Pig Government Official

-7-

They say you can tell true bread by listening to it. Where? In the movie “Ratatouille.”

Jeonggwan was on his 7th attempt at making what’s said to be the world’s most difficult bread – a crispy yet moist baguette. While Jihoon thought all fresh baguettes tasted the same, Jeonggwan had been in the practice room all day trying to make a baguette that stayed crispy even when cool, moist inside, and not chewy.

“But Jeonggwan, didn’t you say you wanted to open a cake shop?”

“Life is unpredictable. I might want to open a bakery later.”

That’s true. Jihoon nodded at Jeonggwan’s words, but then glared at him fiercely. His expression said, ‘You know that, and yet?’

“Right. Life is unpredictable. We don’t know whose nouveau riche hands you might fall into.”

“Here we go again.”

Jeonggwan shook his head and checked the bread in the oven again.

“I thought you might be interested in Sejin hyung too…”

“Ugh. He seemed to live in La La Land.”

“Was it that bad? Bad enough to just eat and say goodbye?”

That’s right. After dinner with Sejin at the restaurant that day, Jeonggwan immediately declared goodbye. When Sejin tried to keep him for dessert at a nearby cafe, saying it was delicious, Jeonggwan boldly stated he’d take it to go, firmly showing there would be no second round.

Won Sejin, laughing heartily, packed all the desserts Jeonggwan chose. Jeonggwan left with a “Thank you very much” and ran straight home. While Jeonggwan was terribly shy, he was also the type to do whatever he set his mind to.

“But you still took the cake, didn’t you? You’re really something, Kim Jeonggwan.”

“If I didn’t live so shamelessly, it would be hard to maintain this figure.”

“You’re crazy! Really!” Park Jihoon shouted at Kim Jeonggwan but laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes. Jeonggwan also found his own words funny and collapsed in laughter in front of the oven. There was a reason why they were best friends despite always bickering.

Park Jihoon wiped his tears and stared at Jeonggwan. His pale body with only his face red from laughing in front of the oven looked quite cute.

In Jihoon’s opinion, Jeonggwan was a really fun, cute, and nice friend. Unlike those who only recognized his status and tried to flatter him, Jeonggwan wasn’t afraid to talk back. Even when teased a hundred times for being chubby, he’d either retort “I’m cute!” a hundred times or quietly give the middle finger. Jeonggwan, having grown up with lots of love, had high self-esteem and was appropriately immature. The more you knew him, the more charming he was.

Of course, being a beta with extremely niche tastes, Jihoon could never see Jeonggwan as more than a friend. He was just anxious about some dimwitted nouveau riche snatching away this bundle of charm.

That’s why he tried to set him up with Won Sejin, the top candidate for the “Find a Good Man for Kim Jeonggwan Project,” but instead of falling for the chaebol’s charm, Jeonggwan found it so burdensome that he couldn’t even swallow his food and left all his favorite dishes behind. He really defied expectations.

“What’s your ideal type?”

So this time, he was planning to actively consider Jeonggwan’s ideal type. Or maybe try to change Won Sejin to fit that ideal.

“Ideal type?”

For some reason, he thought this chubby hamster would say his ideal type was someone with a matching sense of humor or someone he could be comfortable with,

“Someone incredibly handsome with a physical build opposite to mine, broad shoulders, no pelvic tilt, with charisma that can silence everyone with just a look without saying a word, and who goes to a dessert shop with me, takes one bite of cake and says ‘You eat it all.'”

Park Jihoon lost focus. Crazy chubby bastard.

He thought the baby-faced Jeonggwan would dream of a fairy tale hero as his ideal type, but it was a specific ideal that was both unrealistic and realistic. Somehow, if Jihoon looked, he might find someone like that around.

Since everyone around was similarly wealthy, there were many well-groomed guys with good bodies and decent faces. He wasn’t sure about the charisma, but… if he really tried, he might find a few who fit the description.

Jihoon seriously took out his phone and scrolled through his KakaoTalk friends.

This one’s not bad… but his personality is lacking. Ah, this one looks nice but doesn’t quite match… Hmm… This one’s family is okay… but his face is a bit off. Ah, this one’s shoulders are a bit narrow… Oh right! This guy is really good… Oh, he’s getting married…

Jihoon’s hand, which had been scrolling down to ‘S’, reached ‘W’.

‘Won Sejin’

Ah… this hyung would have been perfect. He doesn’t even fight for succession, so he’s just a really rich free spirit. It would be great if he dated Jeonggwan, spending money freely together. Jihoon’s finger, disappointed, scrolled down again.

‘Won Junjae’

Ah, just the name is terrifying.

‘What’s so great about his scent? Did he come from working at a strawberry jam factory?’

Pfft, really, no matter how you look at it, Kim Jeonggwan’s angry outburst was refreshing. Whenever he heard from his omega friends that Won Junjae’s pheromone scent was like a berry spread, he thought it really didn’t suit him. Hearing it directly translated as strawberry jam made him chuckle every time he thought about it.

‘With charisma that can silence everyone with just a look without saying a word…’

Come to think of it, Won Junjae fit Kim Jeonggwan’s ideal type the best. His appearance, body type… especially the charisma to silence everyone with just a look – no one but Won Junjae had that.

It doesn’t seem like he said that knowingly… Jihoon turned his head to look at Jeonggwan.

“Ouch! Hot!”

Jeonggwan had jumped up, probably burning his hand on the tray he’d just taken out of the oven while trying to touch the freshly baked baguette.

Sigh… that idiot. Jihoon shook his head, looking at the flustered Jeonggwan as if he were looking at something trivial, then turned his attention back to his phone.

‘Won Junjae’

Even if Jeonggwan said Won Junjae was his ideal type, realistically, Jihoon couldn’t set them up.

First, Won Junjae’s standards were sky-high, and Jeonggwan didn’t meet 90% of them. Since Jeonggwan’s scent was good, Jihoon gave his friend 10% for that.

Moreover, Won Junjae wasn’t right for Jeonggwan either. That man was devoid of emotions, more inhumane than a machine, a cold-hearted person. Such a person getting married? It would be 100% a business marriage for his own benefit, and even if he had children, he’d manipulate them for his own gain.

Why? Because Won Junjae’s father, Jihoon’s first uncle Won Youngjae, was like that. They say sons follow in their fathers’ footsteps. It was obvious without even seeing it.

Initially, Won Junjae wouldn’t even look at Jeonggwan, but even if by some miracle he became interested in Jeonggwan.

Won Junjae was absolutely not an option.

* * *

The second son, Kim Jeongwon, ordered seven chickens with his salary. The Kim family’s four brothers and parents gathered in the living room after a long time, watching a makjang drama and tearing into the chicken with gusto.

– Seonjeong… is Forbes’ daughter.

“Oh my, what will happen to Seonjeong…”

“Damn. I knew that bastard would do this.”

“This is crazy!!”

“Wow… Then is her father that foreigner?”

“But Seonjeong looks so Korean.”

“If she has two dads, she could get allowance from both… I’m jealous.”

The parents and four brothers each threw in a comment. They also picked the chicken bones clean. With even the parents joining, the house quickly became lively with just one comment each. While others might find it chaotic, for them, this atmosphere was natural.

– So Seonjeong… was an omega. No wonder our family didn’t have an omega…

When the actor playing Seonjeong’s father delivered his line with a hand to his forehead, the entire Kim family turned to look at Jeonggwan simultaneously.

“Our Jeonggwan’s great-grandmother was an omega. Don’t worry.”

“That’s right. You’re definitely our child.”

“Yeah, Jeonggwan. You’re the spitting image of your dad.”

“There was a case in New Zealand where someone presented as omega, and when they tested both parents’ DNA, they found an omega ancestor from 100 years ago on the maternal side. It means the genes have been passed down for generations. We might have omega genes too, just not expressed. You’re the one where it expressed.”

“And Jeonggwan is cute.”

Jeonggwan hadn’t thought much about it, but whenever his status as the only omega in the family was highlighted, his family would go all out to explain and reassure him like this.

In fact, their overenthusiasm once made him ask, “Am I really not adopted?” His dad had teared up, asking how he could think such a terrible thing, while his mom had joked, “Actually, you’re a hidden twin from a chaebol family! Your twin brother is an alpha!” Jeonggwan had demanded to be sent back to the chaebol family, and his dad had collapsed in tears.

Jeonggwan smiled at his family’s usual commotion, saying, “Okay, I get it,” as he picked up a soy sauce chicken and brought it to his mouth.

“Oh right. You know that lady friend of mine who owns that four-story building way over there?”

“Yeah.”

“Her son is a recessive alpha and he’s twenty-eight. I heard he’s looking for someone to marry?”