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.

you're sure your secret is safe with

him. What do

was blunt, but the

but he chose to ignore

he'll spill my secret. Besides, I could always

safest bet, right?" It felt like Esme

subtexts that existed underneath her

need to go that far. I plan on coming clean to

have to do with this

being exposed is because I don't want them—no,

but thankfully the nearby lights that decorated the

He appeared tired.

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

"You mean 'your' power."

mean…" Rey sighed in exasperation,

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

smiling at him, so he quickly added

"C-come on!"

cute when you

can't say the same about you since

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

clearly didn't want to push

he was talking about, that was you, right?" As usual, Esme changed the topic to something more comfortable to talk

conversing, but he liked that aspect of her as

staring high into the starless

"…"

soak in the quietness around him. It allowed

tell him, you know? I wanted to tell him

"So why didn't you?"

soft, barely audible answer danced in his ears, Rey parted his lips and let

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

"I see…"

"Yeah…"

Rey looking at the

stood there in silence for an

But, someone finally spoke.