Finally, the semester had started.
Khemjira adjusted the collar of his university uniform, eyeing his reflection with a sense of pride. Slinging his tote bag over his shoulder, he left his apartment, ready for the day ahead.
It took him precisely an hour to walk from his apartment to the university. By the time he arrived, a dull exhaustion had settled in his limbs, so he stopped by a stall near the faculty building to buy a bottle of water. He had plenty of time before his first class began.
“No straw, please,” he told the vendor, waving away the plastic straw offered to him. Khemjira rarely used straws unless they were biodegradable. If he could do even a small part to protect the environment, he would.
He stood beside the stall, lifting the bottle to his lips, when his gaze shifted just in time to catch sight of the bottom of a potted plant tipping over from a high ledge.
Oh, shit.
“Look out!” someone shouted, but before Khemjira could react, his body seemed frozen in place, rooted to the ground. In the split second before the pot shattered on him, a figure lunged forward and knocked him to the ground.
Crash!
The sound of the pot breaking filled the air, followed by startled cries from the people around them.
“Are you okay!?” the man who’d saved him asked, his expression laced with concern. Khemjira looked up, taking in his honey-colored skin, golden-dyed hair, and a small black headband perched on his head.
For a moment, Khemjira could only stare at the broken pot in shock, his face pale. “Th-thank you for helping me,” he stammered, finally finding his voice. He winced as the man abruptly pulled him to his feet.
“Wait, wait, where are you taking me?” Khemjira asked as he was tugged along. The man’s serious expression left him too startled to resist, so he obediently followed him.
They stopped beneath a plumeria tree behind one of the study buildings, away from the crowd. The man looked around cautiously before turning to Khemjira and locking eyes with him.
“You’re being haunted by a ghost,” he said.
“...”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpaUBekNJq1
“If we don’t do something, you’re definitely gonna die,” Jhettana said bluntly. Khemjira’s mouth fell open in shock. Being told something like this out of the blue by a stranger would startle anyone. He furrowed his brows, curiosity overtaking his fear.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdR5dQ05AEa
“How do you know that?”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyLM7rpFhgU
“When that pot fell earlier, I saw it from the third floor. It pushed the pot down.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbVwdP4AlE
Khemjira wasn’t ready to fully believe him, though a part of him had already accepted it. Strange things had been happening ever since he arrived.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyggRnGjUK
“It’s fine if you don’t believe me. I just wanted to warn you to be careful.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡINHPO4mh0z
Khemjira hesitated, then sighed. “No, it’s not that I don’t believe you. I just don’t want to accept it.” He seemed to be speaking more to himself. “But thanks, anyway. If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve definitely gotten hurt.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQEDswvfU6
The man shrugged. “It’s nothing. I’m Jhet. Jhettana. You?”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6oX2VALfLc
“I’m Khem… Khemjira.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6aSVCNtG9s
Jhettana blinked in surprise and gave him a quick once-over. Khemjira managed a dry smile.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡws88gYPPeB
“My mom gave me a girl name to ward off bad luck.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWqEam9Rxg
Jhettana looked a bit bewildered before scratching his head awkwardly. “Sorry, your face kinda looks like a girl.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyNojeCvxv
“It’s okay. I looked even more like one when I was a kid.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoPZQejkWwQ
Jhettana nodded, as if that made perfect sense, before continuing, “So, which faculty are you in?”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKh52nwwphK
“Fine and Applied Arts.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCFgyX7xxzX
“Hey, me too! You’re a freshman, right?”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtAWV1QcTPc
Khemjira’s eyes widened, and he nodded eagerly. “Y…yeah.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciUpWgZLku
Jhettana laughed at the coincidence. “Great, then let’s be friends. First off, can I get your LINE?”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFmHxzt61R4
Khemjira quickly pulled out his phone to add Jhettana’s LINE ID, feeling a strange sense of relief.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7AktcQgdQ
“Let’s get to class first. We’ll talk about your situation later.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6qFucFjhy
Khemjira nodded slightly in agreement, pressing his lips together.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTj8b4bejcL
They had classes until three in the afternoon. After class, Jhettana took Khemjira back to the marble table behind the building—the same spot where they’d talked that morning.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEi1xE7NgG3
“Do you fucking realize you’re being haunted by a goddamn squadron of ghosts?” Jhettana spoke bluntly, giving Khemjira no chance to prepare himself. Earlier, he’d asked to speak informally, feeling it was more natural. Khemjira had agreed but still preferred using a milder tone himself.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYEQErd3H1
Khemjira answered with a mumble, “I don’t know… but there’ve been times I felt like I wasn’t alone.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQkRklemomZ
“...”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPzhmhxNHHJ
“And lately, I keep seeing strange things.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt0wTTLeS7i
“Ghosts?”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpglpjPeTUG
Khemjira was stunned by Jhettana’s blunt question before nodding in agreement. Jhettana raised an eyebrow.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYtWSt9c37
“So, you see other ghosts but can’t see the ones close to you?”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhoR1e4cVj
Khemjira’s eyes widened in shock. “You can see them?”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzt5hXI91J
“Yeah, but not clearly. Sometimes, it’s like gray smoke; other times, they’re dark shadows.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnbp05K3GU
“...”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyPpPDNc3V9
“Like the first time I saw you, there was both smoke and dark shadows swirling all around you.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFcksP4cGE
“...”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltuhFGv46h
“Serious question, dude. What the fuck did you do?”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAM661WH1Sb
Khemjira swallowed hard. He couldn’t fully deny doing nothing, so he decided to tell Jhettana about the family curse. Seeing Jhettana fall silent upon hearing it, Khemjira felt dejected.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpnXW41uQ3G
“Sorry, I didn’t tell you from the start.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGS2GaOT7Ux
“...”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrpocq7qADW
“Jhet, if you want to stop being friends with me, that’s okay.” He winced as Jhettana thumped him on the head, his expression confused and awkward.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJVJPj3l9e
“Bullshit. Who the fuck would stop being friends with someone for a silly reason like that?” Jhettana frowned, and Khemjira thought of his high school friends. Plenty of them, he thought, but he kept silent. He smiled at Jhettana.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiXdF1GnXXM
“Thanks.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuX1C6iVbd
“If I don’t stay friends with you, I probably wouldn’t have anyone else to be friends with.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5m10JJEBHI
“Ugh, Jhet, I was almost touched.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbL2IXem5O
“Haha, your face is hilarious.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyS1SsnThGn
Khemjira scowled. “Can you continue?”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWidnbP1TkK
“It’s you who’s getting us off track. Anyway, there are ghosts following you, fucking lots of them.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJDD7JEgeF
Hearing that, Khemjira felt a shiver run down his spine.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv4lvoqMUmK
“Even now?”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjC02S2j9YL
Jhettana frowned, looking around. “Uh-huh, but they’re hiding, not coming close.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltdNnz5rWY
Khemjira pursed his lips, feeling a surge of fear.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjGtUYFK3Of
“It’s like you have some powerful protection, or something is protecting you. That’s why they can’t do much.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa1Si3xBWmD
Khemjira unbuttoned his top button, loosened his tie slightly, and reached in to pull out the takrut, showing it to Jhettana.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhQtFjzYoqN
“I have this. I’ve been wearing it since I was a kid.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihNDgda5c1
Jhettana leaned in to take a closer look, clearly intrigued, though he refrained from touching it.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fTPKI0Wv6
“Good stuff, but the magic has worn off.”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡufgZ9UOpZ7
“What?” Khemjira was shocked. “How do you know that?”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLj19hrWXPC
“These are my stuff. I grew up with these kinds of things,” Jhettana replied. The more Khemjira heard, the more anxious he felt. Could it be that the magic of his takrut was waning, causing him to see increasingly strange things these days?
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLt7KUpSxrM
“So, what should I do now?”
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0KoDTsNU7k
“Calm down, dude, no need to be stressed.”"Just give me your full name, date of birth, and something you use regularly."
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXZ8d0gHC75
"Anything at all?"
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX0XWO87EbD
"Except your underwear."
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKIoA27JNDC
Khemjira’s face flushed, but seeing Jhettana’s serious expression, he knew the request was no joke. Reluctantly, he grabbed a notebook and pen, quickly scribbling down the details Jhettana had asked for. Then, he handed over a white handkerchief embroidered with his name, a cherished item his mother had made for him before she passed away.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpoqw8WdXxJ
"Okay. And hey, don't just give stuff like this to anyone so easily next time," Jhettana said, his tone suddenly serious. Khemjira frowned.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7HSJIMnkc
"But you told me to give them to you, didn't you?"
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWpONnbFT14
"How can you be sure I won't use it for something bad?"
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxJvNu7JCSM
Khemjira’s stomach churned as he processed Jhettana’s words. He hadn’t thought of it that way.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoAbNv9mxiS
"Oh..." Khemjira mumbled.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQJLKpqS5F
"I'm just saying. You can trust me, but others, not so much. I just want to warn you. What if someone put even more curses on you?"
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFQ38E40Ka
Khemjira went pale, nodding immediately.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYgwV8xEu6
"Good. I'll be going back to my hometown over the holiday. I'll talk to Por Kru to see if he can help with your situation."
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq4p74hpcCr
"Thanks," Khemjira said, feeling a small wave of relief.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKQXgtFAXNX
"Sure. If you die, I'll have no friends left."
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWd4fIe64ei
Khemjira couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Jhettana’s bluntness. "Jhet, you fucking bastard, this is the second time already."
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqnuijFwqc
"Ha ha ha! You're cursing at me now, you little shit?"
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Phx0cbTwZ
Khemjira scowled. "Stop annoying me. I’m stressed, you know?"
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡceZYngbgpw
"Aww. There, there. Let’s go. I'll take you for some shaved ice. I heard the place in front of the uni is good."
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwi2gDlc6S
Though still irritated, Khemjira reluctantly agreed. He followed Jhettana, trailing behind like a duckling following its mother, though a part of him wondered if they had become too close too quickly. They had known each other for less than a day, but somehow it felt much longer.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtDstNV2TF
Khemjira now felt certain that spirits were following him. After all, Jhettana had said that when he was around, the spirits stayed away, protected by some magical item he carried. Since that day, Khemjira had been glued to Jhettana. The only time they didn’t see each other was when they returned to their apartments, but even then, no problems arose.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHZ1jcQB5i
Still, Khemjira’s nights were filled with lingering unease. He saw strange things out of the corner of his eye, heard creaks and objects falling, but nothing that was enough to completely break his focus. He tried to distract himself by watching movies or reading books.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVM1w2TUzCh
Tonight, Khemjira had just finished reading a book and decided to work on his sketch for class. He moved his chair to the easel, which was set up with a drawing board. The next lesson would be to assess their skill level by sketching something they were good at—whether it be landscapes, people, animals, or objects. Khemjira was good at drawing people, and he intended to draw a picture of his late mother, as he had always found it to be his best subject.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFhq0ytFhz
With a steady hand, he picked up a 2B pencil, holding it perpendicular to the paper. He squinted to gauge the distance before starting to sketch the outline of a face with thin, delicate lines. His mother’s face was forever etched in his memory, and he could recreate it without even needing a reference.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zt1OnuTbN
"I miss you so much," Khemjira whispered softly, a smile tugging at his lips as he worked on the details of her face. But as he continued to sketch, a wave of exhaustion washed over him, and he fought to keep his eyes open.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡookbGrDHg2
Come on, just a little bit more, he told himself, trying to stave off the sleepiness creeping up on him. He tried to push through, but it was no use. His hand began to fall, and within moments, Khemjira succumbed to the sleep that overtook him.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUSEUD5Gny
He jolted awake several hours later, glancing at the wall clock. It was past two in the morning. He shook his head at his own exhaustion, then began to pack away the easel. But as he turned to gather his things, his eyes fell upon the sketch of his mother, and his blood ran cold.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGrMYWQ0Tk
"Shit!" Khemjira gasped, stumbling backward as his hips slammed against the table behind him. The sketch that once depicted his mother’s smiling face now showed a grotesque, terrifying image. Her eyes were entirely black, and her smile had twisted into a monstrous grin, her mouth torn open at the corners, stretching to her ears.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbsJu967pu
Khemjira’s heart raced as he stared at the horrifying image, unable to tear his gaze away. The warmth and nostalgia he had once felt while drawing his mother now turned to dread, as if the very essence of her had been replaced with something sinister.
586Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1f2i46vnY
