An Extra’s POV

The two spoke for hours.

It was just like old times… with them babbling on and on about varying topics and stories.

It went without saying that Rey had to explain himself and the reason he was late—apologizing for what he determined to be caused by his weakness.

Of course, Esme would not have that.

"There's no way you could have known about or prepared for such a calamity. Besides, if I was stronger… you wouldn't have had to face it all alone. It's not your fault!"

Her words reinforced what Ater and his friends had told him, yet somehow hearing her tell him this put his simmering heart at ease.

As always, Esme just always had an atmosphere about her that relaxed him.

Not once did he need to struggle with controlling his emotions, and the system also didn't shut them off at any period.

He was worried and cautious at first, but not anymore. Esme was just the kind of person he could be comfortable with.

No… that wasn't quite it.

"I expected you to be a lot more awkward about all this…" Esme admitted at some point as she smiled at Rey.

Her hand was placed on her cheek as her smile broadened.

Merely staring into her eyes made his heart leap, yet there was no response from the System.

In fact, none of his other physiological reactions—since he encountered Esme—triggered the Class Privilege's effects.

'I initially thought I wasn't flustered enough because it's Esme, but the System has intervened for even less displays of emotion in the past. So what's happening here?'

Rey was surprised and confused at this point.

However, he had a theory—or rather, a question.

'Is the System being biased here?' When he thought about it, Esme had always been favored by the System.

Even now, he was being told to help her out.

That was definitely not a sign of a Side Quest, as Rey had already figured out long ago. It seemed, by all regards, that she was being protected by the System.

And she wasn't the only one.

'The other Elves I met also had similar stuff written in their Additional Information.'

That meant, for some reason, Elves were special in this world.

'Maybe the System does not register any emotion generated from me towards her to be harmful, so it filters all of that out. Does that mean it'll be the same with the rest of the Elves?'

He found himself growing ever curious as he stared at Esme, just in time for time to quicken so he could answer her statement.

about what?

big deal about it for so long that I never expected you'd show it

I'm not the Rey you

her head. Instantly pushing her face

they could

can no longer see your Status Information, there's no way I

know why he blushed at that very

enough of a

~VWUSH~

the room and Ater stepped out of it with

was frozen in place as he witnessed

face also turned as she gazed upon the tall, sleek

ah, apologies for the inconvenience.

"Ater wai—!"

~VWUSH!~

more, Ater vanished from his position. His disappearance

state was immediately suppressed, reminding him of his

guy. I'm sure he now has the

her face to Rey and gave him a quizzical

"Wrong idea how?"

to kiss… or something like

suppressed, but he also liked that he could

had one

it

found his heart racing upon hearing that. One glance at Esme's

System did not intervene at

For the first time since forever, Rey stuttered, fidgeting a little as he analyzed the question she asked

you've kissed

sure?!" Rey swiftly responded,

'he' kissed 'her'. In fact, wasn't he the victim in

hadn't 'kissed' anyone yet. Someone kissing him

"Well, I—"

curious. If you're acting like this, then you've probably never kissed before." Even though this was the

could feel something in

ask a more experienced person

clutched his chest upon hearing that. Sure, he didn't have much of

me already." Esme began

departed from his until they retained reasonable

did you decide to show me

floated in the air, Rey brought himself back to reality. He took in a deep breath, allowing the sweet scent that now filled the room to enter his nostrils and permeate

was silent for a few seconds, feeling Esme's gaze

Then, he spoke up.

want to hide

disguise and face her with a mask or

the thought never even

her, and he wanted her to see

was all there was