A child who looks like me

As promised, Jeong-o bought ice cream for Yena. Jiheon didn’t join them; he dropped Jeong-o and Yena off at the ice cream shop and left.

After spending time together since last night, Yena felt disappointed again when her dad disappeared.

“Mom, isn’t Dad coming to eat ice cream?”

“Dad has something to do. He’s probably talking with his father right now. That means Yena’s grandfather.”

“Yena has a grandfather too?”

“Yes. Isn’t it fascinating?”

Despite Jeong-o’s exciting story, Yena couldn’t smile. Honestly, she was anxious.

“But Mom, what if the test results say I’m not Dad’s daughter? Then Grandpa wouldn’t be Yena’s grandfather, right?”

Jeong-o pulled Yena close and hugged her tightly, feeling troubled by her worries.

How could she explain this?

“You don’t have to worry about that. If Yena is Dad’s daughter, it’s like planting beans and getting beans or planting red beans and getting red beans.”

“But you could not get beans or red beans.”

“Why wouldn’t you get beans or red beans? You planted them, didn’t you?”

“The seeds need water, sunlight, good soil, and protection from pests to sprout, grow leaves, and bear fruit. That’s what my teacher said.”

“Oh my, my smart daughter.”

That’s right. Raising a child requires the entire village. It requires tremendous attention and immense love.

Jeong-o beamed with pride and hugged Yena even tighter. Just as they finished their ice cream, Jeong-o’s phone vibrated. The results had come in.

“Yena, let’s go see Dad now.”

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

Jiheon informed his parents, Jaekwang and Young-mi, that he had also undergone the paternity test. He told them which facility he used and when the results would come out, and by the appointed time, his parents arrived.

“Mother, you came too.”

Jiheon hadn’t expected Young-mi to be there, and he approached her to greet her.

Young-mi huffed, letting out an annoyed snort. There had never been a time when she had disliked her son as much as now. But no matter how much she disliked him, she couldn’t avoid the procedure.

The test results were important to Young-mi. It was a big deal whether the child was his or not.

“So, did the results come out?”

“It’s time. I’ll go check.”

After confirming the time in response to Young-mi’s question, Jiheon trudged to the research facility’s office, accompanied by the secretary who had been standing beside Jaekwang.

In the quiet that followed, Young-mi asked Jaekwang, “What are you doing here?”

It annoyed her that the man she hardly saw at home had made time to come here because of a child whose paternity was uncertain.

“I just stopped by while passing through.”

Jaekwang turned his face away, looking fearful of Young-mi’s nagging. Fortunately, Jiheon returned soon, interrupting their conversation.

“What are the results?”

Young-mi rushed over and snatched the result paper from Jiheon’s hand.

The result sheet stated, just like before, “No possibility of paternity.” Upon confirming the results, Young-mi’s eyes sparkled with a mix of disbelief and realization.

“It came out as a genetic mismatch. He’s not the father.”

“See? What did I tell you!”

When the initial result was claimed to be wrong, she had been filled with doubt but also wanted to believe her son. However, now that the second result also showed no possibility of paternity, she was furious.

“Where are the kid and the mother? Did they run away out of fear? How can this ridiculous situation happen?”

Young-mi’s voice grew louder. Jiheon and Jaekwang looked displeased.

Jiheon asked Jaekwang, “What do you think, Father?”

“It’s complicated.”

Young-mi was even more appalled by Jaekwang’s nonchalant response.

“Complicated? This is just complicated for you? I’m furious. Just thinking about how Jiheon was toyed with by that mother and child.”

“Mom.”

“They’re just using you! Making both you and your father waste your time like this! I can’t just let this go. I’m going to sue them for fraud.”

“Hey, dear. Jiheon’s mom!”

Jaekwang raised his voice as he tried to calm the agitated Young-mi. Young-mi looked at Jaekwang.

Jaekwang spoke.

“That was my test.”

“What… what do you mean?”

“It was the genetic test between me and Jiheon.”

Young-mi’s eyes widened in shock.

“My paternity test with Jiheon came out like that. It says Jiheon isn’t my biological son.”

“What do you mean, what… what?”

Young-mi was stunned, unable to comprehend what Jaekwang was saying. It felt as if he was insulting her.

“What nonsense are you talking about? If he’s not your son, then whose son is he?”

She felt wronged and incredulous. Jaekwang was saying that Jeong-o was a fraud, but why was the fallout landing on her? She couldn’t understand why she was being blamed for something so absurd.

“I swear on my life! I swear on my life!”

Tears welled up from the sheer absurdity of the situation. Young-mi, disregarding her dignity, confronted Jaekwang.

“I have lived only looking at our Jiheon’s face all these years. How could you do this to me? What? What kind of test are you talking about?”

“That’s what I’m saying, dear.”

Jaekwang calmly tried to console Young-mi.

“Do you think I can’t trust you? Do you think I would doubt Jiheon?”

“…….”

“Isn’t Jiheon getting this test because you don’t believe him?”

Young-mi’s eyes were still anxiously darting around, unable to grasp the meaning behind Jaekwang’s words.

“Both the paternity test you requested and the one between Jiheon and me are wrong. Someone must have switched the blood or tampered with the results; the tests have been contaminated in some way.”

“Wh-what do you mean, who?”

“I don’t know. We’ll have to investigate thoroughly to find out who did this.”

Young-mi’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

Jiheon looked at Young-mi with indifference.

He had intentionally found a research facility where Chae Eun-yeob could easily access it. While pretending to maintain strict security, he leaked various information, ensuring it reached Eun-yeob.

As expected, whether through some channel, Eun-yeob had succeeded again in tampering with the test results. Jiheon thought it was fortunate that Eun-yeob had succeeded this time. Only by confirming that the paternity results for both his father and himself were manipulated would both his father and mother be convinced.

How do you feel now, Mother?

Despite feeling indignant at Jiheon for deceiving her, Young-mi glared at him but couldn’t say a word, her hands trembling with anger.

“Still, don’t worry too much. Our Jiheon had another test done anonymously. Jiheon, what were the results of the other test?”

Jaekwang asked Jiheon. This moment felt even more intense for Jaekwang than before.

Jiheon had asked the secretary to conduct another test. He had anonymously requested a paternity test using hair samples from Jaekwang, Jiheon, and Yena.

Jiheon received the envelope containing the results from Jaekwang’s secretary and opened it.

“This one came back clear.”

Once again, Young-mi snatched the result sheet from him.

On the first page of the result, the bold print stated, “Paternity Probability = 99.999%.” Young-mi let out a deep, incredulous sigh. She insisted stubbornly.

“You believe this? This result can be manipulated just like the others!”

“That’s why we conducted three tests across three generations. The tests were supervised by your father’s secretary.”

Jaekwang’s secretary had been with him for over twenty years.

“This result states that I am my father’s biological son and that Yena is my biological daughter.”

Jiheon was careful, adding his father’s test to enhance the credibility of the results.

“Which result do you believe, Mother? The one stating I’m not my father’s son, or the one stating I am?”

It felt as if Chae Eun-yeob was watching from somewhere.

Eun-yeob, you must have gone all-in on the second test. You probably thought that if the second test also showed I wasn’t the child, I would give up.

You overlooked something. I’m much more tenacious than you, perhaps even more than you realize.

No matter how many of my paternity tests you ruin, I’m ready to retake them as many times as it takes.

Jaekwang pressed his lips into a thin line, while Young-mi, unable to contain her fury, glared at Jiheon. Jaekwang was the first to speak.

“Jiheon, what about the other results?”

“They’re in.”

Jiheon turned to look at the entrance of the research facility and smiled brightly.

He saw Jeong-o and Yena approaching.

“Dad!”

Yena ran over to Jiheon, who picked her up in an instant.

Following behind, Jeong-o pulled out the results from the envelope and handed them to Jiheon.

“This is the paternity test result.”

This time it was the blood test results from a different institution for Yena and Jiheon.

Once again, the results were the same.

— Client A (Jeong Jiheon) and Client B (Lee Yena) are recognized as biological parent and child with a probability of 99.999%.

Jiheon handed the result to Jaekwang.

Young-mi couldn’t bring herself to snatch the result this time; she stole a glance to check the results. The clearly printed red letters were the first thing that caught her eye.

And there stood Jeong-o before her.

The child she hadn’t seen for seven years was no longer the innocent, simple-looking kid from seven years ago. Seeing Jeong-o confidently meeting her gaze without flinching made Young-mi’s knees go weak.

Jeong-o greeted her first.

“Hello, ma’am.”

“What?”

“…….”

“Do you think I’m going to be nice to you?”

You come back and hit me with this?

You haven’t said a word in seven years, and now you show up? Now that my son has reached marriageable age?

Young-mi’s fists were clenched tightly, digging into her palms. Unable to contain her anger, she left the building first.

Jaekwang, watching this scene with a heavy heart, apologized.

“I apologize. My wife is a bit sensitive.”

Jeong-o greeted Jaekwang politely, maintaining an unfazed expression.

“Good afternoon, Chairman.”

“Just call me casually.”

“…….”

“We finally meet.”

Finally, we can meet.

Jaekwang extended his hand for a handshake. Jeong-o hesitated for a moment before taking Jaekwang’s outstretched hand. The warmth of his body temperature was conveyed. Jeong-o’s nervousness eased slightly at Jaekwang’s smile.

Jiheon resembles his father more than his mother.

“I’m sorry for all the difficulties you’ve had to go through.”

Jaekwang briefly apologized and turned his head. He didn’t linger his gaze on Jeong-o for long. The main reason Jaekwang was here at this moment was elsewhere.

He wanted to turn the child, who was only looking at her father in his arms, not caring whether her grandfather was there or not.

“Hello, Yena! It’s your grandfather!”

Jaekwang greeted her boisterously.

How long he had wanted to say this!

Yena turned her head to look at Jaekwang. Jiheon set Yena down from his arms.

Jaekwang bent down to meet Yena’s eyes and gently took her hand.

“I’m your grandfather. I’m your grandfather!”