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

Yukino then asked, "Saeko-nee, are you usually home alone?"

"Yes, my mother passed away when I was very young. My father has his own career to attend to, and I can't be so inconsiderate as to hold him back."

Yuan Qianye stepped in: "If I remember correctly, you started living alone in sixth grade, right?"

"Yes, it was around that time that my father needed to go overseas for work. He asked me what I thought and whether I would like to go abroad with him."

But compared to this unfamiliar land, I definitely prefer the place where I grew up, so I stayed to take care of our important home and wait for him to come back.

Yukino, deeply moved, continued, "Saeko-nee, you must have a nanny or something at home to take care of you, right?"

“There are people in the family who are responsible for cleaning the yard and repairing and maintaining the house, but I can take care of myself in terms of daily life, so I didn’t ask my father to make any extra arrangements.”

It's somewhat heartbreaking to hear these words from a second-year junior high student.

But judging from Saeko's expression, she really doesn't care much about her situation.

How strong can a person's heart be to be able to take care of themselves at such a young age?

If you put yourself in her shoes...

In terms of lifestyle, Yukino is confident that she can achieve the same level as Saeko Busujima.

However, in terms of mental state, it is certainly impossible to maintain the same composure as her.

I can't compare to her...

As she thought about it, Yukino seemed a little discouraged.

She discovered that her childhood sweetheart, as he grew older, not only became more and more outstanding himself, but also...

The people he knows, regardless of other aspects, are all outstanding talents in their respective fields.

When I was a child, before I met Eriri.

He's usually like a leech, always sticking to her side and following her everywhere, impossible to shake off.

But now, everything has changed.

Things from my childhood are completely different now...

Yuan Qianye urged, "Stop wiping, the plate is reflecting light. Hurry up and bring it over, my signature dish, Mapo Tofu, is about to be served."

"I know you don't like spicy food, so I didn't cut any ginger when I was preparing the ingredients." Saeko Busujima was understanding and considerate, and her words and actions exuded a strong maternal aura.

Yukino's feelings were complicated, a mix of awkwardness and a touch of emotion. Only Minamoto Chiya let out a cry.

"They didn't even slice any ginger? That's going to greatly diminish the flavor of this dish!"

"Okay, it's okay to do it once in a while. Maybe people will prefer the taste without ginger."

Saeko Busujima defused the chef's dissatisfaction with just a few words.

The kitchen was also bustling with activity.

It's a pity that Shihua wasn't home today; she went to the store to help out, otherwise it would have been even more lively.

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.

Let's skip the peaceful mealtime for now.

Despite their own hidden agendas, everyone maintained a facade of harmony, putting on an act of friendship that seemed to be the highest priority.

Aside from Rikka's exaggerated eating habits, there's nothing particularly noteworthy about her.

The important part is what happens after the meal.

Before Saeko Busujima and Kasumigaoka existed...

It refers to before I met them.

Only when Chiya Minamoto, Yukinoshita, and Eriri are together.

After their meals together, they usually play games like Ludo or drawing jokers in poker.

This is to cultivate an unbreakable and lasting triangular relationship between them.

This segment was naturally included this time as well.

Rikka generously contributed the game console she won during her previous trip to Osaka, but there were six people present today.

Even if she bought an extra set of controllers and separated the two sets, it would only support a maximum of four people playing at the same time.

Not long after Rikka dragged the others to play this motion-sensing game.

Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was involved, noticed Busujima Saeko serving tea to Minamoto Chiya.

Then I saw the two of them sitting on the sofa, very close to each other, smiling at each other. I took a deep breath.

"oops--"

Following the pose shown in the game, Kasumigaoka, who was making a jumping motion, suddenly stumbled.

After letting out a completely natural, coquettish cry, she slowly squatted down and covered her ankle.

Rikka, being the most innocent-minded, immediately stopped what she was doing and leaned over to ask worriedly, "Shiyu-nee, are you alright?"

Chiya Minamoto and Saeko Busujima also put down their teacups and stood up.

Yukinoshita silently observed from the sidelines.

Eriri, on the other hand, felt deep sympathy for Kasumigaoka while secretly laughing.

It wasn't that she was gloating; she was seeing her character's score on the TV screen finally surpass Kasumigaoka's!

That's right, just like Rikka, she gets really into the game and has a strong competitive spirit.

She was completely unaware that Kasumigaoka, whom she considered a competitor, was not even in the same race as her.

"Oh, it's nothing. I just lost my balance a little and twisted my ankle. I guess I'm not very good at sports."

After being helped up, Kasumigaoka spoke apologetically.

She gestured to everyone not to worry, saying she would just sit down and rest for a while.

"It's about time we changed people, Saeko, why don't you go have some fun?"

As she said this, Kasumigaoka smoothly handed the game controller in her hand to Saeko Busujima.

Rikka was still worried: "If it hurts a lot, I have ointment at home."

"Thank you, Rikka, but it's okay, I can massage it myself later." Kasumigaoka had a good idea.

In a moment, she will sit on the sofa with Minamoto Chiya, just like Saeko Busujima did earlier.

She moved closer and silently stretched her "injured" ankle diagonally onto the sofa, with the sole of her foot facing upwards and her toes pointing towards him.

At that moment, she should put on a pained expression, bite her lower lip, and hiss as she gasps for breath. She should think that someone as gentle as Qianye shouldn't ignore her condition.

She would certainly receive considerable care as well, and it's not impossible that, out of concern, he might personally reach out to help her soothe her with gentle stroking.

In addition, the stockings I'm wearing today are the latest Wolford brand stockings I bought, high-end items worth over ten thousand yuan, excellent in both appearance and feel.

The little leather shoes were also a newly bought style. She took a taxi directly here when she went out at night. The distance from her home to here is less than a hundred steps.

She was also confident that there wouldn't be any unpleasant or strange smells.

There might even be a lingering fragrance because she took a milk aromatherapy bath before leaving the house…

Saeko Busujima, sitting on the sofa with Chiya Minamoto's help, took the game controller from Kasumigaoka and began to daydream.

But at this moment, Yukino-chan, who had been silently observing from the side, suddenly sharpened her eyes!

“Indeed.” Yukino nodded slightly.

The moment Kasumigaoka opened her mouth, she instinctively sensed something was wrong.

"We can't just keep playing like this. Let's switch people. Qianye, why don't you go play for a while too?"

Yukino walked over gracefully and handed her game controller to Chiyo.

And so, the person sitting next to Kasumigaoka became Yukino.

The four people in front started playing, facing the TV screen.

The two people sitting on the sofa, acting as spectators, sat quietly.

All the excitement belonged to them; the two of them had nothing but silence.

Kasumigaoka was quite annoyed, wondering if Yukino's actions were intentional.

After all, this second young lady from a well-off family isn't like Eriri, who always wears her heart on her sleeve.

In addition, Eriri, who was in two teams at the moment, was happily high-fiving with Chiya after their victory.

This shouldn't have happened; this is not the outcome she expected at all!

After patiently enduring for more than ten minutes, Kasumigaoka felt that the time was about right.

Taking advantage of the moment when the game had come to a close and everyone had stopped playing, she made her move again: "I suggest we play a game that everyone can participate in at the same time, how about that?"

Rikka genuinely believed that Rikka was still in pain from the kick and wouldn't be able to participate in the rest of the game.

Although they hadn't had enough fun yet, out of their kind nature, they were the first to agree.

Gen Chiya nodded as well.

Saeko Busujima, of course, had no objections.

She spends all day alone at home, but she finds it very interesting to be with her close friends, even if it's just sitting and chatting.

All four agreed, and Yukino and Eriri, the remaining two, naturally had no objections either.

The group disagreed on what to do next in the game.

Yuan Qianye is a traditionalist and suggested that they play poker the old way, drawing jokers, and the loser would have a sticker stuck to their face.