First of all, I just want to say that this manhwa/bl/MLM is based on the original story of the Thai bl series Khemjira where Khem died at the age of 21 and met a shaman named pharan who is a teacher in a rural village: As Khem's birthday approaches, the curse becomes stronger.
I hope you like this story.
THE NAME THAT SAVED HIM
(Full Story Summary — Original but Inspired by Khemjira)
Prologue: The Curse of the Sangrak Family
In a quiet mountain town called Ban Phra Nuan, the Sangrak family carried a curse for centuries.Every firstborn son would die before turning twenty-one. The curse began when a Sangrak ancestor betrayed a forest spirit by cutting down her sacred tree to build his house. Before she vanished into mist, the spirit whispered,
"No son of your blood shall ever live to see his twenty-first sunrise."
Since then, every generation tried, and failed,to break the curse. Until one woman, Mae Chan, decided to try something different. When her son was born, she gave him a girl's name. Khemajira , hoping to trick the spirit into believing he wasn't a son at all.
CHARACTER INTRODUCTION
1. Khemajira "Khem" Sangrak
Age: 20 (turning 21 soon)
Personality: Quiet, introspective, emotionally deep, musically gifted (plays guitar + writes songs when anxious).
Appearance: Pale skin, soft eyes, short black hair with a strand that always falls over his forehead.
Background: Born male but given a girl's name to hide him from the curse haunting the Sangrak family .Where every son dies before 21.
Secret: Feels torn between living freely as himself or hiding behind the name that protects him.
2. Phan Suttirat
Age: 25
Occupation: Literature teacher from the city, newly assigned to Ban Phra Nuan's local school.
Personality: Calm, logical, a little sarcastic, but gentle at heart.
Appearance: Tall, sharp-featured, always in a white shirt rolled at the sleeves.
Role: The one who sees through Khem's silence.Becomes his emotional anchor and eventually his reason to fight fate.
3. Mae Chan Sangrak
Age: 48
Personality: Traditional, overprotective, loving but secretive.
Role: Khem's mother who named him "Khemajira" to save his life. Keeps a silver bracelet that connects to the spirit world.
4. Nira
Age: 26
Personality: Mysterious, cold but elegant.
Role: The forest spirit who cursed the Sangrak bloodline.But may also be protecting something of her own.
5. Tanon
Age: 19
Personality: Cheerful and curious, Khem's best friend who suspects something is wrong.
Role: The light comic relief, but later a key piece in uncovering the truth behind the curse.
CHAPTER 1 : THE BOY WITH A GIRL'S NAME
The story opens with Khem's ordinary life
quiet days in Ban Phra Nuan, whispers of the family curse, and the countdown to his 21st birthday.
The town of Ban Phra Nuan was always quiet at dawn. The bamboo leaves whispered like prayers carried by the wind, and the air smelled faintly of rain even when the sky was clear. It was the kind of place where every name had a story and every story came with a curse.
Khemajira Sangrak was born into both.
His mother, Mae Chan, had been told by the village seer that her son would die before his twenty-first birthday, just like every firstborn male in their family. The curse had taken her father, her brother, and her husband.
So when her son came crying into the world, she named him Khemajira a girl's name hoping the spirit that haunted their bloodline would be foole
PHARAN'S GRANDFATHER:If they think you are a daughter," she whispered, tracing a charm of silver on his tiny wrist,
"maybe they'll let you live."
And so, the boy with the girl's name grew up under the shadow of silence.
People in the market would glance his way and murmur,
People:"That's the Sangrak boy. The cursed one."
But Khem as he preferred to be called never argued. He'd learned that quiet was safer than truth.His house stood near the edge of the forest, old and wooden, creaking when the wind passed through. Beneath the floorboards, wrapped in faded red cloth, lay the Sangrak heirloom: a silver bracelet said to be bound with the spirit's mark.
Khem lived a simple rhythm school, home, guitar. He loved to climb the rooftop at night, strumming soft melodies that no one ever heard, except maybe the ghosts.
Sometimes, when he stopped playing, he could almost hear a whisper in return.
Nira:"You cannot hide from me, Khem…"
The voice was faint, female, almost tender but it chilled him every time.
That evening, his mother entered his room holding a small plate of rice and salt.
Mae Chan Sangrak:"You must be careful, my son," she said softly. "Your birthday is near. Don't go near the old temple."
Khem's answer: mha..'' we can't live in fear forever. It's just a story."
Mae Chan Sangrak:Take a deep breath."hyssss"
Mae Chan smiled sadly and brushed his hair back from his forehead
Mae Chan Sangrak:curse doesn't need your belief to exist, Khem. It only needs your name."
The next morning, school felt like any other day . Until he noticed a new teacher standing by the gate.
Tall, calm, wearing a crisp white shirt rolled to his elbows. His eyes lingered on Khem for just a second too long
Pharan:"Good morning," the teacher said with a small smile. "You must be Khem??.."
Khem froze. No one had said his full name out loud in years.
The temple bell rang once , though no one had touched it.
To be continued...