Dull looked up, spotting his boss making her way toward them. She appeared calm as if she were used to being called in daily because of a past incident with Dull, and she walked with a steady gait.

"Hmm..."

The boss pondered as she took in the mess on the counter.

"You know, maybe you should try smiling more."

"...What?"

"It wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot! Smile tomorrow, okay? And make sure to tidy this up before you go."

His "boss" had the audacity to suggest he smile, as if that would fix his not-so-friendly attitude. After sharing her thoughts, she winked at them and returned to her office. She left abruptly, staying for less than three minutes and giving only the simplest advice before departing.

"That was fast."

Remarked Ames, the senior employee next to him, but she just shrugged it off and helped Dull clean up the counter and the floor. Meanwhile, Lacie turned the sign from open to closed.

'Does that woman want to be killed?'

Dull can smile and has facial muscles and expressions, unlike a doll. However, he will never obey a human's command.

On a particularly dull day, once they finished their tasks at the café, they paused for a moment to unwind, his supervisor and Ames struck up a conversation that caught his attention.

"Should we consider playing music in the café?"

"I believe that could be a fantastic idea. Customers have been requesting it."

"But when we previously played music in the shop, it didn't work out well."

"That was due to your selection of traditional music, boss. This time, I will create a playlist of popular songs. Please refrain from giving any suggestions."

"Hey, I am the one in charge here."

"And your choice in music sucks."

He chose to ignore the rest of their argument, but when "music" came up, it caught his attention. What was it? This was the first time he had heard that word.

Curious, he walked over to Lacie, the new hire who started just before him. Unlike him, she was part-time and still in college, coming in every morning for five days a week.

"Hey, Lacie. What is music?"

"Wait, you don't know?"

She stared at him as if he were an old person out of touch with modern trends.

"I don't. I usually focus only on my work and don't think about things that aren't related to it."

"But music has existed for hundreds of years!"

"Yes, that's common knowledge."

"Then how..."

Lacie paused, noticing that Dull was genuine with his question.

"Wow... Okay. Okay..."

With a bewildered expression, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Um. Music is... well, it's sound that people create to express feelings or tell stories. It can be made with instruments or just voices. You know, like singing or playing the guitar."

He furrowed his brow, trying to process her explanation.

"So, it's just... sounds? Like the noise we hear in the café when the espresso machine is running?"

Lacie chuckled, shaking her head.

"Not quite! It's more organized than that. Music has rhythm, melody, and harmony. It can make you feel happy, sad, excited, or even nostalgic. People listen to it for enjoyment, to relax, or to get energized."

He nodded slowly, still not entirely convinced.

"But why should we play it in the café? Isn’t it just noise in the background?"

In his research facility and the headquarters, noise can be a big distraction, making it hard for scientists to focus when it's too loud, which is why such noise is usually not allowed. While research labs have soundproof walls, the hallways do not.

Unlike Dull, who stays in his lab, some scientists work in their offices and eat in the cafeteria. Unpleasant sounds often distract them and break their concentration.

"Not at all!"

She exclaimed, her enthusiasm palpable.

"Think about it. Music can create an atmosphere. It can make the café feel more inviting and lively. Customers might stay longer, enjoy their drinks more, and even come back for the experience."

"I see. So, it’s not just noise..."

"Of course not!"

Lacie then continued.

"There are so many genres to choose from—pop, rock, jazz, classical. Each can set a different mood."

He hummed quietly, deep in contemplation. He was curious to give it a try, having never heard of it before. Trying something new often evokes a feeling of excitement, even if he ultimately doesn't find joy in music.

"Actually, I'm also studying music at the moment."

She said shyly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Right now, I'm working on a piece that came from a project given to us by our professor. Would you be interested in hearing it?"

"Hm? I don't mind."

With a spark of enthusiasm, she pulled out a small device from her bag, its sleek surface catching the light.

He is familiar with this small device, which is often called a "cellphone." This simple gadget has many uses, especially for sharing news and improving communication between people.

While it looks similar to the larger "Screens" he knows, it is much simpler and easy to replace, making it a handy tool for daily life. The cellphone has some features in common with the "Screens," but it is smaller and more portable, designed for convenience and ease of use. Unlike the larger, more complex Screen he is used to, this small device is easy to understand but has great potential.

It includes important functions that let users connect with others, find information, and interact with their environment, all while fitting easily in a pocket or bag. Even though it is small, the cellphone offers significant possibilities, helping users stay informed and connected in ways that were once hard to imagine.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

However, despite its impressive features, the cellphone cannot do everything a "Screen" can. Dull decided not to get a phone while living with humans. He provided his employer with a real phone number and obtained a valid SIM card. Instead of using a regular phone, he stored the number on his Screen for quick access. The SIM chip allows the Screen to receive all messages sent to that number and respond accordingly.

Why didn't he buy a phone? He didn't get a phone because it's costly for a good one, it's bothersome to carry it in his pocket all the time, and he finds them too small for his liking. He doesn't need a phone as long as he can reply to messages with the sim card's number.

"Here."

She handed him a pair of earbuds designed to connect to the phone. These earbuds allowed for both listening and speaking simultaneously, thanks to the built-in microphone, ensuring privacy during their conversations.

They looked like the ones he had used before, so he was familiar with them. However, Dull paused for a moment before putting them in his ears.

Noticing his hesitation, Lacie scratched her cheek.

"Um, they're clean, so don't worry. But if you're unsure..."

"It's not that."

Dull didn't care about cleanliness since he never felt disgusted. His hesitation came from the fact that even though he had lowered his ear sensitivity, he couldn't completely stop it from reacting to music. The earbuds would be right on his eardrums, and it would be too loud.

"My ears are sensitive, and I can't handle loud noise, so can you just play it without the earbuds?"

"Oh. Oh, sure!"

She took the earbuds back, and her expression showed she was happy. Maybe it was because he didn't mind the cleanliness or that he still wanted to hear her music.

"Alright, here we go."

She pressed the play button and together they listened to the piece Lacie was working on for her project.

Dull thinks Lacie's voice is nice to listen to, even if the lyrics could be more poetic. This was the first time he heard her song, and he enjoyed it.

"That was amazing."

He said, somewhat mesmerized, which caused Lacie to blush with a mix of embarrassment and pride.

"Thank you!"

He gave her a genuine smile, thankful that she had introduced him to something that captured his interest.

"Hey, you two. Cut out the flirting and focus on your cleaning duties."

The senior employee said with a teasing grin, making Lacie blush even more.

"Come on, she's just teaching me about music."

He replied nonchalantly.

The senior and the supervisor exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

"You really don’t know what songs are, do you? You’re something else."

One of them remarked.

"He’s got a blend of smarts and silliness."

Another added.

Dull clicked his tongue in frustration and decided to ignore the two people teasing him. Since they had to keep cleaning and couldn't use their phones, Lacie gave him a list of song ideas. She called most of them "pop songs." He didn't fully understand the term but tried to remember the titles for later.

That evening, after finishing his work, Dull chose to skip sleep and spent the night browsing the internet. He wanted to find and listen to a variety of songs. There were so many that caught his interest that he ended up downloading them illegally all night. Even without earbuds, he enjoyed the music.

Listening to music while working or doing things like walking or relaxing helped him beat boredom. Now, he turns to music whenever he feels uninterested. His current favorite artist is a mysterious singer named "Blare Blast," known for their deep and unique voice.

When his coworkers from the Research Team learned about his passion for music, they felt proud that Dull had found a hobby, a hobby that isn't destructive, and congratulated him. It was a little silly.

***

In his first week in this new world, Dull worked hard and enjoyed plenty of food and drinks from his boss. However, what truly captivated him was music. Lacie, a music major and passionate fan, kept encouraging him and was eager to make him her music partner. She even surprised him with a ticket to a small concert with fewer than 500 attendees just two days after he discovered music.

The concert was enjoyable, especially since the band played mostly jazz, pop, and R&B, and the audience was respectful and quiet. Lacie, bless her heart, had warned Dull that concerts could be quite loud, especially with people around, and she gave him time to think it over.

Dull was initially unsure about being in a small space with so many people, as he disliked loud noises and found shouting annoying. Luckily, the concert turned out to be a pleasant experience for both him and Lacie, which took place yesterday.

However, true to his nature, Dull eventually grew bored with music after a while. He still liked it and planned to listen in the future, but hearing music every hour had started to feel dull.

In his second week in this new world, Dull discovered two new interests alongside his love for music: movies and acting.

Dull found his favorite actor when Ames invited him to the premiere of her favorite actress's new movie. The film was mainly a romance and fantasy, but the performances were quite remarkable.

He began to believe that movies could become a lasting hobby, perhaps even more so than his beloved music. Dull learned to approach his newfound interest with a discerning eye, seeking out recommendations and reviews to guide his choices.

In a website packed with suggestions for everything from books to movies to songs to travel spots, he discovered that there's always "Segen" related to something. This person is everywhere, and people are really into everything he does, therefore, Dull decided to explore and find out what the fuss is about.

He found out through research that Segen, the actor whose movie trailers were all over the billboards when he arrived, is the most popular actor in the world right now. Fans follow him to the places he visits, listen to the music he enjoys, and eat the food he likes.

Due to the hype, Dull chose to watch his films and was glad he did.

He enjoys Segen's performances and also likes another talented actress, Ezra Bourne, Ames's favorite actress, who is known as the top female star. Dull's favorite movie features both of them, showcasing their chemistry and acting skills, which keeps him entertained.

However, he noticed that many fantasy movies lack realism, which made him wonder why elves are typically portrayed as white and beautiful, often looking like humans except for their long ears. Usually, beings connected to nature are shown in different shades of brown or green, mirroring the colors of trees, plants, and soil. Elves, in particular, should reflect nature more, appearing less human with features like veins in their hands and feet, wooden patterns on their bodies, tree branches for arms, or flowers for hair.

To humans, they likely appear more like monsters than elves.

There are other things that confuse him too. For instance, the gods. Why are there so many, each with different beliefs? Their clothing is strange as well, many wear white robes, while others are covered in gold. Many of the things he sees don't make sense to him, but that's normal for an alien, which is what this world calls those who live beyond it.

These are just a couple of the many thoughts he has while watching their fantasy movies.

On a positive note, their action films are really impressive. Dull, who has never engaged in close combat or used weapons due to his focus on long-range support, views this as a valuable opportunity for personal development.

If he loses interest in films, he might consider trying martial arts next. However, it's uncertain because, despite Dull's strength, he doesn't have a passion for fighting. He only fights occasionally to relax or play around with others, but overall, he hasn't fought much throughout his long life. He is likely just an amateur.

What else did he forget to add? Oh right, his research on human emotions. Honestly, there hasn't been much progress. Spending all day observing people and reading everything he could find about emotions for the last two weeks hasn't helped him suddenly grasp or feel different emotions.

This study is likely the toughest one he's tackled. If writing a research paper wasn't essential for his well-being, Dull would have given up on studying human emotions long ago. Still, it does help ease his Burnout and focusing on this research brings him closer to stability, so it's a positive outcome.

Dull paused, noticing something strange.

"Wait, I did all that?"

He did a lot in just two weeks. Normally, Dull could spend over a hundred years in his research lab without leaving. It's surprising how being around humans motivates him to do so much in such a short time to fit in with them better.

"Interesting..."

Dull can confidently say that his first two weeks deserve a solid 4.1-star rating. Why the specifics? Just to avoid even numbers.

That's it for now.

After finishing the last sentence, Dull shut his journal and let out a sigh. Keeping a journal is quite dull, but it's important for keeping track of everything. It's tedious, yet helpful.

Dull attempted to lift his gaze but found it hard due to the weight—almost non-existent weight— on his head. The chicken resting on top was busy warming itself.

'She finally abandoned the egg?'

When he saw the open door and noticed the egg still in its place, it looked like she had grown tired of waiting for it to hatch and decided to leave it alone. At first, he believed the egg was upset and wouldn’t let the chicken sit on it again, but it turned out the chicken was the one who had given up.

The egg seemed deserted and sad, but Dull paid no attention to it as he unlocked his screen with a swipe of his finger. He had to check the vital signs of his experiments left in the lab before going to sleep.

By the way, he is also improving his sleep habits. It's impressive how he can train his body now that it's as weak as a human's.

Seeing that everything was fine, Dull got ready for bed.