19

“Favourite band?”

“Hmm… Lifehouse.”

“Eeiii… How sentimental[1] of you.”

“Eleh. You?”

“I have no favourite band, bit I like Evanescence.”

“Heh, want to be a rock chick?”

Fara sprayed water at Gibbs as retribution for his teasing. Gibbs just let her and simply adjusted his hair that was wet with water.

“You… bringing me to the river, but you’re pretending to be cool, sitting on the rock. This is so boring,” Fara complained.

Gibbs smiled. This was what he liked about Fara. Unlike other girls, Fara just critiqued other people without mincing her words. He felt challenged, felt fun.

Gibbs jumped into the water. He heard Fara scream happily. He copied the action from Jaws and tried grabbing Fara’s legs while diving. He could still hear Fara’s cheerful laugh underwater. Gibbs resurfaced and started chasing – and this time successfully hugging her from behind.

“Isn’t this fun? Skipping prep. Playing in the river with your boyfriend,” said Gibbs while kissing Fara’s cheek. Fara turned. This time they’re face-to-face, bodies clinging to each other.

“It’s you… the one teaching me nonsense,” replied Fara while pretending to pull her face.

“You Nerd Queen Throne is in jeopardy now,” Gibbs teased again.

“Eleh. It’s only you that knows. Other people thinks I’m a good girl.”

“Oo… so you’re saying that I can blackmail you with this?”

“Try it if you dare!” challenged Fara, her eyes shining brightly.

God, I love her!

“What? If I did, what’d you do to me?” Gibbs questioned. Both Fara’s hands were pulled backward, making her body closer to him. Fara tried escaping but to no avail. Regardless, she still smiled. Her eyes still shining.

“I’ll call all my ghost friends. They’ll make your life a living hell,” Fara mock-threatened him.

“Eleh. I have the talisman.” Replied Gibbs.

“Oh, shoot. That’s right,” Fara just remembered.

Gibbs laughed and let go of Fara’s hands. He showed the talisman that was still tied to his left wrist while raising his brows.

“My girlfriend gave me. Doesn’t she love me?” said Gibbs.

“Hmm…  but it’s a pity. There’s no more thrill of seeing ghosts,” replied Fara.

“It’s like I see it before…”

“Really? Not even one? At school? In the dormitory?” asked Fara.

“Nope. Never. Why? Are there a lot?”

“Hmm… there’s quite a few actually.” Replied Fara casually.

Gibbs felt the chills hearing that. He didn’t really like this kind of thing, but because of love, he simply accepted it.

“Where are they?” Now, why the hell are you even asking, Gibbs!

“There’s one in the auditorium. Hasn’t Raymond told you anything?”

“Nope. Maybe Ray has his own talisman,” Gibbs made a guess.

“Hey, the talisman I gave you, I’m the only one who has it!”

“So it’s special?”

Fara nodded childishly, and Gibbs who had been holding himself back since earlier jumped at Fara, kissing her.

Troll entered Gibbs’ room and only saw KJ on his back while watching an SNSD video on his phone.

“Where’s Gibbs?” asked Troll while landing on the bed. His hand searched under the pillow, hoping that there’s something good to read.

“Dunno. He went out since prep and hasn’t come back yet,” replied KJ indifferently.

“Did you realise that Gibbs has been going out without us lately?”

KJ paused the video of his K-Pop girls. “Yeah. Why? You’re suspecting him ‘eating’ alone?”

Troll seemed perplexed for a bit but shook his head. “Gibbs doesn’t do that. He’s the one who made the Musketeer Code, it can’t be that he’s the one breaking it?”

“You sure back things up when it comes to Gibbs. If it’s me, I bet your suspicion would already be at its max,” KJ teased.

“You can’t be trusted. Horny-face, likes to eat alone,” replied Troll while he continued reading a magazine he found under Gibbs’ pillow. KJ originally wanted to continue watching the SNSD video, but the topic that Troll brought up was quite interesting.

“Eh, but… don’t you want to spy on him?”

“Spy on who? Gibbs?”

“Yeah. Aren’t you curious where he’s going? Who knows that maybe he’s having a forbidden affair… Ha! Maybe he has something with Ray,” KJ started making theories.

“Can you speak something more reasonable?” Troll sounded. He felt his body softening thinking about Gibbs and Ray.

“In this world, anything goes,” said KJ. “Want me to tap his phone?” suggested KJ.

“Can you?”

“Well, no tapping like how the CIA does it. Just, later this night, I’ll take his phone – and make it so that he accepts my service provider request on locating his signal,” explained KJ.

Troll wasn’t the least bit impressed. “Hmphhh, what’s the point in that? It just shows where he’s at, not shows who he’s with.”

“At the very least, if he ditches us, we know that he’s hiding something. Then we’ll just confront him,” KJ suggested again.

“Do as you like,” replied Troll.

“You… are you in love?”

Gibbs was stunned when hearing the question that came from Ray’s mouth when he was chilling in the auditorium. Gibbs came here just because, wanting to accompany Ray. He was afraid that Sofil would come and cause trouble again. Never would he expect that he’d be the one to be ‘attacked’ by Ray.

“Why did you ask that?” Gibbs asked back.

Ray smiled. “So I’m right.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Gibbs quickly refuted.

“I know the symptoms of those in love,” Ray replied without explaining.

Gibbs laughed. “Yeah right. You’ve never been in love yourself, how could you know the symptoms for people in love?”

It was Ray’s turn to be quiet. While Gibbs was swiping his hair with his right hand, a sign of distress, Ray stared at Gibbs deeply. Gibbs’ words kept playing through his mind… Ray ironically smiled at himself.

“Eh, I wanna ask you something,” Gibbs suddenly said.

“What is it?” Ray pretended to be busy with the scripts in his hands.

“Hmm… here… are there ghosts?” Gibbs asked a bit childishly.

“Yup,” Ray replied casually.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It doesn’t like people talking about it,” Ray replied as casual as ever.

Gibbs stared at Ray. “You… look like you’re serious.”

“La… you were messing around?”

“I was just playing with you. I didn’t know that you’d answer like that. Are you serious?” Gibbs wanted to make sure.

“I saw it once or twice. It just sat there, doing nothing. But if there’s someone greeting it, talking about it – things happen. The lights won’t turn on, sound system making troubles. That’s why I always told my people to just ignore it. If you see it, just keep quiet. This is its territory. If we treat it like a stranger, of course, it’d be mad,” Ray told lengthily.

Gibbs got the goosebumps. “This… we’re talking bout it.”

“It’s used to me. I’m just afraid that it’d be mad at you. Be careful when going out later. You must keep your sight forward, don’t look behind you,” Ray advised.

“Ray, you pig! You’re just scaring me, right?”

Ray smiled, then he stood up, walking towards the exit. Gibbs wanted to show that he’s not a coward but suddenly felt a chilling cold enveloping him. He remembered Ray’s advice… Don’t look behind…

He quickened his steps to walk beside Ray, without turning his head even a little bit. If not, he’d see what’s there on a corner of the auditorium.

That evening, Gibbs was gone again. KJ who though nice things went to the auditorium to see whether he’s accompanying Ray for his rehearsal.

“Did Gibbs come here?” asked KJ while sitting next to Ray who’s examining the set that was newly-built on the stage.

Ray shook his head. KJ who’s standing with his hands on his waist looked around the auditorium… and then quickly sat next to Ray. “Shit shit shit shit…”

Ray looked behind, wanting to see whether there’s a chick that KJ pranked sitting there, or perhaps had just entered. There’s no one behind.

“What’s with you?”

“Didn’t you see it?” KJ asked back.

Ray smiled. “Did you see it?”

“Of course I did, you idiot!”

Ray held in his laughter.  Including this time, it’s the fourth time that KJ saw that ‘thing’ ever since Ray told him the story once. But KJ recycled the story and told other people about it, especially when he’s using it for flirting. Hah, who ever said that ghost stories can’t be used to get a girl? When she’s scared, she’d definitely hug a bit tighter.

“You… you’re talking about it too often,” said Ray.

“Dammit! This is all Gibbs’ fault,” KJ complained, but his eyes were now focused on Hanni who walked on the stage with a script in her hands.

“What’s this got to do with Gibbs?”

“Yeah, I came here looking for him… Oh yeah! That reminds me” KJ took out his phone and started pressing some buttons. Ray left him be.

“He went o the town…” KJ muttered alone.

“Who are you stalking?”

“Gibbs. While he was sleeping yesterday, I set it so that my phone can detect his location,” said KJ with an irrefutable bragging tone.

“He went to the town, so what?” He’s probably buying something,” Ray wasn’t the slightest bit curious.

“All this while he’s been going to places, he never told us. I bet he’s keeping a girl. Not sharing with us,” KJ replied with confidence.

Though, Ray had suspected so even before KJ did. When it came to Gibbs – Ray’s heart felt at ease.

Heh. His friends have started doubting him. What would this lead to? Is their friendship fragile that it’s be broken when the Musketeer Code is broken? Find out in future chapters!
Hope you enjoyed the read.

[1] Originally ‘jiwang’, but I can’t find an appropriate translation for it. Anyone got any idea?