Elysia

She muttered to herself, unconsciously tapping her toes against the geometric patterns on the floor, her pink hair sliding over her shoulders as her head swayed slightly. Sunlight filtered through the blinds, cutting stripes of light and shadow across her, illuminating the mix of anticipation, mild dissatisfaction, and a mischievous, excited glint in her eyes.

This cross-continental "guess who" was, to her, more than just a greeting; it felt like the opening of an improvised, lighthearted dance. She wanted to know if that guy far away in the East—the one who always seemed so lazy yet was unexpectedly sharp—still remembered those trivial details from the past.

She was waiting. Waiting for him to set aside his complex thoughts and truly "see" the familiar person behind this message.

The screen went dark, and she immediately tapped it back to life.

Outside the car window, the sky was shifting from azure to golden orange.

Quit while you're ahead, Yun Lan told himself inwardly. There were some boundaries that, even in a close relationship, shouldn't be crossed casually. The joy of a little banter was, compared to the possibility of causing the other person even the slightest bit of grievance or unease, simply not worth mentioning.

He could almost see, through the text, the girl far away in some unknown country, currently smiling like a cat that had gotten its way—Elysia.

Outside the window was the quiet night, yet her words seemed to carry the scent of sunshine and fields of flowers.

"Alright, alright, my dear Elysia," his text carried a relaxation and indulgence he hadn't even noticed himself, mixed with a hint of helpless laughter at being found out, "I know it's you."

Just as the message was sent, Elysia called, and Yun Lan answered.

His fingertips brushed the cold frame of his phone unconsciously. Of course he knew. Who else in this world would play such little games, or lightly append a musical-note-like "?" to the end of every sentence, if not her? That unique aura of her speech had long been etched into his recognition system like a special code. His "pretending not to recognize her" just now was merely to add a bit of the script-like, playful opening she loved most to this sudden overseas message.

"Lan-kun is mean—" Sure enough, her voice on the other end rose an octave, and the background noise seemed to faintly carry the sound of a broadcast in a foreign language, confirming her claim that she was "on a journey." "Even for a perfect and cute beautiful girl like me, if you pretend not to recognize me, my heart will go 'plop' and shatter, you know? The shards will turn into stars, drift over to you, and prick your palms when you sleep at night!"

Imagining her with her cheeks puffed out while her eyes sparkled, Yun Lan chuckled aloud. "Yes, yes, my fault. So, this beautiful girl like a flying flower, traveling the globe and pelting me with stars," he paused, asking the question that had been on his mind since he saw the strange overseas number, "how did you get my contact information? I remember, I never gave you this 'secret channel'."

"Oh~ that!" Her tone instantly became triumphant, the bustle in the background sounding like the soundtrack to her story. "It was simple! I was at a cafe in Vienna the day before yesterday, eating Sachertorte, when I suddenly missed Lan-kun so, so much! Then, a flash of inspiration, and I called your auntie!"

"A... auntie?" Yun Lan was stunned, then immediately rubbed his forehead. It was his mother. Only Elysia could use that irresistible, innocent, and incredibly sincere pouting offensive to "extract" any "intelligence" she wanted from his mother.

"That's right! I reported my romantic global adventure to your aunt, shared the sketches I drew by the Seine River, the coins I tossed into the Trevi Fountain... Your aunt was so happy, she even said, 'Little Elysia, be careful out there alone, remember to keep in touch'." She mimicked the elder's concerned tone perfectly, then switched back to her own chirpy voice, "So, I naturally and pitifully asked—'Auntie Xia, I miss Lan-kun so much, can you give me his number? I want to give him a surprise?'"

She emphasized the word "surprise," her tone full of the joy of a successful prank.

Yun Lan could almost picture his mother, Xia Yue, beaming on the other end of the line, having been coaxed into "selling him out" without any suspicion. He shook his head helplessly, though a smile spread from the corners of his eyes. "That's not a surprise, that's a 'fright.' A sudden international message, I thought some international scammer was expanding their business."

"Hmph, you don't appreciate kindness! This is a beautiful girl's care line spanning time zones and mountains!" Elysia's voice, accompanied by faint static, seemed to truly carry the wind from afar. "What is Lan-kun doing now? Have you been staring at my photo?"

"Don't start, I left the photo at home, I didn't bring it to school. I'm not like you, skipping school to travel the world."

"Oh my, why would Lan-kun say that! Is Lan-kun disgusted with Elysia for being silly? How mean! As an apology, I'll send you a postcard next time! I'll send it to you from the ends of the earth!" Her voice drifted in and out, as if she were walking. "Ah, my train is arriving! The next stop is a town at the foot of the Alps! I heard it has the most beautiful starry sky in all of Europe!"

"Be safe, don't just look at the stars and ignore the road," he urged, his concern overriding his previous teasing.

"Got it—Lan-kun is still such a worrier?" Her voice gradually mingled with the noise of the station. "Well then, the beautiful girl like a flying flower must continue her journey! Lan-kun, remember to miss me! Bye-bye~"

"Mm, bye-bye."

The call ended, and the busy signal sounded. The room was filled with silence once more, but the air seemed to linger with the vibrant aura of the distance she had brought. Yun Lan looked at the calm phone screen, then raised his eyes to the dark night sky outside the window.

The starry sky at the foot of the Alps, huh?

He smiled, and in the end, he simply typed a line into the chat box:

"Got it. Have a safe trip, remember to send photos. And..."

His fingertips paused, and he added the final sentence before clicking send.

"...stop pricking me with stars, my dear Elysia~"

Yun Lan put down his phone and pondered slowly.

"Ever since I came to this world and met them, I've realized that the 2D and 2.5D worlds have merged. Characters from anime and games from my past life have actually appeared before me. I don't want to give up on anyone. Only children make choices; I want them all."