MONSTERNEXTDOOR, Chapter 10: How Valuable Is ‘His’ Effort To ‘Us’?
“I’m a reindeer, I have antlers and hooves, and my nose is blue.”
I’ve been sitting in front of my computer for a while because I wanted to see what Chopper’s voice from One Piece sounds like. It’s a bit highpitched and nasal, somewhat like Suneo’s voice from Doraemon, so I tried mimicking it to see if they were really similar.
“I’m a reindeer, I have antlers and hooves, and my nose is blue…
“I’m a reindeer, I have antlers and hooves…”
“I’m a reindeer.”
No, that’s not it!
They don’t sound alike at all. My voice doesn’t sound like Chopper’s, it doesn’t have that nasal quality. I don’t know what part of his brain he used to think it’s like the pink-hatted reindeer.
I fed young-master before preparing to leave the room. Opening the door, I found the usual bag of Pocky, with a Post-it note that read:
‘Today there’s a small concert at the cafeteria.’
I blinked, reading the message slowly and clearly again… Today there’s a small concert at the cafeteria?
And then what? Is the person next door inviting me to see the small concert at the cafeteria? I turned the Post-it note over several times, but there was no part that explicitly said to go watch it with him or to meet up.
It just says there’s a concert.
I put the Post-it note in my pocket with a sense of confusion, my eyebrows furrowed, my head filled with countless questions with no answers. Trying to guess the actions of the creature next door is harder than solving a chemistry problem.
So, I decided not to dwell on it.
I took a taxi to the university, had a simple sandwich from 7-Eleven. After that, I went straight to the lab to study until noon. The clock on my phone showed 12:10 along with a LINE notification from Phii Beert.
CHECK
Beer
Are you going to the cafeteria today, Nong Diew?
Beer
There’s a small charity concert.
Raising money for cats and dogs.
Beer
They’ll have dogs showing off too.
Are you coming? You like dogs, right?
OnlyOne Really?
Only, One
Dogs and cats?
It’s true I like dogs. I like all kinds of animals, but I don’t quite understand…
Phii Godt saying there’s a small concert at the cafeteria,
and Phii Beert saying it’s a small charity concert to raise money for
cats and dogs.
How perfect could this coincidence be? Are these two planning something strange?
I shook those thoughts out of my head, chose to go to the elevator, and pressed the button to go down to my faculty’s cafeteria, where the small concert Phii Godt mentioned was supposed to be held, which I knew from reading was at the university’s central cafeteria, and it was quite far from my faculty building. Plus, the sun was insanely hot today, so I probably wouldn’t go…
So why am I standing here?
I rested my head on the long bench table under the roof of the central cafeteria, looking at the crowd bustling in the distance because I don’t really like the chaos, so I sat far away like this.
I came here because of the words, “dogs showing off.” Just that.
Phii Beert added later that these were dogs from a famous page on Facebook, giant breeds, Alaskan Malamutes, quiet and composed in nature, looking like dolls, and I wanted to see how big they were. So, I sat here watching the fluffy dogs from afar, seeing them sit and lie down next to their owners.
It’s really big. If you hug it, it must be very warm.
Apart from the big dog, there were musical instruments set up on the wide lawn in front. The small concert had all the musicians present: singer, guitarist, bassist, and keyboardist. Only the drummer spot was still vacant, and they were starting to test their instruments one by one.
I was debating whether to go and play with the fluffy dog when I noticed there were already a lot of people around, probably only getting to touch the tips of its fur, but even just the tips would feel nice since the fur looked so soft compared to the rough charcoal I deal with every day.
Before I could decide, someone sat down across from me. When I looked up, I almost jumped out of my chair seeing that it was Phii Wan hiding behind a pillar.
“Hey.”
“Hi.”
“Here to see Godt?”
“Huh…” I was left gaping for a while until Phii Wan furrowed his brows at me.
“Oh, didn’t he tell you he’s playing the drums?”
No…
I didn’t know. He just said there was a small concert, and Phii Beert didn’t mention it either.
“I… came to see… the dog.”
“Ha!” Now it was Phii Wan who exclaimed in surprise.
To see the dog! I didn’t come to see Khun Godzilla!
I looked down at the table, fidgeting with my fingers while Phii Wan was crunching on his shaved ice. If Phii Godt comes, that would be bad. If that happens, I’d have to leave quickly. I looked up at the person with the playful nose who was enjoying his shaved ice, and quietly called his name.
“Phii Wan…”
“So you came to see the dog or Godt?”
“The dog.”
“Godt, huh?”
You can’t just decide that for me. “It’s okay. I won’t see him anyway.”
Huh…
“Uh… yes?”
“When we went shopping in Sampeng, he got that.”
The slender finger of the small guy in front of me pointed towards the venue where the charity concert for cats and dogs was being held. I followed Phii Wan’s finger and saw a person walking with a drumstick towards the cafeteria, alongside Phii Beert, who was next to Phii Wan, chuckling softly.
The noise from the crowd erupted, with shouts, jeers, and bursts of laughter.
Not because he was good-looking. Not because he was well-known.
But…
“Ultraman…” I muttered softly, hearing Phii Wan crunching ice in response.
Yes, Ultraman with the dot eyes, the gray mask that kids like to wear at temple fairs.
Even though we’ve never met before, that was Phii Godt, the person capable of doing bizarre things without caring what others think, with his tall, honey-colored skin, wearing a white student shirt and black trousers that fit his long legs perfectly, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up halfway, his black hair looking messy as if he had just woken up, his face hidden under the Ultraman mask which made many people laugh, but for me,
I was stunned. Surprised to the point of almost falling backward.
What was he thinking wearing that mask… or did he know I was coming to watch? If that’s the case, it would mean I was waiting for him.
“Phii Wan…”
“Why, afraid the promise will be broken? No, it’s just a coincidence, right?”
The small guy gave a mischievous smile in return.
A coincidence, huh… well, yes, because I didn’t know Phii Godt would be there.
I sat stiffly on the bench, my lips pressed tight until they hurt. Even if Phii Wan said it was a coincidence, what would happen if Phii Godt saw me? Would he think I was the one breaking the promise? I was almost biting my nails from the stress building up little by little until Phii Beert came and sat next to me, lightly patting my shoulder to comfort me, easing my tension a bit. I turned to look at Phii Beert with a puzzled expression.
“I thought you weren’t coming.”
“I… just… came to see the dogs.”
“You came to see the dog, right? Godt is just a bonus.”
Phii Beert’s heavy hand landed on my head, ruffling it gently as he laughed, seemingly successful in teasing me.
Phii Beert, you’re such a villain!
“But… this is like…” Does this break our agreement?
“It’s okay, Godt didn’t expect you to come see him. He just wanted you to come and see, both the dog and him.”
I rested my face on my arms, my gaze drifting towards the lively crowd not far away. He didn’t expect to see me, but he expected me to see him? That’s confusing again.
The musicians checked their sound for a while before the crowd started to grow a little. Students from various faculties gathered around, with the chatter and the soft strumming of the guitar filling the air. I, rarely encountering such scenes, watched quietly from behind a large pillar.
“Hello, everyone. We are third and fourth-year students from the Faculty of Engineering. Today, we’re here to play music to raise funds for stray cats and dogs. If anyone is interested in donating, please put money in the box on the chair next to us. And if anyone just wants to sit and enjoy the music while having lunch, we hope you enjoy yourselves.”
The singer spoke, followed by applause from all directions. Despite trying to look at the dog, my eyes inevitably returned to focus on the one person behind the black drum set, silently mimicking drum beats in the air.
I couldn’t look away because of the Ultraman mask.
“Oh, and if you’re wondering who the drummer is, don’t wonder. Just know that he doesn’t want to reveal his identity.”
“Talk about it. It’s not because of the Student Council, asking Godt to play, that’s why we’re here like this.” Phii Wan grumbled. I looked at him, slightly confused.
“Actually, the drummer isn’t Godt. It’s someone else, but he broke his arm.”
That was it. I recalled the early days of talking with the creature next door and by chance overheard a conversation between students from different faculties eating at the international building’s cafeteria that day.
“Latest news, I think it’s Phii Godt.”
“The tall one, right? I met him during the freshman welcome, he’s really tall.”
“Yeah, how tall is he?”
“Don’t know, probably around 180 something.”
“And what does the Student Council want him for?”
“Heard he was supposed to play the drums, the old drummer broke his arm.”
Exactly… it’s definitely him, the guy over 180 cm tall, because Phii Godt is very tall.
So, all that talk about him being good-looking and being a social butterfly, it seems not to be a lie after all, since Phii Wan has confirmed it this much, with all the evidence of his many friends.
Hearing this, my heart felt strangely hollow.
For a moment, I felt like… I didn’t want to face him.
We should just remain balcony chat friends. My decision was right.
It’s always been right.
A person who makes headlines at the university, a socialite, someone who, wherever he goes, everyone knows him, is completely different from an invisible person like me.
I stood up to return to my faculty building, but Phii Beert grabbed my hand first. I met Phii Beert’s eyes for just a moment before looking away with unease.
“Where are you going? Are you leaving already?”
“Yes.”
“If I had to guess, you probably think you shouldn’t know someone like him, right?” Phii Wan chimed in. Even though his tone was somewhat playful, it sounded serious.
“No…” No. I didn’t think that. I was very glad to know Phii Godt.
“He thinks the same way.” His words made me sit back down as I looked at Phii Wan’s face, which had become somber, his expression clearly showing his feelings, his eyes looking sad.
I didn’t like it at all.
“It’s only right that he’d be disliked, people who are social have lots of friends, and having many friends means there will be lots of problems. It’s not surprising if he’s not liked.”
“It… isn’t like that.”
“Then what is it like?”
How should I explain it to you…
You’re asking what it’s like with Phii Godt?
I turned to look at the person playing the drums far away, at the Ultraman mask on his face with those dot eyes which seemed to make drumming difficult, but he was doing it well as if it were easy.
It seemed like he had anticipated that I would come to see the dog and see him at the same time. So he bought a mask to wear, even though he didn’t have to do this.
“It… makes you guys… do things… that aren’t yourselves.”
“And why not think that some people want to do this because they want to enter that world too?”
I turned to look at Phii Wan, who was already looking at me. I pressed my lips together tightly.
“If talking feels good, why throw that good feeling away?”
“Wan,” Phii Beert interrupted Phii Wan when he saw him getting emotional. The smaller man looked down at the shaved ice on the table instead, jabbing at it forcefully, causing pieces to fly everywhere.
“Sorry, I ruined the mood.” In the end, Phii Wan stood up and walked away.
A bad feeling gripped my heart.
“Phii Beert…” I turned to look at the man next to me with a guilty expression, and he gave me another warm smile.
“It’s okay, his mood goes up and down. He’s probably just feeling a bit hurt.”
“Hurt…?”
“Yeah, both Wan and Godt tried to understand that person, but in the end, he left. One was a friend, the other was someone to talk to, so they both got hurt. When Wan sees that Godt seems to care about you, he’s afraid it might happen again. If it does, Godt might not care about anyone anymore.”
“I… don’t want to stop talking… with Phii Godt…” I just don’t want to see him, that’s all.
“Everything takes time, you can’t force it, right?”
I nodded hesitantly.
“I never blamed the person who left. He had his reasons, and I never blamed Godt and Wan either, saying they were the reason he left. It’s the same with you.”
I sat quietly, waiting to hear the lesson from the tall brother in front of me. Phii Beert’s composure was colder than polar ice.
“I just want to tell you that Godt is trying, you know.”
“…”
“He wants to get to know you, understand you, so don’t abandon him, okay?”
After saying that, Phii Beert patted my shoulder before running off to find Phii Wan, who had disappeared somewhere, leaving me to sink into my own thoughts.
From just wanting to see the dog, how did it turn into this?
What Phii Beert said made me think of many things. I knew I had my own private world where no one could intrude, it was my safe zone that I never left because I was happy in it, my little world that I created.
But when someone tries to invade one day, it’s normal to build defenses, and my defense was the promise of a bedtime chat.
Because I was afraid of being disappointed by him, I closed myself off, even though Phii Godt has always tried to understand me, and he’s still doing so now, including this moment.
Deep down, there was a moment when I thought I wasn’t suitable for Phii Godt at all. I wasn’t suitable for someone who was a socialite, not suitable for that kind of chaos, forgetting that this social person was trying to distance himself from society to understand me.
The music quieted down after playing for a full hour, and students started to leave one by one. I watched Phii Godt walk away towards the restroom before noticing an opportunity to go play with the big fluffy dog.
I’ll put Phii Godt aside for now, because that big fluffy creature had captured all my attention.
I hurried over to the big fluffy dog that was now free from the crowd, placed my hand on its head, and gently stroked it. Its wet nose sniffed at my hair. Seeing it up close like this, the dog was even bigger than me while I sat in front of it.
“What’s… its name?” I asked the owner, who was busy setting up a fan for the heat-sensitive dog.
“Latte, khrap.”
“Latte.” I stroked the fluffy one and hugged it, feeling like I was hugging a giant teddy bear.
Suddenly, Latte, who had been quiet, barked loudly, looking as if it was about to charge at something behind me. The owner quickly restrained Latte, while I slowly turned around to see what Latte was barking at, a bird maybe… but when I saw who it was, I quickly turned back to Latte in shock.
The Ultraman dot-eye mask was standing right behind me, supporting my head while scolding Latte.
“Don’t bark, little one, I know I’m handsome. No need to be jealous.”
Wow… you’re not even sparing the dogs?
“Godt! Come help pack up!”
“Yes, sir!”
I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
The dog wasn’t barking because you’re handsome, it was because you’re wearing the Ultraman mask.
The scent of his cologne, which often drifts along the breeze on the tenth-floor balcony, is vivid in my memory. It’s a scent that feels refreshing, like someone who has just showered.
And just now… all the time.
His height is still prominent in my mind.
His long, charming arms are still etched in my eyes.
And what will remain in my memory from today is probably the Ultraman mask with the dot eyes.
It’s something important that I will never forget, that the guy who has a dozen friends like Khun Godzilla, the noisy one, is trying very hard to invade my world.
Maybe Phii Wan is right, because if I continue to feel more connected to him day by day like this, if one day our bedtime chat promise falls apart, even if Phii Godt becomes the person with the most friends in the world, or becomes a famous star, I will still talk to him.
Because general friends, you can find easily, but friends who understand you, they are hard to find.
People like Phii Godt, there’s only one.
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