C28
-28-
The next few chapters are a bit boring and unremarkable. Those who want to see the main protagonist, ‘Mr. Won’, can scroll down quickly. However, the cute baby pig will only appear here. This story is about the baby pig from ages 15 to 18.
15-year-old baby pig Jeonggwan enjoyed buying and eating tteok-kkochi at the snack shop in front of the school with his friends the most. Of course, Jeonggwan ate not only tteok-kkochi but also Pikachu pork cutlet, spicy dried filefish, and grape-flavored slushies that made his head tingle when he sipped them. The kids teased Jeonggwan, calling him a pig, but Jeonggwan found eating the most enjoyable thing in the world, so it went in one ear and out the other.
“Hey, you know that guy in class 8?”
“Lee Juyoung?”
“Yeah. I heard he confessed to the transfer student in class 9.”
“Wow-.”
The kids who had just started noticing the opposite sex talked about nothing but dating whenever they got together. Who likes whom, who confessed to whom, who’s handsome, who’s pretty. It was a typical topic for their age.
“I can see why… The transfer student in class 9 is really tall.”
“I wonder if I can grow taller too?”
“My mom says playing basketball makes you taller.”
“If I start playing basketball now, will I grow as tall as that guy in class 9?”
Amidst this, height, the biggest concern for boys, became the topic. As they were still growing, most were around 170cm or below, but the transfer student in class 9 was about 180cm tall, making him incredibly popular among students from first to third year. Moreover, the famous pretty girl from class 8 had confessed to him, which made the boys even more anxious.
“Ah- I wish Lee Juyoung would confess to me.”
“Did you like Lee Juyoung?”
“Is there anyone who doesn’t like her?”
“I like Yang Dain though.”
“What! Is that why you lent her your gym pants?!”
“Look who’s talking, you bought hand cream for Jang Suyeon!”
The boys teased each other, blushing. However, Jeonggwan wasn’t part of this conversation. He was busy eating even during this time. It was actually good that the kids were talking because it meant he could eat the tteokbokki slowly. Yes! All the tteokbokki is mine. Jeonggwan inhaled the tteokbokki.
“Hey! Kim Jeonggwan is drinking the tteokbokki again!”
“Stop him!”
Jeonggwan twisted his body this way and that to avoid his friends rushing at him, chewing the tteokbokki. The kids laughed as if they couldn’t help it. Then, a mushroom-haired boy with glasses who was most interested in dating stories asked Jeonggwan with sparkling eyes.
“Hey, Kim Jeonggwan, don’t you like anyone?”
“I like gamjatang.”
“People. I’m asking about people.”
“Umm… Mom? Dad? My brothers!”
For 15-year-old Jeonggwan, the only people he liked were his family. Though he liked over a hundred foods.
“I’m not interested in dating! I like tteokbokki more!”
However, exactly one week later, for the first time in Jeonggwan’s life, someone other than his family and tteokbokki became someone he liked.
During the 5th period after lunch, the Korean language teacher’s personal matter led to a schedule change with the 7th period PE class. The PE teacher seized this opportunity to have a dodgeball match between class 9 and class 3. Jeonggwan, who was in class 3, usually disliked running and spent more time sitting on the bench during PE, but dodgeball was different. Known as the Dodgeball King Fatty, Jeonggwan flew around like a flying squirrel during dodgeball, and this time was no exception.
“Wow! Only the transfer student and Fatty are left!”
“Kim Jeonggwan! Kim Jeonggwan!”
It came down to the famous 180cm tall, handsome transfer student from class 9 and Jeonggwan. This was a big deal because the transfer student’s spike was so powerful that no one could catch it with their hands, causing everyone to be out, but Jeonggwan alone caught that spiked ball several times.
“Wow-! Kim Jeonggwan is amazing!”
“Yeahhh!”
“We won-!”
Everyone expected Jeonggwan to lose because the transfer student was tall and had extraordinary power. They were all applauding, saying it was amazing that he had lasted this long. However, class 3 won. Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Jeonggwan eliminated the transfer student first.
Jeonggwan dodged well and pretended to pass the ball to his classmates on the other side, but quickly hit the transfer student’s leg with the ball. It could have easily become a ground ball, but like a true Dodgeball King, he hit the front of the transfer student’s shoe with perfect control.
“No way! It was a ground ball!”
“It hit the ground!”
“Right? It hit the ground, didn’t it? Your foot wasn’t hit, right?”
But the class 9 students couldn’t accept this result and insisted it was a ground ball, raising a fuss.
“My shoe was hit.”
“Ah-! No way!”
The transfer student admitted that his shoe was indeed hit, confirming class 3’s victory.
“…He’s cool.”
And Jeonggwan fell for the transfer student’s fair play spirit. That’s the class 9 transfer student? Even as Jeonggwan was surrounded by his classmates receiving congratulations, his eyes were fixed on the transfer student. Looking closely, he had quite a handsome face. Jeonggwan’s heart raced at the big build and facial features that could pass for a high school student if seen on the street.
“Ah-. Jung Taegeon! You should have just said it was a ground ball!”
“We can win next time.”
“Still!”
Even as the boys, a head shorter, crowded around the transfer student and whined, the transfer student remained calm as if soothing much younger siblings, and there Jeonggwan was struck a second time.
“Jung… Taegeon.”
Even his name is cool, damn! Jeonggwan’s face turned red. His classmates thought he was red from the heat and gave him water and fanned him, but Jung Taegeon, who was watching this scene, looked down at Jeonggwan as he passed by with his classmates. And then…
“Despite being a pig.”
“…!”
He provoked Jeonggwan. And there, Jeonggwan…
“…His voice is insanely good.”
Was struck for the third time.
* * *
So Jeonggwan went on a diet. He went on a once-in-a-lifetime, complete transformation diet. It was so harsh that it seemed like a whole person had left Jeonggwan’s body. All because of the transfer student. Because he wanted to match that handsome transfer student. He wanted to become slim like Lee Juyoung from class 8 and confess.
Jeonggwan’s diet incident was quite famous at school. At that time, alphas across all grades would try to talk to Jeonggwan at least once. Of course, Jung Taegeon also saw Jeonggwan’s transformed appearance. He even stared in a daze. Nevertheless, Jeonggwan thought he didn’t match a perfect alpha like Jung Taegeon. Before, he just liked Jung Taegeon without much thought, but after dieting, he became conscious of things he hadn’t cared about before. Like the baby hairs left on the back of his neck from a bad haircut, or the baby fat that remained even after losing weight, or his still chubby fingers. Everything about himself seemed inadequate.
It felt like he shouldn’t say he liked Jung Taegeon because of his inadequacies, like he should hide even the fact that he liked him from others. Wouldn’t people criticize him for liking Jung Taegeon when he was so lacking? These feelings were strong for young Jeonggwan who was experiencing his first crush.
As mentioned before, the more Jeonggwan dieted, the more he disliked himself for his lowering self-esteem. So he thought, “I am who I am. I don’t want to fit myself into others’ aesthetic standards! To hell with it-. I won’t confess after all!” and Jeonggwan quit his diet after three months.
“You’ve become a pig again.”
“Whatever.”
“You were cute when you lost weight.”
“I’m still cute.”
“As if.”
After seeing Jeonggwan when he had lost weight, Jung Taegeon increased the frequency of talking to and teasing Jeonggwan, even after he became chubby again. Whenever Jeonggwan passed by him, he would always call out to him and pick on him.
“I heard from others. They say you eat five meals a day.”
“That’s not true. I eat six meals.”
“…You really are a pig.”
“Why are you so interested in me? Do you like me?”
“…What are you talking about.”
Like this, they entered the same high school while bickering. Jeonggwan’s height grew from 166cm to 172cm, and Jung Taegeon, who was 180cm, grew to 186cm. His face was already perfect, so there’s no need to mention it. As a result, even the most beautiful people in the area confessed to Jung Taegeon almost daily.
In about a year and a half, the number of confessions Jung Taegeon received exceeded thirty. On Valentine’s Day, only Jung Taegeon’s desk was piled high with chocolates, not to mention his birthday or Pepero Day.
And that day was no different. A week before summer vacation, the senior omega known for his high nose and beauty confessed to Jung Taegeon, saying he wanted to date because he would miss him during the vacation.
“I heard you received a confession from senior Jung Hyunwoo today?”
“…Yeah.”
“Wow. That senior is a dominant omega.”
“…You’re dominant too.”
“And that senior is super handsome.”
“…”
“Are you going to date him?”
Jeonggwan asked, looking up at Jung Taegeon while sucking on a soda-flavored ice pop, but Jung Taegeon’s expression was strange.
“Should I… date that senior?”
“Do as you like.”
“…”
“Just follow your heart.”
Jung Taegeon, looking down at Jeonggwan, seemed confused. And seeing this, Jeonggwan, who was already humming as if certain of victory, gently took Jung Taegeon’s hand. Startled, Jung Taegeon flinched greatly, widening his eyes as he looked down at Jeonggwan. Jeonggwan smoothly withdrew his hand as if it was no big deal, with a face that seemed to ask why he was so surprised.
“The ice pop is cold.”
“…”
“Your hand is warm.”
Jung Taegeon’s Adam’s apple moved greatly. Jeonggwan walked ahead, leaving Jung Taegeon behind.