Pig Government Official Side Story

 -13-

Babies communicate their needs through tears when they’re hungry, need a diaper change, or feel uncomfortable. Since they can’t speak yet, crying is one of the only ways to communicate with parents, and even then, it’s not clear exactly what they want. Parents have to check everything one by one when a baby cries.

But strangely, Youngjae didn’t cry. When he was hungry, he would just stare at the babysitter with wide eyes, and when his diaper was full, he would just smile brightly. At first, Junjae’s family was quite worried because he cried so little. They wondered if something was wrong with him.

Initially, Jeonggwan and Junjae casually thought that some babies just don’t cry much. But one day, there was an incident where Youngjae lost his balance in his baby chair, fell forward, and hit his forehead on the floor. Junjae, who witnessed this directly, was shocked by how hard the baby fell, but when he quickly picked Youngjae up, there were no tears or even any sign that he was about to cry. Thinking there might really be a problem, Jeonggwan and Junjae took Youngjae to the hospital, but the doctors said there was nothing wrong—he just had a gentle personality.

The two were relieved, thinking it was fortunate, but Junjae’s grandfather’s side kept insisting that while a gentle personality is one thing, not crying at all was strange, and urged them to get another examination from a specialist at a different hospital. Of course, they might have genuinely been concerned about their great-grandson, but Jeonggwan couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being overly protective because he was a precious dominant alpha in the family.

Meanwhile, Jeonggwan’s parents had a completely different perspective. When Jeonggwan mentioned his concern that Youngjae hardly cried, they just laughed and said:

“Your third brother was exactly like that. We heard from the hospital that it was because of his calm personality, and we just accepted it. But look at him now, he’s fine! So just enjoy it.”

“That’s right. Jeongyun cried so little that everyone around us called him a legendary baby and envied us. You’re blessed too.”

They simply thought Youngjae must take after his uncle and didn’t worry about it at all.

“…This is really serious.”

Jeonggwan thought it would be truly serious if this was real. The most seemingly normal yet most abnormal of his brothers, Jeongyun, was like this as a child?

Jeonggwan loved all his brothers, but he especially liked Jeongyun, who often said warm words to him and was affectionate. Nevertheless, Jeongyun could sometimes be creepy, and there was one incident that still gave Jeonggwan goosebumps when he remembered it.

When the brothers were together, Jeonggwan, being the youngest, was often teased by the first and second brothers for simply breathing. One day, when fifth-grade elementary student Jeonggwan cried so hard he could barely breathe from his brothers’ teasing, their mother, unable to bear it anymore, established a rule prohibiting teasing Jeonggwan. Of course, the teasing resumed after about three days, but during those three days, Jeonggwan was free from his brothers’ mockery.

As a result, the first and second brothers’ new target shifted to middle schooler Jeongyun. Originally, Jeongyun was so quiet and gentle that he barely reacted when teased, so they would stop after a little while. But unable to tease Jeonggwan and feeling itchy to do so, the two picked a day and severely teased Jeongyun.

They would take his Vienna sausages that he was saving and eat them, saying, “Why aren’t you eating? Doesn’t it taste good? Then we’ll eat it,” or if Jeongyun was reading a comic book that the brothers had already read, they would say, “Oh? That character dies soon,” spoiling it for him—childish but irritating ways of teasing him.

Each time, Jeongyun would just stare blankly at his brothers without any reaction, so Jeonghyun and Jeongwon were starting to lose interest. But as a final prank, Jeonghyun took out a textbook from Jeongyun’s school bag, which was placed on the living room sofa, and was giggling while drawing funny pictures on the cover with a permanent marker.

“Hyung. Is it funny?”

Jeongyun, who hadn’t said a single word until then, quietly came up behind Jeonghyun and spoke. Jeonggwan, who was watching from the kitchen table, and Jeonghyun, who was giggling and busily moving his hands, simultaneously froze, and soon felt a chill run through their entire bodies.

“What’s so funny?” Jeongyun asked, looking down at Jeonghyun with a face devoid of any emotion. The startled Jeonghyun stuttered, “Huh? I was just doodling…” then awkwardly got up and immediately ran away. The sight of Jeongyun silently watching Jeonghyun’s retreating back for a long time, then looking down at his textbook again, was like a scene from a horror movie even now. As if he was possessed by a ghost?

“Oh my, our Youngjae is doing so well. Good job. Good job!”

“You can’t walk yet but you’re already trying to stand up? Look at this little one.”

And now our Youngjae takes after that Jeongyun? As Jeonggwan recalled that unforgettable day, he stared blankly at Youngjae, who was excitedly waving his arms and bouncing his body, seemingly enjoying his grandparents’ playful attention. Imagining a grown-up Youngjae looking at Jeonggwan like Jeongyun did back then, saying “Dad. Is it funny?”…

“He’s cute…”

He was cute. Maybe because he was Jeonggwan’s child, even that kind of behavior seemed adorable. Taking it a step further, Jeonggwan could imagine himself sitting right next to Youngjae, pointing out and explaining one by one what was funny. People called Junjae a doting parent when it came to Jeonggwan, but Jeonggwan was just as doting when it came to Won Youngjae. Youngjae was so lovable it was hard to believe he had come from Jeonggwan’s body.

Why is it that in movies, parents of possessed children, despite being terrified, never let go of their children until the end? At the time, Jeonggwan thought those parents who met tragic endings because of their children were truly foolish. But now, as a father, he understood why. Of course, this wasn’t to say that Jeongyun or Youngjae were possessed.

“Oh? Youngjae’s uncle is here. Uncle.”

Someone was entering from the front door, pressing the door lock. It wasn’t Junjae, as he always rang the doorbell, so it had to be one of the uncles. Judging by the speed of pressing the door lock code, it must be Jeongyun, who already knew Youngjae’s location and that his nephew was here.

“Won Youngjae!”

As expected, the person charging in with thundering steps calling Youngjae’s name was Jeongyun, and a bear-like figure that seemed too harmless to be possessed by a ghost scooped up Youngjae. Simultaneously, the sound of a baby’s joyful laughter filled the house, and the adults couldn’t help but smile at the sound.

“Jeongyun hyung. I have something I’m curious about.”

“To me? Something you’re curious about?”

“Yeah. Do you remember Jeonghyun hyung? That time when you seemed possessed and said, ‘Hyung. Is it funny?'”

While the family was gathered around the table eating dinner, Jeonggwan asked Jeongyun about that incident. Jeonghyun, who was eating a heaping bowl of rice, didn’t immediately recall and asked, “What incident?”

“Me…? Was there such a time?”

“No, you know. That time when hyung was doodling on your textbook, and you quietly came up behind him and said, ‘Hyung. Is it funny?'”

Jeonghyun and Jeongyun looked at each other with puzzled faces. Both seemed to have trouble remembering such a long-ago incident, so Jeonggwan explained the situation in more detail, but they just kept tilting their heads with expressions that said, “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you remember when Jeongyun hyung, with a completely expressionless face, said ‘Hyung. Is it funny?’ Jeonghyun hyung, you and I were so scared, we got goosebumps.”

“…What are you talking about, Jeonggwan?”

“Ah, hyungs, you really don’t remember? I was in elementary school, yet I remember it so vividly.”

“No, no. I know. I did doodle, that’s correct. I remember that. But Jeongyun wasn’t home at that time.”

“No, what are you saying? Did I just come back from a parallel universe? What is this, a multiverse?”

They had different memories. Jeonggwan, frustrated that Jeonghyun couldn’t remember, turned to Jeongyun and asked him to try to recall, but Jeongyun’s answer was even more outrageous.

“That’s right. I did see the doodles on my textbook cover a few days later. But I don’t think I said ‘Is it funny?’ to hyung at that time… Since I discovered the doodle much later…”

“Why is this hyung like this too?”

With Jeongyun making a face that said he truly had no such memory and finding the whole thing absurd, Jeonggwan was confused, wondering if his own memory was distorted. Yet, Jeonggwan distinctly remembered sitting at the living room table, watching Jeonghyun, and Jeongyun silently approaching from behind him…

“…Jeonggwan, did you perhaps see a ghost?”

“…What are you saying?”

“No, seriously… I also had a time when I saw Jeongwon watching TV in the living room, and suddenly he came next to me and said, ‘Hyung. Let’s watch a different channel.’ But then a moment later, Jeongwon came out of his room. When I asked, ‘When did you go into your room?’ he said he had just woken up and come out.”

“…”

To make matters worse, Jeonghyun, with a slightly frightened face, was looking at Jeonggwan and suggesting that what Jeonggwan remembered from that day might not have been Jeongyun with a ghost-like expression, but perhaps an actual ghost.

“…”

Jeonggwan felt a chill run through his body, just like that day. He clearly couldn’t forget Jeongyun’s expression from that day… but it might not have been the real Jeongyun?

“I, I want to leave.”

“Huh? Already?”

“Yeah. Junjae hyung said he’s almost here. I want to go.”

Jeonggwan stood up quickly, turning pale. Since Junjae, who had just finished an external meeting, had said he was almost at Jeonggwan’s family home, Jeonggwan thought he should quickly escape this haunted house.

He didn’t even hear his mother, who was holding Youngjae, saying, “The hyungs were just playing a prank. Stay a bit longer.” Jeonggwan practically snatched Youngjae, hastily packed their things faster than ever, and darted out of the house.

“Puhahak!”

As soon as Jeonggwan left, Jeonghyun, who had been watching with a stretched philtrum, burst into laughter, repeatedly slapping the table with his hand.

“Did you see his face? Turning so pale, kup…”

“Do you really want to play pranks when your brother rarely visits?”

“No, but his reaction is so funny. Ah, I’m tearing up from laughing too much…”

Their mother, with a face that said she had expected this, glared at Jeonghyun with disdain, saying, “When will you ever grow up?” before heading to the bathroom. Jeongyun, who was sitting across from Jeonghyun, was looking at him with an expression that showed he couldn’t understand why Jeonghyun was laughing so hard, clutching his stomach.

“Hyung.”

“Huh?”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Um…?”

At Jeongyun’s serious question, Jeonghyun’s laughter gradually subsided.

“…Your ‘Hyung, is it funny?’ Actually, I remember…”

“I just told you earlier. I saw the doodle later.”

“…Huh?”

It was a double hit.