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

That was a weak answer; Shihua understood that he didn't want to talk about it anymore.

"Here you go." She handed over the hair dryer.

Yuan Qianye touched his wet hair, didn't take it, and looked into her eyes: "Help me."

Shihua was taken aback, feeling that strange feeling from Qianye for the second time today.

Even so, after hesitating for a moment, she still patted the spot next to her with her palm.

Yuan Qianye understood and sat down next to her.

Shihua started blow-drying his hair. Her movements were very gentle, her fingertips lightly brushing against his hair. It felt very comfortable, and he didn't feel uncomfortable at all.

A few minutes later, the hair dryer stopped.

Just as Yuan Qianye was about to express her gratitude, Shihua asked, "So you really do have something to do today?"

The two stared at each other at close range, with the news on the television playing in the background. There was no one else in the living room at that moment.

In this situation, Toka, who spoke first, was the one who couldn't take it anymore. As if to hide her embarrassment, she looked away from the TV screen.

"You noticed? Was it that obvious?" Yuan Qianye asked frankly.

…………

Volume 1: Chapter 114: A Forbidden Feeling

It's not exactly obvious, but there's just that sense of déjà vu.

After all, in Takanashi Touka's eyes, Minamoto Chiya was always calm and methodical in his actions, but today he seemed a bit strange, which was not in line with his usual style.

For example, they would come directly to the school to deliver food to her without even calling.

Didn't he consider what he would do if he had already eaten dinner?

After that, he waited for me at the school gate, saying he had gone to the bookstore for a while.

But there are bookstores on the streets near my home, and they are much bigger than the ones near the school.

Why not just go to the bigger bookstore and then go home without having to wait outside the school?

With so many insects and moths outdoors on summer nights, the street is not a good place to read.

Considering the above, the only possibility that could be conceived by Shika was this.

Perhaps delivering food and buying books were just excuses. Qianye's real purpose might just be to see her, or rather, he just wanted to go home with her... nothing more.

The reasoning seems somewhat far-fetched, but Takanashi Toka has this inexplicable certainty.

She looked at Qianye, who was right beside her, and met his gaze. Suddenly, she began to panic.

A woman's natural sixth sense told her that something extraordinary was about to change tonight.

Reason told her to go back to her room immediately and not to continue talking there.

Don't let our hard-won peaceful and happy life be at risk of collapsing or being destroyed.

But is that really the case? Will further exploration only lead to misfortune?

Is it impossible for a more...happier and more joyful development to occur?

Driven by a vague, exciting sense of danger.

She couldn't suppress her thirst for knowledge and eventually crossed the line of reason.

"You noticed? Was it that obvious?" The boy's expression was exceptionally warm, his eyes filled with undisguised tenderness and kindness.

I can't bear to think that he might hurt himself in any way.

“Yes, it’s obvious.” Toka nodded.

"How did you figure that out?"

"I can't really explain it in detail, it's just... a feeling."

Shihua tilted her head slightly, and a strand of hair fell to the side of her face. She naturally reached out her finger and tucked it behind her ear.

It was a completely subconscious action for her, and she didn't realize there was anything wrong with it.

But at that moment, she was horrified to discover that the gentle boy from just a moment ago now had a hot and dangerous light in his eyes.

Like a starving beast, it pounces at you, ready to devour you whole.

Although he immediately turned his gaze to the television program that was playing, Toka clearly sensed the change in his emotions just a moment ago.

"There is something I want to talk to you about..." Yuan Qianye suppressed his excitement.

It is said that there are three moments in a woman's life when she is most attractive in the eyes of men.

The grogginess upon waking up in the early morning, the freshness after a shower, the languidness after a workout together.

And he had just tasted one of them.

Even now, having only recently clarified his feelings, the repeated emotional triggers that made him secretly wash his underwear amplified the devastating impact of this act.

"...I'd call it a life consultation."

"Life consultations... these kinds of things... why don't you go back and talk to your father? He's older and more experienced." Toka seemed to realize something at this moment and was starting to have second thoughts.

But since Yuan Qianye had already decided to speak, he didn't intend to drag it out any longer: "If Dad can't help, that's between us."

"…!" Toka panicked even more: "What…what could possibly happen between us?!"

Qianye's image in her eyes began to change rapidly, and his identity as a sworn brother with no blood relation gradually faded away.

The image of the opposite sex, possessing its own unique charm, has become increasingly prominent.

Her heart, which was already pounding, started beating even faster, and her efforts to maintain a nonchalant expression began to stiffen.

I haven't even said anything yet, how did it all end up like this...?

Gen Chiyo, who had taken in Toka's reaction, sighed inwardly.

He actually wanted to take this opportunity to reveal some of his true feelings.

He only rubbed against her without going in, intending to probe her gently, wanting to know how Shika viewed and felt about him, apart from his family.

They had prepared all sorts of excuses and backup plans in case of unexpected events, such as using jokes to gloss over the situation...

But judging from Shika's current state of being so easily frightened, it seems she can't show even a hint of it; she's completely unable to accept it.

He originally thought that the identity of "sworn brother" imposed on him was a shackle, a cage that prevented him from taking another step forward in exploring sexual happiness.

But now it seems that's not the case, to use a more concrete description.

This identity is more like a ghillie suit; it's not a burden at all, but rather an important disguise during the game.

My thoughts became increasingly chaotic, and my original plan was interrupted by an unexpected situation.

Alright, since things have come to this, let's talk about something else important.

Yuan Qianye poked a piece of apple with his fork and ate it: "Toka, do you still remember when Mom and Dad first got together and we first started living together?"

"I...I remember, what's wrong?" The conversation didn't start the way I expected, at least not right now.

This made Shihua breathe a slight sigh of relief.

“In the beginning, Rikka and I weren’t as close as we are now. She even distanced herself from me and was wary of me in our daily interactions.”

"Yes, that's just Rikka's personality. She's very outgoing in front of people she knows well, but she's like that when she meets people she doesn't know well. There's always a process from being distant to getting close and trusting."

"But Toka was different back then. She got along very well with me from the very beginning."

"After all, she's the older sister, and a few years older, so I have to set a good example for her."

"So it's because of a sense of responsibility?"

"At the time, I did have some of those thoughts, but more than that, I knew that both Dad and Qianye were very kind people, and we were all family, so I wanted to get along well with you."

When talking about the situation when the new family was first formed, Shi Hua thought it was just a reminiscence of the past and further relaxed.

But she didn't know that this was just a prelude to Yuan Qianye's conversation; the next moment, he went straight to the point without any smoothing.

"Dad may be like that, but Tohka, do you really consider me family?"

"...!"

My heart clenched suddenly, as if gripped by an invisible hand.

"Of course, what are you thinking! Whether it's you or Rikka, you are both extremely important family members to me!" Toka's expression turned serious, as if she wanted to prove herself, and she pressed her palms tightly against her chest.

Yuan Qianye raised the corners of her lips and suddenly smiled happily.

The next moment, Shihua reached out and touched his forehead, speaking in a more serious tone: "What's wrong with you today? What do you want to say?"

"I'm just happy to have the same place in Toka's heart as I do in Rikka's."

"Stop messing around, or I'll get angry."

"Okay, okay, to put it simply, it's nothing serious..." Yuan Qianye put his hands on his lap, his interlaced thumbs moving up and down, looking quite hesitant: "...I just feel that Toka has been giving me a strange feeling lately...and that's why I'm feeling a little uneasy."

"disturbed?"

Toka blinked in confusion. The omnipotent Chiya in her eyes was now looking at her with such a nervous and disappointed expression. She didn't know how to react for a moment: "What do you mean?"

"The noticeable changes I started to feel probably began after I moved into this house."

Sensing that his emotions were gradually calming down, Toka also stopped talking and listened to him continue.

"The new house is bigger, but I always feel that you can't be as natural with me as before. It's like... it's like there's some thick barrier separating us, and the distance between us is gradually widening."

Upon hearing his words, Shihua immediately wanted to deny it: "That's not true..."

Yuan Qianye sighed, as if he had already said everything and was no longer afraid: "The most obvious thing is that you no longer let me stretch your body as casually as before."

"..." Shihua was speechless.

That's true, but the problem is that the new house is so spacious that she doesn't have to squeeze into a small room with Rikka. She can easily do it herself by holding onto the bed in the room, so there's no need for her to continue asking him for help.

"That's not it. It's just that you've been so busy lately, juggling kendo and piano, and every few days you have to go to Dad's shop to play the piano and help attract business. Occasionally you also have to work with Saeko on the contract with the company. I think with such a busy schedule, you definitely need to take time to rest when you have free time."

"I see..."

"Of course, what else did you think?" Toka answered smoothly.

She put her hands on her hips, seemingly adopting the posture of an older sister, but in reality, she was hiding other reasons.