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

"Are you sure it's okay if you don't come to the dinner party?" Yuan Qianye carried Toka's shoulder bag, which contained Toka's gym uniform and some other items. It wasn't very heavy. The two walked slowly down the street toward the tram station.

Although the teacher said there were no special arrangements, Shihua's teammates wanted to find a place to eat after the competition, and then go to karaoke for a while. That's what youth is all about, you have to know how to enjoy it while you can.

"It's okay. I told them I was very tired today. I was covered in sweat from the competition, and it was uncomfortable. Besides, what are you going to do if I go?"

“Of course I’ll go with you.” Yuan Qianye said matter-of-factly, “Today I bought you water, carried your luggage, and cheered you on so hard from the sidelines. Your victory today is partly my doing, so I have every reason to attend your party.”

Toka smiled at him with both hands, not denying it: "Yes, thank you so much for today, Chiya."

Her words made Yuan Qianye feel somewhat embarrassed: "Shihua, what you said makes me very awkward. At this moment, you should be scolding me for being shameless."

"But I just feel that you have helped me so much along the way."

"Stop talking, you're making me sound more and more like a shameless person seeking fame and fortune..."

Shihua's smile remained unchanged; she was unusually excited today. She cupped her hands around her mouth and almost shouted, "Thank you, Qianye!"

Contrary to her usual calm and composed demeanor, her loud voice and enthusiastic tone caused passersby to stop and turn to look in her direction.

"Stop fooling around."

The boy looked troubled, then sprinted away.

You just bullied me~

The girl had a bright and beautiful smile, a hint of pride on her face, and her steps behind him were equally light and quick.

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 two of them didn't get home until 6:30.

I thought Rikka would run to the entrance to greet me, but she wasn't home.

The only response to Shihua's "I'm back" was the sound of wings spreading from the dark wings in the living room.

"Rikka isn't home."

Shihua turned on the living room lights.

"It seems like she went out to eat with other people."

Following behind her, Yuan Qianye casually replied,

"You've worked hard today. Go take a shower first, and I'll go cook dinner."

Shihua nodded obediently.

She had been making a scene with him outside, but once they got home, especially when they were alone together, she became less willing to continue.

She knew the reason why she felt this way, but she dared not think about it too much.

Gen Chiya opened the refrigerator, intending to cook some of Toka's favorite dishes.

But I didn't expect that I wouldn't finish the food at lunch.

This is... beef curry stew and cashew shrimp stir-fry, neither of them have been touched, it seems they were left there on purpose.

Their lunch was pretty good.

In that case, if it's just the two of them eating, it seems like all they need for dinner is some vegetables and soup.

Yuan Qianye quickly started cooking the rice, and in less than half an hour, he had prepared all the dishes and served them on the table.

"smell good."

Shihua dried her hair with a towel as she came into the living room.

"You eat first, I'll go take a shower too, I feel so sticky and uncomfortable."

"Ah."

This is a traditional habit. After returning home, especially in the summer, when there is nothing else to do, going to the bathroom to take a bath is a very high priority.

He showered quickly, taking a quick shower, and came out in less than ten minutes to sit at the dining table with Shihua. When he picked up his rice bowl, he could clearly feel that the outside of the bowl was still warm.

"Chiya, there's something I want to tell you."

After he went to take a shower, Shihua weighed her thoughts for a long time in a short period of time, and finally decided to take this opportunity to tell him her true feelings.

More than her parents, she wanted to know his reaction.

coming……

Although Yuan Qianye knew exactly what was going on, he still asked, "What is it?"

"This is my last competition. I... I don't plan to continue rhythmic gymnastics in the future."

After taking a deep breath, Toka said the words with a nervous expression, and then stared anxiously at Chiya's reaction.

Yuan Qianye thought for a moment, then his eyes softened and he slowly nodded: "I understand."

Eh?

Shi Hua was taken aback.

What kind of reaction is this?

She assumed that, given Qianye's personality, even if he wasn't too surprised, he should at least be somewhat moved.

It shouldn't be accepted so easily now. At least I should ask myself why I made this decision.

But none of them were there.

and so……

"So you did hear something from Yang Nai after all, didn't you?" Toka's eyes were burning.

"What?" As for this matter, it was impossible for Yuan Qianye to admit it. Otherwise, what if Toka didn't tell Yang Nai if she had something on her mind in the future?

So the next moment he turned the tables, pretending to suddenly realize something: "You had such an idea but didn't tell me right away?"

“I… I didn’t…” Toka opened her mouth, her momentum clearly weakening: “I hadn’t thought it through before, and I hadn’t told her directly, so she probably only had a general idea.”

"I see..." Yuan Qianye knew when to stop and didn't push his luck any further.

However, having been thwarted by him, Toka lost interest in continuing the investigation and instead asked, "Aren't you surprised?"

What's so surprising?

"Why would I suddenly make this decision after achieving such good results?"

Yuan Qianye put down his chopsticks and looked at Toka seriously: "I don't know why you made this decision, but I know that I will unconditionally support any decision you make. Isn't that what family is all about?"

The family relationships that result from blended families are only a superficial layer. In the future, he will continue to deepen these family relationships, making them inseparable.

Toka, who was unaware of Chiya's true thoughts, was deeply moved. She felt that even her mother probably wouldn't have said such a thing.

"There are many reasons, but the most important one is that I realize the limits of my talent."

Shi Hua Fang also put down her chopsticks, her eyes slightly lowered as she looked at him, revealing her inner thoughts.

“I really love rhythmic gymnastics; it’s both athletic and visually appealing. But realistically, considering my age and future plans, I really shouldn’t continue.”

Her performance in this competition was indeed very good, but it was only outstanding this time.

Rhythmic gymnastics is a very niche field with low social attention, so even if you achieve good results in national competitions, it's really not a big deal. You're very impressive, but that's about it.

If you really want to develop in this field, make it your sole career, and earn a good income, then you need to become far better than you are now.

I absolutely must join the national team, and I will definitely participate in various world-class competitions.

If you can't even win domestic competitions with a high degree of certainty, how can you possibly compete with so many geniuses around the world?

Yuan Qianye reached his hand off the table, and Shika hesitated slightly, feeling a little shy, but still placed her fingertips into his palm.

"Hearing you say that, Toka, and make this decision, I actually felt relieved."

Shihua's expression darkened for a moment, then she forced a smile and said, "Thank you for saying that; it has indeed made me more determined."

Yuan Qianye realized that she had misunderstood him, and quickly said, "That's not what I meant. I have always thought that Toka is quite outstanding, but the reason I agree with your idea is still for my own selfish purposes."

"Selfish?"

"Well, I didn't know before Mom and Dad were together, but after we started living together, think back and see how many times you got injured because of practicing all the complicated gymnastics moves."

"..." Hearing him say that, Shihua seemed to understand what he meant, and felt a little excited.

Seeing that she didn't reply, Yuan Qianye helped her recall: "There were four times in total. The first time was when you injured your ankle, which was also the most serious. Your entire ankle was swollen like a steamed bun. Not to mention daily training, you couldn't even walk normally during that time. I had to pick you up and drop you off at school every day by bike."

"I'm so sorry to have wasted so much of your time." Toka turned her head away, trying to pull her hand back, but he held it tightly and she couldn't.

"What are you talking about? I never thought it was a waste of time. At that time, I was both heartbroken that Shihua was injured and relieved that this unexpected event happened."

"Schadenfreude, huh?" Toka said deliberately, trying to dispel the already uneasy atmosphere.

“You know I don’t think that way. I’m just glad I had the opportunity to take care of you back then. Looking back now, it’s all thanks to that incident that our relationship became so close and we became like family. Of course, I still feel very sorry that you were injured and in pain at that time.”

Shihua grumbled unhappily, "You've said everything already..."

Gen Chiya continued to smile: "Back to the main topic, you were injured three times later, injuring your elbow, wrist and knee respectively. The time your knee was bruised, I wouldn't have known if Rikka hadn't seen it and told me."

Shihua, like a child caught doing something wrong, was a little hesitant to look him in the eye: "It's just a minor issue. Practicing gymnastics involves trying various moves, so falling down is perfectly normal."

“This is what I’ve always been worried about but haven’t been able to say out loud. Your persistence in pursuing your dreams is admirable, but I don’t want you to get hurt in the process… I believe your parents and Rikka share the same thoughts as me.”

Seeing that Toka's head was getting lower and lower, Gen Chiya realized that things shouldn't be rushed, so he added a sentence.

Shihua remained silent for quite a long time this time.

Yuan Qianye slowly released her hand, and after she pulled it back, she picked up her bowl and chopsticks and started eating again.

It wasn't until after dinner, when the two were washing dishes together at the kitchen sink, that she spoke again: "So... all this time you've been afraid I'd get hurt, and you've wanted me to give up rhythmic gymnastics, is that right?"

Yuan Qianye did not give a definite answer: "I said from the beginning that I would support your decision unconditionally, but if you continue to pursue rhythmic gymnastics, I will support you, but of course I will still be worried. After all, if you continue to do sports, with high-intensity training, it is impossible to avoid the result of a lot of injuries later on."

There are countless similar examples among professional athletes.

The more glorious they were on the sports field, the more regrettable their later fate became.

"Thanks……"

Why are you suddenly thanking me?

"Hearing you say that, I suddenly feel much more relaxed, and I have another reason to give up rhythmic gymnastics."

"If you're willing, I can give you many other reasons, such as how to monetize rhythmic gymnastics later on, how to support oneself. I don't want to see Toka's troubled and sad expression when facing these issues at that time, and also..."

"And what else?"