Kill Your X Chapter 106

“What would a dog in heat see? They can’t even recognize their own owner.”

“Ah, uhng!”

“If you didn’t know, learn it properly this time. That not all dogs are the same. Since they’re born beasts, no matter how gentle they are, they can turn on you anytime if things go wrong.”

My excitement had reached its peak, and I wasn’t in a state to process any words. I just nodded my head at his words like an idiot. I ended up making dozens of hasty promises like that. Unfitting for the messy situation on the bed, they were all trivial things. For example, to hug him first instead of the puppy when I get home.

“You promised.”

“Uh-huh.”

He finally came. His habit of not pulling out right away after cumming deep inside me was still the same. After savoring the afterglow to his satisfaction, he carefully laid me down. I didn’t even have the energy to shudder at the sensation of semen trickling down the crack of my ass.

I was listening to Seo Seunghan say something before I suddenly drifted off to sleep. In my sleep, I thought I heard the sound of claws scratching frantically at the door from outside.

✽✽✽

Just as I was about to give up on finding a new owner for the puppy, an unexpected volunteer appeared. It was a day I was covering for an employee who couldn’t come to work due to personal reasons.

Most of the customers who visited the book cafe were office workers, and on weekdays, it was busiest around 7 p.m., after work hours. Then, after 9 p.m., the customers would leave like a receding tide.

By the time I finished handling various tasks, going back and forth between the first and second floors, the night had deepened. After confirming that there were about three customers left in the cafe, I sat down at the counter and opened a book. Just like the customers who were absorbed in their chosen stories while maintaining a suitable distance from each other, I, too, was instantly engrossed in my book. It had long become a part of my daily routine, but it was a time I cherished so much that I looked forward to it every time.

How much time had passed? As I was in the middle of an interesting part, a memo slip suddenly entered my field of vision. Surprised, I looked up, and after checking the face of the intruder, I looked at the memo on my book again. A frown naturally formed on my brow.

Long time no see, Gyujin.

Have you been well?

At the identity of the man that surfaced from my hazy memories, I almost let out a small “uh.” When our eyes met directly, the man grinned and mouthed his words.

‘Looks like you remember me? That’s a relief.’

He was one of the people I had briefly dated back when I insisted on casual relationships. Was his name Jiwoon, or was it Jihoon? He was my age, and I remembered seeing him several times back then because he was quite close to my physical ideal type. Then, he went to study abroad, and we lost contact. I met him not long after I moved my base to Jerome, so this must have been almost ten years ago.

As closing time approached, the remaining customers began to pack their things one by one. I told the employee that I would handle the cleanup and let them leave first.

“Hooah. Can I talk now?”

When we were finally alone, he let out an exaggerated breath.

“Yeah. I was surprised earlier. You’ve been well too, right?”

I spoke while consciously keeping my distance. It wasn’t that he had done anything suspicious, but the fact that he had waited until the cafe closed bothered me. Even if we had a past connection, it wasn’t like we were particularly passionate.

Despite my lukewarm reaction, he smiled brightly and said.

“Of course. Actually, I just came back to Korea not long ago. I was in France the whole time before that. I came back after busting my ass for a Ph.D., and it feels like the whole country has changed in the meantime, you know? The moment I landed at the airport, even the air felt different.”

His shorter height, slender frame, and gentle impression felt both similar and different from before. The first time we met, I fell for him at first sight and made the first move, but strangely, I felt no emotion now. Honestly, I wasn’t even very happy to see him.

“Why are you looking at me like that? You’re making my heart flutter.”

He initiated the teasing. I responded by putting up a moderate wall.

“Just because. It feels like you really haven’t changed at all.”

“Look who’s talking. Gyujin, you’re the one who really doesn’t age. Who would believe you’re in your mid-thirties?”

“I think everyone in the world except you would believe it.”

“Wanna bet? Let’s say the loser buys both dinner and drinks.”

I was getting ready to close the shop, but he seemed keen on continuing our conversation. A wave of exhaustion washed over me.

As I dodged his question by pretending to pack up, he asked me directly.

“Can we talk for a bit? If you don’t want to go far, we can meet somewhere nearby. I saw a lot of places in the alleys on my way here.”

“I’m sorry, but I have plans today.”

“That puppy, it hasn’t been adopted yet, right?”

He cut me off and pointed to the adoption poster on the wall. The dog in the picture was, as always, fast asleep on a nearby sofa. It was the result of a diligent day’s work.

“That’s right, but… don’t tell me you’re interested?”

“Yeah. That’s why I was waiting.”

I felt a surge of ambivalent emotions. It was because I had grown quite fond of Jjing-jjing-i in the meantime. But if not now, Jjing-jjing-i might never find a new owner. Since Seo Seunghan was still not fond of the puppy, I had to seize the opportunity now that it had come.

While I hesitated and paused for a moment, he gave a good-natured smile. I replayed my memories of the man I used to know. He had a free-spirited nature, but he wasn’t the type to act recklessly. If I’m going to give the puppy up for adoption, he’s better than a complete stranger, I guess.

“I’m a little hesitant to leave the puppy alone and go out. If it’s okay with you, do you want to talk here? I have beer and wine.”

“I’d love that.”

Telling him to wait a moment, I left the customer seated and went into the kitchen. I sent a message to Seo Seunghan, telling him I’d be late because I was meeting a friend.

When I came out with beer and some simple snacks, he had turned his body to watch Jjing-jjing-i.

“He’s really sleeping soundly. I guess it’s because he’s still young.”

“If you watch him, he seems to sleep for about fourteen hours a day. When he’s awake, he’s busy either clinging to people or eating.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. But you really made a good decision. It’s only been a few weeks, but he’s really gentle and cute. Even I, who has never raised a dog before, feel almost no stress. If I had to pick one flaw, it would be that he asks to be held all the time?”

He responded appropriately to my sales pitch while drinking his beer. I found it strange that he was less talkative than before, but I just assumed he was listening intently to the stories about Jjing-jjing-i.

“Anyway, I’d feel at ease if it were you, of all people. It’s a bit funny to say this when we haven’t contacted each other in over ten years, but you’re a really good person. By any chance, when can you take the puppy? I’ve bought most of the supplies, so I can give them to you if you need them.”

“Gyujin.”

His voice suddenly deepened. Seeing his Adam’s apple bob nervously, I narrowed my eyes. He fiddled meaninglessly with the barely touched beer can as he spoke again. It seems that bad feelings are never wrong.

“What about me, instead of the puppy?”

“What?”

“Don’t you have anything to say to me? Like you thought of me while we were apart, or you were curious about how I was doing sometimes, things like that.”

“……”

His greasy gaze licked across my face. At this point, I began to doubt whether his words about wanting to take the puppy were sincere. The possibility was plummeting in real-time, but if by any chance he was genuinely willing to adopt, it wouldn’t be a good choice for me to be completely on the defensive.

“Like you, I was busy with my own life. I also went through a major incident in between.”

“But I thought about you a lot.”

He hammered the nail in the coffin of his sleazy moves. His inner thoughts, which I had no desire to know, came pouring out.

“Some might say that hooking up a few times when we were young is no big deal, but I realized it for sure after we broke up. Just how much I liked you, Gyujin, and what a perfect pair we were.”

“Hey, I’m seeing someone right now.”

Even though I was being honest, he didn’t listen. He clearly thought I was just playing hard to get, as a habit.

“I kept regretting that I wasn’t by your side when you were going through a hard time. That’s why I wanted to see you first as soon as I got back to Korea. We got along so well. You liked me a lot too, so now…”

In the middle of his sentence, he suddenly grabbed my wrist. As his thumb subtly caressed my forearm, I was certain my intuition had been correct. The sudden contact was unpleasant, and when I tried to shake his arm off, he held on and wouldn’t let go easily. His grip was incomparably stronger than in the past.