Ebb and Flow - Book 1

Two

Mew was bored. He was listless and distracted. Easing back in the leather conference chair, he sighed, flicking the pen back and forth between thumb and first finger. Usually, composing and songwriting would bring him solace from these moods, but today he was too far gone in his downward state to be lifted up by even those private passions.

As the first-born of the Jongcheveevat dynasty, Mew had fought hard to keep hold of these few interests; the only things he kept for himself in his 29 years of existence, in truth. Every day saw Mew ushered forwards into the spotlights and flashbulbs of press conferences and public events as the 'acting figurehead' of his family's aviation business, and even his private life broadcasted on a weekly basis for the celebrity-hungry eyes of the general public, grace of the 'it family' reality show that his younger sister Jom had persuaded him would be a good idea.

Ironically - since he loathed it so much - Mew had undeniable talent for work in the business world. He had a reputation, even beyond the name of his family, for being a strong decision maker, an unwavering leader and an innovative thinker. A typical alpha, an admirable alpha, so people remarked. Of course, a good deal of this admiration also stemmed from Mew's appearance. Tall of stature, broad shouldered, defined and muscular, with near-black eyes that pierced with intelligence and emotional literacy. His hair was naturally the darkest shade of brown, and silky, but was currently an ash blonde with dark roots, slightly undercut - only adding to the aura of edgy power when he donned a tailored suit.

Anyway, whether he was good at it or not, working in business and all it entailed left Mew cold. Not just cold, but empty. It had taken him several years (with the dedicated help of Jom) to persuade his parents it would be beneficial for him to follow his passion for music alongside his business duties. A 'side project'. Finally it had been conceded that Mew could compose, write, produce, record - whatever he wanted, in fact - on one condition. Mew could never reveal his identity within the music industry. He had to 'ghost', or give up, it was non-negotiable.

Mew had quickly accepted the offer. There were benefits to doing it this way - after all, his name had gotten him everything in his life so far, so this could be a little piece of him that was just him. Though his family wealth certainly helped him launch this incognito career in those early days - the fact that he had his own recording studio built at home, for example - it was Mew's vision, precision and talent that had carried him to the point he had reached now. A highly esteemed and successful songwriter, composer and producer - celebrated but hidden. Yet he had never released his own performances to the public, not even by providing backing vocals or instrumentation on one of his tracks. He could have done it, it wouldn't have violated the terms of his deal with his parents, but Mew couldn't bring himself to. Because - when the sun set - it would always be the case that he couldn't stand on a stage and perform his works himself. He couldn't lay himself bare and honest, show his own truth to the world. So, what was really the point?

Yes, Mew felt bored, listless and distracted, because Mew felt empty. Being hidden, yet always visible, took its toll on a person - even this admirable alpha. So much so that it felt like no one in this world knew the real Mew Suppasit at all.