Chapter Text
Graduation felt like a million years ago. Anzu ran a finger along the side of her certificate, which looked somewhat underwhelming in it's simple frame, and watched a thin layer of dust collected on her fingertip. With a huff, she swiped it clean against the scratchy fabric of her sweater; it was a pretty, pastel fit that a distant cousin or someone had offered as a commemorative gift for her getting into college. College. Starting there had only catapaulted her further from the sunny, lazy days of duelling her friends and awkward navy uniforms.
She took a moment to muse over how well the old group had kept in touch, over the years. She and Honda had kept in touch somewhat, as well as Mai- in fact, their squabbles in youth had given way to a pretty affectionate mature friendship. As far as Ryuuji went; to be honest, she never particularly felt comfortable around him anyway, and was quite happy to wave goodbye for the last time at graduation. Jonouchi was busy with a full time job, but they still messaged back and forth. But as far as Yugi went... she felt a pang in her heart every time he crossed her mind. They'd held hands through so much, constantly reinforcing and encouraging each other through the strangest situations, but nowadays he seemed too busy to even text. Her hands trailed along with these thoughts, and she flipped open her phone. When was the last time she'd texted?
3:56pm. 4th April- over a month ago. "Hey".
Ouch. Anzu felt a little jilted, to be honest. Sure, Yugi had the life of an almost-celebrity to uphold, what with his King of Games title and incredible legacy. And when he wasn't off making a name for himself in some random European country, he was usually at home trying to manage his grandfather's business- for as strong in will as Sugoroku was, his mind couldn't help but wobble a little as the years went on. But still. A text took two minutes at most- and she found it hard to believe that he never had even two minutes free.
But then, maybe she hadn't helped things either. Most of the time, when she had the opportunity to call (which was rare, what with her upholding an evening job and having classes throughout the day), she was too worried about interrupting some important meeting or event; his working hours seemed to stretch on forever, after all. But if she texted to ask if she could call first, he never responded, aside from offering a curt apology maybe a week later. They had gone from being close to a couple in high school, to barely knowing each other as adults. Anzu was certainly busy juggling her responsibilities, but she always found the time to at least text- to let him know that she still thought of him. Texting took two minutes. Texting was not hard.
If she didn't text, she was afraid that he might forget her completely.
The brunette sighed, and flopped onto her back, cushioned (although not very well) by her threadbare living room carpet. How she yearned to just go back in time, and sit with her friends on the roof of their high school, sharing snacks and stories and laughter. It almost made her want to cry.
But, she didn't have time to cry. She had work to get on with, and resolved to get dressed and get on with it. If Anzu was good at anything, it was powering through.
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Yugi felt as though he barely had a life of his own anymore. From the second he woke up, each of his arms were metaphorically tugged in differentt directions, and each time one let go, another picked up and continued pulling until he felt his arm would pop out of its socket. Maybe it was entitled of him to whinge; after all, playing card games professionally was something a lot of little boys and girls probably dreamed of. And being the King of Games was another title that many strived towards; but it wasn't all compliments and cash prizes. It was meetings, discussions, fan meets, interviews, hosting, judging, constant challenges and my God- so much travelling. Yugi wondered sometimes if he spent more time flying than he did walking nowadays. The thought made his head spin.
There was grandpa, too, who Yugi owed almost his whole duelling career too. There were no words to express how grateful he was to Sugoroku for shaping the rest of his life with his hand-me-down Magician deck all those years ago, and giving him a million and one incredible stories to carry forever with the gift of the millenium puzzle. Even without the presence of Atem, Duel Monsters had blessed him with so many wonderful adventures with his friends. And it all tied back to a grandfather giving his weedy grandson a set of playing cards, all those years ago. All those lifetimes ago.
Thinking back to his younger years sometimes made him waver a little, amongst all of his work. It was sad to think back on how strong and capable his grandfather used to be, both in mind and spirit- when nowadays, though he had all the will in the world, Sugoroku just couldn't help but let things slip his mind more often than he liked to acknowledge.
So, because Yugi owed his grandfather so much, and cared for him so dearly, he would spend his free time straightening up the books and scheduling orders for his most beloved childhood hangout spot. It was the least he could do, for a man who had given him his life. And, even if just a little, it kept alive a warm glimmer of memory; of those precious times shared with his high school group all those years ago. Sometimes whilst he was stocking the shelves, he could see Jonouchi squinting at cards as his grandfather taught him the game. He saw Honda peering over his shoulder. And in his favourite memories, he saw a girl that he rarely let himself remember- her ghost perched on the counter, legs dangled, smiling at him waemly. He only let this thought linger for a second, between sorting stock and minding the shop. It made him ache with nostalgia.
But Yugi knew that if he let his thoughts be consumed by her, he'd never be able to continue his career.
He was snapped out of his thoughts by the demanding trill of his ringtone. With a groan, he shambled his phone out of its pocket, expecting it to be some agent or press conference or duelling challenge. But for once, the name on the screen nearly gave him a heart attack. It was one he hadn't seen in an awfully long time.
Anzu.
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The next day, to shake herself out of nostalgic angst, she resolved to host a party in her tiny apartment.
As soon as she walked through the college gates, she saw Mai's pretty blonde curls weaving through the crowd, and called out to her. The woman turned back, and she yelled out to her excitedly.
"Anzu!" She laughed, heading back to catch up with the girl jogging up to her, "You're so loud this early in the morning."
"Sorry; this weekend dragged like hell." The respondent smiled sheepishly; maybe she was a little desperate for human interaction after a weekend of solid working.
"So? Did you call my name for any reason, or just thrilled to see me?" The refined drawl of Mai's voice lengthened into a teasing note, and one that reminded Anzu of their youth spent duelling and taunting one another.
"I did." And with a twinkle in her blue eyes, Anzu announced, "I'm having a party."
Mai was pretty taken aback. Her friend was usually such a study bug, and when she wasn't studying she was whisked away with work; when on earth would she have time to host a party? And- where?
"I only want to host a few people," Anzu continued hurriedly, "since my apartment is so small. But I'm going to take the weekend off work and just enjoy myself, you know? I haven't let loose in such a long time, and I want to see all my friends again." At this admission, Mai's rouged lips softened into a sympathetic smile. She knew exactly which friend Anzu was dying to see.
"That sounds like a great idea, honey. This weekend, right? I'll be sure to keep it on my calendar. And I'll help you find the booze and the people, too, naturally." She added with a wink that made her friends heart swell with excitement.
This was really happening. Her first opportunity to enjoy herself in what felt like forever. And maybe... well, maybe some of her old friends would show, too.