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.
“...”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1497hdjkED
“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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rdSCy6pPj
“How do you know that?”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkJI8gNoIS
“When that pot fell earlier, I saw it from the third floor. It pushed the pot down.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDk8QSYo704
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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08TskAkyGz
“It’s fine if you don’t believe me. I just wanted to warn you to be careful.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtPzR1s1lXo
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.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0aXWBvtav4
The man shrugged. “It’s nothing. I’m Jhet. Jhettana. You?”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOrRXb31G8y
“I’m Khem… Khemjira.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCuxZ6CTNWr
Jhettana blinked in surprise and gave him a quick once-over. Khemjira managed a dry smile.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZBxKwkzcF
“My mom gave me a girl name to ward off bad luck.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcOXm48ppPk
Jhettana looked a bit bewildered before scratching his head awkwardly. “Sorry, your face kinda looks like a girl.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVfExxjx0o
“It’s okay. I looked even more like one when I was a kid.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSe3hUkwZgb
Jhettana nodded, as if that made perfect sense, before continuing, “So, which faculty are you in?”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyUZLK3goM
“Fine and Applied Arts.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqW9FJ8pWgo
“Hey, me too! You’re a freshman, right?”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMRofckkIc4
Khemjira’s eyes widened, and he nodded eagerly. “Y…yeah.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoa9OvtWGfw
Jhettana laughed at the coincidence. “Great, then let’s be friends. First off, can I get your LINE?”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnnweMzZ87T
Khemjira quickly pulled out his phone to add Jhettana’s LINE ID, feeling a strange sense of relief.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbG2gMvM2P
“Let’s get to class first. We’ll talk about your situation later.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeg2L1Z2iFC
Khemjira nodded slightly in agreement, pressing his lips together.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhYleNRHUom
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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIuAG59D9YF
“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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaFKqWULIVx
Khemjira answered with a mumble, “I don’t know… but there’ve been times I felt like I wasn’t alone.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡivySzr9MfL
“...”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfcqoQWLCZ
“And lately, I keep seeing strange things.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIPId5rQFRj
“Ghosts?”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYPQivU40R7
Khemjira was stunned by Jhettana’s blunt question before nodding in agreement. Jhettana raised an eyebrow.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZFgmf4mq3
“So, you see other ghosts but can’t see the ones close to you?”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUx5H0tNYu9
Khemjira’s eyes widened in shock. “You can see them?”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5Edv0BBqv
“Yeah, but not clearly. Sometimes, it’s like gray smoke; other times, they’re dark shadows.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FmV96qm6S
“...”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmrfELHa2j
“Like the first time I saw you, there was both smoke and dark shadows swirling all around you.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMpnAZh3f1
“...”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKIBs1pQOi
“Serious question, dude. What the fuck did you do?”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VbJiN796v
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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI0QItKCjed
“Sorry, I didn’t tell you from the start.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8sHPeretV
“...”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WDbFgOS5q
“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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4xfvD4z2gj
“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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkDRPvtxMMV
“Thanks.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUhtn0tAtN
“If I don’t stay friends with you, I probably wouldn’t have anyone else to be friends with.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgMg4ksCLKi
“Ugh, Jhet, I was almost touched.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNW2Bb5y0l
“Haha, your face is hilarious.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgindHRBAqX
Khemjira scowled. “Can you continue?”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdFKU6gxf7
“It’s you who’s getting us off track. Anyway, there are ghosts following you, fucking lots of them.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysudqhGv77
Hearing that, Khemjira felt a shiver run down his spine.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHfLTIaXR4
“Even now?”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnXC0vhlIe
Jhettana frowned, looking around. “Uh-huh, but they’re hiding, not coming close.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCTzH2eCV6
Khemjira pursed his lips, feeling a surge of fear.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡArO7WVuQWZ
“It’s like you have some powerful protection, or something is protecting you. That’s why they can’t do much.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsD0mFXSohE
Khemjira unbuttoned his top button, loosened his tie slightly, and reached in to pull out the takrut, showing it to Jhettana.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoaWqk1LuaQ
“I have this. I’ve been wearing it since I was a kid.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZmAADDxMy8
Jhettana leaned in to take a closer look, clearly intrigued, though he refrained from touching it.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhw5DJdMbCh
“Good stuff, but the magic has worn off.”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKERl7bp2yU
“What?” Khemjira was shocked. “How do you know that?”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwX4LIk8sgL
“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?
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wzhJG12aN
“So, what should I do now?”
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBy0Bp3aa35
“Calm down, dude, no need to be stressed.”"Just give me your full name, date of birth, and something you use regularly."
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeHwqpbFln3
"Anything at all?"
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvnUFaaBjRd
"Except your underwear."
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7IxSLjaY8a
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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtkkxj0JCmb
"Okay. And hey, don't just give stuff like this to anyone so easily next time," Jhettana said, his tone suddenly serious. Khemjira frowned.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkKjF8KxDrt
"But you told me to give them to you, didn't you?"
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgb4EtNiZ7
"How can you be sure I won't use it for something bad?"
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk6kmlcZZSN
Khemjira’s stomach churned as he processed Jhettana’s words. He hadn’t thought of it that way.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYKWhXFKPqw
"Oh..." Khemjira mumbled.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNQiCWJLmV6
"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?"
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbzEUL76Ur
Khemjira went pale, nodding immediately.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlAl8qa36FD
"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."
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzf0qdRjT6
"Thanks," Khemjira said, feeling a small wave of relief.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiEUPRyxl7
"Sure. If you die, I'll have no friends left."
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyHvLFyL0NH
Khemjira couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Jhettana’s bluntness. "Jhet, you fucking bastard, this is the second time already."
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmriutzrmxB
"Ha ha ha! You're cursing at me now, you little shit?"
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkhOdvr1UuT
Khemjira scowled. "Stop annoying me. I’m stressed, you know?"
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7DcdBJoEb
"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."
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSJHAncypu
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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8GJHnp33WK
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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkpyxbjks5
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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuJIHlu2vGF
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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCr6uQnQCD
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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPdEYlJiXX
"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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxiZvf62P0W
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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzuWVT60gea
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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLP6gWP2eYI
"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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxR8TN8rmka
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.
30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDXOIe6WEAd
