A child who looks like me

A few months ago, before the hypnosis therapy, Jihun had asked Jeong-o if there was anything she was curious about regarding the Jihun from seven years ago.

At that time, Jeong-o immediately mentioned a few things: why he never introduced her to a friend, and why he disliked her drinking. She was curious about those things.

Remembering that conversation, Jihun decided to tell her the truth.

As it was Jihun’s first experience with romance, he had been so captivated by Jeong-o’s beauty that he didn’t know what to do. He felt she was such a precious person that he hesitated even to hold her hand in the early stages of their relationship. He was well aware of the extent of his own desires.

He knew that if he held her hand, he would want to hug her, and if he hugged her, he would want to kiss her. And he was aware that he would crave even more than that.

That’s why he had stopped her from drinking. It was triggered by an event in Melbourne.

During his last meeting with Jeong-o in Melbourne, they ended up drinking together. It was her first time trying that type of alcohol, and she quickly got drunk, which Jihun found incredibly cute. It was the first time he felt such fear. He became anxious that he might make a mistake with her.

So, he couldn’t get any closer in Melbourne, and it was regrettable to part ways. As they said goodbye, he left his contact information and emphasized several times that she should reach out when she returned home.

After that, all he experienced was waiting and regret. Why hadn’t she contacted him? Why hadn’t he made clearer plans with her? He couldn’t even put his phone down at night when it didn’t ring.

By the time she was due to return to Korea, he had become an even more sensitive person. The thought of her contacting him was enough to make him feel as if his nerves would melt away like snow.

After a long wait, he reunited with Jeong-o in Seoul. At that moment, Jihun made a firm resolution in his heart: he wouldn’t let her go this time.

Fortunately, Jeong-o noticed his sincerity and accepted him as her boyfriend.

He had forbidden her from drinking only after that. She was so beautiful that he feared making a mistake and worried that other guys with ulterior motives might approach her.

The reason he hadn’t introduced her to a friend was similar. He thought that any guy would end up liking Jeong-o, so he couldn’t carelessly introduce anyone. He hadn’t known Seung-kyu for long, and since he hadn’t met him frequently after his military discharge, he couldn’t introduce him.

Moreover, Jihun preferred spending time alone with Jeong-o rather than with someone else. He was so deeply infatuated with her that he couldn’t imagine parting ways.

The Jeong-o from seven years ago was truly adorable. Having grown up receiving plenty of love from her mother, Jeong-o always exuded love in her actions and words. She was well aware that she deserved to be loved. That bright energy was something Jihun envied and found endearing.

Of course, she is still heartbreakingly lovely today.

Jeong-o shouted with joy, “Kyaaa!” and threw her arms around Jihun’s neck, forgetting that it was still early in the morning.

“Do you remember how you confessed to me? What exactly did you say?”

“…Don’t talk about that.”

Seeing him shy made it real. He really remembers everything!

“Waaaaah!”

“But Jeong-o, it’s the crack of dawn…”

“What does it matter? Did you win the lottery or something?”

Eventually, Jeong-o’s commotion woke Guk-soon. She came out of her room, looking at the two with a puzzled expression.

“That’s not it, Mother.”

Jihun tried to pull Jeong-o’s arms away, but she wouldn’t let go.

“Mom! Oppa’s memories have returned!”

Jeong-o shouted in an excited voice. Guk-soon’s half-open eyes widened in surprise.

Yena also came out of her room, rubbing her eyes.

“Mom…”

Yena, who usually wakes up early, realized it wasn’t quite time yet. Still feeling sleepy, she groaned as she got out of bed. In response, Jeong-o shouted excitedly at her.

“Yena! Daddy’s memories have come back!”

“Really?”

Yena couldn’t fully understand the depth of the pain that came from losing one’s memories, so she couldn’t gauge the significance of Jihun’s regained memories either. However, seeing her mother’s joyful expression instantly changed Yena’s demeanor.

“Wow! Daddy’s memories came back!”

If mom is happy, then I’m happy too!

Yena was as joyful as if she had just found her favorite toy that she had been searching for days. Following her mother’s lead, she shouted, “Hooray! They’re back!”

Grabbing her mother’s hands, Yena spun around, and then she raised her arms high and hugged Jihun.

“Daddy! Hooray!”

Jihun lifted Yena high into the air in return.

In the midst of such joy, he felt tears welling up. Finding what he had lost made the presence of his child even more precious. Guk-soon, watching him from a distance with pride, also felt significant. After such a long journey, being part of this family felt miraculous.

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

Time passed, and now in Jihun’s office.

“Do it again. Keep going.”

Jeong-o urged Jihun to continue talking about whatever he remembered from seven years ago.

“It’s really amazing. How can something just suddenly pop into your head like that?”

“I fell asleep and woke up, and it was as if my mind had cleared up like a lie.”

Jihun was astonished by how clean his memories felt, like a well-polished window. It felt as if his memories were contained in a time capsule, untouched and whole.

“But it probably wasn’t something that just came to you suddenly. It must be the result of the persistent observation of Lee Jeong-o all this time.”

He couldn’t help but attribute all of this to Jeong-o. Everything was thanks to the miracle she had brought into his life.

Jeong-o smiled brightly at her husband’s sweet words. However, as Jihun leaned closer, tilting his head as if he were about to say something affectionate, she froze for a moment.

I’m here to hear stories, not to engage in romantic gestures…

Jeong-o knew exactly what she had followed him into his office for, but she couldn’t push away her husband’s affection. Remembering her youthful innocence and the purity of her feelings from seven years ago, her excitement overwhelmed any other thoughts.

Just like the clean memories, her anticipation was untouched.

Jeong-o’s lips gently beckoned forward.

Knock, knock.

Suddenly, the door burst open.

“Hey! What’s going on?”

Seung-kyu rushed in, looking frantic as he pushed the door wide open.

Gasp!

Jeong-o suddenly pushed Jihun’s shoulder and stepped away from him.

But it was already too late; Seung-kyu had caught on to everything. He hesitated and asked, “Should I come back later?”

“Yeah,” Jihun replied, but…

“No! Come quickly!”

Jeong-o, her face flushed, immediately stood up from her seat.

“Then have a good time!”

“Why would I have a good time with her?”

Jihun retorted as Jeong-o hurriedly left the room. Ignoring his words, Jeong-o quickly made her escape. The focus shifted back to Seung-kyu.

Feeling the tension of interrupting a couple’s moment, Seung-kyu mumbled apologetically, “Sorry, but you called me here.”

It was then that Jihun remembered why Seung-kyu had come. He had sent him a text earlier that morning asking if he was coming to work and mentioned that he had something to say.

The mention of having something to say always piqued Seung-kyu’s interest, and he had rushed over as soon as he arrived at the office.

Jihun decided to share the truth with Seung-kyu.

“My memories have come back.”

The delivery was dry and straightforward, contrasting sharply with the sweetness he had experienced with Jeong-o.

That alone left Seung-kyu stunned.

“…What?”

“My memories from seven years ago have returned.”

“…The memories of leaving that house?”

“Yeah.”

“The memories of my military service, the memories of meeting you there, even the memories from Australia—those all came back?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you remember when I lent you the canteen cap in the military?”

“Yeah. I remember you bragging about it for a month. You had two because you inherited them from your dad’s military service number.”

“Damn you!”

Seung-kyu exclaimed and pulled Jihun into a tight hug. While he enjoyed being embraced by Jeong-o, being hugged by Seung-kyu made him feel a bit uncomfortable, causing him to scrunch his nose. Seung-kyu, overwhelmed with emotion, hugged Jihun tightly and let out a quiet sob.

“Are you crying?”

“…”

“You’re crying, aren’t you? Like a man.”

“What? Men don’t have feelings?”

Seung-kyu released Jihun and turned away, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve.

“Damn it, you jerk… Congratulations, you jerk…”

“…”

“Because of you… Huh? Because of you! …Do you have any idea how sad I was?”

“…”

“We were really close in the military. I cherished you so much! I was treated like a scammer by Chae Eun-yeob, and because of that, you were wary of a great friend like me. Do you know how hurt I felt? Huh? Damn it…”

Hearing Seung-kyu’s complaints softened Jihun’s heart. He hadn’t expected such sentiment; it felt reassuring to know that he had a friend who had always cared for him.

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah! You should be sorry.”

With his nose red, Seung-kyu shouted back and then asked again, this time with a worried tone.

“Are you sure everything has come back? The memories of the military weren’t that great, so are you okay? Are you going to start dreaming about enlisting every night now?”

“I occasionally have those dreams anyway. Just with my imagination.”

“Damn…”

Something welled up in Seung-kyu again as he pulled Jihun into another hug.

“Don’t forget me again, okay?”

Jihun thought of Jeong-o. On the day he learned that Yena was his daughter, Jeong-o had said something similar to him. Don’t forget me.

Because of his amnesia, the precious people around him had become desperate to be remembered. He felt a pang of guilt for that.

“I got it.”

“Does anyone else know? That your memories have come back?”

“No. Only my family knows. There’s no need to make a big deal out of it.”

“….”

“I’m only telling you.”

“Why?”

“You are my… precious friend.”

Jihun said this while hiding his fingers behind his back, feeling awkward as such words slipped out for the first time.

However, Seung-kyu seemed pleased and patted Jihun on the back.

“Look at you! Finally grown up!”

Seung-kyu’s overflowing affection left Jihun feeling dazed. Although he felt guilty for not being able to react in kind, he decided that it was all a good thing.

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

A week passed.

Young-mi was discharged after over a month in the hospital. While she still needed to undergo a few more tests and might require a second round of chemotherapy if necessary, her current prognosis was relatively positive.

Though the thought of more treatment made her dizzy, the time spent in the hospital allowed Young-mi to realize the value of life, the importance of family, and the significance of a kind heart.

On the weekend, Jihun’s family planned to visit Young-mi and Jae-gwang’s house. With Guk-soon also coming, it was essentially a belated meeting of families.

Before their visit, Jihun sent a text to Jae-gwang as a precaution.

– Don’t say anything strange to Jeong-o. Don’t say anything strange to my mother-in-law either. And don’t say anything strange to Yena.

‘How much does he think we’re strange people?’

Jihun felt a bit disappointed that his son didn’t seem to understand his parents’ concerns about potentially embarrassing themselves in front of his in-laws.

After all, he had spent half his life leading a company, so it was likely he had unknowingly hurt employees in the process. Since Guk-soon wasn’t just another employee but rather like a heavenly in-law, he knew he needed to act more cautiously.

Eventually, the staff informed him that Jihun’s family had arrived at the mansion.

Jae-gwang went to Young-mi’s room.

“Dear, our in-laws are here. Let’s go.”

Young-mi, who had been sitting on the edge of the bed, silently stood up. When Jae-gwang offered to help her, she gently pushed him away.

As the front door opened, Jihun’s family entered the mansion.

The first to speak was Yena.

“Grandpa!”

“Our princess has come!”

When his granddaughter rushed over with open arms, Jae-gwang couldn’t have been happier. He picked her up joyfully.

“Grandpa, I want candy!”

Taking this opportunity, Yena shouted her request. Though she had been warned by her mother not to pester her grandpa, she didn’t remember it.

“Alright. Let’s go. Let’s go.”

Feeling the urge to grant his granddaughter anything she wanted, Jae-gwang responded in a cheerful and lively tone.

However, the atmosphere beside them was much more subdued.

“Mother, how have you been?”

Jeong-o stepped forward and bowed to Young-mi.

Young-mi’s frail body, weakened from her long battle with illness, trembled slightly. She looked precariously close to collapsing, prompting Jeong-o’s hand to instinctively reach out to her.

Just as Jeong-o was about to support Young-mi, her knees buckled, and she sank to the floor.

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

“I feel ashamed.”

Young-mi spoke in a trembling, tearful voice.