Miho the Killer
Chapter 33: Friend

Chapter 33: Friend

"Ms. Han, are you alright?"

Mr. Kim the HR manager dropped by my desk on Tuesday morning as I was - so obviously - daydreaming.

I was still relatively new to the company and I hated to give a bad impression, but the events of the past week and the reunion with Miho had put me in a state of daze. I couldn’t wait to see her again on the weekend, although to some extent I dreaded the possible challenges and difficulties we might face. Seeing Miho in the current condition was both endearing and heartbreaking. She was a broken girl, had forgotten about her dearest brother, and was traumatized by the past that haunted her in her dreams. At the same time, despite her head injury, she was positive, energetic, and vibrant. The Miho of now had a completely different appeal from the Miho of the past, but somewhere along the line, her smile transcended and connected her past and present.

"I... I’m OK, Mr. Kim. I’m sorry."

"No problem, Ms. Han. I was just a bit worried, wondering if you were feeling unwell."

People here at JJ Systems were too nice that I almost felt sorry, as if I was taking advantage of their loose and lenient treatment of me. This was a job that I found with ambition and drive of Miho, yet, as days went by, it was looking increasingly similar to my previous job where nothing interesting happened, except for that this place at least didn’t have that oppressing atmosphere of dread.

"I’m sorry that I made you concerned."

"If you are feeling unwell, why don’t you wrap up your work for today and take a break?"

This leniency and kindness were both generous but also in some ways demeaning. It was a reminder that I didn’t have much relevance in the day-to-day work of the company. I was not a cog that was needed in the machinery of business productivity.

What the hell... I might as well take the offer.

Resigned to irrelevancy, I accepted Mr. Kim’s suggestion and started to finish off the work I had to do for the day, which didn’t amount to much at all.

It was just as I was packing to leave that my phone rang. It was Suyoung.

My hands were trembling as I reached for the phone on the desk and I hesitated in picking it up.

Suyoung was a mutual friend of Minji and I, although I probably would never have been her friend except for Minji who always had habit of lumping unrelated and uninterested people together into a same social group and events. It worked only because Minji was around and without her, someone like Suyoung and I didn’t normally keep in touch.

Why now?

What could she possibly want?

Nevertheless, I decided to pick up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Sohee. Long time no see."

"Oh, hi. Yeah, how have you been?"

"Not bad. Well. Bad. Actually."

"I know."

"What happened with Minji..."

Sooyoung couldn’t continue and even over the phone, I could picture her face full of pity and regret.

I almost said ’Yeah I know, I was there’, but that would have escalated our conversation about Minji further and I wasn’t quite ready for that.

"Yes. It was horrible indeed."

"I know... but, anyway. Are you free tonight?"

This is so random. I would have liked to go back to the safe house in Paju and see Miho again, but then again, something about being connected to Suyoung through Minji made me feel like I kinda wanted to see her too.

"I... can make time for it. What’s up?"

"You know, just to meet up. Have dinner together. Chat. Catch up."

I don’t think there was even once that we met without Minji, so it’d probably be a very awkward evening.

But maybe I’d go see Suyoung after all. Maybe have a drink or two for our late mutual friend.

"Sure. Where would you like?"

"Can you come to Gwanghwamun? That’s where I work these days."

As if I’m not working. She’s not even asking where I am now.

But oh well.

"Sure."

"I get off work early today, so anytime after five is good for me."

"Hey, what a coincidence. I’m also getting the afternoon off."

"Hehe, lucky us then. Call me when you arrive. Maybe around 5:30. Is that alright?"

"Right, I’ll give you a call."

I personally disliked this. I would have preferred a set time and a set place. Not ’call me when you arrive’ with no agreed time and the actual meet up place. Just give me the name of the restaurant or something and make a reservation, especially if I’m going where you are working and don’t know the area. I’ll be there. Punctually.

But it wasn’t time to get annoyed and sulk about it. The company had given me a chance to refresh and I probably needed it if I were to be honest. I packed my stuff and went over to Mr. Kim’s office, not forgetting to thank him for his generosity, and off I went to meet Suyoung and Gwanghwamun. There were also many company headquarters situated there, especially some major banks. I remember Minji telling me that Suyoung now worked in a bank. Apparently, she was earning a lot, so I was expecting that she’d be the one to buy me dinner.

"I’m here now."

Although Suyoung said ’around’ 5:30, I called her as soon as the digital number changed on my phone clock.

"Oh sorry, I’m running a little late. Did you come by taxi?"

"No. I took the metro."

"Oh right. Then let’s meet up at the exit number 5. I’ll try to get there as soon as I can."

"Right."

We hung up and I got off the metro station. The streets were packed with people as could be expected of a commercial area close to rush hour. Looking at the people walking around in suits and ties made me remember Miho. She looked really good in them. I remembered the first time I saw her and how I fixed her tie just after she murdered my boss.

Why did I do that?

Looking back, that was pretty insane. It wasn’t something a ’normal’ person would do, wasn’t it? Was it because I’m ’antisocial’ as Dr. Yang said my test results showed? Have I always lacked the sense of morality and respect for social conventions?

Back then, I did not think about how evil what Miho had done was. Butchering a man who had done nothing to her. Yet, she was a magician who enchanted me. A rope from heaven that I could cling on to escape from my dreadful daily life. But that rope didn’t bring me to heaven. Perhaps only for a short time. But in hindsight, it pulled me down to the depths of hell.

On the other hand, though, Miho wasn’t killing for her sake. I knew that now. All the unforgivable things she did - It was for the sake of Juho. She was responsible. She was loving. She was dedicated. A real family woman, a motherly figure, sacrificing her life - and other people’s lives - to provide for her dear younger brother.

Life was full of wicked ironies and I was stuck in between the extremes of absolute blandness and sheer madness.

"Sohee!"

I woke up from my trance-like mini journey of mind to see Suyoung run toward me, waving her hand.

I waved back.

Standing amidst the crowd of generic strangers, even an old friend looked like a stranger to me.

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