OOPS! MYSTERIOUS SOUNDS: BOOK 1.

The Fourteenth voice. 

"How do you feel about the passing of Anda, Mom?" As soon as the reporter finished the interview in that clip, I heard Boom, who was sitting next to me, curse.

 

"The questions are so unconstructive."

 

"True," the main speaker, Tun, agreed. "Their child is gone. They must be devastated, their faces aren't beaming. They can't answer any questions." 

 

I couldn't help but nod in agreement with what Tum said. Right now, we're watching a live stream of the interview with Anda's family. Today is the first time the family, along with their lawyer, has given an interview since the news of his death. Most of the speaking comes from his older brother and the lawyer, while his parents sit silently, especially his mother, who has her head down, crying. It's a truly heartbreaking sight.

 

I listened to the interview for a while, and then the football players finished their practice. Both Boom and Tum were free today to watch Dang and his teammates practice. The athletes were cooling down after their strenuous workout. Since I had to supervise them, I went to help them with their stretching.

 

I didn't see Jin's rival today. Actually, I haven't seen him since the day he played roughly with his teammates. I heard he got in trouble with the coach. A disciplinary action was ordered, though its exact nature is unclear. But it's good that it hasn't materialised, as the team atmosphere has been very calm lately.

 

It was almost 9 PM when I walked to the athletes' lockers to collect my first-aid supplies. I saw Jin changing clothes, but strangely, he wasn't there today. He changed back into his Grab driver's uniform. I guess I stared for too long, because he noticed and gave that smirk. I turned away, lost in thought about that afternoon. It had told us to stop pretending and talk for real. Did it realise how much it was making me worry?

 

"what"

 

"Did I make you overthink things?" It asked. "What's the matter?"

 

I pretended not to notice, ignoring its dazzling gleam.

 

"Our Story"

I immediately bared my fangs at it.

 

"What are you talking about? I don't know anything about it."

 

"You're really stubborn, aren't you?"

 

"Have you ever tasted it?"

 

"ever"

 

It answered instantly, which made me quickly cover my lips. Damn, I've fallen into its trap again. How can I refuse in a way that backfires? Has it forgotten that we once kissed?

 

Sigh.

"You bastard."

 

He chuckled softly, a slight smile playing on his lips. He was aware that the other man smiled a lot, making people's minds wander. Damn it.

 

"Let's put our issue aside for now and focus on this one."

 

I looked bewildered until it pulled my headphones out of its pocket.

"Regarding headphones"

 

Seeing these strange headphones reminded me of today's interview with the Andaman family.

 

"Do you know that Anda's mother decided to keep Anda's body instead of cremating it?"

 

I nodded slightly.

 

"I didn't talk to his parents about Itthi's request."

 

"Why?" I looked startled while it simply shook its head.

 

"Because I suspect something..." he said slowly. "Maybe the reason Anda doesn't want to leave is that he needs our help. Even if he's already been cremated. If the spirit hasn't moved on, then that's all there is to it."

 

I completely agree with what it says.

 

"I heard Anda's voice again the other day."

 

I immediately put on a cheerful face. "From the headphones?"

Jin shook his head.

"nothing"

 

"So what did Anda tell you?"

"He said it didn't want to die."

 

I'm confused.

"You can't help but think, can you...?"

 

I pressed my lips together tightly.

 

"Anda may have been murdered."

 

After Jin finished speaking, I let out a big sigh.

——————————

 

'Anda may have been murdered.'

 

Jin's words weighed heavily on my heart. I couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard I tried. It was becoming a big problem, far beyond my understanding. I'm just a third-year B-level student, but this assumption is just speculation. There's no concrete evidence; only the special senses of Jin and his friends can confirm something unusual. But there's no scientific evidence at all.

 

I sighed deeply before turning my attention back to the study sheets in front of me. Just then, I heard Ai Dang calling out from a distance. He looked panicked.

Panic ensued as he frantically waved his phone around until it stopped right in front of him, breathless and exhausted.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"Have you heard the news?"

I looked puzzled.

 

"My professor is going to give a quiz before class today."

 

"woeful"

 

I slapped my forehead. Our teacher was really strict, randomly selecting quizzes without prior notice to test her students. While I understood her intention – probably to make us review our lessons, since the quizzes were all course material – even diligent students like us felt a little nervous, she never gave us any warning; it was basically just a gamble.

 

"And what about Tum?"

 

I suddenly remembered that Tum didn't come to school today because his grandmother passed away, so he had to drive his family to another province to take care of some matters.

 

"He's already called the professor. He'll probably send the leave request form later."

I nodded.

 

"The quiz is in half an hour. Is there enough time to read this now?"

 

"I'll get it," I replied with a smile. "But whether I'll remember it is another matter."

 

"Thanks for the advice, you jerk," he said, glaring at me. "Yeah, of course. I'm not as smart as you. Whether I study or not, I'll always be at the top of my class."

 

"That person is talented." I raised my eyebrow at him, causing him to reach out and playfully ruffle my hair.

 

"Damn it, my hair's all messed up!"

 

Instead of listening, Dang shook my head even harder.

 

"Let go, you bastard!"

 

"Are you good?"

 

The guy used one hand to lock my neck and the other to shake my head. That made me stumble closer until my back was pressed against his chest. I paused for a moment. If it had happened before, the closeness between us would have made my heart flutter and embarrassed me. But today, that feeling of pain had gradually faded, and before I knew it, I no longer felt the hurt of being in a "close friend with ulterior motives."

 

We're really suited to be friends.

 

"Are you going to fight?" The guy spoke loudly, his voice rising above his head.

 

"Ow! My bones are going to shatter! Let go!" I struggled free and cursed at my best friend, who released my head and switched to tickling my waist instead.

 

"Let me go! Haha! Loan shark!"

 

"I'm not letting go!"

 

"Let go!" I was laughing as I spoke. The more I tried to escape, the tighter it held me, as if trying to tease me even more.

 

"Are you giving up yet?"

 

"Let me go!"

 

"Have you given in to me yet?"

 

"Okay, okay, I give up."

 

"That's all? Oh, Jin, how did you get here?"

 

I spun around to look in Dang's direction, then froze when I saw Jin had appeared there. I don't know how long he'd been there. He narrowed his eyes, looking at me and then at Dang, but he refused to say anything, which made me quickly pull away from Dang, who was holding me.

 

"I'm here to drop off Beam."

 

"Oh"

 

Its answer made me notice Beam standing next to Jin, grinning widely with an iced tea in his hand.

 

"Phod Duang"

 

I nodded in greeting to Beam before turning to look at Jin again. He smirked, but the smile didn't reach his eyes; it was more of a sarcastic grin. His mouth smiled, but his eyes were hard and emotionless, making my heart skip a beat. I watched his broad back as he walked away, sighing heavily and looking around nervously.

 

"Go ahead." That bastard whispered in my ear, his face showing he knew what I was thinking.

 

"Go quickly, beetle!" Beam tugged at my arm repeatedly and pointed at that bastard Jin as he walked away towards the bathroom. I sighed heavily, feeling as if he were trying to appease the other person, yet my body seemed to move in sync with the stoic football player's movements.

 

When I walked into the restroom, Jin was standing there doing his business. So I pretended to wash my hands. We made eye contact through the restroom mirror. For a moment, it turned its face away.

 

"Damn it, what are you doing? Let go of my hand!"

 

"We're going the same way. Want to walk together?"

 

"Let go of my hand."

 

"Can't I hold your hand? Or is it only Dang who can hold your hand?" His voice was calm, but his eyes were incredibly fierce.

 

"You weren't just touching, you were squeezing my hand," I said softly. "Just now...it was..." I trailed off, lowering my gaze to the floor. He was still holding that hand.

 

"Can we say that again?"

 

I pressed my lips together tightly. "Dang and I are just friends."

 

Jin smiled with satisfaction. He squeezed my hand gently.

 

"You're such a..." I muttered under my breath. "You're so good at pretending to have a conversation." I glared at him.

 

"Performing?" Jin exhaled sharply and shook his head before letting go of my hand. Let's do it together."

I scratched my head.

 

"Anyway, I was just playing around with Dang earlier. It wasn't what you think."

 

"What am I thinking?" It asked with a smile.

 

"It's like there's a budding romance. My two best friends are having so much fun. I never thought Jin would smile when he saw me speaking so seriously. His smile made me feel..."

 

"What the hell are you looking at?"

 

"I just have something I want to ask."

 

"Why are you asking? Why are you choosing to smile?"

 

It raised both its hands as if to surrender. "It's about the headphones."

 

I sighed, remembering that the day before we parted ways, I promised to come back and get answers about the headphones I got from Tum. But coincidentally, today, the main culprit, my best friend, who started it all, didn't show up.

 

"Tum isn't coming to school today. He has some business at home."

Jin nodded in acknowledgement.

 

"Do you know anything more?"

When he brought it up, I became worried because the situation we're facing now is getting out of hand. Jin went for a while without saying anything.

 

"Jin"

".."

 

"I'm also one of Anda's friends."

 

He sighed deeply, his face looking worried. "I know."

 

"Then you shouldn't cut me out of this."

 

"This evening after football practice, I have to go back to the faculty to help the professor at the automotive workshop. I have a small errand to run. Do you want to come with me?" I unconsciously nodded in agreement.

 

"One more thing."

 

"Huh?"

 

"I never pretend to talk to anyone just for fun."

 

I stood there stunned.

 

"If I'm going to talk to someone, it means I'm serious...in case you didn't know."

 

 

—————————-

It's damn hot.

 

I let out a deep breath, one hand wiping the sweat from my face while the other held the first-aid kit as I walked along. Fortunately, the walkway in front of the stadium has a long roof; otherwise, we'd be walking in the scorching sun.

 

After adjusting my collar, hoping to cool myself down until I reached the stands by the side of the field, I stopped there. I put the equipment down first, then I glanced over and saw one of Jin's close friends from the engineering gang. Art turned and nodded at me as if to greet me. He's probably waiting for Jin and Tos, who are practising soccer in the middle of the field. I turned to help the senior sports scientist on the team prepare the towels, cool down, and have a drink. After that, I sat down. With this free time, I couldn't resist checking it on my phone.

 

From the day Anda passed away until today, my timeline is still full of news about Anda, after the family decided to preserve his body. Without Anda around, countless rumours have surfaced to the point that he's been trending on social media almost daily. And today's news has me furrowing my brows.

 

Police revealed they have found suspects in connection with Anda's death. In addition to the large sum of money transferred into his boyfriend's account, they also found suspicious behaviour from the condo security guard who was on duty the day Anda died, taking several days off. Furthermore, a doll stained with red paint was found in Anda's apartment. It seems this case is more complex than initially thought.

 

I furrowed my brows when I checked the social media app, and the trending topic on Twitter about Anna's soaring flight was number one.

 

#You'

Pattaya doesn't sell curry puffs... huh? @Kareepup 225

 

'Summary of #Anda today: She may not have committed suicide, and there are three suspects.'

1. The boy's boyfriend was the first to find the body, and the body had wounds at the corner of his mouth and on his neck.

2. The condo security guard has been missing for several days.

3. Andy's fan sent a doll stained red with a message threatening physical harm.

 

Mumme Tao Anda @mysun0

'Is it true that the security guard at the condo secretly stole things from #Anda's car on the day he passed away and sold them?'

 

Najaw, you're so cute! @NajanaJa

'I demand justice for #Anda. If he didn't really commit suicide, it's so sad. He didn't mean any harm to anyone. He was just a child.'

 

Someone as cute as him shouldn't have to go through something like this.

I want to wear flip-flops and then go wear them to @dfcvis.

 

"Honestly, after following the news for several days, I've found a lot of suspicious details surrounding #Anda's death. His personal manager said that day he was going to have dinner with his boyfriend. He seemed perfectly normal, not like someone who would commit suicide. But ultimately, he was found dead in his car parked under the condo. Furthermore, the autopsy revealed a large amount of sleeping pills in his stomach. On the surface, it might look like suicide, but it seems deliberately staged. Why would someone who wanted to die post smiling pictures with their boyfriend? It's really confusing."

 

My bias is Anda, and I will love him forever @rtvik

Who sent the doll stained with red paint to #Anda? Why didn't I know about this before? Did he have to go through something like this before he died? That's so sad.

Salita.llI @libertyfrees

 

'Oh, the issue with #Anda today is really suspicious. The condo security guard was missing for several days and finally confessed to secretly stealing items from the car after seeing Anda parked and sleeping there. The car wasn't locked when he got in, but when Anda’s boyfriend found his body, the car doors were locked. That's so weird! Conan the Detective needs to come and help investigate the case.

Stop it, please. You're acting like I'm too cute. @dewdew2

 

"There's something fishy about the #Anda story. I don't even want to think about what would happen if he were really harmed. I feel so sorry for his family."

Social media detective @SecretNews

 

Today, automotive experts and police officers inspected #Anda's vehicle again. Initial findings indicate abnormalities in the engine. And a few points, but I'd rather not disclose details at this time.

 

Scrolling through today's Twitter trends left me feeling heavy-hearted. So many questions swirled in my head. That made me think of those headphones. Even though Jin's friend said they used to belong to Anda, there's no concrete evidence now, only a special intuition, which isn't scientifically proven or legally valid. But now, it seems like a lot of evidence from that day's events is resurfacing. Everything points clearly to what Jin and I suspected: Anda's death is not normal.

 

I sighed heavily, then jumped when someone tapped me on the shoulder. Turning around, I saw Art, Jin's friend, smiling at me.

 

"Sorry for scaring you."

 

"Yes"

 

"I needed to borrow some bandages. I saw you were in charge of the first-aid kit."

 

"Do you have a wound?" I turned to rummage through the first-aid box for a bandage.

 

"Yes"

 

"Hold on, let me look. It seems like we're out. I wonder if anyone has restocked yet. Ah, found it!"

 

"Thanks," he reached out and took the ointment, using it to bandage his elbow. 

 

"Aren't your friends coming today?" He was probably referring to Boom and Tum, whom he often saw waiting for Dang.

 

"Yeah," I continued, "Are you waiting for Jin and Tos?"

 

"Okay, Jin has to go back to the faculty building in the evening to help the professor with some work."

 

I nodded because Jin had already told me.

 

"Yeah, I heard Jin talking about it."

 

"That's extraordinary."

 

Huh?

I looked puzzled and turned to look at Art, who was smiling at me, his eyes sparkling as if he were teasing me.

 

"So, you two are dating now?"

 

"That's not it at all." I quickly shook my head, pretending to be interested in the first-aid box in front of me, even though there was nothing to do there. Meanwhile, Art slumped down next to me. I happened to see Jin, Tos, and my friend Dang running towards me after practice.

 

"What were they talking about?"

 

"I'm asking when you two are going to start dating officially."

 

My face flushed instantly when Art looked at me, then at Jin.

 

"Ask those who refuse to give in to Burgus." It pouted at me.

 

"Your friend is incredibly strong-willed, Dang."

Tos turned and nodded, speaking to Dang.

"Don't tease it."

 

The words sounded nice, but the tone was clearly mocking. So I bared my teeth at Dang before stopping short when Jin walked up and stopped in front of me.

 

"what"

 

"I'm going to change my clothes first. Wait a minute."

 

"Mmm."

 

"Wow, this is the first time I've ever heard Jin use a high-pitched voice."

 

Their friends kept teasing them nonstop. Of course, each of those two got the middle finger from Jin. They sounded normal, though. Their friends are such teases. I shook my head as the footballers left to change their clothes.

 

"Phod"

 

"yeah"

 

"Did we make you uncomfortable?" Art asked.

 

"What's the matter?"

 

"It's about us teasing you and Jin. Did we make you uncomfortable? I'm worried you might feel bad and not want to be near my friends." His expression was serious as he spoke, his brows furrowed, making me smile. "Sorry for teasing you guys when you're together."

 

"never mind"

 

"It's good to see you guys together. My friend is genuinely sincere with you. If it's not too much trouble, please open your heart to my friend."

 

"Are you his personal spokesperson?" I pretended not to know anything.

 

"Yeah, my friend is a good guy. I wish he'd think more about his own life. Besides working part-time jobs and practising soccer, he hardly does anything. He's like any other teenager, but when you got involved, he became so much more lively. I like him that way."

 

I nodded, knowing that Jin worked a lot of part-time jobs because he had no one to support him, unlike his close friends, who were quite well-off. But Jin is lucky to have good friends because everyone is sincere in their friendship with him.

 

"Wouldn't you feel weird if your friend actually liked someone like me?"

 

"Like you?"

 

"Well, a guy like me."

 

"Have you forgotten what pain Anda suffered before he left?"

 

I fell silent. Yes, Anda must have been hurt by the attacks and insults because of his love for a relationship that society didn't accept.

 

"I don't know how outsiders view my friend's sexual orientation, but we would never stop being friends because of something like this. Gender doesn't define us."

 

"I really don't want to lose a good friend from my life. As for you and Jin, if you two are okay, we're all okay. But if any of us ever act strangely, that means that person is not a good friend to be around, and you should stop being friends with them."

 

I burst out laughing. Damn, I feel really good for Anda and Jin for having friends like this. 

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

"Professor Department"

 

I quickly bowed respectfully like Jin and the others, before pausing because I felt a strong sense of familiarity with this teacher, as if I had seen him somewhere before.

 

'Today, automotive experts and police officers jointly inspected Anda's vehicle again. Initial findings indicate abnormalities in the engine. A few other points, but I'd rather not disclose details at this time.’

 

The tweet included an image of an expert professor, and that professor is the one standing right in front of me now. I glanced at them. Jin followed the instructor into the training hall, so I went to a corner to wait. About half an hour later, Jin and the instructor came out.

 

"Professor,"

 

"There's nothing more to add."

 

"but..."

 

I craned my neck and saw the professor handing them a stack of handouts.

 

"Okay, take this and read it. I'll go get some documents from my office for a moment."

 

"Yes, sir," they replied before walking back inside. As the teacher walked past, I stood up. He smiled; he seemed kind.

 

"Are you waiting for those guys?"

 

"Yes, Professor."

 

"Wait a moment, please. The professor called one of our friends to help with some 

work today."

 

"yes"

 

I lingered around there for a short while, and then Professor Phak returned with some handouts in his hand and also some snacks. Of course, he showed me some kindness before walking away to join Jin and the others inside. After a while, the people inside came out.

 

"Thank you for helping me with my work today."

 

"yes"

 

The teacher turned and smiled in return for my greeting, then turned away.

 

"Let's eat. I'm starving."

 

"Damn it, Professor Phak just invited you to lunch. Why did you refuse?"

 

"Well, my boyfriend has been waiting in the room for ages, and he even bought snacks for me. I felt bad," It said, listening to Tos and Art arguing quietly. Then I remembered seeing a man carrying a lot of food from a car and running inside to the professor's office. I suspect she's the professor's girlfriend, just like those people said.

Wait a minute, but the person I saw was a guy. That means your boyfriend must be...

 

"What's wrong?" I flinched when Jin's hot breath whispered in my ear.

 

"Damn, you scared me!"

 

"What are you thinking about?"

 

I immediately shook my head. Jin just smirked and said nothing before his gaze dropped to the paper in his hand, which I recognised as belonging to the professor.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

Jin sighed but said nothing.

 

After we finished eating and parted ways, Jin rode his motorbike to drop me off at my condo. He seemed so quiet that I started to worry. After he dropped me off, I couldn't help but ask.

 

"Jin"

 

"Huh"

 

"That work you guys helped the professor with," I asked cautiously, "was it about Anda?"

 

He shrugged and smiled before reaching into his backpack and handing me a piece of paper. It was a photograph of a car's dashboard and remote control.

A car with many symbols displayed on it. I don't understand those pictures at all.

 

"What the hell is that?"

 

"Want to know?" it asked, smiling. "How about we exchange numbers?"

 

"Is this the right time?" I bared my teeth, put my hands on my hips, and glared at it. It gave a slight smile before pointing to the paper again.

 

"This is the engine control panel. And this is the remote car start button."

I leaned closer to take a look.

 

"If the engine is started, the dashboard will display numbers indicating its operation."

 

"Uh-huh."

"Fuel gauge 067"

"Tachometer X2"

"Temperature gauge X5"

".."

 

Oil pressure gauge 46"

 

What kind of code is this? I looked confused and couldn't make sense of it before feeling that something was off about his previously professional demeanour, which had changed.

 

A smirk

 

Wait a minute, I think the numbers are strange. The numbers after those difficult words add up to exactly ten, which is like...

 

"Call me."

What the heck?

"Call me."

-

He winked at me, and I was instantly stunned. My mind processed the numbers: 067X2X54X6. "Damn it, that must be Jin's phone number!" I widened my eyes and flushed when I heard a chuckle from him. He'd been faking a poker face for ages.

Are you trying to prank me?

 

"Can you call me?"

"..."

 

"We can just talk as friends."

"Damn, my face is probably all burned up now."