Chapter 2 Where's My Megaphone?!
Kinny found that after feeling (a bit) down due to a fever, Salee recovered and was back to her usual antics within two days. In contrast, Veetara, who initially only complained of a slight sore throat, started to experience a headache and fever, seemingly worse than the one who spread the illness. When asked how she managed to get even sicker after visiting the doctor, Veetara speculated that it was because they had a meal at Talat Phlu, and Salee dipped her saliva-covered spoon into her soup to steal a meatball. That's why Veetara looked worn out, like a wilted veggie. However, she still refused to take a day off. She continued to cough her way into the office early in the morning, just like Salee and her ever-present megaphone.
"Khun Jae!" Everyone covered their ears as Salee shouted encouragement to her beloved Jae, "You'll get better soon with my love!"
Veetara, too weak to scold, could only croak, "If you have work, go do it." Salee obediently complied, seemingly aware that she was the reason for Veetara's state. She hoped to make amends by being cooperative. After finishing her own class, Salee returned to fuss over Veetara, treating her as if she were paralyzed, which annoyed everyone in the office. This led to a collective decision to hide Salee's beloved megaphone, believing it'd be a favor to Veetara by sparing her from the loud shouting. However, Kinny refused to join in. She learned her lesson after Salee's revenge for teasing her about the sickness. Salee changed Kinny's computer desktop background to embarrassing close-ups of Kinny's face in many funny moments, which Salee had secretly captured.
Thinking about this, Kinny realized that Salee was actually a talented photographer, as evidenced by the photos she posted on social media.
Because of this, everyone agreed to let Salee take photos during the office's New Year celebration, hoping for some nice pictures to post on Facebook and Instagram without hiring a professional photographer. However, except for Veetara, no one got usable photos; they were either blurry or missing half a face. When confronted, Salee nonchalantly claimed, "My Khun Jae is so beautiful that the pictures turned out beautiful too," which almost got her a beating. But Veetara, who got magazine-cover-worthy photos, mumbled, "She took them for free, so let's not be too hard on her," forcing everyone to back off. Two days later, Salee tried to sell the good photos she'd secretly kept, saying, "I just found some usable ones. Five hundred per photo. Transfer the money to..."
Salee got beaten for real this time, with Veetara fully supporting the idea.
But that didn't mean this annoying, precocious girl was alone. Recently, Veetara, who'd always said the kid was annoying, was quite supportive of her, siding with her in matters that weren't too trivial or annoying. This led Kinny to believe that if Veetara didn't allow it, no one should mess with Salee.
Didn't anyone else notice this?
"Has anyone seen my megaphone?"
Kinny rested her chin on both hands, watching Salee search the office for nearly half an hour.
"Nope, haven't seen it," Onanong replied with a sweet smile, making Salee frown briefly before her superb instinct told her she was being pranked, knowing she'd pulled pranks on others many times.
"Who took it? Give it back now."
"Who would take it? You're the only one who uses it," Aof said nonchalantly.
Ignoring him, Salee packed her bag and headed for the door, prompting Kinny to ask, "Where are you going?"
"Someone stole my megaphone. I'm going to report it to the officer!"
The entire office was startled, exchanging nervous glances before Aof quickly said, "Hey, look for it properly first. It'll turn up. No need to bother the police."
"My megaphone doesn't have legs, P' Aof. How will it turn up on its own?"
"It will! Just wait!"
Salee squinted, assessing the situation, then nodded, "Fine." She scanned the office, "I'll give you twenty-four hours. If it doesn't turn up, the police will know about this!"
Veetara had been wondering what the commotion outside was since yesterday evening until Kinny walked in, shaking her head. She stayed here to escape the chaos.
Veetara asked, exasperated, "What's going on now?"
"The usual, pranking each other."
Veetara shook her head, feeling that since Salee started working there, the tutors at her institute had been acting like elementary school kids. She wasn't sure if Salee was spreading her mischief or if they already had it in them; they were just waiting for someone to trigger it. Lately, they'd been pranking each other many times.
"So what happened this time? Why all the noise?"
Kinny looked reluctant to answer, but under Veetara's stern gaze, she gave in, explaining that yesterday, Aof and the others decided to hide Salee's megaphone. Salee realized she was being pranked and declared that if it wasn't returned within twenty-four hours, she'd go to the police. She even prepared documents to prove ownership over the lost megaphone.
"..." Veetara was silent for a moment.
No wonder Little Trouble is quiet today. She doesn't use her megaphone to shout at me as usual.
"Just have Aof return it to her," Veetara frowned.
"If he could, he'd have done it already," Kinny muttered, explaining that after Salee left yesterday, the pranksters tried to retrieve the megaphone but found it missing. They'd been searching the building since morning. The twenty-four-hour deadline was looming, but they still didn't find it.
"Where did they hide it initially?"
"Guess."
Veetara thought for a moment and realized that the only place Salee, who knew every nook and cranny of the four-story building, wouldn't go was the men's restroom.
"The men's restroom."
"Exactly."
Veetara sighed, her headache worsening. She knew Salee would be upset that her beloved megaphone was taken. Salee had often bragged about it being a limited edition, white-red metallic model. Veetara couldn't remember the brand; it was loud, foldable, had a strap, could record and playback, and was made of premium materials supposedly used in Apollo 11. When asked where she bought it or if it was imported, Salee replied, "I got it from Khlong Thom[5]," proving the premium material claim was a lie.
But still...
Despite her exaggerations, Salee loved that megaphone; she used it carefully and cleaned it spotlessly.
Veetara felt exhausted, especially seeing Salee's pouty face when Aof confessed with a sheepish smile that the megaphone was truly lost.
"I'll buy you a new one, okay, Salee?" Aof apologized, but Salee remained silent, unsure how to respond, making everyone anxious that she, the girl who rarely got angry, might really get angry over this.
"But I want my old one back," she said.
Salee seemed more sad than angry at Aof and the gang because the megaphone held sentimental value. Besides being a teaching tool, Salee had used it to shout her love for Veetara for nearly a year.
...
Thinking about this, Veetara felt restless and decided to help solve the problem.
"Who hid the megaphone?" she asked sternly, making Aof raise his hand hesitantly.
"Where did you hide it? Give me a clear location."
"On the ceiling of the men's restroom on the second floor," Aof replied, looking downcast. He explained that one of the ceiling tiles was slightly ajar because the electrician who came to fix the lights last month didn't finish the job properly. So, he climbed onto the toilet and hid the megaphone there, thinking it wouldn't be found easily. He planned to use it as leverage, but everything went wrong when Salee threatened to call the police. When he tried to get it back, the megaphone was really gone, turning the situation into a pointless mess.
"The only people who can access the second-floor restroom are students, staff, and maintenance workers. If it's missing, someone from this group must've taken it," Veetara said, lecturing everyone involved, including the girl standing next to her with a sullen face. Both sides were equally troublesome.
"How much did you pay for the megaphone?" Veetara asked. Salee hesitated before answering that it cost over a thousand baht, showing the receipt she'd prepared to threaten legal action. Veetara then ordered everyone to gather twice the price of the lost megaphone. No one dared to complain, and they all gave a hundred or two hundred baht each until the amount was met.
"Use this money to buy a new one," Veetara said, handing the money to Salee, who was still upset. She pouted like a child, stubbornly insisting that she wanted the original megaphone back, even though she knew it was impossible.
"I don't want a new one."
"But the old one is gone," Veetara said, her voice softening unconsciously.
"You have two choices: one, buy a better new one, or two, keep sulking like this."
"..."
"Well?"
Salee twisted and turned, but when Veetara offered, "If you buy a new one, I'll go with you. Deal?" the girl immediately smiled and nodded like someone with bipolar disorder, changing her mood quickly. She then stuck her tongue out at the others, causing another round of chaos.
Veetara shook her head, too tired to waste more words. She left the office to contact the building maintenance and security departments.
Well...
It was for that Little Trouble.
Initially, Veetara was annoyed by the girl's incessant chatter, but now she was displeased that the noise had disappeared without warning. It was like an alarm clock that suddenly stopped ringing, causing her to wake up late and miss something important. That's why Veetara, despite being unwell, was playing detective to find the missing megaphone.
She started by asking the maintenance department if anyone had entered the men's restroom on the second floor yesterday. When they said no, she moved to the security office to request a review of the CCTV footage.
To ensure quick and willing cooperation, she paid a fee. She promised a bonus if any clues were found, not realizing that the money spent could've bought another high-quality megaphone for the girl.
"Please call me if you find anything," she requested.
With the security officer nodding enthusiastically, Veetara felt reassured. She returned to the fourth floor to gather her things and take Salee to buy a new megaphone as promised. But the office was eerily quiet as if no one was there. The reason became clear when she saw an uninvited guest with a large bouquet of white roses waiting for her.
"Vee."
"Who allowed you in?" Veetara asked her ex-boyfriend sternly.
"Give me a chance. That day, I..."
"I asked who allowed you in here?"
"..." No one dared to answer except Kinny, Veetara's close friend and business partner.
"I did," Kinny replied. "Wat said he had an appointment with you, so I..."
"It's okay, Kinny," Veetara nodded understandingly.
She didn't understand why the man who'd publicly threatened to break up with her two months ago still had the nerve to show up here and lie to Kinny about having an appointment.
"Vee, I just want to apologize. You didn't answer my calls or texts, so I had to do this."
"Leave," Veetara pointed to the door. "This place doesn't allow outsiders."
"Then let's talk outside. I booked a table at the restaurant—"
Before Wat could finish, Veetara swatted the bouquet out of his hand, sending it spinning 360 degrees before landing perfectly in the trash can behind him.
Everything went silent as if the world had stopped for five seconds.
Then Veetara, looking around for Salee, said indifferently, "Talk to yourself. I'm busy. I have to take someone to buy a megaphone."
Veetara was a woman who never got boring to look at.
Her appearance, demeanor, and poise made her unique. Her aura of sophistication even made the cheap market slippers she wore in the office seem as valuable as Jimmy Choos. So, Salee wasn't surprised that Veetara was the target of well-off men with good profiles.
Salee was used to people admiring Veetara because she remembered how popular Veetara was even back in high school.
Back then, Veetara was in the 11th grade, studying the Arts-English program.
She was already popular among her peers, but when she became the 39th president of the Red House that year, she drew even more attention. Veetara had to lead various activities and often interacted with younger students, making it natural for girls to have a crush on her. With her athletic build, love for volleyball, decisive actions, and not being overly delicate, some even mistook her for a tomboy and tried to flirt with her, only to receive a polite smile and the response:
"I have a boyfriend."
And that boyfriend was from another school.
But Salee wasn't bothered by the rumors because she never fantasized about being Veetara's lover. The reasons were (1) she admired everything about her Jae Vee, so it didn't matter who Veetara dated; Jae Vee would always be the same determined and serious person she admired, and (2) she knew it was impossible. Instead of trying to create opportunities for herself, she found a quiet spot to watch her Jae Vee play volleyball and made sure her mother, Aunty Toom, prepared 'the usual' noodles for Veetara. Sometimes, by the time Veetara came down for lunch, many food stalls were already sold out and closed. It was likely because she was busy with meetings about sports events.
Salee had begged her mother not to tell Veetara that she was the girl taking orders on that day, whether Veetara remembered her or not. When her mother asked why, Salee replied without hesitation, "I'm shy!"
Salee didn't want Veetara to notice her because her only happiness was secretly watching her Jae Vee from behind pillars, along corridors, or from buildings. She didn't want to lose that chance just because Veetara knew her as Aunty Toom's daughter, the noodle shop owner she frequented. Her mother often scolded her for not using her connections to her advantage, but Salee would leave the noodle shop before the bell rang.
It became a routine for Salee.
She would arrive at school early to avoid Veetara, who sometimes had duty at the gate, checking for latecomers. She'd find a good spot to secretly watch her Jae Vee until the national anthem played. She'd go to class, come down for lunch, remind her mother about Veetara's usual noodles, and then return to class. After the last period, she'd rush to the field to watch Veetara practice volleyball.
Yes.
Besides being her house president, Veetara was also a volleyball player. Salee was thrilled to be selected for the cheer squad. She practiced every day, even though she had to stay out of sight and keep a low profile when Veetara came to check on their progress occasionally.
Salee was happy with the tasks she was assigned until, out of nowhere, a senior from the 10th grade who was in charge of the parade line came to ask for four or five people from the cheer squad.
Salee was chosen first because she was small and perfect for leading the parade.
"Damn it!!" Young Salee, at that time, kicked the zinc bowl of Go (a neighborhood dog that wasn't really kept but always came around for food from her mother) out of frustration. She was furious about being moved to walk in the parade for the sports day opening ceremony, which required lining up at the school entrance at seven in the morning instead of comfortably sitting in the stands waiting to cheer for the sports events. She didn't even realize that she wasn't the only one at the head of the parade.
The house president also led with the flag at the very front.
Salee froze when she saw her Khun Jae appear just a few minutes before the actual walk. Moreover, Veetara was dressed in a bright red slit cheongsam to match the Chinese mafia theme of that year.
Salee was at a loss, standing there staring at Veetara, who looked stunning from head to toe—tall, fierce eyes, red lips, red nails, hair in a bun with a black hairpin. She didn't look anything like the usual energetic person Salee was used to seeing.
That was the day Salee first interacted with Veetara after so many years.
"Everyone, extend your hands. I'll tie the colored strings for you," Veetara ordered from the end of the line, tying red strings around everyone's wrists for a beautiful parade. When she got to Salee, one string was missing, seemingly because someone had taken an extra one earlier, making Veetara quite upset.
She scolded the parade supervisor several times, while Salee didn't know what to do. She hid her face because her heart was pounding so hard that her cheeks and ears turned red, and she was sweating all over.
Not long after, Veetara solved the problem by taking off her own colored string.
"Take mine instead."
Salee was extremely shy, extending her wrist hesitantly and avoiding eye contact until Veetara asked while tying the string, "Are you feeling unwell?"
Salee shook her head slowly.
"Are you sure?"
This time, she nodded, but Veetara still called for someone to bring her cold water to drink, thinking that the weather before eight in the morning wasn't pleasant at all.
In the end, Salee got that wrist string and kept it in a velvet box. The real owner probably forgot about the incident years ago; only Selee remembered this memory.
"Say what you want to say," Veetara, who was about to take Salee to buy a new megaphone, said while they were stuck at a red light.
"Huh?"
"Huh, what?" Veetara frowned. "You have something to say, don't you? You've been quiet the whole way."
"Oh, my Khun Jae!" Salee protested loudly. "When did sitting quietly mean I wanted to talk?"
"Right now," Veetara grumbled. Salee would usually chatter away, but now she was sitting still, seemingly searching for the right words to say.
"Nothing, I was just thinking about random stuff."
"Thinking about what?"
"Just random stuff," Salee replied, not wanting to bring the conversation back to the earlier office incident.
"Don't avoid it."
The young girl scrunched her nose when caught while Veetara cleared her throat and brought up the topic first.
"What do you think about what just happened?"
Salee hesitated until Veetara's demanding gaze made her mumble a response.
"I think... you could've done better."
"Better?" Veetara raised an eyebrow, repeating the word to herself, then started looking displeased two seconds later.
"Do you think I was mean to that guy?"
What?
"No, it's not like that."
"Then, what do you mean?" Veetara asked, her face growing more sullen. "You said what I did wasn't right."
???
This time, Salee raised an eyebrow, too. She scratched her head, realizing that she and Veetara were talking about different things.
"I didn't mean being mean to that guy," the younger one explained, gesturing with her hands. "I was talking about the 360-degree flower bouquet toss."
"..."
"P' Aof and Jae Kinny only gave it a five out of ten because they thought it was a fluke that it landed in the trash can. I thought the same, so I was going to give it a six. But considering how stunning you looked, I'll give it a seven-point-five..."
"Salee!"
Salee didn't get to finish her explanation before Veetara smacked her thigh several times. Luckily, the Civic's door lock system worked excellently; otherwise, she might've been kicked out of the car.
Forget about buying that megaphone.
This kid deserves a beating!!
If she didn't have to drive, Veetara would've continued smacking Salee until she was bruised all over. But it seemed the mischievous girl wasn't scared or remorseful at all. Instead, she smiled with squinted eyes, took the opportunity to grab her hand, and started rubbing it, changing the subject to ask about the hand cream she used.
"What brand is this? It smells so good and feels so soft."
Veetara tried to pull her hand away several times before succeeding. She felt half annoyed, half exasperated, and puzzled.
Yes, she was puzzled.
Veetara felt that this was another instance of Salee joking around with some hidden purpose, making her wonder if the goofy image Salee had shown everyone for over a year was just a facade. Veetara also suspected that the girl might have some thoughts in her mind and that she wasn't entirely the frivolous person she appeared to be.
So, what's going through this girl's head?
"The blue one is nice," the seller said.
"I want the red one," said the girl.
"The red one is available, but it's two hundred baht more expensive."
"Why is it more expensive? It's the same brand and specs, right?"
"The red one is rare. There's only one left in the store."
Hearing this, Salee asked for Veetara's opinion. Both of them paused for several moments when they accidentally made direct eye contact.
In the end, the young girl was the first to look away before she could say anything.
"Never mind then," Salee declined the old man who was trying to overcharge them. They walked away to explore other parts of the market, finding many stores selling at a lower price than the old man's, but none had the color Salee wanted.
"Should we go back to the first store?" Veetara suggested after walking in silence for a while. "It's a bit more expensive, but getting the color you like is worth it."
The smaller girl scrunched her nose before replying, making her hide a smile, "No. If I have to be taken advantage of, I'd rather use another color."
"Why do you want the red one?"
"Because I like red."
"Just that?" Veetara couldn't help but ask, believing that Salee's choice of red had more reasons than just personal preference.
Who knows?
Sometimes, Veetara felt that the girl wasn't really as nonsensical as Kinny had accused.
"Actually..." The young girl stopped walking and looked up at her again. "Red is a color that stimulates aggression."
"Huh?" Veetara raised both eyebrows in surprise.
Then, she slowly smiled as Salee explained that she used a megaphone instead of a mic for teaching because she wanted the kids to feel like they were being cheered on. That way, the classroom wouldn't be dull during difficult topics. And the idea that red stimulates aggression wasn't about violent aggression but the desire to win.
"When they feel competitive, the kids will compete to answer quiz questions I insert between lessons more."
"Oh," Veetara murmured, realizing she was smiling fully again when Salee avoided her gaze with a normal expression. However, her ears, peeking out from her hair, were bright red as if pinched, making Veetara feel a tickle in her throat. She coughed and blamed herself for forgetting her mask in the car.
"So, where did you learn that red stimulates aggression?" Veetara tried to continue the conversation.
"From the internet," Salee said, pretending to look at the shops along the way. "I stumbled upon it while searching for the meaning of colors on Google."
Veetara raised an eyebrow again. "Searching for the meaning of colors?"
"I told you, I like red," Salee still avoided eye contact, looking elsewhere. When Veetara was about to probe further, asking, 'Why do you like it?' she held back, realizing that doing so would be like nagging and wouldn't benefit anyone. She couldn't even answer why she wanted to know.
"Oh, that shop has red!" Salee pointed to a shop on the right. When they reached there, the red they saw wasn't what they wanted but a bright, noticeable red from a distance.
"Then I'll take this one."
"Wait!" The older woman called out, stopping the eager younger girl who was about to pull out money to pay the vendor immediately because she was desperate to get the item. "Try it out first. If you take it and don't like it, I'm not bringing you back to buy another one."
Salee nodded, but she seemed as impatient as a child who'd been waiting for a new toy for months.
"You can strap it over your shoulder and fold the handle," the vendor explained as he took out a sample. "You can record and play three different recordings, each up to five minutes long."
"Wow."
"It has built-in Bluetooth so that you can send sounds from your phone to the megaphone."
"Wowww."
Veetara shook her head, amused, as she waited for Salee to check the item according to the vendor's instructions.
Once Salee was satisfied with the megaphone's features and the reasonable price, she quickly pulled out the money she'd collected from her office mates and paid with a beaming face.
Her mood had significantly improved from when she found out her old megaphone was lost.
"Do you want to buy anything else?"
Salee shook her head.
"Then let's go home."
This time, the eager girl nodded, still looking down at the new megaphone in her bag. Even as they walked back to the car, Salee couldn't take her eyes off her new toy.
Veetara felt a strange sense of unease, wondering what kind of chaos the new megaphone, with its remote control functions and ability to record and replay sounds, would bring to her office. But when she saw the person next to her smiling so widely and was no longer sad about the lost one, Veetara felt an odd sense of satisfaction.
"If you want to open it, go ahead."
"Are you really letting me try it now?"
Veetara nodded nonchalantly as if to say, 'Just do whatever you want.' Salee quickly reached into the bag, making a rustling noise as she opened the megaphone box.
"It comes with a store warranty and a manual."
The driver glanced away from the road briefly when she noticed Salee squinting at the text on the included documents. She reached up, turned on the light above the rearview mirror, and then pretended to focus on driving. Veetara didn't say anything as she listened to the person next to her mumble through the English manual.
Veetara smirked when she realized the rhythm of Salee's reading sounded like she was narrating a story.
"Oh no, it says here that it needs to be charged before first use," Salee suddenly complained, sounding disappointed. Veetara wasn't sure whether to be happy that she wouldn't have to endure the noise of the megaphone in the car or to feel a bit let down.
"Then charge it tonight and use it tomorrow," Veetara mumbled as she turned left to park at the entrance of Salee's alley.
"And don't leave it lying around for someone to hide again."
Salee laughed and nodded, then put everything back in the bag, preparing to get out of the car.
"I'll go now."
"Okay," Veetara acknowledged, waiting until the girl got out of the car before sighing and shaking her head at herself for secretly hoping Salee would try out the megaphone with the teasing phrases she used every day.
"..."
No, that wouldn't be good at all.
If that Little Trouble really shouted through the megaphone in the car, my eardrums would probably burst.
Veetara almost slapped her face for that thought, but then the mischievous girl knocked on her window again, this time on the driver's side, making her both annoyed and resigned.
"What did you forget this time?" Veetara asked with a frown as she rolled down the window completely.
"I forgot to thank you," Salee said with a big smile. Then she raised her hands and gave Veetara a wai, looking like a well-mannered school kid teachers would send to a district etiquette contest.
"It's okay. Hurry home now, or you'll get hit by a car standing here," Veetara said, pressing the button to roll up the window. But the girl outside quickly raised her hand to stop it, making her roll it back down.
"What is it..." Veetara frowned, but before she could finish, Salee leaned in and whispered in her ear instead of shouting through the megaphone as she did every day.
"Khun Jae."
Veetara gripped the steering wheel, her arms tense.
"I love you."
Then, Salee walked away,leaving Veetara with butterflies in her stomach.
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[5] Khlong Thom Market sells a wide variety of items, usually at cheap prices.
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