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

The grilled meat had a glistening sheen of oil on its surface, but it wasn't greasy at all when you ate it. On the contrary, it was quite refreshing, and the juices locked inside bursting out in your mouth were quite amazing.

"Saeko-nee! It's delicious!"

"Really? I'll try some too."

Rikka and Kasumigaoka also started eating first, both giving positive praise.

"Not cloying at all!"

"Hmm, if you savor it carefully, there's also a refreshing fruity flavor."

"I'm glad you like it." After pouring drinks for everyone, Saeko Busujima finally picked up her chopsticks.

Gen Chiya also picked up a piece of grilled meat and put it in his mouth. After tasting it, he nodded repeatedly and explained on her behalf, "It's lemon. Saeko added a little lemon juice when marinating the meat."

"I see."

"How's it going these past few days? Is everything progressing smoothly?" Saeko was asking about the novel.

Yuan Qianye was currently shoveling rice into his mouth and couldn't speak at the moment, so he just nodded.

Kasumigaoka replied, "It's going quite smoothly. The detailed outline of the novel has been completed. All that's left is to fill in the specific plot details step by step."

"I heard Qianye say that the deadline for the novel is the 31st of this month. Is there enough time?"

"Time is indeed a bit tight, but don't worry, Qianye writes novels very quickly, and I will do my best to help, so we will catch up."

Despite saying they would do their best to help, Kasumigaoka hasn't actually been of much help these past few days.

Gen Chiyo's writing skills are up to standard, and he is quick-witted and has a strong sense of logic. Usually, when he finishes writing a manuscript and hands it over to Kasumigaoka, there are basically no typos and the content is flawless.

As for polishing the article to make the writing feel more elegant, she did indeed do that.

But detective novels are not literary or romance novels, so such thoughts seem a bit redundant. After being reminded by Yuan Qianye, she realized that this was indeed the case.

In this way, she only had one most important job.

The Astrological Murder Mystery takes place around 1948, a time when Japanese society was very different from today in every aspect, including its culture, technology, and lifestyle.

All she had to do was search for information, read more articles about the customs of that era, and pay special attention to Gen Chiya's novels to avoid any oversights or logical inconsistencies that shouldn't appear in classic mystery novels.

Gen Chiya took a sip of oolong tea and said, "So I probably won't be able to go to the kendo club or practice swordsmanship with you, Saeko, for a while."

“I understand, we should focus on important matters.” Saeko’s answer was expected, but at that moment, under the table, she made a move that was “unbecoming” of her Yamato Nadeshiko image.

As she spoke, Yuan Qianye felt her feet being gently pressed down by something extremely soft.

He immediately realized that Saeko's foot had stepped off her slipper and landed on him.

"Keep it up, you two! But also take care of your health and don't stay up too late at night."

"Hmm." Kasumigaoka nodded gently.

"..."

Gen Chiya gazed at Saeko Busujima's smiling face, noticing the lack of any unusual expression in her long, beautiful eyes, and was somewhat puzzled as to why she had suddenly done this.

Was it just a prank?

Come to think of it, there was a similar incident before...

Gen Chiya remained calm, but at the same time, he held Saeko's small foot under the table, and after controlling it, he gently rubbed the sole of her foot that she offered: "Don't worry, it won't get to that point yet. Once this month is over, I'll be able to relax again next year."

Saeko Busujima laughed even harder, whether it was because she understood his unspoken meaning or because his mischievous actions of moving closer had touched a raw nerve.

"So, you're going to be staying here for the rest of the time?" Eriri asked, looking at Kasumigaoka.

Kasumigaoka smiled slightly, knowing what this blonde loser cared about, but she didn't mind playing along: "Of course, after all, I need to help Chiya proofread the manuscript."

Eriri questioned, "You can do this at home, right? The internet is so convenient now, a document can be transmitted in a few seconds."

What is Eriri trying to express?

Eriri was startled. She glanced at Chiya and, seeing that he looked normal, coughed lightly and continued, "Well... I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to remind you that even if you wanted to help, there would be better ways. After all, it's not always comfortable to stay at someone else's house, and your parents at home would probably be worried... and so on."

Kasumigaoka pursed her lips, clearly suppressing a laugh. She took a deep breath before responding, "I'm really touched. Eriri-san has indeed considered a lot for me. But I'm quite comfortable staying at Chiya's house. My parents know Chiya and aren't too worried. As for what you said about transferring documents by computer, while it's convenient, for communicating and adjusting every aspect and detail of an unfinished novel, it's definitely not as direct and convenient as talking to Chiya face-to-face. What do you think?"

Eriri's offensive moves were all defended back by Kasumigaoka.

"I...I was just saying, it's up to you whether you take it or not." Eriri tried to save face with a guilty expression that said, "I'm doing this for your own good."

Kasumigaoka feigned deep emotion and said, "I see, but I think it's fine as it is. Thank you for your trouble."

Well, not only did she use a sarcastic tone to make a sarcastic remark, but she even couldn't help but chuckle softly after she finished speaking.

Such blatant humiliation is worse than killing someone; it's not just about killing them, it's about destroying their

Eriri felt like she was about to vomit blood; she was in extreme pain but there was nothing she could do.

Rikka silently witnessed a battle fought without bloodshed, secretly sympathizing with Eriri who was defeated and beheaded in one move, but at the same time finding their subtle, back-and-forth exchange quite interesting.

Rikka has vaguely awakened some kind of attribute and realized certain pleasures. She wants to continue watching, but Eriri's HP bar is already empty, and she can't get an erection.

Now, he's turning his grief and anger into appetite, eating heartily.

However, Eriri's reaction was normal in Kasumigaoka's eyes.

It matches the everyday style of the golden retriever, Little Gou Gou.

But Chiya and Saeko stopped talking and just kept eating.

And Saeko... she was eating, but why did she keep her head down so low while maintaining a smile on her face?

It's not that laughter is bad, it's just that Saeko's laughter at this moment gives her a feeling that's not quite right... a little strange...

Could it be that……

Kasumigaoka looked at the two people sitting very close to each other, thought for a moment, and finally decided to follow the sixth sense that spread from his dark thoughts, and slowly stretched out his foot.

At that moment, the jet-black wings that had been quietly resting on the sofa cushions suddenly took flight and flew around the dining table, landing on Kasumigaoka's head from behind.

This sudden turn of events surprised everyone at the table.

"Hey, you little rascal, didn't I tell you a long time ago not to fly around while we're eating... What's wrong with you today? You're being so naughty. Be careful not to accidentally fall into the soup, or I'll give you a high-temperature hair removal treatment right here and now..."

Rikka quickly took the Black Wing off Kasumigaoka's head and kept apologizing to her.

Kasumigaoka adjusted her crooked white headband, smiled, and didn't seem to care.

This was a little incident.

Saeko's foot, which she had been eagerly extending but which had been bullied by Minamoto Chiya, was finally withdrawn.

This also caused Kasumigaoka's attempt to probe the issue to come to an abrupt end.

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.

Yukino Yukinoshita, far away in the Eagle Country, picked up her phone as usual when she woke up in the morning and saw a message from Eriri.

Eriri: Yukino, after you see this, remember to reply to my message when you have time. I want to talk to you about something.

It was followed by a crying emoji.

Yukino, who had just woken up, couldn't help but smile because of this message.

Is this some trouble she's encountered and wants my help to figure out a solution?

She didn't dislike the feeling of being relied upon; in fact, she liked it a little.

If only that guy could be like Eriri. It's been half a month since he last reached out to me.

We didn't exchange more than a few words; he just told me to dress warmly as the weather turned cold and to avoid catching a cold.

So fussy and annoying...

There are clearly many other things we could talk about, aren't there?

Without thinking too much about it, Yukino smiled and replied with a message like, "I just woke up, is there anything I can help you with?"

Eriri's reply was remarkably swift, clearly indicating that she was constantly monitoring her phone.

What she said next quickly made Yukino stop laughing.

[Yukino: ...You mean, Chiya's planning to write a mystery novel for a competition, and Kasumigaoka-kun is staying at his house until the end of the month to help him out?]

Eriri: Yeah!

After learning this news, Yukino's biggest concern wasn't what Kasumigaoka Utaha was like.

Instead, she was completely unaware that Yuan Qianye had the idea of ​​writing a novel and had put it into action.

So, will the close relationship between childhood sweethearts eventually disappear due to time and distance?

Yukino opened the drawer of her desk, took out a small box, and slowly opened it. Inside was the Mr. Pan pendant that Minamoto Chiya had given her when she went abroad.

She bought the necklace herself later and wore it with great care, never taking it off. After wearing it for a while, the pendant turned a bit black.

This is not because she is unhygienic, but because sterling silver jewelry has this characteristic: it will tarnish over time when exposed to air.

After discovering this, she became hesitant to wear it anymore and put it in a small box to preserve this precious little moment in her life.

But looking at this pendant now, and thinking back to what he said when we parted at the airport, I felt a sense of tacit understanding, a tacit agreement, slowly disappearing.

This summer, when everyone went to the amusement park together, she was thinking that it would be soon, and she would be able to return to China in just over a year.

But... she suddenly felt uncertain, and some relationships had drifted apart without her noticing.

We'll have to wait another year or so, but what kind of strange situation will it develop into by then?

Yukino gazes at her reflection in the window.

As time went by, her appearance became more and more beautiful, her grades became more and more outstanding, and she became more and more excellent as a whole.

This should have been her source of pride and confidence, but she is now unable to maintain an optimistic attitude openly and honestly.

She gently patted her face, realizing she was getting stuck in a rut and was overthinking things.

I must not forget the goal I secretly set for myself. He is working hard to move forward, and of course I cannot fall behind. I will do my best and amaze him after a long time...

[Eri: Yukino, you weren't here, so I didn't see her expression. She was just making sarcastic remarks about me at the dinner table. She's so annoying, it makes me so mad!]

Seeing that Yukino hadn't replied for a few minutes, Eriri sent another message.

Yukino took a deep breath and shook her head vigorously, trying to stop herself from getting into that useless mental drain.

People have different ideas at different stages of life, and they grow and change.

The same applies to interpersonal relationships, but there is still a long time ahead, and she will eventually have the opportunity to change the situation to the way she desires through her own efforts and actions.