A child who looks like me

Before visiting Jihun’s family home, Jeong-o reflected on what would happen today.

Previously, Young-mi had unexpectedly apologized in the hospital, and Jihun had stepped in on Jeong-o’s behalf. Jihun had told Young-mi to apologize properly after recovering, so this time, she would give a sincere apology.

In truth, Jeong-o no longer held any resentment towards Young-mi. From the moment he met her again in the hospital, his heart gradually thawed. Because he hadn’t been able to fully accept her apology back then, he felt more apologetic now.

He thought about ensuring that Young-mi wouldn’t feel embarrassed this time, but her apology came too quickly. To Jeong-o’s surprise, it seemed that Young-mi’s self-reproach was much greater than any resentment he had.

Jeong-o poked Jihun in the leg. When Jihun glanced over, she nodded toward Yena.

Jihun, quick on the uptake, immediately understood what Jeong-o meant. No matter the circumstances, it wasn’t necessary for his granddaughter to witness her grandmother kneeling.

Jihun quickly dashed over, scooping Yena from Jae-gwang’s arms and heading toward Jae-gwang’s study.

Soon, only Jeong-o, Young-mi, Guk-soon, and Jae-gwang remained in the room.

Jeong-o also found her knees giving way beneath her.

“Mother, I’m okay. Please get up.”

This time, Jeong-o gave a discreet nod toward Jae-gwang, who was standing dazed after losing his granddaughter.

Realizing what his daughter-in-law wanted, Jae-gwang stepped closer. As Jeong-o held Young-mi’s arm to help her up, Jae-gwang also offered his support. Young-mi, though free from the hospital, still needed to be careful.

Young-mi couldn’t resist Jeong-o and Jae-gwang’s hands and cautiously rose to her feet. Even standing, she wore an embarrassed expression. Jeong-o had to comfort her.

“Mother, I’m really okay now. I hope you’re okay too. If you have any burdens, please let them go and be happy.”

Everyone has their own timing. It has always been this way.

A baby born after eight months, a baby that stays in the womb for the full ten months, a baby taking its first steps after ten months, a baby that only crawls even after turning one.

And kids who become adults before finishing high school, people who can’t become adults because they have jobs and give birth…

It’s usually the case, but there’s no right answer. A baby born after eight months might be the healthiest, a baby that only crawls after turning one could become an athlete, and a person who matures late might end up being respected by everyone.

Young-mi would be the same. If she had now become someone who understands the value of love, then this was just the beginning. There was no need for resentment about realizing that late. The path ahead was more important than complaints about the past. Jeong-o’s family was just starting out.

“Thank you for saving Yena, even while you were unwell in the hospital.”

“No, that’s not it…”

Tears welled up in Young-mi’s eyes.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have accepted Yena’s umbilical cord blood…”

“Grandpa!”

As Young-mi’s voice trembled, Yena’s voice echoed from the hallway again. She had come back after realizing that her grandfather wasn’t following her.

“Grandpa, why aren’t you coming?”

Seeing Yena approach brought a smile to Jeong-o’s face. Even if she humbled herself before everyone in the world, she was endlessly proud when it came to her children. Today would surely become a memorable day for Yena as well.

“Mother, why don’t you tell Yena about the umbilical cord blood yourself? She would be so proud.”

Jeong-o changed her tone to suggest this to Young-mi. Only then did Young-mi wipe her tears and approach Yena.

“Sweetheart.”

“…”

“Thank you. Thank you, our… granddaughter.”

“Why?”

Yena asked with wide eyes. Jeong-o explained the reason.

“Our Yena shared her blood with her grandmother, so she’s thanking you.”

“Oh, I see!”

Now understanding the meaning, Yena excitedly explained, “Grandma, my blood has a map in it, so even if I get lost, I can always find my way back to you.”

A map in the blood.

Eventually, people they would meet.

In the end, Young-mi hugged Yena and started crying again.

Guk-soon, Jae-gwang, and Young-mi exchanged late greetings. Since it had been a seven-year delay in their meeting, both Jae-gwang and Young-mi felt very apologetic. After expressing their gratitude for Guk-soon’s application for the umbilical cord blood storage, they bowed their heads deeply once more. Jae-gwang politely addressed them.

“Thank you for coming. We should have arranged this gathering sooner, and I’m sorry it’s happening now. As you know, we are quite lacking in many ways. We will learn a lot from you, Father-in-law.”

“No, it’s I who should thank you for taking the precious time to invite us. Please take good care of our child.”

“It’s us who should ask Jihun to take good care of us. We might cause some trouble for you while living together…”

“Seobang Jeong is so kind in both speech and action that there’s nothing to criticize. He’s a son-in-law we’re very proud of.”

While the compliments flowed back and forth, Jae-gwang occasionally checked Jihun’s expression. He couldn’t help but feel cautious about what Jihun had texted him earlier. It made it harder to open up.

“Well, I… though it’s late, how about we hold the kids’ wedding soon?”

“It would be great to have the wedding quickly, but I’m not sure what to do since Jeong-o is having a second child. How about waiting until after the second one is born, Father-in-law?”

Guk-soon spoke on behalf of Jeong-o. It reminded her of when Jeong-o had whined about being pregnant and having to wear a wedding dress.

Listening quietly, Young-mi became solemn again. The delays in all the processes were her fault.

“I’m sorry that all the processes have been delayed because of me, Mother…”

“No, it’s not because of you, but because of the kids. The second one is coming soon.”

Guk-soon shook her head and gestured towards Jihun and Jeong-o.

As Jihun and Jeong-o subtly avoided eye contact, Guk-soon grinned. Jeong-o was amazed at how her mother confidently interacted with Jae-gwang and Young-mi without feeling intimidated. Yet, her mother was solely thinking about her daughter.

After having a meal together, wrapping up the discussions with the adults, exploring the mansion, and spending time making candy with Yena, the day gradually began to fade.

Initially, Young-mi had felt like a criminal, unable to say a word, but she gradually managed to smile, albeit awkwardly. Guk-soon often engaged her in conversation, and by the time they were about to part, Young-mi had opened up a bit.

“Yena, come visit again. Come often. Grandma will play with you a lot.”

Young-mi gently patted Yena’s head as she spoke.

“Then can Grandma also make candy?”

Yena asked, holding bags of candy in both hands. Her straightforward question indicated that there was no visit without purpose, leading to Young-mi’s next task.

“Yes, Grandma will practice and make pretty candy for you.”

“Okay, yes!”

Yena replied energetically, with conditions. As everyone laughed, Jihun approached Young-mi.

“Mother.”

Jeong-o observed Jihun whispering to Young-mi with keen interest. Young-mi’s expression turned serious, suggesting that it was something serious.

After parting from Jae-gwang and Young-mi, Jeong-o asked Jihun on their way home.

“What did you talk about with Mother before we left?”

“It was nothing much.”

“Your expression looked serious, though.”

“It was about the veil.”

“Oh.”

Bae Il, who confessed all the truths related to the incident involving Chae Eun-yeop and admitted his mistakes, was sentenced to one year in prison with a two-year suspended sentence in the first trial.

Jihun, the victim of the hit-and-run incident seven years ago, hoped for leniency, but it was difficult to reach an agreement with the family of Kim Jin-goo, who had served time in place of Bae Il. However, his contributions as a police officer were taken into consideration, allowing him to avoid serving time.

“How is Kwon Bae-il doing now?”

“He’s studying English.”

“Studying English?”

“He wants to open a Go academy in the U.S. someday. I told him I would invest in it.”

“Wow!”

“Is that all it takes to impress you?”

Jeong-o couldn’t bring himself to say that he admired Bae Il’s aspirations, even though he felt a bit emotional knowing the reasons behind Bae Il’s desire to go to America. He genuinely wanted to support Bae Il’s future.

Thinking about Bae Il’s unfortunate fate naturally led his thoughts to Chae Eun-yeop. Jeong-o glanced at the calendar and slowly said, “By the way, tomorrow is…”

Jihun nodded as if he already knew.

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

The next day.

It was the final trial date for Chae Eun-yeop.

Jihun and Jeong-o attended the trial. On their way to the courthouse, a few reporters recognized Jihun and approached him, but he did not respond to their interview requests.

Since the trial was closed to the public, the courtroom was quite empty.

“Eun-bi is here, too. With her mother.”

Eun-bi was sitting far from the defendant’s seat. She wore dark sunglasses and a mask, but Jeong-o recognized her.

Soon, Chae Eun-yeop entered the courtroom in a prison uniform. She looked a bit thinner but was otherwise well. With a fairly relaxed expression, Eun-yeop scanned the audience, and her gaze sharpened when it met Jihun’s.

Just wait. I will soon be free and repay this humiliation.

Jeong-o felt a chill, as if he could hear Chae Eun-yeop’s voice. But when the judge entered, she immediately assumed a solemn expression. Jeong-o was taken aback.

“Look at her changing her expression. It’s astonishing.”

“I heard she wrote a reflection letter forty times.”

In response to Jeong-o’s whispered comment, Jihun replied. Forty times meant she had written a reflection letter almost every day. Jeong-o was even more astonished.

“Wait, who did she write the reflection letters to? The person she should apologize to is her brother, so who the heck received these letters?”

However, before they could hear an answer, the trial began.

While reflecting on her mistakes, Chae Eun-yeop maintained her claim of innocence throughout the trial. She intended to admit to only the crimes she couldn’t deny while trying to evade responsibility for the rest. However, the prosecution became more persistent.

“The prosecution has discovered cash hidden by the defendant. The amount matches the testimony of witness Ham Dae-geun, and the flow of funds is clear. This reveals yet another lie from the defendant.”

Every time the prosecution presented their evidence, the lawyer looked increasingly troubled as he glanced at Chae Eun-yeop.

Finally, all the evidence and testimonies converged in one place.

“Prosecution, please present your sentence.”

At the judge’s request, the prosecutor stood up.

“The defendant quickly eliminated anything that would obstruct her father’s success, paving the way for him. In the process, she hired a hitman to create a noisy incident involving Kim Jin-goo, instructing him to commit murder, and ahead of her father’s confirmation hearing, she solicited members of the National Assembly to defile the sacred National Assembly. However, when her father’s confirmation hearing failed, she harbored resentment over all of this and decided to kill Jeong Jihun, resulting in the traffic accident. After failing in that endeavor, she attacked Jeong Jihun’s daughter and mother, Jang Young-mi, injuring Young-mi.”

Chae Eun-yeop shook her head with tear-filled eyes, as if to say that all these statements were untrue. To someone who didn’t know the details of the case, her performance was convincing enough to make her appear wronged.

“Before every crime occurred, there was the defendant’s meticulous planning, and until the very last moment when the handcuffs were placed on her at the hospital, the defendant pretended to be in a daze, intending to claim innocence in this court. Thus, the defendant demonstrates a poor character, shows no remorse, and is still filled with a relentless desire for revenge, making her a serious threat to society. Therefore, this prosecutor seeks a life sentence to permanently isolate the defendant from society.”

Chae Eun-yeop’s eyes flashed, breaking her previously theatrical facade of innocence. That was likely her true expression.