[Zero shrugged, already plenty familiar with how skewed perceptions could be when others looked at him.]

People see what they want to see.

[That wasn't meant to be a jab at Hajime, though - it was an occurrence long before the student ever entered the picture, an inevitability. The reploid gave a quick glance up at him, before returning back to work, adding:]

Even before I knew who I was, people had formed opinions about what I was supposed to be. What I'm capable of.

It's no different for most robots.