Gaara shrugged. “And what about you?”

“What do you mean, what about me?” Esther replied, puzzled.

Gaara rolled his eyes at her response. “Your hobbies.”

Honestly, Esther hadn’t expected her offhand remark to spark a two-way conversation like this. She certainly hadn’t imagined that Gaara would actually ask her back. Yet, a small flicker of hope bloomed inside her. It seemed, at least for now, that the boy was showing a trace of interest in this playful exchange. Or perhaps it ...