Kill Your X Chapter 27

Surprised, I turned around to see a vaguely familiar face smiling brightly at me.

“Hey, you’re Gyujin, right? It’s been a long time!”

“Yeah, that’s me, but your name is….”

High school classmate. That’s all I could remember, and it was embarrassing. The man approaching me noticed my hesitation and kindly introduced himself.

“Kim Taehoon. You were so good at studying, Gyujin, but you can’t even remember your friend’s name. A little hurtful, don’t you think?”

“Oh, I remember now. Sorry. How have you been?”

“Great, of course. How come you haven’t changed at all?”

Taehoon hugged me in the middle of the street. Then the memories became a little more vivid. He was the kind of loud and friendly guy you’d find in every class in high school.

“So, why are you standing here all alone? Waiting for your girlfriend?”

“Girlfriend…not really. I was supposed to meet someone, but the plans fell through.”

“Really? Well, it’s great to see you. If you’re not busy, want to have dinner with me?”

Honestly, it was a little awkward since we hadn’t contacted each other for ten years after graduation. But it seemed better to be distracted than to spend time alone feeling dazed. Si Yeonho’s absence felt particularly significant today.

“Okay.”

“Alright. Let’s go!”

Taehoon, who worked in sales at a company near here, knew all the best restaurants. When I told him I wasn’t picky, he took me to a Chinese restaurant with private rooms. He must have been a regular, because the owner recognized him as soon as we walked in.

We took a table that was good for conversation, and I let him choose the dishes since he knew the place so well.

“You drink, right, Gyujin?”

“Yeah, but just a little. I have to work tomorrow.”

“So do I. What’s the big deal? Hey, owner!”

I guess he was just being polite. Strong alcohol was set up before the food even arrived. Taehoon excitedly filled my glass. After we clinked glasses and took a sip, he grinned at me.

“Wow. I’m actually seeing you drink. This is so weird.”

Thinking back to my school days, when I was the model student of good behavior, I could understand Taehoon’s reaction to some extent.

“Social life is tough without alcohol.”

“Right? It was really hard for me at first, too. After a company dinner, it’s always past midnight.”

He was such a good talker that time flew by just listening to him. The food arrived, and after chatting for a while, Taehoon asked me a question.

“I was really curious about what you’ve been up to. I heard you went straight to a boarding cram school right after graduation, is that right?”

“Yeah. My father wasn’t satisfied with the university I got into the first time around. I didn’t mind going there, but it was kind of forced.”

“Which university did you end up going to?”

“B University.”

“Whoa. It must have been tough, but it looks like the cram school paid off. Your father’s foresight.”

I can laugh about it now, but back then, I honestly wanted to die. My biggest act of rebellion was changing my major at the last minute during my cram school year.

After that, we had the typical conversations people have when they haven’t seen each other in a long time. Taehoon made a puzzled expression when he heard about my job.

“A librarian? It suits you, Gyujin, but….”

“But?”

“No, I know it’s different for everyone, but it seems like a waste for you. You could easily get into a large corporation or a mid-sized company, couldn’t you?”

I smiled wryly at his innocent comment. It wasn’t the first time I’d heard it.

“I didn’t really want to live a competitive life.”

“I understand. That’s how I live now, and it’s killing me. Cheers!”

He knew my family background, but I was grateful he didn’t say I was talking nonsense because I was privileged thanks to my parents.

“As long as you’re happy, that’s all that matters. I met Yongchan recently, you know? He passed the CPA exam on his third try and became an accountant, but his family….”

Through Taehoon, I received updates on people I’d forgotten about. There were familiar names, and some I couldn’t even recall being in my class.

I hadn’t particularly missed my teenage years after becoming an adult. Because of the intense pressure to perform well academically at home, I thought I had just suffered through it, but listening to Taehoon’s stories, it seemed like I had a pretty decent high school life after all. With the help of the alcohol, I gradually fell into the rose-tinted memories.

[Work’s over. Where are you?]

Si Yeonho texted me while we were chatting. I replied briefly, saying I was having dinner with a friend. At the same time, a brilliant idea flashed through my mind. He also went to our high school, so Taehoon, being the social butterfly he was, might know Si Yeonho.

“Taehoon, you were close with the younger students at school, right?”

“I know the ones I know.”

Since Si Yeonho would never bring up his past first, I had no choice but to hear it from someone else.

“Then do you remember a guy named Si Yeonho? He’s a year younger than us.”

“Si Yeonho? Why are you suddenly asking about him?”

“Actually, I met him recently.”

The smile vanished from Taehoon’s face. The atmosphere froze instantly, and I was bewildered.

“What’s wrong?”

“Did you get the name wrong? I think you’re mistaken, Gyujin.”

“No, it’s definitely Si Yeonho. It’s an unusual surname, not a name you can easily confuse.”

“I’m not kidding, do you really not know?”

After asking repeatedly, Taehoon gulped. An uneasy premonition rose at his unusual behavior. Holding my breath, I listened intently to Taehoon’s voice.

“Class 2-2, or was it 1-1? Anyway, if you’re talking about that Si Yeonho, he’s dead. He committed suicide by jumping from the school rooftop ten years ago.”

“What…did you say?”

My mind refused to process the new information. My phone on the table vibrated right then. The caller was Si Yeonho.

“You can answer it.”

Taehoon gestured towards my phone and leaned back in his chair. I said it was nothing and flipped the phone over. My voice came out a bit stiff due to the goosebumps all over my body.

“Dead? Why didn’t I hear about it?”

“It happened not long after we graduated. You went straight to the cram school without a break, right? Then it makes sense you wouldn’t know.”

It wasn’t even someone in our year, and he said Si Yeonho wasn’t even a student who regularly attended school. His attendance was so bad that even his classmates didn’t know his face.

“Taehoon, just in case, is there any chance you’re mistaken? That it wasn’t Si Yeonho who died back then, but someone else?”

Knowing that I wasn’t joking, Taehoon softened his hardened expression. He quickly returned to his usual gossipy self.

“Si Yeonho. Like you said, Gyujin, it’s not a common name. But you met him? How is that even possible? Did you see a ghost?”

Then my phone vibrated. I checked the message, relieved by the short buzz.

[Enjoy your meal]

It was his usual seemingly nonchalant yet caring message. But instead of feeling happy, my heart tightened and my breath quickened. I had no idea what was going on.

Si Yeonho, who died ten years ago, and Si Yeonho, who came back to me after ten years.

Are they really the same person?

If Taehoon’s words were true, then they weren’t.

“It seems like…someone is playing a sick joke. They’re impersonating Si Yeonho.”

Taehoon’s face grew serious at my words. Although I was overwhelmed, I tried to get as much information as possible while I had the chance.

“Then do you know why Si Yeonho jumped ten years ago? If it was from the school rooftop, was it because of his grades or something?”

Taehoon shook his head at my question.

“I don’t really know that much. Like I said, Si Yeonho barely showed up at school. He should have been held back for not meeting the minimum attendance requirement, but his family had a lot of pull, so he got promoted without any problems.”

“Family pull?”

Even though we were the only two in the room, Taehoon gestured for me to come closer. I leaned in and he whispered,

“Rumor has it his dad was a gangster. Not just a small fry, but a high-ranking member.”

There were even rumors that he was the boss, Taehoon continued.

“That’s why Si Yeonho’s death was quickly buried. Not a single news article. The kids with wild imaginations made up stories about another gang getting revenge on the wrong person, but nobody really knows. No one in our school was close to him.”

If the rumors were true, he must be cursing his father in hell, Taehoon said, filling our empty glasses with alcohol. Born with a gangster dad? Wow, talk about a terrible fate.

I gave a noncommittal response to Taehoon’s words and downed the strong alcohol. I hadn’t planned on drinking much, but I couldn’t possibly bear this sober.

“Anyway, think of it this way. It’s a good thing you found out he was a fraud now. Maybe it’s because you have such a kind and upright image, Gyujin. He probably thought he could sweet-talk you into something.”

After offering various words of comfort, Taehoon cautiously revealed his true thoughts.

“If you’re really worried, couldn’t you just tell your father? He’s a police officer, isn’t he?”

“You’re right. I should tell him.”

A feeling I couldn’t simply summarize as betrayal welled up inside me. I was so confused, but like Taehoon said, I couldn’t ask my father for help. It wasn’t just because we weren’t close.

Even if I wanted to, what would I even tell him? That the guy I’m dating has a suspicious identity, so could he investigate him?

Instead of putting Si Yeonho in jail, I’d be lucky if he didn’t lock me up at home and beat me for dating a guy.

[If you’ve been drinking, should I come pick you up?]

I didn’t reply to the message that arrived shortly after. From the middle of the meal, I barely touched the food and just kept drinking. Taehoon tactfully ordered another bottle and matched my pace.