Kill Your X Chapter 90

“What are you talking about?”

Have I ever asked Seo Seunghan for money… well, I have. But 2 billion won is one thing, I’ve never called out an absurd amount like 20 billion won.

“I heard you told Si Yeonho to bring you 20 billion won, Sunbae. Since it was obvious I wouldn’t listen to his request, Si Yeonho asked the CEO to do it for him instead. After going through all the trouble to sneak it out and prepare it in cash, the CEO lamented to me for five minutes earlier, holding onto me, saying he was screwed because the person in question died so pointlessly.”

Every element that formed the sentence was absurd. Si Yeonho should have just ended it with his pride hurt, but he stubbornly insisted on preparing 20 billion won in cash. I knew he was a crazy bastard, but I didn’t know he was this reckless.

“No… even if that were true, what am I supposed to do with this much money? CEO Kang should have just taken the money himself, but he came all the way to you to give you this. Is he sorry for not being able to help properly with the incident?”

“I’m not sure. He’s not as greedy for money as he looks.”

When I made a fed-up face, Seo Seunghan neatly stacked the money bags in an unused room. When CEO Kang was moving the bags earlier, he just looked like a construction worker, but when he did it, it looked cool, like a scene from a spy movie. A person’s appearance is this important.

I was habitually watching, then I came to my senses. I still hadn’t found a way to deal with the 2 billion won Seo Seunghan gave me before, and now, somehow, the idle money totaled 22 billion won. No matter how much it was laundered, I was worried it might become a problem later.

As if reading my mood, he said nonchalantly.

“Don’t feel too burdened. If it’s really a problem, why don’t we just think of it as a wedding gift from the CEO to us.”

“That’s even weirder. Who gives 20 billion won as a wedding gift at someone else’s wedding.”

“I think the CEO paid a little more attention because it’s the last time. He said this is the end of him taking care of me.”

Considering Seo Seunghan had been in the organization for over 20 years, some form of compensation was necessary, but… no matter how I thought about it, a 20 billion won severance pay was excessive.

As I tried hard to hide my troubled feelings, he hugged me from behind.

“Ugh, what is it.”

“Just, because I like it.”

“What do you like so much.”

“I like you, Sunbae.”

The man who used to be like an emotionless robot now expressed his affection whenever he had the chance. Especially when he had nothing more to say. The intention was obvious, but it was so lovable that I let it slide every time.

Right. It’s not like I can catch the already-fled CEO Kang again. If a problem arises in the future, Seo Seunghan will take care of it somehow.

It was an irresponsible attitude that my past self would have never imagined, but honestly, my mind was at ease. What’s important is the present, isn’t it? I consciously tried to clear my head and kissed his forearm.

“Yes. I like you too. So show me your new passport.”

There was another incident that had intervened, but I hadn’t forgotten the thing I had been looking forward to the most today. When I held out my hand, Seo Seunghan placed the new passport he had received today on it.

“Oh. The cover looks like this these days.”

When I opened the passport, the first thing I saw was the ID photo. For a moment, I unknowingly covered my mouth. This was truly unbelievable.

“Wow. I never knew a passport photo could turn out this well. Did you go to some famous photo studio to get it taken?”

“I just went into any nearby place and got it taken.”

His appearance in the square photo was so perfect that all I could do was marvel. It was clear that no one in the world had better facial symmetry.

“Show me yours too, Sunbae.”

“Seeing your passport photo made me lose all desire to. Mine came out incredibly ugly.”

“Not incredibly cute?”

“I’m serious. I was in my early twenties when the picture was taken, and my baby fat had awkwardly disappeared. Even you would have a hard time seeing it in a good light. But, uh…?”

As I was admiring the photo, I belatedly noticed something. Thud, the passport fell from my hand. Unless I had just seen it wrong, the name written on the passport was none other than…

“Seo… Yeonho?”

I raised my head and met his eyes. The shadow cast by the angle was suddenly terrifying.

What is this? His name isn’t Si Yeonho, nor Seo Seunghan, but Seo Yeonho, a mix of the two?

As I stepped back, Seo Seunghan closed the distance between us in an instant. Then he thrust the passport in front of my eyes again.

“No, right? Why is your name…”

“Look again.”

When I couldn’t bring myself to check, Seo Seunghan opened the passport himself and showed me. The information that had thrown me into confusion just a moment ago.

Surname – SEO

Given names – SEUNGHAN

“Huh? Wait a minute.”

I tilted my head and saw that the passport I had dropped was now one with the floor. When I met his eyes again, he grinned.

“What, why do you have two passports… which one is real?”

“The one you’re looking at right now is the real one, Sunbae.”

“And that one?”

“A forged passport. I tried making it as an experiment, and it still replicates well.”

At the empty truth, my energy drained away. I almost went straight to the Han River, thinking he had hidden an important fact from me. After all I’d been through to regain this peace, if I thought it would all turn to dust, I really wouldn’t be able to bear it then.

Of all the pranks to pull. I was resentful of him and raised my hand high. Even though I was openly feigning to hit him, Seo Seunghan didn’t even blink. A normal person would try to dodge, wouldn’t they? Of course, he’s not a normal person, but still.

“Why aren’t you hitting me?”

As I just stood there with my hand raised, Seo Seunghan gently urged me.

“I wasn’t going to hit you. It’s because there was a giant grasshopper on your head.”

Rustle. With a weak hand, I brushed through his black hair. The texture of his hair, which had definitely become softer than before, was addictive.

“I wish a giant grasshopper would live on my head forever.”

As I was about to take my hand away, the top of Seo Seunghan’s head stuck to my hand like a magnet. After stroking it for a long time, I remembered that I had been about to get angry a moment ago.

“Why of all things did you have to play a prank with a name. You know I’m sensitive about that. Your name is Seo Seunghan, right?”

“I swear on hell, it is.”

“Then what’s with that name on the forged passport. If you were going to use a pseudonym, you could have used plenty of other names.”

“Is it that bad? To be honest, I’ve been thinking about changing my name to that recently.”

This was a new thought. I never dreamed that Seo Seunghan was having such worries.

“Your current name is pretty and suits you well, why would you want to change it?”

“I’ve never been envious of what Si Yeonho had, but as time went on, there was one thing I coveted.”

This was also something I was hearing for the first time.

“It was so pretty when you called out ‘Si Yeonho,’ Sunbae. Your tone of voice, too.”

His eyes rummaged through a moment in the past. Our first meeting at the library over a decade ago, in my embarrassment at having my secret discovered, I squeezed out the utmost kindness to treat him. I don’t usually do that even with family or other friends, but I remember being as affectionate as if I were dealing with a young puppy, calling the boy I met for the first time that day, Yeonho-ya, Yeonho-ya.

“On the other hand, for the name Seo Seunghan, there are still more memories of you yelling or getting annoyed with me, Sunbae. To be honest, even now, it doesn’t feel as gentle as it did ten years ago.”

“Seunghan-ah. How about this?”

I tried to recall the memory and pronounce it as similarly as possible.

“Seunghan-ah. Seo Seunghan.”

“Still not enough. It needs to be softer.”

“Seunghan-ah. Like this?”

“More.”

“Seunghan-ah~ Our Seunghan-ie, so pretty.”

As I did it, it gradually turned into a kindergarten teacher’s tone. I was feeling self-conscious, but Seo Seunghan was serious. He was like a judge at a “Call Your Lover’s Name Prettily” contest.

“I really don’t get it. Is a name that important? The core is you yourself.”

“It wasn’t important until now, but from now on, I want to live valuing it. A name, it’s one of the things you must have to live in this world as a person, isn’t it?”

My heart ached. The words he had said before, that he didn’t care what others called him, must have been sincere. The colorless man who had no will to correct a misremembered name, no appetite, no particular hobbies, was slowly dipping his feet into various colors. And the palette was in my hands. That was truly thrilling.

“I’m telling you, absolutely do not change your name to something else. I like your current name. Got it?”

“Yes, Sunbae.”

“And speaking of names, should we make a pet name for each other?”

I suggested after putting the spare passport photo Seo Seunghan gave me into my wallet. I was already excited at the thought of opening it frequently.

“A pet name?”

“Yeah. Between lovers, it’s common to call each other jagi-ya or yeobo, things like that. And I missed the timing to correct you because things have been so hectic, but there’s a problem with you calling me Sunbae. Strictly speaking, I’m not your Sunbae, am I?”

Since he and I had never belonged to the same school or workplace.

“How did you end up calling me Sunbae? Looking back, in high school, the juniors usually just called me hyung or oppa more often.”

The title Sunbae became more familiar after I came to university.

“I’m not sure. I think I just called you that because I didn’t know a suitable title at the time, and it just stuck.”

“The title Sunbae doesn’t seem very suitable for use between lovers. There are many other people who call me Sunbae besides you. Do you have any pet names you’ve thought of? Like something you’ve wanted to call me for a while.”

When I’s eyes sparkled, Seo Seunghan looked troubled. He, who had nonchalantly created a forged passport in broad daylight, was acting like he was facing the greatest trial of his life when it came to coming up with a pet name for his lover.