OOPS! MYSTERIOUS SOUNDS: BOOK 1.

The Tenth voice. 

 

I sat there for almost a minute. At that moment, I felt ice-cold, as if every drop of blood in my body had stopped circulating. Everything around me was silent, so silent that I could hear my own hot, ragged breath. Suddenly, tears welled up in my eyes for no reason. I was at a loss until Jin's strong hand shook my shoulder.

 

"Phod Duang"

 

I looked up at it, and it was looking at me with a worried expression.

 

“....”

 

"Did you hear that right?"

 

He went silent, removed the earbuds from his and my ears, and placed them in the case.

 

"Jin"

 

"Are you scared?"

 

I was speechless because I had just realised that I was facing something supernatural that science couldn't explain.

 

"Are you scared?"

 

It asked again, its gentle tone making me shake my head quickly.

 

"I'm not afraid of Anda, but I don't understand what's going on."

 

I clutched my head at the situation I was facing. After Jin accidentally blurted out Anda's name, the cries for help became hesitant and choppy before they eventually faded away.

 

"Anda hasn't gone anywhere."

 

Jin spoke in a flat tone. His words sent shivers down my spine. That meant the voice I'd heard was the lifeless spirit of the famous former actor. Of course, once I regained my composure, all my senses returned, and a gentle breeze suddenly blew across my body, making me tremble and shift closer until my shoulder was pressed against the person beside me. Jin glanced over for a moment before a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

 

"Didn't you say you weren't scared? What you're talking about is a ghost, you idiot. No matter how strong-willed you are, you're bound to get spooked. Even if you were close to someone or loved someone who died, the afterlife and the human world are not the same."

 

 I frowned.  "I know Anda probably didn't intend to haunt me, but I can't help but feel uneasy. Just hearing his voice gives me goosebumps. I don't know what form the dead will take when they come back. It's not surprising that we're afraid of inanimate objects."

 

"You're right," Jin said. "Anda didn't mean to scare you."

 

I stared at Jin’s face.

 

"What are you trying to say?"

 

"It's asking us for help."

 

"How did you know?"

 

Jin didn't answer; he just shrugged. But if I had to guess, it's probably because of the special ability that allows him to hear things that I myself cannot perceive.

 

"What's going on, Jin? What does Anda need our help with?"

 

"Do you know that the Andadad family decided to keep his body until after the seven-day funeral rites?"

 

"What did you say?" I asked, panicked, my mind racing with the Twitter accounts mentioning the suspicious circumstances surrounding Anda's death, or the possibility that Anda might not have committed suicide. Could that be the case?

 

My heart sank, and my body went cold again, because I didn't want to think about what kind of abnormality Anda might be experiencing during this time. The end of life

 

"We're going to Anda's funeral service today," Jin asked. "Do you want to come?"

 

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It was a little after six o'clock that day. My close friend and I arrived at a pavilion in the temple after having agreed earlier to attend Anda’s ceremony. Tonight, I called my close friends to arrange a meet-up here. Boom and Dang were free, while Tum was out of town with his family.

 

I glanced at my two best friends, who had volunteered to be my companions. No matter how bad things were for me, they were always there. Before, I would have felt a pang of pain seeing Boom and Dang holding hands, but today those feelings were so faint I couldn't even feel them. Instead, I was happy to see them by each other's side. After averting my gaze from my friends, I saw Jin and the engineering gang, including Beam and Thiw, in a corner. They must have arrived quite a while before me.

 

When Jin turned around and saw us standing awkwardly in front of the pavilion, he stopped in front of us and led us to the spot where we were outlining the boundary marker. Anda was lifeless. I looked around because it was still quiet here, as the monks wouldn't start chanting until 8 PM. Therefore, my close friends and industry professionals hadn't shown up yet.

 

I stopped in front of Anda's picture, as if he were smiling at me right now. Just that alone sent shivers down my spine, remembering how I'd heard Anda's voice through those troublesome headphones I'd brought with me earlier. After we'd finished lighting the candles, Jin took us to meet Anda's family. I saw Anda's mother's pale face and felt so sorry for her that I couldn't speak. She forced a smile and thanked us for our help. Beside her sat Anda's father, motionless and weary, but he still managed to greet us with a few words.

 

It's heartbreaking to see the parents lose their son so prematurely. I sighed deeply and followed Jin to help him attend to the other guests. Because I was looking elsewhere, I accidentally bumped into Jin's back. When the other person suddenly stopped walking, I clutched my nose, which their back had hit with full force, and winced.

 

"Brother Itthi"

 

"Oh, Jin."

 

I glanced at Jin's interlocutor, who was wearing a half-uniform of a police officer, a white t-shirt on top and khaki slacks on the bottom.

 

"You're at just the right time. I was going to talk to you."

 

I stood still, acting as if I were invisible, quietly listening to Jin talking to the person in front of me.

 

"Is there something wrong?"

 

"Brother Itthi," the person in question, sighed deeply before glancing in my direction. He furrowed his brows slightly, so I quickly bowed respectfully, because from what I'd observed, this man must be a close relative or family member of Anda.

 

"Poddueang is Anda's friend from university," Jin introduced me to him. 

 

"Poddueang, this is Itthi, Anda's older brother." He introduced me to the other person before asking, "So, Mr Itthi, is there anything I can help you with?"

 

He made a troubled face.

"I want Jin to talk to my parents for me."

 

"What is it about?"

 

"It's about the story of them keeping Anda's body and refusing to cremate it."

 

"Yes?"

 

My ears perked up immediately, as did Jin's, who had a bewildered expression.

 

"I don't want Mom and Dad to suffer any more. Mom has heart disease, and Dad has other chronic illnesses. He hasn't been able to eat or sleep for several days. I'm afraid something might happen to him again." His face looked really stressed. 

 

"Regarding the case, I want to leave it to the police. My friend is in charge of the case and is gathering more evidence. Everything will be resolved soon. I'm not taking it lightly at all. I want Mom and Dad to let go. I don't want Anda to have any worries and be unhappy," he said, his eyes red and teary. That sight made me reflect and truly sympathise with the grieving family.

 

"But Mom absolutely refused. She said she couldn't accept it yet. Every night she wakes up in the middle of the night, crying for my sibling. Dad felt sorry for her and only agreed to let her keep my sibling's body for now," the older sibling said, looking worried. "If this continues, I'm afraid Mom will become seriously ill. She was very attached to my sibling. I understand she can't accept it, but I don't want her to cling to it like this. It doesn't do any good for either the one who is left or the one who has passed away."

 

Jin sighed heavily.

 

"When I talked to Mom about this, she wouldn't listen. So I wanted Jin to talk to them. Right now, Jin is the only one Mom listens to the most. Jin has been coming and going from my house for a long time, and he's also a close friend of Anda."

 

"Your mother must be having a hard time accepting this."

Brother Itthi sighed heavily.

 

"Mom's still sulking at Dad and me. Every time we talk, she's sulky and won't listen to reason. I know Mom is upset, and Dad and I feel guilty for saying mean things in the past. My sibling might be contemplating suicide."

 

My ears perked up immediately because I had overheard Jin talking to his friends about how Anda's family couldn't accept Anda coming out, and they had a big argument about it.

 

"These days, I can barely face my mother. She's so angry and resentful, it's like I'm not even her child." The speaker looked truly exhausted and pitiful.

 

"Calm down, brother. Mom is grieving right now, that's why she's acting like this. Give her some time. Don't be upset, Itthi."

 

"My mother loves Anda very much because he's never been healthy since birth. That's why my mother has doted on him since he was a child. I don't even want to think about it, but sometimes I can't help but feel a little hurt, Jin."

 

"I understand, P'Itthi. Take your time. You can consult us if you need anything."

 

"Thanks a lot, Jin. Please take care of what we discussed today."

 

"Okay. I can't promise my parents will believe me, but I'll try."

He accepted the command.

 

"If Jin says something, they will probably listen."

 

"Brother Itthi," he called out to his older brother, but glanced at me briefly. "Regarding the case... have you found any additional evidence?" His brother looked worried.

 

"Don't tell anyone," P'Itthi glanced at me briefly. "There's a large amount of money coming into Kum's account, which originated from Anda’s account."

 

Does that mean Anda's lover is a suspect in this case?

 

As it got later, the place grew crowded because it was the first night of the funeral service. I served water for quite a while, only getting breaks between the monks' chanting. That's when I started looking around. The atmosphere was filled with sadness, but in another corner, I saw Anda's lover, dressed entirely in black and wearing a black mask, sitting upright, his eyes fixed on Anda's picture. Is that person the culprit everyone's talking about?

 

I furrowed my brows in confusion because throughout the event, people had been speaking negatively about Anda's lover. I believed those words must have reached his ears. He was probably there, but he remained seated, motionless, not responding to anyone or uttering a single word. Despite being a suspect, he still attended the event, acting normally. Even though he was sitting in a corner far away from everyone else, and no one approached him, as if he were some unwelcome being, occasionally, some of Anda's engineering friends would drop by to greet him. I secretly observed the man for a while, but I didn't see him take his eyes off the scene.

 

If I'm not mistaken, I saw pain in those eyes.

 

A large sum of money came into Aquarius's account, originating from Anda’s account. 'But Anda’s brother's words kept echoing in my head.' Just then, my phone rang. It was my younger brother calling, so I jumped up from my spot, afraid the phone call would disturb the guests, and fumbled for earphones because the chanting was quite loud, worried the sound would interfere with the conversation.

 

"Hey, Satang."

[I've arrived at the condo, P'Phod. Pao drove me there.]

 

I breathed a sigh of relief because I had planned to drive to pick up my younger brother, but since I had promised to come to Anda's event, I had to remind him not to come back to the condo too late. 

 

I felt relieved when I heard he had arrived back. I talked to him for a while before he hung up. Just as I was about to take off my headphones, I froze when I heard a crying sound coming from them. It was as if both my legs were being secured in place with a pin.

 

Anda's crying.

 

I got goosebumps all over. My heart sank, my body trembled, and I listened intently to the sound of sobbing, my legs stiffening, because the owner of that voice was deeply saddened. I took a deep breath before steeling myself to speak.

 

"You"

 

The sound of crying gradually faded, as if it were cutting in, like a signal being interrupted.

 

"What can I help Anda with?"

 

"Help... help me."

 

I listened intently while looking around, since it was quite dark in this area, as we were far from the pavilion.

 

"help"

 

The eerie atmosphere sent shivers down my spine. I quickly strode away from the area before screaming in fright at what I saw. A tall figure dressed entirely in black stood motionless in the dark corner. Brother Kum...Andama's lover, I don't know how long he's been standing here. The other person frowned slightly when they heard my exclamation, and I instinctively stepped back when our eyes met... those eyes were filled with tears.

 

"Uh..."

 

"Sorry to startle you."

 

That hunched posture evoked an inexplicable feeling of pity. He spoke in a deep voice before nodding his head as if apologising. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw tears welling up in those pained eyes. He stood there motionless, covering his face with his hands and crying.

 

"N-no problem." I stammered out a few words before walking away, but I couldn't help but turn back to look at the person behind me. Anda's lover was still standing there. A tap on my shoulder made me jump again. Seeing Beam's bewildered expression, I let out a heavy sigh.

 

"I was so startled, Jin."

 

"What are you doing standing here so quietly? I was looking for you just now."

 

"I was going outside to take a phone call."

 

"Who were you looking at?"

 

"No one, let's go back inside the party."

 

I grabbed Jin's arm and walked into the pavilion just as Jin was coming towards us. He didn't ask anything, just stared at me silently. I don't know if he noticed anything. Did he notice my unusual expression? But after that, Jin kept glancing at me until the ceremony that night was over.

 

Boom and Dang have already left. Actually, I should have gone back too, but because I wanted to talk to Jin, I told them I'd go back on my own. Jin's engineering gang has also dispersed. Beam went back with Thiw. So now it's just me and Jin. I followed him until we reached his parked motorcycle. He handed me a helmet to put on, but because I wasn't used to it, I fumbled with the clasp. Jin smirked before pulling the helmet back. Unlock it and put it on my head. When he leans down, our faces are just a hand's width apart. We exchanged silent glances.

 

"What's wrong?" Its slender fingers brushed the hair away from his face. "Is something bothering you?"

 

"Can you drop me off at my condo?" I murmured before turning my face away, unable to bear its gaze.

 

"okay"

 

After he finished speaking, he started the motorcycle. I climbed on the back and held onto his shirt tightly until the bike slowly started moving.

 

"Are you scared?"

 

It turned to ask me something while the bike was stopped at a red light. I pursed my lips tightly because today's events were quite unsettling.

 

"Are you scared?"

 

"Afraid," I answered softly. Jin reached out one hand and touched the back of my hand, stroking it gently.

 

"Are you feeling better?"

 

That hand was still holding my wrist until the traffic light turned green.

 

"Dangerous, Jin."

"Let go."

 

No matter how scared I am, nothing is as terrifying as driving with one hand, even though deep down I don't want him to let go. "Let go, you idiot! Doing this is dangerous!"

 

I released its wrist, then gently patted its back. Finally, it let go and steered the handlebars back. So I moved closer and hugged him. I held onto his waist so I wouldn't distract him while he was driving with one hand. I made eye contact with Jin through the side mirror. He rolled up the visor of his helmet, revealing a smirk. That made my face flush. But even so, I didn't let go of the other person's waist.

 

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Jin didn't drop me off at my condo, but he took me to a roadside rice porridge stall not far from my condo.

 

"I'm hungry." It spoke up as we stopped by, then led the way and sat down at a table. It ordered three or four dishes before ordering a bowl of rice porridge each. It seemed familiar to the shop owner because he had seen the owner talking to it for a long time.

 

"Wow, you know a lot of people."

 

"After football practice, we usually stop by to eat with Tos and the others late at night."

 

I nodded. "And what about the shop that day?"

 

"My sister's shop closes early. If it's not too late, go to that one. If it's late, like tonight, then go to this guy's shop."

 

"…"

 

"But I've never brought anyone other than my friends to this place," he said calmly, but the meaning of his words made me turn around sharply.

 

"I didn't ask."

 

"I want to tell you, It said with a smile.

 

This guy is so charming. We didn't have to wait long for our food. As soon as each dish was served, my stomach started rumbling. The food at this restaurant is incredibly delicious. The aroma was so enticing that I couldn't resist and started devouring several servings without thinking. When I looked up, I saw Jin sitting there watching me.

 

"What are you staring at? You're not eating."

 

"You look hungry."

 

I reluctantly nodded in agreement, because while I was at the event, I was busy helping them serve drinks, and besides, I'd encountered so many strange things that I couldn't eat anymore, and only when I got to this point did I realise how hungry I was.

 

"Would you like another bowl of rice?"

 

I gave a weak smile and nodded slightly. He then got up to ask for more porridge and soon returned with a bowl that looked larger than usual.

 

"Wow, you brought a lot!"

 

"The owner likes to give extra to the football players who come to eat."

 

"How kind."

 

I made a face at Jin, who seemed to think not only that the owner was kind but also that the female servers were waiting to refill our drinks. Does it even know what kind of looks other people are giving it? Women are staring at it like that, and it's just sitting there eating with a straight face. I saw the back of its face when he was getting the order details. The order details were a ten-digit number, similar to a phone number.

 

"What kind of face are you making?"

 

I paused, having forgotten myself, probably making a strange face that the other person noticed.

 

"I envy the footballers who get so many privileges."

 

"Sometimes the football players like to bring their girlfriends to eat, and the owner is always kind enough to give them extra."

 

"That's extreme jealousy."

 

It lifted its head from its food and looked me straight in the face.

 

"Why be jealous of yourself?"

 

Wait a minute, what did you say?... Why are you jealous of yourself?

 

'Sometimes footballers like to bring their girlfriends to eat with them.'

 

I gaped as Jin flashed a smirk before going back to eating. Since he didn't say anything more, I shouldn't rub it in. The point is to make your own heart work harder.

 

I ate my meal in silence, but that silence made me feel awkward. That jerk just kept eating with his head down, smiling so much I wanted to twist the corners of his mouth into a hole. Meanwhile, it seemed like a message had arrived on his phone's chat app. He leaned over to look at the screen, and a slight smile played on his lips, smiling at the phone.

 

After that, he stopped eating, grabbed his phone, and started pressing buttons for a while. That behaviour made me curious. After a moment, he suddenly looked up from his phone screen and saw me looking at him. The moment our eyes met, I quickly looked away.

 

"I talked to Aunt Amporn."

 

Who is it...? I frowned immediately, and didn't have to wonder long when it was the one who answered the question that popped into my head, as if it could see me.

 

"They're my elders. If I have some free time, I'll take you to pay your respects and get to know them."

 

Do I need to know Jin's relatives, too?

 

"I want us to get to know each other."

 

"Why?"

 

It looked at me and smirked. That kind of behaviour made me feel strange; the look in its eyes made me too shy to ask any further questions. I have to admit. At that moment, I was afraid of the answer.

 

"A few months ago, I taught my aunt how to use LINE, so she likes sending me 'Happy Monday' pictures."

 

"Just like my mom," I smiled, thinking of my own mom who used to send pictures of flowers to greet me every morning. "My mom sent them every morning."

 

"It's no different." Jin's voice sounded cheerful, showing no sign of irritation or annoyance towards the sender.

 

"I once asked why my aunt keeps sending 'Happy Monday' pictures."

I listened attentively.

 

"She said she sent it just to let me know that she's still alive today."

"..."

 

"Jin, please don't be annoyed with Auntie, dear. Because I don't know how long I'll be alive to keep sending you pictures to say hello." Jin's voice was incredibly gentle when he said this. His gaze drifted into the distance, while I froze for a moment, reflecting that sometimes I never reply to the messages my mom sends. Sometimes I pretend to ignore them. I lowered my gaze to the LINE chat picture my mom sent yesterday and pursed my lips tightly.

 

For a moment, I pictured Jin, the guy who raised his hand at his rival, his voice fierce and terrifying when he was angry. But it was also the same Jin who mentioned his relatives. Adults speak in a gentle tone. Surprisingly, seeing this side of it made me feel incredibly good. After that, we ate our meals in silence until the slice was gone.

 

"Today at the event...." I brought up the topic because I was reminded of a strange incident that happened at the event.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"Me," I hesitated to speak, "I...I thought I heard Anda crying through the headphones again." Jin paused before extending his hand towards me.

 

"Can I keep your earphones?" He looked worried. "But if you're not comfortable with it, it's okay." I pondered for a moment.

 

"I just didn't want you to worry," he explained. "You don't get used to supernatural things easily. You have to adjust gradually. It's just a matter of the day."

 

"You're already so pale. If you keep hearing this every day, I'm afraid you won't be able to handle it."

 

These kinds of mysteries are really hard to handle. I nodded and handed him the headphones in their case.

 

"What if Anda really needs our help?" I asked.

 

"Then we'll help each other." It spoke in a firm voice.

 

"Mm-hmm"

 

We continued with our meal in silence. While we were paying the bill, I happened to spot a convenience store and thought I'd stop by to buy some antacids because I ate so much late at night, I'm worried I'll have a bloated stomach and won't be able to sleep tonight.

 

"Do you want anything?" I turned to ask Jin, who was waiting for change from the vendor at the store. Looking at the convenience store," he shook his head, so I walked away. While browsing for antacids and personal items, I heard a Facebook chat notification and had to pull out my phone to check.

 

Jin.Jin: I'd like a beer.

 

Huh?

 

"What kind of beer do you want?" I frowned but didn't ask anything further before walking straight to the refrigerator and picking out a can of beer. I came out of the shop and saw Jin leaning against his motorcycle. I offered him a beer, but he immediately raised an eyebrow. He paused for a moment before bursting into laughter.

 

"This automatic spell check mode is really too good."

 

"What the hell?"

 

"I didn't ask for beer."

 

"Oh"

 

He just shrugged, grabbed a can of beer, put it in his backpack, started the car, and drove me to my condo.

 

"Thanks for giving me a ride." I returned the helmet to him after he dropped me off.

 

"Mmm."

 

"I'm going."

 

"Actually, I didn't type 'request a beer'."

 

I furrowed my brows. "What are you going to type?"

 

It stared at me intently. "Can I have your number?"

 

"This automatic spell check mode is really too good," Jin suddenly said.

 

"Can I have your number?"

 

"What did you say?"

 

"Can I have your number? Can I have your number... even just as someone to talk to?" It winked.

 

Damn, do all other people have the same reaction when a guy asks for their number? My face gets hot, my heart races, my hands and feet feel clumsy, and I don't know what to do at all.