A child who looks like me

“There’s a salmon spot on her forehead. Just like I used to have when I was a child.”

A salmon spot on her forehead?

“She’s seven years old and can already play Go.”

She can play Go already?

Jiheon’s words excited Jaekwang. He stared at the photo for a long time, examining it closely, as if he were counting the eyelashes on the child’s eyes.

The child was incredibly cute, to the point where his heart ached. She was indeed very cute, but…

“Is this adorable child really Jiheon’s daughter?”

Jaekwang’s gaze shifted back and forth between the child in the photo and Jiheon. He scrutinized the similarities between the two, becoming more contemplative.

“Have I ever seen such a cute face before?”

Though they were related by blood, they looked different—one was exceptionally cute, while the other was not cute at all, leaving him unsure of his judgment.

“I wonder if she takes after her mother…”

Jaekwang barely managed to put the photo down and cleared his throat. He shouldn’t rush to conclusions. As a father, he needed to show rationality first.

“Are you sure she’s your child? That’s definite?”

“Yes, it’s true. I have some memories, albeit very few.”

“But those memories might not be real. Seven years have passed, after all.”

“……”

“First, we need to do a paternity test.”

“Well, there’s a bit of a problem.”

“……”

“The child doesn’t like me yet.”

“Why?”

“She’s lived without a father for seven years.”

After staring blankly for a while, Jaekwang nodded as if he understood Jiheon’s feelings.

“……That makes sense. It would be hard for her to accept a father who suddenly appeared after seven years.”

But he emphasized the importance of principles with authority.

“Still, you have to do what needs to be done.”

“Yes. I’ll do it soon. But I think I need to get somewhat close to her first, which is why I’m telling you about it beforehand.”

Earlier, Jiheon had confessed everything to Jaekwang, but he refrained from discussing matters related to Yeongmi as much as possible. He only mentioned that the reason he and Jeong-o had separated was due to the car accident. After that, they lost contact and broke up.

Even if Jiheon currently harbored resentment toward his mother, he couldn’t afford to give the impression of disparaging her in front of his father.

Speaking about unverifiable facts could backfire. It could even lead Jaekwang to develop a negative sentiment about his story.

He needed to stick to the facts, avoiding sensitive topics while not revealing his current feelings about his mother.

“Actually, my mother secretly had a paternity test done.”

“Then your mother knew about it?”

“Yes. I couldn’t ask how much she knew, but it seems she conducted an investigation on her own. However, the results she received indicated that there’s no likelihood of a biological relationship.”

“What does that even mean?”

“My mother secretly tested the child’s hair, but it seems the hair sample got switched somewhere along the way. The chauffeur, Choi, took the specimen to the genetic research institute on my mother’s behalf, and he apparently ran into Chae Eun-yeop on the way.”

“Isn’t Chae Eun-yeop your friend?”

“He’s also Chae Eun-bi’s older brother. He’s the one who wants to marry me to Chae Eun-bi.”

Though it was a surprising revelation and hard to fully believe, there was a degree of logic to it. Jaekwang stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“If it turns out the child is my biological granddaughter, then he’d be further from his dream of marrying Chae Eun-bi, so he might have set this up.”

“Does that mean you and Chae Eun-bi haven’t really moved on yet?”

“I moved on a long time ago. It’s just that Chae Eun-bi and Chae Eun-yeop haven’t accepted it.”

“……”

“It seems my mother hasn’t accepted it either.”

Jiheon cautiously brought up his mother again.

“My mother told me not to associate with the child. She said we should do the paternity test first, and if it’s confirmed, then we can talk again.”

“Your mother isn’t wrong. The paternity test needs to come first.”

“I need to get close to the child in order to do the paternity test, Father.”

“……”

“Of course, we could do the test using the child’s hair first, but there could be other contamination variables like Chae Eun-yeop, so I want to be as careful as possible. I plan to take her in for a blood test directly.”

At Jiheon’s calm insistence, Jaekwang frowned, lost in thought.

After a moment, Jaekwang spoke.

“Alright. Do it that way. But don’t let it take too long.”

“I’ll do it quickly.”

With his father’s approval, a quiet smile appeared on Jiheon’s lips. Just the fact that his father acknowledged the mistake of the paternity test conducted unilaterally by his mother was a positive outcome.

“The child’s mother is a copywriter, right?”

“Yes.”

“If she really is your daughter… what a strange fate.”

“It’s destiny.”