An Extra’s POV

"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it."

Esme's voice woke Rey up from his drawn-out thoughts.

He turned behind and saw her slowly rising to a seated position too, a friendly smile written on her face as she rose.

"A-ah, it's—!"

"I understand. It's about a girl, right?"

"W-what? How can you be so sure!" As soon as Rey said this, and also saw Esme's smile widen, he realized the ugly truth.

'I've been tricked! Damnit!'

It was too late to realize it at that point, though. He had been careless, and now the price had to be paid.

"I just made a guess. But it seems like I was spot-on."

Rey wanted to ask Esme for the reason behind her guess this time, but before he could say anything, she told him.

"That man… Asher… he referred to you and I as a couple the last time."

Rey remembered how he noticed Esme's face twitching back when it was mentioned.

She didn't say anything after then, but since she was mentioning it now, Rey knew he had to vindicate himself.

"I told him we weren't a couple. No, it wasn't even that! It was—!"

"This isn't meant for me, is it? It's meant for the girl you're thinking of." Esme brought out a necklace from her pocket.

There was a ring at the center of the silver-like chain.

It was the White Ember—or, something similar.

The ring this time still had a frosty white surface, but the gem at the center peered more aqua than ember.

It was a glowing blue gem.

"They designed something a little different for me. It matches my eyes, don't you think?"

"Y-yeah…" Rey managed to say.

well as the ring attached to it, looked

you help me put

to him and packed her long black

me a choice in the matter?' Rey wondered as he stole a good look at

pretty, and her skin had a major role to play in

was helping her to put on the necklace. As he did so, his fingers brushed past her skin a

to himself

wonder her forehead had a pink

found himself laughing internally until he was

hair back into place, using her fingers

do I

maybe—and her surprisingly stoic face

good

smile formed on her face

Thanks. Even though you didn't mean for something like this to be made for me, I

about that too?!' Rey wanted to pull his hair out with the

said nothing to confirm her

and

White Ember was meant for someone else. But since this isn't that,

she was very

She cocked her head to the side and

Rey knew he was only presented with two words

"Yes" and "Yes."

come up with

he had, but Rey figured out the perfect

"I guess so."

snickered as

her laugh at him that he

gone with one of the two

*********

of time passed, and Rey found himself

in his stomach disappeared, and he found

It felt amazing!

any different,

all over again. No… Alicia and I had

was

that was what made