Chapter 12
It's Still on My Mind Part 1
"See you this evening, Ran."
"Mm." I waved my hand awkwardly after Kan waved back at me with a smile. It was different from before when we hardly talked. Normally, Kan would look uneasy when we spoke.
Once the class ended, my classmates scattered to their respective classes. I had over an hour before my next class, so I decided to sit and have lunch under the faculty building.
The lunch box I just pulled out was filled with delicious dishes made by that brown-haired ghost. I couldn't help but smile and shake my head lightly at the overflowing portions arranged so neatly.
"…"
Hmm… Just a lunch box, but why does it make me feel so happy?
Could it be because of what happened on that rainy day? Since then, our demeanor toward each other has changed. That ghost girl seems to fumble around when she's with me, not daring to meet my eyes. Her lack of confidence is so different from the bold ghost I met on our first day. But this change has made things complicated for me. The more she blushes, the more I do too…
And another thing that's changed, or rather intensified, is how she's been sticking around me all the time. Normally, she's always close, but now she's sneaking glances at me constantly. If I turn around, I can see her hiding somewhere.
I know this because she's been acting like this for several days, and I caught her red-handed yesterday. Even so, she still doesn't realize that I can see her. Plus, her sneaking around is not subtle at all…
She's a ghost...
she should have a better way to hide than just clinging to a building pillar and peeking out!
Honestly, what's happening is creating a strange gap between us. I don't even know what it is.
But it's definitely not love.
Maybe it's just a fleeting feeling driven by teenage hormones because I have no clue what love means...
Today, that ghost girl is peeking at me so closely.
"Hmm… It seems like lunch today is tastier than ever,"
I said casually after taking a bite of the tender chicken. It looked like something out of the corner of my eye heard what I said and got excited, evident from her fidgeting movements.
After that incident, we haven't touched or kissed each other again. It's surprising that my body feels completely normal now, without any pain. I'm not sure if it's because of the ghost's curse overshadowing the old one, or if what we did was more than just a simple kiss, which might have masked the symptoms...
But what exactly is her curse?
I would love to ask her for confirmation, but I'm too shy to even talk to her...
The afternoon class was just like any other day—normal. I sat writing and reading until class ended. It was now just past five o'clock. I almost headed straight home but received a group chat notification, reminding me of a work meeting with Kan's friends.
To be honest, aside from Kan, I hardly talk to anyone else.
The reason is that I don't know how to engage in conversation. The only comfortable topic we can discuss is work. It's not that I haven't tried to reach out to them, but forcing myself to talk about things outside my interests is not my style. For instance, gossiping about others or discussing boys...
I can't do that.
When I try to casually ask if there's anything delicious to eat lately, they look so uncomfortable...
I've been trying for three years now, but this is all I've got.
Sigh…
When I walked up to the table we agreed to meet, I found only Oon and Nid sitting there, while Kan, the one I could actually chat with, was nowhere to be seen.
She must have gone to the bathroom or something…
So, I wasn't sure if I should join them or not.
No way, Ran… I shouldn't run away from my problems…
"Are we going for shabu after this?" Oon asked Nid, who was busy scrolling through her phone.
"Sure! Let's invite Kan, too."
"Should we invite Ran as well?"
"Better not. I have no idea how to talk to her.... she seems too hard to approach…"
I'm really not that hard to approach…
I mean, I have a pretty friendly face, right?
"Shh!"
"Oh, hey… Ran! Come sit with us. Kan just went to the bathroom. She'll be back soon."
Nid quickly adjusted her expression and changed the subject as soon as she saw me walking over.
It's kind of fun, really. They seem a little scared of me.
But honestly, I'd rather not deal with this kind of vibe…
After I sat down as they suggested, the two exchanged nervous glances.
Do they think I wouldn't notice? It's obvious to anyone watching.
To be honest, it's more amusing than anything. I'm not bothered by these two.
I know our chemistry just doesn't click.
Nid nervously offered me a box of snacks. "Ran, do you want a snack?"
Are they trying to connect with me or something?
Well, why not?
"Thanks!" I smiled at Nid and took a biscuit stick from the box she handed me.
What's going on? Is my smile that bad?
Why are they suddenly pausing and grabbing their phones to text? I can guess they're chatting behind my back.
Honestly, they can talk in front of me...
I'm not going to stop them.
This is even more awkward...
"…?" I looked up slightly when that ghost girl sat down next to me.
I wonder if I looked bad to her, which is why she came to comfort me…
But wait,
Has she stopped being shy around me? This is the first time in three days that we've touched each other again. To be honest, it's a little embarrassing for me.
I would love to turn and talk to her.
But I just can't. Even this feels weird enough as it is.
Strange.
It's been over ten minutes, and Kan still hasn't shown up. For me, it feels more like ten hours. I guess it's the atmosphere around us...
They aren't talking at all…
But then the tension started to dissolve when Kan returned with snacks in hand.
The awkward atmosphere lightened, as if we had stepped into a different world.
"Sorry, did you wait long?"
"Forever, seriously! Uun was about to call the police, thinking you'd dropped dead or something."
"That's too much, girl. At least call a doctor first, right? Sorry, everyone." Kan raised her hand in apology after making us wait.
"And here's my apology—fish snacks! So lucky, the ones below were about to fall, so I pressed the top one." Kan proudly held up the snack she got for free.
"Poor them, just return it."
Kan immediately ripped open the snack packet. "Aw, too late now!"
"Ugh, Kan... let's talk about work! I'm hungry." Uun complained before steering the conversation back to business.
The ghost girl sitting next to me looked puzzled because of the drastic change in atmosphere. She glanced at Kan, who seemed to be the key player in this.
The work meeting wasn't much different from usual; everything fell into place like every other time. Although we could chat through messages, everyone preferred to discuss things face-to-face for reassurance. Most of the time, Uun and I would take on the tasks of gathering information and summarizing it into sections before merging it all together to hand over to Nid and Kanjan for presentation, as both had good personalities and spoke clearly.
The work discussion wasn't too serious...
we often ended up chatting more than working. By the time we wrapped things up, the sun had already dipped below the horizon, leaving only the glow from the streetlights. At six in the evening under the faculty, there was no one left except the four of us and one ghost.
"So, Kan? Are you really not going? I was planning to catch a ride with you," Nid asked again, sounding annoyed now that her plan had fallen apart.
"Nah, I'm feeling lazy today." When Kan turned her down again, Nid and Oon waved goodbye before heading off to the shabu place they'd been talking about.
As for me, I wasn't part of their little group, so I grabbed my bag, ready to head home before things got... complicated. Plus, I wanted to get back and talk about that curse—hopefully, she'd stop acting shy around me soon.
"Wait, Ran! Do you want me to give you a lift?" Kan's voice stopped me in my tracks just as I was about to leave the table.
Her tone sounded almost... worried.
Is something wrong? Could it be about what she asked the other day?
But Karn's offer made me think of the "guest" currently sitting in her car.
"...No, it's fine. I can walk home."
"...Okay, then."
"...Then?"
What's going on with her? Why did she suddenly go quiet...?
"Khun Ran, is your friend alright?"
Kan was acting weird, enough to raise red flags even with my ghostly companion, who looked just as confused as I was.
The shift in her behavior made me uneasy.
"Kan?" Suspicious, I took a step closer to check on her.
Wait a second—this isn't Karn. Those eyes, that nauseating stench…
"Ran…"
The voice and the way she spoke—there's no mistaking it.
This isn't Kan…
"Hehehe…"