A child who looks like me

Friday evening.

“Mommy! Have a good trip! Bring back lots of gifts!”

Ye-na waved goodbye to her mother, who was leaving for a business trip. She had been crying the whole time Jeong-o was packing, but her spirits lifted with her grandmother’s promise to buy her a bubble toy.

“Don’t worry about the kids. Just work hard. Be careful with your food!”

Guk-soon, letting her daughter go, also made sure to give her advice.

“Yes. You take care too, Mom. Our princess should listen to Grandma!”

Jeong-o also cheerfully said goodbye as she stepped out the door.

During the few days Mi-ran was hospitalized, Jeong-o was incredibly busy.

As Mi-ran’s substitute, she shuffled between the hospital, coordinating with Mi-ran, keeping track of the filming schedule with Deputy Park Young-gwang, and making sure that work continued smoothly in her absence.

She couldn’t relax for even a moment. She had to do her best to ensure the quality of the production didn’t drop due to Mi-ran’s absence. Jeong-o even skimmed through extensive materials on the plane.

After a long journey of 15 hours, including layover time, Jeong-o arrived in Melbourne, Australia. It was now Saturday afternoon at 2 PM, having passed through a day of flying.

Without even unpacking at the accommodation, Jeong-o headed to the city of Melbourne as guided by the location manager. On Saturday, they would check all the filming locations in advance, with shooting scheduled from Sunday to early Tuesday morning.

It was the ground she hadn’t set foot on in seven years. Jeong-o sighed as she looked up at the buildings in the city from the car. Very little had changed since seven years ago. It felt as if she had returned to the past.

The fact that the buildings and stores remained in the same place offered Jeong-o a poignant sense of comfort.

The location manager asked, “You said you lived in Melbourne before, right?”

“Yes, for a few months seven years ago.”

“Well, since almost none of the buildings have changed, it must bring back memories for you.”

“It really does. I’ve changed, but this place remains the same.”

Jeong-o absorbed the sights of Melbourne with her eyes and heart.

Saturday passed in a rush, and Sunday arrived. The preparations started early in the morning, with filming beginning at 9 AM. The shoot took place in a rented building on the beach, but controlling the surrounding area was quite challenging.

While filming was in full swing, Deputy Park Young-gwang asked with concern, “What should we have for lunch? Director Jeong Ji-heon is coming soon.”

Hearing Ji-heon’s name made Jeong-o tense up.

She had learned around Wednesday that Ji-heon would be joining the filming team. It was an inefficient trip, with flights and accommodations all covered out of pocket.

It was reportedly a choice made solely to please the advertiser, and, of course, the executives from SoRi Telecom were quite pleased with it.

That might be good for them, but the staff at Max Planning found it somewhat uncomfortable. And among them, she was probably the most uncomfortable.

Although she was filled with complaints inside, Jeong-o kept her feelings to herself and started searching the internet.

“I remember the advertiser casually mentioned wanting to eat local food. I wonder if there are any restaurants open. Do you have any recommendations?”

“Just a moment.”

Checking the map, Jeong-o brightened up. A restaurant she had liked was still there.

“Oh! This restaurant is still here!”

“Where?”

Jeong-o showed the restaurant’s photo to Deputy Park Young-gwang and the planning team leader as she explained.

“‘The Crown’ is a restaurant I really loved. They have a lot of dishes, it’s delicious, it’s close to here, and they’re open on Sundays. Their meat pie is just amazing…”

Oh my God!

Jeong-o’s words suddenly cut off.

That restaurant had one wall completely filled with photos of customers.

I took Jeong Ji-heon there. And the owner took a picture of us…

There might be a photo of me and Ji-heon hanging somewhere on that wall…

“If it’s that amazing, we have to go. It really looks great, this assistant,” Young-gwang said, already smitten by the idea after seeing the photo.

Jeong-o stood up from her seat.

“Deputy, can I step out for a moment? It’ll only take about an hour, or maybe 40 minutes.”

“Huh? Is something up?”

“Yes. I’ll also make a reservation for the restaurant on my way.”

“Okay, that sounds good.”

Jeong-o quickly left the building and dashed off. The way to the restaurant was still fresh in her memory. On the way, she even bought a hat and pulled it down low over her face.

The Crown.

The restaurant looked exactly the same as it had seven years ago, from the sign to the interior decor. While the nostalgic scenery touched her heart, there was no time for sentimentality. Jeong-o positioned herself in a corner by the wall with the photos and ordered a drink.

Since it wasn’t lunchtime yet, the restaurant was quiet. Jeong-o quickly scanned the wall for photos while trying to be discreet.

Oh my! There’s a photo!

It was easy to spot, as it was located just slightly below her eye level.

Seizing a moment when no one was watching, Jeong-o pulled the photo off the wall. Just then, her drink was brought to her. She gulped it down and left the restaurant after successfully making a reservation.

Phew!

Her heart raced with a mix of urgency and guilt. Jeong-o took out the photo she had tucked into her pocket and sighed heavily.

How on earth did this relic survive until now?

It was a picture of 26-year-old short-haired Ji-heon and 23-year-old long-haired Jeong-o.

Their faces were stretched into comfortable smiles that somehow resembled siblings.

What on earth were we so happy about back then that we smiled so beautifully?

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

After wrapping up her schedule in Korea, Ji-heon boarded a Saturday night flight and arrived in Melbourne on Sunday morning.

According to his passport, he had traveled to Australia seven years ago right after his military discharge. It seemed that Melbourne had been his last stop, as he had stayed at a hotel there for three days, but after that, he had no traces left for about three weeks.

He had spent money and time traveling, but with no memories, it was a place he had nothing to recall.

Yet, there was a strange sense of familiarity in every corner of Melbourne, which made his eyes misty.

After unpacking at the hotel, Ji-heon immediately contacted the planning team leader.

[Yes, Director.] “Team leader, I’m out by the beach, but I can’t see the building.”

[Lee Jeong-o just stepped out.] Before the team leader could finish, a woman appeared, fluttering toward him like a butterfly.

It was almost time for Jeong-o to arrive.

In the middle of the day. In the midst of the sun.

There was Jeong-o, somehow standing out in the chilly landscape.

As she bounced closer, she noticed Ji-heon and cautiously slowed her steps, almost as if she were conscious of him.

She approached very slowly, with no trace of warmth, and greeted him with a formal expression.

“Director, you’ve arrived.”

Have all the things between us turned into nothing?

Was a single kiss not enough? Is my existence to you worth so little?

There shouldn’t have been anyone watching, yet her stiff demeanor drew a similar response from Ji-heon.

“Yes.”

“The clients are over there. Let’s go.”

Jeong-o turned around and led the way.

Would she reach out and grab his wrist at any moment? Would she suddenly kiss him like before? She felt tense and shrank back.

He had an indescribable aura. Like iron filings aligning themselves around a magnet, he seemed to have a charisma that could arrange everything around him to his will.

In layman’s terms, he was a “powerful guy.”

That’s why she couldn’t stand too close to him. As they walked down the street with some distance between them, she asked him, “Have you eaten?”

“Say you did. Say you did. Say you did,” Jeong-o murmured to herself.

“I haven’t eaten yet.”

“We’re planning to go to a local food restaurant. Is that alright?”

Say no. Say no. Say no.

“Yes. Whatever works.”

Phew.

In the end, it seemed they were indeed going to that restaurant.

Jeong-o deeply regretted recommending the restaurant to Deputy Park an hour earlier.

Ji-heon greeted the clients and checked the site.

Just as it was lunchtime, they left the production company director in charge of the site and headed to the restaurant with the clients, the planning team leader, Deputy Park Young-gwang, and Ji-heon.

Jeong-o’s heart raced all the way to the restaurant. Standing right in front of it made her mind go blank.

“Ahhhhh…”

Jeong-o clutched her stomach and groaned.

“I suddenly have a stomachache. I think I need to go to the restroom. You all go ahead and enjoy your meal without worrying about me.”

Her clumsy act of groaning made Ji-heon frown, but Jeong-o casually spoke to the planning team leader and slowly began to step back.

“I made the reservation under the team leader’s name. So, please take care of it…”

After Jeong-o made her escape, Young-gwang let out a worried sigh.

“How unfortunate to recommend a good restaurant and not be able to eat there.”

“Is this the restaurant the assistant recommended?” Ji-heon asked.

“Yes, Director. It’s a restaurant that Lee Jeong-o visited during her working holiday.”

Ji-heon quietly nodded and continued walking. He was displeased that she kept avoiding him.

The restaurant was now quite crowded. When the planning team leader told the owner their name, the owner led them to an empty table. Ji-heon entered the restaurant last.

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, the restaurant owner recognized Ji-heon and his eyes widened.

Ji-heon kept his lips tightly pressed together as he looked at the owner. The owner’s face lit up, and he smiled broadly as he took Ji-heon’s hand in a friendly manner.

“It’s nice to see you again!”

“You know me?” Ji-heon asked in English.

“You came to our restaurant a few years ago. Don’t you remember?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. I don’t recall.”

The fact that the owner remembered his visit years ago didn’t give Ji-heon much trust, and he smiled bitterly.

“Oh dear, I even know your name. Mr. Jeong. My memory is the best in this town.”

The owner continued, feeling pity for Ji-heon, who couldn’t remember him.

Hearing “Mr. Jeong” made Ji-heon look at the owner again. The owner pointed to the wall covered in photos.

“I took a picture of you and put it up here, and the customers went wild. How’s your girlfriend?”

“…My girlfriend?”

“The person you took the picture with—wasn’t she your girlfriend? Did you break up?”

“There was someone I took a picture with?” Ji-heon asked, confused.

“Wait a moment. Let me see.”

The owner’s eyes sparkled as he scanned the wall. But soon, he tilted his head in confusion.

Pointing to the exact spot where Jeong-o had taken the photo, the owner said to his staff, “Huh? I could have sworn the photo was right here until recently. Where did it go? Did it disappear while cleaning?”

Of course. Ji-heon nodded with an indifferent expression.

“Oh dear. I’m sorry.”

Despite apologizing, the owner didn’t give up and continued to inspect the photos on the wall. And then…

“Oh! Here it is!”

He finally shouted again.