A child who looks like me

As I was heading to Seoul, the sun had completely set. The closer we got to home, the more flushed Jeong-o’s face became.

The woman who had been so cautious and guarded when I first approached her was now looking out the window, her shoulders shaking with excitement. Jiheon felt a little petulant.

I’m the one who feels so regretful about parting with you, and you’re the one who looks so delighted.

“Are you that happy?”

“Of course! It’s been a while since I’ve seen my daughter.”

While my secret meetings with Jiheon were nice, the thrill of being able to see Ye-na couldn’t compare. This was the first time I had been away from my daughter for such a long period. The thought of rushing to hug Ye-na already made Jeong-o’s heart race.

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

As soon as she spotted the convenience store on the corner, Jeong-o hurriedly said.

When Jiheon parked the car, she flung the door open.

“Thank you for today! I’ll see you the day after tomorrow!”

It was a simple farewell, devoid of any romantic sentiment.

The sweet and sticky atmosphere that had enveloped us just an hour ago seemed to be tossed aside onto the road.

Not even waiting for his farewell, she dashed off, leaving Jiheon feeling frustrated again.

Jeong-o hurried up the stairs and stood in front of the front door. She was so excited that her eyes were already welling up with tears.

From inside the house, she thought she could hear the voice of her favorite animated character. She opened the door and rushed in.

“Princess Ye-na!”

“Mommy!”

Ye-na, who had spread out a blanket in front of the TV and was doing somersaults while waiting for her mom, ran to the entrance at the sound of her voice.

“Mommy!”

Oh, what a cutie!

Jeong-o scooped up her little princess and playfully shook her. Soon, Kook-soon followed behind.

As if they had seen each other yesterday or the day before, Kook-soon casually asked how things were.

“Did you eat?”

“I had a lot of in-flight meals.”

“Will that be enough? You should eat more when you get home.”

“Mom, where’s my present?”

Ye-na asked, hanging onto Jeong-o’s waist. Meanwhile, Kook-soon took the bag that Jeong-o had brought and wiped the wheels. Jeong-o opened the bag and handed Ye-na her gift. It was a plush toy of a kangaroo with a baby kangaroo in its pouch.

“Wow!”

As soon as Ye-na received the toy, she hugged it tightly as if she had fallen in love. A moment later, with the toy tucked under her arm, she ran to her room and came back with a sketchbook.

“Mom, I drew a picture!”

The drawing, showing a mother and daughter, looked as affectionate as Jeong-o and Ye-na themselves, and Jeong-o couldn’t help but admire it after a long time.

“Wow! Did you draw me and Ye-na? It’s so pretty!”

“No, it’s a kangaroo.”

“Wow! It’s a kangaroo! What a pretty kangaroo!”

Jeong-o quickly changed her words and cheered even more enthusiastically. Kook-soon laughed as if she couldn’t help it.

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

At the same time,

Doh-bin’s house felt like a funeral home.

At his father’s insistence to quit the go academy, Doh-bin burst into tears like a waterfall.

“I’m going to keep going! Ba-dukk! Ba-dukk!”

“Park Doh-bin, can’t you stop?”

“I’m going to the go academy! I’m going to the go academy!”

Even when Seung-kyu sternly urged him, it was useless.

Doh-bin lay sprawled on the living room floor, kicking the air in frustration. His stubbornness was fiercer than a rabid animal, revealing its vicious teeth.

Jin-seo, feeling disappointed, complained to Seung-kyu.

“It hasn’t even been that long since he got close to Ye-na. Why does it have to be like this? He’s only seven. So what if his learning ability drops a bit? As long as he enjoys going, that’s what matters.”

“It’s hard for him.”

“No, it’s not hard. I said I’d take him there and bring him back myself. Why are you doing this?”

As Jin-seo kept asking for reasons, Seung-kyu turned his head away. Feeling suspicious, Jin-seo turned his head back toward Seung-kyu and asked again.

“Just be honest. Is it because you feel sorry for me, or is it because you don’t want to spend the tuition?”

“……”

“Just say it. What’s the problem?”

With his wife pressing him this much, Seung-kyu had no choice but to admit the truth with a long sigh.

“Ye-na’s mom’s name is Lee Jeong-o.”

“Right. Lee Jeong-o.”

“She’s a copywriter at our company. Assistant Lee Jeong-o.”

“Oh. Max Planning?”

“Yeah.”

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

Seung-kyu sighed again.

“Jiheon likes Assistant Lee Jeong-o.”

“I heard Jiheon has a girlfriend. Isn’t it Eun-bin or something?”

“No. That’s fake. The one he really likes is Assistant Lee Jeong-o.”

Jin-seo blinked blankly for a moment, then tilted her head and asked,

“But why?”

“She’s the mother of his child.”

“……”

“He hid the fact that she’s a single mother from Jiheon.”

“…So, does Ji-heon say that you shouldn’t meet Ye-na’s mom anymore? For his sake?”

“No, Ji-heon doesn’t know yet that Ye-na’s mom is Lee Jeong-oh.”

This was already Seung-kyu’s third sigh.

“He’s worried that he might get too attached. He can’t wish for a happy ending with a single mother.”

“Hey, Park Seung-kyu.”

His wife called his name in a tone as if she were calling their son, Dabin. It was a rare occurrence, happening perhaps only once a year. Seung-kyu straightened up, feeling the tension in his shoulders.

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

He had forgotten for a moment just how intimidating she could be.

“Ji-gi, Ji-heon likes her, right? Who are you to judge and make assumptions?”

As a loving husband, he tried to listen to what she said, knowing it would lead to harmony in their home. But today, Jin-seo felt deeply disappointed in her husband.

It was his foolishness for knowing one thing and missing out on two.

“Ye-na’s mom is so wonderful, so outstanding! She’s way better than I am! I’m here, thinking about having a third child even though I have a stable husband and parents, while Ye-na’s mom has raised a child alone without a husband! Do you know what it’s like to go through the pain of childbirth? Huh?”

Her voice had grown louder.

The frustrations of being pregnant with a third child only added to her anger.

“I wanted to put Dabin and Doyun, who were inside me, into your belly for just one day. You wouldn’t understand that feeling. You’ll never know it until you die.”

As she erupted in anger, Seung-kyu bit his lips to hold back his words.

But at least it was a good thing that he was a man who could understand when shouted at.

Jin-seo sternly ordered him.

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

She firmly believed in her intuition. The Lee Jeong-oh she knew was definitely not a bad person. Just because Ji-heon became close to Lee Jeong-oh wouldn’t mean his life would fall apart. She was sure of it.

“Don’t hurt Ye-na or her mom. If you do, I won’t stay quiet.”

“…”

“Don’t make my son cry.”

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

The next day.

Having hurriedly postponed work to go on a business trip, Ji-heon returned to the office in the afternoon with a lot to catch up on.

— Are you back in the office?

Shortly after he entered his office, a text message from his friend Seung-kyu arrived. Seung-kyu had been looking for Ji-heon multiple times that day.

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

He had a hunch about what this was about. He had probably finished his investigation on Lee Jeong-oh.

However, Ji-heon felt a growing sense of tension. Was it really something urgent enough to reach out several times?

He hoped it wouldn’t be anything terrible—like Lee Jeong-oh still meeting her ex-boyfriend.

Yet, considering the child involved, it seemed natural for the child’s father to continue to be a part of her life. The child would miss their father, and she would need child support as well.

How much of her story could he truly understand? Ultimately, it was a matter of his own feelings.

In the end, no matter how horrific her story might be, it wouldn’t change how he felt about her, so he thought it unnecessary to hear the results of Seung-kyu’s investigation.

While he was lost in thought, Seung-kyu walked into the office.

“Did you have a good business trip?”

“Yeah, thanks to you.”

“Thanks to me? What do you mean?”

Seung-kyu’s expression was heavy as he responded. Ji-heon invited him to take a seat and sat down across from him.

Without dragging it out, he asked directly.

“Did you find out?”

“Yeah.”

“Is there no man?”

“They say there’s no man…”

“What about the kid’s dad? Do you know what her ex-boyfriend is like?”

“It seems hard to figure that out, too…”

“Then that’s fine.”

A smile quickly appeared on Ji-heon’s face. He didn’t need to hear more. But Seung-kyu’s expression remained grim.

“No, there’s something more important, my friend.”

“…”

“Do you remember Ye-na? Dabin’s friend, Ye-na.”

Ji-heon froze.

The smile that had formed on his lips vanished.

Ah.

In that moment, he didn’t know why he felt that way. A sudden wave rose in his heart.

It was like finding the bluebird he had been searching for right next to him.

The feeling he had when he found a puzzle piece that had been scattered throughout the house right there on his desk.

“…They say that her mom is Lee Jeong-oh.”

Seeing Ji-heon’s stunned expression, Seung-kyu jumped up and waved his hands.

“I didn’t know! I really didn’t! According to your wife, it wasn’t Ye-na’s mom who approached them, but Dabin’s mom who made the first move. Dabin’s mom was trying to get close to Lee Jeong-oh. She thought it would be nice for Dabin and Ye-na to be friends because Ye-na is so smart and capable…”

He was excited, worried he might be misunderstood.

“At least it’s clear she didn’t use Ye-na to get close to you. Your wife is even more convinced than I am. I don’t know how you feel about it…”

But Ji-heon said.

“I thought so.”

“What?”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

He just smiled faintly.

Now he understood why his feelings for the child were so overwhelming.

Because she resembled him too much.

It felt like his buried feelings had already made a decision long ago; somehow, he felt relieved.

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

After the long preparation for a competitive PT and a weekend business trip, Jeong-oh finally received a day off.

Although it was a short one-day vacation, she could relax for the first time in a while. Well, she wasn’t really resting; she simply wasn’t going to work.

After dropping her child off at daycare, she helped her mother, Guk-soon, with her restaurant work during lunch. Unfortunately, she was blessed with a magical skill that turned any food she touched into something inedible, so she didn’t help with cooking but focused on serving instead. Even so, it was incredibly busy.

Guk-soon urged her to go inside and rest, but Jeong-oh stubbornly insisted on helping with the dishes.

After working hard, it was already time for Ye-na to go to her after-school academy.

Today, Jeong-oh had decided to take Dabin and Ye-na to their academy. She also planned to invite Dabin, Doyun, and Jin-seo over for dinner in the evening, wanting to express her gratitude for all the hard work Jin-seo had been doing.

After first stopping by the daycare to pick up Ye-na, they walked to the pretty songbird daycare to get Dabin and then took a taxi. In the taxi, the children’s cheerful voices filled the air.

Dabin looked especially moved today. Seeing Dabin hold Ye-na’s hand tightly and not let go made Jeong-oh smile brightly.

When they arrived in front of the academy and got out of the taxi, her phone rang with a call from Jin-seo.

“Yes, Dabin’s mom. We just arrived in front of the academy with Dabin and Ye-na.”

Thinking that Jin-seo was worried, Jeong-oh picked up the phone to share the news.

[Jeong-oh, Ye-na’s mom, actually I have something to tell you.] But it was about something else entirely.

“Yes, what is it?”

Sure! Here’s the translated text:

—

“…So Jiheon said not to meet Yena’s mom anymore? To him?”

“No. Jiheon doesn’t know yet that Yena’s mom is Lee Jeong-oh’s agent.”

By now, Seung-kyu let out his third sigh.

“He’s worried that Jiheon might get too attached. You can’t hope for a single mother to be in a good situation, can you?”

“Hey, Park Seung-kyu.”

She called her husband’s name as if summoning her son, Dobin, from the sky. It was a rare occurrence, maybe once a year. Seung-kyu’s shoulders, which had been drooping, straightened up.

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

He had temporarily forgotten just how frightening she was.

“You said Jiheon likes her. Who are you to judge so freely?”

She was trying hard to maintain peace in their family because she loved her husband. She made an effort to listen to him, as it usually led to a peaceful home. But today, Jin-seo was greatly disappointed in her husband.

In his foolishness, knowing one thing but not the other.

“How wonderful is Yena’s mom, how wonderful! Much more wonderful than I am! I have a perfectly fine husband, and both of my parents are around, yet I’m still considering having a third child, and Yena’s mom had her child alone, without a husband! Do you even know what it’s like to give birth to a child? Huh?”

Her voice had grown louder.

The sorrow of being pregnant with a third child added to her anger today, overwhelming her emotions.

“If I could, I would have wanted to put Dobin and Doyun, who were once in my belly, in yours for just a day. You wouldn’t understand that feeling. You never will.”

As she yelled, Seung-kyu hid his lips in silence.

At least it was fortunate that he was the type of man who would understand if scolded.

Jin-seo firmly ordered him, “You have to tell Jeong Jiheon the truth immediately. And you should stay out of it.”

She had strong faith in her instincts. She knew that Lee Jeong-oh was definitely not a bad person. Just because Jiheon and Jeong-oh had become friends wouldn’t mean Jiheon’s life would fall into despair. She could assure that.

“Don’t hurt Yena or her mom. If you do, I won’t just stand by.”

“……”

“Don’t let any tears fall from my son’s eyes.”

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

The next day.

Having rushed back from a business trip, there was much work waiting for Jiheon. He returned to the office in the afternoon after going out to various places.

“Are you in the office?”

Not long after entering his office, a text message from his friend Seung-kyu arrived. Seung-kyu had reached out to Jiheon several times that day.

Jiheon replied and waited for Seung-kyu.

He could guess the reason. He must have finished investigating Lee Jeong-oh.

However, he wondered if it was really urgent enough for multiple messages. Jiheon felt a twinge of nervousness.

He hoped it wasn’t something terrible, like Jeong-oh still seeing her ex-boyfriend.

But if it involved a child, it was only natural to continue seeing the child’s father. The child would miss the father, and they would need child support too.

How much could he understand her story? Ultimately, it was a matter of her feelings.

Still, it seemed that whatever horrific tale she had wouldn’t change his feelings much, so there wasn’t a need to hear the investigation results from Seung-kyu.

While he was pondering, Seung-kyu entered the office.

“Did you have a good business trip?”

“Yeah. Thanks to you.”

“Thanks? What do you mean?”

Seung-kyu’s expression looked serious. Jiheon offered him a seat and sat across from him.

Without dragging it out, he asked directly, “Did you find out anything?”

“Yeah.”

“There’s no man, right?”

“They say there’s no man…”

“What about the baby’s father? You don’t even know what kind of guy her ex-boyfriend is?”

“It seems that’s not very clear either…”

“Well, that’s fine.”

A smile quickly appeared on Jiheon’s face. There was no need to hear more. However, Seung-kyu’s expression still wasn’t bright.

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

“……”

“You know Yena? Dobin’s friend, Yena.”

Jiheon paused.

The smile that had been on his lips faded.

Ah.

At that moment, he didn’t know why he felt that way. A sharp wave of emotion rose from his chest.

It felt like finding the bluebird he had been searching for all over the world right next to him.

Like discovering a puzzle piece that had made him rummage around the house right on his desk.

“……Yena’s mom is Lee Jeong-oh’s agent.”

Seeing Jiheon’s blank expression, Seung-kyu jumped up and waved his hands.

“I had no idea! I really didn’t know! According to my wife, it wasn’t Yena’s mom who approached us first, but Dobin’s mom who initiated contact. She tried to get close to Lee Jeong-oh because Yena is so smart and capable, thinking it would be nice for Dobin and Yena to be friends…”

He was too excited to avoid being misunderstood.

“At least she didn’t use Yena to approach you. That much is certain. My wife is more convinced than I am. I don’t know how it was for you, but…”

But Jiheon said, “I thought so.”

“What?”

“I kept thinking about it.”

He just smiled faintly.

Now he understood why he felt so moved whenever he saw the child.

Because she resembled him so much.

His latent feelings seemed to have already reached a conclusion a long time ago, leaving him with a strange sense of relief.

“Can you help me out a bit?”

Jiheon asked his friend again.

“You’re right. I really need to ask for your help.”

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

After a long competition preparing for a presentation and a weekend business trip, Jeong-oh received a short one-day vacation.

Even though it was a short break, Jeong-oh could finally relax for the first time in a while. Well, she wasn’t exactly resting; she just didn’t go to the office.

After sending the child to daycare, she helped at her mom Guk-soon’s restaurant during lunchtime. She had the magical talent to make food taste terrible whenever she touched it, so she couldn’t help with cooking, but she served instead. Nevertheless, it was quite busy.

Guk-soon urged her to go rest, but Jeong-oh stubbornly insisted on doing the dishes.

After moving around so busily, it was soon time for Yena to go to her baduk (Go) academy.

Today, Jeong-oh had planned to take Dobin and Yena to the academy. In the evening, she also planned to invite Dobin and Doyun to their house. She wanted to express her gratitude to Jin-seo, knowing how much she had suffered recently.

She first stopped by the daycare to pick up Yena and walked with her to the kids’ baduk academy to pick up Dobin. They took a taxi together. In the taxi, the children’s cheerful voices never ceased.

Dobin looked particularly thrilled today. Seeing him hold Yena’s hand tightly without letting go made Jeong-oh smile.

When they arrived in front of the academy, Jeong-oh received a call from Jin-seo.

“Yes, Dobin’s mom, we just arrived at the academy with Dobin and Yena.”

Thinking Jin-seo was worried, Jeong-oh answered the call right away to give her the news.

[Jeong-oh, there’s something I need to tell you.]
However, it was about something else.

“Yes, what is it?”

[You remember I told you Dobin has a friend? I wonder if Yena might have mentioned it, but that person has gotten really close to Yena lately.]

Completely unexpected, the topic made Jeong-oh’s eyes widen.

“Oh, you mean the person who played baduk with Yena, right?”

[Yes, yes! That person. I heard he went on an overseas business trip and bought a gift. He wants to give it to Yena and Dobin together.]

“Oh, no! That’s not necessary. It’s fine.”

[He said he thought about it and bought the gift, so it’s hard to just say it’s okay. It’s a bit awkward, but…]
“……”

[He said he would pass by the academy, so would you like to meet him?]
She would usually refuse, but

[Yena’s mom must be curious about what kind of uncle Yena is talking about, so I thought it would be nice to see each other’s faces. What should I tell him?]
Jeong-oh changed her mind under Jin-seo’s persuasion. She thought it wasn’t something worth worrying about.

After all, this person was someone she was grateful to. Since he cherished Yena so much, Jeong-oh was curious about his face too.

‘Oh, it’s not because Mom said he’s handsome that I’m curious.’

She hid her slightly guilty feelings and replied to Jin-seo.

“Yes, then I’ll meet him here and greet him. The kids will recognize him easily since they know what he looks like.”

Jeong-oh spoke lightly and hung up the phone.

“Mom, what’s up?”

As soon as she hung up, Yena looked up with round eyes and asked.

“Do you remember the uncle who came over to Dobin’s house before?”

“I know! The baduk uncle!”

Dobin was the first to answer Jeong-oh’s question.

“Right. The baduk uncle. He’s coming here.”

“Why?”

“He says he’s bringing a gift.”

“Is it for Yena?”

“What about Dobin’s gift?”

Following Yena, Dobin’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he asked.

“He said there are gifts for both Yena and Dobin.”

“Wow!”

The kids jumped up in their spots, clapping their hands. They were at the age where gifts could be received without any burden.

Jeong-oh felt a little of her own burden lifted.

They could gratefully accept a gift given just for the cuteness of the child.

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

Soon, a car stopped a few steps away.

“Um….”

Jeong-oh hesitated.

She recognized the car that she had seen many times. The vehicle was one she was now familiar with.

Before she could confirm the person, her nose tingled.

Soon, the driver’s side door opened, and a man stepped out.

“Uncle!”

“Mr.!”

The children ran over, each calling out a name they could easily say.

Jeong-oh felt rooted to the spot as if her feet were stuck to the ground.

Jiheon first approached and lightly tapped Dobin on the shoulder, asking.

“Have you been well, Dobin?”

His voice, a little dry but gentle, felt like the cool breeze of a summer evening in Jeong-oh’s ears.

“Yes!”

Dobin answered bravely.

Jiheon then turned his gaze toward Yena, who stood behind.

Taking a step forward, Jiheon knelt on one knee to match Yena’s height.

Once.

In the past.

A scene that always needed a “one day” prefix.

While she could imagine it with her eyes closed, it always felt distant when her eyes were open.

That very scene was now in front of Jeong-oh.

He greeted Yena, “Hello, Yena.”

Ah.

A hot breath escaped her lips without her realizing it. Jeong-oh covered her mouth, surprised by her own reaction.