PROLOGUE 2

"Overall, how will you describe your current mood?" Voice of a non-binary lass in her early 40s resonates in the hush-hush, genteel clinic.

"Searching…"

"Yes?" The response was all Greek to his counsellor, "I didn't get you. Kindly pardon me, dear?"

"Searching for my current reason of happiness," the youth hums his statement, dragging the last syllable in a sing-song approach.

A nourishing mother-like grin lift the corners of the counsellor— as if hearkening to her offspring's gibberish.

"How about I help you in that search?" The lady in her white coat titters, already thrilled about this new gripping case.

***

"How was it? Do you feel any change now?" A rich voice laced with disquiet questions.

"I don't know," replies the person in question, seemingly much more caught up in playing with his fingers— the ignorance is palpable.

"I know you are still angry with the decision, but I am telling you it is for your own good! Mark my words!"

"Can you please care about your own good, and not interfere in mine?" he utters, imminently vexed.

"Don't raise your voice in front of me!! You damn sure know who you are talking to, don't you?" an overbrimming fury dribbled through the rich voice— it lasts as long as a soap bubble lasts until it is poked, "I- I- damn it! I didn't mean to yell at you.

Look… I really care about you."

The younger one rolls his eyes nonchalantly, "Oh! I am so honoured to receive your petty care, Zoe."

"You don't care about m—" but the silhouette has already begun to appear smaller and distant, "You really don't, I see." the grave voice keeps echoing in the air.

***

Dumbfounded, the brawny, rich, handsome man named Zoe, older than crestfallen youth by two years, stands in front of the door that has been slammed shut right on his face.

The day zooms within the room behind the locked door— darkness…

"Does he really think I am an idiot? Mentally ill?" he couples his teeth, growling, then his eyes haze as if a nimbus cloud is swirling around withholding rain.

"I know you are here somewhere. No matter what, I will definitely find you…one day," his heart is weighing a hundred tons more than it usually does, although it doesn't seem to be making any difference.

He drags his feet with two gloomy eyes, propelling himself into the shower— Ding!

The abandoned phone suddenly stirs. The owner of it picks up, uninterested, "What the hell is this now?" he complains boringly only to be met by something he had least expected.

The atmosphere in the room spins around and the aura utterly shifts, "Oh! R-really?" He begs some time to catch his breaths,

"Zoey! Zoey! Where are you?" he starts snorting through his scrambled exhales, "Where the hell are you? Zoey! I have goddamn news," the youth basically sprints out of the room in the hallways with a happy bounce in his steps.

Succeeding in his Zoey hunt, he practically tackles the figure that is smoking onto the ground, sparing a bone crushing hug, deeming the other man completely clueless.

"What's wrong?" Zoey raises an eyebrow.

"Zoey! Zoey! Can you believe me? I did it."

"What the heck did you do this time?"

"I- I passed the interview. I got my dream job" he tightens his pair of arms around Zoey, almost suffocating the poor man— metaphorically 'poor' obviously.

The device dangles from one of the puny arms, the screen exhibiting the reason behind this abrupt resurrection of his rotting happiness—

Congratulations! You have been recruited for the post you worked so hard for. We are delighted to announce that you have passed the interview with our company.

We are extremely happy to welcome you—

MR. THEO DAVIS