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.

your secret is safe

What do you

talks too much." Her response was blunt, but the smile on

he chose

Besides, I could always compel him to forget

do it back then? It would have been the safest bet, right?" It

the subtexts that existed underneath

no need to go that far. I plan on coming clean to the rest of my friends once

does that have to do with this situation,

because I don't want them—no, her—to think

dim glow did a poor job at capturing his face, but thankfully the nearby lights that decorated

He appeared tired.

of the secrets. It's also going to get

"You mean 'your' power."

Rey sighed in exasperation, to which

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

nodding and smiling at him, so he quickly added something else. "That doesn't mean I'll show you my

"C-come on!"

you pout like

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

I won't be cute." Rey shrugged. "So there's no need to

said. She clearly didn't want to push too much,

the friend he was talking about, that was you, right?" As

she was so skilled at conversing, but he liked that aspect of her as

into the starless sky. "I didn't think I made such

"…"

the quietness around him. It allowed him

to tell him that I

"So why didn't you?"

her soft, barely audible answer danced in his ears, Rey parted his lips and let words accompany the cool mist that proceeded

He looks like he's growing nicely, and this new life suits him. I think… if I showed up like this—out of the blue—it might sort of ruin

"I see…"

"Yeah…"

of them remained still, Rey looking at the blank

there in silence for

But, someone finally spoke.