The Bittersweet Fate Of A Duelist

Chapter 2

A couple hours after opening the Kame Game Shop, which had become crowded ad usual in less than thirty minutes, Atem (still switched with Yugi) saw the familiar figures of Joey, Tea and Tristan approaching, engaged in who knows what kind of conversation.
«Excuse me, can you tell me which one of these is better for my Deck?».
A little girl's question turned his attention away from his friends, and with a kind smile Atem advised her on the most suitable booster for her Deck, entirely focused on the Plant Type. Cheerful, the girl left with two card packs in her hands just before Joey and the others reached their friend at the counter.
As usual, they did not seem to realize Atem was in Yugi's place, but the Pharaoh didn't care that much: they've exchanged so often, even in normal surroundings, that the deal did not represent a problem at all. Moreover, if people could distinguish them before by playing 'spot the differences', now they looked very much alike, even in the voice.
«Hey, Yugi! What's up, buddy? You seem to be back in shape», Joey said, with a huge smile on his face.
Atem shrugged: «All in one piece as before, kind of», he replied. "At least on physical level", he then added mentally, without giving away that part.
Yugi's soul seemed to flicker faintly, for as much as Atem could sense it, so he hastened to change the subject: «So, what are you doing here?».
«They gave me the day off», Tristan replied first, leaning his elbow on the counter, carelessly. «Strange, but true».
Atem chuckled; Tristan had managed to enter the Domino City police force the year before, having failed his university entrance test, and immersed himself totally in the job. So much, actually, that neither Yugi or his friend saw him more than a few times.
Tea, too, showed up rarely over the weekends, busy as she was with her schedule, but apparently she had recovered a day off from her full time job as a professional dancer.
«How's it going with your courses, Joey?», Atem asked after exchanging a few chats with Tea and Tristan, taking advantage of the situation after nearly three weeks without seeing them. Sure, they all were in their group chat, and they managed to clog it every day with messages related to any kind of topic, but talking to each other in person was always better.
Joey gave him a thumbs up: «They're going great. Next year I'll be able to enter university without problems if I go on like this. I'm just disappointed about the wasted first opportunity», he replied, without even bothering to remember fully his first failure. "If I want to become an eye doctor, I can't afford wasting time over stupid mistakes»
After that exchange, the group was able to chat freely only a few more minutes before a row of customers formed in front of the counter.
Apologizing to his friends, Atem dedicated himself to the customers as the three wandered around the game shop, staring at videogames, consoles and cards, and in the end opting for some booster packs, to change their Decks.
Even Tea decided to buy a couple of packs, having begun to Duel herself after spending a few months practicing and taking lessons from Yugi's grandfather.
As soon as the store emptied enough to eliminate the row of customers, Tea and Joey paid for the packs and the three stayed until lunch time, when they decided to take advantage of the two closing hours of the Kame Game to drag Atem to a fast food shop, recently opened nearby.

«Well, what do you think? I'm pretty sure I got lucky this time», Tea said smugly, handing out the cards she'd found to Atem after they sat out at a free table.
They were all Fairy Type, conforming Tea's Deck, and a couple of them was really not bad. «I agree», Atem nodded. «You found very good cards, especially this one – he pointed it – that I suggest you put immediately in you Deck».
After a while Joey included himself in the Duel Monsters related conversation, while Tristan returned to the table with their orders carefully stacked in his hands, having offered to deal with them prior.
Grateful to have some company, Atem hope Yugi also felt a bit better, listening the insane story of Joey's last Duel, an absurd battle against a guy who apparently used a weird king of Duel Disk without holograms. «I won it, that's all that counts, but man! It was the weirdest thing I've ever seen, and I've seen soul-stealing bastards!".