Miho the Killer Chapter 8: Hashtag

Sun.

Beautiful. Shining through the leaves, projecting embroidery of light on the ground as we sat on a bench at a small park near my ho. We were eating soft cone ice cream like two high school girls after school. I was leaning back on the backrest, my head tilted back as I looked at a lone cloud in the sky, away from other clouds. It would have looked like a black sheep shunned by other sheep except that it obviously wasn't black.

Miho had her feet firmly planted on the ground flat, hunching forward as she bit on her ice cream, not licking, but biting chunks and even chewing it.

Don't people normally lick ice cream?

It was probably the least odd thing among all the odd things Miho did though, including her odd job.

"It's a nice day out, isn't it?"

I tried so small talk. It was who suggested getting out of ho in the first place after all.

"It sure is."

"Sotis I co here just to sit and enjoy the sun."

"I'm not very good with sun."

"Oh."

"But it's nice to be out here."

"I'm glad you like it for a change."

"Maybe because I've got company now."

My heart ward up. I brought my gaze down and looked at the back of her head. Perfectly round, covered by silky black hair and a neat ponytail.

"I won't be able to enjoy this during weekdays once I get a job."

An unavoidable trade-off for any working person in modern tis.

"That sucks."

"Do you work at night mostly when you have work to do?"

"Yes."

That saddened a little. I would be working during the day ti, and when I co ho she'd be leaving to get to her work. It was lucky that Miho's job wasn't a daily thing. Otherwise, our ti together could be as rare as a solar eclipse.

"What kind of job will you be looking for?", this ti Miho continued the conversation.

"Probably sothing mundane. Boring. Passing each day looking at the clock. Smiling once a month when the paycheck cos in."

"That sounds depressing as fuck."

"It does, doesn't it?"

"Has it always been like this?"

"I've only been in one job before-"

"Before I ca around and ruined it. I'm sorry."

Little did she know, she was the one who broke free from the trap of suffocating normalcy.

"It's OK. It was for the better."

"I suppose. One less pig in the pigsty."

I wanted to probe a little, cautiously.

"Was it a request from one of his victims? Just guessing by what you were saying when you were doing it."

"I can't talk about my client. But you are not far from the truth."

"I see."

Miho finished the ice cream and was starting to chomp on the cone now.

"How much does this work cost, say, if I was to hire you?"

"I won't take a request from you."

"Why not?"

"It's not good to mix work with personal life."

My heart fluttered. Butterflies in my stomach, butterflies under my skin.

I could grow wings and fly now, circling my deadly flower.

I longed for honey.

Perhaps.

But for now, an ice cream will do. It was sweet enough.

"Do you have family?"

"Dead. All dead."

Liar.

I saw it in her eyes that she had soone. She let out a very brief and faint grin before she denied having a family.

Probably a younger sibling. A much younger sibling. Soone that she holds dear like a child and hence couldn't risk getting exposed.

She was in a dangerous line of work. I suppose having a family mber could be a risk if others found out.

But I felt closer to her despite her lies. The little drop in her guard pleased .

"I see. I'd like to et them soday.", nevertheless, I wanted her to know that I would be happy to be given a chance. Soday.

"I told you they are all dead."

"Maybe on the other side then."

"How about you? Any family?"

"Mom and Dad. That's all."

"No siblings?"

"No."

Miho shoved in the last piece of soft cone into her mouth and chewed it like she was chewing broken pieces of glass. I rembered how she just bit off a chunk of a smartphone when we had that little incident at the dessert cafe.

"You still owe a cheesecake.", I reminded her.

"Any good place around here? We can go now."

"Right after ice cream?"

"Sure."

I suppose if you lived a life of danger on the wrong side of the road, having too much sugar must be the least of your worries.

"Not as good as that dessert cafe we were going to, but there's a place around the corner that's decent."

"You haven't even tried that place before, you said."

"But I saw the pictures on Delaygram."

"How they look and how they taste can be different."

"Right."

Miho then got off the bench and stood tall in front of . She extended a hand for to grab to help up.

"Thank you."

She only responded with a smile, let go of my hand - disappointing, but this will do for now - and we headed toward the cafe.

It was a small place with only 4 tables inside.

Empty. No custors.

But they had a decent cheesecake. I've never eaten here before though. I only bought a piece on my way back ho every now and then.

"A cheesecake please.", I ordered at the counter.

"Two pieces?"

I looked at Miho to see if she wanted to share or have her own and decided she should have her own piece too.

"Yes, please."

"That will be 10,000 won."

Miho paid with cash.

Who carries cash these days?

Killers do. Probably.

The shopkeeper brought the cakes to our table and set the plates down. Miho said nothing and started to poke it, slice it, and stab it with her fork, eventually shoving it into her mouth again.

"Why aren't you eating?", she asked.

"I want to take a picture."

I took out my phone, which made Miho a little alard, but she relaxed as I pointed the phone cara only at the cake and clicked.

"What's the picture for?"

"To post on Delaygram."

"I thought you don't do those."

"I think I will start today."

#cheesecake

#date