Side Character's Curse

13|| Ridiculous

ROWAN

I am a coward.

A great, big, stinking coward.

If there were competitions for cowardice, I would win gold, silver, and bronze.

I managed to sneak out of the boarding house and traipsed down the path. Dusk had faded into an inky night— this world had seriously short days— and stars twinkled like diamonds through the abyss. I interlocked my fingers behind my head and inhaled the crisp air.

What if she doesn't remember me?

I kicked a pebble across the ground and watched it clatter against the brick of a nearby home. Something ugly and dark twisted my insides and I felt the strong urge to march back to the boarding home and confess everything.

Ding!

I sighed and looked at the hovering purple screen to my right.

You okay?

"I'm fine," I lied with a massive grin. "I don't care if she never remembers me."

Liar.

I spread my arms out, thankful for the empty streets— even if it wasn't, people would forget me almost as soon as they saw me. "It's true! In every lifetime we've been together, Mango has been insufferable, uh, stubborn, and way too sarcastic for her own good. Why would I care about someone like her?"

Rowan, my dear boy, you rushed over to kidnap her as soon as I told you who she was in the marketplace. You even call her by the same nickname. You even remember her favourite colour— which she told you six lives ago!

"That has nothing to do with anything," I growled, crossing my arms. "I'd forgotten about it until I saw her in a red dress today."

Didn't you reserve the dress earlier?

"Shut up."

You're also planning to give up that to get Vindicta's help.

"I just thought of it in the moment."

You were her apprentice three lives ago. I know you've been planning to help your Mango since then.

"It's purely platonic!" I gritted out, wishing it had a physical form for me to punch.

Bollocks. There's nothing platonic about your feelings.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore!" I exclaimed, slumping down on a bench outside of a pawnbroker's store. I let out a long, slow breath. "How much time is left?"

10 days 16 hours 45 minutes 23 seconds

I pulled out a handful of pearls, expensive watches and necklaces from my pockets— which had a rather useful skill of being unable to be filled— and tossed it at the notification. They disappeared with a soft whoosh. "Give me exactly fifteen days in total."

Ding!

Total time remaining: 15 Days

I hunched over and rested my elbows on my knees and supported the back of my head with my hands. The ground was dry and cracked from the day's heat, but I saw an army of ants marching across to their destination. A few had loads on their backs, others were trying to move scrap food and greenery, and some simply moved round and round in circles.

"I wish I was an ant," I muttered, "then I wouldn't have to deal with this."

Ding!

I looked up, wearied resignation clawed through me like a starving bear.