Kill Your X Chapter 5

“The bar owner changed?”

Si Yeonho’s unexpected visit to the school had caused a delay, but there was a matter I absolutely had to address. The place I was at the other night was a club with strict security. I had even booked a private room, so I demanded an explanation from the manager about how someone could barge in without permission, especially with a master key.

―I sincerely apologize. We were also notified of the change in ownership on the same day. And the unauthorized entry happened when I was in another area…

“Who’s the new owner?”

I was curious who could compromise the club’s previously impeccable security overnight, making it worse than a local convenience store.

―Well, to be honest, I don’t know. I only heard that they work in the entertainment business.

Could the new owner be Si Yeonho? Putting aside his young age, he didn’t seem like the entertainment type, so I was puzzled. Even if it were true, I couldn’t understand why he would buy a gay bar, of all places.

―Once again, I apologize. If there’s any compensation you’d like, please let me know. We’re also very confused by the recent changes, but I’ll talk to the owner and try to…

His continuous humility only made me sigh. It seemed I wasn’t the only one affected by the sudden change in ownership.

“Compensation is fine. Thank you for everything, Manager.”

We’ll never see each other again. I omitted the main point and hung up. I had lost a beloved playground. It was a place I liked in many ways, but with the most crucial aspect, security, now compromised, there was no reason for me to go there anymore.

‘Where will I find partners now?’

A sense of helplessness and loneliness washed over me. Honestly, I was disappointed. Finding a well-managed social venue in this scene was no easy task. Someone might ask why not just get a boyfriend if I’m so lonely, but I still wasn’t interested in a normal relationship.

‘Let’s date.’

“Ugh…”

The words I’d spoken last night suddenly came to mind, making me cringe. Damn, I’d acted too impulsively. I’d granted him the confession he so desperately wanted, but after the initial surprise, his reaction was incredibly dull.

‘Okay.’

That was all. Really.

I even entertained the conspiracy theory that his provocation, calling me promiscuous, was a sophisticated tactic to elicit the response he desired.

Fuck him. I hope I don’t regret picking up this creepy guy. There’s no need to even take him to bed. I’ll just play along with his dating game for a while, act up a few times, and then bail at the right moment. Whether he waited ten years or a hundred, he would soon realize that movie-like romances don’t exist in reality.

But how do I make a relationship repulsive?

I racked my brain, focusing on ‘acting up.’ I knew one surefire method, the same one my first and last boyfriend used on me.

“Ugh, I don’t want to become the same person as that asshole.”

Frustration welled up inside me. It had been over ten years, so I should have forgotten by now, but first love memories are incredibly strong. No matter how shitty the ending, they periodically resurface to stir up my insides.

The thought that Si Yeonho might one day experience the same feeling wasn’t comforting.

“Born so handsome, yet your love life is so complicated.”

Me, the promiscuous guy who sleeps around after being burned by my ex, and Si Yeonho, who hadn’t had sex for ten years waiting for me. We might become a well-suited couple, albeit briefly, united by our misfortune.

✽✽✽

Hyun Jin, whom I saw again after a week, had an excessively sullen face. He hovered around my desk, desperate for anyone to acknowledge his frustration. Unable to stand his silent protest any longer, I called him over.

“Cut it out. Anyone would think I cheated on you.”

“You did cheat. Having two guys on the string is cheating, isn’t it?”

I thought I had sent Hyun Jin away after postponing our dinner date, but he said he stayed nearby and watched me and Si Yeonho that day. Looking back, it was definitely not a romantic atmosphere, but for some reason, Hyun Jin seemed convinced that we were special.

“Who’s on the string? And he’s really my junior. From high school.”

“Sob, sob, poor Hong Hyun Jin. Losing his썸남 to a model-like guy who drives a Jaguar.”

His dramatic narration made me chuckle.

“I have nothing more to say since you won’t believe me.”

“It’s strange. Why would a high school junior suddenly look you up? Someone who has no personal interest in you wouldn’t do that. And you willingly got into his car…”

Ignoring his nonsense, I took a good look at Hyun Jin. He was rather good-looking, even if he was a bit frivolous. He had a cheerful personality too. Seeing him relentlessly pursue the same sex, he seemed more experienced in romance than me, at least.

“Want to know the truth?”

“Yes.”

Hyun Jin bent down, ready to listen.

“I wondered what he was up to, and turns out, he’s doing multi-level marketing.”

“Huh?”

Shhh, I put my index finger to my lips, and Hyun Jin looked around before lowering his voice. His face turned serious.

“What? So he came to you, even to your school, to sell you something?”

“Sounds ridiculous, right? Imagine how I felt.”

I felt bad about talking behind his back, but I had no choice. Embellishing the lie a little, Si Yeonho, whose supposed entertainment business occupation I didn’t know, became a multi-level marketing salesman.

“I was going to cut him off as soon as he tried to sell me something, but he’s persistent. Somehow, he knows my work address, home address, and even my phone number.”

“That’s how they are. Multi-level marketing people are notorious for their information network. He must have targeted you, Sunbae. He probably already knows everything about your extended family.”

He had just accused me of two-timing, but Hyun Jin was quickly engrossed in another story. He added a bit of slander, saying Si Yeonho must be dumb to be in multi-level marketing with a face like that.

“Be careful, Sunbae. You seem firm, but you’re surprisingly soft, which can be a problem.”

“Thanks for your concern. But my junior is very persistent. I was thinking of playing along and buying a few things to create some distance. What do you think of this plan to get rid of him?”

Hyun Jin made a large X with his hands. Uncharacteristically serious, he snapped at me.

“Nope. Absolutely not. Don’t buy anything from the start. Once you start giving in to his demands, it’s only a matter of time before you become broke.”

Hyun Jin brought up the experiences of his friends, friends of friends, and even friends of distant cousins to persuade me. Listening to the stories of people in his extensive network who had actually been victims of multi-level marketing made me wonder if Si Yeonho really was a salesman. Was he trying to lull me into a false sense of security with the dating pretense to swindle a larger sum of money? Thinking about it again, his sudden reappearance and friendly act seemed more likely to have an ulterior motive.

“Is there a good way to make someone lose interest and get rid of them? Help me brainstorm.”

“Empty-handed, Sunbae?”

Hyun Jin, who had been acting like a righteous crusader, suddenly had a sly grin. He was always trying to take advantage of me. His sly eyes held the persistent determination to get me into bed someday.

Maybe this would be normal if we were interested in each other. Si Yeonho’s claim that he didn’t want sex after pursuing me for ten years just to confess his feelings didn’t convince me. Platonic love? My ass.

“Haven’t I told you, like, eighty times that I’m not gay?”

“Preferences are meant to be broken. I’ll show you a whole new world.”

His bold words exhausted me. If it were that easy, why would the word “preference” even exist? I felt a slight sense of self-disgust for seeking advice from someone like him.

“Just hold on to whatever you want. Like you said, I need to get rid of him before I go broke.”

“Hmm, a way to make someone lose interest…”

Only after securing a promise did Hyun Jin start to ponder. I could almost hear the gears turning in his head.

As his contemplation dragged on, I caught up on some work. I was about to start on another task when snap! Hyun Jin snapped his fingers, stealing my attention. His bright eyes made me anticipate his answer.

“I have it. There’s a very good method.”

“What is it?”

“The most effective way is…”

Hyun Jin paused unnecessarily. Annoyed by his enjoyment of my anxious reaction, I secretly clenched my fist under the desk.

“What is it?”

“Ask to borrow money. A huge amount!”

“…….”

For something that took him over five minutes to think up, the answer was underwhelming.

“Wish revoked.”

“Come on, Sunbae. Classics are classics for a reason. If not this, then the only other methods I can think of are dirty, do you think you can pull them off?”

“How dirty are we talking?”

As soon as I finished speaking, Hyun Jin scanned me from head to toe. My plain clothes, dark-rimmed glasses intentionally hiding my face, hair neatly covering my forehead, even my trimmed fingernails. It was unpleasant, but I endured it, considering it a necessary scan.

“Seriously, don’t get mad after I tell you.”

I nodded halfheartedly, my expectations already halved. I met Hyun Jin’s gaze.