OOPS! MYSTERIOUS SOUNDS: BOOK 1.

The fifth voice [Phodduang]

#MissingAnda

 

Anda will always be in Mommy's heart. @Andalovelove

 

"To be honest, I still can't get over this. #MissingAnda, but I respect your decision. From now on, you don't have to suffer from anything anymore."

 

"Okay, you're better now. Smile a lot when you're up there, my dear."

 

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

#MissingAnda Watching the interview with Anda's mother made me feel so sorry for her. What do reporters want from interviewing someone who has lost a loved one? Shoving a microphone in their face when the family isn't ready, what do you want? Do you want to see their family cry as they answer heartbreaking questions over and over again? Seriously, are you craving answers that only bring pain?

 

Mummee Tao Anda @mysun009

"I miss Anda so much. I miss him a lot."

 

Powder is powder. @ltispowders

#MissingAnda, I'm sorry for once tweeting negative things about him. I'm truly sorry. I accept full responsibility. I didn't know.

 

'I don't know if he'll read that message or not, but I admit I was wrong to type a toxic message to him. I will be more careful when using social media in the future.'

 

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

 

'The lesson from losing my sibling should make social media more aware of how to use it to hurt others. We don't know how much pain and suffering my sibling must have gone through when facing those difficult times. If you know a message will be toxic, please keep it to yourself and don't type or say it. Sometimes, keeping quiet is better than spewing hurtful words. Finally, I want to say #MissingAnda. I miss you so much, my adorable child.'

 

Anda means love. @sderr

'I saw someone posting a picture of Andadon's deceased body on Twitter #MissingAndadon. Please report it. What the hell is wrong with them wanting to post that?'

 

"Please show some respect to Anda and consider his family's feelings. How would you feel if someone posted a picture of your own parents who have died?"

 

Have a safe trip, Anda @677isdf

Yes, we only want to remember his smile. Please respect him. We beg you. His fans are already heartbroken enough. #ImissAnda.

 

Quote Tweet "Anda means love @sderr. I saw someone posting a picture of Anda's body after he died on Twitter #MissingAnda. Please help report it. What the hell is wrong with them to want to post a picture like this? Please respect Anda and think about her family's feelings. How would you feel if someone posted a picture of your own parents after they died?"

 

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

 

#MissingAnda Watching old videos of him makes me tear up and cry like a dog. I miss him so much. I went to see him at an event last month, and he was still smiling and laughing with his fans.

 

I sighed heavily as I opened the Blue Bird app this morning to check the news. Of course, this week has been filled with comments. Anda's sudden death made big news. Many channels aired hour-long news segments, and some even interviewed his family and close friends. I still feel quite shocked. 

 

That evening, before Anda passed away, I saw him coming to see Jin at the football field. Anda's demeanour was completely normal, except for the bruise on the corner of his mouth from yesterday's scene, and the red-stained doll box he was carrying as he spoke, laughing. He acted so normally, like someone who showed no sign of wanting to commit suicide. 

 

But there was plenty of evidence suggesting Anda likely suffered from depression and made that decision due to intense social pressure in recent times. But I didn't want to believe that. Deep down, I still can't believe he's gone from his fans. For a moment, I couldn't help but recall something Anda once said.

 

"Sometimes, I can't help but wonder if these people would feel sad for me if I really disappeared or something happened to me." 

 

Just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes, and a lump forms in my throat. It's incredibly painful. I can only hope that today, those cruel people will realise how much hatred and hurtful words can harm someone. He has left this world.

 

Now that he's really gone, hopefully the world will remember that there was once a lovely person like Anda, who today seems to be loved by everyone who was once cruel. Anda grew dizzy, even though it was too late. I sat there listlessly for a while until the coldness of the glass of water that my best friend held against my cheek made me jump. Dang laughed. I bared my teeth at it briefly before it slumped down beside me.

 

"You've been frowning for a day or two now."

It spoke up, its voice sounding concerned, probably knowing I was upset about Anda.

 

"Aren't you going to eat?"

 

Now it's just me and Dang left at the table, since the other friends went to buy food. I still don't feel like eating, so I'm just sitting here thinking. 

 

"It feels dull."

 

"I heard Jin say that the autopsy results should be out soon. After that, the family will take Anda's body for the funeral rites. Jin and his friends will go to the ceremony too.” As it spoke, one hand moved to rock my head gently.

 

"Do you want to go?"

 

I glanced at its hand as it moved from its head to my shoulder, then turned my face away.

 

"I'll tell Jin."

I shook my head slightly.

 

"Or do you want to ask to go with him yourself? You guys are talking to each other right now, aren't you?" 

 

I hesitated again, causing the other person to narrow their eyes. That kind of reaction made me feel uncomfortable; starting with a lie meant I had to keep lying. Right?

 

"I don't want to bother Jin. He's probably not feeling well lately, losing such a close friend."

 

"Sigh, seeing you so down about Anda's passing makes me wonder..."

 

"What are you thinking?"

 

"If something happened to me, would you sit there moping like a sad dog?"

 

I spun around to look at Dang, who was already staring at me. Would he know that every time he smiled at me, my heart fluttered? It's hard to withdraw.

 

"What the hell are you talking about?" I bared my fangs at it, while that bastard just shrugged.

 

"I was just asking."

 

"Damn it, matters of life and death are taken very seriously. How can you joke about that?"

 

"Why?" he raised an eyebrow. "Are you afraid I'll die?"

 

"....”

"You're worried about me, aren't you?"

 

"You won't die easily, you damn rascal."

 

"How do you know it? I'll keep bothering you like this."

 

"You're not going to die easily, don't worry. You'll live to see the day the four of us graduate and get jobs in what we love." 

 

He turned and smiled at me. "You said you wanted to pursue a master's degree and then come back to be a professor at the faculty?"

 

Because we've been close friends for so many years, it's not surprising that we've shared our dreams. But I never expected he would still remember what I said back in our first year. He's always so observant and considerate of his friends. He knows everything about me, but there's only one thing he doesn't know.

Something that my close friend didn't believe.

 

"You'll probably become a sports coach, just like you hoped."

 

"If I don't die of exhaustion from soccer training first, then I'll probably become one."

 

It was spoken in a casual, informal way.

 

"Your mouth, huh?"

 

I pursed my lips tightly before turning my face away, but that damn guy moved his face closer, as if to tease me. That made my heart race. I felt like lowering my gaze to the floor until I felt a hand resting on my shoulder, gently shaking me.

 

"I know you care about me." He spoke with a smile, and that smile stirred my heart.

 

"Because I'm your best friend, aren't I?"

 

'Close friend...just a friend, really.'

 

Those words calmed my racing heart. The feeling of joy was like the air compressed inside a balloon being burst, scattering into fragments. Balloons fluttered everywhere like a broken heart. I pursed my lips tightly, forced a smile, and turned my face away again. That's right, we're friends, aren't we?

 

Boom's voice came from afar. That sound made me move away from its grip quickly. The dog looked confused for a moment before I shifted my attention to Boom, who was walking towards me carrying a plate of rice. I quickly stood up and beckoned Boom to sit in my place.

 

"Hey, where are you going, Phod?"

 

"Sit down, Boom. I'm going to the restroom first."

 

"Oh, aren't you going to eat? I didn't see you buy anything to eat."

 

"I'm not hungry yet."

 

"Are you feeling unwell?"

 

Boom reached out and touched my face and eyes.

 

"I'm not very hungry today. I feel sluggish."

 

"Are you okay, Phodduang? You haven't looked well for several days. Should we go to the doctor?" Boom looked so worried that I had to smile at her.

 

"I'm fine, I just haven't been getting enough sleep lately."

 

"Really?"

 

Booms’ face still showed worry, so I reached out and gently ruffled her hair.

 

"I'm okay."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

"Mmm."

 

"Sometimes I'm jealous of you, Phod." Ai Dang spoke up.

 

"What are you jealous of me about?"

 

"I'm jealous that Boom cares about you more than his own girlfriend does."

 

"Talking nonsense."

 

Boom gave her boyfriend a flirtatious look and then turned to smile at me. As I walked away, I turned back to the table where my two close friends were sitting and saw them gently swaying their heads, smiling, and teasing each other. I watched them and smirked. I didn't want to feel that the 'original place' I used to sit in before Boom took my place was the seat I wanted to sit in forever. But I couldn't help thinking that when Boom sat down in my place, it completed the picture.

 

Sometimes, the seats are perfect because the people who were already sitting there chose 'the person sitting next to them' themselves from the beginning.

 

════[changbins_delulu_wife]════

 

After using the restroom, I walked around looking at food for a while and ended up buying a bowl of Tom Yum noodle soup. At first, I wasn't planning on eating it, but since I hadn't eaten since morning and was afraid I might faint, I needed something to fill my stomach. The sour and spicy taste of the Tom Yum noodle soup would probably whet my appetite a bit.

 

"Oh!" 

 

I was so busy looking at the food that I wasn't paying attention and almost bumped into Beam, who was walking this way. 

 

"Oh, Beam!"

 

"Sorry, sorry, I almost hit a beetle!" Beam quickly apologised profusely.

 

"No problem. Have you eaten yet?"

 

I smiled at the other person before looking over Beam's small shoulder and seeing their best friend walking closely behind them.

 

"Not yet. The cafeteria is so crowded today. There are hardly any free seats."

 

Beam wrinkled his nose and made a troubled face. I followed his gaze as he looked around. He was right; the cafeteria was really crowded today.

 

"Want to sit with me, Beam? My friends are probably almost finished eating."

 

"I'm sorry to bother you, but today all of Jin's engineering friends are coming to eat here. Will there be enough tables?" I nodded in understanding. Besides Jin, who often eats here, sometimes his close friends from the faculty also come to eat around here.

 

My group and I glanced at a group of people wearing unusual shop uniforms mingling with the students from the Faculty of Science and Health.

 

"Just squeeze in and sit together."

 

If it were before, I would never be on good terms with Jin. There's no way we'd ever sit at the same table for a meal. Of course, Beam expected that too. I never thought I'd hear those words come out of my mouth.

 

"Are you serious, Phod?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Okay, then I'll trouble you," Beam said with a pleading expression. "They won't bother me for long. Once they're done eating, they'll probably hurry back to their afternoon classes."

 

"If you're in such a hurry, why don't you eat at your own faculty?"

 

"Those Jin guys are avoiding the reporters these days."

 

I immediately furrowed my brows.

"Why?"

 

"Reporters are waiting to interview about Anda. His friends have been hiding out here for almost a week now," I sighed heavily as I thought of Anda. Normally, if Jin comes to eat with Beam, Anda usually tags along. Usually, that figure was there, but today it was gone. Thinking about it makes me sad. No one knows when their last day will come. 

 

I'm sitting at a long bench table in one corner of the cafeteria. A group of people from the engineering faculty are now walking towards me. I look up from my bowl of noodles, frowning. My eyebrows furrowed when Jin walked over, carrying a bowl of noodles, and sat down next to me.

 

"There are so many seats available, why do you have to squeeze in next to that beetle, Jin?"

 

Jin's best friend teased me, which made me look flustered, causing his engineering friends to boo loudly, except for Beam, who just stared at me. Oh no!

 

I don't know if Jin told Beam about the fake dating agreement, because Beam furrowed his brows before glancing at me and Jin with a blank expression. I suspect so. As for my friends, they've had beaming faces ever since they saw Jin hunched over and sitting next to me.

 

"Uh..."

 

I scratched my head, glancing at the person sitting next to me, who didn't say a word except to give their friend the middle finger, then just kept eating. I felt awkward, so I just started picking at the offal in my bowl and placing it on the edge of my plate where my spoon was sitting. I don't like eating offal because it feels weird.

 

"Aren't you going to eat?" It spoke up before gesturing towards a pile of offal containing both intestines and giblets.

 

"I don't like it."

 

"Everything is delicious."

 

"It's not stained with my saliva yet. Want to eat it?"

 

"I like to eat dried fish."

 

Huh?

You could say it normally, but why are you smiling so slyly?

 

"Okay, they're going to eat liver now." My friend, Tos, teased me, so I glared at him.

 

"If you like it, go ahead and eat it," I nodded at him. "Do you want to eat the filling too?"

 

"What are you going to eat?" He glanced at my bowl, where, after scooping out all the offal, only two meatballs and a piece of bouncy pork remained. I'd also removed the chopped scallions and fried garlic because I didn't like their pungent smell.

 

"If you're not going to eat it, why order it and then just sit there picking the pieces out?"

 

"I forgot to tell the vendor when I ordered."

I gave a vague answer before blinking when I saw two more meatballs in the bowl. I spun around to look at Jin, who had grabbed the meatballs for me.

 

"Let's trade."

 

"Eww, eww, eww!"

 

"Is your father a bird?"

 

Jin turned to scold his friend, who was teasing him so much that his hair came undone.

 

"You're so possessive of those meatballs, Jin. Whenever we eat noodles these days, you always save them for last. We once tried to snatch them from you and got yelled at like crazy. This is how I'm setting you off."

 

"It's a simple beetle larva."

 

The information Art gave me left me speechless.

 

"I think he's crazy in love," Beam said with a smile, and his words surprised me. "Beam knows? And how?" I turned to look at Jin, but he just shrugged, pretending not to know anything.

 

"I just traded meatballs for offal," Jin spoke in a calm voice.

 

"Oh, really?"

 

He shook his head before bending down to focus on his bowl of noodles, leaving me to face the teasing glint in his friend's eyes.

 

"Are you serious about hitting on my friend?"

 

"That damn Tum asked," I jumped, turning to meet Jin's gaze as he looked up at me.

 

"Do you really need to ask after all this?" Tos said it jokingly.

 

"You guys have been talking for so long now, don't you think about dating seriously? That damn guy is famous."

 

I glared at my best friend. That question immediately drew jeers and teasing from Jin's friends.

 

"Oh, how embarrassing!" Tum was teasing me.

 

Didn't you believe that Jin and Phod had something going on? I glared at them for hanging out with Jin's friends. What the hell are they so embarrassed about? Damn, those bastards.

 

"What's the deal with you two?"

 

"Ask him."

 

"Damn it, Jin! You bastard, why are you pointing your mouth at me?" So I moved my foot and kicked his leg hard, but Jin remained silent. That made everyone's eyes widen. He glanced at me, his gaze questioning.

Damn it!

 

I glanced at the guys who had been through this with me, who were chilling and eating. Come on, don't be so quiet! Help me!

 

"Well..."

 

"This is good the way it is," Jin said. "If and when the relationship between him and me changes, you'll all hear it from me." I pursed my lips and glanced at the speaker. I don't know if I'm imagining it, but his words sounded so firm, it strangely tickled my ears.

 

"Go ahead and eat it."

 

I pretended to be annoyed and tried to return the meatballs he gave me.

 

"Oh, oh, you're embarrassed, so you're pretending to be angry to cover it up."

 

This time, everyone at the table started teasing him.

 

"Cover it up, you bastard."

 

Jin shook his head before picking up the meatballs and giving them back to me, this time even adding some bouncy pork skewers.

 

That evening, I went to the football field to complete my internship hours. Of course, my friends Jin and Tos had taken the day off to visit Anda's parents at the law school. Jin didn't know what was going on; he didn't tell me. Actually, he invited me, but I declined. It's going to be crowded there because Anda is a celebrity. I wanted it to be just family and close friends spending their last moments together.

 

"That bastard is so arrogant."

 

Dang stormed over to the sidelines, his face contorted with anger, making one wonder what had upset him. Normally, he was easygoing; it was rare for him to get so upset. He grabbed a bottle of water, poured it over his head, and shook it vigorously.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"Did you see that guy?"

 

The guy pointed his mouth towards the centre of the field where a very familiar-looking soccer player was sitting. Still, I'd never seen him practice with the university soccer team before.

 

"His name is Jom. This year, the coach asked him to play for the university's traditional football team. Normally, the national team players don't come to practice because they're playing for other teams."

 

"The club... I don't know how the club let him go." I nodded.

 

"So what?"

 

"He's so arrogant. I hate the sight of him. Every word he says is such a show of self-praise." It's rare to see Dang insult anyone. I suspect that guy named Jom must have caused them a lot of trouble, because I've noticed it's not just Dang, none of the other footballers talks to him either.

 

That day, football practice ended around 9 PM. I finished massaging the players' muscles and then took the hour logbook to the coach to sign. Normally, I would have gathered them all for the coach, who's my senior, to sign at once, but I was afraid I'd forget, so I had to get him to sign it after every practice.

 

After putting the first-aid kit and medical supplies away in my locker in the athletes' changing room, I heard the door close. The lockers rattled loudly, making me jump. I was even more shocked when I walked in and saw Jin raising his fist, as if he were about to punch someone in front of the lockers.

 

Upon closer inspection, I realised the other party was someone that "Dang" hated intensely: a national football player named Jom. I don't know what kind of dispute the two of them had. Why did Jin suddenly show up here? He said he was going to forensic medicine and probably wouldn't be coming back to the university again.

 

Jin's face was tense and furious. He clenched his jaw so tightly that his jawbone was clearly visible. His sharp eyes glared at his opponent with a murderous look. He lowered his fist before pushing the other person away.

 

"Did I say something that hit a nerve, Jin?"

 

"So you're too injured to play anymore, huh?"

 

I was stunned to hear those words come out of that guy's mouth. Jin glanced at me briefly before turning to look at his opponent.

 

"With one side of your lip cracked, you'll have trouble eating."

 

That comment made me notice that the corner of Jom's mouth was really badly slapped.

 

"Do you want to end up with a bloody mouth so bad you can't eat?"

 

I've never seen Jin this angry at anyone before. After they made up about basketball last year, he was still smiling and seemed fine. But today, I just saw Jin in his fierce version, and it almost took my breath away. I couldn't believe that someone who always had a wide smile on his face could be so terrifying when he was angry. Of course, his opponent must have been intimidated by Jin; they swallowed hard, quickly backed away, but not without pointing at Jin before walking past me.

 

Now it's just me and Jin, who glanced at me briefly before walking away. I must be crazy to have run after it like that. I hunched over, breathing heavily, as I ran after Jin. Even though I was supposed to be a fast runner, I could barely keep up with him.

 

I didn't know which way they went until I saw the headlights of a motorcycle coming towards me. I squinted and moved to stand on the sidewalk. A few moments later, a familiar motorcycle pulled up nearby. Jin lifted the visor of his helmet and looked at me before speaking.

 

"Get on."

 

"What for?"

 

I didn't know what expression to make. Just a moment ago, Jin looked like he was about to devour someone's head, but now he's a completely different person.

 

"I'll give you a ride to the condo."

 

"Uh..."

 

"Come on."

It handed me a helmet.

 

"Why did you come back?"

His expression changed slightly.

 

"I came back to get something."

 

I looked at his face, then finally took the helmet and put it on before hopping on the back of the motorcycle. In the meantime, I secretly glanced at his knee. On its left side, the last time I massaged it so hard that it involuntarily winced.

 

'So you're too injured to play anymore, huh?'

 

Considering what I'd heard, plus the fact that Jin had been injured and recovering for a year, I instinctively reached out and nudged his knee. Jin stroked me gently, and before I knew it, his thick palm was covering mine.

 

"Doing what"

 

It asked with a smile, its sharp eyes sparkling.

 

"nothing"

 

I shook my head vigorously, trying to pull my hand away, but it grabbed it again. I tried to twist my wrist free, but it pulled me closer.

 

"Let go!"

 

"Can you move from grabbing your knees to hugging my waist instead?"

 

"What's wrong with you?"

 

"Is that okay?" It spoke up, looking me straight in the face.

 

Damn it!

Why did grabbing his waist turn into hugging him? I didn't know what expression to make, but there was no time to think, so I just let go. Go ahead, let yourself hug his waist all the way to the condo.

 

Luckily, it took less than twenty minutes to get from the university to my condo. I took off my helmet and returned it. At that moment, when Jin parked the bike, his left knee took the full weight, causing him to wince.

 

"Uh, you."

 

"Mmm."

 

"So, how did things go at the forensic department today?"

 

Because I didn't know how to start a conversation with the other person, I brought up their best friend, which is something we can both talk about without needing to discuss it formally. It relies on making an effort to create a conversation.

 

"Phu hates the word 'if' because it reminds me of the thought... if Anda were still here, things would be better," he said softly, his gaze distant.

 

"You guys must be really close."

 

"Yeah, he was my first friend from college."

 

Then, he pulled out his Android phone with a cracked screen from his pocket, scrolled through something for a while, and then handed it to me to look at. [Image]

 

That picture on the screen is definitely Jin and his engineering friends from their first year. You can tell because Anda still had long hair back then. Everyone looked so young back then, unlike now. I glanced at Jin, whose face was covered in a beard and moustache, unlike in the pictures, where he still looked like a child.

 

"The environment is nothing like studying engineering."

 

His skin is so clear and flawless, just like those film studies students.

 

"Real male engineers don't look like the pictures."

 

"how"

Jin smirked and looked at me.

 

"Because in a still photo, the real person makes people's hearts flutter."

 

"Damn it!"

 

It chuckled softly, and that expression relieved me. Before, I'd seen it with such a fierce expression that I didn't want to go near it. I had a bad feeling about what it had talked about with Jom; it must have been making it feel really bad. At that moment, I heard a notification sound from Jin's LINE app, like someone had sent him a message.

 

I don't know what the message was about because only the sender's name appeared on the screen, not the message itself. But I noticed Jin's expression. He smirked slightly as he looked at the screen. Probably one of his girls from his "stock," I shrugged. At that moment, Jin didn't let me wonder for long; he opened the message right in front of me.

 

Besides the "Happy Monday" picture, there was also a picture of a Buddha image. It looked just like the tense situation between my mom and me. I looked up at Jin, who wouldn't answer anything except for a small smile. Since he wouldn't say anything, I decided not to ask. He might think I'm prying into his personal life. While he was engrossed in his phone, I glanced at his knees again because I saw him frown earlier.

 

"knee"

It immediately looked up from its phone.

 

"Your knee"

 

"I'm sorry I massaged you too hard that day."

 

"never mind"

 

"Are you still in pain? Do you need a compression bandage?"

 

"If I'm still hurting, what are you going to do?"

 

It looked me straight in the face and put away its phone. I sighed heavily and tugged at its student uniform shirt, urging it to follow. It furrowed its brows in a mixture of annoyance and disbelief. I understood, but I followed along until we sat on a bench in the garden in front of the condo.

 

"Roll up your pants legs."

 

"What are you going to do?"

 

When I went into the locker room and saw Jin and his opponent, I saw that Jin had been kicked really hard by that guy.

 

"I'll wrap it with a bandage."

 

I reached into my backpack, which contained compression bandages and a spray for treating athletic injuries, when I looked up and saw him looking at me.

 

"What are you looking at? Roll up your pants."

 

Luckily, today he wasn't wearing jeans, just regular sweatpants; otherwise, it would have been difficult. When he rolled up his pant legs, that's when I got to see. His knee has a scar from surgery, which was quite a while ago, so the scar is only faint. So that's why you were gone for a whole year getting treatment!

 

"Have you ever had surgery?"

 

"My anterior cruciate ligament is torn."

 

I flinched because this type of injury is very serious for football players. I clenched my jaw before wrapping the area with a bandage. The area is surrounded by a figure-of-eight pattern, a first-aid technique to stabilise the affected limb and prevent further injury.

 

"When you get back to your room, put an ice pack on it."

 

"Mmm."

 

"You need to rest your legs, Jin." I'm speaking seriously.

 

"Thanks," it said with a smile, "but the training schedule is incredibly packed these days."

 

"If you don't rest, it will become chronic."

 

"I've been resting my legs for a year now."

 

"But it hurts again because you got kicked by that jerk. You should rest your leg for a while, otherwise you'll keep hurting like this forever."

 

"So, if I get hurt again someday, can I ask you to wrap me in a bandage again?" he asked me in a gentler tone. "Can I?" His sharp eyes looked directly at me, making my heart flutter inexplicably.

 

"Is that okay, P'D?" I sighed deeply, and my face inexplicably flushed.

 

"Give me back my fabric strap, because I only have one."

 

It made him smile.

 

"Next time, I'll wrap him up like a mummy!"

 

That bastard Jin smirked before getting up, straddling his motorcycle, and speeding away, leaving me standing there with a bewildered expression.

 

"Damn, do I have to buy some spare elastic bandages for future use?"

 

I mumbled something under my breath before heading towards the pharmacy.