OOPS! MYSTERIOUS SOUNDS: BOOK 2.

The 25th voice. 

[Jinna]

 

A certain unsettling feeling arose in my heart for no apparent reason. Of course, it must have been so obvious that the wealthy businessman I was conversing with noticed.

 

I was with my business partners when I glanced over for a moment, and just then my cell phone rang. I took the opportunity to slip away from the high-society party, where I had to maintain a poker face while standing beside my father, who had brought me along.

 

"How is it going?" I answered the call from Tos.

[We found something weird sent from Anda's email. Are you free to take a look?]

 

"Okay."

 

I promised him before hanging up. Now I'm standing in the hotel's central garden where the event is being held. It's not very crowded here. Suddenly, a feeling in my chest...I felt a strange emptiness welling up inside me.

 

Beetle.

 

The name of my lover flashed through my mind. That day, I hugged him, I heard the moon ringing in my head, and the words 'be careful' made me uneasy. At that moment, a gentle breeze blew across me. I paused for a moment before looking around. I felt a sudden chill run down my spine for no reason.

 

The atmosphere around me became eerily silent, even though I was staying in a hotel in the heart of the city, the capital that never sleeps. I glanced around and could hear the sound of footsteps stopping behind me. The rhythm of those steps almost took my breath away.

 

"The beetle larvae are in danger," Anda whispered in my ear, his voice frantic. "Go quickly, Jin." I jumped, startled by the warm breath on my ear.

 

"What do you mean, Anda?"

 

"Hurry up."

 

I was completely bewildered until my phone rang again in my pocket. When I heard what the person on the other end said, my heart sank. 

 

"[Mr Jin, something bad has happened. Mr Poodduang has now disappeared from the condo.]

 

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[Podduang]

 

It's so stupid. I clutched my head as I regained consciousness. The atmosphere around me was eerily silent; all I could see was darkness. Trying to take deep breaths, I felt suffocated and a sharp pain in my chest. I fumbled across my chest, my hand reaching for the ancient coin hanging around my neck.

 

After trying to compose myself for a while, I clutched the ancient coin amulet tightly, mentally processing the events that had just occurred. During that time, I heard the muffled sobs of someone in a corner of the room. 

 

Trying to peer through the darkness, I saw a figure sitting with their legs hugged to their chest, sobbing uncontrollably. I stared for a while until my eyes adjusted to the darkness, then I realised it was Am. I tried to prop myself up and stand. The sound of movement made the young woman look up from her head. She flinched slightly when she saw me looking at her.

 

"Khun Am"

 

"I... I'm sorry."

 

I sighed deeply. The last image in my mind before I lost consciousness was my brother Anda's face.

 

"Brother Itthi"

 

Just mentioning that name made the young woman recoil in fright and run far away. It seemed that Ms Am was quite afraid of the person whose name it was.

 

"Did he hurt you, Am?"

 

Apart from her sobs, I didn't hear anything else from her mouth.

 

"Khun Am"

 

"That bastard! He...hiccup!"

 

I managed to move closer and put my arm around her shoulder.

 

"He's an evil person."

 

I froze instantly. At that moment, I heard footsteps, so I squinted and looked around as the soles of shoes hit the ground. The parquet flooring made my heart beat faster with each step until I heard a wooden door open.

 

The sunlight from outside streamed into the room, illuminating the previously dark interior with a faint glow. This gave me a chance to observe my surroundings. It was a rectangular room with iron-barred windows next to the door. Before my gaze returned to the tall, large man who was bending down, his face close to mine.

 

"Are you awake?"

 

I made eye contact with P'Itthi and felt a strong dislike for his face.

 

"Yes, I'm awake."

".."

 

"I woke up because my brother forced me to sleep."

Brother Itthi smirked.

 

"So, do you want to fall into a sleep where you never wake up?"

 

The flat tone of his voice and the chilling smile sent shivers down my spine. The polite and kind man I once knew had now become someone unknown, but terrifying and dangerous.

 

"Like what you did to Anda, right?"

 

"Clever," the other person said with a smirk. 

 

"But clever people often have short lifespans, you know?"

 

"That's messed up," I spat out a curse at him. 

 

"How could you do that to your own brother?"

“..."

 

"Damn it, Anda was your brother!"

Brother Itthi looked away.

 

"He knew too much, just like you and Jin know too much."

 

"You've been following us."

 

"Then you sent me threatening messages."

 

"But we didn't stop."

 

The other person spoke with a smile, but it was a smile I hated to the core.

 

"You brought this upon yourselves."

 

"Are you getting defensive because of the wicked things you've done?"

 

"You guys are still kids."

 

The mocking tone and the change in pronouns made me furious, and I wanted to punch him in the chin, but it seemed like P'Itti sensed my intention, so He pulled out a black gun and pointed it at my forehead.

 

"If you had just stayed quiet and minded your own business, it wouldn't have turned out like this. But you guys are too picky, especially Jin. He's too smart, by now they're probably running around like dogs."

 

I was furious at the mocking tone in his voice.

 

"You bastard!"

 

It chuckled in its throat.

 

"You killed Anda! You're a bastard!"

 

"Andaman died because it's perverse that they love men."

 

That sarcastic tone infuriated me. What kind of jerk just blames others for their own mistakes? What a scoundrel.

 

"You're the pervert, you bastard!"

It glared at me immediately.

 

"He and Anda were just in love," I spat in his face. "The pervert is you! You scoundrel who planned to kill your own brother! You're evil!"

 

Slap

It slapped my head so hard my face turned. It hurt like hell. I could taste the metallic tang of blood in my mouth. The force of the slap left me completely numb. Damn it!

 

"Just because they're in love? Their love has brought shame to my family."

 

"Anda didn't die because of Kumbh, but because he had an older brother who was worse than a beast." I winced as it yanked my head hard.

 

"Anda only loves Aquarius, while you love power and are selfish. A person like you will never be reborn as a human in ten lifetimes, you wicked wretch! Oh!"

 

"Say that again."

 

"Anda just loves P'Kum! Oh!"

 

"perverted"

 

"If you want to make excuses for yourself by saying Anda died because of love, then yes, Anda died because of love. As for you, the one who did it, you're just as bad."

 

"Gun!" I glared at it. "You've lost your humanity!"

 

"You must be one of those Andaman types," he leaned his face closer and sneered, "the perverts."

 

"You're the pervert. Why are you acting so disgusted with us? Did you lack affection as a child, that you're so repressed you have to do such awful things?" He sneered and slapped me hard across the mouth.

 

"Talkative"

 

"Ouch!"

 

"If you weren't the bait to lure Jin out, I would have shot you."

 

Its words took me aback.

 

"What does this have to do with Jin?"

That side smiled wickedly.

 

"Jin has bodyguards following you around almost constantly." That knowing look made me resentful.

 

"You and her, pussy."

 

"There's no point in you arresting me."

 

"Yes," it reached out and pulled my head again. "Because you're its weakness." I felt a surge of resentment in my chest, wanting to explode. Since it had been tracking us, it wouldn't be surprising if it knew about the relationship between Jin and me. I'm really Jin's weakness.

 

Damn it!

I was furious and disgusted with the person in front of me, and felt a sharp pain in my head from the violent tug. I clenched my lips tightly, refusing to utter a sound, until they finally let go because they had an incoming call. Once the caller left, the room went completely dark again.

 

The sound of the room door closing made me quickly fumble for my phone in my pants pocket. I remembered bringing it with me when I went down to buy something. I quickly turned it on. I frantically opened the Line app to share my location with Jin, but before I could do as I intended, my phone was snatched away.

 

"Hoy!"

 

I jumped up, startled, and saw P'Itthi standing in front of me, glaring menacingly. Then I felt a sharp pain in my stomach because he hadn't held back on his punches.

 

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[Jinna]

 

"Hey Jin, slow down a bit, friend." Tos, who was sitting next to him, yelled, his grip on the bus handrail tight. Art, sitting in the back seat, was no different; he clung to his seat and cursed.

 

"You bastard! We're going to die before you even get to save your wife!"

 

"Just be quiet," I spoke in a calm voice, my eyes still fixed on the destination ahead, but when I glanced in the rearview mirror, I saw two more cars following us. Which is not surprising, because it's the tycoon's bodyguard's car. I was thinking about the conversation I had with Anda's father the other day.

 

'Anda didn't commit suicide.'

 

Are you sure about what you're saying, Jin?"

 

'I'm sure.'

 

'If I say something, will you try to believe me, Dad?' 'Go ahead and say it. I'll listen.'

 

"On the day Anda died, he told me he had a dinner date with Kumbh, but before that, Itthi called to say his parents wanted to see him.' 

 

“How did Jin know?"

 

"Did your father tell Anda to go study abroad?"

 

'What is this all about?'

 

"Then that day, my father and Anda had an argument."

 

'Did Anda tell Jin about it?'

 

'You could say it's true, or you could say it's not.'

 

What does Jin mean...?

 

"Dad, do you know that Itchi was the last person to be with Anda?"

“....”

 

"And before that, P'Itti took Anda's car to the service centre, right?"

“..."

 

"Dad, you don't have to believe everything I say right away, but please think about it." 

 

What was Jin going to tell Anda’s father?

 

"Go ahead and speak, Jin."

 

"Dad, do you know that that car model could be started with an external key? And that key went missing from the scene, too?"

 

"That's enough, Jin."

 

'We've guessed that whoever has the missing key is Madam.'

 

I sighed heavily. While we were stopped at a red light, Art pulled out his phone, pressed something on it, and then showed me what he saw.

 

"what"

 

"Anda's email, the one he sent to Kumbh last week with the word 'headphones,' today he sent this message to my email, Tos's email, and yours too." I looked puzzled because I already knew what Anda had been saying on the phone earlier.

 

"Someone has secretly accessed Anda's email."

 

They shook their heads from side to side.

"Or maybe Anda is trying to tell us something? 

 

Art once told me he taught Andaman how to send emails. Is it possible that Anda intentionally sent us this email, but the suspicious thing is that besides the words 'headphones,' there's no other clue."

 

I pondered the matter.

 

“What is this about?"

 

"Toss and I have been trying to find Anda's email password. We even consulted with Kumbh, but we're at a loss. Do you think Anda might have set a different password for his email?"

 

Toss scratched his head repeatedly. "The email only contained the word 'headphones'?" For a moment, I recalled the way Anda spoke to me that day.

 

"Keep the headphones safe. Don't give them to anyone, Jin. Keep them safe. Don't give them to anyone. If the headphones are important to you, then..."

 

"What do you guys think would let us know these headphones are ours?"

 

"Like, the device codes?"

 

"That's right. So what the hell makes each machine different?" I spoke softly, thoughtfully.

 

"It's the serial number, you know. Each one is unique," Art said before pausing. The three of us exchanged glances immediately.

 

"Or could it be Anda's email password...?"

 

"Definitely."

 

"Hey Jin, do you have the picture of the serial number that P'Kumbh took on your phone?" I quickly pulled out my phone and handed it to them.

 

"Found it!"

 

At that moment, the traffic light turned green, so I immediately stepped on the accelerator amidst the curses of my friends who hadn't reacted in time. They huddled together, frantically tapping away on their phones, before Tos suddenly yelled loudly.

 

"I finally have access to Anda's email!"

 

They cheered until the car pulled up in front of Anda's house. Jin, Tos, and Art looked puzzled by my having parked the car there.

 

"Why are you at Anda's house? Didn't you say you were looking for Phodduang?"

 

"We came to the right place."

 

Just as I parked, the gate opened, and the short figure of Anda's father stepped out.

 

"It's very late now, Dad. Why don't you take a nap? We'll be there in a while." I turned to talk to Anda's father, who had taken Tos's place, while my friend had moved to the back with Art. The atmosphere in the car was quiet.

 

We're heading to a place where I'm sure the beetle was kidnapped. My father glanced at me briefly before letting out a deep sigh. The look of sorrow on his face made me uneasy.

 

"Dad."

 

"never mind"

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Jin"

 

"yes"

 

"Jin, you can sense, right, that Anda hasn't gone anywhere?"

 

***Remember, Anda’s dad isn’t Jin’s dad. Jin is close to the elder, hence the term dad. ***

 

I remained silent, not responding, but at that moment, I glanced in the rearview mirror and made eye contact with my friends. Those two immediately gave a wry smile.

 

"Answer your father."

 

"yes"

 

Father Anda's face flickered for a moment; I saw tears welling up in the elderly man's eyes at that instant.

 

"How is Anda doing?" My father asked, his voice trembling.

 

"He's sad that he's not with his parents right now."

 

"It's all my fault. I made Anda sad."

I froze instantly.

 

"Even on the last day we spoke, we didn't have a proper conversation."

 

Anda's father's voice was heartbreaking. I sighed again, because the crying I just heard was Anda's.

 

"If Anda were here, I think he would know how heartbroken you are, Father." He gazed into the distance, wiped away a tear with one hand, and spoke in a trembling voice.

 

"Dad found both of Anda's car keys."

 

I fell silent and didn't say anything more. The car was very quiet; I could only hear Anda's father sobbing as he covered his face and cried.

 

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It took me almost an hour to drive and park at a house not far from the sea. When I opened the car door, I saw two cars parked right there. As soon as my car came to a complete stop, a bodyguard in a black suit walked towards me.

 

"The goal is inside."

I nodded in acknowledgement.

 

"Let us go in and scout the area first."

I stood still, deep in thought.

 

"The target was a police officer, so they likely had firearms."

 

"Yes, for your safety, Mr Jin. Please wait here," I reluctantly nodded. My close friend, my father, and I sat outside with two bodyguards. After a while, I saw Movement at the window and the sound of shouting filled my heart with worry for my loved one. I wonder how the beetle is doing now.

 

I sat waiting anxiously, and finally, I decided to climb over the fence into the house, despite the shouts of my close friends telling me not to. As I crept along, I saw two bodyguards walking in a different direction. I caught a glimpse of a figure near the window, so I cautiously climbed up.

 

I slowly climbed through the window and saw one of the two heads moving. Looking closer, I recognised one as my lover. The other lay unconscious on the floor. Looking around, I couldn't see the third person. So I gently knocked on the window. The sound made the person inside look up.

 

"Phod Duang", I whispered softly.

 

"Jin"

 

The beetle hurriedly rushed closer, both hands gripping the iron window bars. I tried to find a way into this house, just like everyone else. The people inside wandered around, looking for an exit, until they found a wooden ventilation opening at the top. I stepped on the metal bar to climb up because the ventilation opening was made of decaying wood, and the hole was wide enough for a person to crawl through.

 

"Be careful, The beetle's voice trembled as it landed on the ground, and I grabbed it and hugged it tightly.

 

"Jin"

 

"Are you alright?"

 

"Mmm."

 

I used the light from the outside lamps to scan my lover's body for any abnormalities. I sighed deeply before kissing his temple.

 

"Were you very scared?"

It nodded slightly, so I hugged it tightly.

 

"How did you know I was here?"

"Let's leave that for later. Right now, let's get out of here."

 

"Ms Am is unconscious." The beetle gestured towards the unconscious girl.

 

"Is she seriously injured?"

 

"Am was so shocked by the threats that she fainted."

 

"And how are you?" I gently touched the spot on his stomach where he had winced and clutched his stomach earlier. "Does it hurt?"

 

"Mmm."

 

"Does it hurt a lot?"

 

I clenched my fists, furious at the sight of my lover in this condition. His lip was badly split and bleeding, and he was completely filthy.

 

"I'm okay." The beetle spoke softly, then smiled.

 

"This situation isn't okay."

 

I clenched my fists. Damn it! I cherished it so much, but that bastard hurt Phodduang so badly. Poodduang can probably tell what I'm thinking. I was angry, so I reached out, touched his elbow, and gently stroked it. That calmed my rising anger.

 

"I'm really alright. Let's get out of here first. I'll wake up Am." Just as I was about to move to help, I felt a sharp pain in my back from the force of the blow. When I spun around, I saw the tip of a gun handle.

 

This is from P'Itthi in Hang Da.

 

"Jin, watch out!"

 

I stepped back before turning to face the pitch-black gun pointed at my forehead. The beetle screamed and lunged forward, forcing me to push it away.

It tells you to hide behind it.

 

"Is Jin okay?"

 

I didn't answer, but held my lover's hand tightly, while my gaze met that of Anda's older brother, who stood motionless.

 

"You're good."

 

"How did you know it was here?" Brother Itthi asked in a calm voice.

 

"I'm just guessing." I gave a sarcastic reply, which made them let out a sharp sigh.

 

"Good. That way, I won't have to waste time cleaning up after you one by one."

 

"May I ask you something?"

 

The other party didn't respond immediately, but held a gun in their hand, pointed at my forehead.

 

"Sure."

 

"In the moment you decided to kill Anda, did you hesitate for a moment?"

Silence was Itthi's answer.

 

"I'm on the tiger's back now."

 

"That tiger might one day turn into a dog," I spoke softly.

 

"You're still young, Jin. Power can hide everything."

 

yes"

 

"Didn't he consider that no matter how careful he is in his actions, they will always leave traces? There are no secrets in the world."

 

"But if the person who knows the secret dies, the secret will die with him."

 

I heard the safety catch being released. My heart raced, but the people behind me were trembling; my loved ones were terrified. I was afraid I would lose my composure.

 

"Is there anything you'd like me to pass on to Anda?"

I steeled myself and spoke.

 

"Tell him that I... I..." the other person said, his voice trembling, "didn't do what he wanted."

 

"Do you know what Anda would say?" I smirked in the darkness. "he said you're the one who deserves to die," I smirked because I really heard Anda say that. Anda's voice sounded in my ear just now.

 

"you"

 

"That's enough, Itthi."

 

Itti paused before whirling around to look behind him. Father Anda had stopped there. Itti was so startled that he lost his composure and instinctively lowered his gun.

 

"Father"

 

"That's enough, son," Anda's father said, his voice trembling. "Jin and his friends have nothing to do with this."

 

"But they know too much."

 

"That's enough from now on, Itthi. Confess and I'll help you."

 

"It's too late."

 

At that moment, I felt a spotlight flood the room, before several men in black appeared out of nowhere and pointed guns at P'Itthi. I heard the police cars' sirens getting closer and closer.

 

"It's over, Itthi."

 

Brother Itthi aimed his gun at us and pulled the trigger. The bullet narrowly missed my arm. My heart skipped a beat amidst the screams. Everything was chaotic. For a split second, I saw Anda standing behind Itthi. Then, out of nowhere, Kumbh punched Itthi squarely in the face, while the bodyguards in black suits swarmed in to restrain Itthi. His gun was confiscated. Then I saw that Anda's image had disappeared.

 

Anda’s father tried to help his son, who was lying on the ground. Brother Kumbh was furious and kept punching Brother Itthi. I hugged Phodduang. I held on tight because I could feel the person in my arms trembling. They were sobbing and stammering, asking me in a shaky voice.

 

"What's wrong, Jin? Ugh... Where does it hurt?"

 

"I wasn't hit. I wasn't hit."

 

"Are you sure? You're really not hurt anywhere, are you?"

 

"It's alright, beetle. I'm fine."

 

I gently kissed his temple and back. He trembled, clinging to me, refusing to let go. No matter how much I wanted to be strong, having just been through such a close call, my hands were shaking. I was so exhausted I could barely stand. I could only watch as the bodyguards tried to restrain P'Kum from going on a frenzied rampage against P'Itti.

 

I stood watching my P'Itti, with a battered face, being detained. Both his hands were handcuffed, and he was flanked by officers on either side. His face was expressionless, making it impossible to discern his emotions. I walked over, stopped in front of him, and spoke.

 

"You asked how I knew it was here. Because Anda once said he loved this house very much."

The listener pursed their lips tightly.

 

"he loves the sea. In his free time, he likes to relax here because this house holds so many memories. Your parents used to bring you here when you were a child"

P'Itti turned his face away, his eyes red and teary.

 

Anda always remembers whining to ride on his older brother's back here. That's a memory Anda will never forget," I said calmly, as tears slowly streamed down P'Itti's cheeks.

 

“Are you sad? You deserve to be sad. I don't know what your punishment will be, but I hope that every time you forget about it or before you lie down to sleep each night..."

 

"May you continue to suffer like this, never forgetting. May you live with this guilt until you die." I spoke with a trembling voice before walking past the other person and stopping in front of Anda's father.

 

"Jin"

 

"yes"

 

"Dad asks Jin not to tell his mother about this yet. I want to explain it to her myself."

 

"Dad,"

 

"My friend once asked me if justice truly existed."

 

His eyes were bloodshot.

 

"I don't know if Anda will truly get justice, but what I do know is that after P'Itti has paid for his legal mistakes, one day, sooner or later, he will be able to come and see his father. But as for his mother, Anda will never return to her again in his entire life."

 

I turned away because I didn't want to see Anda's father cry. It was too late for this sorrow.