"…Mmm," I let out a faint groan as I slowly regained consciousness, still feeling dazed and sluggish. But my body refused to fully wake up or move normally due to the pain inflicted by it.
Before long, I realized there was something soft beneath my head, giving a warmth I hadn't felt in a long time. Slowly, I opened my eyes again.
"…Kan? Ah!!"
I called out the name, and as soon as I did, I shot up, only to be pushed back down into the same position by the serious-faced owner of the soft lap.
"Don't get up so fast. You'll faint again if you move that quickly."
"…Why am I lying here?" My head spun, still too foggy to piece together what had just happened, so I asked to be sure.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you, Ran?" Kan's voice faltered for a moment, and her expression wavered before returning to normal. "...Weren't you resting? You passed out cold on the floor."
"I... don't know." I stared at the classroom ceiling, trying to recall what had happened.
Earlier... it appeared, didn't it? Ah, yes. It definitely was that.
I remembered almost dying. The pain hadn't gone away. Before I lost consciousness, someone saved me. The only clue I had was the lingering scent of Thai flower water on my student uniform.
...? That's strange... Who could've saved me? Was it Kan?
"Ran, maybe you should take the day off. You look pale. I'll tell the professor for you." Kan looked at me with an expression of concern I'd never seen before.
"…I'm fine. I can still manage." I sat up slowly, only as much as I could handle.
Could it have been Kan? No, probably not. Kan doesn't seem like the type to carry around Thai flower water. She doesn't even believe in those kinds of things. And when I asked her earlier, she didn't mention seeing it.
"Well, how about some water first?" Kan said, handing me a bottle with a friendly smile.
"Um, thanks...?"
The bottle I received from Kan felt a bit off. Or maybe it wasn't so strange after all—after all, it had already been opened, and the taste was... different. I remembered that this brand of water didn't taste like this. It was odd in both flavor and texture. I figured Kan must have reused the bottle...
Or maybe the metallic taste of blood in my mouth was distorting the flavor...
"Are you feeling any better? If you're still not well, I'll take you to the health center myself."
"No, I'm good now... Thanks." I turned to give her a grateful smile. Normally, Kan always gave me strange looks, so I never really thought to smile back at her.
"Oh... Okay, if you're feeling better, that's good." Kan's face showed surprise for a moment, something I'd never seen before. But it was gone just as quickly, replaced by her usual smile.
Huh? What's with that look? Whatever...
In the afternoon class, my life went on as usual, as if nothing had ever happened before. But I couldn't focus at all. My mind was flooded with questions, and my body felt worn out from everything that had happened earlier.
The number one question swirling in my mind was: Why did it choose to show itself now? After years of silence, it suddenly found me today. And did my dream from this morning have anything to do with it? Maybe it was a warning...
Or perhaps I was just imagining things...
I didn't understand why it wouldn't leave me alone. Was it because of the promise I made as a child? Just for something so small...
Why? Why is it doing all this...?
"Aranya!"
"Sorry, Professor! Ran's not feeling well!" Kan nudged me out of my thoughts.
"Huh? Yes." I snapped out of it, startled, and saw the whole class staring at me with varying expressions.
"You're not well? Hmm, your face does look pale. Why didn't you just call in sick, student? If you get worse, that'll be trouble. My class isn't so strict that you need to force yourself to attend while ill. You've got plenty of absences to use... And the rest of you, don't get any ideas. I know what you're thinking, so don't go misusing this excuse to skip class." The professor sighed softly before turning back to me. "If you're not feeling well, take a break. You can catch up on the assignments and slides later."
"I'm still okay, Professor..." I replied with a weak smile.
"…If you say so. All right then!" The professor shook his head before continuing with the lesson.
Everyone turned back to focus on the board as usual, except for Kan, who was staring at my face. "...See, Ran? I told you to take a break from class."
"Do I really look that bad, Kan?"
"Absolutely... Ran!?"
Wait a minute.
Huh? What's that smell? It smells like iron...
"..." I gently touched my nose, only to glance down at my hands smeared with red. Blood was gushing from my nose, showing no signs of stopping.
Kan's gasp was loud enough to draw the attention of my classmates back to me. The desk and my handouts were now stained with red, even if the amount wasn't too significant yet.
"Kan, help your friend lean back! Don't let her tilt her head back just yet!"
"Wha—?! Yes!!" The professor, noticing the situation, rushed over to me and began explaining basic first aid.
"Stay in this position until the class is over, Aranya. In just a few minutes, we'll finish up. After that, make sure you see a doctor or at least get some rest."
I nodded in response to the professor, who was watching my condition closely. It wasn't long before he returned to his original spot. "As for the rest of you, you can stop staring now! No more talking! Or I'll have to come looking for you!"
With that, everyone turned back to focus on the lesson once more.
When the class ended, everyone gradually left for home, leaving only Kan and me sitting in the room. Kan's two other friends had excused themselves earlier.
"Do you want me to drive you home, Ran?"
"No, it's fine... Thank you. You've already helped me a lot today." I was about to bow my head in thanks, but Kan grabbed my head to stop me.
"Don't bow! Your nose just stopped bleeding... You still look pale. Let me take you home."
"But..."
"There are no buts, Ran. What if you faint?"
Kan looked at me with a serious determination that made me surrender in the end. "...Okay."
After I agreed, Kan smiled and led me to a white sedan parked under the faculty building. I'd seen that car around for a while but had no idea who it belonged to. Today, my curiosity was finally satisfied.
Huh...? There was something sitting in the back seat...
"What are you staring at, Ran? Get in!" Kan rolled down my window.
Did Kan not see it? Probably just another ghost... Ugh, I really don't want to see them right now. The incident from this morning left me feeling even more uneasy...
"Um..."
A man with a mangled face and shards of glass embedded in his skin turned to look at me the moment I opened the door. I managed to keep a calm expression, even though my heart raced.
"How do you usually get here, Ran?" Kan asked as she drove.
"I walk."
"Oh... So you walk, huh..."
Drive, huh? I'd never thought about that. Not that I can't drive, but walking from home is definitely faster than driving. Besides, if it's not absolutely necessary, I'd rather not risk my life driving in a city with so many cars. Who knows when someone might rear-end me?
Throughout the drive, Kan didn't say much until I pointed out the turn to my street, prompting her to speak up.
"Oh, you live around here? That's convenient!"
"Yeah, the main reason I chose to study here is because it's close by."
Kan chuckled softly before playfully adding, "If I had known there'd be traffic like this, I could've just walked you home!"
"Guess it's a good excuse to give my legs a break for once…" I joked lightly.
She laughed for a moment, but soon fell silent.
The quiet in the car started to feel uncomfortable, especially with the middle-aged spirit staring at me from the back seat...
I wondered if I should try striking up a conversation. Would Kan see me as just another friend? Besides, I had a few questions of my own... It shouldn't be a problem, right?
"Kan..."
"What is it, Ran?" Kan turned to look at me, her expression a mix of confusion and curiosity.
"Why... why do you always go out of your way to help me? It seems like everyone else isn't too fond of me. You're the only one who talks to me, even for group work..."
I wasn't sure if bringing this up was awkward, but for me, it helped ease the tension of the silence that had settled around us.
"Oh, that... Well, there are times I don't know how to approach you, but you've never done anything wrong. I don't know why others are so scared of you."
"...Really?"
Her response made me smile a little. It's rare for anyone to say something like that. Most people just fear me because others do, even when I'm just sitting quietly.
"Ran... I have something I want to ask."
Something? What does she mean by that...?
"Ran, you can really see ghosts, can't you?" As soon as Kan finished her sentence, that ghost locked eyes with me through the rearview mirror. In the blink of an eye, he shifted to my right side, his rotting flesh close enough that I could smell it. His face was drenched in blood, with pus and yellowish fluids oozing out.
He was so close that my eyes started to water. The best I could do was hold it in.
Damn!
Kan! You picked the worst time to ask that!! Ugh...
"Why would you think that?" I pretended to ask, looking at Kan, even though I couldn't really see her because the disfigured man was in the way, staring right at me.
Ugh... I'm going to be sick...
"Well, it's because you talk to yourself sometimes... And I've heard classmates say you often look like you're dodging something."
They must be talking about the times I casually sidestepped ghosts. Since they can't see them, they don't know what I'm avoiding.
...ALSO, KAN, PLEASE STOP TALKING!!
"It's all just rumors. If it were true, I would've won the lottery by now! Ha ha ha," I tried to brush it off, feigning interest in the scenery outside the car. But the disfigured man in the backseat just kept staring at me. "Traffic is really terrible, huh?"
"Is that so...? I guess it is. But if you really see it, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with."
Kan!! Stop! He's staring right at me…
"I... really can't see anything, Kan."
"...Okay." Kan dropped the subject and focused back on the road as the traffic light turned green again.
The man in the back retreated to his silent spot, his gaze still fixed on Kan, having heard my confirmation.
Ugh... What did Kan do to make him look at her like that?
But anyway, I could tell Kan didn't believe me at all. It was clear from her expression... Or maybe she was approaching me because of this?
Whatever it is that Kan wants my help with, I genuinely want to assist her, too, as a way to repay her kindness for all she's done for me, especially today.
But this is not the right time...
"Thanks for driving me home, Kan."
"Yeah, no problem! Just make sure to rest, okay? See you tomorrow!" Kan smiled at me through the car window before rolling it up and driving away.
"...?" I froze for a moment as I entered my house.
Weird...
Normally, the lights would be on by now. That ghost girl doesn't really like the dark. She once told me she's afraid of ghosts, so she leaves the lights on. But why aren't they on today?
Maybe she's gone... Maybe she's wandering somewhere, or perhaps she's been reborn. If so, I hope she's doing well...
I'm too exhausted to even walk right now. I'll just take a nap and shower later... At the very least, I need to get out of these bloodstained clothes first.
"Sigh...?! Wait! Why are you still here?!" I exclaimed after opening my bedroom door and seeing the ghost girl sitting there, hugging her knees. Her face looked sad, like she had been crying.
"Were you crying?" I asked to make sure.
"..." She didn't respond, just kept her head down, staring at the bed like a sad puppy.
"If you're not going to answer... whatever."
I'm too tired to cater to ghosts right now. I just don't get it...
I let out a big sigh, tossing my clothes in the basket, and quickly changed into my pajamas. Once I was done, I walked over to the bed.
That annoying ghost is sitting in the middle of my bed…
"Move…"
As soon as I spoke with a firm tone, she shifted—just barely, not even five inches. Her slight movement only fueled my irritation.
"What's wrong? If you've got something to say, just say it."
"You're mad at me, Khun Ran…"
"Huh? When did I ever get mad at you?"
"This morning… you were angry and wouldn't let me go with you. And… I feel guilty for not waking you up, Khun Ran… sniff." Her eyes started to well up with clear tears.
The sight of her tears and soft sobbing made me panic, all my annoyance quickly replaced with concern.
"…Oh, you idiot." I sat down next to her and looked at her face, but she turned away from me, making me feel guilty instead.
"…sniff"
"…I'm sorry. It's my fault."
After I apologized, she slowly turned to look at me. The tears that glistened in her eyes streamed down her chubby cheeks, making me feel even guiltier.
She tried to wipe away her tears and forced a smile despite the streaks still visible on her face. "I'm so glad… I thought you would hate me, Khun Ran. sniff"
"Don't cry... I'm not good at comforting people… especially not a ghost like you."
She chuckled softly at my lame joke, offering a gentle smile amidst the silence filled only by the sound of the a/c
"...Can I have a hug, please?"
A hug...
I stared at her face for a moment, but eventually, I couldn't resist the pleading look in her eyes.
"Alright, just don't get any snot on me."
The moment I gave in, she hugged me tightly. But something felt different this time. Normally, she would be bouncing around, but now she just froze.
She stayed still for a while in my embrace. Eventually, she looked up at me, furrowing her brows.
"What's wrong? Aren't you happy to be hugging me?"
"…Khun Ran, have you been up to something? You smell like perfume." She closed her eyes and sniffed me. "And there's also a scent of... something ominous."
"Huh? You can smell that? Are you a ghost or a dog?"
"I'm a ghost! But I can be a dog if you want me to."
With that, she released me from the hug, lay back on the bed, and made a cute pose like a dog waiting for its owner to scratch its belly.
It was adorable, but…
"…" She blinked at me with big eyes, prompting me to frown in response.
Seeing that I was only frowning and doing nothing else, she quickly sat up and pouted at me.
"Don't ignore me! It's embarrassing, you know!"
"What's your deal? You're the one who started this. If you know it's embarrassing, why keep going?"
She shrugged at me, then put on a serious face that made me match her expression. "The scent on you is of something ominous. Khun Ran, you really need to take a bath—preferably a cleansing ritual. Otherwise, it might attract bad vibes to you."
"Does that include you?"
"Hey now, that's a bit harsh! What I have is called love," she said, raising her hands to form a mini heart while I furrowed my brow in response.
Love, huh?
I really dislike that word.
Hearing it from it this morning only reinforced my aversion.
She switched from the heart gesture to pinching her own nose and waved at me like I was a pesky fly.
"Either way, you should go take a shower."
"Alright..."
It must be really bad if even a ghost like her thinks so.