A child who looks like me

“Mom, is Dad coming today?”

“Of course.”

Yena asked the same question every ten minutes.

“Mom, is Dad coming today?”

“Yes, I told you he is.”

“But why isn’t he here yet?”

“He’s just busy with work. He’ll be here soon.”

Jeong-oh couldn’t give a cool answer, as she was also waiting. Still, she felt relieved knowing that everything had been resolved.

Jeong-oh followed the events through internet news, worried that even a small incident might harm Ji-heon or the Serene Group. Surprisingly, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

After all her anxieties had dissipated, Jeong-oh rubbed her belly and went to find Guk-soon. Guk-soon was at the table with a cookbook open, studying for her Korean cuisine chef certification.

“Mom!”

Guk-soon lowered her magnifying glass and looked up with a frown.

“What is it? Are you craving something again?”

“Ugh. Do you think I’m a pig? You always say that whenever I call you.”

“Then why did you call me?”

“What are we having for breakfast tomorrow?”

Guk-soon chuckled in disbelief, playfully hitting Jeong-oh’s bottom.

“Oh, my little piggy. If you’re not thinking about food, what do you think about all day?”

“No, I’m only like this in front of you. In front of others, I’m just like everyone else. I haven’t had an appetite all week because I was worried about my husband, but I’m finally starting to feel hungry.”

“Not having an appetite? You skipped meals and whatnot.”

“Oh come on. It means I felt like I hadn’t eaten anything even when I did.”

Guk-soon smiled comfortably at Jeong-oh’s excuse. The mood at home had been heavy while Ji-heon was tied up with work, but now the tension had eased.

Guk-soon sliced a pear and placed it in front of Jeong-oh. As Jeong-oh tried to scoop out the remaining flesh from the pear core, Guk-soon immediately offered her a nicely cut piece.

“Don’t eat that. Eat this instead.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Take it. Hurry.”

Guk-soon held it up to Jeong-oh’s mouth, and she had no choice but to set down the pear core she was holding.

“You only eat the pretty pieces. Anything.”

Jeong-oh shrugged, as if she didn’t understand why her mom said that, and accepted the fruit Guk-soon offered. Just then, they heard the sound of the door opening.

“Daddy!”

Yena was the first to shout and ran out. Jeong-oh and Guk-soon followed her.

“Wow!”

As Ji-heon lifted Yena high in the air, Jeong-oh also rushed over and embraced him.

Ji-heon’s face, which had been taken aback by such a warm welcome, brightened with joy a moment later.

“Did Yena do well?”

“Yes! Did Daddy finish all the busy work?”

“Yep. It’s all done.”

“Now you don’t have to work late anymore?”

“Right. I won’t work late anymore.”

“Yay!” Yena cheered. Guk-soon approached and asked.

“You must have worked hard. Are you tired? Have you eaten?”

“Yes.”

“What did you eat?”

“Just some bread…”

“Is that enough to eat? You should eat more. I’ll grill some mackerel for you.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“Go wash up quickly.”

Before Ji-heon could stop her, Guk-soon headed straight to the kitchen.

He was finally home.

The relief that came with that realization almost brought tears to Ji-heon’s eyes.

Ji-heon finished every dish of the seven-course meal prepared by his mother-in-law.

“Do you want more rice? Are you sure you’re not still hungry?”

“No, I really ate a lot. Thank you.”

“No, I should be thanking you.”

Guk-soon responded warmly to Ji-heon’s gratitude.

“Mother, I think I like women.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I like you, of course, and I like Jeong-oh, and I like Yena too. That’s why I really love being home.”

Guk-soon, taken aback by the unexpected confession, widened her eyes in surprise before bursting into laughter.

Certainly, her impression of her son-in-law had changed since their first meeting. At first, she was worried that such a well-mannered and timid guy could handle being her child’s husband and her grandchild’s father, but it turned out he was quite the charming and capable man.

“I hope you only have daughters in the future.”

“I think it will be a son.”

“Huh?”

“Just kidding.”

Guk-soon quickly covered her mouth, realizing she was acting too silly like her son-in-law, and then secretly laughed.

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

After Cha Eun-yeop’s arrest, the company quickly returned to normal.

Ji-heon, finally able to take care of himself, visited the hypnosis counseling center with Jeong-oh. He shared his recent experiences and emotions with the doctor, including Cha Eun-yeop’s story at the end.

“There’s this guy named Cha Eun-yeop—well, I can’t really call him a friend—who was always at odds with me, and he got arrested. I heard from someone else that he even studied hypnosis to manipulate people. Hearing the term ‘hypnosis’ made my head throb and my stomach churn. I think I might have a strong aversion to hypnosis itself.”

As Ji-heon spoke, Jeong-oh, who was deeply focused on his story, also felt a wave of nausea.

Jeong-oh rubbed her chest and cleared her throat.

‘Did I get too immersed in this?’

It was a strange feeling.

Meanwhile, Ji-heon was preparing for his second hypnosis session beyond the glass wall.

“Let’s see if it’s really an aversion to hypnosis or if there’s another reason. Today, I’d like to try again. Personally, I hope that when you try to recall the past, it won’t be painful for you. I plan to focus on that during hypnosis; is that alright?”

“Yes.”

Ji-heon, who trusted the doctor, responded emphatically.

Following the doctor’s instructions, Ji-heon closed his eyes.

As before, the doctor described Jeong-oh’s old room. This time, he had received images of the room’s exterior and the actual studio apartment from Jeong-oh, allowing him to depict it more accurately than before. Unlike the previous session, Ji-heon’s breathing was quite stable.

“Can you picture the view from the room clearly?”

After a long pause, Ji-heon finally replied.

“…Yes.”

The doctor quietly felt relieved that Ji-heon was able to visualize the room’s scenery without any resistance. However, there was also the possibility that these were mixed memories, as Ji-heon had decorated his previous home similarly to Jeong-oh’s studio.

“You spent a lot of time in that room. Can you see it?”

“…”

“If it gets too difficult, just let me know.”

Despite the doctor’s concern, Ji-heon showed no reaction. Occasionally, his fingertips and brow would twitch, making Jeong-oh anxious.

After a while, Ji-heon finally spoke.

“I… made food.”

Jeong-oh’s eyes welled up with tears.

“What kind of food did you make?”

It seemed he couldn’t recall anything beyond that, as Ji-heon fell silent again in response to the doctor’s question.

Seven years ago. It was a time so long ago that even ordinary people, without any significant events, would find it hard to remember. The doctor cautiously continued.

“Shall we move to another moment? You found a pregnancy test in that room belonging to your girlfriend.”

That was where Ji-heon had previously tried to recall his memories but had stopped. Since this was the point where there had been a reaction, the doctor couldn’t give up. Ji-heon’s brow furrowed tightly. Just watching him made Jeong-oh’s heart race.

Sigh.

Ji-heon let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes. While he hadn’t succeeded in recalling the memory in detail, one could say he had achieved some progress. Ji-heon woke from the hypnosis without a strong aversion and didn’t feel nauseous. There was no pain either.

However, it seemed all that distress had transferred to Jeong-oh. Unable to contain her nausea, Jeong-oh rushed straight to the bathroom.

“Ugh.”

She barely made it to the sink before grabbing onto it. Although she didn’t throw up, she felt queasy and retched a few more times.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Jeong-oh, are you okay?”

Ji-heon, having exited the counseling room, knocked on the bathroom door and called out. Jeong-oh struggled to respond immediately as she tried to catch her breath.

I know this feeling.

Tears welled up in Jeong-oh’s eyes again as she searched through her long-forgotten memories.

Yet, it hadn’t been this intense back then.

For some reason, she felt an ominous premonition that something significant was about to come.

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

Eun-yeop remained trapped, but hope was on the horizon.

Everything proceeded in the usual manner, but there seemed to be many obstacles, as both the police and the prosecution were taking their time, and it took quite a while to reach the pre-arrest interrogation. The court had yet to deliver a verdict.

If a warrant for arrest is not issued within 48 hours of an individual’s arrest, the police must release the suspect.

The 48 hours from the police to the prosecutor, and from the prosecutor to the judge for the issuance of the arrest warrant is indeed tight solely based on those procedures. If there’s a delay at any point, the entire process can come to a halt.

Eun-yeop was confident that she would soon be released. There was little time left until her release. While some were pressuring her, it felt like others were protecting her. Eun-yeop believed it was her father’s influence.

During the excitement of her arrest, her previously blocked mind began to reboot.

It was truly a mystery how the police found Kim Jin-goo’s phone. It was hidden in a place that no one could find unless they smashed everything in the house. And it had been powered off.

It seemed someone had found the phone and handed it over to the police.

‘It must be that bastard, Jeong Ji-heon.’

Convinced that the culprit was Ji-heon, Eun-yeop began to visualize what she needed to do as soon as she left the police station.

‘Jeong Ji-heon, I’ll make sure you can’t move a muscle.’

As she clenched her fists in determination for revenge, the door to the holding cell opened.

“Cha Eun-yeop. Come out.”

The police seemed much more respectful than before. From their attitude alone, Eun-yeop felt she could predict her fate. She was finally able to leave. A subtle flush appeared on her face.

As Eun-yeop stepped out of the holding cell and dusted off her clothes, she asked, “What was the result?”

“You’re being released.”

“An investigation without detention, then.”

Eun-yeop quietly celebrated in her heart. A smile quickly spread across her face.

Of course.

‘Jeong Ji-heon, take a look at this. My father’s influence is substantial.’

Eun-yeop felt a thrilling sense of victory that made her stomach churn. However, the police then spoke somberly.

“We may need to conduct another substantive examination of the warrant in a week.”

“…What?”

“Cha Eun-yeop, we’ve been informed that your father has passed away. You should hurry and go see him.”

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

As one person’s life wanes, another’s gradually blossoms.

After finishing work, Jeong-oh stopped by a pharmacy to buy a pregnancy test.

A mix of emotions flooded her, and naturally, memories of that day seven years ago came rushing back.

The day she first bought a pregnancy test at the pharmacy. Even after all this time, the memory of that day remains as vivid as the two red lines on the test.

On that day seven years ago, all four tests Jeong-oh bought showed the same result. Jeong-oh hesitated to tell Ji-heon about it, but he found the tests in her room.

He had gently reassured Jeong-oh, saying they would go to the hospital together to get her maternity booklet.

After making such a reassuring promise, he disappeared the next day. So, Jeong-oh thought she had been abandoned.

It was also a memory filled with regret for Jeong-oh.

If only she hadn’t given up on him back then, if she had stood up more firmly against his mother, if she had tried to contact him again after three months, or even a year. Then, things would surely have been different.

With a heavy heart, Jeong-oh imagined the time she had missed.

Jeong Ji-heon cutting the umbilical cord, Jeong Ji-heon cheering as their child took their first steps, Jeong Ji-heon taking celebratory photos for their child’s first birthday, Jeong Ji-heon teaching their child how to play Go… Beautiful scenes she had never experienced unfolded in her mind.

The regrets of the past made her eyes well up with tears, but a smile held them back. The thought of a new beginning filled her with excitement. She felt hopeful, a feeling she hadn’t experienced in seven years.

Thump, thump, thump…

Sitting alone in the bedroom, Jeong-oh’s heart raced as she waited for the results of the test.