On the day he was set to start his job, Dull looked at the uniform laid out in front of him. This uniform had been provided by his employer.

The package was delivered to his apartment building, and he picked it up from the designated package area since deliveries are not allowed inside the building. For food deliveries, staff members handle the receipt of the items and take them upstairs.

As he put on the outfit, he realized it fit him perfectly. The fabric was incredibly comfortable and offered great breathability.

Not bad, he thought.

Even though the outfit was comfy, he didn't really like its style. It was mostly black, featuring a shirt that was half black and half white, along with trousers and shoes, while his yellow apron seemed out of place. The nameplate also matched the black-and-white look. Usually, such details wouldn't bother him, so this feeling was strange. He plans to discuss it with Cache later, but for now, he wants to take some time to watch things unfold.

After putting on his uniform, he noticed the baby chicken quietly watching him as he checked himself in the mirror, its tiny, beady eyes glimmered with curiosity.

"Are you hungry?"

The baby chicken nodded, its fluffy yellow feathers ruffling slightly with the movement, which made Dull smile as he reached for the bottle of powder, which was nearly empty, and poured a small amount into a shallow dish. The chicken eagerly pecked at the powder, its tiny beak working diligently as it consumed the food.

As he watched the little creature eat, Dull’s mind wandered ahead.

The bottle was nearly empty, so he just had to wait for the chicken to fully replace his cells. There was a 90 percent chance that his body might reject the new cells, and in that case, the chicken could die. But that didn’t bother Dull as much as it should have. Most of his experiments didn’t survive this cell-changing stage, and he had long since grown accustomed to the cycle of life and death in his lab. After all, there were plenty of chickens in the world.

For now, he knew it would take time for the cells to fully integrate. The chicken would be both annoyingly loud and playful, flapping its wings and chirping incessantly, as well as eerily quiet at times, sitting still and observing him with those wide, innocent eyes.

The new cells are beginning to dominate, but the chicken's cells are likely resisting, causing the chicken to feel confused and change its behavior occasionally. This situation will likely worsen, leading to more aggression from the chicken in the future. However, there's no need to panic or keep her locked up like his other experiments, as she is so small that she won't cause any damage in this apartment.

"Hm. I can't just leave you here."

Even though he could easily replace the chicken, Dull wasn't going to let it die after giving it a whole bottle of the costly Revitalizing Agent.

The chicken can't stay in the inventory because its ability to stop time would freeze its progress and cell changes. He can't afford to pause the chicken's growth since he dislikes waiting.

Dull opened his inventory again and pulled out an egg nearly as big as his hand, placing it on the dinner table. He gently patted the shiny egg while watching the chicken.

"This will keep you company."

He glanced back at the egg as he took his hand away.

"And you, keep an eye on the chicken and remember to track its growth."

The egg remained silent and showed no sign of understanding, but Dull was sure it did, so he turned his attention back to the chicken.

The chicken's eyes lit up with curiosity as it moved closer to the egg. After inspecting it, it hopped on top and settled down. It seemed ready to incubate the egg, which was twice its size, but Dull decided to let it be and finally left the apartment.

When Dull got to Juls Cafe, it was still closed. He was told to arrive at 4 a.m. for the setup, with the cafe opening at 5 a.m. However, the only male staff member there, named "Desi," let him in, suggesting they were expecting him.

At first, Desi seemed friendly, but he flinched when they locked eyes though he quickly got back to normal and spoke to Dull like a typical person would.

'Hm...'

He is the second person, after the boss, to overlook the unsettling feelings they feel around Dull and to continue pretending that everything is normal.

"My name is Desi."

The man introduced, extending his hand in greeting, which Dull opted not to shake.

"I know."

Dull replied, having already seen the nametag.

"Oh, really... Haha..."

Desi responded with an awkward laugh, slightly embarrassed by the lack of response. Fortunately, their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the manager. When she made eye contact with Dull, she smiled warmly, though he could sense a brief tension that quickly faded, much like Desi's initial reaction.

"Hello there, my handsome new employee."

The boss greeted him in a relaxed manner, her demeanor a stark contrast to the tension that had filled her just moments before.

She let out a light laugh as she placed her bag on one of the tables and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. He was surprised by her boldness, especially since she had seemed tense just moments earlier.

"Boss."

He greeted.

"Just call me by my name."

"Not happening."

He already knew her name, having seen it on the package that contained his uniform. The boss rolled her eyes at his insistence on formality and smirked at him.

"It’s surprising that you live in such a fancy building but choose to work at this small café. And I can't believe you used to be a scientist! Fancy!"

"It just happened."

He simply shrugged, not in the mood for conversation. His spirits were low after nearly losing his research the day before, a setback that had left him feeling drained.

"You’re tough to talk to. Be a bit nicer, or I might have to let you go."

His eyebrow twitched at her threat, a flicker of irritation sparking within him. Fortunately, he managed to keep his Authority in check.

A few days ago, when his Authority slipped out while trying to join a modeling agency, he became curious about how it affected people and watched their reactions by sending his screen at them and monitoring them from home. The results were troubling. They seemed to have nightmares and had trouble sleeping or eating for days. Their blank looks made him focus on managing his Authority, even after three days of research.

Thankfully, his hard work paid off, and nothing went wrong today.

"I get it."

He was there to act human, and it was important to show respect to his boss, as expected from an employee.

"That's more like it!"

She then focused on a person named Desi, whose smile stayed unwavering even though Dull was indifferent to him. What a positive guy, Dull thought.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Please introduce him to the others."

"Of course, ma'am! I'll take care of it!"

Dull wasn't very eager about the introduction since he didn't care much for the others. Still, the woman seemed determined in her request, leading him to agree for the moment.

The boss gave him a comforting pat before grabbing her bag and going into her office.

"Do you want to meet the others?"

"Sure."

Dull replied.

"So, Miss Ames has been with the café since it opened a year ago and is busy icing cakes right now, while Lacie is probably in the storage room restocking coffee and sugar."

Desi explained as he led the way.

Dull didn't bother asking who the guys were talking about and just followed Desi to the storage area behind the counter, next to the kitchen where they likely made the cakes and cupcakes. Inside, he saw a woman with short black hair, wearing an apron, hairnet, and gloves, it was obviously "Miss Ames."

Even though he never felt the urge to eat, he thought, 'Those desserts look tempting,' as he watched her skillfully decorate a red cake with red icing and strawberries.

There was a café being sold in his apartment building on the cafeteria, but he had never bothered to visit it, even though he had noticed the cakes for sale there.

"Miss Ames!"

Desi called out cheerfully, pulling Dull into the small kitchen by the wrist.

Dull felt a slight discomfort from the man's touch, but it wasn't too bothersome since Desi reminded him of someone he respected, even if he didn't know them well. This respect made it easier for him to accept Desi's unexpected contact.

Miss Ames paused her decorating, carefully placing another strawberry on the cake. She looked up, her dark eyes studying the person next to Desi with curiosity and doubt.

"This is the new employee, Dull Life. I heard we are the same age."

Desi introduced.

"That's an interesting name. Is he the one the boss mentioned, saying he would attract more customers?"

"Yes, that's him."

Desi replied with a chuckle.

Both employees turned their attention to the subject of their conversation, Dull Life, who regarded them with an expression that was hard to read.

'He is either an introvert or someone who is naturally unbothered. Whichever it is, I am committed to exploring the complexities of his personality.'

Ames thought as she turned her attention to the new employee. She loved getting to know people and helping them come out of their shells, just like she did with Lacie, who struggled with low self-esteem, and Desi, who initially felt out of place but eventually opened up to her about his gaming addiction.

"Hello."

Dull greeted casually.

At that moment, the storage door swung open, and a younger woman stepped out, carrying a handful of jars filled with coffee grounds and paper cups.

"Oh, hi there."

She said upon spotting Dull in his uniform. Their supervisor had already informed her about the new hire, so she wasn't surprised to see him, however, she was taken aback by his striking looks, reminiscent of a movie star.

"This is Lacie."

Desi introduced again, causing Lacie to blush slightly, her cheeks turning a rosy shade.

"Nice to meet you."

“Likewise. I’m Dull Life. Just call me Dull.”

“Oh, okay. No problem.”

Lacie said, feeling a little uncomfortable. Noticing the silence, Desi quickly took charge and led Dull to the counter, where a coffee maker sat, its shiny surface gleaming under the lights.

“Shall we begin?”

“Sure, I’m ready to learn.”

It turned out that making coffee and various brews wasn't particularly difficult. Desi only needed to demonstrate the process once so that Dull could understand it completely. Within an hour, he had mastered all the techniques, much to the amusement of the three employees who were busy taste-testing.

"I think Dull's coffee tastes better than Desi's."

"But we use the same ingredients and follow the same steps! How can it taste different?"

Desi exclaimed, casting a look of betrayal at Ames, who had a playful grin spreading across her face, while Lacie giggled beside him. Though Dull remained quiet, he was in an exceptionally good mood. Maybe it was because these three reminded him of his old coworkers, who loved to joke around and have fun.

It seems things aren't as bad as they could be. He feels totally at ease right now, indicating he hasn't felt bored at all.

***

Dull should describe his experiences from his first week at the Juls Café like this:

At first, he thought his "boss" was really irritating. She had a special talent for bothering him, with her nonstop talking and too much excitement getting on his nerves.

"My dear employee that has a billboard-worthy face!"

"Don't call me that."

He snapped to the bold woman before going back to making an Iced Cafe Latte. Dull had never prepared his own drinks or meals before this, and at first, it was tough for him. However, he has improved a lot since then. Although he is still a bit slow, he is getting better.

This, too, is odd. His learning seems slower than normal. Could it be because of his suppressed Authority? He isn't sure since he's never experienced this feeling before.

The "boss" ignored his request to stop calling him "billboard-worthy face" and handed him a plastic cup with a straw filled with a drink that resembled milk tea with black pearls.

"What is this? It's not on our menu."

He asked in confusion but still took the cup.

The boss has a habit of concocting random drinks and dishes and offering them to him for tasting. He is unsure of her motives, but he wouldn’t refuse free food and drinks.

"It’s a milk tea. I wanted to see if you’d like it, so I made it for you. Please try it."

Dull hesitated, looking at the woman.

"Be honest—do you have feelings for me or something?"

The boss's face quickly changed to one of disgust, her disbelief clear. It was obvious she had no interest in him, which he found somewhat reassuring. Her feelings would have made things complicated.

"It's not my fault for thinking that. You keep giving me free stuff even though I've only been here a short time, and you keep calling me handsome too."

He shrugged and finally took a sip of his free milk tea. The drink had a special taste, but what caught his attention the most were the black pearls, which had a fun chewiness he had never felt before.

"I'm just trying out products for possible future sales! There's no reason to doubt me."

She explained although the reality was quite different.

In truth, she was looking for food or drink that could calm the annoyed young man. Her goal was to use him and his image for marketing later, so she was just getting ready for that.

As she saw Dull's eyes widen while he drank it all at once, it looked like she had found the perfect choice. Great job!

"This is really amazing..."

He said.

"I like it too. Those chewy black pearls are called tapioca pearls. From your reaction, I think I’ll think about adding it to our menu."

She responded.

"Yes, please do."

He replied, excited for the chance to enjoy this drink more often.

His "boss" was quite bothersome, but despite her annoying ways, she had a certain charm in her skills. The coffee and milk teas she made were truly exceptional, making it hard for him to stay away from her for now.

His coworkers treated him similarly to how his peers at the research facility did, seeing him as someone they could teach, tease, and spoil. Their actions reminded him of his old friends, bringing both comfort and unease. They encouraged him to ask for help on everything from brewing to dealing with customers, and their friendship felt like the connections he had in the lab.

This familiarity led him to believe that they too could be a lasting presence in his life, offering a sense of stability amidst the chaos of his new environment.

Sadly, he couldn't say the same about his customers. Many tried to get his phone number, with their flirty comments ranging from light-hearted jokes to bold advances, which annoyed him. Others were so scared of him that they either spilled their coffee or hurried out without paying, their faces showing a mix of fear and admiration.

"I’m so sorry!"

The woman screamed out as she rushed away.

"What the... She didn’t pay for her drink!"

He said, clearly annoyed. Not only had she skipped out on the bill, but she also managed to spill the drink on the counter and on him. Not only did she leave without paying, but she also spilled her drink on the counter and on him. Luckily, it was nearly nine in the evening, so they would soon close and avoid overly curious customers.

That night, only three staff members were working. Lacie went to fetch the manager, while Ames came over with a towel.

"Why do they seem so intimidated by you? You have a bit of a temper, but most of the time, you're pretty laid-back."

The senior employee Ames commented.

Dull paused, thinking about what Ames said.

'I have a bit of a temper?'

He considered himself quite calm, as Ames had pointed out. If he weren't, he wouldn't have survived in the research facility where everyone had their oddities. Yet, it seemed that being around humans was testing his patience, possibly making him more irritable. Does being with other species enhance their emotional responses too? He would need to investigate that.

'I’m fortunate to be studying human emotions right now.'