Yuki chuckled low in her throat, the sound sending a shiver of pure unease down Chie's spine. "Fine, fine." she gave in at last, lifting her chin to look right into Chie's eyes. "We just have a...proposition to make."

  Chie narrowed her eyes, heart thudding at the word proposition. She already knew she wasn't going to like whatever they had to say...but she forced herself to stay calm anyway.

  "A...proposition." She repeated flatly, tone cool despite the tension humming in the air between them. "Go on.”

  Yuki nodded, almost pleased by Chie's response. "A deal, actually." She clarified, eyes sparkling with something that looked almost like mischief now.

  Kaori's expression remained unchanged, though Chie could still feel her silent presence at Yuki's side.

  "...And what kind of deal are you talking about, exactly?" Chie asked carefully, already bracing herself for the worst.

  "Easy." Yuki purred, almost like she'd been hoping Chie would ask. "The kind that benefits all parties involved."

  Before Chie could even open her mouth to begin questioning that statement, she continued: "And the kind that leaves no room to haggle either."

  That was a bad sign. Chie swallowed reflexively, a shiver of wariness running through her. "No room to haggle." She repeated tightly. "What do you mean?”

  Yuki's smirk widened into something sharp, almost predatory. "I mean, it's simple." She leaned in even closer now, voice dropping just above a whisper, even as her eyes flickered toward something on Chie's hip.

  "You'll accept our deal...or each of your friends loses an eye. How does that sound?"

  Chie's blood went cold as she followed her gaze down, to where Yuki was staring specifically at the hilt of the dagger she carried at her hip.

  Panic flared in Chie's stomach, but she forced herself not to move an inch, not to give Yuki the satisfaction.

  "You..." she said slowly, voice barely trembling. "...you're threatening me."

  Yuki's eyes glittered in response, almost pleased. "Oh? Am I?" She taunted lightly, still leaning in so close Chie could feel her breath ghosting against her skin.

  Chie clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to move back as Yuki crowded that much closer into personal space now. But she met her gaze head-on as she forced herself to speak:

  "You are." She stated flatly, voice tight. "You're telling me to either agree to whatever your deal is...or else you'll hurt someone I care about."

  Yuki tilted her head slightly, eyes narrowing at her words. "You catch on quick." She almost chuckled, circling close again until she was almost too close but just far enough.

  Chie held her ground as Yuki circled, though every fiber of her being was screaming at her to run. Her heart was already racing, pulse pounding in her temples...

  She'd have to play this carefully. The last thing she could do was panic.

  "So." She began, trying to stay calm despite the situation, "Let me get this straight. Either I say yes to whatever deal you offer..." Her eyes narrowed. "Or you go after my friends. Is that the ultimatum here?”

  Yuki let out a low, amused sound, eyes almost sparkling with dark mirth. "You are catching on fast." She murmured, as if impressed, voice lilting in a teasing lilt.

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  But Kaori spoke up too, her expression still neutral but something like a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. "We've been watching you, Chie." She mused, voice low and dark. "We know everything. Your strengths...and your weaknesses.”

  Chie tensed at Kaori's words, the realization that they had been spying on them for who-knows-how-long hitting her like a cold knife to the gut.

  She forced herself to keep her expression neutral, refusing to give them the satisfaction of seeing her panic.

  "...How long?" She asked tightly, voice cold.

  Yuki just chuckled again, almost smirking now, as if finding some sort of twisted pleasure in Chie's discomfort. "Long enough." She replied breezily, voice light.

  But it was Kaori who answered the question directly, her gaze still piercing. "Weeks." She replied coolly, voice matter-of-fact. "We've been watching you and your friends for weeks.”

  Chie's stomach twisted at the answer. Weeks. These two women had been watching them for that long? Spying on them, learning their every move?

  Her expression stayed neutral, even as her heart hammered against her ribs, but she couldn't stop the icy dread from spreading through her. How could she have been so na?ve?

  But she forced herself to school her features, refusing to let her fear show.

  Yuki let out another low chuckle, tilting her head as she watched Chie's expression. "You seem surprised." She remarked, tone almost teasing now.

  Kaori didn't speak this time, her gaze just as fixed on Chie as her sister's, studying her every reaction like a hawk.

  "I just..." Chie started, trailing off when the words stuck in her throat. How was she supposed to even respond to that?

  They had been watching her for weeks.

  That thought alone chilled her to the bone, but she forced herself to push past the panic and focus on the present. She couldn't let them see how rattled she was.

  Yuki was still smirking, watching her intently, almost amused by her reactions. "You just...what?" She pressed, voice just as teasing.

  Kaori remained silent, studying her closely.

  Chie gritted her teeth, hating the fact that they could see straight through her panic. Damn it.

  She forced herself to think straight, keeping her expression cool. "...What do you know about Juniper...?”

  Yuki's gaze flickered at the name, almost sparking with curiosity at hearing the idol's name. "Juniper." She echoed, tone almost intrigued.

  But it was Kaori who spoke up now, expression still perfectly neutral but there was something like interest in her gaze as she tilted her head. "Why do you ask?"

  Chie tensed at that, knowing she had clearly piqued their interest. Damn it.

  Still, she refused to let her nervousness show as she met Kaori's gaze head-on.

  "She's—" She started, pausing again to make sure her voice stayed even. "...She's a close friend."

  Yuki's smirk widened at her words, almost delighted now. "Just a friend?" She asked, clearly implying something deeper. "No one can be "close friends" with an idol of all people. You must mean something special to her.”

  Yuki's smirk twisted into something dangerously pleased at the question. "Oh, we know a lot." She purred, voice laced with dark amusement now as she exchanged another glance with Kaori.

  It was her sister who answered this time, tone just as coldly clinical: "We know Juniper isn't just some random idol hiding her career from you."

  Chie went rigid, the words hitting like a physical blow to her chest cavity where lungs still fought for air despite how frozen everything felt inside.

  Kaori continued before panic could fully set in:

  "...She’s also a member of the Shadows Searching in the Night, just like you.

  And she didn’t even remember it until she saw you."

  The silence that followed was deafening.

  The confession hit like a knife to the gut.

  For a long moment, Chie could only stand there, frozen in place in the cold hallway, her mind whirling.

  They knew.

  She tried to keep her expression neutral, tried to stay emotionless or at least somewhat steady, but there was no denying the fear now.

  They knew about Juniper. About her secret. And now...they were using it against her.

  "How, " She found herself stammering, voice trembling despite how hard she fought to stay composed. "How many other members of the Shadows do you know...?”

  Yuki let out a low, delighted chuckle at the question, like she'd been waiting for Chie to ask. "All of them." She purred, voice dripping with dark amusement now.

  Kaori remained silent but her expression was unreadable, watching closely as if studying every flicker in Chie's gaze.

  Then Yuki leaned in even closer again, breath ghosting over her ear when she whispered:

  "...We know who you really are.

  And more importantly?"

  Her smirk widened into something almost predatory.

  "We know what your little group is planning."

  Chie felt her blood run cold at those words, but before panic could fully take hold? Kaori spoke up too:

  "So here’s our deal..."

  She finally broke their silence with icy precision:

  "You must agree to help us retrieve something…"

  Yuki added with a cold smirk: “Choose wisely.”