Invisible Moon
Chapter 3
The Moon who wanted to be invisible
“The stone wants to be the moon,
but the moon wants to be the stone.”
#WINisWIND
They said that many things in this world would stay what they were forever.
Such as a rock on the ground that could never become the moon in the sky.
The air would always be the air, and a fading person like me — how could I eventually shine? Even just the first day of this freshmen ceremony, my existence was already unnoticed.
The first part of this activity was just introducing ourselves with a fun game. All the first-year students of my faculty would be arranged and sit in the row. Each person would stand up, introduce our full name and nickname, and turn around to show out our appearance, and then the next person would stand up, tell the previous person's name and do the same, every freshman would keep doing it until finished. At least today we must remember the person beside us.
However, when it was my turn. I already memorised the previous person's name, unexpectedly, another person next to me just stood up and introduced himself. He skipped me as if he didn’t notice that I was here.
My introduction part was already skipped, even the seniors didn’t notice that as well.
Being born as an unnoticed person was sad, I could only feel miserable, nothing else could be solved.
“All freshmen! I will give you a ten-minute break, you can drink some water or go to the toilet. After the break time, we will come back here again, and we will explain about the signature collection book.”
P’Noey said.
I sighed slightly. The first activity was over and I still couldn’t get to say a word or even show up.
Also, when I intended to take a free soft drink from seniors, someone suddenly took my drink.
Damn invisible!
Although I hate this kind of situation, I already got used to it. So I just took the free bottle of water aside which only a few people took. Then, I walked to the balcony and looked at the tree. It made me feel at ease.
Perhaps, because of the feeling of being part of nature — becoming a friend with the sky, trees, and little birds, no need to be compared with anyone — causing me not to feel alienated.
Oh? Is that P’In?
While I was doing activities, I didn't notice P’In, so I didn’t know where he was. But during the break time, I saw him again in the garden nearby.
I couldn’t help my curiosity, why P’In didn’t participate in the activities.
And what was he doing now?
I observed him, P’In was walking around and looking at the warblers, they were singing lively while building their nest on the tree. P’In took the phone to take photos for a few shots. He looked at the photos, then, he climbed up to the first branch of the tree and took the photo of those little birds again.
I couldn't help but admired that P’In did it softly and quietly. The birds didn't even realize that there was someone nearby. After he finished, then jumped down.
At the same time, I was a little surprised as P’In suddenly made eye contact with me.
While I was hesitating, not sure whether I should pretend to turn my face to the other side, P’In tilted his neck slightly, then walked to another way.
I kept looking at P’In unconsciously, wondering where he would go, P’In also still looked at me.
Later, P’In just stopped walking, with a doubtful expression. He stepped back, then stepped forward, and stepped back again, he was doing that weird thing, while still keeping an eye on me, with a surprised expression.
Hm? I frown. Why P’In just kept walking back and forward? Is he doing a morning exercise at this late time?
“Why can see?” P’In finally said.
“Huh?” I was stunned.
Then, I glanced at the left, right, front, and back. I was not sure that he was talking to me or someone else, but there was nobody here.
Did he talk to me? Or I disturbed his personal time.
“Oh…just do anything as you please, don’t worry about me. I’ll go now.” I responded immediately.
P’In looked at me for a moment, like he was considering. As I didn’t say anything more, P’In just ignored me and looked at his phone instead.
“All freshmen! the break time is over.”
The third-year senior was calling everyone. I needed to go now.
But why was P'In still taking photos like that?
“Um, Senior, you don’t help the third year preparing an activity?” I asked without thinking. Afterwards, I wanted to keep my words back.
P’In could do whatever he wanted. It was not my own business, I didn’t have the right to say that.
P’In stood still for a while, then bent down to take a photo of the weeds growing in the niche of the tiles.
“Will help soon, now doing other things.” P’In answered without looking up to me.
“Other things?” I couldn’t get it. The other things he means — walking, watching and taking photos of birds?
“Update thrice a day, they said.” P’In answered shortly.
Huh? The way that he talked shortly and tersely made me confused. But P’In then walked to the other side. So I didn’t have a chance to ask, because I had to go back to join the freshmen activity.
When all freshmen came back, the seniors walked around and gave us a black cover notebook. I called the senior two times and finally got it. Otherwise, he would surely not see me.
I looked at this notebook, it was a black notebook with the faculty symbol on the cover. There were only black papers inside and a band holding the ballpoint pen.
“The notebook you've just got, is the senior signature collection book.” P’Tong was using the megaphone to explain.
“Do not lose it, all freshmen duty is to get the senior signature as much as you can. The signature must include the name, surname, year, faculty, and signature. We’ll check your progress next week.”
The senior signature collection book? I had read a few about this activity on the internet. Some seniors would write their signatures easily, but some seniors would request the freshmen to do something in exchange.
There were more than a hundred seniors in this business and management faculty. If I wanted to collect all the senior signatures from the second year above, it would be around three hundred people. I must complete it. Although I believed even I got their signature, some would probably forget that they had signed for me.
“Next, P’Noey will talk about the Moon and the Star contest for our faculty.”
Hearing of ‘the Moon and the Star contest’, I listened attentively. Because P’Wun, my sister, was the Star of the faculty of accounting. My parents were so proud, she was the centre of attention of friends and cousins. Everyone would feel admired when friends or cousins become the Star.
And the fading person like me, would there be any chances? I sighed. Perhaps, my dream was too big.
“Hello! my name is P’Noey.” That lady who was introducing herself, I met her at the registration table.
“I know that all freshmen are interested in the Moon and the Star contest, as I have been asked a lot. Normally, our university will hold the contest before the midterm exam, so each faculty needs to have a list of nominating candidates during the beginning of the semester.”
Hearing about holding the Moon and Star contest, everyone seemed to be excited.
“Senior.” a first-year girl raised her hand. “If our faculty candidate can become the university Moon, then he’ll be eligible for the UNISTAR contest, right?”
“That’s right.” P’Noey smiled. “Same as the last year, Wayu — the Moon candidate from faculty of engineering — He was also entered to UNISTAR contest, then became a Unistar member.”
When the word ‘UNISTAR’ was on the topic, all freshmen were so energetic.
“Freshy, please be quiet.” P’Noey said.
“Please don’t scream, because in last year's UNISTAR 4th generation contest, the committee included the 1st to 3rd generation of Unistar members. So our university set up the new contest regulation, as the aim for this year, we hope that our university Moon can become the Unistar member again, so then—”
Everyone was listening carefully, including me.
“This year, our university Moon contest, In and Wayu will be the committees.”
Whoa! Just that, many female freshmen suddenly became excited. They all said something like ‘can we vote for the committees’, ‘we must go to watch the committees’, and more.
“Senior, how does our faculty select the Moon candidate?” This question from the first-year student, might also be the question that everyone was curious about.
“We already discussed this, so we will give this duty to In.”
“P’Innn~”
Just the ‘In’ word, could bring up many screaming sounds.
“Yep! Our faculty won’t hold the official contest. But In will be the one who selects the Moon candidate, and some Seniors and Teachers will help him. So, all freshmen must come to join the activity everyday, do not skip, P’In will keep observing the outstanding freshmen.”
When P’Noey said that, everyone looked around immediately.
“Then, Where is P’In?” “Well, I don’t know either.”
“I wanna see P’In” “Will P’In come?”
“He is around here, In is the Invisible moon, isn't he?” P’Noey answered.
I was looking for P’In as well, while thinking about the fact that P’In came to this faculty but not participated in any activities.
I already understood why P’In had free time to enjoy watching birds and trees because he didn’t have any duty, except finding the outstanding first-year student for the Moon and Star contest.
However, P’In — who would play an important role on our faculty Moon and Star contest — where was he? I was trying to find, then, found him! Oh, He was still walking in the garden.
Hm, I scratched my head confusingly. The senior said P’In would find the outstanding student, but he didn’t even come to look at any freshmen — still taking a photo of the trees.
“Okay, freshy, we’re already cleared about the Moon and Star contest, next, I’ll arrange everyone in a group, each group will go to join a different activity. All freshy, please stand up…”
When the third-year senior arranged the group, many freshmen started to make noise, mostly they were talking about P’In would select the Moon and Star candidate.
“Hey! P’In updated Instagram!” One first-year student said, making everyone hurriedly looking at their phone.
“Yeah! This is the Black afara tree, is that tree over there?” They pointed to the balcony.
“Ahhh! P’In must be there!”
Then, many female students shouted and ran quickly over there.
“Hey, where are you going?” A senior asked.
That was chaotic, the arranged group became messy.
“Where? P’In? Where is P’In?” They were trying to find P’In, and temporarily ignored other seniors.
I could only stand on tiptoe and looked, I remembered that P’In was still around here, but now I couldn’t find him.
“Tong, does In really come?” P’Noey went to ask P’Tong, along with other third-year seniors.
“Of course, I called to remind him yesterday. I also asked him to become activity leader but he rejected me. He doesn’t like talking. So I asked him to select the Moon and Star candidate, He seemed to say yes. In also volunteered for cleaning duty.”
“Huh? What? In will clean up!”
“Oh, what a pity. The handsome guy like In, became a cleaner.” P’Noey laughed.
“By the way, how could you call himl? Do you have Unistar’s number? Their agency has a very strong privacy protection policy.”
What the senior said just reminded me of one news content, at that time the UNISTAR, Leo, he had been often harassed. He needed to change his phone number many times. Until later, the agency let only managers and family members have Unistar’s private number. If a Unistar member wanted to give this number to any friend, they must inform the agency, to prevent some friends sharing their number.
“I don’t have it, I usually call on Facebook. Sometimes he didn’t pick up. When I left a message, he also often forgot to call back. But if you contact In’s manager, it can be guaranteed.”
“Huh? The manager of the Unistar project?”
“Yep, the telephone number ‘for work’ on Instagram.”
“Oh, I understand, have In ever used Facebook? I often saw his Facebook active seven days ago.”
“Twitter is also rarely used.”
“I only saw In used IG, but just posted, never checked inbox, but he read the comments.”
“We don’t even have In’s LINE, neither phone number. Evenmore, I rarely saw him. Don’t know where he is.”
I agreed. When I was listening to the third year senior talking. I also wondered where P’In had gone, so I looked around.
I widened my eyes when I saw P’In walking to collect empty plastic glasses and leftover candy packages on the table, which many freshmen had eaten and left. He also used the broom to sweep the floor.
I glanced at P’In in surprise.
Normally, the celebrities probably wouldn’t do this sort of duty. They might prefer to do the outstanding duty, which could get to know a lot of people and be in the centre of attention.
P’In’s behavior reminded me of myself during high school. In the sports events, many friends got the cheering duty, some became athletes, while the unnoticed person like me, whether joined or not, nobody ever knew. So I could only do the duty that most people ignored — cleaning.
P’In was doing the same thing as I used to do.
But I still didn’t understand why the famous person like him chose to do this.
“Oh, a moment ago, the table was still dirty, but just now it’s clean.” A senior, who was responsible for preparing drinks and snacks, was surprised.
“Who cleaned the table? Who cleaned the floor as well? You?”
“No, not me, it seemed like someone just had finished cleaning, might be the janitor.”
I saw P’In, he was washing the table wipes at the faucet, where other seniors couldn’t see. Perhaps, he did everything quickly while they were talking, and when they turned back, P’In already had gone to the faucet.
“Being an invisible celebrity like In is so good, he can skip the duty easily.” One senior said.
“Don’t say that. I trust In. He will do it if he says so.” P’Tong Interrupted.
“Tong is right, I used to work in a group with In, he rarely spoke, but he was willing to corroborate, he came at the appointment and delivered work on time, the work was very satisfying too.” P’Noey supported.
“Well, I know, I just complained recklessly.”
While the seniors argued, P’In just finished washing the wipes, then continued mopping the floor.
What I had seen today — P’In was a strange person.
For me, I had been bored enough with my fading life. If I could choose, I would be born as a standing out person. While P’In had got attention from many people but he chose to be invisible. He concentrated on doing many works, but never let anyone know.
Suddenly, I came up with some thought.
I wanted to know P’In better.
☽------------☽
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