Chapter 9
It's Flaring Up Part 2
"You sure you don't want me to go with you?" The ghost, now fully dressed, asks me with concern from the door.
"Don't follow me."
"…Hmph." She made a sound in her throat and shrugged, raising her hands playfully as if to see how far I could go on my own.
Alright, ghost!
I'll show you
I can handle this myself!!
I flip my head in defiance and march out of the house, ignoring her leaning against the wall.
The hospital I need to go to is four stops away. I could walk, but with how I'm feeling now, that's a terrible idea. So, I'll rely on the red-and-cream bus that's been around for decades.
When I arrive and see the number of people waiting to see the doctor, I sigh. And this is a private hospital...
You can do it, Aranya!
It's not that the doctor didn't do a good job—he was super thorough. But he didn't find anything wrong. He just said I might be too stressed and not getting enough rest.
As for the pain, he told me to try taking some paracetamol…
I'm stressed out, seriously. Almost died, after all. But I keep trying not to think about it, even though it keeps creeping into my mind. Honestly, anyone in my situation would be stressed too.
Getting targeted by a ghost…
It sucks.
"There's still space in the back! Please move in a bit!" The bus conductor shouted as people crowded onto the bus.
Now, I could only sit there, bored with the world, clutching the two packs of paracetamol in a paper bag. Even going to the doctor didn't seem to help...
Am I really going to have to kiss that ghost?
No way...
It's not that I hate her, but who would actually want to kiss a ghost? Even if I thought of her as a dog or a cat, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Her lips are just like those cute animals!
I shouldn't even be picturing that...
It's so embarrassing...
"Wow..." I exclaimed softly after seeing the crowd rushing to get on the bus again. This time, the space was packed tight since it was almost four in the afternoon.
This is not the time to take the bus in Bangkok, especially near universities or schools. If my home was closer, walking would definitely be faster.
Ugh... Just two more stops! Even sitting here, I'm being squished. My life...
"Move in a little more, move in!" The bus conductor yells as the creaky old bus doors close shut.
Grub grub grub The sound of tickets being torn from the stainless steel cylinder echoes intermittently.
"Ouch," I clutch my ears.
Oddly enough, I feel a sharp pain in my eardrums when I hear the sound of the cylinder. Normally, it wasn't that loud,
But for some reason, it felt unbearably noisy this time. Finally, I decided to stand up and get off before reaching my stop.
I hadn't even made it to the door yet when someone grabbed my arm. But with so many people packed together, it was impossible to see who had grabbed me.
The bus conductor? But I've already paid.
"Exc—" I stopped mid-sentence when I saw the hand.
No... it's not human.
My face immediately paled when I saw the hand, covered in blood, flesh torn and mangled beyond recognition. It was so shredded that I could see the white bone that should've been hidden beneath the skin. This is too strange. Ghosts like this aren't supposed to be able to see or touch me, are they? Is it because of that curse that attracts evil spirits, like that ghost girl mentioned?
"Excuse me! Please let me through!"
I quickly shook off the grotesque hand and shouted for space in a panic. As I reached the door, it just so happened that the bell rang. My frantic state was obvious, enough that many eyes turned toward me in confusion.
I don't have time to care about them right now!
That revolting, decaying hand was still trying to reach for me. I tried to stay calm, though my heart had already raced ahead to my home. Clutching my bag strap, I felt the fear seep in. Most importantly, there was nowhere for me to hide.
'Screech! Hiss!'
The rusty metal door finally opened as the bus arrived at the stop.
I dashed off before anyone else and ran as far away as I could without looking back. I didn't even know if anything was chasing after me. All I knew was that I had to get away.
Pant, pant, pant "Huff…" My breath came in heavy gasps.
Relief washed over me when I saw that the bus stop under the bridge, near my house, didn't have anything creepy or abnormal like before. I gripped the handrail, standing there to catch my breath.
But then... something brushed against my legs, making me break into a sweat immediately. My leg was being tightly grasped by a filthy hand, causing pain to shoot through my entire leg.
"You... can see us... Heeheeheehee."
The owner of the repulsive hand had only half a body, its intestines dragging behind it for meters. Its mangled form made it impossible to tell if it was male or female. Even its voice sounded like it was coming from a torn, ruined throat.
"Ahhh!!"
The pressure on my calf made me scream in pain. People passing by couldn't see these things and only avoided me out of fear, as if I were some lunatic.
'Thud!'
"Get lost!!!"
In the blink of an eye, the wandering spirit let go of my leg.
I, who had been squeezing my eyes shut, slowly opened them to see what had just happened. Standing before me was the person I'd been avoiding. She smiled at me like always, and the scene reminded me of the day everything had gone down in the university library.
And just like that, the ghost backed off without further resistance, leaving me slightly bewildered.
Her soft, pale hand reached out and gently took mine. Under the blue sky, she gave me a warm smile.
"I've come to take you home now, Khun Ran."
"...Thank you," I grasped her hand tightly. But my leg still hurt, so I limped along like someone with a broken leg.
"Such a wimp," she teased.
I looked at her, flashing a grin wide enough to show her white teeth. A flood of emotions surged through my head, prompting me to pull her into a hug instead of just holding her hand.
"Oh! Khun Ran…"
"Thank you so much. If it weren't for you, I would've..."
My voice trembled with gratitude, filled with fear, relief, and a bit of self-pity for not being able to protect myself.
Her soft hand gently stroked my head as she spoke with a soothing warmth that I could feel radiating from her.
"It's nothing… Let's go home."
"Mm..."
Upon arriving home, she insisted that I take a shower immediately, and I wholeheartedly agreed. I used holy water to wash away the impurities and lathered soap all over my body, feeling utterly disgusted.
Sometimes, I find myself feeling a bit resentful of fate. As time goes on, these encounters become more and more overwhelming. Just seeing them is bad enough, but to have one touch me...
I rinsed away every last bubble and got dressed, stepping out with the exhaustion that had been building for hours.
"Let's kiss, shall we, Khun Rhan? After all this," she said as soon as I walked into the living room, her tone serious yet slightly demanding.
But my eyes caught sight of her tempting lips, and my mind replayed the moment when I hugged her earlier. My heart started to race out of sync.
"...No," I answered softly, quite different from the firm tone I used before.
"Khun Ran! After all of that, you're still being stubborn? Ugh… Fine! I won't push you anymore. But at least rest a little, okay? Do you know you look worse than before we went to the doctor?" She slapped her thigh, signaling for me to lie down on her lap. "Come here."
I couldn't deny how awful I looked. I had seen my reflection earlier; I wasn't much better off than those ghosts.
But my eyes caught sight of her tempting lips, and my mind replayed the moment when I hugged her earlier. My heart started to race out of sync.
"...No," I answered softly, quite different from the firm tone I used before.
"Khun Rhan! After everything we've been through, you're still being stubborn...? Ugh, fine! I won't pester you anymore. But at least you should lie down and rest a bit. Do you know how much worse you look compared to before you went to see the doctor?"
She slapped her thigh sharply as a signal for me to lie down on her lap.
"Come on."
I couldn't deny that I looked terrible. Just a moment ago, when I glanced in the mirror, I resembled those spirits far too much.
But still...
"Why do I have to lie there?" I frowned slightly.
"So I don't lose sight of you again."
I hesitated for a moment, but being with her did make me feel more at ease.
"...Fine."
And with that, I obediently lay down on her lap. She didn't smile or look playful like she did before. Maybe this time, she was really worried about me. Or was she?
I don't know…
'Not long now, Ran...'
"Gasp!!"
Those words came with a chilling laugh that flashed into my mind, making me jolt awake with sudden pain. It hurt so much that I felt like I was about to scream.
My body was lifted up, and her hands cradled my face. Her soft lips, which I had been too scared to touch, pressed against mine without waiting for permission.
I didn't know how long we kissed, but the pain subsided, unbelievably so, as if it had never been there.
It was such a strange phenomenon, something even the doctors couldn't diagnose.
"Haa..."
She finally broke the kiss, watching my face to see how I was doing.
I panted, my breath heavy, from both the pain that had just disappeared and from the lack of air after her kiss.
It felt both good and relaxing, as if the burden I had carried for hours was suddenly lifted, replaced by something indescribable.
I slowly opened my eyes, still seeing her soft brown eyes gazing at me with care.
"A little more..." she whispered gently, leaning in closer again.
Our lips met again. Although things had gotten a little better since before, the tension hadn't entirely disappeared. This time, however, her tongue slipped into my mouth, startling me enough to accidentally bite that playful tongue.
But she didn't show any sign of pain, perhaps because she was a ghost and could endure such things. She continued kissing me, even after being bitten, and I welcomed her kiss, sinking into it with both my body and heart.
It was strange that I didn't feel the urge to reject this gentle kiss, even though I knew full well she was taking advantage of the moment. She didn't need to slip her tongue in at all.
'What is this? █ █ █'
'It's a promise kiss, Ran. We'll be together forever,' she said, laughing like a little kid.
I smiled at her and replied, 'Mhm!'
"!!!"
"Ow! Why did you push me?"
"Gasp, gasp!" I breathed heavily in surprise.
The image that suddenly popped into my head caught me off guard, causing me to shove the ghost girl away, almost sending her tumbling off the sofa. Her expression of shock made me feel guilty.
I... I forgot. I completely forgot about this. I forgot I once kissed her...
That promise... it was just something said by a child who loved her friend. I never thought she would take it so seriously—to the point it led me to become who I am now...
I looked up at the confused brown-haired ghost. "Sorry..."
"It's okay."
"Just now, when we kissed... I realized something. It seems that might be the root of all this..."
"Let's talk about that later. Right now, I'm only interested in you... Are you feeling better? Or are you still in pain?" She leaned closer, her soft hand gently touching my face. Her gaze was focused intently on me, examining every detail of my features.
And... why is my heart racing like this?
I hope it's not what I think it is...
"...Not anymore. Thank you for helping me."
Even as I said thank you, I couldn't bring myself to meet the eyes of the person showing such concern. As soon as I spoke, she broke into a bright smile that turned her eyes into little crescent moons. Her cute grin made me feel shy, so I decided to tease her instead.
"Why did you stick your tongue in?"
"Oh! I thought I'd get away with it!" She feigned innocence, whistling and looking away before making an excuse to turn back and meet my gaze.
"The deeper it is, the more connected we become," she said with a cheeky smile.
"Still making excuses, huh? And that wasn't subtle at all! You naughty ghost..."
After I caught her off guard, she laughed to cover her embarrassment.
"..."
As her laughter faded, a thick silence fell between us. The confident look she had while studying my face shifted, and she suddenly looked away, her pale complexion turning a deep shade of red.
This was something I'd never seen from her before, showing that even a ghost like her could feel shy.
What is this?
She doesn't seem as bold as she did earlier.
But I have to admit, I felt good about that kiss too…
Look at her!
So flustered... adorable...
Wait!! What am I thinking?!
It turned out that both of us were blushing at each other, and it took several minutes before she finally looked back at me, her face still flushed.
"Khun Ran... we have to kiss every day until I... can take her place," she said, her tone serious, though the last part came out a bit awkwardly, revealing her embarrassment.
"...Really?"
"Yes..."
"..."
"..."
Another silence settled between us, this time thick with the escalating awkwardness that left us both unsure of what to do.
This feeling was making my heart race uncontrollably...
I don't think she's as embarrassed as I am... She's always acted like this, after all.
But for me,
someone who used to think she was just a cute girl, things have changed.
Now, my heart is pounding from the lingering sensation of her lips.
If we have to kiss every day... I wonder if my heart can handle it.