A child who looks like me

In December, although it wasn’t too cold and Jeong-o had been feeling relaxed, today, for some reason, snowflakes started to fall from early dawn. It was snow that hadn’t even been in the weather forecast.

As Jeong-o looked out the window, a sense of worry crossed her face.

It was the first snow of the season, but Jeong-o couldn’t feel happy about it. Snow would make the roads slippery, cause traffic jams, and lead to complaints from people.

Unconsciously, Jeong-o muttered, “It’s ruined, it’s ruined…”

“Mom, are we ruined?”

Ye-na, who had woken up by now, approached and asked. She had also just stirred from her light sleep. Surprised, Jeong-o stumbled over her words.

“Uh, it’s just…”

“Because it’s snowing?”

“Yeah.”

“I like it when it snows!”

Ye-na shouted with an excited voice.

Right. If my daughter likes it, then it must be a good thing.

Before she knew it, Jeong-o had started to think like Guk-soon.

The snow was falling heavily enough that Team Leader Seong Mi-ran left home early and arrived at the wedding venue quite early.

She always looked beautiful, but today she looked even more stunning, making it seem as if she could soar to the heavens. As she exchanged greetings with Jeong-o and walked on, she ran into Gi-hoon, who had also arrived early.

“Team Leader, you’re here early?”

“Yeah. At hotel weddings, you have to come early to save your seat.”

Mi-ran’s belief made Gi-hoon nod silently. Usually, he would have laughed heartily, but seeing him nod quietly made Mi-ran feel concerned.

“Gi-hoon, don’t cry.”

“Huh? Why would I cry?”

“Just… don’t cry.”

“Ah, Team Leader, don’t tease me.”

Gi-hoon’s face flushed slightly as he waved his hands. Just then, Eun-joo also arrived at the venue and rushed over.

Upon seeing Gi-hoon, Eun-joo immediately said, “Are you okay, Gi-hoon? You didn’t have to come.”

“Why wouldn’t I come? Of course, I had to!”

“Here. I prepared this for you. A handkerchief.”

“Ah, Deputy!”

“Make sure to wash it clean and return it.”

Gi-hoon let out a weary sigh as he accepted the handkerchief. It was obvious that if he continued to refuse and deny it, these people would tease him even more.

“I thought you wouldn’t come, but here you are.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“You don’t like the Director.”

“I don’t, but I can’t help it.”

“…”

“Capitalism has its demands.”

Eun-joo’s tired complaint made Gi-hoon smile, but his expression soon turned serious. Without realizing that he had stiffened, Eun-joo spoke in a low voice.

“There aren’t many people for a chaebol wedding. I guess the Director doesn’t have many friends.”

“That’s true.”

Gasp.

Eun-joo turned her head at the dark voice coming from behind. Ji-heon was standing there. Even in Eun-joo’s eyes, who didn’t like him, Ji-heon looked quite handsome today. It was enough to make her think that he might actually suit Jeong-o.

“I don’t have many friends.”

“…”

“So, you need to take lots of pictures pretending to be close.”

But Eun-joo couldn’t adapt to Ji-heon’s joking manner. She tried to slip away from him with a capitalist smile, but Ji-heon called out to her again.

“Have you seen Jeong-o?”

“She’s in the bride’s waiting room right now. Haven’t you seen her?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“…”

“If you haven’t seen Jeong-o because she’s so pretty, then you should hurry up and go see her.”

…On this joyous day, I can’t even curse!

Eun-joo suppressed the urge to scream and turned her head away with a blank expression. At least, she quickly found an escape route. She recognized the princess Ye-na, whom she had only heard about and seen in photos.

“You must be Princess Ye-na!”

“Yeah. Who are you?”

Wearing a white dress and a tiara, Ye-na blinked her big eyes, making it feel like a princess had appeared right out of an animation.

Eun-joo’s voice rose gracefully, as if it could rival fine porcelain and jade. Gi-hoon, who had stiffened due to Ji-heon, began to twitch his nose.

“She’s a colleague from my mom’s company. Her name is Ko Eun-joo.”

“Oh! Princess Deputy!”

As Ye-na showed a delighted reaction, Eun-joo became even more excited.

“That’s right! You’re a princess too! Nice to meet you, Princess Ye-na!”

A meeting of princesses from different worlds was happening.

Gi-hoon, unable to adapt to Eun-joo’s affectionate sisterly demeanor, fell silent.

The time for the ceremony drew near.

The preparation bell rang, and Ji-heon entered the bride’s waiting room.

Even four months pregnant, Jeong-o looked stunning in her wedding dress. Of course, it was due to her perfect choice of dress, but despite her complaints about gaining weight from eating well during her pregnancy, Jeong-o’s figure was that of a goddess with hardly any excess fat.

Ji-heon found himself lost in admiration, forgetting that this was his own wedding.

Even as he recognized that the ceremony was about to start, he stood still for a moment, feeling the warmth gather around his eyes. It was reminiscent of the scenery from seven years ago. He felt the same guilt for making his pregnant girlfriend wear a wedding dress as he had back then.

It felt like he was reclaiming lost time. For just today, he felt like he could turn back to seven years ago.

“Are you ready?”

“… Huuuu.”

At Ji-heon’s gentle voice, Jeong-o exhaled a long sigh, her face tense.

A dress that wouldn’t be too much for the baby. Beautiful, stable shoes. And a husband who would hold her hand and walk down the wedding road together.

Everything was perfect, yet she felt a growing stiffness in her body.

She had raised a child, but this was her first wedding.

It was her first event where she was the main character in front of her child.

Sensing Jeong-o’s nervousness, Ji-heon spoke.

“Should I carry you?”

A smile broke out on Jeong-o’s previously frozen face. However, Ji-heon was serious. If Jeong-o couldn’t take a single step, he felt he could carry her and walk boldly.

What wouldn’t he do for the bride he wanted to give the moon and stars?

Just then, outside the waiting room, Ye-na waved her hand.

“Mom, hi! I’ll go first!”

Today’s ceremony would begin with the entrance of Ye-na and Do-bin. People erupted in exclamations as they watched the flower girls, who had taken their positions at the entrance of the hall.

Gathering her spirits, Jeong-o stood up from her seat. Ji-heon held her hand as they made their way to the entrance, where the ceremony was set to begin.

Amidst cheers, applause, and laughter, the beautifully dressed Ye-na and Do-bin entered, each holding a basket. The two children scattered the flower petals from their baskets onto the wedding road, just as they had practiced the day before. However, after just five steps, Do-bin stopped.

“Uh? I don’t have any flower petals left.”

The big-hearted Do-bin had emptied his flower petal basket in three handfuls. Since there were no petals in the basket during their practice the day before, he hadn’t gauged how many times he should sprinkle them.

The two children stood still, peering into their baskets. People burst into laughter as they watched the kids seriously examine their empty baskets.

Only the faces of two adults turned pale. Seung-kyu and Jin-seo.

Just as Jin-seo was about to rush to her son,

“I’ll share mine with you. Use it sparingly.”

Ye-na calmly handed some of her flower petals to Do-bin without a hint of panic.

As the two children calmly resolved the problem, the crowd erupted in applause, as if they had all made a silent agreement. Seung-kyu and Jin-seo both let out simultaneous sighs of relief.

The fairy-like entrance of the two children concluded without incident, and now it was time for the bride and groom to enter.

The atmosphere in the hall changed dramatically. All the lights except for the ones on the wedding road were turned off, and the spotlight illuminated the bride and groom.

Startled by the sudden lighting, Jeong-o blinked as the light flooded into her eyes. She could clearly see the path she was to walk. If she had to walk down that path alone, it would feel daunting, but having someone beside her holding her hand gave her reassurance.

At the end of that path stood her mother, Ye-na, and her parents-in-law.

The four people waiting for her were like another set of guiding lights.

As she walked, she noticed that flower petals had accumulated in some places along the path. Jeong-o, unaware of what had just occurred in the hall, could only imagine.

Had some child poured all the petals out of their basket?

Was that why people were laughing and clapping?

Imagining that scene, Jeong-o couldn’t help but smile.

While perfection is nice, imperfections are good too.

In our memories, imperfect moments often linger longer than a perfect whole.

Strangely, imperfect days create perfect happiness.

As Jeong-o walked on the flower path made by the children, she thought that she no longer had to wait for the flower rain.

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

The wedding ceremony ended safely, but the snow did not stop. The snow that had briefly paused during the ceremony began to fall heavily again.

Flights were canceled, and their honeymoon would be delayed by a day.

She had been looking forward to the first-class flight…

But Ji-heon smiled, saying it was for the best. She would find out why the next day.

“Hey, Jeong-o.”

Ji-heon woke Jeong-o up at five in the morning.

“No… what time is it…?”

Jeong-o grumbled as she struggled to lift her heavy eyelids. Just then, a sparrow-like voice chimed in.

“Mom! Wake up! Let’s go see the snow!”

Ye-na and Ji-heon were already up and fully geared.

Reluctantly, Jeong-o got out of bed, dragging her feet.

“You want to go see the snow at this hour?”

She wondered if Ye-na had been pestering her dad, but for some reason, Ji-heon looked even more excited than Ye-na. After thinking it over, she realized that while she had spent spring, summer, and autumn with Ji-heon, she had spent winter alone. This would be their first winter together, their first snowfall.

She almost missed the joy of the first snow because of the wedding.

As soon as she bundled up and stepped into the living room, Guk-soon opened her door.

“Where are you off to at this hour?”

“They’re going to see the snow. Mom, come with us!”

Jeong-o pleaded with Guk-soon, sounding like a child. Guk-soon smiled, as if she couldn’t refuse, and went back into her room to put on her coat.

The apartment was still quiet, like the dead of night.

No, it was even quieter than midnight.

The world, dusted with fresh snow, looked as if it were covered in a fluffy white blanket, serene and still.

The child gasped at the thick snow covering the ground.

“Wow!”

Ye-na stamped her feet in the untouched snow, leaving impressions as if she were marking her territory. She exclaimed with delight every time she saw her sinking footprints.

“Daddy! Look! My footprints are huge!”

“Are those really Ye-na’s footprints? Or did a bear walk by?”

“No! They’re Ye-na’s footprints!”

At Ji-heon’s joke, Ye-na giggled and walked over again. The sound of the child’s laughter seemed to linger in the snowy path marked by her footprints.

Ji-heon had fulfilled his wish from seven years ago: to let her be the first to step into the fresh snow.

Ye-na and Ji-heon, playing in the snow like happy puppies on a snowy day, looked wonderful together. However, Jeong-o began to feel increasingly cold. She gestured for them to come back inside, but Ye-na pointed at the pristine snowfield.

“Mom, can’t I lie down here?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“You’ll catch a cold.”

“But you just have to not get sick!”

“Do you think colds come with permission? If I say no, then it’s no.”

Why did children want to lie down in the snow?

Jeong-o didn’t understand, so she shot back firmly, but Guk-soon muttered beside her.

“You’re just like her. Just like her.”

“I’m not like anything.”

“You did the same thing when you were her age.”

While Jeong-o stood there in shock, Ji-heon persuaded her.

“Let’s let her do it just once.”

“Hehe!”

As soon as Ji-heon showed signs of giving permission, Ye-na flopped down into the snow. Jeong-o immediately scolded her again.

“You’ll freeze!”

“Daddy will warm me up. Let me!”

“Wow!”

Ye-na lay back, flailing her arms and legs as if she had turned into a baby again, a blissful smile spreading across her face.

“Mom, Ye-na has melted away.”

At those words, Jeong-o felt herself melting too.

Jeong-o pressed the button on her phone to capture the moment, snapping a picture of the rosy-nosed Ye-na and Ji-heon together. Guk-soon glanced at the photo.

“They look alike.”

“Exactly. They’re just like each other.”

“You’re the same too. You all look alike.”

“Then Mom is the same too. Mom looks just like me!”

Jeong-o’s retort made Guk-soon burst into laughter.

In the meantime, Ji-heon draped his coat over Jeong-o’s shoulders. The warmth he had was transferred to her.

Jeong-o thought that this moment right now was the most beautiful moment of her life.

And so, the main story concludes.