A child who looks like me

Eun-bi’s commute was a hellish journey.

Work was no longer fun. She couldn’t stand the team leader who nagged about ideas every day, nor could she endure Jeong Ji-heon, who treated her like she didn’t exist.

Moreover, today was the day Lee Jeong-oh returned from his overseas business trip and vacation.

She felt like she wouldn’t be able to bear watching Ji-heon gaze at Jeong-oh with such admiration.

It was incredibly frustrating and painful to know that her brother Eun-yeop had instructed her to stay out of it, leaving her powerless.

Yesterday, she received a call from Mrs. Jang Young-mi but didn’t answer. She could guess what the call was about, and she couldn’t bear to pick up. If Mrs. Jang asked whether she had really broken up with Ji-heon, she would have to tell the truth, but she couldn’t say those words herself.

Amidst all this annoyance, she spotted the root cause of her troubles: Lee Jeong-oh.

About twenty minutes ago, she had seen him heading toward Ji-heon’s office, and now he had finally appeared. Thinking about what the two of them had done in those twenty minutes made her blood boil.

Ji-heon is mine!

Eun-bi chased after Jeong-oh, who was heading to the pantry, and coldly said, “Lee Jeong-oh, do you know? You’re disposable.”

“……”

“Who would take in a single mother with nothing to her name? Someday, when your brother comes to his senses, you’ll be discarded. What will you do then?”

“……”

“I’m really worried about you.”

Her voice, laced with a smile, couldn’t possibly sound like concern. Jeong-oh seemed to understand Eun-bi’s intentions well. In truth, he felt pity for her.

“Eun-bi, is that worry really for me?”

Jeong-oh asked without any change in emotion.

“Disposable? That’s not about you?”

Eun-bi’s eyes widened. Jeong-oh gave a bitter smile and continued.

“Sorry, but I’m not talking about your relationship with Director Jeong. I’m talking about your work.”

“……”

“Are you even useful to the company? Since joining, I haven’t seen you produce anything worthwhile. You have no ideas.”

“……”

“If you keep this up, I, your assistant, will take your position. What are you going to do if the company discards you?”

Seeing Eun-bi’s facial muscles twitch, Jeong-oh left the pantry first.

It was a stinging criticism, but it was also wrapped in a humanistic sentiment. He hoped that Eun-bi would focus more on her work rather than wasting her time fixated on someone who meant nothing to her.

Eventually, Eun-bi would have to come to that realization. Even if she was disappointed in people, work could sustain her. But perhaps Cha Eun-bi would never realize that.

Jeong-oh returned to his seat, feeling a sense of emptiness as if he had been talking to a brick wall.

“Assistant! I missed you!”

Upon returning to the team, Gi-hoon greeted Jeong-oh with sparkling eyes.

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

“Things have been fairly peaceful. How about you? How was the air in Australia? You’ve lived in Melbourne before, right? Did old memories come flooding back?”

“Yeah. It hasn’t changed much. The air was nice, and everything was good.”

“But you must have had a tough time. I heard you even met with the director.”

Gi-hoon leaned in closer to Jeong-oh and said cautiously.

“Lee Jeong-oh.”

At that moment, Ji-heon’s voice, like that of a grim reaper, echoed from a distance.

Jeong-oh couldn’t understand how Ji-heon seemed to know when to call him at moments like this.

Gi-hoon also returned to his seat, clearing his throat, and Jeong-oh stood up to look at Ji-heon.

Ji-heon approached from the end of the hallway and said, “Bring the overseas trip report to me by today.”

Jeong-oh glared at Ji-heon with all his might as he brushed past him toward the meeting room.

‘Ugh. Just looking at him is painful.’

After giving up on silent rebellion in just thirty seconds, Jeong-oh placed his hands on the PC keyboard and thought he needed to take the next step quickly.

‘I need to meet a lawyer as soon as possible.’

With the preparation for the presentation, Mi-ran’s hospitalization, and the overseas trip, Jeong-oh hadn’t had time to look for a lawyer. Finally, he took a deep breath and began searching.

There weren’t many law firms specializing in disputes involving single mothers, but there were a few noticeable ones.

The law firms had posted relevant materials on their blogs or websites, and Jeong-oh began to take note.

‘Oh, they have a similar story to mine?’

One law firm that introduced a case similar to his caught his eye. The blog post had the latest information. It was a large law firm, not too expensive in terms of fees, and most importantly, they offered free consultations, which was appealing.

Jeong-oh made an appointment for a consultation with the law firm he found and started working.

After being away for three days, there was a lot to do, so it took a considerable amount of time to finish the overseas trip report. Additionally, in the afternoon, Jeong-oh received a call from Jin-seo, which made him anxious.

Hastily, Jeong-oh returned to Ji-heon’s office with the overseas trip report, placing it on Ji-heon’s desk and saying, “I’m sorry for the delay. I was busy, Director.”

“If you’re that busy, just say you’ll do it tomorrow,” Ji-heon said, casually flipping through the report. Jeong-oh felt a surge of frustration.

Jeong Ji-heon, you little brat!

Do you think I’m just going to take this? I’ll make you suffer too.

“Now that I think about it, there was another good point about that guy.”

Just as expected, Ji-heon’s hand twitched as he was examining the report.

“He looked really cool when he was cooking. He made delicious food too.”

Ji-heon slowly raised his head to look at her as he set down the report. For a moment, Jeong-oh felt intimidated by Ji-heon’s sharp gaze, but she bravely continued.

“He looked super cool when he was chopping. Especially when he flipped things in the frying pan—it was amazing.”

“……”

“When you make jeon (Korean pancakes), you have to flip them, right? You do it like this, like this. Do you know how to flip them with one hand? You use a snap like this. Whoosh.”

Jeong-oh even demonstrated the flipping pose, trying to provoke him.

And she finished with a nostalgic look in her eyes.

“He looked really cool back then.”

Ji-heon pressed his lips together tightly, trying not to show any emotion.

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

Wait, am I even her current boyfriend? She had never once said that.

“Lee Jeong-oh, I want to ask you something.”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“What are we to each other?”

“……”

“Can I think of you as my boyfriend?”

“……”

“Or are we just a physical relationship?”

“Just allowing the body… No, I didn’t even allow that.”

“Fine, don’t say it.”

Ji-heon turned his head, worried that she might try to evade the topic.

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

“Right. I didn’t mean to play hard to get, but I’m sorry for making it hard for you to work. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

Jung-oh shrugged and took a step back, causing Ji-heon to feel anxious again. What else could this be if not a game of push and pull?

“Why are you leaving so quickly again?”

“Actually, I need to step out for a bit.”

“Is something going on?”

“Do-bin seems to have an upset stomach and couldn’t go to his academy. There’s no one to take Ye-na home after class.”

Ye-na. If it’s about Ye-na, he couldn’t ignore it.

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

Ji-heon also got up from his seat.

Using the excuse of stepping out briefly, he drove Jung-oh to Ye-na’s academy. For some reason, meeting Ye-na made him just as nervous as meeting Jung-oh.

“What does Ye-na like?”

As they got closer to the academy, Ji-heon asked.

“Don’t you have a rough idea? She likes Go, enjoys toys that kids her age like, loves comedy shows, and wordplay, things like that.”

“What about food?”

“She loves ice cream the most. I don’t let her eat too much, though. She also likes tteokbokki and tonkatsu.”

Ji-heon mentally noted everything Jung-oh mentioned.

If he couldn’t win over the child, he would lose Jung-oh too.

On the other hand, getting closer to the child would likely help Jung-oh open up more.

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

He didn’t say what he wanted to say now, as not enough time had passed.

As time goes by, the seasons change, he visits her mother, and tidies up any potential gossip that might arise. He gradually steps through the stages, convinced that they would one day live together.

So he wished time would flow a bit faster.

Though his heart was full, there were many things he couldn’t do because time wasn’t piling up.

Ji-heon realized he had never thought about life or the future until now.

It was only after meeting Lee Jung-oh that he felt, “I’m truly living my life.”

Soon, Jung-oh returned from the academy with Ye-na. The mother and daughter, hands tightly held, looked lovely from a distance and up close.

The woman, who was particularly aloof and picky in front of him, had a completely softened expression in front of the child.

He didn’t feel much jealousy at the gaze she directed toward the child, unlike the bubbling feelings he had when looking at Song Ki-hoon and Lee Jung-oh’s relationship.

“Mom, Do-bin isn’t here today.”

“Yeah. Do-bin has an upset stomach.”

The child, who had been pouting her lips toward her mother like a goldfish, turned her head and stiffened her expression when she saw Ji-heon.

Here, too, was another woman who was particularly aloof and picky in front of Jung Ji-heon.

“Uncle is here again?”

“Ye-na, what do you mean by ‘uncle is here again’? You should greet him properly by saying hello.”

Jung-oh admonished Ye-na for her sharp response.

Ye-na, who had been pouting her lips for a moment, reluctantly bowed her head with a displeased look.

“Hello, Uncle…”

“Yeah. Hello, Ye-na.”

As Ji-heon greeted her and extended his hand, Ye-na stared at his hand intently.

He could understand that wary gaze.

Perhaps it reminded him of when she calmly said, “I don’t have a dad,” on the day he first met the child.

Seeing the child made his heart feel a prick of discomfort.

I want to be friends with you, but I don’t really know how either. Still, I’m trying. You are the person that Jung-oh loves the most.

In that moment, almost miraculously, the child slowly began to move her hand.

Thump, thump.

Finally, a small hand, like a maple leaf, was placed on top of Ji-heon’s large hand.

A strange tickling sensation arose in his chest as if the leaves were swaying in the breeze.

He felt cautious as if the leaf might crumble. He couldn’t grip too tightly for fear of hurting her, nor could he hold lightly for fear of her slipping away.

In that tension, a sudden dizziness washed over him.

I’ll hold your hand.

“Why are you acting like that, Uncle?”

When Ji-heon suddenly stopped walking, Ye-na looked up and asked.

Due to the sudden headache, Ji-heon unintentionally furrowed his brow and hurriedly shook his head.

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

Jung-oh also looked at Ji-heon with a puzzled expression.

The three of them walked toward the parking lot. On the way to the parking lot, there was a bicycle storage area. Seeing an older child ride away on a bike stored there, Ye-na asked.

“Uncle, can you ride a bike well?”

“Of course.”

Ji-heon replied cheerfully, pleased that the child showed interest.

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

Screech—

“Ah!”

A sharp headache surged from his ears to the back of his head and squeezed his forehead as if it were being pressed.

The scenery in front of him faded like a curtain being drawn back, and unfamiliar fragments of thought unfolded before him.

To a baby who will be born someday.

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

I’ll let you see the stars rise.

I’ll teach you how to ride a bike.

I’ll hold your hand.

“Jung Ji-heon.”

As he stopped in his tracks, holding his head with one hand, Ji-heon blinked.

Jung-oh was looking at him with a worried expression. Below her, he could see the child, who resembled Lee Jung-oh, staring at him with wide eyes.

Ji-heon couldn’t say a word.

For a brief moment, he felt as if he had traveled back to a moment in the past.

It felt like a letter filled with deep feelings sent from a certain point in the past by Jung Ji-heon to someone.

…What is this memory?