A child who looks like me

As Guk-soon stared blankly, Eun-bi said her name again.

“Don’t you remember? Cha Eun-bi. We were classmates at Jeong-oh High School.”

“Ah… I see.”

Guk-soon could barely respond. She couldn’t muster a warm welcome or even a smile.

The bad blood with Cha Eun-bi was already over ten years old, yet it felt as fresh as yesterday.

Thirteen years ago, while working in Jeong-oh’s school cafeteria, Guk-soon was forced to leave because of a commotion involving Cha Eun-bi. After that, Guk-soon had to go to Gunsan to find a new job, and Jeong-oh had to live alone, separated from her mother.

At that time, her daughter was seventeen, an age when she needed her parents the most, but she was left to fend for herself. Guk-soon, who had to live apart from her precious daughter, also faced heart-wrenching days every single day.

So, she still felt sorry for her daughter.

That’s why she didn’t know how to treat this girl in front of her.

“But didn’t Jeong-oh mention me? I work at the same company as Jeong-oh.”

Since Guk-soon didn’t seem very welcoming, Eun-bi asked with a slightly displeased expression. This was information Guk-soon didn’t know. As Guk-soon looked at her in surprise, Eun-bi let out a small laugh.

“So, Jeong-oh hasn’t mentioned it at all. I’m actually Eun-bi’s superior at the company, ma’am.”

Guk-soon recalled a recent conversation she had with her daughter.

“Mom, there was a girl I really didn’t like back in my first year of high school. I met her at work.”

“Why didn’t you get along? You could have been friends.”

“She just doesn’t have good character. But she’s still pretty much the same.”

“……”

“I had a bit of a conflict with her today, and I’m really upset.”

That girl was Cha Eun-bi.

Fearing that her mother would be upset, her daughter hadn’t even been able to mention the name Cha Eun-bi.

How much had her daughter struggled? How much had she been hurt during that time?

Guk-soon felt a deep regret for not supporting her daughter more back then and for scolding her.

Still, Guk-soon couldn’t say harsh words to Cha Eun-bi in front of her. If Eun-bi was Jeong-oh’s superior, then to Guk-soon, Eun-bi was still someone to be respected.

“Well, it’s good to see you. It’s been a while. Please, have a seat.”

As Eun-bi moved to the seat Guk-soon had indicated, she said with a cheerful expression.

“Wow. I didn’t expect to see you here. This is my friend, and this is a close BJ of mine.”

Eun-bi introduced the two people who had come with her to Guk-soon.

“Do you know what a BJ is? They’re internet broadcasters. This is great. So-young, please introduce this restaurant on your show. Let’s get the business some attention.”

“Let’s taste it first.”

The person referred to as a BJ replied with a snort.

Guk-soon, however, just wanted these people to leave quickly. She regretted not having closed the restaurant early and anxiously waited for their order.

Eun-bi glanced at the menu and placed an order.

“Three servings of the lunch set, please. My friends are precious guests who rarely visit this kind of restaurant, so I’d appreciate your best effort.”

Guk-soon quietly took the order and went into the kitchen. Since the side dishes were already prepared, all that was needed was to cook the stew, so it wouldn’t take long.

She had to serve them quickly and send them off.

It had been thirteen years since she started working in the restaurant business. Thinking about all the various difficult customers she had encountered over the years made this reunion seem trivial.

Nothing would happen if she did her job well.

Guk-soon put extra care into serving the rice, arranging the side dishes, and plating the stew. She even added steamed eggs and grilled fish. Before she knew it, there were ten different side dishes.

“If it’s not enough, just let me know. I can provide more.”

Guk-soon said to the customers as she brought a large spread to their table.

“Yes, thank you for the meal.”

Eun-bi replied gratefully.

Before long, the camera was rolling. Guk-soon asked the BJ for permission.

“Excuse me, but we don’t allow filming in our restaurant. Could you please turn off the camera?”

“Yes, we won’t broadcast it.”

The BJ answered coldly. Guk-soon turned and went back to the kitchen.

She could hear whispers from the dining area. However, the conversations were too quiet to catch any words. She grew anxious, wondering if they would broadcast something strange or do something odd, just like thirteen years ago.

A little while later, she heard Eun-bi calling for her from the dining area. It had only been five minutes since the table was set.

“Here’s the bill.”

Guk-soon, who was sitting on the porch, jumped up and went to the cash register. The food and side dishes on the table were almost untouched.

“You hardly ate your rice…”

“Yeah, it wasn’t to my taste.”

“Then, you don’t have to pay. Just go.”

“No, you put in a lot of effort to prepare this, so you should at least accept something.”

Eun-bi’s friend pulled out a 100,000-won check and placed it on the counter.

Not expecting to receive a check, Guk-soon opened the cash register.

While Guk-soon hurriedly fumbled for change, Eun-bi strolled calmly into the back of the kitchen. She spotted a child folding origami on the porch. Eun-bi recognized her immediately.

“You must be Ye-na?”

“Yes.”

Ye-na looked up and replied.

“Is your mom working, so you’re playing here alone? Oh dear, that’s too bad.”

“……”

“You’re very pretty, just like your mom. Who’s your dad?”

Ye-na didn’t say anything further and just blinked her eyes. She was puzzled as to why a stranger was showing interest in her.

“Hey, can you not talk?”

Sighing deeply, Eun-bi pulled out a 50,000-won bill from her wallet and handed it to Ye-na.

“Here. This is for you because you’re pretty.”

“…….”

“You should say thank you when an adult gives you something.”

As Eun-bi waved the money and stared intently, Ye-na, feeling pressured by her demeanor, accepted the money.

“Thank you.”

“Good. You’re kind.”

Eun-bi turned around, satisfied.

Jeong-oh. You twisted my life, so isn’t it only fair that I step on yours?

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

After finishing work, Ji-heon searched for a flower shop located near the jewelry store.

Flower Dream. This flower shop’s name was listed in the credit card statement he received from the card company. Fortunately, the flower shop had retained that name for seven years.

On November 2, seven years ago, he had purchased a ring at the jewelry store and made a credit card payment at “Flower Dream.”

Since it was quite a large amount, it could be inferred that he had bought flowers for a proposal.

He hoped to find a clue here, no matter how small.

With a trembling heart, Ji-heon opened the door to the flower shop.

“Welcome!”

A man wearing an apron greeted Ji-heon. The shop was large, filled with many flowers. At a large table on one side, a woman was arranging flowers in a basket.

“Hello. Excuse me, but I’d like to ask you something.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“I made a credit card payment here seven years ago, but I can’t remember it well. Did you operate this flower shop back then?”

“Yes, that’s right. My wife and I were running the shop together back then. We’ve been in business for nine years now.”

“Then could you check this transaction for me?”

Ji-heon handed the man the checked credit card statement.

The man took the document and tilted his head.

“Seven years ago… Since we get quite a number of orders every day, it’s a bit difficult to remember each customer. However, since it was over 500,000 won, it likely was for a large pot set or a proposal… But you don’t remember exactly?”

The man spoke with a tone that suggested it was strange for a customer not to remember such a large amount.

Ji-heon had no choice but to share his circumstances.

“After I made this payment, I had an accident the next day. I lost some of my memories, and I came here hoping to find a clue about it.”

Sharing personal matters with a stranger was one of the things he dreaded the most. But his desire to find even a small clue compelled him to open up. He felt a pang of embarrassment, having never asked a stranger for help before.

He thought of Jeong-oh on May 27. How did she feel when she couldn’t mention that it was Ye-na’s birthday while asking him for an early leave?

Desperate people often give up something to get what they want, sometimes even risking their lives. They move forward, relying solely on a compass in an endless sea, envisioning a faint hope waving from afar.

He came to understand the poignancy of life. It seems that one sees as much as they have experienced.

The flower shop owner’s expression quickly changed as he listened to Ji-heon’s story. The woman arranging flowers at the table also dusted off her hands and approached Ji-heon.

“Honey, we usually take photos of flowers ordered for proposals. We might have some pictures.”

At the woman’s encouraging words, Ji-heon joined in.

“Yes. It’s highly likely it was an order for a proposal. I also ordered a ring on the same day.”

“…….”

“Please, I’m asking you sincerely.”

At Ji-heon’s earnest request, the woman nudged her husband’s shoulder. The man had no choice but to nod and sat down in front of the PC.

“I’m not sure if the files are still around.”

While the man rummaged through the PC files, the woman offered Ji-heon a chair.

“Please have a seat.”

“Yes, thank you.”

“If I had been working with my husband back then, I would have remembered. I was pregnant at the time and couldn’t work much.”

In response to the woman’s kind conversation, Ji-heon replied warmly.

“Then your child must be about seven years old now.”

“Yes, she’s seven now.”

The woman’s response reminded Ji-heon of Ye-na. Since Ye-na’s birthday was May 27, that meant Jeong-oh was pregnant around that time.

The man, searching through several folders, said, “Finding the photo files is taking a bit longer because I didn’t organize them properly.”

“I’m sorry for asking such a troublesome favor.”

“No, it’s fine.”

At Ji-heon’s polite and respectful apology, the man continued his work without complaining. As the search dragged on, the woman, who had been hovering around Ji-heon, returned to the table to continue her work.

Thirty minutes passed.

“Oh, here it is. November 2. This must be it.”

As the man spoke, Ji-heon stood up from his chair. The woman rushed over.

On the large table lay a photo filled with various beautiful flowers, creating a floral garden. Above it was a garland that read, “MARRY ME?”

“But this is a bit different. It looks like it was arranged on a table. Usually, we decorate the car trunk and take photos.”

The man tilted his head in confusion. Just then, the woman clapped her hands loudly.

“Ah! I remember! Someone ordered flowers for a proposal and made the payment, but they said they would come pick them up the next day, and then their phone was off, and we couldn’t get in touch with them!”

The man, who had been rolling his eyes, raised his voice.

“Oh, right! Exactly! That’s why we couldn’t take the picture in the trunk of the car and took it on the table instead. I was really worried back then. Was the car involved in an accident before the proposal, or did someone get into a traffic accident? The person who ordered was really handsome… Yes! It was a customer!”

As the memory came back, the man grabbed Ji-heon’s hand with a more excited expression than the woman.

“…Can I check the photos?”

Ji-heon managed to say with a voice that trembled in his chest.

“Yes. Please sit here.”

The man pulled out a chair in front of the PC for Ji-heon.

Ji-heon sat down and slowly looked through the photos.

MARRY ME?

At the sight of the letters on the garland, Ji-heon felt a sting in his eyes.

“I really wanted to marry someone.”

And due to the traffic accident, he had completely forgotten about that person. An indescribable, strange heaviness stirred in his heart. Amidst that confusion, Ji-heon noticed a card elegantly written on the right edge of the photo.

His eyes widened as he recognized the writing on the card.

– TO Jeong-oh

That name was unmistakably Jeong-oh.