Choso 's popsicle drops to the ground. Which, you suppose you can 't really fault him for. You

did

just tell him his brothers are about to die. Not exactly the most palatable news. His jaw is hanging open in visceral disbelief, and with every passing second, his eyes seem to grow even wider.

It takes him a few seconds, but eventually, he blinks several times and manages to get a hold of himself. 'They 'll

die

? ' he asks in bewilderment, keeping his voice low. 'What are you talking about? How could you possibly know that? Actually, how did you even know that they were sent on a mission in the first place? I thought you were asleep, but I guess you must have overheard something. '

'I didn 't overhear anything, ' you insist. You pause for a moment, glancing over towards Kenjaku again. It still doesn 't look like he 's taken note of you, but that being said, you can 't afford to waste any time. 'I already

knew