OOPS! MYSTERIOUS SOUNDS: BOOK 1.

First Voice. 

As soon as I finished speaking, I heard my friends, seniors, and juniors from the faculty clapping and cheering. It was understood that my faculty and the Faculty of Engineering were neck-and-neck. They don't get along very well when it comes to sports. Whenever they meet, there's always some conflict. As you know, both faculties have a predominantly male population, so animosity is normal. It's easy for rivals to dislike each other. Whenever there's a competition, they also sharpen their tongues to intimidate their opponents, in addition to vying for victory in the sport. 

 

Like today's freshman basketball championship, where the finalists are the same pair who meet almost every year, trading wins and losses. And after the game, they often go out for drinks together. But for the past three years, my team has won every time. I joined in cheering with my friends until I heard a voice from the other side shouting: "Nothing is as important as winning at sports science."

 

You bastard. This time, I heard loud cheers and applause from those in school uniforms sitting in the stands on the opposite side. I should have just ignored them. It's funny because banter is part of the fun of watching sports, which everyone understands. But there's one person I really dislike.

 

'Jinna' is its name. I don't know its personal history and never thought about getting involved, but I've heard rumours that it's an athlete. He's a college football player who used to play on the national youth team but suffered recurring injuries that required long recovery periods. Now he only plays for his university club.

 

(Former) A rising football star and girls go hand in hand. I remember in my first year, the girls in my faculty talked about him a lot because he got selected for the team. He made it into the national youth team in the first round. I used to follow his progress and cheer for him for a while when he was at his peak, until last year.

 

I still vividly remember falling out. In my second year, I served as a mentor to the first-year basketball team. The gym at my faculty was closed for renovations, so I had to take my team to practice at the university's main gym. That wouldn't have been a problem if it weren't for the engineering students who were taking up their practice space.  Even though the engineering faculty had plenty of their own courts, Jin, the engineering team's mentor, brought his juniors to practice at the same gym. 

 

Naturally, that meant they had to take turns practising. At first, there were no problems, but as the competition drew near, both sides sought more practice time, leading to frequent clashes and even physical altercations. It wasn't just Jin and me who got into a fight; the other juniors who were supposed to be our friends almost got us disqualified from the competition. Even though it ended well because we shook hands and apologised to each other after the competition, I don't know why I still feel disgusted by him.

 

I can't explain it. Since I disliked him, I tried to ignore him partly because I'm a peace-loving person who doesn't like trouble with anyone. But that guy sitting with both arms resting on the bench on the other side, smirking at me... Ugh. He probably knew I was looking at him.

 

Yes, I looked, and I looked because it was the person who said that last sentence, which drew cheers of delight from his friends. Because of that, I couldn't resist. I couldn't take it anymore, so I subtly flipped them back through the air. I'm a true Thai. I love peace, but if it comes down to fighting, I'm never afraid.

 

That middle finger gesture made the other person pause. It was clear they had seen my gift and seemed quite pleased, even making a face. For a moment, he smiled again at the corner of his mouth. I was incredibly satisfied. I just smirked at it before someone came and sat next to it. Of course, the arrival of the new person made almost everyone sitting there feel uncomfortable. They were cheering, then they turned their attention to...

 

"That's you!"

 

'Dang,' my best friend, the one I secretly have feelings for, nudged my shoulder and pointed to the person we were talking about. Of course, I saw exactly what he said. Actually, I saw it even earlier. I saw Anda smiling and laughing with Jin.

 

"He's your favourite, Pod."

 

'Tum,' another close friend, spoke up. That's right, because I'm a fan of 'Anda,' the young actor who rose to fame two years ago after starring in a BL series. Of course, this cute young man became an overnight sensation from that role, becoming an iconic character that instantly captivated both female BL fans and guys like me who appreciate cuteness.

 

During the series' run, Anda was widely discussed for his popular on-screen pairing with the other male lead, which made both the series and the actors very popular. I've seen social media talk about it and see it trending every week the series airs. I myself used to be a fanboy who went to support him at his events. After that, Anda became a successful actor because his agency cast him in prime-time dramas. 

 

Last year, the role that propelled him to stardom was that of a young man addicted to drugs due to family problems. His acting skills were so well-received that he won an award for best new actor. Anda has a very loyal fan base and has always maintained a positive reputation. Then, Anda's name became famous again because a few days ago he gave an interview to an entertainment program, revealing that he is gay and has a partner who is not in the entertainment industry and is also LGBTQ. Of course, when this news came out of his mouth, it spread like wildfire. Some fans cursed him, unable to accept that their favourite actor from the BL series had admitted to being gay. Others accused him of deception and of hurting his fans' feelings.

 

Certainly, Anda's name has been trending on Twitter over the past few days, with a strong reaction, ranging from encouragement for his courage in accepting himself. Society's negative reactions to his personality led some to dig into his private life, including that of his loved ones.

 

Anda hadn't appeared before the media for several days and hadn't given any interviews, but now he's reappeared at the Freshman Basketball game. Seeing him at the gym and the cheerful expression on his face as he talked to his friends, I was a little relieved to know he was happy. Even though the friend who makes Anda smile is 'it'.

 

Anda is a third-year engineering student in the automotive department, and a best friend of someone I dislike. I know a little about him. Jin's engineering gang, besides Anda, also includes 'Tos,' a carefree guy and football player who helped stop Don from fighting with my faculty and his faculty last year, and 'Art,' a handsome guy from a wealthy family. His gang is full of guys with god-given good looks.

 

"That's brave!"

 

Besides the students from the two faculties seated on the stands, there were also students from other faculties in the centre of the stands due to the competition. For the final round, a large number of students from both faculties will gather, so it's not surprising to see girls and boys from other faculties watching as well.

 

"How could he so casually admit to being gay on camera?"

 

I listened intently and immediately felt a sense of emptiness.

 

"Doesn't he feel any shame?"

 

Those two were still whispering to each other nonstop, so I sighed heavily and said:

 

"Don't feel bad when he smiles happily. While he's smiling, maybe he's breaking down inside." The two of them turned to look at me and stared in surprise.

 

"If you can't accept seeing them happy, then just ignore it, or don't acknowledge it..." I smiled gently at the two of them. "But don't hate them."

 

"I really don't want to see him unhappy."

 

I watched the backs of the two of them as they hurriedly got up and walked away, and a thought of my own flashed through my mind. Anda was so brave...I had to accept my own heart, something I lacked the courage for. In the end, I allowed the unrequited love to remain deeply ingrained within me.

 

Why?

Why didn't you say it?

 

"Excellent."

 

I like you, Dang.

I like you.

 

Dang patted my shoulder. I gave him a weak smile and glanced at his hand around mine. So close, so close that I'd have a chance to speak.

 

"Oh, Boom!"

 

The person beside me beckoned to my close friend. She's the only woman in our group of four, and she's the one who brought the three of us together. We're still close friends to this day. Boom is lovely and cheerful; it's no wonder Dang has feelings for her. I've always known Dang liked Boom, and recently Boom just agreed to be his girlfriend. It's wonderful that my two best friends are in love. I should be happy with this relationship. But I don't know why I feel this pain.

 

"Come, come sit here."

 

Tum then moved his hand to pat my shoulder. Dang moved aside, sliding to sit in another chair, leaving space between him and me for Boom to sit down. I lowered my gaze to the floor. At that moment, Tum knew I liked Dang. He was the one caught in the middle, seeing the love triangle between me, Dang, and Boom. 

 

I still remember the day Boom asked me directly about my feelings towards Dang, because Boom might have suspected something.

 

"I'm serious," I said.

 

"You like Dang, right? Respond to me. I don't want to hurt your feelings if I reciprocate Dang's feelings."

 

"You like Dang, and Dang likes you... That's all. This doesn't even concern me."

 

"It's none of my business, but if you like him right now, I would never make you sad.”

 

Boom is someone who cares about the people around her. She's so concerned about my feelings that I feel ashamed of telling her directly that I like Dang; it might upset my friends. Loving both of them will be difficult.

 

'Just accept his love, Boom.'

 

"And what about you, Pod? I would never hurt my best friend's feelings. Never."

 

'I don't like Dang.'

 

I told Boom that.

I lied to her.

 

"You two are my best friends. It's good that you two love each other. It gives me peace of mind knowing my friends are hanging out with good people."

 

'As long as you guys are happy, I'm happy too.'

 

When I said that, it hurt so much, you know? It hurt like hell. But I swear the word "love" would never leave my mouth and reach Dang's ears.

 

I used to smirk when I thought about that day, acting like the selfless hero, but in the end, I sat there moping like a dog, watching them love each other—what a pathetic hero. Damn it! How good does a loser have to be at taking care of themselves?

 

"Ah"

 

Boom handed me some water. And she didn't just buy any for me; she bought some for Dang and Tum too. Boom's kindness made me feel ashamed that I still couldn't let go of my feelings, still kept thinking… She's already going too far with her new boyfriend.

 

"You missed Boom," Dang grabbed her hand and nodded towards me. "Just now, Phodduang was giving a sermon to someone."

 

"What's the matter?"

 

I turned my face away when Boom reached out with a handkerchief to wipe the corner of her boyfriend's mouth carefully.

 

"The person who was talking about Anda..."

Boom turned and smiled at me because she knew I was a huge fan of Anda.

 

"If you chant that, those two will run away!"

I shook my head.

 

"You're going to step over someone who's already fallen?"

 

"Why hate him so much just for being himself?"

 

Just be yourself. Just having the courage to accept my own heart...a courage I never had. I sighed, pulled out my phone, and opened the Twitter app. I saw the number one trending topic on social media. It's being talked about so much that it's been trending for several days.

 

*Anda isn't manly anymore.*

You bitch, you pretended to be a man @Dokkkk234

 

'The magic of golden beans will conquer the city. #AndaIsNoLongerManly'

I love you, Anda @Andalovelove

 

'This tweet from @Dokkkk234 is extremely rude. Why bully someone for accepting themselves like this? Please report it.'

 

Okay. #AndaIsNoLongerManly

 

Mumme Tao Anda @mysun0

You bastard! I'll slap you for saying that about my child. Whatever happens to him, I love him. Mind your own business! Go back to your hole, you son of a bitch! And add the hashtag *

 

"Anda isn't manly. What does that even mean? Whoever created this tag, I'll curse them. When he did good things, it didn't catch on as a trend. But when something like this happens, everyone gangs up to criticise him. What a terrible person."

 

You're an empty-headed person @eryu_45

 

I heard that #Anda isn't manly anymore. He's hooking up with a friend from his faculty. He's probably all loose now. I've disliked him ever since he starred in that BL series.

 

"And they weren't into the role. The script overshadowed their fame; they only became famous because of their looks."

 

Tawan likes watching BL (Boys' Love) series. Gtawan_ddc

The words and actions reveal the personality of the person who tweeted this. Their thoughts are messed up, and they're incredibly rude. 

 

Quote Tweet: "Empty-headed person @eryu_45 Heard that #AndaIsNotManlyAnymore. He's hooking up with a friend from his faculty. He's probably all loose now."

 

Anda, I've disliked him ever since he starred in that BL series. I didn't find it engaging, and the script was terrible. He's only famous because of his looks.

 

I want to wear flip-flops and then go put on a mask @dfcvis

 

Social media is a society that follows the majority opinion, as seen in the hashtag #AndaIsNoLongerManly. It's about judging a person based on what others say. Just a few comments are posted, and hundreds or thousands of people believe them, when in reality they might not be what they're described as at all. I think you should stop this kind of behaviour, because it's a form of moral gratification.

 

"Anda got hit pretty hard, too."

 

Boom, who was leaning forward to look at my phone screen, spoke up. I nodded in agreement before typing a message into the app.

 

Phodduang is the hub currency. @Phodduang_is_happy

 

"Encouraging Anda. Actually, I didn't want to use the hashtag #AndaIsNoLongerManly, so I'll add another hashtag: #Anda'sSmile."

 

‘yes'

 

I tweeted it along with a picture of Anda standing and smiling, which I took while supporting him at an event. Then I looked up. I leaned up and smiled at the person who was being heavily criticised by society. He turned around at that moment, nodded, and smiled back. I smiled broadly back just as that damn Jin turned his face in our direction. I pouted at him before turning back to see the couple beside him and letting out a deep sigh.

 

After enduring watching my two best friends showering each other with affection for quite a while, I decided to sneak outside during a break in the competition. I still feel uncomfortable with this situation. Get some fresh air outside and clear your mind.

 

"Talking beetle"

 

Meanwhile, I heard someone call my name. When I turned around, I saw the bright smile of a familiar friend from another faculty.

 

'Beam' is a psychology student from the same faculty. We met because we had the opportunity to work together on a health science camp, which brought together the three faculties, my faculty, Psychology, and Allied Health Sciences, that have been working together for many years.

 

Beam is the type of guy who's incredibly cute, and his personality is even better; every time you meet him, there's just a wonderful vibe, unlike his friends. My friend Beam is great in every way, except for one thing. The problem is that Beam is Jin's best friend. Beam once told me that he was from out of town and rented a house to live with Jin and another friend who were studying science.

 

"What are you doing here?"

 

"Jin invited me to watch a basketball game."

 

I smirked immediately. There it is. Just thinking about it, the name instantly came out, irritating my ears.

 

"I heard you're competing in the finals against your faculty today, Phod."

 

"Mm-hmm," I smiled slightly.

 

"I'm rooting for you."

 

Beam is really cute when he smiles. I couldn't resist reaching out and playfully ruffling his hair. I smiled so widely that I could feel the shadowy figure of someone else. Someone stopped at the back, and a mere glance was enough to diminish the earlier aesthetic pleasure until almost nothing remained. I hate the sight of him.

 

"Oh, Jin."

 

Beam waved to the newcomers, while I instantly stopped smiling. Well, there's only one person who can make me lose my composure, and Beam knows exactly who. I don't really get along with his friends.

 

"When did you get here, Jin?"

 

"I saw you called to say you were almost here, so I came out to pick you up. By the way, have you been here long?" I stood listening quietly.

 

"Just arrived. I ran into a beetle and chatted with it for a bit."

 

He glanced at me and gave a slight smirk. If you're not too picky, Jin is a really handsome guy. He has sharp features, dark eyebrows, a typical Thai tan complexion, and always has a smile on his face. His eyes look playful, and he's tall and well-built; probably well over 180 centimetres. When he stands next to his best friend, Beam, Beam only reaches his chest. At the same time, I was about two or three centimetres shorter than it.

 

"What are you guys talking about? Let me join  the conversation." It said with a smile.

 

"We're finished talking. I'll be going now."

 

I spoke first, then turned to go to the restroom, not caring how the person behind me felt. I needed to take care of my personal business first. I froze when I turned around and saw the person I hated standing there urinating at the urinal next to me. He glanced over for a moment and then smirked.

 

"Do you hate me that much?" he asked, smiling. "It's been so long, and you're still angry at me?" I pursed my lips tightly. The feud between us was a long time ago, and the reason I'm still mad at him is probably because of that day when some students from my faculty got into a fight with students from another faculty. I got in the way and got caught in the crossfire, resulting in me having to wear a cast on one arm for almost a month. This was during the time he was away trying out for the national team, before returning with the injury and remaining sidelined until now.

 

The coach of the engineering faculty's basketball team, who didn't show up to supervise his team and started a clear fight on my side, almost escalated the situation, and has made me mark him as a target ever since. I've been resentful of him ever since because he never showed up to take responsibility or apologise on my side. Only Tos, Art, and his seniors came to apologise to us.

 

As for the person who led the engineering team to practice at the central gym until the fight broke out, he's disappeared without a trace. Honestly, I really want to understand why. He disappeared because he was called up for national team tryouts, but he should have fulfilled his assigned responsibilities instead of just disappearing like that.

 

"How can I make you stop being angry with me?"

 

I glanced at his face for a moment, and then Tum walked into the restroom. The guy who was peeing next to me then went to wash his hands. Then he walked away. I watched his broad back until he disappeared.

 

"You're not planning to fight him, are you?" Tum asked with a smile, because he knew very well that I didn't get along with Jin. After we finished our business, we washed our hands before heading back to the gym along the path.

 

"Ai Phod"

 

"what"

 

"The question I asked earlier, you guys aren't planning to fight, are you?"

 

"nothing"

 

"So..." He looked me straight in the face, "Are you okay? About Dang and Boom?" I sighed and shook my head.

 

"No way," I sighed in frustration. "It's tough, Tum."

 

It slapped my shoulder hard.

 

"I don't know how to help you, Phod, but you have to get through this."

 

"What happened?"

 

I spun around to look at the third person. I didn't know how long Boom had been standing there. Her curious and questioning expression left me speechless. I sighed. I caught my breath as Tum had already slipped away. Boom then walked over and stopped in front of me.

 

"What's wrong, P'Phod?"

 

"nothing"

 

"You can speak to me frankly."

 

I shook my head when I saw the questioning look in her eyes.

 

"You're lying to me, aren't you?" Boom's face was full of suspicion. "You like Dang, don't you, Phod?" I stammered. Boom's face and eyes were full of doubt, and they were red and teary.

 

"Did I hurt your feelings?"

 

I sighed heavily when she asked, her voice trembling. Boom is a loyal friend. If she knew I liked Dang, their relationship would end.

 

"Boom," I said softly, "I already have someone I like." She looked surprised.

 

"We're currently in discussions," I spoke softly, my mind racing to find a way to distract my female friend.

 

"Who?"

 

Yeah, who is it? Who was it...? I pursed my lips tightly, because I was lying to her again.

 

"Who is it, Phod?"

 

I was speechless. I tried to force a name out of my head. Boom knew I liked men, so that he could rule out any girls on my faculty. If it were a guy, I didn't know anyone except Beam. Of course, Boom knew Beam. She knew I could never like Beam because we were quite close and had done camps together for many years. She looked at me expectantly.

 

"Uh," for a moment, I thought of someone's face. I'll borrow your name for a bit, "Jin."

 

"Huh?" Boom frowned, "Who?" 

 

I thought the matter would be over once I spoke up, if only the person whose name had been misused hadn't stopped behind the ditch, their eyes glancing over. For a fleeting moment, I smirked, a smile playing on my lips, making my face flush.

Damn it.

That's just too much timing.

***I have kept with the Author using ‘it’ and not corrected him/he just in case there is a reason for that. It could be a translation error; I won't know until I get further along in the book. If the story doesn't make sense with ‘it’, I will change it to ‘him’ or ‘he’. ***