Pig Government Official

-25-

“Huh?”

Jeonggwan was genuinely surprised and let out an audible “Huh?” Jung Taegeon suddenly requesting to follow him on Instagram?

Jeonggwan’s Instagram was a private account, so only those he approved could see his posts. Jung Taegeon hadn’t sent a follow request for years after their breakup, and now he suddenly did.

“What should I do…”

Honestly, he didn’t want to accept it. If he were dating someone now, he’d accept right away to show off how well he’s doing without Taegeon. But Jeonggwan’s Instagram only had 100 food photos, 20 selfies taken by Jihoon, and a couple of Jihoon’s photos… He couldn’t pretend Jihoon was his boyfriend. They clearly looked like inseparable friends to anyone.

The most date-like post was the recent photo of chocolates Won Junjae bought him.

[Pig_goeni – A handsome rich guy bought these. Said he’d buy more next week #HeAteItHimself]

(Comments)

Pinkprince_Jihoon – Aren’t I the handsome rich guy? I don’t remember buying these??

└ Pig_goeni – Shut up, you ugly rich guy.

└ Pinkprince_Jihoon – You’re fired as of today.

Jinaganeonnom1 – Oh~ Did you get a boyfriend, Goeni~?

└ Pig_goeni – ㅎㅎ

Ah… Should he accept or not? Jeonggwan was hesitating, his finger hovering over the accept button.

Ding-.

[The meeting just ended – Won Junjae]

* * *

Kim Jeonggwan disappeared from view while whispering something with Park Jihoon. Junjae quietly observed Park Jihoon’s back, then slightly tilted his head to look for Jeonggwan, but couldn’t see a single hair.

“…”

What are those two doing? How can that big lump be hidden by skinny Park Jihoon? Does he only shrink at times like this? Junjae was grumbling when…

“…!”

He made direct eye contact with Jeonggwan, who was peeking over Park Jihoon’s shoulder on tiptoes. Flustered, Junjae quickly averted his gaze. Suddenly… what’s this?

Ahem. Junjae pretended to adjust his tie while looking at distant mountains, then glanced at Jeonggwan again. This time, Jeonggwan had pushed Jihoon aside and was facing Junjae directly.

What… How burdensome.

He pretended to look at his personal phone, which had no notifications, to avoid eye contact. But feeling Jeonggwan’s persistent gaze, Junjae finally raised his head again.

Kim Jeonggwan really makes people uncomfortable. He hadn’t planned to reply, but those big eyes kept making him feel pressured. If he didn’t reply, he felt Jeonggwan might look at him resentfully next time. And if he resented him, he might not release his pheromones… So he had no choice but to reply.

Even when trying not to make eye contact, Jeonggwan kept looking at him as if asking to be noticed. If he didn’t look, Jeonggwan might get angry and not release his pheromones… That would only disadvantage and annoy him, so he just met his gaze. Reluctantly.

“…”

Those clear, large eyes of Kim Jeonggwan.

Still burdensome.

As soon as Jeonggwan left work, Junjae returned to the office and started a meeting with the planning team.

The meeting was originally scheduled before lunch, but since Jeonggwan’s work hours were early, the time he could see him was limited to mornings, so lately he’d been pushing all schedules to after lunch. As a result, he’d been working overtime for days.

But perhaps it’s the pheromones’ effect. After spending a long time together on Saturday and seeing him just now, his mind felt twice as clear and his condition was better than usual. He’d be meeting Kim Jeonggwan again this Saturday, so next week should be good too.

This Saturday… Should he suggest having lunch together too? Maybe Korean food this time. Is it okay to go to the same dessert cafe? If they have dinner too, should he look for a dinner dessert place as well? More importantly, did he have any Saturday lunch appointments? If it was just a minor meal appointment, he thought it might be good to reschedule and meet Kim Jeonggwan earlier.

This is absolutely not because he wants to see that pig earlier or longer, it’s because of the pheromones.

Throughout the weekend after meeting and parting with Kim Jeonggwan, he’d been wondering about all his actions without justifiable reasons, and based on the doctor’s words and his own guess, it all seemed to be due to the pheromones.

That’s why he was acting differently from his resolve to not be swayed in front of the pig. He kept acting stupidly, doing whatever the pig wanted. He wondered if this was why many alphas mistook pheromone addiction for falling in love.

But that’s a misconception only stupid alphas make. He was a dominant alpha and very rational, never doing foolish things or suffering losses. He only needed the pig’s pheromones, and he had finished calculating how to use this.

He just had to do what the pig asked, accommodate him a bit. And just take the pheromones while doing so. Thinking like this made it easier to meet and contact the pig. It would all end once he developed immunity anyway. His mind felt lighter.

“-so our planning team 2 is looking at it this way. If we combine with team 3’s opinion…”

In the middle of the ongoing meeting, Junjae’s phone vibrated in his hand. There weren’t many saved contacts in this phone. And only one person would text him at this time.

The one who just got off work.

[Kim Jeonggwan: Do you use Instagram?]

He thought it would be a text message, but there was a notification from a messenger app he rarely used. He tapped the screen without hesitation at Kim Jeonggwan’s name.

Instagram? He doesn’t use any social media at all.

[No, I don’t.]

As soon as he sent the reply, the ‘1’ disappeared. Kim Jeonggwan was reading the chat right now. Junjae also stayed in the chat window.

[Why did you read it so quickly? lol]

[Perhaps~ㅎ Were you waiting for me to contact you~ㅎ]

“Pfft.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at Kim Jeonggwan’s strange message. He quickly covered his mouth with his fist, but,

“…?”

“…?”

“…?”

He turned off his phone under the numerous stares directed at him.

Damn Kim Jeonggwan.

* * *

[The meeting just ended.]

Junjae, who had sent a message to Jeonggwan that the meeting was over, glanced up at Secretary Oh, whom he had called to check his Saturday schedule. It meant for him to recite it.

“Ah, but.”

There was something he needed to ask first.

“Secretary Oh. Do you know how to use Instagram?”

Kim Jeonggwan had taken photos of the chocolates he bought last time, saying he’d post them on Instagram. So he must have uploaded them. For no other reason, he just wondered how far this guy had gone with his delusions. Did he upload them while being too happy? Just…

“Ah… I’ll prepare a report with PowerPoint.”

“What about the schedule?”

“You have lunch with the Chairman on Saturday. At the main house.”

Ah, of all people, it had to be father. Junjae’s expression immediately soured. That means he can’t meet the pig for lunch and get his pheromones.

“…I see.”

…How annoying.

* * *

Jeonggwan eventually accepted his ex-boyfriend’s follow request. He’s going to thoroughly inspect my Instagram, Jeonggwan knew his personality very well. Even before they dated, Jung Taegeon wanted to know everything about Jeonggwan.

But after breaking up, there was no contact for years and he didn’t seem curious, so Jeonggwan thought he had completely forgotten him. He had been quite harsh at the end too.

‘You’re too negligent with me because of the celebrity. We can barely keep in touch. It’s me or Song Eung-gyu. Choose.’

‘How can you ask me to choose when you can’t even come to see me.’

‘I want to come see you so badly. I miss you so much.’

‘If you miss me, then come. Just come. What’s China? It’s not even on the opposite side of the world.’

‘My father… Ah. Jeonggwan, can’t you wait for me a little longer?’

‘…No. I won a fan signing event, so I’m going to seriously fangirl now. I don’t want to put up with your whining.’

Of course, to Jung Taegeon, he might have seemed like a bad person who abandoned his boyfriend to fangirl. But at that time, it was the best he could do.

It might have been different for Jung Taegeon, but for Jeonggwan, it was his first relationship. His first love. They were forced to break up, but strengthening love further? It wasn’t an age where such understanding was possible. He didn’t say or show it, but Jeonggwan was lonely and struggling.

So he forcibly pushed romance from first priority to second, from second to third. Because he didn’t want to get hurt. And no matter what the reason, it was incomprehensible to Jeonggwan’s values.

One-sided waiting? Waiting where you can only meet if the other person allows it?

No. If it were me… If I really liked someone, I would have gone to see them even if my dad beat me black and blue.

“…Hmph.”

That’s why he actually didn’t want to accept the follow request.

However, an unexpected variable arose, so Jeonggwan gladly accepted the proposal. It wasn’t because he had lingering feelings. Jung Taegeon was just another means to an end now.

[1_WonJunjae has requested to follow you]

A means to solidify his strategy regarding the man who said he doesn’t use SNS but created an account and sent a friend request at 11 PM.