Eternal Fire

I didn't know why I was doing this, but I met Minji again. It's not that I wanted to stay as her friend, neither was it because I longed for company, but she was just kind of hard to resist sometimes when she started to get pumped up over the phone when inviting me out.

This time she said it was her treat. She booked the Italian restaurant that she said her high-flying banker friend took her to once, the place she told me about last time. 

"Can you tell I've lost weight?"

Minji asked while chomping on a greasy garlic butter bread. 

She looked as perfect as ever, her figure unchanged. 

"You look a little too skinny now."

"Eeeeh? Really?"

"But you still look great. Of course."

"Heh, thanks!"

I had a spoonful of French Onion soup, which obviously wasn't Italian, but it was recommended by Minji and it was good indeed. 

"This soup is delicious. Thank you for recommending this."

"I know, right? Try some bread as well."

She passed me a slice of the bread as well. 

It tasted divine. 

"Really, really nice."

Then Minji started to blabber. The evening was just getting started and I wondered how long it would last. Hopefully, she has another man to run to after this. But I didn't quite dislike her company. She was always lively and she was always doing things that I've never done before, or would probably never do. It was a bit like watching a distasteful soap opera that ended with a cliffhanger every time she took a bite or a sip, making me wait and wonder what would happen next. 

The evening was rather pleasant. Sometimes being around an energetic person is just what I needed, I thought to myself. The Spaghetti ai Gamberi was also fantastic. Possibly the best prawns I've had all year. 

And I really like prawns. 

It was then I heard the footsteps approaching from behind.

A truly surreal moment. I felt like all other sounds in the restaurant, including Minji's incessant talk, suddenly disappeared into a void from which no sound could escape, like an auditory blackhole. In the empty echo chamber where all other sounds deserted, I heard the clack-clack of leather shoes with hard heels, their sound reverberating.

"Are you Minji?"

I snapped out of my own space and looked up.

And there stood my killer - Miho, dressed in her usual work attire, just like the first time I've ever laid my eyes on her. 

"Erm, yes?", Minji answered, incredulous.

No. 

"Run, Minji!"

I shouted and it was only then Miho looked at me. She was visibly startled and she flinched. Without knowing what was happening, Minji decided to trust her friend and got up to run away.

She didn't get very far though as Miho took out a short knife and threw it at her. It landed right on her back, plunging into a small space between her spine and the right shoulder blade. 

This wasn't like when I saw Miho kill my ex-boss at all. 

I jumped out of my seat and desperately grabbed Miho's arm, but she easily shook it off and gave me an evil glare. 

"Don't butt in. I don't want to hurt you."

Her cold words put a stop on me. I fell on my knees as people in the restaurant got up to flee.

"EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP AND STAY WHERE YOU ARE!!!", Miho yelled, a roar of a lioness. Captivated and frightened, people listened. 

I looked at Minji and she was starting to crawl away from Miho with the hilt of the knife still sticking out of her back. The predator easily caught up with her in her leisurely big strides. She used her foot to flip her prey over, which made the knife on her back plunge even deeper into Minji's body, making her scream in agony. 

"Sigh, I don't want to do this cringe thing, but I'm told to do it."

Miho told no one in particular as if to prepare herself for an impending embarrassment.

She then started reading out a small note after clearing her throat, in a solemn voice that I didn't know she was capable of before. She could be a voice actress based on this performance, I thought to myself. 

"Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire."

Then Miho reached into her pocket and pulled out a 500ml water bottle, opened the cap, and poured it all over Minji. 

Petrol.

I could smell petrol.

The grim reaper lit a match and threw it on Minji, which immediately set her on fire. 

I will never forget the sound of Minji's screaming as she burnt.

"Tsk. This isn't enough."

Miho glared around the room and yelled again.

"EVERYONE! Stay where you are!"

She then walked over to the open kitchen where the kitchen staff were shivering in absolute fear. 

"Give me all the cooking oil you've got."

"No…no, we can't do that…"

As soon as a worker refused, Miho jumped over the counter and plunged a knife into his guts.

"Fuck off."

She then looked over at another staff while twisting the knife that was still buried in the poor man, making him groan.

"How about you? Will you give me some oil, please?"

The lady was terrified. She could only acknowledge with a nod of her head and quickly found and handed over what seemed to be a gallon of cooking oil. 

"Thank you."

Miho even shot a polite smile and came back to where Minji was still burning.

She opened the container and started to fuel the fire, which flared up like a wok in a Chinese kitchen. 

To me, it felt like time slowed down. I could see the oil pour down in slow motion, Minji's squeal turned into a devil's cry. It sounded so demonic and inhuman, which I realized was probably the point of this execution. 

As the fire died down and Minji was no longer screaming or writhing in pain, Miho turned and headed to the exit, passing me by as I still knelt on the ground in shock and disbelief. 

"You've got a bad taste in friends."

That's all she said in our first encounter after so long.

My heart felt nothing. 

Nothing at all.