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

The problem is that Kasumigaoka had also extended an invitation to Minamoto no Chiya the day before Christmas Eve.

The invitation was for Christmas Eve, suggesting they could have dinner together and perhaps do some other activities.

But at that time, Gen Chiya refused, saying that he had other plans.

Up to this point, Kasumigaoka had not a single complaint.

But she happened to see that live TV broadcast.

He combined his own rejection with the sight of that strange girl quietly tugging at his clothes.

This inexplicably made the literary-minded young woman, who had a lot of inner monologues, feel as if she had been abandoned in her choices.

This is very sad.

However, Kasumigaoka is the kind of girl with a strong sense of self-esteem.

She believes that people should have dignity.

It's true that Yuan Qianye did her a great favor, but one thing is one thing, especially after he rejected her and chose someone else.

One must give a corresponding attitude in order to maintain a certain level of dignity.

If she continues to take the initiative and keep getting closer to him, then what is she?

I won't talk to him again for three days... no, for a week!

This is a way of expressing one's attitude.

Although the parties involved were unaware of what had happened, Kasumigaoka unilaterally issued a judgment and punishment for Minamoto no Chiya.

But when she woke up, she saw a message from Yuan Qianye: "Want to come to my house for Christmas Eve?"

She tossed and turned all night yesterday, unable to sleep, and her heart, colder than the knife that had killed fish six years ago, melted instantly.

What time are you going?

…………

077: Christmas Eve, the outcome of today's match... (14500)

"Wow! It's the latest flagship iPhone! The weight and the feel of the titanium are amazing!"

Rikka, like a protagonist in an old-fashioned adventure game who has obtained a precious item, held Eriri's new phone high in both hands, her admiration overflowing.

Do you like it? It came at the cost of a broken heart.

Seeing how excited Rikka was, and considering that the strange girl who was with Chiya on TV wasn't seen at today's gathering, I noticed that Rikka was quite excited.

Eriri's mood lightened slightly.

But when she saw Kasumigaoka Utaha approach gracefully and sit on the other side of Rikka.

Eriri's smile, which she shared with Rikka, quickly faded.

She had some expectations about this woman in black stockings. Although she felt that she didn't get along with her, there was nothing she could do about it.

After all, I didn't host this party myself.

As a guest, I really don't have the right to fuss over such things.

On Kasumigaoka's side, she didn't have a good impression of Eriri, who had always maintained her position as a childhood friend.

But with my mind preoccupied today, I didn't really have time to consider her situation.

There are some questions that are not easy for me to ask directly.

At this point, starting with the people around him would be a better approach.

That being said, we can't be too hasty; we have to take it slowly...

Kasumigaoka, as if discovering this for the first time today, asked with a smile, "Rikka, you're actually quite interested in digital products?"

"I wouldn't say I'm particularly interested, it's just that I've never done this before, so I find it interesting," Rikka replied, handing the phone back to Eriri.

She had just unlocked the screen with Eriri's permission and tried it out, only to find that it wasn't all that complicated.

It wasn't much different from her own phone, and because of the different system, she wasn't used to using it, instantly demystifying it.

"Oh right, did you guys see the video of Qianye on TV last night? I sent a message in the group chat, but none of you replied."

Neither Kasumigaoka nor Eriri expected that Rikka would bring up this topic herself.

But at the same time, none of them could answer her questions.

One of them had a weak mentality and lost her grip on her phone, causing it to fall to the ground and shatter into pieces.

The other one was slightly better, but I was still so angry that I didn't even want to eat.

After returning to my room, I spent the entire night struggling with my own mental anguish, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

In this situation, they have no energy left to reply to messages in the group chat.

So the two people in different situations came up with different excuses to brush off the matter.

"Rikka, do you know who that girl next to Chiya is? She doesn't seem to be from our school. Is she a new friend of his?"

While one of the parties involved was in the kitchen preparing Christmas dinner with Saeko and Yukino, Eriri took the initiative to ask the question.

I've been holding it in for almost a whole day, and I just couldn't take it anymore.

This is also a question that Kasumigaoka is eager to know.

Rikka did know the specifics; after all, she was there when Minamoto no Chiya explained things to her sister before leaving yesterday.

"I guess she's a friend, but I'm not entirely sure. However, I am certain that she's not from our school."

Eriri, you probably remember I told you before that Chiya saved someone's life with a casual remark, right?

"I remember! That person later gave you a large sum of money in return."

"That's right, that's right. The girl who went out with Qianye yesterday is that person's daughter. It seems that Qianye went out to take care of her daughter at her request."

"Why did you specifically ask Qianye to take care of her?"

"It seems that it was because there was no one else around to ask for help... I was watching TV at the time and didn't quite hear what Chiya said to her sister later."

Rikka gave an embarrassed chuckle.

How could you possibly be watching TV at such an important moment?!

The air suddenly became quiet for a few seconds.

Eriri and Kasumigaoka were both deep in thought at the moment.

However, understanding this level seems to be enough.

Although the specifics of last night's events are unclear, if it was due to a request from someone else's mother rather than acting on her own initiative...

It seems the situation is much better...

"Oh right, Qianye brought back the Kapibal plushie he got during the interview yesterday and gave it to me. I'll go get it for you guys to see, it's so cute!"

Rikka rushed back to her room and then returned to the living room.

They actually gave it to Rikka!

This further proves that what the host and so-called guests on that TV show said was all nonsense!

Kasumigaoka had figured it out, and her smile immediately brightened.

Eriri reacted a little slowly, but she quickly recovered.

"It's so nice to wait for dinner to be served."

Yuan Qianye turned around and looked at the three people laughing and joking in the living room, and casually sighed.

At the same time, I was quite puzzled.

Eriri and Utaha, don't they usually get along a little?

Why are they now surrounding Rikka in the middle, all laughing and taking selfies together, already having a blast?

Indeed, holidays and gatherings can quickly strengthen the bonds between people.

"You're the same. You just wait for Saeko-senpai to prepare the side dishes and then cook them directly. You've monopolized the most enjoyable part of the cooking process all by yourself."

Yukino Yukinoshita was tidying up the table when she casually chimed in.

What happened last night was different for her from what happened to Kasumigaoka and Eriri.

She was shocked by what she witnessed.

Later, after her mother reminded her, she realized that it was a mistake caused by her overactive imagination.

But the feelings she had back then were something she couldn't easily forget.

From her motto of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," we can see that the second young lady of the Yukinoshita family is not very magnanimous, and in a sense, she can be understood as a jealous person.

Although they haven't reached that level of relationship yet, and she doesn't have that kind of stance at all...

Saeko Busujima said kindly, "Isn't this nice too? The process of everyone preparing dinner together always feels lively and enjoyable."

She was chopping onions with a clanging sound, her eyes slightly narrowed, seemingly unaffected.

However, the speed at which Yuan Qianye blinked increased.

As for Yukino, who was furthest from the cutting board, she was the most affected and had already pulled out a second tissue to wipe away the tears that had welled up in her eyes from the irritation.

Yuan Qianye replied with a smile, "I'm not the only one who thinks so. I also think that it's more lively when everyone can get together during festivals."

"Oh right, I haven't thanked Qianye-kun yet."

Why are you suddenly thanking me for something?

"After all, if you hadn't invited me, Qianye-kun, I would probably be home alone right now."

"With Saeko-senpai's excellent mindset, she definitely wouldn't care about something like this."

“It used to be like that, but after experiencing something lively and happy, it becomes hard to bear that feeling of loneliness and solitude. After all, I'm a girl too.” Saeko spoke slowly and gently.