Miho the Killer Chapter 10: Old Man

We spent the whole day walking around in Seolleung. There were many small to dium-sized IT companies there scattered on the South side of the tro station. It's not that I had particular IT skills, but they often needed what they call a "female worker" in the small offices. Soone to do the paperwork, write emails, make photocopies, make coffees, and go buy the snacks to refill.

The office culture has been changing in Korea in recent years, but not so much that these traditional roles of "female worker" have completely disappeared. So might think it's a discrimination. And many would be offended by being offered such positions and the job roles that they entailed. But.

Whatever.

I didn't want to engage in much brain work.

I had no particular career plans or ambitions in life.

I just wanted to spend my ti in the office 9 to 6. Hopefully not beyond that.

Hopefully, the work won't be so busy so that I can have ti to waste my ti surfing the Internet. Checking out cat pictures and food on Delaygram. Political news that I had no interest in, disaster news to pretend that I feel shocked and sad, gossip about celebrities whom I don't even recognize.

Life was boring.

And mundane.

As they were ant to be.

Stability - my Mom always emphasized that.

Aim low, stay under the radar, don't stand out.

What was the saying?

A tall tree gets cut first in a forest.

It was a good thing that I wasn't so tall then.

The managers, or occasionally even the end-ga bosses of the offices I visited seed to generally like . Thanks to Miho my confidence was unreasonably high and my mood equally so. I probably gave off a more positive vibe than I usually do in these things. They liked taking the initiative to visit them despite no job advert. I had so well-deserved right to claim that I was a girl of action, that I was proactive, and that I was-

"Urgh"

I looked to my side as my trusty and supportive companion suddenly groaned. She froze on the spot grabbing her side.

"What's wrong?"

"You would have been dead if I wanted to kill you."

I was startled by the voice of a man who stood behind Miho, whom I completely failed to notice until he spoke.

"Gees, you always do this. Creepy man."

Miho turned, greeting the middle-aged man, or rather, a man who's gone slightly past middle age - unless he planned to live beyond 100 years old who seed to have playfully poked Miho on her side, the spot that made you both flinch and giggle with a tickle.

"How have you been, girl?"

The man had a rough voice, kind of like an ugly version of Miho. But my killer broke into a warm smile. A kind of smile that I haven't seen her make to before.

I pouted to no avail, failing to make Miho notice .

Instead, she gave a hearty hug to the man, patting his back, as the man did the sa.

"Long ti no see, old man."

"I'm not so old, you know?"

"Old enough to know better than to poke a lady on the street."

"Who is this lady you talk of?"

Miho chuckled and finally noticed pouting.

"Oh, this is... er... Sohee."

Her hesitance offended .

"Oh.", the man spoke. As surprised as an expressionless man could be.

"Nice to et you.", but I decided to be polite. Just as I have been putting on a smile for the whole day throughout all these damned interviews.

I didn't really feel like finding a job anymore.

"Nice to et you too, young lady.", the old man said.

I didn't care how old he actually was. I decided to call him an old man.

At least in my mind.

"You've been following or is this so kinda freak coincidence?", Miho inquired.

"You would have been dead if I were tracking you."

"I thought you've retired."

"Lucky you."

"So what gives?"

"It seems coincidence made us cross our paths."

"That's unusual."

"You shouldn't let unusual things happen, Lin."

Lin?

"You can call Miho. She knows."

Miho clarified, pointing with her chin.

Rude.

Just a pout wasn't going to cut it. So I frowned.

The heartless girl did not seem to take a note though.

I'm going to frown so more when we get ho. Sitting right in front of her across the dinner table. Maybe she would notice then.

The old man seed kind of surprised though. Even more surprised than he was before.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing much. We've just been hanging out. Yeah, hanging out. A lot actually. Recently. People hang out, right? It's normal, no?"

The old man said nothing, just studying my face with a gaze that kinda made uncomfortable, but not in a way that I've ever felt from any greasy old man.

After a full ten seconds or so of probing with his eyes, he broke into a smile and spoke.

"May I invite you ladies to a dinner?"

It was already dinner ti. Around 7:30. I suppose it was about ti. Although I wasn't sure I wanted to have a third wheel when I was with Miho already.

"Would that be OK?", Miho asked for my permission.

Well, when you ask like that it's hard for to say no.

"Yes."

"Cool. Let's go then.", Miho wrapped her arm around my shoulder, pulling in suddenly.

She's doing a lot of things she doesn't normally do today.

I can't say I didn't like it.

"Beef or pork?", the old man offered beef.

Nice.

"Beef, of course.", Miho grinned and that was that.

We started to walk in silence, without chatting. The man seed to know where to go, and Miho didn't seem to care where he took her.

I suppose this man is OK.

If Miho thinks he's OK.

And I was kinda curious about what kind of 'friend' Miho has too. Just like how she wanted to read my books, I wanted to see what kind of people she knew.