CHAPTER 1: FIRST TIME, FIRST MEETING

Ferns' is a fresh graduate. He graduated with a business degree majoring in Accounting. He was a year behind from his high school batch mates because he changed his course from engineering to business course and transferred to another university. His business course has a professional board exam in order to be recognized as a Certified Public Accountant. That would mean he needed another year for review in order for him to sit and take the board exam. He could also work if he chooses to while doing his review.

Ferns after graduation enrolled in a weekend review class and decided to look for work as well. He wants to finance his review from his wages and does not want to bother his parents anymore to pay for it.

Ferns has an average toned built, stands 168 centimeters, has a white complexion and wavy hair. He has a clear face, good pointed nose, thick eyebrows and long curly eyelashes.

Ferns is always mistaken a snob person because of his introvert and quiet personality. But the truth is, he is just a shy and not a very sociable type of person. People approaches him but he never snob them or rejects them. He is always waiting for people to say hello but once they get to know him, they can feel how warm and sincere he is as a person and as a friend.

Andro came from the seminary. He finished Bachelor of Arts in Theology. After his graduation, the seminary offered him a teaching job to teach incoming students. He teaches for a year and decided to leave to look for another job in a private company.

Andro is medium built, tall guy. He stands 176 centimeters, fair complexion and straight hair. He is good looking, has nice nose and thick eyebrows.

Andro grew up in the region so his personality is different from Ferns who was born and raised in the metropolis. Andro wears simple clothing and doesn't really care about any brands. His life in the seminary is definitely influenced him a lot especially on how to live a simple living. Ferns is not so different when it comes to dressing up, he likes simple and comfortable clothing, however since he is much exposed to the city life, he is very much informed when it comes to fashions, trends, etc.

Andro's personality is a little bit different from Ferns. He is more welcoming and has no issue approaching people. It is also because of his course degree, exposure to community and teaching job that he develops this type of personality. A personality that is exactly suitable for the role he applied for in his next job.

First meeting

Ferns made a lot of job applications as soon as his last semester completed. He could not wait for his graduation ceremony to apply for jobs. He actually requested his school to process his diploma, transcripts and other related school documents right away. And since he is very close to the school's admin and staff because he volunteered as student's assistance with them many times, it was not very difficult for him to obtain his school's credentials quickly.

He receives a lot of response from his job applications. He sometimes moves on to the next level of his application with these companies while some companies he fails to pass the initial interview. He keeps on trying and never loose spirit every time he is not successful until one day he receives a call for a final interview in his one of his job applications.

Andro did not actually apply for a new job. His senior schoolmate from the seminary referred him to the company (where he is currently working with) when there was an opening position in the human resources department. Andro was called in for a face-to-face interview and since the role is urgent, he should undergo initial and final interview process on the same day.

Ferns and Andro applies to the same company. Ferns' applies as an Accounting Assistant for the Finance department of the company while Andro applies as Human Resources Assistant under the Human Resources Department. Both receive a call and scheduled for a job interview on the same day.

Monday morning. Andro was already in the lobby of the office building sitting in the visitor's lounge. He is very early because he left his house very early too. It was his first time to travel in the city in the morning for a job interview. He was anticipating and expecting that the traffic in the city is very bad so he decided to leave very early and give himself a lot of time to travel. He arrives in the building while the employees are just starting to come in.

Ferns' arrives just a few minutes before his 9 am scheduled job interview appointment. It's funny because he lives in the city but could not come earlier. He went straight to the reception and informed the staff about his job interview. He was asked to wait and sit in the visitor's lounge as well because the hiring manager has not yet arrived.

Andro saw Ferns upon his arrival. Ferns is running when he enters the building. Andro is alone in the visitor's lounge when Ferns enters the room. Ferns sits in the single sofa next to Andro who is sitting in a longer couch. Andro looks at Ferns and gives him a friendly smile. Ferns was not looking so he didn't noticed he made a friendly gesture. As soon as Ferns sits down, he tries to catch up with his breath and fixes himself. When Ferns settles down, he opens his bag and organizes his credentials that he will bring during the interview. At this point, he is still ignoring Andro although he knows Andro's presence in the same room.

When Ferns settles everything, he can now look at Andro. This time Andro is not looking at him and pretends to be busy looking at his phone. Ferns' is waiting for Andro to notice him. Andro could sense from his peripheral vision that Ferns is looking at him so he unbends up his head. Andre attempts to give Ferns another friendly smile. Ferns smiles back.

There was a moment of awkward silence and nobody wants to start the conversation. Andro was just tapping his right foot in the floor while Ferns was drumbeating his right hand in his right lap. When both decided to open their mouth to start the conversation, the lobby staff entered the room and asked them to follow her.

She gives them the instructions who to see and where to go and leads them to their respective managers who will be interviewing them. They enter the elevator; she stands in the front of the elevator door while Andro and Ferns is behind her. They stop first at the Human resources department's office so the staff asks Andro to go ahead and another staff will be waiting for him to take him to the interview room. She and Ferns is left in the elevator and takes him to the Finance department that is just one floor above. Before Andro leaves the elevator, he looks at Ferns and says, "Goodluck!" Ferns' looks at him and says, "Break a leg!"

Andro finish his initial interview with the hiring manager and asks to stay. He moves on to the next interview. He will be interview by the Vice-President of the Human Resources and Administrative department of the company. For the meantime, while waiting to be called-in and he must wait in the visitor's lounge again. He thought about Ferns and was wondering how did he go with his job interview. He is expects to see Ferns again in the visitor's lounge and very curious to know if Ferns would be also moving on for his job application with the company like him. He both waits for his next interview and Ferns. He decides to approach the lady in the reception and asks her if he could get a glass of water. The lady left her post and comes back with his glass of water. Andro grabs it and just before she is about to leave he asks the lady if she saw the other applicant who was with him this morning. Andro was referring to Ferns obviously. The lady said, "He already left. He came down and left just a couple of minutes before you do." "I see, thanks for the water, Ms.!" Andro's politely respond to the receptionist although his face shows a little disappointment.