Kill Your X Chapter 7

As if to prove he wasn’t bluffing, Si Yeonho sat down comfortably, guided by a staff member. He even offered the menu, asking, “What would you like to have, Sunbae?”

“It was all a lie. There’s no way you’re still a virgin.”

When I pressed him, Si Yeonho’s chest slowly rose and fell.

“Didn’t we finish that conversation last time? I thought you accepted it.”

“Is there something wrong with your memory? You just said it yourself. That you frequented gay bars.”

“Yes. But I didn’t go there for sex.”

It’s you who has a memory problem, Sunbae. An irritating addendum followed.

“I drank alcohol, but I didn’t drive drunk?”

I was dumbfounded that he thought such a lie would work at twenty-nine.

“Believe it or not, that’s up to you. If you want to hear the same explanation again, just say so.”

“Oh, right. I wanted to ask this first. Are you really the new owner of Jerome’s? And all that talk about frequenting it…was that like, gay bar shopping?”

“Sunbae, what would you like to have?”

Tap, tap, Si Yeonho tapped the edge of the menu with his finger. When I continued to ignore it, he waited a while longer before calling the staff member. The seemingly endless order made the staff member hesitate.

“Sir, this is a lot of food for two people.”

And it was. Si Yeonho was trying to order nearly half of the densely packed menu items. Just the drinks alone ranged from sweet cocktails to strong liquor.

“It’s fine.”

At his curt reply, the staff member joined the tables next to ours. I glared at Si Yeonho. He was trying to divert my attention, but it wouldn’t work on me.

“You said you were busy. Were you working while starving yourself?”

“Not really, but you didn’t tell me what you wanted to eat.”

His excessive consideration felt like a kind of pressure. Like the time he made reservations at multiple restaurants, his tendency to go overboard was strangely irritating.

“Tell me properly next time.”

“I asked if you’re the new owner of Jerome’s. Answer that first.”

“Not on paper, but effectively, yes.”

I was unknowingly getting used to his way of speaking, which required a couple of times to fully grasp.

“You set up a figurehead?”

“You could say that. The reason I bought Jerome’s is because you like it there.”

Goosebumps ran down my spine. I had no idea how long I had been investigated. I prided myself on separating my escapades and daily life. No one outside of this scene had ever discovered my true self.

The thought of that boundary being broken made me extremely anxious. If his claim about buying Jerome’s because of me was true, the situation was even more serious. I had to get Si Yeonho away from me as soon as possible.

It was uncertain whether he would back off if I asked to borrow a large sum of money. I didn’t know how much he had, but he seemed wealthy. Thinking it might turn into a long game, I decided to prepare. The first step was to balance the information asymmetry between us.

“Here, put in your number.”

Si Yeonho readily entered his number when I handed him my phone. I snatched the device back irritably, complaining.

“You should’ve told me first. Why make me wait?”

After saving the new contact, I immediately called the number. It wasn’t out of suspicion, just a habit. But then…

“What?”

He didn’t answer. If it wasn’t on the table, it should be ringing in his pocket or coat, but there was no response at all. Seeing my face crumple, Si Yeonho belatedly said, “Ah.”

“Did you not bring your phone, or did you give me a fake number?”

“I didn’t bring it. The number I gave you is…”

He pulled another device from his inside jacket pocket. While many people use multiple phones for work, finding out this way was absurd.

“Yeonho, how am I supposed to know if this is your real number? Are you planning to disappear again?”

“Should I have someone bring it over now?”

His excessive confidence kept shutting me up. I had no idea who he planned to send on an errand in the middle of the night.

“I got it specifically for contacting you, but I forgot.”

“You bought a new one? Was that really necessary?”

“I don’t want your calls mixed with useless ones.”

While I was debating whether to believe his excuse, the food started arriving. Even with the joined tables, there wasn’t enough space for all the dishes, and the staff member apologized, saying they would bring the rest later.

“I’ll just have someone bring it over now. Otherwise, you’ll glare at me all night.”

I relaxed my furrowed brow at his remark. While everything about him was disagreeable, I had more pressing matters.

“I’ll believe you. But don’t disappear without a word. I really hate it when a partner does that. Just tell me if you want to break up.”

“Okay.”

He replied while pouring whiskey into an on-the-rocks glass. As he took the one-third-full glass, his dark eyes met mine. I replaced it with my bright orange cocktail glass, purely out of spite.

“Drink.”

He took a sip of the sweet-looking drink without any reaction, like a grimace or refusal. Judging by his face, I couldn’t tell if he had just drunk strong liquor or soda.

“You must like sweet drinks.”

“Anything’s fine.”

“You must have preferences.”

“Even if I do, it doesn’t really matter.”

Si Yeonho silently drank the cocktail. I gulped down the whiskey I’d taken from him. The strong alcohol spread through me, making me grimace. As I savored the burning sensation in my throat, the silent Si Yeonho expressed interest.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You have the same expression as that day.”

“That day?”

“The day you were covered in someone else’s cum.”

Oh, if only I could erase that humiliating first encounter from my memory. Would drinking everything here make it possible? As I reached out, Si Yeonho handed me the whiskey bottle.

“I didn’t mean anything by it. I just remembered it because you looked beautiful.”

“You’re doing this on purpose. To get back at me for making you drink a cocktail you don’t like.”

“It’s true. It really suited you, Sunbae. I thought about it while jerking off this morning.”

I didn’t know if he was trying to provoke me or if it was a genuine compliment. One thing was certain: I didn’t want to keep someone so unreadable close to me.

Whatever his true motive was, I secretly fueled a perverse defiance, determined not to let things go his way.

“Right, Yeonho. I understand your preference for seeing your partner covered in another man’s cum, not yours.”

“Are you still in contact with that person?”

“Of course not.”

It was the person I met at Jerome’s that night. The only information I got was his name, which I’d long forgotten. It was just a one-night stand, nothing to cherish.

“That’s a relief.”

“Especially since I’m seeing you now. I should only be having that kind of contact with you.”

“Yes.”

Hmm. I exaggerated a sigh, continuing the conversation, hoping it would flow naturally.

“It’s a bit daunting. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know much about you. Just that we went to the same high school, your name, and age.”

“What else are you curious about?”

“Your job, for starters. What do you do?”

For a fleeting moment, Si Yeonho avoided my gaze, a rare occurrence. He seemed to be hiding something.

“Just…”

“Just?”

“I do what I’m told.”

It was an ambiguous answer. Unless he was the boss, wasn’t that the case for every ordinary office worker?

“Are you a company employee?”

“You could say that.”

“Just be straight with me. The manager at Jerome’s made you sound like some big shot at an entertainment agency.”

To be precise, he said he was in the entertainment business. Si Yeonho was silent for a moment before speaking.

“Have you heard of KNT Entertainment?”

I have. Even someone like me, with zero interest in celebrities, knew of it, so it must be even more well-known to the public. It housed many renowned actors and, most importantly, the most popular idol group at the moment.

“I manage one of their areas. I’m not the president.”

“What do you manage?”

“Mostly finances. I also handle things when their celebrities cause trouble.”

Saying he would give me his business card later, Si Yeonho became reticent. Was he like a management team leader? I wasn’t sure, but at least he didn’t seem to be involved in anything illegal, which was a relief.

I had always wondered why he seemed vaguely rough despite being well-dressed, but it seemed to be because of his involvement in the entertainment industry. I heard it was worse than a jungle.

“Anything else you’re curious about?”

Si Yeonho diligently answered my other personal questions. We talked for quite a while, and it was the first time I couldn’t grasp someone’s daily life. He said he had no hobbies, special skills, favorite foods, or places. If he was telling the truth, Si Yeonho lived a truly colorless and odorless life.

He seemed to do a lot of things, but he was essentially empty inside. I could understand what he meant by having no preferences.

“Wow, there’s someone who lives a more boring life than me.”

“You didn’t look bored at Jerome’s. Do you usually enjoy sucking other people’s dicks?”