NOVEL NEXT C8
-8-
“But…?”
“So I told her we have an omega youngest, and she should take a look at his photo.”
“Oh, mom…”
As Jeonggwan turned away in disgust, his mother stuck close to him, urging him to listen. Jeonggwan’s siblings had already lowered the drama’s volume, showing interest in their mother’s story.
“No, but they said a chubby one would be perfect as a daughter-in-law.”
“I don’t want to!”
“Just look at the photo once. Their son is quite good, you know? And since the parents own a building, it’s perfect!”
Mom showed a photo of some man on her phone. He had very strong features, making Jeonggwan wonder if he had some Arab blood in him. It was exactly the type Jeonggwan disliked.
But to that, the eldest brother nodded, saying, “It’s perfect. He looks manly. And if the in-laws are building owners, it would be a good married life.” The second brother muttered, “Jeonggwan is still young… Oh, but omegas do tend to marry at a young age…”
“Will they set up a bakery for Jeonggwan?”
“If we persuade them well, they might give us a spot on the first floor of that building, right?”
Even the third brother, whom Jeonggwan had trusted, was asking about setting up a bakery. Dad chimed in, agreeing enthusiastically.
Jeonggwan, with a disgusted face, exclaimed “I don’t want to!” and put down the chicken he was eating, getting up. He decided to give up on the chicken because he really didn’t want to hear this.
They must all be crazy! Getting married at twenty-three? And with that eagle-eyed guy! Don’t come into my room! Jeonggwan ran to his room and slammed the door shut. From outside, he could hear his family’s laughter, asking if he was shy.
Shy, my ass! Jeonggwan glared at the door and sucked his finger. Really, maybe because he was an omega, his family never brought up marriage for his brothers but so easily talked about Jeonggwan’s marriage. Omega rights are still this low? Why do all omegas have to marry early!
Jeonggwan hissed and took out his phone.
He needed to tell Park Jihoon about this and describe the eagle-eyed guy he just saw. Knowing Jihoon, who always ranted about Jeonggwan potentially being snatched by some strange nouveau riche, he would surely rage and curse along with him about this.
[Reply quickly ^^ (3 minutes ago) – Park Jihoon]
Sure enough, there were several messages from Park Jihoon. What is it? Jeonggwan unlocked his phone and entered their chat room.
[My little chubby kitty Jeonggwan~ ^^]
[Can you help this hyung on Saturday? ^^]
[It’s nothing much ^^ Just need to follow me somewhere. ^^]
[I’ll buy you clothes ^^]
[Reply quickly ^^]
Seeing the abundance of smiling emoticons, Jeonggwan thought Jihoon must be dealing with something quite annoying and troublesome. Jeonggwan chuckled and called him.
* * *
“Yaaawn-.”
In a suit shop so extravagantly decorated with velvet that one might say a velvet-obsessed person designed it – velvet floors, velvet sofas, even velvet-covered tables – Jeonggwan sat like a lonely acorn.
And to Jeonggwan’s surprise, no one paid him any attention. Instead, they were all focused on a man standing in front of a full-length mirror.
“Will you go with this fabric?”
“There’s dark navy and wine color, but I think the wine suits you better, young master.”
“Doesn’t it make me look fat?”
“Not at all!”
“If anything, you seem to have lost some weight. We should make it a bit tighter than before.”
And that man was Park Jihoon. Perhaps because he loved himself too much, Jihoon had tried on various outfits more than five times, critically examining each with a stern face. Jeonggwan watched this scene soullessly, yawning repeatedly.
“Kim Jeonggwan. How is it?”
“…Isn’t that the first one from earlier?”
“Shut up. What would you know?”
Ah, I’m hungry. Jeonggwan was getting increasingly tired of Jihoon’s antics, which had been going on for over two hours now. When Jihoon had asked him to go somewhere together on Saturday, Jeonggwan had agreed, thinking Jihoon would buy him a sweatshirt or something. He was shocked to be brought to such an expensive-looking place.
As soon as they arrived, several people rushed to measure Jeonggwan, and with Jihoon’s rapid-fire instructions – “No velvet for him, nothing too classic, make him look slimmer if possible, oh that pattern is good. No, no tie. Bow tie? Looks too much like a papa’s boy. Still, a bow tie would be better. Yeah, do it like that” – Jeonggwan’s non-shopping shopping was over in about 10 minutes.
But Jihoon was meticulously examining every detail in choosing his own clothes. Jeonggwan was both dumbfounded and amused, so he just blankly watched Jihoon. Certainly, being thin, everything seemed to suit Jihoon well.
Still, two hours for one outfit was too much.
“I want to leave.”
“Tsk. We’re done.”
As Jeonggwan stood up abruptly, Jihoon, as if he had expected this, pushed away the tailor’s hand holding a tie in front of him and said, “Send all of these to my officetel by Saturday morning,” signaling the end of the shopping.
“What’s the occasion that requires such a tailored outfit?”
“Ah, Won is holding a charity party, and my mom is insisting I go.”
“Wow. That Won? I thought you were a distant relative…?”
“Oh? Well… They usually invite even the in-laws of cousins to these things.”
“Oh, is that so? I see.” Jeonggwan easily accepted this and walked out of the suit shop. Jihoon, following behind, thought it was fortunate that Jeonggwan was such a simple-minded fool. Heading towards his car parked in front of the tailor shop, Jihoon asked Jeonggwan, “What do you want to eat?”
“By the way, why is this car so low? It’s like it’s about to dig into the ground. It’s uncomfortable every time I get in!”
“You don’t even know what this is, do you?”
“Why? Should I?”
When Jeonggwan asked with quite an innocent face, Jihoon was momentarily speechless. It was so typical of pig Jeonggwan to know expensive food like a ghost but not know anything about luxury brands or cars. Jihoon smirked and shook his head.
“No. You don’t need to know for the rest of your life. So, what do you want to eat?”
“I want jjamppong!”
“Okay. I was in the mood for something spicy too.” Jihoon opened the driver’s side door and got in. Jeonggwan quickly climbed into the passenger seat.
Hey, can we order tangsuyuk too?
No, we can’t.
Then we should get the glutinous rice tangsuyuk. Hehe.
Pig.
Yeah, and you’re an anchovy.
The green Por*** Box*** carrying the two bickering friends quickly left the street lined with high-end tailor shops.
And sitting by the window on the second floor of a tailor shop across the street, Won Junjae, holding a tablet in one hand, looked shocked.
“…What the hell.”
Won Junjae had come to his exclusive tailor shop to get a suit and golf wear fitted for a business trip three months later. He had driven away all his insignificant relatives who frequented this place, making it the only place in the Won family that only he visited. As a regular customer, he had a private room on the second floor, and he was looking at the tablet given by the staff to choose designs.
He unconsciously glanced up when the door of the one-story tailor shop across the street opened, and his eyes froze on the figures coming out.
It was him. That white pig kid.
And the man following that pig was a very familiar face. The problematic idler that he had chased out of this shop, who was said to be raised almost as an outcast by his aunt’s family. His name was…
Right. Park Jihoon.
Whatever conversation they were having, the white pig kid had his eyes wide open, and the idler was smiling as if finding it cute. They soon got into the car with familiarity and left his sight.
Won Junjae was dumbfounded by what he had just witnessed.
Won Sejin and now Park Jihoon. What was it about that pig kid that had him meeting and replacing the men of the Won family?
Moreover, Park Jihoon was a beta. A guy who couldn’t even smell pheromones wouldn’t be attracted by the scent. Come to think of it, that pig kid seemed to be meeting with one of the beta members of his security team from the first time he saw him. He still vividly remembered the affectionate gaze of the security guard looking at him.
How many men had that pig kid gone through in less than a month? What was so good about that pig kid that they kept meeting him? Did he have some special skills in bed, unlike his appearance? Even so, seeing that raw fat body would cool any excitement. What could it be?
The only redeeming features were his pale skin, clear eyes, and pheromones that smelled just like his own. And these beta bastards who can’t even smell pheromones. What could they possibly like?
“…At this charity party.”
“Yes?”
“Is Park Jihoon coming too?”
Just a moment. Secretary Oh took out his personal tablet and quickly scanned the list of attendees for the charity party.
Brighton Hotel CEO Won Hye-ryeong – Not attending
Brighton Hotel CEO Won Hye-ryeong’s son Park Jihoon – Attending
“Yes, Park Jihoon, son of CEO Won Hye-ryeong, will be attending.”
Won Junjae’s eyebrows furrowed slightly and then relaxed. So the reason the idler came to get fitted for clothes was because of the charity party this Saturday. Then probably that pig kid would be coming as his partner.
Even for an outcast child, this is too much.
Won Junjae clicked his tongue softly and turned his head back to the window. To bring such a low-class thing, it was far below standard. To meet anyone from the Won family. He really didn’t fit in any way.
…Except for his pheromones.