Pig Government Official

-56-

Jeonggwan wore a flashy lemon-colored knit with large white flower patterns on a white shirt, and with cream-colored pants, he stood out so much that he could be easily spotted even if thrown into a crowded amusement park. In contrast, Junjae was wearing a three-piece suit as usual, making the two look even more like polar opposites as they entered the restaurant side by side.

“Did you just come from a blind date?”

“…No, I didn’t.”

“But a suit on the weekend? You look like an old man.”

Jeonggwan’s face, scanning Junjae from head to toe with his hair styled like he was going to work, seemed slightly disappointed. He had expected him to dress more casually for their date like yesterday, but was he afflicted with a disease that would kill him if he didn’t wear a suit on weekends? Jeonggwan spoke in a flat tone.

“…What?”

“A handsome old man.”

“…”

“No, a handsome hyung.”

Jeonggwan giggled, giving and taking away as he looked at the dumbfounded Junjae. Junjae stared at Jeonggwan for a moment, then pretended to clear his throat while covering his mouth with his fist. Jeonggwan thought Junjae was being shy just from looking at him and tried to control his rising smile, thinking, “Does he like being called hyung that much?” But in fact, Junjae was smiling for a different reason.

“So, chef… You’re saying this was snail?”

Won Junjae had a rather mischievous side. Jeonggwan had been thoroughly enjoying the dishes at this French restaurant he was visiting for the first time, but later when the chef came out personally to explain each dish Jeonggwan had eaten, he was utterly shocked.

“Yes. You seemed to enjoy it very much. It must have suited your taste.”

“…Wasn’t it minced beef?”

“This is escargot…”

Among the dishes, Jeonggwan had particularly liked one with what looked like brown minced beef topped with a golden-brown cracker-like thing. The taste, harmonizing with the scent of mushrooms, was excellent enough to awaken Jeonggwan’s taste buds. He had even stolen some from Junjae’s plate while nibbling on it… And that was escargot. In other words, edible snails.

“I’m annoyed.”

“…Why?”

“I told you I didn’t want to eat snails.”

“But you said it was delicious and even ate mine…”

“Be quiet.”

He had lost. To snails. Every time Gwan-Jihoon said snails were delicious, he had looked at him with extreme disgust, but he had gone crazy and devoured them without thinking. How could you not say anything? He even took the dish from your plate saying it was good, and you just watched without saying a word? Won Junjae is really evil. Just like when he snatched that chocolate before…

“You’re secretly making me stronger…”

Ahem. Junjae covered his mouth with his fist again, pretending to clear his throat. It seemed to be his habit when laughing. Enjoying teasing me? Jeonggwan glared at Junjae and spoke primly.

“What should we have for dessert?”

“…Ah. Our restaurant serves crème brûlée separately.”

You’re still here? Jeonggwan thought the chef had left long ago, but he was still standing behind him. Startled, Jeonggwan turned around and looked up to see the chef smiling kindly, asking if they’d like dessert now. Jeonggwan nodded slightly with a sour face, and the chef bowed politely before leaving. That’s a bit burdensome. Watching the chef’s back as he entered the kitchen, Jeonggwan muttered, then quickly turned back to Junjae and whispered secretly once the chef was completely gone.

“So, what should we have for dessert?”

“Haha.”

Junjae, who had been just chuckling, finally burst out laughing.

* * *

“Wow! Here!”

As they got in the car after leaving the restaurant, Junjae entered an address into the navigation, and Jeonggwan, watching from the side, opened his eyes wide and asked Junjae in surprise, “How did you know?” It was a dessert cafe in Yeonnam-dong that had the raspberry macarons Jeonggwan had once said he wanted to eat.

“You said you wanted to go eat there.”

“How did you know the name?”

“…I looked it up.”

How did you search for it? Yeonnam-dong condensed milk-drizzled raspberry macaron cafe? Yeonnam-dong custard cream raspberry macaron cafe? What did you search for? Jeonggwan said teasingly, giggling. Junjae, knowing he was being teased, silently watched Jeonggwan laughing, tilting his head. Is teasing me that funny? He noticed Jeonggwan’s cheekbones rising roundly as he laughed.

“…”

Junjae unconsciously reached out his hand.

“Hm?”

But his hand, which had approached close to Jeonggwan’s face, hesitated and stopped without going further. Jeonggwan looked up at Junjae with a “Hm?” at the sudden action from the usually stoic Junjae. But in the end, Junjae’s hand that couldn’t make contact retreated. He couldn’t bring himself to touch. If he touched…

“…”

Junjae shook his head at Jeonggwan as if it was nothing, then turned his head to grab the steering wheel to start driving.

“…!”

But his head turned back in surprise. Jeonggwan’s white hand had covered Junjae’s hand on the steering wheel. Flinch. Junjae’s hand trembled greatly.

“As a reward for doing well, I’ll hold your hand for 3 seconds.”

“…”

“One, two.”

“…”

“Two and a half.”

Two and three-quarters. The seconds passed slowly from Jeonggwan’s giggling mouth. Junjae stared blankly at the sight.

“Three!”

As Jeonggwan shouted “three,” he removed his hand from on top of Junjae’s. Thwack-. But simultaneously, Junjae grabbed Jeonggwan’s hand again. Jeonggwan’s slightly widened eyes looked at Junjae with a hint of a smile, and Junjae, taking in every detail without missing anything, opened his mouth.

“…Just one second.”

Just one more second. He wanted to feel this emotion. It was a feeling he had forgotten for a long time. The size of the small hand that first covered his hand and the size of the emotion overwhelming him were different, but they were clearly of the same kind. The small existence that had comforted his childhood self, and this small but large existence comforting his grown-up self.

“…There was a puppy.”

“A puppy?”

“…When I was young.”

Ah… Jeonggwan’s eyes trembled slightly. This seemed to be the puppy that Gwan-Jihoon had told him about before. The young Won Junjae who went straight to his room without a single movement when the puppy he was raising died. Jihoon said he remembered it because it was such a shock to him, but Won Junjae had probably forgotten. He had said that hyung seemed like a psychopath, shuddering as he told the story.

“Its name was Dust…”

“I guess its fur was gray.”

“…Yeah.”

However, Won Junjae remembered the puppy clearly. He was recalling an old memory out of nowhere while holding Jeonggwan’s hand. Junjae slightly tightened his grip on Jeonggwan’s hand, but not enough to hurt.

“Holding Dust’s paw made me feel at ease…”

“…”

“…Maybe I shouldn’t have named it Dust.”

Like its name, it disappeared like a speck of dust. Maybe I should have named it Longevity, hoping it would live a long life. This was what Junjae always muttered in front of Dust’s grave. This was when he first felt the emotion of heart-fluttering that Jeonggwan had taught him about. Because the moment he saw the limp Dust, his heart really sank with a thud. But with his father’s words that he must never cry in front of others, Junjae pulled himself together while holding back tears even as his heart ached. That young self of his was so tough.

He went into his room, locked the door, buried his face in his pillow, and cried silently, making sure not a single sound escaped. How cruel. That young child couldn’t even freely mourn the death of his most precious being. That’s why Junjae was strangely… afraid to touch Jeonggwan. Afraid that Kim Jeonggwan might disappear like Dust.

‘Bread and strawberry jam. We might be a match made in heaven.’

Junjae couldn’t forget what Jeonggwan had said yesterday. His father had disliked that his pheromones smelled like strawberry jam, saying it made him seem frivolous. So Junjae naturally disliked it too. But yesterday, for the first time, he had the silly thought that he was glad his pheromones smelled like strawberry jam. And that scared him. He was afraid that Kim Jeonggwan, who could so easily trivialize the parts of himself he considered flaws, would grow too big within him. And then disappear like dust.

“To think you remember like this. Master. I thought you had forgotten me.”

“…What?”

“That’s what Dust might be saying from above right now.”

“…You startled me.”

“For a moment, I really thought it had reincarnated. But even if reincarnated, the species is different. I’m a pig.”

Ha-. Junjae leaned his head against the seat and smiled as if to say, “You’re incorrigible.” Then Jeonggwan tightened his grip on their joined hands. Junjae’s head turned back towards Jeonggwan.

“You’re not denying it?”

“…”

“Huh? Really?”

Really?! Jeonggwan widened his eyes and tried to pull his hand away angrily, having said it himself. However, Junjae, with a smile on his lips, tightened his grip on Jeonggwan’s hand, preventing him from pulling away.

“…These days, I…”

“What! Let go!”

“…think pigs are cuter.”

Won Junjae might be even more advanced than him. Of course, he might have met more people than Jeonggwan, but to make such a comment in this situation. Jeonggwan could feel his ears burning in real-time.

“…Goodness.”