When Gulf arrived at his apartment, he carefully put his newly bought guitar on the sofa and threw himself on the bed in exhaustion. He kept his gaze focused on the plain-colored ceiling of the room.
What happened at the mall earlier hasn't left his head yet, and it sure bothers him a lot. The analogous soft, soothing piece from the piano continues to touch him.
.
.
*Dug Dug!* *Dug Dug!*
He stopped thinking and listened to that strange sound attentively. The strange throbbing of his chest comes along with that audible beat from nowhere. Gulf listened to the beat as he put his palm on his left chest.
"What am I feeling?" He asked himself, bewildered. It took him a couple more minutes to normalize his heartbeat and breathing before rushing to the bathroom with a bath towel and a pair of pajamas hanging on his shoulder.
Gulf cooled himself under the shower and felt the rushing flow of water into his skin. He spent almost half an hour in the shower before leaving the bathroom and temporarily sat on the bed while drying his wet hair with the towel.
The silence broke when his phone rang, and Jamie's name flashed on the screen.
"Heya Gulfie!" Gulf drew the phone away from his ears when Jamie's scream greeted him. Luckily he didn't think about turning on the speaker, or else his eardrums would surely explode.
"What a loud greetings you have there." He commented with a straight face. The girl just chuckled from the other line.
"So, how was the dat-- I mean guitar hunting with your tutor?" She asked. Gulf even heard her chuckle on the other line, he just shook his head.
"It went well. He's quite aloof but still fine." Gulf dozed off when Mew's image suddenly came back into his head. He was preoccupied to the point that he lost track of what his friend was saying. The young man can't help but wonder what Mew was like when he was still into music.
"Hello, earth on Gulfie are you still there?"
"Jamie? Can I ask you something?"
"Hmm? spill it."
The young man sighed when hesitation kept bugging him. He'd wanted to ask her personally, but he didn't know why he seemed to be in a hurry to know something. After what he saw earlier, everything about that guitar tutor of his was a mystery. How come such a melophile person suddenly stopped performing?
"You used to go to the same school as Mew, right?"
"Yep, why'd you ask?"
"What was he like back then?"
_________________
Gulf and Jamie headed straight to the club room as per the calling of their club president, Faith. This will be their last meeting before starting the rehearsals. Everyone was already spotted in their respective seats when they came. When everyone seemed to be complete and settled already, the president immediately started the meeting.
"As we all know, two weeks from now will be our performance. And I hope everyone has familiarized their scripts before the rehearsals, okay?"
Everyone, especially the main cast of the play responded positively to the leader. They've tackled the important details and things needed in preparing the performance.
"Kim, what about the costumes? How is it?" Asked Faith.
"Everything is almost settled" the young girl with a ponytail responded. Faith smiled and turned to the brown-haired young man.
"Win, any concerns with the props department?"
"The materials are all settled... It's just that everyone in the club seems not enough to do the preparations." He concerned.
The club president paused to think for a while. Everyone waited for her to respond. Then suddenly Faith snapped her fingers.
"Don't worry, I knew someone who could help us with that." She muttered.
"Now, let's talk about our main leads. How is it going?" Viviene, the female lead nodded as she gave her reply reply, now the president's eyes turned to him.
"How about you, Gulf? How's the guitar playing?"
"Uh- I'm still working on it" There's an awkwardness in his voice.
Faith smiled in relief.
"It's fine, don't pressure yourself. You still have time to practice, don't worry" she said encouragingly.
----------
"Okay! So, everyone, I think that would be all for today's meeting. See you" Faith dismissed the meeting. The club's juniors bid their seniors goodbyes before exiting the club room. Wearing a nervous look, Gulf pathed the quiet hallway towards the stairs.
His friend Jamie looked at him intently after noticing the worried expression of her friend.
"Hey, are you okay?" She asked.
"Hm, just a little bit nervous about the rehearsals tomorrow" The worried tone of his voice made his friend let out a deep sigh and pat his shoulder.
"Don't stress too much, you can do it" she gave him a convincing smile.
"Thanks" he muttered.
On the other side of the story, Mew and his friends were having their afternoon break at their faculty's cafeteria. Two of his friends, Mark and Krit were having the usual fight with their food. The other two, Ritz and Akio are busy checking out hot girls in the faculty. Mew was reading his notes when Faith showed up.
"Oi Faith, how are you?" Said Krit when he noticed the newcomer.
"It's been a while since we last met, miss me?" Mark uttered with utter confidence.
They've known each other for a long time since they went to the same middle school. Well of course except for Aki who came from Japan three years ago.
"Hell no! And why would I even miss you, assh*le?" The girl reacted and rolled her eyes.
"Besides, I'm not here because I miss you." She added.
"Why is it then?" Mew paused reading and asked.
"Can I have a favor, please?" she begged while putting both of her palms together.
"Can you help us do the props, please?" she said.
"Props, for what?" Aki asked.
"Uh- I heard your club will have a play for this coming event" Mark asserted. She gave them a reply with a nod.
"Our club only has a few members and I don't think we could rehearse properly if we are busy doing the props."
She explained, trying to convince everyone at the table.
"Help me, please. Mew" she pouted while looking at Mew.
The young man seemed to be dazing out when he suddenly remembered Gulf. And there, he recalled that the younger one indeed mentioned a play in which it became the reason why Gulf asked him to be his guitar tutor. For no reason, Mew felt like something was urging him to accept the favor. It's as if something was drawing him towards Gulf.
"Okay, fine" the girl's expression shifted.
"Yeeeey!!" She shouted.
"It's all settled then. There's no turning back okay!" She said.
"I'm expecting you tomorrow, after class at the drama club. See ya!" She waved her hand and left them. She ran faster in a flash.
Faith returned to the club with a wide smile on her face.
The Next Day...
Just right after the class ended, Mew and his friends went to the theater club to hand out some help as requested by their friend Faith.
"Okay everyone attention!" Everyone in the small theater room paid attention to the club leader.
"Let me introduce to you, my friends from the Architecture department... Krit, Mark, Akio, Ritz, and Mew. I guess some of you knew them already" Everyone in the club welcomed them politely and so the seniors did the same.
"They will be helping us with the props." She continued.
The four of them smiled sweetly except for Mew who's been wearing a straight face ever since they entered. Faith began giving them instructions about the layout, but Mew didn't bother to listen. Instead, he kept his eyes roaming around the place as if he were looking for someone.
Everyone in the room was surprised when the door abruptly opened, and a petite young man entered the room. Sweat was dripping from his forehead and he was panting.
"I'm sorry President-- I'm late-- Our class ended late-" Catching his breath, the newcomer mumbled without giving any attention to anybody.
Watching the fresher, Mew didn't notice that the corners of his lips slightly raised. The stern expression he had worn since earlier also lit up
"Hey, easy, it's okay I understand. Calm yourself first." Faith advised.
It took Gulf a few minutes to calm down and normalize his breathing. Then as he stood straight to prepare for the rehearsal, he noticed a familiar figure standing in front of him. He quickly rubbed his blurry visions before looking at them.
"Eh? You're here?"...
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(A/N: Heyow guys, it's me again your author. Again, I just want to say "thank you" for supporting this story. And I hope you will still support me until the last chapter.
And by the way, I just want to ask for your comments, opinions, and impressions/reactions to this story. I think it would motivate me as a writer. Please😄
Thank you guys. Looking for your comments na kha.😄)
Khop khun kha🙏
~Waanjai😘