Kill Your X Chapter 3

“Just tell me here. Or should we walk?”

It might be just me, but honestly, I was scared to get into a car with obviously tinted windows. It’s a scary world full of crime. There’s no guarantee that an expensive foreign car won’t be involved in human trafficking.

In the first place, Si Yeonho and I aren’t close enough to casually hop into each other’s cars. If my memory serves me right, that is.

“You said you were cold. Your nose is red.”

Si Yeonho was determined to get me into the car. I hesitated for a moment. Since he had come all this way, I doubted he would leave empty-handed.

“Wait a minute.”

“Yes, Sunbae.”

I sent a text message to a trusted friend. It said if I didn’t answer their call in two hours, they should call 119 (emergency services).

As I put my phone in my coat pocket, the vibrations signaling replies went off continuously. Ignoring them all, I gestured to Si Yeonho, and he led the way.

I’m not short, but following him made him seem especially huge. Even though he wasn’t particularly bulky.

Ugh, I hate people taller than me. Even though I wasn’t actually going to accept his confession, the thought of looking up at him for the time being made me feel awkward.

“Wow.”

My internal grumbling stopped as I almost gasped aloud at the warmth that enveloped me as soon as I got into the car. The clean, pleasant heat relaxed my tense nerves in an instant.

“Tell me if you’re cold. I’ll turn up the heat.”

“No, it’s perfect.”

Pressing my frozen cheeks with my hands to warm them, I looked at him. The warmth was nice, but getting into his car for a conversation wasn’t the best choice.

How far apart could the driver’s and passenger’s seats be? The situation itself was awkward enough, and Si Yeonho’s presence made me feel strangely suffocated. The sex appeal that had matured over ten years had reached the realm of decadence.

Whatever it was, I had an obligation to set things straight. I was about to speak up when Si Yeonho gripped the steering wheel, still wearing his leather gloves.

“Where are we going?”

Si Yeonho turned his head slightly and replied.

“We agreed to talk.”

“Yeah. I meant to finish it in the car.”

I didn’t intend to have a long conversation. I planned to cross-check Si Yeonho’s real reason for reappearing and any past memories I might have forgotten, then cleanly end things between us. My car was parked nearby, and I wasn’t about to leave it in this cold weather.

“Wouldn’t it be stuffy?”

“I’m fine?”

“I don’t know about you, Sunbae, but I’m not planning to end this conversation quickly.”

It’s been ten years. With those words, Si Yeonho turned the steering wheel. Human trafficking victims wouldn’t be treated this politely, would they? Suppressing my lingering doubts, I decided to trust him for now. Regardless of his intentions, I was the one who made the irresponsible promise in the past.

The car drove in the opposite direction of my usual route. As we got further from home, my anxiety grew. He wasn’t using the navigation system, so the destination was a mystery.

Still in the warm car, I spoke to him, focused on driving like a machine.

“Yeon, Yeonho.”

“…….”

His name felt strangely unfamiliar on my tongue. Perhaps sensing my awkwardness, Si Yeonho responded with a glance.

“Just in case, you’re not kidnapping me, are you? To get revenge for making you celibate for ten years.”

Si Yeonho remained silent for over a minute. He seemed lost in thought, or perhaps he was thinking nothing at all. I’d told him to remain a virgin, yet he saw me rolling around with another guy yesterday. I’d asked the question thinking he had plenty of reason to hold a grudge.

“No.”

Hearing his firm answer made me wonder if I’d spoken nonsense. He wouldn’t do that if he were sane. Kidnapping someone without restraints in the middle of Seoul, during rush hour…

“I did think about it though.”

“Huh?”

“But I thought you’d hate it.”

A chill ran down my spine. I wished he was joking, but judging by his expression, Si Yeonho was serious.

“You’re too fragile to go through something like that.”

That was the first time I’d heard that assessment since becoming an adult. I was just skinny, not muscular, in high school, so Si Yeonho’s memories seemed to be stuck in that time.

“What do you want to eat?”

He asked after what felt like a long drive, when the sky had grown darker. My voice rose slightly in surprise.

“You’ve been driving without a destination?”

“Not exactly. Since you like Korean food, I made reservations at a few Korean restaurants nearby. Just in case, I also booked a Japanese restaurant and a Western-style restaurant.”

“Then you should have asked before we left. It’s not like we’re trying to waste time, what is this?”

“I waited a bit. You looked like you’d faint if I talked to you.”

Ever since you got in my car.

Surprised by his reason, I checked my reflection in the rearview mirror. I couldn’t see clearly in the dark, but I didn’t think I looked that bad. In any case, I couldn’t argue with his consideration.

“I’m really sorry, but to be honest, I don’t think I can eat with you sitting across from me.”

He’d made reservations at several restaurants, not just one? His behavior since yesterday had been unpredictable, so I was confused.

“How about we go to a decent cafe and have something light? We can finish our conversation there.”

“Okay.”

Si Yeonho didn’t seem disappointed or angry that I’d dismissed his efforts. It was as if he hadn’t learned how to say no. He looked like the type to dominate others, yet his strangely compliant attitude sparked a wicked curiosity in me. I wondered how far he would accommodate my requests.

“Let’s go to a spacious cafe. It has to be a place where you can see inside from the outside. And it can’t be too secluded.”

“Okay.”

Even after hearing my additional, troublesome conditions, Si Yeonho silently nodded. He seemed to know a place, as the car started moving without hesitation. The scenery outside the window flew by. Lost in thought, I suddenly met my own eyes reflected in the window. I looked incredibly tense, like someone who had committed a crime.

✽✽✽

Si Yeonho found a place that perfectly met all my conditions. It was a fairly popular cafe, and I was relieved to see that it was crowded even late in the evening. At least in a place this open, I wouldn’t be in danger.

We sat at a corner table on the second floor, and Si Yeonho came up with a tray shortly after. He had given me his card to order what I wanted, but I hadn’t received any payment notifications.

“Here you go, Sunbae.”

Two cups of coffee and two sandwiches were placed on the table. Si Yeonho placed my share of the food and his card in front of me first. Thinking he was more considerate than he looked, I grabbed the handle of the mug.

The scalding coffee brought me back to my senses. It was time to set things straight.

“Yeonho.”

Judging by the hazy memories, it seemed unlikely that anything significant had happened between us in high school. So, it was ultimately Si Yeonho’s one-sided crush, which made his attachment to me after ten years seem absurd.

I was certain. There had to be another reason why Si Yeonho sought me out.

“I apologize in advance. I don’t have a very good memory.”

“You don’t remember the promise we made?”

He asked, having sat blankly without touching his food. Under the bright cafe lights, he looked even more handsome, and I was caught admiring his face before answering a beat too late.

“No, I remember making a promise, but other things about you are a bit hazy. Maybe it’s because it was high school. We were busy studying.”

Si Yeonho listened to my rambling without interrupting, then responded briefly.

“That’s how you are.”

The nuance of “that’s how you are” was a bit odd, but I decided to let it slide. That wasn’t important right now.

“Well, it’s true that not many people remember things in detail after more than ten years. Whether it’s a confession or whatever.”

My throat was dry, so I took a sip of coffee. Now that I was about to get to the main point, my throat felt tight.

I took a small breath and forced a relaxed smile. I spoke as clearly as possible to hide my nervousness.

“So, which one is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“A cult, or multi-level marketing? I don’t know about the former, but if it’s the latter, I’ll buy up to 10 million won worth of whatever you’re selling. Seriously.”

“Ha.”

Si Yeonho sighed for the first time. Staring intently at me, words quite different from what I expected came from between his twisted lips.

“Starting a religious group is difficult.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll create a multi-level marketing company. It’ll take at least two months to register the corporation and get everything set up, so keep that in mind.”

Seeing my dumbfounded expression, he added kindly, his languid voice suiting his mysterious appearance.

“You seem to desperately want it to be one of those, but it’s neither.”

My two leading theories, which I’d spent all night devising, were instantly dismissed. I had hoped his reason for approaching me was more mundane. Nothing is simpler than a problem that can be solved with money.

“Insurance? Is it about insurance?”

“Should I set up an insurance company for you too?”

“That’s ridiculous. You… so you’re saying it’s true?”

He blinked slowly.

“That you remained a virgin for ten years. Honestly, I can’t believe it. What are you lacking that you would do that?”

“Because I promised.”

Si Yeonho crossed his legs as he answered.

“What do you gain by keeping that promise?”

“Sunbae Song Gyujin. As a reward for being well-behaved for ten years.”

This was awkward. How did such a weirdo end up in my life? From his reckless visit to my workplace to this, it seemed Si Yeonho had already done his research on me.

“Believe it or not, that’s up to you, but it’s true. You keep doubting me.”

Above all, he knew for sure that I liked men. So, I couldn’t make up excuses and push him away like I did with Hyun Jin.

“…….”

I reserved my answer and observed the man sitting across from me. Honestly, he was visually appealing. Tall, well-built. His face and aura were uniquely attractive, and his voice was perfect. At least externally, it was difficult to find any flaws.

If only his words and actions were a little more conventional, would there have been a chance for me to change my mind? After a reunion that was disastrous from the start, with me sucking another guy’s dick, it was all pointless now.

“But Yeonho, what am I going to do? I feel bad.”

Get a grip, Song Gyujin. No matter how handsome he is, Si Yeonho is a no-go. Didn’t you decide not to date anymore after that terrible breakup with your ex? It’s best not to start a relationship you can’t handle.

“I only top.”