A child who looks like me

Jung-oh took a step ahead of Guk-soon and Ye-na. He needed to protect them.

As they got closer to Jang Young-mi, Ye-na recognized her first and shouted, “Oh? I know this lady! We met in the elevator!”

In fact, Ye-na had seen Young-mi a week earlier. When Ye-na went to the genetic research center to confirm the paternity test results, Young-mi was there too. However, Young-mi had left quickly, so Ye-na couldn’t see her face.

“Grandma, this lady pulled my hair like this in the academy elevator!” Ye-na said to Guk-soon. Although it was a bit of a tattletale, it was just from a child’s perspective and lacked any malice. Guk-soon quickly grasped the situation from Ye-na’s explanation and kept quiet. She couldn’t help but feel a sense of propriety, thinking that this person would soon be her daughter’s mother-in-law.

“Right? You gave me 50,000 won.”

After asking twice without receiving a confirming answer from Young-mi, Ye-na quickly told Jung-oh, “Mom, but I didn’t take the money. You know that, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Jung-oh calmly replied and greeted Young-mi. “Hello.”

“Hello,” Young-mi replied.

Of course.

It was the same unremarkable beginning as before. It was a response that hinted at what might happen next. Jung-oh quickly started organizing the conversations that could take place in his mind.

In the meantime, Guk-soon took a step forward and greeted Young-mi first. “Hello. Nice to meet you.”

“Mom.”

Jung-oh stepped in front of Guk-soon again. He felt a surge of electricity coursing through his chest.

Mothers always greet first and bow their heads for their daughters. That’s just how our mom is. She’s the kind who gently advises to let things go and move on.

He felt it was also his duty to protect these weak and kind people.

Don’t be discouraged.

“Ye-na, go upstairs with Grandma first.”

When Jung-oh said this, Guk-soon hesitated.

“Mom, it’s okay. Go in first.”

Jung-oh confidently smiled at his mother.

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

Later that evening, Ji-heon visited Jae-gwang’s office. Jae-gwang had called several times, leaving Ji-heon with no choice. Ji-heon relayed everything that had happened today to Jae-gwang. Understanding that Ji-heon’s choice was the best, Jae-gwang nodded.

“Since you admitted that recording file is yours, they can’t do anything about it.”

“Thanks to Chae Eun-bi gathering quite a crowd, the news spread quickly.”

“Your reputation must have taken a hit.”

“I don’t care.”

“But it will be a problem when you get married. Ye-na and her mom will be talked about. Especially since Ye-na will be starting elementary school next year…”

Jae-gwang sighed, having foreseen aspects that Ji-heon hadn’t considered. Only then did Ji-heon start thinking from a new perspective.

Daycare and elementary school are different. What wasn’t a problem in daycare can become an issue in older age groups, just like it was at the Go academy.

“Now you need to keep a low profile. Don’t cause any trouble.”

“Okay.”

Thanks to Jae-gwang’s advice, Ji-heon realized that he needed to be more cautious. Having a child creates vulnerabilities that didn’t exist before. They’re very lovable vulnerabilities, though.

“How did the paternity test go? Was it really manipulated by Chae Eun-yeob?”

While lost in thought, Jae-gwang asked.

“I’m sure of it. The genetic information on the paternity test result my mother received is the same as the one I got. It seems they intended to mislead us with incorrect information.”

“He’s quite cunning, isn’t he?”

“Yes. However, because they used the same genetic information, we can infer one thing: Someone who received instructions from Chae Eun-yeob likely visited the lab for a test on the same day I did.”

“Even so, uncovering the truth won’t be easy. Even if the lab admits there was a mistake in the test, they won’t reveal whose blood was mixed up, citing privacy concerns. Even if we figure it out through background checks, information that lacks legal validity is useless.”

“This isn’t just negligence; it’s obstruction of work due to corruption. If the lab is uncooperative in identifying those involved, I plan to pursue legal action.”

Ji-heon looked at Jae-gwang, who was nodding quietly.

“What about your father?”

“What about him?”

“You’re close with Chae Eun-yeob’s father.”

“Well…”

Jae-gwang seemed lost in thought, stroking his chin.

“He seems to be ambitious in politics. I should keep my distance.”

Recently, Chae Seo-bok, the father of Eun-yeob and Eun-bi and a Supreme Court judge, had frequently revealed his ambitions to Jae-gwang. This was not the direction Jae-gwang wanted.

“There were good things that came from that family because of you. I thought you and Chae Eun-bi would get married.”

There had been misunderstandings between them. Misunderstandings created by a lack of communication. Now, he wanted to correct those twisted things one by one.

As a moment of silence stretched, Ji-heon, who had been looking at his phone, smiled brightly and stood up.

“I’ve shared everything I needed to, so I’ll be on my way.”

“Why are you leaving so soon?”

“I’m supposed to meet Ye-na at nine.”

Lucky…

Jae-gwang almost voiced this thought out loud.

If it’s Ye-na, I can understand. Jae-gwang waved his hand, urging Ji-heon to hurry. But then Ji-heon froze, still looking at his phone.

“I just got a text from Ye-na…”

“…”

“It seems my mother is there? In front of Jung-oh’s house.”

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

After Ye-na and Guk-soon left, Young-mi spoke first.

“Didn’t I tell the child who I am? She’s so rude to call me this lady in front of her grandma.”

“Hearing that makes me relieved you didn’t say who you were, Mrs. Jang.”

“…”

“There’s no grandmother who pulls her granddaughter’s hair without revealing who she is.”

Despite her relatively gentle tone, the content was anything but.

Jung-oh’s counterattack made Young-mi’s eyes narrow with tension. Since what happened in the elevator wouldn’t benefit her, Young-mi shifted her words.

“Did you secretly raise the child? You must have been so bold to do it in secret.”

“If Jung Ji-heon hadn’t lost his memory, we would have raised her together.”

Sticking to his resolve not to be intimidated, Jung-oh countered clearly.

It seemed that Young-mi was taken aback by his confidence. Her eyebrows raised high and then furrowed.

“Why didn’t you say anything back then? Why did you hide it?”

“I was young back then. I knew nothing.”

That day. The day you yelled at me at Jung Ji-heon’s house.

Jung-oh also acknowledged her past foolishness. She had been too young back then. Just dressing like an adult doesn’t make one an adult. It was only after becoming pregnant that she realized how very young she truly was. Until then, she hadn’t even recognized her youth.

“I regret that day too. But would my fate have changed even if I had confronted you more that day?”

Even if she had been harsher or smarter, Jung-oh was sure that the outcome wouldn’t have been much different.

Young-mi didn’t refute Jung-oh’s claims, perhaps acknowledging their validity. Instead, she lamented the present.

“Then why did you show up now? You could have lived like that. Why do you come now to take away my son’s future?”

To Young-mi, Ji-heon was her only son, the center of her universe. He was the son who was kinder than her own father, the source of her strength, her everything.

“How can you tell if you were a lover or a stalker? How can he judge that? How can a simple paternity test prove the past? To me, you’re just a stalker of my son!”

“No, ma’am. You must have known everything. Ji-heon’s phone contained text messages and call logs exchanged between us.”

Jung-oh caught Young-mi off guard.

Ji-heon had one misconception: that he needed to protect Jung-oh, that he had to prevent his mother from coming to see her.

But in reality, Jung-oh didn’t want that. She was waiting for the day when she could meet Mrs. Jang alone.

To convey this.

“Ma’am, I stand proud and dignified. I didn’t implant memories into your son.”

Waiting for the man who had lost his memories. Being foolishly silent was frustrating, but now it had become a past she could confidently discuss.

Because she could be proud and dignified, Jung-oh’s words flowed out smoothly.

“That could have happened. I could have been Ji-heon’s girlfriend and implanted my memories into him to make him realize faster. But I didn’t. I didn’t want to become the same person as you, ma’am.”

If she had forcefully implanted memories, those wouldn’t be Ji-heon’s memories; they would be Jung-oh’s.

“I waited for Ji-heon to remember on his own. You don’t know how painful and anxious that is. The child is growing…”

She spoke confidently, but her voice choked up as she thought of the child.

“What you forcibly blocked, Ji-heon remembered on his own. And he finally realized what he had lost.”

“…”

“You must acknowledge this now, ma’am.”

Jung-oh said with a faint smile.

The strength that came from the time spent waiting and believing. She had that.

She was no longer a weak person.

“Before I met Ji-heon again, and after meeting him, I was equally happy, but Ji-heon was unhappy until he met me. Do you know? A person who has gone from being unhappy to happy becomes desperate. He will strive not to be unhappy again, your son.”

With each of Jung-oh’s words, Young-mi’s clenched fist trembled visibly. It seemed as though that fist could strike her at any moment. Yet, Jung-oh didn’t stop speaking.

“The bond between Ji-heon and me, and between Ye-na and Ji-heon, is more special than you think. If it were a shallow trust, you would have turned away when you presented the false paternity test results.”

“…”

“It’s your choice, ma’am, whether to acknowledge and bless your son’s new family, or to stay stuck where you are. I don’t pressure you. You’re not someone I need in my life.”

Saying harsh words to the mother of the person she loved, which she hadn’t even said to her own mother, was indeed a struggle.

Perhaps, if she knew this, she might distance herself from Ji-heon’s father, Jae-gwang, who had shown her kindness. But she wouldn’t regret the words she had already spoken.

“I will do exactly as you do, ma’am.”

The days she had lived through might not be something to brag about, but the experiences that weren’t brag-worthy had become the strength for her life.

If she didn’t obsess over being loved, she could do so much. She wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

“If you treat me well, I’ll treat you well. If you ignore me…”

“…”

“I’ll treat you the same way.”