-

The quiet lingered.

Yoshika had never been afraid of silence. Silence was something she had mastered-an art she had perfected in manipulation, in battle, in the moments before a strike. But this was different. This silence wasn't one she could control.

Furina wasn't looking at her anymore. She had turned her gaze back toward the water, her expression unreadable.

Yoshika exhaled slowly, grounding herself. The warmth of the moment still lingered, but she couldn't let herself get lost in it. Not now.

"...What happens now?" Yoshika finally asked.

Furina's fingers traced the railing, her nails tapping against the stone in a slow rhythm. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

Furina's lips twitched, but the smile didn't quite form. "You always ask the hardest questions, mon trésor."

The nickname was light, playful, but there was a weight behind it. A weight that hadn't been there before.

Yoshika turned to face her fully. "You're avoiding the question."

Furina sighed dramatically, her usual flair slipping back into place. "And what answer would satisfy you? That everything will work itself out? That we'll simply continue as we always have, and nothing will change?"

Yoshika didn't respond.

Because they both knew the truth.

Things had changed.

Furina leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on one hand. "We are on the brink of war, Yoshika. A war against Celestia. Against the very gods who shaped this world."

Yoshika's fingers curled against the railing. "I know."

"Then you know we don't have time for distractions."

Yoshika's eyes narrowed. "Is that what you think this is?"

Furina's breath hitched, just slightly.

A second too long.

Yoshika caught it.

She saw the flicker of hesitation-the moment where Furina could have said yes and ended this conversation before it could go any further. But she didn't.

Yoshika stepped closer. Not much, just enough to test the space between them. To see if Furina would move away.

She didn't.

"If you want me to forget this ever happened," Yoshika said, voice low, steady, "then say it."

Furina didn't speak.

The moonlight reflected in her blue eyes, shimmering like the ocean.

Yoshika waited.

She was patient. She could wait for eternity if she had to.

But Furina never said the words.

Instead, she closed her eyes and sighed. "It's unfair," she murmured.

"What is?"

Furina's fingers curled around the fabric of her sleeve, gripping it tightly. "That we don't have time for this."

Yoshika felt her chest tighten.

So that was it.

Not a denial. Not rejection.

Just... bad timing.

She exhaled through her nose, forcing herself to relax. "Then we wait," she said simply.

Furina's eyes opened, surprised.

"We wait," Yoshika repeated. "Until this is over. Until the war is done. Until we can stand on the other side of it and figure this out properly."

A soft laugh escaped Furina's lips. "Since when are you so patient?"

"I'm not," Yoshika admitted. "But for this? I can be."

Furina's expression softened. For a moment, Yoshika thought she might say something more-might give her something to hold onto. But in the end, she just nodded.

"...Alright," Furina whispered.

The space between them remained.

Close, but not close enough.

For now.

---
𝖠𝖭 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝗐: 𝗅𝗆𝖺𝗈 𝗂 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗀𝗈𝗍 𝖺𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝗈𝗈𝗄😭