In crossover anime, who isn't a childhood friend?

“We are friends,” Kazusa suddenly popped her head out and answered.

"Oh?" The shy girl answered first, completely igniting the reporter's gossip-loving spirit!

"That's what Miss Touma said. How does Mr. Gen feel about this right now?"

The reporter was secretly hoping that the handsome young man would show an expression of embarrassment or disappointment.

But Yuan Qianye calmly replied, "Sorry, we're just friends. We weren't wearing matching outfits either; it just so happens that the colors of our clothes are similar. There's no dramatic relationship between us that everyone's interested in."

"Really? Pure friendship, huh? That's nice, I envy you. May I ask about your plans for the future?"

"I'll go to Tokyo Tower for a while, and I'm not sure which restaurant I'll eat at yet. After that, I'll go to Tokyo Bay for a while."

"Wow! The night view of Tokyo Bay is absolutely stunning! Last year, we even had a program that listed Tokyo's 'Top Ten Places to Confess Your Love,' and Tokyo Bay at night ranked seventh! Gen-kun, do you really not have any secret plans for tonight?"

"No, we just came out for a stroll."

At this moment, because of the interview, Kazusa noticed that more and more people around her were stopping and looking at her.

The host seemed to be a well-known figure, and some people were even taking pictures of them.

Despite having performed on stage at numerous piano competitions, receiving the attention of the audience and being broadcast live by cameras.

But that situation is completely incomparable to this one.

Wanting to finish quickly, she reached out and gently tugged at the hem of Yuan Qianye's clothes.

The cameramen at TOKYO TV are incredibly experienced; with the keen sense of smell of an old dog, they immediately focused their cameras on this small detail!

Refocus!

enlarge!

On the television screens of hundreds of thousands of households or on the screens of online live streams.

Touma-kun huddled half her face in her scarf, looking adorable. As if lacking a sense of security, she timidly tugged at Gen-kun's hem with her fingers and thumb touching.

After noticing this situation, Yuan turned his head towards the female "friend" he had repeatedly emphasized, revealing a doting smile that would make even a passing female cat lose control of its bladder, indicating that she didn't need to panic and that he could handle everything from now on.

After a brief chat, Yuan Qianye received two dolls and left with He Sha.

A doll holding a heart in its hands was impaled by an arrow when they came together.

It's hard to imagine that the interview program team didn't do this on purpose.

The camera also focused on the backs of the two of them as they walked away.

In the dense crowd, although they weren't holding hands, they stood shoulder to shoulder, very close...

The scene shifts from the live broadcast to the guest seats in the studio.

A female celebrity exaggeratedly covered her cheeks and exclaimed, "Wow! This relationship is so beautiful, so innocent and cute!"

The host picked a male celebrity and asked, "Ota-san, do you believe that Gen and Touma are really just friends?"

The artist shook his head and replied, "I don't believe it. Even if they are friends now, I believe they won't be anymore soon."

Someone laughed and agreed: "After all, what kind of friend would go out alone on Christmas Eve?"

"Can someone who goes out alone on Christmas Eve really be called a friend?"

"They must both have feelings for each other."

"I hope everything goes well for them. They're a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman..."

The guests in the studio were laughing and joking; after all, it was a variety show, and the atmosphere was lively and cheerful.

Kasumigaoka Utaha, with a gloomy face, turned off the TV and went back to her room without saying a word.

"Hey Shiyu, aren't you going to eat?" Mrs. Kasumigaoka's concerned voice followed behind, but received no response: "This child, really... Well, you're capable, so eat with us."

Mr. Kasumigaoka watched his wife push the leftovers from their daughter into her own bowl, and remained silent.

Mrs. Sawamura came out of the main banquet and found her daughter, who was standing there dumbfounded.

She picked up Eriri's phone, its screen shattered from the fall, patted her head, and offered words of comfort with amusement.

"Alright, alright, the phone is broken, so what? Why are you opening your mouth so wide?"

I'll ask Mom to buy you another one later. Your grades have been pretty good lately, so how about I just get you the latest model from the Fruit Brand?

Come on, give Mom a smile!

Only Saeko Busujima, after silently putting down her phone in her room, calmly wiped the sword hidden in her home again, her movements as elegant and steady as before.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"...What street interview? They were so self-righteous and didn't listen to us at all. They were incredibly stupid."

Regardless of what you are actually thinking.

But after Kazusa left, she first expressed her feelings with resentment.

As she said this, she was also glancing sideways at Yuan Qianye beside her.

Yuan Qianye gave a perfunctory "hmm" twice, holding two dolls in one hand and a phone in the other, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"What are you looking at? Mom's texted again."

"No, I was checking the price of this doll... Oh wow, it's not cheap, it costs over two thousand."

Yuan Qianye felt he had made a good deal and even showed the interface he had found to Kazusa.

Kazusa glanced at it expressionlessly.

She realized that, compared to her own mood, she was...

Yuan Qianye truly didn't care at all about the interview he had just had.

So you're saying you're really bothered by being the only one here...

Why am I suddenly feeling inexplicably annoyed?

"Here, this is for you."

Gen Chiya stuffed the phone back into his pocket and, without saying a word, shoved one of the Kapibal plushies into Kazusa's arms.

Kazusa was taken aback: "Why are you giving me this?"

“You were interviewed too, right? The program team gave us these anyway, so one for each of us.”

"..."

Kazusa glanced at the doll in her hand, then at his, and silently lowered her head.

An inexplicable unease arose, and then it inexplicably disappeared.

Yuan Qianye took a picture of the doll in her hand.

I was planning to send it to Rikka, saying I'd give it to her when I got home, to make her happy.

As soon as he opened the messaging app, he saw the message that Rikka had posted in the group, along with her urgent three questions!

[Qianye, who is the girl you're with?]

Why haven't I seen her before?

[Could she really be your girlfriend?]

Is this show really that popular? How could Rikka have seen it by sheer coincidence?

Yuan Qianye felt that this world was wonderful.

Forget it, I can't deal with her in this situation, or it will never end.

At that moment, Yuan Qianye's phone was suddenly dialed, and the screen displayed an unfamiliar number.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The caller was another person whom Touma Yoko had instructed beforehand to keep an eye on Minamoto Chiya's phone, and who was also helping to arrange things so that her daughter could have fun that night.

Chiya Minamoto arranged to meet him at the entrance below Tokyo Tower.

As a landmark building in the city, the restaurant located on its premises is always in high demand, let alone during peak holiday seasons.

Although it's unclear how Touma Yoko, who's far away overseas, managed to do it, it seems we don't need to worry about that now.

Following that person, Chiya and Kazusa skipped the queue and went directly to the Sky Deck restaurant, located on the 250-meter-high observation deck of Tokyo Tower.

The person who led them into the restaurant even took the tangled toys from their hands and put them back in the car before leaving, which was extremely thoughtful.

The restaurant offers both buffet and à la carte dining options.

Buffets are economical and affordable, and considering her appetite, Yuan Qianye originally planned to eat at the buffet by herself.

But Kazusa stopped him: "Just order à la carte. When I came over just now, I noticed that the quality of the buffet was just average."

“But the dishes here aren’t cheap.” Yuan Qianye looked at the menu.

It's not just expensive; this restaurant raises its prices by 20% on holidays, and you also have to pay an extra service charge after your meal.

“It’s okay, Mom has money, you don’t need to save for her,” the little girl with the drafty clothes said.

Chiya thought about the sports car that Touma Yoko drove to take her home that time, and then about her luxurious European-style villa...

It seems that, as Kazusa said, it's indeed unnecessary.

Gen Chiya ordered a Christmas Eve limited-edition Wagyu beef set meal.

Kazusa's stomach was in excruciating pain just two hours ago, so she didn't dare to eat anything else and only ordered a bowl of pumpkin and chestnut soup.

Exquisite dishes were served one by one.

Yuan Qianye officially started eating; he was starving, and it was already past eight o'clock.

The snacks I ate at Touma's house earlier only served as a temporary snack.

It really does take staple food to fill your stomach.

After Kazusa's soup was served, she picked up a spoon, took a sip, and looked dissatisfied.

I picked up the sugar bowl from the table and added a lot to the soup.

He tasted it again, and then nodded in satisfaction.

Kazusa only had one soup, and no matter how slowly she ate, she finished it before Chiya.