Kill Your X Chapter 20

Observing him closely, his lifestyle was a mess. He ate poorly, and his work hours were erratic, often pulling all-nighters. It was a wonder he wasn’t running himself into the ground.

He claimed to have naturally low appetites for food and sleep, but even I, someone who’d always been healthy, was experiencing strange symptoms, so there was no guarantee he was fine. I didn’t know how long our relationship would last, but I didn’t want him getting sick while we were together.

“I don’t understand why you’re refusing so stubbornly. You’re not a child, are you afraid of hospitals?”

“Yes. I’m afraid.”

“If you’re going to lie, at least look scared.”

“I’m already deceiving people, so why bother?”

Si Yeonho took two steps back, solidifying his refusal. Name, date of birth. He watched with his usual indifferent expression as people gave their personal information to the receptionist for their checkups.

“You won’t change your mind even if I ask again?”

“You know me well.”

“Fine. I can’t drag you in if you don’t want to. Wait quietly nearby. Buy something to eat if you’re hungry.”

“Okay.”

I kept looking back as I went to change into my examination gown. His attitude, like an outsider in the hospital, bothered me. It was as if he’d never been to a hospital before, observing everything with an unfamiliar gaze.

The checkup, which started early in the morning, finished well past noon. I had added a few extra tests since it had been a while since my last full checkup. I changed back into my clothes and went to the cafe on the first floor where Si Yeonho was waiting. Contrary to my expectation of him spacing out alone, he was talking to someone.

‘Who is that?’

The man was at least two inches taller than Si Yeonho, who claimed to be 6’1″. They were of similar build, and the two of them together exuded considerable presence.

He looked to be in his mid-forties. Despite his neatly styled hair and expensive suit, there was an undeniable air of delinquency about him, accentuated by his casually crossed legs and sharp gaze.

It felt rude to think it, but he looked like a gangster. I thought Si Yeonho sometimes gave off a dark aura, but this man was the real deal. I felt like I’d be crushed if I crossed him, the kind of person I wouldn’t want to get involved with, personally or professionally.

I stood awkwardly by the entrance when Si Yeonho spotted me. The man with him turned and, with dramatic speed, softened his harsh expression into a business-like smile. The drastic change in his demeanor doubled my bewilderment. Since we’d made eye contact, it felt awkward to leave, so I reluctantly approached them.

“Oh, he’s handsome as I heard. Just like a rich young master, huh?”

The man said, patting Si Yeonho on the back. Momentarily taken aback by his casual tone, I bowed first out of respect for his age.

“Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Yeonho’s, uh…”

Whoever he was, did he also know about our relationship? I glanced at Si Yeonho, but he was looking at the man, not me. His gaze wasn’t hostile, but it wasn’t friendly either.

“Oh, nice to meet you too.”

The man grabbed my outstretched hand and shook it heartily. He didn’t ask my name or age, as if he already knew something about me. I hadn’t noticed from afar, but I could see a black tattoo peeking out from under his white shirt cuff. It looked quite large.

“What’s the point of interrupting young people’s fun? Enjoy your time. Puppy, contact me when you have progress on that matter.”

“Go on in.”

Puppy? My eyes widened at the man’s disrespectful remark. Si Yeonho, however, seemed unfazed.

The man swaggered out of the cafe. I watched him go, twirling his car keys around his finger, when Si Yeonho placed a coffee and a dessert in front of me.

“I ordered these fifteen minutes ago, so the drink is a bit cold. Should I order a new one?”

“No need. Who was that?”

I gestured with my chin towards the man, who had become a dot beyond the glass door.

“My CEO.”

“CEO of… KNT Entertainment?”

“Yes.”

I was surprised by the unexpected revelation. So he wasn’t a gangster after all. I reflected that I shouldn’t judge people by their appearance, especially in this age where individuality is valued.

“Just in case, did you tell your CEO about our relationship?”

I asked, sipping the perfectly cooled coffee. I could feel my heart rate accelerating.

“I haven’t said anything directly.”

“What does that mean?”

“He’s incredibly perceptive. He might have figured it out just by looking at the way I look at Sunbae.”

He wasn’t a CEO for nothing. I was relieved that he didn’t know for sure. My attention quickly shifted to another, more important, issue.

“Why did your CEO come all the way here…? And what was that about the way he called you? I didn’t mishear, did I?”

His eyes flickered upwards as he recalled our conversation.

“It’s just a sort of nickname.”

“Puppy?”

“Yes.”

Honestly, it made me uncomfortable. I treated Si Yeonho like a dog, ordering him around, but I didn’t want others to do the same. How often must he have been called that for him to react so indifferently? I worried that there might be others besides me who took advantage of his submissive nature.

“Even if he’s the CEO, how can he call his employee that? That’s clearly workplace harassment.”

“He’s not a bad person.”

Si Yeonho defended the man without changing his expression. He was obedient, but not easily swayed, so hopefully, he would be okay. I wouldn’t normally worry, but the CEO seemed almost as intimidating as Si Yeonho, so I couldn’t relax.

“You didn’t answer my question. Why did he come all the way here to see you? He wasn’t scolding you for skipping work, was he?”

“No, it’s not that. One of our celebrities has been acting strangely lately, so we’re keeping an eye on him. We were talking about that.”

You can believe it or not, but the CEO just happened to be passing by.

I was about to ask which celebrity it was, but stopped myself. It was confidential information, especially since he worked in the entertainment industry.

“Whatever it is, are you okay?”

“I have to make it okay. It would be troublesome if the company’s stock price fell.”

I searched for related articles on my phone. Even after scanning the entertainment news, I couldn’t find any negative news about KNT celebrities. In fact, they seemed to have a good reputation among fans as a competent agency.

Managing people must be harder than managing money. So he was personally involved, handling things before they became a problem. I learned something I hadn’t realized when I only saw celebrities through the media.

“Still, don’t let him call you ‘Puppy’. It’s unpleasant.”

“It seems Sunbae doesn’t like the CEO.”

I didn’t know if Si Yeonho was telepathic or if I was just bad at hiding my emotions. Trusting that he wouldn’t report my gossip, I confessed my feelings.

“I don’t like him. I thought he was a gangster when I first saw him. He even has a big tattoo on his arm.”

“Do you hate gangsters?”

The question was so absurd that I chuckled.

“Are there people who like gangsters? I’m especially averse to them because of my family. Have I told you? My father is a police officer.”

My father had countless achievements as a police officer, but the most notable was his crackdown on organized crime. He’d been fast-tracked for promotion after taking down several gangs in a row. I heard his nickname among gangsters was “Grim Reaper.”

Perhaps because he’d seen them up close through his work, my father’s disgust for gangsters was almost pathological. It was commonplace for him to denounce them as evil during mealtimes.

“He’ll probably become the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency soon if nothing goes wrong.”

“…You really do know everything. I’m tired of telling you to stop digging into people’s backgrounds.”

“I’ve known his occupation for ten years.”

I surrendered to his shameless excuse. I’d learned long ago that it wasn’t wise to try to win an argument with Si Yeonho.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Si Yeonho left and returned with a steaming cup of coffee. He swapped it with my nearly empty cup.

“What’s this?”

“You ate half of your sandwich already.”

“Oh, thanks.”

Maybe he was trying to appease me after being caught doing something shady, but it was a nice gesture nonetheless. I finished the food he’d ordered. It was delicious, especially since I’d been fasting since last night for the endoscopy. I felt a new appreciation for him ordering the food just in time for the end of my examination. Good children should be rewarded.

“Want to hang out for a bit? Unless you have something to do.”

“I can.”

“You said there was a problem with one of your celebrities.”

“I mainly tail them at night.”

He added that the celebrity was probably sleeping at home right now.