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

He wanted to say that he not only didn't feel relieved, but actually felt more stressed.

But it was, after all, someone's kind intention.

[Yuan Qianye: This seems to have helped a bit. Thanks. It's getting late, you should get some rest.]

[Hayasaka Ai: It's okay, I'm used to it.]

Does this mean they don't want the chat to end?

However, Chiya Minamoto did feel sorry for Ai Hayasaka.

Imagine if he were a young boy forced to become a servant in a wealthy family, with endless chores all day long, and he would have to be careful with his words and actions, always watching other people's expressions, because he might offend some high-ranking official or noble at any time.

Such a life, with no end in sight, is exhausting and mentally draining just to think about.

These are the pitiful "black slaves" of modern society, and they're even underage child laborers. It's truly heartbreaking.

It's hard to imagine what that little girl, who used to hold her mother's contact list and cry, has gone through to grow into the capable person she is today.

The hardships she endured during that time are probably only known to her.

[Yuan Qianye: Speaking of which, you must have days off usually, right?]

[Hayasaka Ai: Yes, it happens, maybe one or two days a month. Why are you asking?]

[Yuan Qianye: It's perfectly normal for friends to hang out together.]

[Hayasaka Ai: You want to ask me out to hang out?]

[Yuan Qianye: If you have something to do, then forget it.]

[Hayasaka Ai: It's nothing.]

Even if something comes up, you can still be put on the waiting list!

[Yuan Qianye: Then let me know when you've confirmed your rest time, so I can make some arrangements in advance.]

[Hayasaka Ai: Um, can I ask what you're planning to do with me?]

[Yuan Qianye: What do you like to do when you're relaxing?]

[Hayasaka Ai: If I don't have any other plans, I'll stay home, sleep until I naturally wake up, and then play games all day.]

What are the lifestyle habits of stay-at-home NEETs...?

[Minamoto Chiya: Let's decide then.]

Shortly after, the two said goodnight to each other and didn't continue their conversation.

Hayasaka Ai held her phone in both hands, swiping her fingers up to scroll through their chat history.

Not satisfied, they went to his official fan social media account and clicked on his latest pinned post of his life photos.

The photo was probably taken by his family. He was eating breakfast, his hair wasn't combed yet, and there was a tuft of hair sticking up, giving off a very ordinary vibe.

The moment the shutter clicked, he, still as handsome as ever, was looking right at the camera.

The effect of placing it in the photo is as if he is staring intently at himself outside the screen, as if saying, "You are the only one in my eyes."

Hayasaka Ai took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

She gently patted her head, thinking that she was probably just too tired.

Otherwise, how could the situation described by those love-struck girls in the class have occurred?

She was overjoyed at his invitation alone, and dazzled by his photos. Everything around her seemed to be sprinkled with fluorescent agents, and all she could see was a hazy, soft light.

"Clap!"

Filter, filter! Hayasaka, wake up! It's just a filter on the photo!

Hayasaka Ai patted her cheeks, then turned off the bedside lamp, quickly pulled the thin blanket over herself, and fell asleep.

Even with her eyes closed in the darkness, her toes gently curled up and rubbed against the sheets under the thin blanket, and the corners of her mouth still couldn't help but turn up slightly.

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.

"Waaaaah, Saeko-nee, you're finally here! I've been through so much!"

A few days later, in the morning, Rikka opened the door and saw Saeko Busujima arrive. She immediately rushed to greet her, crying.

Of course, it was just fake crying; it was just a general attempt to express that emotion.

Today is the day that Shihua will participate in the National Artistic Gymnastics Competition.

It's the middle of summer now, and the weather is hot and humid. She doesn't want to trouble others to come to the venue to cheer her on.

So Rikka invited her friends to her home to watch the live stream and cheer for her sister, as a token of her appreciation.

Before Saeko arrived, Eriri and Kasumigaoka had already arrived one after the other.

And they've been bickering for a while now over some trivial matters.

It's an open secret that these two have clashing personalities.

Saeko naturally understood, and she smiled as she took out the box of sweets she had brought.

"It's okay, it's okay. I made some glutinous rice daifuku at home. Let's all eat them together later, and it'll make us feel more at ease."

"Thank you so much, Saeko-nee!"

"Is Qianye not home today?"

Saeko asked casually as she half-squatted in the entryway to change her shoes.

The two girls could be faintly heard arguing in the living room, but Qianye's voice was not heard.

Rikka answered, holding the box of sweets in both hands.

"Well, although my sister clearly said we shouldn't go, Qianye said he was worried about us, and my sister couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she had to let him go with us."

"What about Yukino?"

"Oh, she's already gone abroad."

…………

Volume 1: 116: Regret, let whoever wants it have it, I'm going to win! (6000) (35/51)

"Eri, Utaha-nee, Saeko-nee are here."

As Rikka Takanashi brought Saeko Busujima into the living room, the light novel author and doujinshi artist, who were secretly competing, exchanged a glance, then simultaneously turned their necks with a "humph."

"Long time no see, Shiho, Eriri." Saeko pretended not to notice the gloomy atmosphere between the two, greeted them with a smile, pressed her skirt down behind her back, and sat down on the sofa.

The two who didn't get along at the same time simultaneously smiled and responded in a friendly manner.

If we were to rank the female friends around Yuan Qianye by looks, it would be quite difficult, as each of them possesses her own unique charm.

But if we were to pick the one with the best personality, someone that no one could genuinely dislike and who was the most popular, then without a doubt it would be Saeko Busujima.

Among the girls, she couldn't match Yukino in academic ability, Eriri in drawing and sketching, or Utaha in her love for a wide range of domestic and international literature, nor did she possess Kazusa's artistic talent in music.

But even if all of the above were tied together, it wouldn't be enough for her to warm up... oh no, it's that she gets along quite well with all of them.

The well-educated, virtuous, and gentle Yamato Nadeshiko is skilled at persuading people with reason. Her personal charm is not only attractive to the opposite sex, but also to the same sex.

The four of them sat around the coffee table in the living room. Rikka served tea to Saeko, who had just arrived. The living room was air-conditioned, which, compared to the high temperature and heat outside, felt like paradise.

Saeko thanked Rokka, who served her tea, and invited the others to enjoy the sweets she had brought.

Her arrival immediately made the atmosphere much more harmonious.

The TV was now tuned to the sports channel, showing highlights from past national rhythmic gymnastics competitions; the competition wouldn't start for a little while.

"Speaking of which, how was everyone's summer vacation?" Saeko Busujima started the conversation.

Kasumigaoka smiled and said, "It's alright. I don't have any special plans. I'll just stay home and read books and write novels as usual. Oh, by the way, my family didn't have time recently, so I asked Chiya to accompany me to a banquet held by the paperback station. Overall, my summer vacation has been quite fulfilling."

Eriri, who inexplicably felt that this person spoke with a smug tone, and feeling annoyed that she didn't want her to be the only one smug, hurriedly started talking about her experience at the amusement park a few days ago, including hers.

Her tone was particularly cheerful, and she even pulled Rikka to add to it, secretly wanting to compete with Kasumigaoka.

So what if you go to a banquet? You only get to interact with Qianye for a few hours. Unlike me, I had a long time with her!

Banquets and amusement parks...

Saeko pondered for a moment. Based on the two's unguarded answers and her own knowledge, she was able to roughly piece together Minamoto Chiya's schedule for the summer vacation in her mind.

"Saeko-nee, do you have any plans for summer vacation?" Eriri asked curiously after explaining her situation.

“Nothing special, really. My father came back from abroad, and we’ve had a lot of guests visiting lately, so I have to stay home and help entertain them.” Saeko’s smile was always so warm. “As for the rest, as you all know, Chiya and I signed an endorsement contract with a sports company, and we occasionally have to go to the company together to cooperate with promotional work.”

Kasumigaoka looked at her with interest and asked, "What kind of job is it exactly?"

After thinking for a moment, she immediately added, "If there's a confidentiality agreement, it's okay not to say anything."

Saeko shook her head: "It's not some kind of job that can't be talked about. It's just a normal job of changing into the clothes and sports equipment they provide, taking photos and videos, and so on. We don't need to get involved in the rest of the work. They have a professional team that will adjust the content and release it on various platforms and offline channels."

"You have such an idol vibe! Speaking of which, I went shopping at Matsuya Department Store with my mom before, and there were ads for the two of you on the electronic screens in the store. Saeko-nee, the way you two stood back to back holding bamboo swords was so cool." Eriri said with envy.

"It's probably the result of post-production retouching and adjustments; I don't think I look as good as I do in the ads," Saeko said modestly.

"That's not true at all. Saeko-nee, you're already very beautiful, and Chiya is very handsome. Of course, the commercial you filmed together would be great." Rikka cut off a small piece of mochi daifuku and reached out to summon the black wings that had fallen on the air conditioner.

It has learned to fly recently and has become completely tame. It's quite intelligent and can easily interact with its owner in simple ways. Even after being allowed to roam in the yard, it will fly back into the house on its own.

Utaha and Eriri both echoed Rikka's words.

Saeko nodded and smiled, but her hand reached out with interest to Rikka's thigh and gently stroked the bird's head.

But as she reached out, the loose cuff of her sleeve was pulled up, revealing a faint red mark on her arm.

Kasumigaoka, with her sharp eyes, noticed something and her heart skipped a beat: "Saeko, what happened to your arm?"

Her words alerted the other two, who also noticed and cast worried glances their way.

"Ah, it's nothing..." Saeko immediately pulled her arm back and pulled down her sleeve.

However, since the situation has already been exposed to others, it is obviously too late to hide it now.

After thinking about it, Saeko realized it wasn't a big deal, so she simply explained to avoid them overthinking: "It's really nothing. You know I practice kendo regularly, so it's normal to bump into things occasionally."

"You got hurt accidentally while practicing kendo?" Eriri looked surprised. "But you were wearing protective gear, weren't you?"

Kasumigaoka glanced at her disdainfully, as if mocking her ignorance: "Even with protective gear, it's impossible to avoid injury entirely in kendo."