Chapter 6
The New Gang Leader
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I avoided Dr. Thanwa because I was disappointed that he would return to his human fiancée. I had to remind myself that humans had bodies like each other, and I was just a spirit. What did I have to compete with?
I couldn't go consult with Manop because he was busy taking revenge on his delinquent friend. I hadn’t even had a chance to warn Dr. Alinda. I wanted to consult with Mr.Jao Thi first, but he was no longer there to advise me. After reconciling with his daughter, Mr.Jao Thi had moved on to a better place.
Aunt Pranee was also busy because for some reason there were so many humans turning into spirits lately that even Aunt Malai had to go help out.
As for me, I had no motivation to work. I just wanted to sit around spacing out, not caring about anything. But what could I do? The position of leader of the Clear Gang was weighing on my shoulders.
I sighed. I really wanted to quit being the leader.
Eventually, I decided that I had to just come to terms with it all and went to fulfil my duty of receiving new spirits at the emergency room.
"Welcome to the spirit world, newcomer! You're so strong, accepting death so calmly. If I had to guess, you must have worked in public relations before, right?" I said from behind a young woman whose body was covered in blood. She was standing there, watching her own body as the doctor tried their best to save her. Next to her was the body of a young man. Although he had injuries, they weren't life-threatening.
"Thank you for the welcome. Are you a grim reaper? And why do you think I worked in public relations? I didn't work in PR at all, actually," the woman said.
"Oh my! Grim reapers aren't as pretty as me, you know. I was just joking. I'm not a grim reaper. The truth is, I was just guessing based on your beauty. I'm the leader of the Clear Gang, a spirit club for those who haven't moved on to a better place yet. I receive new spirits who are still in shock, to introduce them to being a spirit. So, what did you do for a living?" I asked.
"I actually worked in marketing. I've already come to terms with it for a while now. I'm just sad that I never got to tell him how I feel. I just want to make sure he'll be safe," the female spirit said in a flat voice, devoid of any emotion.
"I understand. Parting without saying goodbye or having unresolved issues is incredibly painful," I said.
"Oh? It seems like you've been a spirit for quite a while, too. Do you also have someone you haven't confessed your feelings to? Ah! My name is Faye, by the way," she said.
"Nice to meet you, Faye. I'm Aiye. And yes, I do have someone like that. He's a doctor named Thanwa who works at this hospital. He has to leave soon to take care of his fiancée, so I was upset and ran away from him. We parted on not-so-great terms," I explained.
"Wait a minute, Aiye! Are you telling me that you have a boyfriend who's a doctor? Is he a spirit or a living person?"
"A living person."
"What?! Really? The doctor can see you, Aiye?"
"Yes. I don't know why, but he can see me and even touch my body. I wanted to run away and sit quietly, but with my responsibilities weighing on me, I have to find someone to replace me. But I haven't been able to find anyone yet. Faye, you're asking me so many questions. Is something wrong?"
Or maybe Faye was so heartbroken that she'd lost her mind. At first, she was quiet and sad, but now she was all excited.
I was confused.
"I know now how to say goodbye to him, Aiye. You have to help me. Please help tell Dr. Thanwa to tell him for me: I want him to forget me, to continue living happily. Not for his sake, but for mine. I don't want to worry or let him be stuck in misery forever. Because I know him well, he’ll do that" Faye said.
"Faye, I can help you, but to ask Dr. Thanwa to help, I'll have to go see him, and I don't want to see him," I replied in a soft voice. I really didn’t want to see him. I thought that was clear after avoiding him.
"Okay, Aiye, how about this? After I confess my love and say goodbye to him, I'll take over the position of club leader from you. This way, it's a win-win for both of us. You can run away to clear your head, sit around spacing out wherever you want without having to worry about the Clear Gang. What do you say, Aiye?" Faye shook me until I almost turned into a popsicle.
I thought about it for a while. At first, I was about to refuse, but seeing her face full of hope, I couldn't bring myself to say no.
"Alright then," I replied.
“Deal!”
“Wow!”
Faye truly lives up to being a marketer, closing the deal so beautifully. This way, I don't have to worry about the Transparent Gang anymore... right?
So... did I come to help Faye, or did I just get tricked by her?
After agreeing with Faye about her taking over my new position, I had her go learn the ropes at the club, including meeting Aunt Pranee and Aunt Malai. There was even time to take Faye to secretly observe Dr. Alinda, since she was the only doctor who could see us.
Afterwards, Faye reported that Dr. Alinda was really fierce, and that if we ever had to come receive a spirit at the emergency department, we'd have to be very careful.
On Monday, Dr. Thanwa returned to work as usual. I secretly watched him from morning until evening. He searched for me everywhere, begging me to come out and see him. But the thing was, I was hurt. If I were to go out and see him that easily, it wouldn't be called sulking!
I let a whole week pass before finally revealing myself to him.
"Aiye, thank you for agreeing to come see me. I missed you so much. I have good news to tell you, too," Dr. Thanwa said as soon as he saw me, rushing to hug me until I felt uncomfortable.
Good news, huh?! The good news that he's about to marry his fiancée, I bet.
"Doctor, let's not talk about that yet. I have something I need your help with," I said.
"Aiye, why are you calling me ‘Doctor’ so distantly like that? And what do you need my help with?" Dr. Thanwa asked, slightly loosening his embrace.
"Last week, there was a couple who got into an accident and was brought to this hospital. The woman died, but the man survived. They still have some unresolved issues that they didn't get to tell each other. Faye, the woman, asked me to help. Could you perhaps be a representative, a medium to relay a message to the man for me?"
"Of course. I'd do anything for you, Aiye."
I noticed that Dr. Thanwa couldn't see Faye, even though she was standing right next to me. So, he can only see and touch me alone, huh?
Three days later, after the doctor allowed visits to Faye's lover, Faye, Dr. Thanwa, and I went to grant Faye's final wish.
I could only hold Faye in my arms as we floated out of the patient's room afterward. I knew how painful and excruciating it had been.
After Faye came to terms with it, she said she needed three days to collect herself. After that, she would fully commit to her duties as the club leader.
Dr. Thanwa reached out and grabbed my arm when he saw that I was about to flee from him again. "Aiye, don't run away from me yet. We need to talk first. I know who you are now."
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