An Extra’s POV

"Shouldn't you be in a hurry? You have to pick up some people, right?"

Esme's voice echoed in Rey's ears as they neared their Inn. Despite hearing it, Rey hardly reacted or changed the steady pace at which he walked.

"It's fine." He simply responded. "I sent a Duplicate a while back."

"R-really? I didn't notice!" Esme expressed surprise, to which Rey chuckled and shrugged.

"Yeah. I did it pretty quickly. Hid it well too."

With his wide array of Skills, it wasn't a difficult thing to do. In any case, the only reason he was able to talk to Noah for so long despite his busy schedule was due to that arrangement.

"I wanted to pick them up myself, but I guess plans change." He smiled softly, shrugging again.

Something about the atmosphere felt moody for some reason. Rey didn't even know why, but he suddenly felt a lull within him.

Perhaps a moment of silence was what he needed.

"Friend of yours?" Unfortunately, Esme wouldn't let him have that.

"Yeah. You could say that."

Rey didn't think he treated Noah as well as he should have treated a friend, but he genuinely considered him one.

After all, he was the first and only person who he revealed his secret to.

"Has he seen your face behind the mask?" Esme's question made Rey laugh a little.

He replied still.

"For him, and the people we had in common, the mask was my secret."

It was pretty ironic how the opposite was true for Esme. Regardless, he could say that Noah was the only one who knew both sides pretty well.

'Back then, I didn't think Ralyks would up playing such a big role. If I had known that, would I still have exposed my identity to him?'

Rey wasn't sure. All he knew was that Noah was incredibly useful at the time, and it would have been difficult to achieve the things he was able to without his help.

Difficult, not impossible.

secret is

What

the smile on

he

he'll spill my secret. Besides, I

would have been the safest bet, right?" It felt like Esme

so, he ignored the subtexts that existed

that far. I plan on coming clean to

that have to do

being exposed is because I don't want them—no, her—to think negatively of me." Rey sighed, finally

poor job at capturing his face, but thankfully the

He appeared tired.

to get problematic explaining why Ralyks won't participate in the war despite his

"You mean 'your' power."

in exasperation, to

if I just told them the truth. I don't want to limit my strength

so he quickly added something else. "That doesn't mean

"C-come on!"

when you pout like

can't say the same about you since I DON'T EVEN KNOW what

cute." Rey shrugged. "So there's no need to

She clearly didn't want to push too much, and Rey

you, right?" As usual, Esme changed the

didn't know how she was so skilled at conversing, but he liked that aspect of her

be honest." He laughed slightly, staring high into the starless sky. "I didn't

"…"

remain silent, allowing Rey to soak in the quietness around him. It allowed him

him, you know? I wanted to tell him that I was Rey, his friend from

"So why didn't you?"

answer danced in his ears, Rey parted his lips and let

suits him. I think… if

"I see…"

"Yeah…"

at the blank sky while Esme stared at him with glistening

in silence for an unknown period

But, someone finally spoke.