic thing happen?”

“Haa. I said so many bad things about Director Jung to Assistant Manager Lee!”

Eunju roared, taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around.

“Knowing the truth makes me hate the person I hated even more.”

What’s meant to be will be. She was very unhappy with this fact.

“Is there no kind god in this world? What on earth did that guy do to be born with that personality and get not only Lee Jeongo but also such a pretty daughter?”

“……”

“Did you save the universe or something?”

Eunju thought she would hate Jiheon even more in the future.

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

The team members went to comfort Gihun, and Jeongo was left alone in the office for the first time in a long time.

It was a huge mess, and it seemed like the aftermath would last for a long time, but Jeongo also felt relieved after telling all the team members. They made such a fuss now, but the kind-hearted team members would continue to be on Jeongo’s side.

‘Jung Jiheon will be happy too. Now that I’ve told you everything.’

You caused the accident, but why do I have to clean it up?

She was unhappy with that fact, but her heart softened when she saw Jiheon’s face looking at her from afar. He had taken Yena to the restaurant and returned to the company. Jeongo saw Jiheon leaving for his office and followed him.

Jiheon also noticed Jeongo following him and left the door of his office open.

Inside the office, Jiheon was waiting in front of the door. As she stepped inside, Jiheon pulled her in further.

Hugging Jiheon, Jeongo heard the sound of the door closing behind her.

It’s so strange. I was definitely furious during the day, but as I solved everyday problems one by one, my heart was relieved.

In order for perfect strangers who have lived differently to live together, there are many things that must be in place beforehand. One of them is being able to resolve anger. Understanding you, who is different from me.

We will continue to solve the countless conflicts that will arise in the future and come back to hug each other.

I told the team members everything. Are you satisfied now?

She was about to tell him that with a generous heart, but he spoke first.

“I love you.”

Jeongo froze at the soft voice that felt so deep. She stopped her comfortable breathing. Transparent beads quickly swelled above her pupils.

At that reaction, Jiheon took a step back, lowered his head, and asked.

“What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Did something happen?”

“You made me cry, right now!”

Her heart was beating painfully.

How could you do this?

Suddenly, out of the blue, without giving me time to prepare.

What am I supposed to do if you confess like you’re giving a weekly report, like you’re saying good morning to Yena!

“What, suddenly!”

Why are you saying that to me now!

“Why are you saying something you’ve never said in your life so suddenly!”

Why do you say such things without any sign? So easily.

Why didn’t you say it until now when you could have said it so easily!

“I suddenly remembered.”

“……”

“That I regretted saving those words.”

He lowered his eyelids and answered. Her face was distorted.

“Yeah! Why! You!”

Jeongo’s resentful outburst continued, hitting his chest with every word.

“Saving those words! For 7 years! 7 years!”

Love. Why did you come so late.

7 years ago, she didn’t have confidence because that one word was missing.

She also let him go because she didn’t hear that one word.

“I thought I was abandoned because you didn’t say those words, Oppa [older brother/term of endearment].”

Because you didn’t say you loved me, I couldn’t love myself.

The pent-up resentment continued to pour out, but before she knew it, she was held by Jiheon again and hugged tightly.

He was also breathing painfully, not glossing over it with a smile. Eventually, Jeongo’s palms, which had been hitting Jiheon, landed gently on his broad back.

“Say it often from now on. More than once a week. Got it?”

“Is once a week enough?”

“Just do it properly even if it’s only once a week.”

At Jeongo’s grumbling, Jiheon finally chuckled.

“I love you.”

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

Even after having a dad, Yena’s daily life doesn’t change much.

After school, she returns to her grandmother’s restaurant, watches people come and go, and then goes home with her grandmother.

It was a day when there weren’t many customers at the restaurant for some reason, but neither the grandmother nor the granddaughter were very worried. Guksuk, who was having the happiest and most satisfying days of the year, gratefully accepted this as well and finished her business early.

“Let’s go home, puppy!”

At the words to go home, Yena followed like a real puppy. On the way home, I have to tell Grandma how cool Dad was at school today.

When I get home, I have to tie the doll’s hair, take out the jelly I froze yesterday, and go to bed with the temporary tattoo stickers I got from Dobin. Even as Guksuk was locking the door, she was fidgeting, thinking about things to do.

“Grandma, hurry up. It’s going to be morning at this rate.”

“Okay, okay. Our boss.”

Even while listening to her granddaughter’s nagging, Guksuk wore a happy smile. Guksuk also likes this time of day when she finishes her daily routine and returns home as much as Yena.

However, the moment she turned around holding the child’s hand, Guksuk’s smile disappeared.

A woman and a man with small cameras were standing there. They were taking pictures of the exterior of ‘Guksuk Baekban’ without Guksuk’s permission.

“Is this the restaurant that makes that garbage stew?”