Blas stopped giggling to himself then looked at his co-worker. He stared at Sol's face for a bit before saying.

"Did you do something different today? You look different."

He had a questioning gaze as he continued to observe Sol's face. The face was the same and yet there was something different. He cocked his head sideways trying to find the difference, but since they were never that close, to begin with, he was unable to perfectly see through it.

"Oh, I was able to rest properly the last couple of days."

Sol answered normally. Whatever reason it was, he too was unable to explain it therefore what he said was not intentionally lying.

"Ah, that must be it. You don't look haggard and tired. Good job man!"

Blas gave Sol a thumb up before heading to his own cubicle. Sol gave a soft sigh and ignored the noise permeating the whole room. He was lost in his own thoughts.

'If Blas was able to see the difference, then others might be able to notice it too.
No, wait.
I don't have anyone who I spend with enough time on a daily basis, other than Blas. And the amount is so short that we only greet each other as a sign of courtesy.
It's sad to know that I don't have any relationships for anyone to notice the changes going through my body.'

Sol gave a wry smile.

'I could check the picture from our last company outing. I should have a picture or two from there.'

Sol did not like taking his own pictures. Even in his own phone, he only had pictures of things he finds interesting, and they are too few that everything is under one folder. Unlike the people from this modern era, he can only be described as someone different. He did not enjoy social media, he did not enjoy posting images, quotes or linking trending videos on the net. Rather he did not understand how people spend all their time gazing at their computers, waiting for an update from the most recent trends from their friends, or the people they followed. He did not keep in touch with his classmates while studying, whether it was in middle school, high school or his college days. They were relationships from his past that he did not maintain.

Sol did not care much for relationships, but now he was thinking that maybe he should have tried harder. Even his phone contacts were only made up of people from work. Although he was not active with social media, he was definitely familiar with games. He would play from time to time. He was a mediocre player, he played to have fun and to relieve some stress from work. He liked trying new games out. He would jump from one game to another as long as he found it interesting. He would play it a couple of months before moving on to a new one. He had this pattern for the past few years. In this manner, although he had made online friends, it was not to the extent of building a close relationship that can go beyond real life. Sol's interest would wane in a matter of months.

Sol was lost in his own thoughts when the Manager's door opened. The room became deadly silent. Everyone was looking towards the door which included Sol. Everyone's eyes were focusing on the two figures heading out. One chubby slightly disheveled man with a wry expression, and a beautiful young woman with long black hair, a suit, and glasses. They spoke to each other with a serious expression. Once the two stopped in front of all the employees, the chubby man spoke out loud.

"Everyone, here on out you will be managed by Ms. Cirro Ambler."

He gestured to the young woman in a suit. She was full of confidence as she looked around the rows of employees standing in the room. Eyeing each of the employees, her sight landed on Sol. For a brief moment, their eyes met and Sol felt a chill run down his spine. He knew that their eye-contact lasted for only a couple of seconds, but he felt his body was being scrutinized and inspected. He avoided the gaze and looked downwards.

'Was it my imagination?'

Sol felt that he was being too sensitive which made him imagine things. He felt that he was not someone who will be able to draw the interest of their new Manager. It was a big company with a lot of employees that performed better than him. Sol finally heaved a sigh of relief after calming his feelings. He was now able to look at their new Manager. Blas was right, compared to their old Manager, she was a sight to behold. From the expression of the other male employees, it could be said that they all felt the same. On the other hand, the female employees felt a hint of jealousy at the beautiful and successful young woman.

No one questioned the change in their department, rather people welcomed it with wide-open arms. The expression of their old Manager was gold. He looked like a kettle that was boiling in rage but unable to release the steam. Sol tried hard to stifle his laugh as he saw their old manager looking like a ripe tomato.

Their new manager nodded her head once she was introduced. However, she did not speak and went back to the office after inspecting the employees. Their old manager followed behind her in haste. It only lasted for a couple of minutes but Sol felt the time was drawn in length. Sol followed with his gaze their new manager's back while she walked away.

Once the door closed, the people could finally heave a sigh of relief and went back to their own work. Sol was seating in his cubicle waiting for the stacks of paper to appear in front of him like usual. The day ended but the stacks of papers did not arrive. He was able to finish his work in advance, therefore, he was left with nothing to do for almost half of the day. He checked his work and found nothing amiss. He spent the rest of his day on his computer staring at his computer waiting for the day to end.