Hey, Sister!

A few days later, Mia couldn't help smiling the moment she saw Logan in ARCA. He tilted his head.

"What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking about that day."

"What day?"

"The rainy day. When I connected from the hotel lounge."

Something shifted in Logan's expression.

"Oh…"

"I had my hand over my mouth in the real world, you know. Trying not to laugh."

"You did?"

"Yeah. Meanwhile, in here, I was wrapped around you like that."

Mia laughed and took his hand. Logan finally laughed too.

"I'd completely forgotten where you were sitting."

"I almost forgot myself."

They looked at each other and started laughing again. Mia remembered the moment Logan had hurriedly opened the list of locations.

"And then, when that hotel room suddenly appeared…"

"…I was surprised too."

"I know. It was written all over your face."

Logan smiled and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"I really loved that day, though."

Mia leaned against his shoulder.

"Me too. I'm glad I went out in the rain."

Logan pressed a light kiss to the top of her head. Mia closed her eyes, but when a reminder from her real-world schedule appeared, she reluctantly straightened up.

"I really have to go now."

"Five more minutes."

"That's what you said last time, and I ended up late."

"I won't let you be late this time."

Mia checked the clock. She still had three minutes to spare.

"Three minutes. That's all."

Logan smiled and took her hand again.

Clara's message arrived that evening.

Hey, sister! I've got a fan meetup in ARCA tomorrow. You're coming, right? Let's catch up afterward. I have a million things to tell you.

Clara had kept in touch even after moving to Lisbon. Between posting photos from her new city and working with brands, she had become a busy influencer with enough followers to host fan meetups in ARCA.

Mia checked her schedule before replying.

I'll come toward the end. Crowds still make me a little uncomfortable.

I know, I know. No waiting in line for you. My girl gets VIP treatment.

The next day, when Mia entered the garden in ARCA, Clara was taking pictures with fans beneath an arch draped in flowers.

A long line wound through the small garden. Clara greeted each person by name, held their hands, and hugged anyone who wanted one. The flowers changed color with every photograph, making the entire garden look different each time.

Her sleek outfit and cool expression were as striking as ever, but when a fan cracked a joke, she threw back her head and laughed.

Mia sat on a bench a little way off.

People who lived in different countries in the real world were gathered here, standing shoulder to shoulder and laughing. None of them had probably needed to board a plane.

When Clara had first introduced her to ARCA, Mia had wondered what the point of gatherings like this could possibly be.

Now she was someone who had walked through a downpour to a hotel just to see a person she'd met here.

When the last fan left, Clara spotted her.

"Hey, sisteeeer!"

Clara threw a hand into the air, strode over, and pulled Mia into a fierce hug.

"Finally! Look who's alive!"

"We talked on the phone last week."

"A phone call is a phone call. This is different!"

Clara hugged her once more before finally letting go.

They sat across from each other at a table near the edge of the garden. Clara flopped back into her chair, then studied Mia's face.

"Hold on. What's going on with you?"

"What?"

"That look on your face. Did something fun happen while I was away?"

"I finished my work. I'm in a good mood."

"Oh, sister. You think I'm buying that?"

Clara raised an eyebrow.

"That guy you met on the beach. You're still seeing him, right?"

Mia pretended to study the menu.

"Yeah."

"Ooh. So things are going well?"

Mia lowered the menu.

"We're dating."

For a moment, Clara just stared at her.

"…What?"

"What?"

"Wait. Did I hear that right? You're dating?"

Mia nodded, and Clara clapped her hands.

"Oh my God! Sister!"

"Keep your voice down!"

"You got yourself a boyfriend with the one-day trial I gave you?"

"You make it sound so weird."

"Weird? Are you kidding? I'm so proud of myself right now!"

Clara laughed, then leaned forward.

"So? What's he like? Does he treat you well?"

Mia smiled before she could stop herself.

"Yeah. He does."

"Oh, look at that face. You're completely gone."

"I am not."

"Sure, sure. Whatever you say."

Clara raised both hands playfully, then asked,

"Wait, you two still haven't shown each other your real faces?"

"No."

"Not even on a video call?"

"We talk on the phone. Just not on video."

"Okay. You two have your own way of doing things."

Mia looked at her, a little surprised.

"You don't think it's weird?"

"What's weird about it? If you're comfortable and happy, that's what matters."

Clara shrugged.

"But I am curious. When you only hear his voice, don't you want to see him?"

"Of course I do."

Mia took a moment to find the words.

"I want to see Logan in ARCA. Not just look at his face. I want to sit beside him and hold his hand."

Clara nodded.

"Ah. Okay, I get what you mean."

"You just hugged me, right? It's different from talking on the phone."

"Exactly. I can do this."

Clara sprang out of her chair and pulled Mia into another hug.

"There. One more, on the house!"

"Oh, come on!"

Mia laughed and pushed her away.

Clara dropped back into her seat with a grin.

"Our sister's really got it bad, huh?"

This time, Mia didn't deny it.

"Yeah. I really like him."

Clara smiled, looking pleased. Mia suddenly remembered the blue butterflies she'd seen when she was with Logan.

"Oh, Clara. Have you ever seen butterflies in here?"

"Butterflies?"

"Yeah. Blue ones that glow."

Clara thought for a moment, then clapped her hands.

"Oh! I have. At the meetup earlier."

"Really?"

"Yeah. This one fan started crying as soon as she saw me. She said my videos had helped her get through a really hard time."

Clara smiled as she remembered.

"At first, I was cracking jokes, trying to lighten the mood. But then she told me her story, and I almost started crying too."

"I see."

"So I gave her a hug. Told her thank you, and that we'd keep hanging in there together."

Clara traced a little curve in the air with her fingertip.

"And that's when a butterfly flew right past us. All blue and sparkly. I tried to take a picture, but I missed it."

"Oh…"

Mia nodded.

She'd thought she'd only seen them when she was with Logan. But if Clara had seen one too, they must be some little visual effect that appeared around ARCA from time to time.

"Why? Have you seen one?"

"Yeah. When I was with Logan."

"Oooh, on a date?"

Clara raised an eyebrow mischievously.

"When? Don't tell me it was while you were kissing!"

"Clara, lower your voice."

"It was! I knew it!"

Clara burst out laughing, and Mia couldn't help joining her.

"Anyway, the butterfly was pretty."

"Right? Let me know if you see another one."

Clara reached across the table.

"Okay, enough butterfly talk. Let's celebrate our sister's love life!"

Mia took her hand, and Clara gave it another firm squeeze.

"You look happy. I mean it."

Mia answered without hesitation.

"Yeah. I am."

"Good. But next time, tell me about the romance a little sooner. You've been keeping all this fun to yourself?"

"Okay, I will."

Mia laughed, and Clara laughed with her.

The first anniversary of the day Mia and Logan had met was approaching.

It wasn't their first anniversary as a couple. Their first kiss—and the day they'd started dating—had come much later. But Logan had chosen the day they first exchanged names on the beach as their anniversary.

"Why that day?" Mia had asked.

Logan had answered as though it were obvious.

"Because if we hadn't met that day, none of this would've happened."

She couldn't argue with that.

Mia secretly ordered a chocolate cake for Logan, arranging for it to arrive in time for their evening date. Just imagining his reaction made her impatient for the day to come.

On the morning of their anniversary, Mia checked her phone more often than usual.

Logan said nothing about it. Even after lunch, all she received was a short message.

See you tonight.

That was it.

Mia found herself getting a little restless without even knowing what she'd been expecting.

He hasn't forgotten, has he?

He's the one who picked the date.

That evening, Mia entered the beach where they'd first met.

There was no one by the breakwater. But the lights were on at a café a short distance away.

As she walked toward it, she saw Logan.

A small cake sat on a low table. On the white frosting was the number 1, with their names written beneath it.

MIA & LOGAN

Mia looked from the cake to Logan and back again.

"This is so couple-y."

Logan smiled.

"We are a couple."

He no longer hesitated when he said things like that.

Just as Mia leaned closer to examine the cake, her doorbell rang in the real world.

"One second."

Mia briefly returned her attention to the real world and brought in a small box that had been left outside her door.

The sender was LOGAN PARK.

When she opened it, she found a cake identical to the one on the table in ARCA. A little envelope held a candle shaped like the number 1.

Mia looked back at Logan.

"You sent this too?"

"So we could eat together."

"You're pretty good at sending things to someone whose address you don't even know."

"That's ARCA's doing, not mine."

Just then, a delivery notification appeared on Logan's side too.

Mia tried not to laugh as she waited for his reaction. When he returned a little later, he was holding the box containing the chocolate cake she'd sent.

"Mia."

"Yes?"

"We both sent cakes."

"I guess we should've said something first."

"No."

Logan smiled as he took the cake out of its box.

"I like having two."

They each got their cakes ready in their own rooms. On the table in ARCA, the two cakes sat side by side.

As Mia placed the number-shaped candle into hers, she asked,

"Are we supposed to make a wish on an anniversary too?"

"We can start now."

"Making up another rule?"

"Don't you like it?"

"I do."

They closed their eyes at the same time.

Mia thought for a moment. Normally, she would have wished for work to go well or for a little more money.

But today, something else came to mind first.

The thought was so unexpected that she smiled.

"Why are you smiling?"

Logan asked without opening his eyes.

"Make your wish."

"I already did."

"What was it?"

"You're not supposed to tell."

"Oh, so that's a rule you follow."

One, two, three.

They blew out the candles in their separate rooms. On the table in ARCA, both flames went out at once.

Mia took a bite of chocolate cake.

Sweet.

Across from her, Logan was eating cake too. In the real world, they might have been in different rooms in different countries. But here they were, sitting at the same table, watching each other's expressions.

Logan set down his fork.

"Should we come back here next year?"

"Already making plans for next year?"

"If we put it on the calendar now, we won't forget."

"Let's find somewhere different next time. We've got a whole year."

"Then we'll spend the year looking."

Logan actually added the same date to his calendar for the following year.

Smiling, Mia opened her own schedule and saw a new appointment waiting for her, one year from now.

She didn't know which city she would be in that day. She still didn't know where Logan would be, either.

But she knew who she wanted to spend that time with.

Mia reached across the table, and Logan took her hand as naturally as ever.

At first, she'd thought she met him because it was convenient. She'd liked being able to grow close to someone without having to go anywhere or show him what she looked like in the real world.

But somewhere along the way, Mia had stopped thinking of Logan as someone she saw whenever she had a little free time.

Now, she made time for him first.