Unwanted Reunion - The Distances Between Us

The sound of keyboard clicks echoed clearly in the quiet office. Alan had chosen to work overtime for the past few days, hoping to take a certain day off later.

A notification ping came from his phone, resting not far from his work computer. He reached for it.

Displayed on the screen was the next match in the Desire Battle.

Chalice vs. Lantern.

***

"Dorothy Frontier Protocol, activated!" Liora quickly reached into her Rest Zone and, without looking, pulled out the card she needed.

"I recover Overlimit Boost, and activate it by paying 3 OP!"

"I select one of my cards—its ATK doubles, and at the end of the turn, it's destroyed. Dorothy, boost!"

“5000 ATK…” Vio swallowed hard. Her followers couldn't survive that level of attack right now. Still, it wasn’t over. She had 3000 LP left. If she could survive this turn, she might still turn the tide—

“If you think you still have a chance, you’re wrong.” Liora cut off Vio’s thoughts, as if she could read her mind.

“Overlimit Boost’s extra ability activated! The turn it’s recovered from the Rest Zone, Dorothy gains one extra attack!”

“Dorothy, send her to the oblivion!”

“…I lost,” Vio sighed, slumping forward onto the table.

“Good game.” The words came out of Liora’s mouth flatly—so flat they almost sounded sarcastic.

“How did you manage to get this good in just three days!? I can’t help but be amazed by how fast you learn...”

“Are you planning to go pro?” Vio asked while slowly gathering her scattered cards.

“I’m not sure,” Liora replied honestly. “I only play Guide Rise for fun.” She slipped her deck into its box and clicked it shut.

Vio gave her a knowing smile, as if she sensed Liora was hiding something. But she didn’t press the matter. Everyone had their secrets. She was content simply seeing Liora’s face a little brighter than usual—something that only seemed to happen during a duel.

“Oh, right. Could you help me with something tomorrow, Liora?” Vio asked, raising her head as the thought returned to her.

“Tomorrow?” Liora tilted her head slightly to the left, her right index finger tapping her chin. She was trying to remember what she had planned for the day.

Surprisingly, her schedule was empty. The café owner had allowed her to take multiple days off—despite her lack of warmth with customers, Liora’s work had always been flawless. She almost never took time off unless the café itself was closed.

“Surprisingly, I’m free,” Liora answered after a short pause.

“In that case, please help me out!” Vio said, half-pleading. “Of course, you’ll still get paid.”

Liora sighed. She didn’t look interested, but in truth, she was more than willing to help—if she got paid. She needed extra money to upgrade her deck with new cards.

Her savings had already been drained just to build a somewhat optimal version of it. She didn’t want to gamble on booster packs, so Dorothy—her Guide—insisted she directly buy the specific cards they needed.

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Some of those card prices were absolutely insane when she tried ordering them online. In the end, she opted to buy from Vio instead. The prices were still outrageous for pieces of printed paper, but at least they were cheaper than market rates.

“Alright, if you’re really paying me, I can’t say no.”

“Yay!!” Vio jumped with excitement.

“So, what’s happening tomorrow?” Liora asked now that she had committed. It made sense to know what she was getting into.

“Don't be too shocked!” Vio grinned wide. “Tomorrow is a meet and greet with everyone’s idol—Amelia!”

Liora blinked, visibly confused. She had no idea who Amelia was or why Vio was so thrilled to meet this person.

“Wait—you seriously don’t know?” Vio’s question was answered with a slight nod from Liora.

“Don’t you watch TV? Or browse the internet?” There was a tinge of disbelief in Vio’s voice.

“I’ve never liked TV, and I rarely touch my phone,” Liora replied flatly. She found both activities a waste of time and energy. As a result, she was completely out of the loop on most trends—but she didn’t really care either.

Vio sighed deeply. “Then I guess I’ll have to teach you about Amelia—starting now. Consider it prep for tomorrow.” She pulled out her phone and started tapping around the screen.

“Is that really necessary?” Liora questioned her.

“Very necessary,” Vio replied without hesitation. “Tomorrow’s event includes a special segment where fans get to play Guide Rise against Amelia. I want you to be the opening match against her.”

Hearing that she’d be dueling an idol piqued Liora’s interest slightly.

“An idol playing this card game? That’s unexpected.”

“I hope she’s strong.” A glint sparked in Liora’s eyes. For some reason, it made Vio feel a little uneasy.

“Let me make this clear—you’re not allowed to bully Amelia, okay?” Vio felt the need to set some boundaries. If Liora was still anything like the girl she remembered, her attention always spelled trouble. “Her hardcore fans will destroy you.”

“Relax. I’ll prepare a few contingencies,” Liora said as she stood up. “Well then, see you tomorrow.” With that, she casually walked toward the shop’s exit.

“Wait—what do you mean by contingencies!? Lia!!” Vio shouted after her. But Liora didn’t stop or even turn around. Vio could only slump into her chair, shoulders drooping.

She just hoped nothing bad would happen tomorrow.

“Amelia… huh?” Liora strolled through the city at night. It wasn’t too late yet—people were still out and about, the streets pleasantly busy.

“Where have I heard that name before?” she murmured, lost in thought. So distracted, in fact, that she failed to notice someone silently sneaking up behind her.

“My beloved big sister!” a cheerful voice shouted just before arms wrapped tightly around her from behind. “I’m so happy to see you!”

“Ugh… Amaya.” Liora’s discomfort was obvious as she endured the surprise hug from her little sister. She made no effort to hide it—interacting with Amaya was never something she looked forward to.

“What are you doing here?” Her voice was cold, completely unwelcoming. She didn’t want to see Amaya—now or ever, really—but she also didn’t feel like causing a scene in the middle of a crowd.

“Didn’t I already tell you? I missed you, Sis!” Despite Liora’s tone, Amaya remained upbeat. And as always, Liora found herself unable to be harsh to her sister’s face.

“Is that really all?” Liora asked, eyeing Amaya closely. Even without trying, she could tell her sister was hiding something. “Shouldn’t you be busy with shows…”

She paused—something clicked.

Amaya tilted her head to the right like a curious kitten, waiting.

“Amaya…” Liora slowly formed her words. “Your stage name… it’s Amelia, isn’t it?”

“Yup!” Amaya nodded proudly. “Didn’t I tell you that before I debuted?”

“Ah… right. I think you did.” Liora gave a vague answer, then quickly shifted topics. “So, where are you staying tonight? Please don’t say my apartment—it’s way too small for both of us.”

“I would love to stay there!” Amaya beamed, jumping excitedly at the idea. Liora gulped at the thought.

“But I have work tomorrow, so I’m staying at a hotel while I’m here.”

Liora gave a silent nod of relief. Sharing a roof with Amaya would be… overwhelming, to say the least.

“Which means,” Amaya grabbed Liora’s hand with glee, “let’s go out tonight!”

“Didn’t you just say you have work tomorrow?” Liora tried to stop the outing before it began, appealing to reason.

“Don’t worry! I can sleep for 3 hours and work for 25!” Amaya declared cheerfully.

“That’s not a healthy lifestyle,” Liora replied flatly.

“You’re in no position to lecture me about healthy living!” Amaya shot back, her smile radiant. Even the quiet night seemed livelier with her around.

Liora tried pulling her hand away, only to realize Amaya’s grip wouldn’t budge no matter how hard she resisted. Since when had her little sister gotten so strong?

“At last, a nighttime date with my dear sister!” Amaya giggled gleefully.

“That is not the right way to phrase it!” Liora shot back, already sensing this night would get more annoying if she didn’t start setting boundaries fast.

Still, the two of them disappeared together into the heart of the city’s nighttime crowd.