A child who looks like me

After receiving a reprimand from his friend Seung-kyu, Ji-heon found himself once again standing in front of the elevator’s trash can.

The item he had dropped into the trash can, still in its paper bag, remained in the same position.

He reached out and pulled the box from the bag.

There was a card attached to the box. He unfolded the card.

– Thank you for inviting me. I’ll learn a lot and become a great person. Enjoy the snacks!

His expression crumpled as he carefully read the crooked handwriting. He considered throwing the card away again but ended up putting it in his pocket. When Ji-heon returned to his office with the box, he opened it to check its contents.

Brown cookies with various nuts embedded in them were inside. The shape was as terrible as he had expected.

However, without much hesitation, Ji-heon picked up a cookie and tore off the plastic wrapping.

He took a bite, chewing slowly and thoughtfully.

It wasn’t bad.

Normally, he would refuse food gifts, but he accepted it out of courtesy. Since he wouldn’t have to see the children from the daycare and the chaperone again, he had disposed of it without much thought.

Throwing away gifts was something that happened all the time, so he felt no particular emotions—until that woman appeared.

“How could you throw that away?”

He wasn’t irritated by her informal speech.

There was something about her tone, intonation, and trembling gaze that felt like it went beyond simple resentment.

It was as if she was questioning, “Why are you living like this?”

Could a mere employee be so audacious as to challenge an executive at work?

If there was a hidden motive, it would be truly cunning; if it was a genuine heart, it took remarkable courage.

And in the midst of a busy afternoon.

Ji-heon met Jeong-oh again in the break room.

She rushed in and, before he could speak, shot him a question.

“…Do you know who I am?”

“I do.”

“…”

“Copywriter Lee Jeong-oh.”

“…What else?”

He couldn’t grasp the essence of her question.

It felt like an accusation of why he had grabbed the wrist of a woman he didn’t know well, or perhaps a hint that he had missed something.

Either way, it wasn’t pleasant. Ji-heon didn’t like being at the mercy of others.

Most importantly, he didn’t want to reveal that his heart was gradually becoming unsettled.

“Is there anything more I should know?”

“…”

“I’d rather talk about what happened this morning.”

He decided to take the opportunity before she could say something more absurd.

You questioned how I could throw that away, so I picked it up.

But suddenly, thick tears fell from her eyes.

Crying? Why?

Ji-heon, who had planned to respond coldly no matter how she challenged him, found himself lost.

What on earth was the problem this time?

He furrowed his brow and retraced the events.

Had Seung-kyu upset her?

He had thought that Park Seung-kyu would handle such matters with ease, but it seemed he had dealt with it more roughly than expected.

While it was likely that Seung-kyu had acted to protect him, it didn’t sit well with him.

However, separate from that, he thought she was beautiful. For the first time.

The woman was crying, and that vulnerable sight stirred something within him.

He wanted to watch her cry like this for hours, trapped in his office with the door tightly shut.

But was he really only interested in her tears?

“Oppa. Were you here?”

Suddenly, a voice came from the break room door. It was Chae Eun-bi.

Ji-heon reflexively lowered one hand, which he had unconsciously raised toward Jeong-oh.

Jeong-oh, looking flustered, quickly wiped her tears. Nonetheless, her eyes were still red.

Had she been very upset? He should have asked that.

“Oppa, I didn’t tell you? This is Lee Jeong-oh, my friend. We’re high school classmates.”

In the midst of their awkwardness, Ji-heon’s arm was held by Eun-bi’s hand.

“Jeong-oh, what’s going on?”

“Uh, nothing. I just came to look at some books.”

Jeong-oh answered with her head stiffly turned.

Ji-heon knew it was an excuse.

“What books?”

“Books for reference on liquor advertisements.”

“Oh my, Jeong-oh, when it’s just us, you can speak informally. You’re not trying to embarrass me on purpose, are you?”

“Ah, no. No, I’ll go.”

Quickly responding to Eun-bi’s question, Jeong-oh seemed like someone fleeing from a pursuer as she hurriedly left.

After Jeong-oh departed, only Ji-heon and Eun-bi remained, their arms falling apart.

Eun-bi was left with an uncomfortable question.

What had that been about? It seemed like there was some backstory.

Lee Jeong-oh was blushing in front of Ji-heon, and Ji-heon remained stiff in that situation.

“Oppa, what’s going on? What did Jeong-oh say to you?”

As expected, Ji-heon didn’t respond. He never provided the answers Eun-bi wanted to hear.

Eun-bi wasn’t easily hurt by such things either.

“I’m just saying this in case, but don’t trust Jeong-oh too much. She’s not someone you can rely on.”

His eyebrows twitched slightly.

“In high school, she secretly messed with my makeup and then acted innocent when I caught her. Everyone else knew, but she kept denying it, and it was a bit scary.”

“…”

“I think she’s probably grown out of it now, but just be cautious.”

He showed no reaction, merely lowering his eyelids to look at the ring on her left hand.

It was a ring that she had boasted was a gift from him. Ji-heon, of course, didn’t know this.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Eun-bi quickly hid her left hand behind her back.

Even so, his fierce gaze didn’t relent.

There were times when his piercing eyes seemed capable of crushing his opponent, and yet he showed no emotion, which was chilling.

But today…

“You, too. Chae Eun-bi.”

“…”

“Don’t cross the line.”

It felt like something deeper was stirring beneath the surface.

Eun-bi felt her emotions rising.

After Ji-heon left, Eun-bi stood in place for a long time.

‘It’s just an act of pretending to date to avoid having troublesome people come into my life.’

Four years ago, rumors of a romantic relationship between Eun-bi and Ji-heon circulated among their acquaintances. Seizing the opportunity, Eun-bi proposed a nominal relationship to Ji-heon, which he accepted. It was likely an attempt to escape the excessive attention of those around them.

In any case, their mutual interests aligned well, and the relationship has continued smoothly to this day.

At work, Eun-bi has effectively leveraged her relationship with Ji-heon. She boasted about receiving all kinds of love from him, wore a beautiful ring as if it were a gift from him, and even browsed engagement gifts, hinting that they would marry soon.

While she enjoyed this on her own, Ji-heon suddenly transferred to Max Planning.

Initially, she was terrified, fearing he might turn out to be a braggart. However, Ji-heon surprisingly said nothing.

It was unclear whether he was pretending not to know or genuinely oblivious. Regardless, Ji-heon continued to treat her indifferently, just as he always had.

A truly nominal, fake relationship.

Nevertheless, Eun-bi was excelling in her role. Twice a week, she called Mrs. Jang Young-mi to butter her up, receiving affection in return. Young-mi already considered Eun-bi as a daughter-in-law.

Thus, Eun-bi’s hopes turned into conviction.

Although she and Ji-heon were currently awkward with each other, she was certain that she would one day become his wife.

She was convinced that he would be hers.

Jeong Ji-heon was the man who would make her shine the most.

Despite the rumors, if one looked into his past, they would be surprised at how clean his romantic history was. No one knew if he had some form of obsessive cleanliness, but Jeong Ji-heon would likely remain single. Therefore, the only person who could become his wife was Eun-bi.

Just like today, all she had to do was drive away annoying flies like Lee Jeong-oh.

Ji-heon was unaware of how hard Eun-bi was working.

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

Evening time.

Jeong-oh scanned through the materials he was assigned.

He had to participate in a competitive presentation starting today, which meant he was stuck working overtime. Sitting still made his thoughts wander.

Ji-heon and Eun-bi. He never thought he would see them side by side.

He almost let slip some information about Ye-na to Ji-heon.

Seven years might not be enough time for complete amnesia, but it’s certainly enough time for significant changes.

Hoo…

Drrrrr.

As he sighed, his phone vibrated. It was a call from his mother, Lee Guk-soon.

He realized only after the phone vibrated that he hadn’t called home while working overtime.

The shock of meeting Ji-heon and Eun-bi in the same space had left him dazed.

Jeong-oh quickly stood up and answered the call.

“Hello?”

[Are you working late?]
“Yeah. How’s Ye-na?”

[She’s been singing about wanting ice cream, so I told her I’d buy it for her after dinner, but she’s mad at Grandma.]
“Pfft.”

Imagining her daughter’s face was the only comfort to soothe her dry heart.

[Do you like her? Your granddaughter says she hates Grandma?]
“Mom, don’t say that with a smile.”

[Have you eaten?]
“Yeah. You don’t need to worry about my meals.”

Well, Guk-soon chuckled softly.

[By the way, I found that hairpin at the restaurant. I’ve kept it for you.]
“Hmm? What hairpin?”

[The purple one that’s round and elongated, with a jewel at the end. You were looking for it, remember?]
“When was that?”

[It must have been about a year ago.]
“Why are you bringing up something from a year ago now? Of course, I’ve forgotten it by now.”

[You’re the one who forgets. How could I forget when you talked about it so much?]
“…Did I?”

[You worked so hard to find it, and you forgot about it?]
“It wasn’t that important to me.”

[If you’re not going to use it, I’ll take it. I have to keep it for you.]
While her mother was thinking of her daughter, Eun-bi was thinking of another man.

The hairpin, which she had forgotten about, overlapped with her life.

Was Lee Jeong-oh like that hairpin to Ji-heon?

Something lost without knowing it, and not searching for it again. Just like a useless memory?

Not just one year ago, but a person from a full seven years ago.

I should have forgotten you, too. I was upset that I couldn’t.

Past love is like broken glass. It’s already useless, yet it still sparkles for no reason.

Knowing that those shards of glass could hurt me, I still reach out foolishly.

And so, I become even more sorrowful.

Thinking her daughter was busy with silence, Guk-soon wrapped up the call.

[Will you be late?]
“No, I won’t be too late. It’s the first day of the PT.”

[Okay. Don’t work too hard, and work in a cool place. It’s really hot today.]
“Yeah. Don’t worry.”

Jeong-oh confidently hung up the phone.

The meeting was about to begin.

As Jeong-oh was about to move to the meeting room, Eun-bi waved at him.

“Lee Jeong-oh.”

Since they were in the same department and right next to each other’s teams, he would likely see Eun-bi often in the future. They would frequently collaborate like this.

If he planned to stay at this company, he needed to overcome any discomfort.

Jeong-oh steadied his mind and approached Eun-bi.

“Are you also going to the competitive PT meeting?”

“Yes, Manager.”

“Could you take this to the meeting room?”

Eun-bi pointed to three laptops. They probably wouldn’t be too heavy together, but they looked like personal laptops.

“They’re necessary for the meeting.”

“Okay, I understand.”

Jeong-oh nodded and lifted the three laptops. They weren’t heavy at all. Just as he turned to head toward the meeting room, Eun-bi called him back again.

“Lee Jeong-oh.”

“Yes?”

“Is something bothering you?”

“Me? No, not at all.”

“Your expression seems a bit off.”

My expression? Jeong-oh blinked.

“Are you upset because I assigned you work?”

“Not at all.”

Jeong-oh shook his head vigorously.

I’m really fine!

But Eun-bi’s expression grew darker.

“Lee Jeong-oh, if you get all flustered and red-faced over trivial things, it can make both of us feel uncomfortable.”

Eun-bi’s admonishing tone left Jeong-oh speechless.

What’s so significant about carrying laptops? I really am okay!

In fact, Eun-bi’s scolding made him feel unreasonably heated. He felt embarrassed and wronged.

Finally, Eun-bi let out a deep sigh and took the laptops back from Jeong-oh.

“This is something I’ll carry. Cheer up.”

Her voice was smooth and gentle.

Eun-bi’s angelic response made those around them look at Jeong-oh with cold eyes.