Miho the Killer
Chapter 92: The Trigger

Chapter 92: The Trigger

One hour flew by.

I left Detective Choi behind feeling numb.

Everything that I learned - it was overwhelming, both for my heart and my brain.

I found the answer I was seeking. It was a truth that I couldn’t take to grave. I had to share this with Miho and it broke my heart. It completely tore my heart apart just imagining how much this would hurt Miho.

As I approached Shin’s car, the headlights came on and I heard the engine start like a beast roaring. The man who sat inside and waited for me was more than a beast. He was a devil.

My blood started to boil. It wasn’t the little men running in my veins anymore. It was rush of rage, like a parasite that grew too thick and was about to burst out. My arms were throbbing, temples pulsating, head about to explode.

But I couldn’t afford it. I couldn’t afford to let this anger destroy me.

Not yet.

I took in a deep breath and opened the car’s door.

"Are you feeling better now?" Shin asked, nonchalantly.

I hated him with every cell in my body. I felt like strangling him right there and then. I wanted to dig my nails into his eyeballs, squash them and watch them pop. I wanted to cut his throat with the blunt edge of a credit card. But -

"Much better. Thank you for waiting," was what I said instead.

"Glad to hear."

On the way back, I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. But all I could see in my mind were the pictures that were in Shin’s file. I had seen more horrible things before. The scene at the Club Volta was far worse than the murder of Miho’s sister. Yet, seeing the dead body of Miho’s kin - in her house - rattled me to the core. I felt like I witnessed the destruction of my lover’s life. The beginning of the path that could only lead to hell. The trauma that Miho could never forget.

I remembered that night at the hospital I sat with Miho under the moonlight. The tears on her face. Tears of a killer who mourned no death.

She was tender. She was only sixteen. Her life was destroyed. Deliberately. By the man who sat next to me and hummed an old song.

I will make you pay, Shin.

When we arrived. Miho greeted us with a big smile on her face. There was something on her nose and cheeks, like batter.

"What’s that Miho?" Shin asked.

"Heh~, I was cooking something. To surprise you guys - and to make Sohee feel better!"

"What were you cooking?" Shin asked again, with a fatherly smile on his face.

"Pancakes!" Miho exclaimed in excitement, looking at me - seeking some sort of a reaction.

I couldn’t pretend to be happy. Unfortunately.

I just reached out and rubbed the beige colored batter off her nose. Off her cheeks.

"Thank you, Miho."

"...That’s it?"

"I’m sorry - I feel better, but... I’m quite tired."

"Aw, it’s OK then. Why don’t you get some rest. We can eat a bit later."

There was a disappointment in her voice. The slight drop in her tone stabbed my heart.

"Miho, could you come with me for a moment?"

"Er- sure, I guess," Miho looked at Shin as if she was seeking approval - what for?

Shin just smiled like a father who was happy that his two daughters were getting along.

I felt sick.

I grabbed Miho’s wrist and paced away. Miho looked back at Shin, mouthing ’What’s wrong with Sohee?’

Shin just shrugged it off.

Once we were back in our room, I closed the door and locked it.

"What’s wrong, Sohee? Did you get in a fight with the old man?"

"Miho."

I think she finally got that there was something I wanted to tell her. She placed her palms on my shoulders and beamed me a smile, her eyes closed.

"It’s OK, Sohee. You can tell me anything."

I reached into the inside pocket of my jacket, feeling the small photograph that I took from Shin’s file.

But I couldn’t take it out.

All I could do was embrace my poor little girl as tightly as I could.

"Miho, I’m so sorry..."

"Eh?"

"I’m so, so, sorry-"

I began to cry and my hot tears rubbed against her neck. Miho didn’t understand - she couldn’t - but hugged me back. She stroked my head and rubbed my back, trying to soothe me.

"Sh... It’s OK. Don’t worry. We are all going to be fine now."

"...I-, I..."

"You don’t need to say it. I don’t know what’s in your mind, but if it’s so hard to say, you don’t need to say it."

I screamed. I bawled my eyes out. I bit my lower lip so hard it bled a little. My fingers dug into Miho’s skin in my desperate grip.

If I broke this new to her, everything will change.

Nothing is ever going to be the same again.

But I had to do it.

I slowly pulled away from my Miho, held her face with my hands and looked into her eyes. Those big, happy, innocent eyes were now full of concern.

How kind. She was worried about me at a moment like this.

And I’m sorry that after this, we probably won’t get to eat the pancake you were going to make.

"Miho."

"Yeah"

"There is... something you need to see."

I finally worked up the courage to pull out the little photograph.

"What is it?"

Without saying anything, I placed it in her palm.

She looked a little confused, but then looked at it.

"How- How do you have this?"

"Do you... recognize the picture?"

"It’s the one from my student ID, from back in high school... what the hell?"

I just closed my eyes. My body was shivering, hands trembling. Clenched fists that were powerless. Resolve in my heart that could achieve nothing.

"Seriously, where did you get this?"

I took in a deep breath, paused, and spoke - without opening my eyes.

"It was from a police file."

There was a moment of silence, and Miho raised her voice.

"You... you talked to police?!"

"It’s not what you think."

"Why would you do that?!"

"I saw Shin’s file."

"What file?"

"A police Internal Reports. Confidential file on Shin. He’s a cop."

I finally opened my eyes. Miho looked confused, then frowned, then burst into a laughter.

"Hahaha! Now THAT is funny! I don’t know how the hell you got this picture, but Shin? A Cop? Hahaha!"

"And he killed your sister."

I saw her eyes flash, raging fire ignited in her pupils. She grabbed me by collars and pushed me all the way across the room, banging my back against the wall.

"Don’t fuck with me," the tigress growled.

I had one more evidence with me.

A trigger.

I took out a necklace that Detective Choi gave me earlier, dangling it midair for Miho to see.

She recognized it instantly.

The necklace that her sister used to wear.

I hated myself for doing this. But I needed to show her. The physical evidence of me having found out about her past - an undeniable proof that I saw the missing pieces of her past. My heart was getting shredded for doing this, and I was expecting Miho to break down.

But I was here for her.

I would mend her. I would stitch her back.

For us to start over again, we had to confront the past.

But I was mistaken.

Miho took the necklace off my hand, looked at it for a few seconds, feeling it with her hands.

She closed her eyes. There was no pain on her face.

But when she opened her eyes again, I could only see one thing.

Death.

Miho dropped me like a rock, picked up two knives that were laying on her desk, and bolted out of the door.