So I'm thinking if the shoes felt like they were pinching Ming Yi-san's feet, that'd point to the killer, right? Like the shoes were too small for them.

But that means they're even bigger than Ming Yi-san. So if Vlad-san took the shoes and the shovel with the intention of taking someone out, that means he picked a fight with someone bigger than him.

[so he wonders if self-defense still holds water]

So maybe Vlad-san always was the intended victim...?