As the day went on, difficulties arose, hindering my work on the software. I am a software engineer, but I'm not familiar with other coding schemes, including this one. Without hesitation, but with a slight nervousness in my mind, I tapped the shoulder of my colleague sitting next to me.

"Sorry to interrupt. Do you know what's causing this bug?" I asked him, pointing to the menu bar of the software. The colors were all over the place, spilling outside the borders.

Raf, whose name I read from his ID, is quite tall in comparison to myself. We sat at around the same height, but you could tell from the size of his legs that they were far superior to mine, both in length and girth. Taking his mind off his own station, he crept close to my computer and examined the situation, kindly explaining to me what I might have done wrong.

"That should fix it up a bit, but not entirely," Raf said after mashing on my keyboard.

My mouth was wide open from astonishment—a different kind, that is. He could have just said he didn't know in the first place, but the lengths he went to left me awestruck. First, his explanation made absolutely no sense, with a lot of maybe and probably mixed in with his already jumbled instructions. He even looked more confused at what he was saying than I was. Second, not only did he search for answers on the web, but he also watched a tutorial video in full as I observed him silently. He then proceeded to do the steps mentioned in the video with a giant grin on his face, as if saying he was proud of himself. I can confidently say that the word professionalism wasn't in his dictionary.

"Well, thanks anyways, Raf. You're a huge help," I said with a half smile.

"But of course, I'm pretty confident in my skills. Come to me when you have trouble with something else," he said, pointing his thumb to his chest proudly.

"Sure..." I rolled my eyes away from him.

"Oh, by the way, are you new here?" he scratched his head.

"Huh?"

After all that interaction, and even after my not-so-proud introduction from earlier, why is he asking this now?

"Nathan Williams. It's my first day today," I said, giving him the benefit of the doubt. "Were you outside the room earlier when I introduced myself?"

"Oohhh," he nodded for some reason. "No, no, I've been to the restroom five times already. The manager will get mad if he sees my face there again. I was just sleeping."

My mind was blown by how open he was to sharing these things.

"Alright..." I sighed.

From this, I have reached a verdict, concluding that out of all the talented people in this room, why did I get positioned right next to this company clown?

"By the way, in case that I'm asleep when you need help with something, just go to the front of the office and talk to Gabrielle, he'll know what to do."

"Who?" I tilted my head.

"Gabrielle," he pointed to a direction at the front of the office, as if his vague guidance would help me locate who this Gabrielle was in the midst of the cubicle walls blocking my view. "He looks like this," he formed a circle with each of his hands and wore it over his eyes like a telescope.

"Thanks... I'll go see him now," I said, trying my hardest to not manifest disappointment on my face. I hurriedly pulled out the USB and walked away before he could do or say anything else.

I strolled through the stations until I reached the front, scouring for someone whose form matched the imaginary description of Gabrielle in my mind. To my surprise, I found him immediately, his large-rimmed glasses sticking out like a sore thumb. I guess Raf's interpretation was accurate. I cautiously approached him, asking, "Are you Gabrielle by any chance?" to which he replied with a nod.

I presented him with the USB and stated the problem, glossing over Raf's solution while he plugged it into his computer. Once he murmured, "I see..." and nodded with his hand touching his chin, I knew valuable knowledge would be imparted to me. But as he opened his mouth again to speak, I regretted my inquiry. His words flowed like a waterfall, overwhelming me with intense currents, forcing me to get swept away in a flurry of indecipherable terms. I didn't know if I made myself clear that I was just a beginner at this, but I found it challenging to find the break in his voice to butt in. I could feel my mind overflowing from his words, most of which had already spilled out of my other ear. He was just one beat away from rapping, with the clicking of keyboards providing the music.

"Did you get all that?" he asked, handing me back the USB.

"Yes, I did. Much appreciate it," I said, giving him a smile, lying as casually as I could.

In the end, I bowed to him, showing my appreciation but not understanding a single thing, and then went back to my station with a slight dizziness in my steps.

The clock struck twelve, and with a couple of tutorial videos, I fixed the bug myself and completed my work. Raf, who had been watching me for the past couple of minutes despite having his own set of work to take care of, applauded me, clapping his hands and showering me with unwanted attention.

“Pretty good for your first try," he nodded his head like a proud parent, as if saying that he helped me get this far.

Glancing over my schedule, I realized that it was now lunch.

"Hey Raf, want to grab something to eat?" I asked him, since I'm sure someone like him is well acquainted with all the leisure spots around the company.

"Maybe next time. For some reason, I still have a mountain of things to finish," he complained, finally placing his hands on his keyboard.

I would have loved to say that he brought it upon himself for slacking off, but I didn't since I do know what dignity and humility are for. I thought about asking Gabrielle, but the constant murmur of his voice echoing in the distance signaled that an unfortunate soul had triggered his informative wrath, meaning that he was just as, or even more, busy than Raf.

"May your brain not explode," I put my hands together and prayed for whoever Gabrielle was teaching.

I traveled to the cafeteria, walking down the stairs in my lonesome. From the guided tour, I vividly remember the structure of the hallways, allowing me to arrive at my destination without looking like a lost lamb.

I sat down after purchasing a simple egg sandwich and a coffee to go with it. The murmuring was loud in the cafeteria, but I could feel everyone's intense passion with every word they uttered. I could observe them moving their lips to form complicated terms that I hadn't heard before while some were laughing around while they shared their meals. To be honest, I wanted to join in, to indulge myself in their fun, but a newbie couldn't attain that benefit on just the first day. I feel a bit left out, but it is understandable. All things come with time.

"Is it your first time here?" a voice approached me, tapping my shoulder.

A woman sat in front of me, gorgeous in every way possible and probably of the same age as me. She held coffee in her hand and brushed her hair with the other, flowing freely with the most casual of movements, spreading the scent of her rosy shampoo. A warm feeling emanated within me, but I felt frozen at the same time.

"Am I being too obvious?" I asked her, trying to play it cool.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Not really. It's just that I haven't seen your kind of face before," she said, forming a circle with her hand and looking through with one eye, observing my form through the circular frame.

I brushed it off, not knowing if it was a flirtatious utterance or an insult.

"I'm Nathan Williamas, software department. Nice to meet you," I gave a slight bow.

"Laura. Same to you," she smiled in return.

"Umm... What department are you assigned to?" I asked, trying my best to avoid dead air.

"Room 2A, the one across the hallway on the second floor, the motion department."

"Oh? Then that means we're right next to each other."

She giggled. "What a stroke of luck. I'm quite new here myself, just got in about a month ago."

"What made you decide on this company then?" I asked, fully engrossed in her. This might be the moment I can gain a normal friend here.

She smiled gracefully, her eyes twinkling with subtle humor. "Well, the reputation of this company certainly played a part. But, I must confess, the moment I heard that there's free quality coffee here, I became dead set on getting in."

I chuckled at her response, "So you're one of those addicted types. Those kinds of people that down an entire jug in the morning, right?"

She took a sip of her coffee first before responding, "Not really. Just five cups, not really a whole jug. Though I do know some people like that," she sipped again. "Oh, by the way, this is just my seventh one today, so I'm still pretty much on the green."

"I'd say you're on yellow, and pretty much close to red, if red meant being prone to heart attacks."

She gave a slight chuckle, "Don't worry too much. I eat healthy so there shouldn't be a problem there."

I raised an eyebrow. "Really? So where is your healthy lunch then?"

She stared down at the empty table. "Umm... Dieting."

I sighed, "Sure..."

"Well, you on the other hand might need to start drinking some. You look a bit drained for your first day here," she pulled out a hand mirror from her pocket and held it towards me, reflecting my face. My eyebags weren't that large but it's still a bit noticeable.

"Oh, it's nothing. A colleague just taught me well, that's all."

"I'm guessing you mean Gabrielle, right?"

"How did you know?" my eyes widened with surprise.

"Everyone knows," she sighed with her eyes closed, as if she was remembering a past experience.

Suddenly, I started to beatbox a quick tune, her eyes squinting with amusement. "Did you get all that?" I said in a higher pitch.

She laughed out loud, clutching her stomach. "You sound just like him. Might I recommend you wear glasses for the complete fit?"

People began looking at us from her boisterous laughter. I got a bit self-conscious, speaking in a softer tone. "I have another colleague to impersonate. But that would be quite unproductive of me, so how about some other day?"

She brought her gaze back to me and stared intently into my eyes. "Want to meet up like this every day? It's our first encounter, but I feel like you're quite an interesting fellow."

I gulped. Be it deliberate or not, her voice sounded provocative, and it was definitely affecting me.

"Sure, but I can't promise I'll be punctual every single time."

"That settles it then," she held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, work partner."

We shook hands. A jolt of electricity crept up my head as I made contact with her soft skin, wishing this moment would last a bit longer.

Out of nowhere, a man sat at our table without any warning, cutting our handshake short.

"So this is where you were," he said, placing his arm around Laura's shoulders. "Who's this? A new fling of yours?" he looked at me, examining my form from the chest up.

I couldn't observe his expression since it was hidden away by his dark sunglasses.

"Are you taken by any chance?" I asked her, glancing a suspicious look at the man.

She casually moved his hand away, like brushing dust off her shoulders. "Don't mind him, just another stalker."

He placed his arm around her again. "I prefer the term admirer."

"A pretty annoying admirer." She brushed his hand away again. She then stood up. "Let's go back to work, shall we, Nathan?" she said while walking away, not even waiting a second for me to reply.

I thought of chasing after her, but it would be rude to just leave this man alone so suddenly, especially now that his gaze was entirely directed at me.

"So... What's the story with you? A work husband?" he asked in a playful tone.

"Just a few steps down from that. A work partner."

"Oh, before that, I almost forgot my manners," he offered me his hand. "Just call me Alex. And you? "

I was scared at first, but after a millisecond of deliberating, I shook his hand. "Nathan Williams, just Nathan if you want." To my surprise, the way he handled the greeting didn't show any form of anger or jealousy, not even gripping my hand tightly like the rival love interests in romance movies.

He chuckled, "Do you have any thoughts of taking those steps further?"

I couldn't help but blush, even if I'm not exactly sure of my feelings yet. I've never had a girlfriend, but I guess now is a good time to step up my game. "Maybe... But if you're already first in line, then I'll leave the picture." I said, not wanting to start a conflict.

He laughed loudly this time, spraying saliva on my arm that was resting on the table. "By all means, join in if you want. The happiest of families have the largest pictures hanging on their wall."

"Huh?" I uttered while wiping my arm, not understanding him.

Alex sighed, and just with that, his demeanor seemed to have changed as if he was suppressing his playful aura. He then took off his sunglasses.

Suddenly, I gasped openly. Not to be weird or anything, especially since he's a man, but this was the first time I've ever laid upon such beauty. This man had azure gems for eyes, not literally, of course. They were so vibrant and lustrous that you could pawn them without question. Now I get why he's wearing sunglasses indoors because if he didn't, he'd be blinding everyone with his gaze, turning the company into his harem, with gender not being an issue.

"Albino?" I asked while looking away.

"Just a weird set of parents," he said while giving off a smile, which emphasized his eyes even more. "Ehem, anyways... What I mean is that I don't care if I'm not the one she chooses. As long as I stay as someone important to her, then someone else can take her. That way, everyone is happy."

"How can you be happy with a setup like that?" I tried to ponder about his words, but I just couldn't see the benefit of it in the long run. The picture that I noticed is that he's the type of guy who wanted to join a harem.

"I don't know. But still, whenever I see her smiling, I just can't help but want to be close to her, but I don't want to be possessive. Think of it like a crush."

I nodded, starting to get some idea of his feelings. "I guess that's a good way to put it."

Suddenly, he placed his hand on top of mine. "Also, I've been watching you both from the start, and I can definitely say that you're a nice guy, Nathan."

"Thanks, Mr. Stalker..." I slowly pulled my hand away, giving him a half smile. He caught up to my hand and didn't allow me to slither away, holding it gently.

"I have a favor to ask you."

I gulped, not knowing where this was going.

"Please always stay by her side," he said, his eyes bursting with resolve.

I didn't need a second thought. "It'd be my pleasure... But why?"

"You know she could be a little nerve-racking at times, right? Almost enough to make something rise within you."

I nodded, remembering the intonation of her alluring voice.

"Well, I don't think she's aware of this. And because of that, she unknowingly has a whole mob of guys drooling over her," he held my hand tighter. "So please, always look out for her. Don't worry, I'll do my part as well."

I snatched my hand away and went on the offensive. This time, I was the one holding him. "You won't regret choosing me. I'll be her bodyguard, and maybe even your wingman," I winked, letting go of his hand.

"You're a real nice guy, Nathan," Alex chuckled. "Now move along before she gets suspicious of anything. Don't want her to wait for you any longer."

I nodded, munching the rest of my sandwich all in one go before I stood up and waved him goodbye.

As I walked through the cafeteria, I was surprised that Laura was still there. She was standing next to one of those fancy office plants, blocking our vision of her from the cafeteria.

"What took you so long? It's unfair to have fun without me," she said.

A nerve on my neck tingled. Alex was right about her being unnecessarily provocative. "Just exchanged some formalities with Alex."

"Oh, him," she mumbled, walking away.

I caught up and walked beside her. "I think he's quite a nice guy actually. Do you have some sort of problem with him?"

"Not really, I just don't like how clingy he gets."

"Will you reciprocate his feelings then? You know he likes you, right?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think I'm ready for a relationship yet," she walked a bit further ahead. "But those eyes are just too good to pass up."

"Come again?" I said, not hearing what she said.

"Nothing. I've got a lot of things to do, so this is where we part ways," she said while facing away from me. "Let's meet up at lunch again tomorrow. Remember to not work too hard. It's just your first day, after all. I'll give you a reward if you do good," She took a slight peek at me and waved goodbye. She then turned the corner and disappeared from view.

"I guess it's back to work now," I said to myself.