West: The Sun From Another Star

I looked out the window, watching the scenery change with each gust of wind. The music in the car played softly, a familiar song because the same person kept playing it, and I liked listening to it over and over. I lowered my head, feeling the fatigue that had accumulated over the past few days and the few hours I had just dozed off. The driver sitting next to me glanced at me briefly and asked.

 

"Did you stay up late again last night?"

 

"Hmm."

"How can you still work under conditions like this?"

"Hmm."

 

"I can't sleep yet. Show me the way first."

 

“Then turn right at the intersection ahead, and you’ll see a big apartment building,” I replied briefly before falling asleep in the truck full of supplies. However, after only a few minutes of sleep, someone gently shook my arm. I opened my eyes with difficulty.

 

"I've arrived, Daotok."

 

"Okay." I stepped out of the large car, looking at the things piled up inside. It was all my stuff. Today was the day I was moving into a new apartment. Because I had so much to move, I had to ask my three friends for help, as they were my only companions.

 

“Wow, that’s so luxurious.” North, an electrical engineering student who drives a large truck and owns the same old playlist, looked at the apartment I’d rented last week, “You must be really rich, right?”

 

“No. They're having a big sale on that room.”

"Really? How much is the sale?"

"Um... almost 70%."

 

“Really? There are so many! Are there any promotions?” Typhoon, nicknamed Mew because of his cat-like face and love of taking pictures, asked. It seems I’m the only one who still calls him Mew.

 

"Maybe there's a ghost promotion in there," North replied, causing Easter, the aspiring veterinarian, to pat him on the shoulder.

Look at your mouth!!!

 

"Hey, you didn't have any doubts at all? That's a huge discount; with just a little more, you could have stayed for free."

 

"No," I replied calmly, as usual, "And I don't care. Now, let's start setting the table."

 

I started loading my car with things and heading to my new apartment. I lifted my suitcase and stepped into the elevator, waiting for the others. After pressing the floor number, we waited for the elevator to slowly ascend to the seventh floor. I walked towards my door. I'd seen it once before when the landlord showed me around. It was only because of the big sale that I couldn't resist. The discount would apply if I agreed to sign a one-year lease. I swiped my key card on the door of apartment 702 and opened it.

 

This is the second room from the end of the hallway. The room on the left at the end of the hallway has a window and is a bit more spacious. Actually, I'm a little envious, because I wish I had my own window too. However, the room on the left is already occupied.

The room on the right is empty. The room opposite is empty. The room on the right is also empty. In short, the entire seventh floor is completely uninhabited. Except for room 701 on the left, which I just moved into. You can probably guess why, right?

 

As soon as I opened the door and reached for the light switch, I stepped inside, set my belongings down in the middle of the room, and turned around to find my three friends just standing there with stiff expressions in the doorway, not following me inside.

 

"What's up?"

 

“Um, it’s okay. It’s just… I feel a little strange.” Mew said with a stiff smile, glancing at North with a worried expression. Finally, they all went into the room and put away my things, “Uh, sorry, Dao, but we… Um…”

 

"I can finish cleaning up by myself, it's okay."

 

“No, I don’t mean I don’t want to help, but, um…” Mew frowned as he looked at North, whose face was starting to turn pale. “North, what’s wrong with you?”

 

"What... what is that?!"

 

"Why is your voice so loud?"

 

"Damn, my hands are so cold, I'm getting goosebumps. What's wrong? I suddenly feel creepy."

 

"Hmm, this room makes me uncomfortable," Ter added.

 

I didn't answer because I understood, then walked over and pulled back the curtains, thinking the fresh air might make me feel better.

 

"It's nothing, I promise."

“…”

 

"This room has just been unoccupied for a long time."

 

“Okay, let’s continue packing,” Mew said. We turned around and started carrying things one by one, going back and forth between the car and the room until everything was finally moved in. It felt like everyone had forgotten the initial discomfort of entering the room due to exhaustion. They sat there, breathless.

 

"You have too much stuff," North complained as he lay on the bed I never slept in.

 

"By the way, North," I said, "Is that your car?"

 

“No. I told Jo that I was helping a friend move, but didn’t have a car. The next day, Jo gave me the keys to this car.” The Jo, or Johan, we’re talking about is North’s boyfriend.

 

"Yeah." I nodded slightly, "Thanks for your help. Sorry to bother you, you must be very tired."

 

"It's alright. Honestly, this is the first time you've asked us for help with anything," Ter said with a laugh. "It's a pleasure to help you."

 

"Have you asked me yet? Oh!"

 

"You were sincere enough, and now she's gone, North."

 

"Yeah, I'm being sincere, but it's better if there's something more to it. Oh, why did you hit me?" North looked at Ter with a displeased expression.

Should I be proud of you?

 

"Don't bite me, you dog."

 

"You're the dog."

 

"Don't fight," Mew advised. "By the way, Dao, this floor is too quiet, are you the only one here?"

 

"Yeah, it's true that this floor only has me and the room next door."

 

"Damn it, why? Is the rent that expensive?" North frowned, though it was clear he was terrified, judging by how tightly he gripped Ter's hand and the expression on his face.

 

"How about we go down to the café downstairs and talk?" Ter interrupted abruptly, perhaps wanting to avoid the awkward atmosphere that was beginning to develop. Not the atmosphere between us, but the atmosphere in the room.

 

"Okay." Everyone agreed, and we went to the cafe below the apartment building to relax.

 

"Hurry up, hurry up!" North started pushing after we left the room.

 

North was terrified of ghosts, but also enjoyed listening to and watching things related to them. Because of his fear, he didn't ask any questions, but now that he was outside, he started asking.

 

“Well, there have been a lot of deaths in my room before. There are rumours that it’s a cursed room.” I began telling them about the history I’d discovered about my new room. Everyone listened carefully. “About five years ago, a fourth-year medical student committed suicide. She jumped from the balcony, probably because of stress at school and problems with her boyfriend.”

 

“…”

 

“Then, two or three years later, a female worker was murdered by her boyfriend in the bathroom. The reason was that the two had gotten into a drunken fight, and the boyfriend slit her throat in the bathroom.”

 

"Damn, there are already two victims."

"North, don't interrupt."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

 

"Finally, a few months ago, a political science student was stabbed in his sleep by his girlfriend. He probably died without even knowing it."

 

"A few months ago?" Ter raised his eyebrows, his eyes widening in surprise, "Oh, I know, that news was a lot of talk at school."

 

"I know," North said, nodding vigorously. "That's terrible. But his girlfriend is in jail, right?"

 

"Yes, she's been arrested."

 

"So, three people died in that room?" Mew asked worriedly. "Wow, Dao, this place isn't safe. How can you live here after knowing all this?"

 

“Because I know that,” I smiled slightly as I took a sip of my iced cappuccino. “All the residents on the seventh floor have moved out. They said they couldn’t stand being constantly disturbed.”

 

"Then the person living next door to you must be really unlucky to live alone," North said. I nodded in agreement, "You live here because it's cheap, right? Aren't you afraid?"

 

"No. Even though they offered me such a low price, they still made a profit. They wanted me to stay for a year so that the bad rumours about this apartment would die down."

 

“Well, I mean, if someone lives here and everything’s okay, then the rumours will disappear, right?” Ter asked. I nodded in response, “Yeah, I understand. I understand you’re not scared. But… damn, I’ve felt uneasy since I opened the door. Are you sure you can stay here? Think again.”

 

"I can. I'm sure of it."

"Yeah, seriously, I'd die if I were you," North said, rubbing his goosebumps-covered arm. "If you really are haunted, remember to ask for lottery numbers when you meet them."

 

"Yeah, if they tell me, I'll tell you."

 

"Oh, you're not only unafraid of ghosts, but you're also very kind. You'd be perfect as a fortune teller."

 

I smiled slightly at North's comment.

 

"What does that have to do with anything?"

 

"Hey, guess if we'll win today?"

"I can." I nodded slightly before reaching into my pocket and pulling out some tarot cards. I had to carry my fortune-telling tools with me every day because North would often suddenly ask for a free reading at any time. I'm not a fake fortune teller. My grandmother taught me all of this. She was very good at it. I told North to choose a card based on the steps commonly used in tarot readings.

 

"Hmm... there might be some small changes in your life lately, North."

 

"Huh?"

"Small changes, meaning something that might change, but not to the point of completely altering your life. Whether it's good or bad, it will have a pretty big impact."

 

"...I don't know if it's good or bad? Can't you tell me if it's good or not?"

 

"Yeah, I don't know. Just get ready, it'll happen soon."

 

"I'm so nervous," North said, rubbing his forehead. "You guys should try it too. Ter, take a card."

 

"Okay, okay, let's see mine," Ter said. I started making predictions for Ter.

 

“Your life is going so smoothly. Everything’s fine. Congratulations, Ter.” I smiled happily because Ter’s prediction was so good. “Mew, do you want to give it a try?”

 

"Are not."

 

"You're always avoiding it, Phoon."

 

"Yeah, if the result was the same as yours, I'd be stressed out," Mew replied, evading the question. "Dao, can you do a fortune telling for yourself?"

Mew's question made me shake my head slowly in response.

 

“Too bad. If I could tell my own fortune, I’d do it every day,” North said dejectedly as he snatched Ter’s chocolate drink, which immediately earned him another slap. They both loved teasing like that, “Can you talk to ghosts?”

 

"?"

"Can you talk to ghosts?"

 

"Why are you asking that, and why do you think I can talk to ghosts?" I asked in return.

 

"But you said you had that ability."

 

"Yes… But why talk to them? There's nothing interesting about it."

 

"Yeah, that's right. Who would want to talk to a ghost?" Ter asked curiously. "But why do you think a ghost could give you lottery numbers? Even if you were alive, they wouldn't necessarily win."

 

"What you said makes sense," North began, stroking his chin.

 

"Yes, why is that?"

 

"Don't worry about it, don't think about it anymore. Thinking about it won't do any good." Mew replied, "Oh, it's already four o'clock. Time flies so fast."

 

"That's right. When will your boyfriends/girlfriends finish their studies?" I asked because my friends' boyfriends all knew each other. So, they were a couple in the same group and all studying medicine.

 

"Those four hours."

 

"Well, you guys can go now," I smiled. "I'll treat you to coffee as a thank you for helping me move."

 

"Hey, where's the roast pork promise?" North asked.

 

"You're imitating Ter, aren't you?" I teased, which surprised Ter.

 

"Dao can't possibly break his promise to me, can he? Dao is so kind." Ter turned to Mew, who just shook his head slowly. Either he didn't know, or he didn't want to get involved.

 

"Let's have some grilled pork later, okay?"

 

"Okay." They all stood up simultaneously. I went to the cashier to pay. While I was getting my change, I heard North shouting from outside.

 

"Brother Thit!"

“…”

 

North called out to someone walking past the cafe. The person who turned around with a slightly annoyed expression. They were tall and dark-skinned, wearing a student uniform, but it didn't look very neat.

 

Mr Meat?

 

Ah… that’s Arthit, their boyfriend’s friend. He took the food Mew brought, even though Mew intended to give it to Tonfah as a way to get his attention. It was Mew’s first time trying, but the first impression was ruined.

 

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?"

 

"Helping a friend move. And you, do you live here?"

 

"Right."

 

"Really? Where do you live?"

"701, what's wrong?"

 

701?

 

That's the room to my left!