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Yoshika stood on the balcony of the guest chambers Furina had arranged for her, staring down at the quiet city of Fontaine. The moonlight reflected off the water, shimmering like liquid silver. It was peaceful. Almost too peaceful.

She hated it.

The battle was over, for now. The city was preparing for war, yet here she was-doing nothing.

She exhaled slowly, gripping the balcony railing. Her body still ached from her fight with Capitano, but that wasn't what truly bothered her.

Furina.

The thought of her made Yoshika's grip tighten.

Furina had greeted her with the usual dramatic flair when she returned, but there was something different this time. Something in the way she looked at Yoshika-like she was seeing her for the first time.

Yoshika hated being seen.

She had spent her entire life as a shadow, an illusion, a creation of Celestia that shouldn't even exist. She was Kimika, but she wasn't. She was the Tsaritsa's daughter, but she wasn't. She was a Fatui member, but she barely acted like one.

So what was she?

And why did it feel like Furina was trying to figure that out, too?

A knock at the door startled her out of her thoughts.

"...Come in," she said after a moment.

The door swung open, and of course, it was her.

Furina.

"Ah, finally!" Furina huffed, stepping inside dramatically. "Do you know how boring it is without you around? I had to endure an entire dinner with Neuvillette and his proper mannerisms. It was torture, I tell you!"

Yoshika stared at her. "...Then why didn't you just leave?"

Furina gasped, placing a hand over her chest as if Yoshika had just committed the worst possible crime. "Leave? Abandon my duties as Fontaine's biggest celebrity? Unthinkable!"

Yoshika rolled her eyes. "You're impossible."

"And you're annoying, but I still tolerate you," Furina shot back with a smirk.

Yoshika didn't respond.

Because despite the teasing tone, Furina's gaze was softer than usual.

She was watching her. Studying her.

Yoshika turned away, looking back at the city. "Why are you really here?"

Furina didn't answer immediately. For once, there was no dramatic declaration, no over-the-top response.

Instead, she simply walked forward, leaning against the railing beside Yoshika.

The silence stretched between them.

"...You always run away," Furina finally said.

Yoshika tensed. "What?"

Furina tilted her head, looking at her. "Every time someone gets close, you run. You push them away before they can reach you."

Yoshika forced a smirk. "And yet, here you are."

Furina scoffed. "Of course I am. Do you think I'd let you get away that easily?"

Yoshika was about to respond with another sarcastic remark, but the words caught in her throat when she saw Furina's expression.

She wasn't joking.

She was serious.

For the first time, Furina wasn't playing a role.

She was just her.

Yoshika swallowed hard, looking away. "You shouldn't."

Furina raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't what?"

"Get close to me."

Furina was silent for a moment. Then, instead of pulling away, she did something unexpected.

She reached out, gently taking Yoshika's hand.

Yoshika stiffened.

"Too late," Furina whispered.

Yoshika's heart pounded in her chest.

She should pull away. She should.

But she didn't.

She just stood there, letting Furina hold her hand under the moonlit sky, caught in a moment neither of them wanted to acknowledge.

Because acknowledging it meant admitting the truth.

And neither of them were ready for that.

---
𝖠𝖭 𝖭𝖮𝖳𝖤: 𝖩𝖠𝖧𝖶𝖨𝖲𝖩𝖶𝖩𝖲𝖩𝖩𝖩𝖲 𝖨 𝖶𝖠𝖲 𝖪𝖨𝖢𝖪𝖨𝖭𝖦 𝖬𝖸 𝖥𝖤𝖤𝖳𝖲 𝖶𝖧𝖨𝖫𝖤 𝖶𝖱𝖨𝖳𝖨𝖭𝖧 𝖳𝖧𝖨𝖲 𝖨 𝖫𝖮𝖵𝖤 𝖸𝖴𝖱𝖨 𝖮𝖬𝖦𝖧𝖲𝖩𝖶𝖩𝖲