On the way back, Claire and I walked slowly, our hands intertwined.

  “Hey, Rey… let me tell you something interesting,” Claire said softly, staring at the ground.

  “I’m not Rey.”

  The words left my mouth before I even realized I had spoken.

  Since when did being called Rey bother me?

  Wasn’t I Rey?

  No. No—this was natural. Of course I’m not Rey. I’m someone new. I like different things. I think differently. So isn’t it normal that I don’t want to be treated like him?

  “Wh–what?” Claire looked up at me, shock flashing across her face.

  “I said I’m not Rey.”

  She fell silent, clearly stunned by the sudden shift in my tone.

  But wasn’t this inevitable? Did she expect me to pretend forever? I’m not Rey. And even if I was… I’ve decided to live differently now. There is no Rey anymore.

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  “Rey, stop fooling around,” she said, though her voice lacked confidence. Her fingers slipped from mine without her noticing.

  “I’m not joking,” I replied firmly. “Stop treating me like Rey.”

  “Can we talk about this later?” she asked quickly, glancing around. “There are too many people here.”

  “No.” My voice surprised even me with how steady it sounded. “I want to hear it now. Are you going to treat me as ‘Rey,’ your husband… or as the person I am right now?”

  Sweat gathered along Claire’s forehead. She avoided my gaze, her hands fidgeting at her sides.

  It unsettled me that she couldn’t answer.

  “Rey— I mean… I…” She struggled, clearly unsure. “If you don’t want to be Rey… then what should I call you?”

  “Oh.” I paused.

  I had thought about this before, in quiet moments I hadn’t admitted to myself.

  “I want to be Kai.”

  The name felt unfamiliar—yet lighter.

  Claire inhaled slowly, studying my face.

  “…Fine,” she said at last. “From now on, you’re Kai. So stop complaining about it.”

  Her tone tried to sound annoyed, but I could hear the effort underneath.

  We walked the rest of the way home in silence.

  But as the house came into view, I noticed something unexpected.

  My heart felt lighter.

  As if, for the first time since waking up, I had chosen something for myself.