Alex Mercer: looks at the painting We’ve been here all day. Still, no touch. Strange, huh?
Yeah… you’re right, but I have a condition…
A condition? What kind of condition? Wait... don't tell me you're allergic to physical contact with other people or something!
Then what is it? Spit it out, man! I'm dying of curiosity here.
Ok… well, when we were kids, my family moved around a lot because my dad kept getting transferred. one time, i was at a new school, and this bully started picking on me… he punched me in the stomach, and since then, i developed a condition called Haphephobia-
Haphephobia? I've never heard of that before. Is it serious? What are the symptoms exactly?
Well… it means that i have a negative reaction to physical contact with other people…
Oh, man, that sucks. So, does that mean you'll never be able to have skin-to-skin contact with anyone again?
No… i just have to avoid it…
Avoid it? How do you plan on doing that? Do you wear gloves everywhere? Hats? Scarves?
I just try to stay away from people as much as possible…
Stay away from people? That's impossible when you're a social animal like us. Are you planning on becoming a hermit or something?
No… i’m not planning that.
Well, if you want to live in the real world, you're gonna have to find a way to deal with your haphephobia.
Well, i’m planning on trying to move past it… i know it won’t be easy, but i’ll take my time.
It's not gonna be easy, but you can't let this condition rule your life, Manueo. You gotta face your fears head-on and slowly work your way through them.
I know… so, i just have one favor to ask…
Alright, what's your favor? I'm listening.
For today, just today, could we please just not touch each other?
Huh? But we've been working together all day and I haven't touched you once. Are you sure everything's okay?
I’m fine… i just… need to work on my anxiety.
Look, Manueo, I get that you're dealing with some shit, but you can't just isolate yourself from the world. It's not healthy.
I’m not isolating myself, just avoiding certain things…
Avoiding physical contact doesn't mean isolating yourself, Manueo. It's just about finding ways to manage your condition.
Yeah, like wearing gloves or using deodorant.
Look, I understand that you're trying to cope with your haphephobia, but avoiding physical contact with people completely is not gonna solve anything.
Yeah, i know… i guess i just need time to figure it all out.
Yeah, take your time and figure it out, Manueo. Just don't let this condition define you. You're more than your haphephobia, and you need to remember that.
I will… thank you for listening, Alex.
No problem, Manueo. You know I'm always here for you, no matter what. We're friends, and friends stick together through thick and thin.
Now, how about we brainstorm some ways for you to gradually become comfortable with physical contact? We can start off slow and work our way up.
Okay, first things first, we gotta find activities that don't involve too much skin-to-skin contact. How about we start with cooking?
Perfect! Cooking it is. We'll start off by just chopping vegetables together, and we can gradually increase the level of difficulty as you become more comfortable.
Great! Let's get started then. First, we'll need to gather the ingredients for tonight's recipe. How about we split up and each find some vegetables?
Alright, I'll find the carrots and potatoes. You look for the broccoli and spinach. Meet back here in 10 minutes.
10 minutes later, Alex returns with a bag full of fresh vegetables Yo, Manueo! Got your broccoli and spinach. How about those carrots and potatoes?