Heart for The Lonely Souls

Chapter 1: Soren Chuang

Tap. Tap. Tap.

My right hand moves swiftly with my pen on top of the graphic tablet monitor, displaying a drawing of a Queen sitting proudly on her throne. When I finish adding the last detail, I stop and sit upright to get a good look at the artwork. I stare at my screen for a minute or two; my finger idly tapping on my lips—a habit I have when I'm deep in thoughts.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The sound of knocking on my desk startles me out of my thoughts. A familiar gesture that I know all too well. I take off my headphones and look up to see my Creative Director, Dolores Park, standing beside my desk. Her piercing brown eyes stare right back at me—if I hadn't worked with her for almost a decade, I would have been intimidated by her gaze—as she leans towards my screen.

"How's the book cover going for you? Do you think you'll be able to finish it today?" Dolores asks, brushing a few strands of her black hair away from her eyes.

"Well, I'm done with the finishing touches." I scoot over to the side so to not block my tablet monitor. "I was thinking if I should add more details before I place the title over it. What do you think?"

"Hmmm... I don't think it needs more details, but it does feel a bit plain on a color background. How about you add an ornament frame at the back? Also, add extra lighting around the character's face."

I pause for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Yeah, I think that would work. Thank you for your feedback, Dolores."

"No problem. Once you're done, please put it into the share network folder and notify me through email." Dolores checks on her watch. "It's almost 01:00 PM. Do you want to go to the cafeteria for lunch, Soren?"

I didn't answer immediately. I just take out a cold sandwich—which I bought from the Deli this morning—from my bag and show it to her. Dolores's brows turn a deep furrow once she sees my sandwich as she lets out a deep sigh. Now that I think about it, she has been doing it a lot lately whenever she invites me for lunch. I hope I didn't upset her.

Dolores pinches the bridge of her nose. For a second, I notice a change in her expression—concern, maybe—before she reverts back to her usual stoic self.

"Soren, I appreciate your dedication to your work, but you should at least have a proper meal once in a while." Dolores points at my sandwich with a disapproving look. "Also, I have seen you eating the same cold sandwich for weeks now! It's concerning!"

I let out a dry laugh, not sure how to react. It's true I've been eating the same cold cut turkey sandwich for my lunch since I didn't have much appetite as of lately. Even if I don't have any appetite, I will still try to eat since it's better not to work on an empty stomach (It's just common sense). It's not like my favorite food is turkey sandwich or anything; I just don't want to be bothered with the 'What should I eat today?' issue every single day. Dolores has never commented on my diet before. I wonder... Why now? Did she get a complaint from the team about me eating at my desk? There's a rule about not allowing workers to eat lunch at their desk—especially food with a strong odor—to avoid making the office smell like yesterday's leftovers; Although, they make exceptions for sandwiches, dry snacks, along with coffee and tea. I guess the meat odor from my sandwich has been bothering people in the office and that's why Dolores is reprimanding me about it. Yeah, that must be it!

"I'm sorry for my inconsideration, Dolores," I say, bowing my head slightly. "I'll make sure to bring a different lunch starting from tomorrow onwards."

Dolores looks taken aback by my answer. "Wait- That's not what I mean—"

I stare at her, looking a bit confused which she notices.