Pig Government Official

-40-

Lying face down on the bed, Jeonggwan let out a heavy sigh. He had turned away family members knocking on his door five times, once for each person. He wanted to think sentimentally alone, and at times like this, having a large family was inconvenient. Uaah-. Jeonggwan buried his face in the pillow and let out a low sound. He was too drained to scream. After letting out a low-pitched scream, Jeonggwan turned his face to the side with a puff-, exhaling the breath that had been blocked. A dilemma had arisen.

‘He passed away a month ago. That’s why I came back to Korea.’

‘Why…? What happened…?’

‘He died from overwork.’

‘Ah…’

Jeonggwan felt sorry for his arrogant behavior when mentioning the father and became awkward. Of course, he didn’t know he had passed away, but now that he knew, he couldn’t treat Taegeon coldly. So when Taegeon took a step closer to Jeonggwan, he couldn’t back away and just watched nervously, not knowing what to do.

‘I was definitely sad that my father passed away. But when I thought I could come see you without any restrictions now… Suddenly I felt like I could breathe. I know I’m a really unfilial son, but that’s how much I…’

He really sounds like an unfilial son, Jeonggwan thought, but he couldn’t say anything and just fidgeted with his fingers. Then why, what was he afraid of that he couldn’t contact him? As if reading Jeonggwan’s thoughts, Taegeon provided the answer himself.

‘…I was scared because I liked you so much.’

Ah… Jeonggwan’s eyes widened.

‘That’s why I couldn’t find the courage. I was afraid you’d push me away… But as soon as I smelled your pheromone, I was sure. I absolutely can’t live without you.’

Uaah-! He buried his face in the pillow again and screamed a bit louder this time. If only… if only Taegeon had been a coward like before… By now, he would have been giggling while watching YouTube. While eating the chocolates Won Junjae bought him. But this guy… He really came prepared this time.

‘Jeonggwan. Will you give me another chance…?’

‘…I’m sorry.’

Of course, he had no intention of accepting. Although he felt sorry for Taegeon’s current situation, now that there was no restriction from his father, he would pursue me? Unfortunately, it didn’t excite or please him at all. It was just a no-go. But his face is innocent. Jeonggwan pounded the bed with his fist. This is why I’m problematic. This is why. True to his pine tree taste, he was weak for Taegeon’s face.

‘Then… at least let me like you.’

‘…’

‘…Okay?’

‘Don’t push your feelings onto me.’

How can I be harsh when you look at me so pitifully with that handsome face? How can I coldly reject you! Jeonggwan couldn’t bring himself to say “No. Don’t like me” so bluntly. But he was really annoyed at Taegeon who, until that moment, was pushing it onto him like a coward. In the end, he firmly rejected him in a roundabout way and quickly ran back home.

Jeonggwan rolled over from his prone position to lie on his back.

“I guess I won’t need side dishes tomorrow.”

Tomorrow, he absolutely had to drink beer with Park Jihoon after work. To talk about what happened today, KakaoTalk or phone calls weren’t enough. It felt like just talking about today’s events over beer tomorrow would be enough to fill his stomach. Of course, that’s just a figure of speech. How could he not order sausages and french fries?

For now… he needed to sleep. Jeonggwan’s eyes, which had experienced too many events in one day, slowly closed.

* * *

“Whoa, hey, look at this. Didn’t I say he was the King of Pathos? Isn’t this just like a movie?”

Jihoon was going crazy, slapping Jeonggwan’s shoulder. The manager, Suki, and Hwang Jun, who were listening together, covered their mouths and kept exclaiming “Oh my god” repeatedly. Originally, he was going to talk about it over beer after work, but his mouth was too itchy, so he spilled everything as soon as he arrived at work. Everyone was making a fuss, asking Jeonggwan how such dramatic things happen to him every day.

Jeonggwan also found his life these days very interesting. Just Won Junjae’s appearance alone was enough for a whole drama… And now with the gym incident and Jung Taegeon barging in. Is this the golden period they say happens once in life when romantic interests get tangled up and complicated…!

“Oh right. What happened with Jeonggwan’s reflection letter?”

“I don’t have to write it anymore… Oh right. I received this crappy apology text yesterday.”

“…A crappy apology text?”

When Jeonggwan showed the text message screen on his phone, everyone gathered around him. As they stood still reading the long, strange message, their expressions became strange too. Jihoon covered his mouth saying this bastard’s way of speaking hasn’t changed at all, while Hwang Jun and Suki let out long exclamations saying he’s no ordinary weirdo either. And the manager, who encounters this kind of rude customer once a day, smiled benevolently as if unaffected.

“Why did this person use so many question marks and ellipses…”

“He’s always like that… He’s still going around like that.”

“Jihoon, you know this person?”

“Don’t even mention it. That jerk. Even worse than me, the only human I’ve ever hated.”

Jihoon clicked his tongue as he spoke, but Hwang Jun looked at him with an expression full of doubt, as if to say, “Can someone be worse than you?” Jihoon lashed out at Hwang Jun, asking if his face was like that because he wanted to increase the dessert menu, starting the day with a fresh tantrum.

“But look at this part that says ‘They say a wounded heart can’t be mended or something?'”

It seems like someone made him send this apology text, right? The manager, who was reading the text once more, turned to look at Jeonggwan with sparkling eyes. Suki also looked at that part again and then looked at Jeonggwan with a mischievous smile, saying, “Oh my, is this the situation we’re imagining?”

“Maybe…?”

“Wow-. Is this why they say to date someone powerful?”

“Exactly. It’s really cool. The class of making someone who threatens to sue with a lawyer apologize in person on the same day…!”

This is it. What we wanted to see from someone powerful. Suki and the manager high-fived each other with ecstatic faces. Jeonggwan trailed off saying, “Oh, it’s nothing…” but his cheekbones, which had been lowered all day yesterday and today, started to rise again slowly.

He made a mental note to definitely thank Won Junjae when he comes at 10:30 later. Yesterday, Jeonggwan had unintentionally failed to reply to Won Junjae’s KakaoTalk message because he had been drained from thinking too much. Seeing that no further messages came after that, it seemed Won Junjae just thought he couldn’t contact him because he was sleeping. Should I try to hold his hand slightly today to thank him for the chocolates and making me receive the apology text yesterday? Jeonggwan secretly opened his eyes slightly.

* * *

Something’s strange. Something’s wrong.

Jeonggwan opened the locker room door and came out to the cafe. The large clock on the cafe wall indicated that it was currently twelve o’clock, but there was no lingering scent of strawberry jam anywhere in the cafe. And Jeonggwan’s phone was also quiet. There had been no further conversation since those KakaoTalk messages that came every thirty minutes yesterday. Jeonggwan, who hadn’t replied separately because he was planning to flirt when Won Junjae came today, was now very perplexed.

Is he upset? Is he not coming because he’s upset that I didn’t go out yesterday saying I was sleeping, left his KakaoTalk on read, and didn’t contact him after waking up today? As Jeonggwan was looking down at his phone with a quite serious face, Jihoon cautiously approached him.

“Hyung… Why didn’t he come today?”

“I don’t know.”

“…Haven’t you tried contacting him?”

“Not yet.”

Let’s contact him now. He entered the chat with Won Junjae. Should I ask why he didn’t come today? Or if something happened? As Jeonggwan was pondering with his lips pursed, Jihoon, seeing this, snatched Jeonggwan’s phone with a somewhat urgent hand.

“Wait a moment. Don’t upset him…”

“What do you mean upset him? Give it back.”

“I was mistaken yesterday, but I’m sure after seeing he didn’t come today.”

“About what? I said give it back.”

What nonsense. Jeonggwan reached out his hand to take back the phone in Jihoon’s hand with a face that said he didn’t even want to respond. However, Jihoon, using his height that was 10cm taller than Jeonggwan’s, stretched his arm high above his head and waved it around so he couldn’t grab it.

“Ah- Come on!”

When Jeonggwan stared at Jihoon with an expression that said he was really annoyed, Jihoon glanced around the cafe and then dragged Jeonggwan back into the locker room. And click. He locked the door. His arm was still stretched high above his head so Jeonggwan couldn’t grab the phone.

“Even when you asked me yesterday if I was hurt anywhere… Honestly, at first I thought, ‘Whoa. Could it be…?’ But it seems you asked me in advance to prevent any further issues between Kyung Juhwan and you. By finishing up handling the Kyung Juhwan incident for you yesterday, he also finished things with you.”

Jihoon continued talking to Jeonggwan with a rather serious face. As if telling this poor lamb to face reality quickly.

“Don’t cling to this person anymore. Okay? You said you met Jung Taegeon yesterday. How about trying to make things work with him again? I really want you to try to make things work with him again. You said he asked for another chance.”

Jihoon tried to persuade Jeonggwan with pleading eyes, as if he had switched to Taegeon’s side, saying, “Huh? Please…” Jeonggwan crossed his arms with a face that said he wasn’t convinced at all, as if daring him to speak more.

Jihoon, thinking that Jeonggwan was finally listening to him, slowly lowered his arm that was stretched above his head and handed the phone to Jeonggwan.

“So now you should also… Oh my god!”

However, on the phone screen, a call with that Won Junjae had been connected, who knows since when.