Miho the Killer
Chapter 90: Path to Redemption

Chapter 90: Path to Redemption

I did not tell Miho what I suspected about Shin.

My beautiful killer had an unshakable faith in the old man. The same old man who came in to sweep her off the ground and carried her into the underworld. The same old man who trained her into the weapon that she was now.

I didn’t know the exact details. I couldn’t possibly guess.

But one thing has become perfectly clear.

He had been lying to Miho.

The biggest problem was that even when Miho could see that, as was the case with setting us up at the Club Volta to die and lying to Miho and Juho for years about the letters that my tigress had been supposedly sending to her beloved brother. He masterminded the operation, he played the game of dice with Miho’s life at stake, and most unforgivably, he manipulated Miho’s vulnerabilities after she lost her parents, as well as fostering fake emotional bonding between the siblings.

Perhaps calling it fake was too harsh. There was, of course, a genuine bond between them. I don’t doubt for a second that anything about Miho’s love for her younger brother was one hundred percent sincere. But now that I started to see the extent this man puppeted poor Miho for his own gain - whatever that was - I even began to think maybe that was his way of making sure that Miho stayed obedient through holding her heart for her last remaining kin as a hostage.

Miho didn’t seem to mind though. Although she did say she was going to confront Shin about lying, once she got an earful from the old man for taking his beloved mare for an unapproved ride and an overnight stay getaway without parental permission, she seemed to have dropped the issue.

I needed more. I needed more information, proof, and most importantly, understanding of how and why everything happened the way it did before I could open Miho’s eyes and seek a way to get away from this man.

After a few more idle days, and then a week, and then maybe some more, had passed with us lying low, it was time to get more medication for Miho as she was running out.

It was time to see Dr. Yang.

Shin wasn’t keen on Miho being out and about yet - part of the reason why he reprimanded her so hard after we came back from our mini-trip - so it was decided that this time, too, I’d go get the medicine for her together with Shin.

The aftermath of the massacre on that eventful Friday night was still an ongoing sensation in the media. Further investigations, reports of new arrests, successful police raid of what little is left of the remaining gang members. It seemed everything was going according to plan, and Shin was rather pleased with it.

As always, he waited in the car in the basement parking as I went to see Dr. Yang myself.

"Good to see you again, Ms. Han," Dr. Yang said, ever so welcoming.

"Thank you, Doctor."

"May I ask how Ms. Jin is doing?"

Of course, she had every right to be displeased with it. I did promise her last time that I would bring Miho to the session the next time, and it was in good faith and based on my promise that she prescribed medicines for her before.

"I’m terribly sorry. She really wanted to come today, but she hasn’t been feeling well."

"That’s more reason for her to be here."

"Oh, I don’t mean like that. I meant... physically. She’s fallen ill."

"That makes me very concerned," sincere sympathy in her voice.

"It’s nothing to do with the head injury from before. Thank you for your concern, but she’d just caught a nasty flu."

Dr. Yang narrowed her eyes a little. I almost felt like she knew I was lying, but her faint sigh told me that she decided to let me off. Just this once.

"So what can I do for you today? How have you been, Ms. Han?"

"I’ve been feeling much better lately. Thanks to you."

"I’m glad to hear."

"So I’m really here just for Miho’s medicine. That’d be all."

"I see."

Then there was an awkward pause between us, something that I haven’t felt within these four walls before.

"I have been waiting for you, actually," she continued.

"I’m really sorry again that I couldn’t bring Miho today. Next time - next time I promise she will be here," I hated that I was lying so easily now.

"It isn’t about that, although I do want to see Ms. Jin personally."

"Oh? Was there anything else you wanted from me, Dr. Yang?"

She then took off her glasses, rubbed them with a clean cloth, and put them back on.

"Detective Choi is alive."

My heart sank with an incredible weight of dread and relief.

Why is she telling me this?

How much did she know?

It was certain that she knew there was a connection between how he got ’hurt’ - not dead, thankfully - and me.

Yet, here she was, delivering me the news that unburdened me of the guilt I felt thinking I played a part in his death. A news that also made me shake in fear - if he was alive, he knew everything. He saw Miho - he’d been shot by her - and he saw me.

There was no way out.

But I still had to pretend, put up a pathetic act that this had nothing to do with me.

Perhaps not in any serious belief that I could fool Dr. Yang, but just to comfort myself by pretending that there was a chance for us to get out of this.

"Had... anything happen to him before? I’m glad he’s alive and well, but I wasn’t aware he was... hurt?"

"I do not know any details, Ms. Han. All I knew was that he wanted to see you."

"...How?"

"He’s one floor above. In a private room. The only instruction I’ve been given is to let you know he’s alive and arrange some time for you to meet him."

As frightened as I was, I knew I had to see him.

I had no idea how everything would turn out from here, but there was nothing more to hide now.

The best thing to do was to face him directly. My only concern was -

"But I have... someone waiting for me. I can’t afford to spare time..."

"Whoever it is, they will need to wait."

"I don’t know how to explain..."

Dr. Yang took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I... feel very wrong doing this. As a professional, this is inappropriate in every sense."

I could see that she was also torn inside.

"But-, I will do it. For this once."

I waited for her to continue.

"Tell your friend that you had a nervous breakdown and will receive some tranquilizer via drips for one hour. But of course - you won’t be. You will use that time to see Detective Choi."

This was the only chance.

The only chance to see if there was any way out for us.

Or even if we cannot escape this doom, perhaps, this could open us a small path for redemption.

"I will do it."

I took out my phone and began to text Shin.