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

Just moments before, Rikka was still marveling at something when she quickly nudged her nose and noticed something was amiss.

"There are many hot spring hotels in Hakone, and the geographical advantage has led to the formation of various natural hot spring pools, so it is normal to have a slight sulfur smell in the air."

Gen Chiya answered her questions at the right time.

"Qianye, you really do know everything."

"You're probably the only one here who doesn't know this."

Rikka bypassed Yukino and Eriri and lightly punched his arm.

After walking uphill for a while, you'll see the Hakone Shingo Onsen Resort, which is set up by Eriri.

Through the greenery of the front garden, one can see a group of ancient buildings, with wisps of mist rising behind them.

As you push open the hotel door, the hanging wind chimes make a crisp sound.

Upon hearing the noise, the receptionist quickly came forward to guide and assist the guest.

Eriri took the initiative to approach and assist with the check-in process.

The others waited on a sofa nearby, and another waiter brought them tea to enjoy.

Looking at the empty hall, Yuan Qianye casually remarked, "There don't seem to be many guests."

The waiter smiled and replied, "It's the off-season now, so there will be fewer customers. It will be much more lively when the cherry blossoms start to bloom in about a month."

Gen Chiya nodded knowingly.

That's good. Although he's not like Yukino, who gets helpless in crowded places and suffers from headaches from noise, he still prefers quiet.

The current off-season suits him perfectly.

"The formalities are all done, let's go."

Eriri did not tell everyone that she had changed suites midway through her trip.

Therefore, when the waiter led them to a suite with a private courtyard view and a private hot spring, everyone was somewhat surprised.

Upon entering the foyer, a dark ink-colored dry landscape scroll hangs on the wall, exuding a sense of Zen under the bamboo-shaped spotlights.

Stepping into the living room after taking off your shoes, you can clearly feel the soft and smooth surface of the rush woven tatami mat, as if you were walking on silk.

"...This is a multimedia Guanyin device. Underfloor heating is installed under the tatami mats. The temperature here is relatively low at night because it is close to the mountains. If you feel cold, you can turn it on at any time. Looking out from this corridor, you can see the view of Mount Fuji. Guests can enjoy the hot spring in the courtyard 24 hours a day. In the cabinets in the bathroom, there are yukatas, towels, and our handmade yuzu bath salts, all of which are free to use."

In addition, there is a tea room, a sauna..."

The waiter dutifully gave an introduction, then bowed and left after a short while.

The moment the door closed, everyone's eyes turned to Eriri.

"This isn't the room we booked before, is it?" Yukino asked first, sounding puzzled.

Eriri had previously sent pictures of the room she had booked to the group chat. She clearly remembered that it was just a regular private room, not a suite that looked grand and luxurious with such a multi-functional room.

"It's okay, we're out having fun, the most important thing is that everyone is happy." Eriri said with her hands on her hips, seemingly unconcerned.

Rikka still seemed a little worried: "But this place must be very expensive."

She glanced at the Manyoshu stone carvings displayed on the bookshelf, then at the low tea table with gold trim set up by the window. Everywhere she looked, she could see the high-end and luxurious atmosphere that the hotel wanted to convey. It was quite obvious that the price for a room would be very attractive.

Even for close friends, this level of hospitality is excessively expensive.

"I told you not to worry about these details. As long as everyone is happy, that's all that matters. Let's divide the rooms first."

Since Eriri had already said that, it wasn't appropriate for anyone else to ask any further questions about it.

However, everyone, including Kasumigaoka who doesn't get along with Eriri, is thinking that they should think of ways to reciprocate in other ways, such as giving her a gift or treating her to a few more meals.

In short, one should not simply accept the other party's kindness without a reason.

Even friends are sometimes three-tenths guests. You can't just ignore what others say and completely disregard it yourself. That's not magnanimity; it's being naive.

One-sided demands or sacrifices can disrupt the balance of a relationship; effective reciprocity is the key to a lasting friendship.

Eriri took the lead, and Rikka also seemed very excited. The two of them rushed to the side, pushed open the door, and went inside.

Yukino's motion sickness had subsided considerably. Looking at them as if they were two carefree children, she inexplicably felt a maternal instinct, smiled helplessly, and slowly followed behind.

"Chiya, Shiha, let's go take a look too," Saeko said.

Yuan Qianye took out his phone and shook his head: "I'll call home and tell them we've arrived. You guys go ahead and see."

Saeko and Shiha nodded, watching as Chiya opened the French windows and walked into the courtyard.

Shiyu said softly, "Qianye is really family-oriented and cares a lot about his family. After he came out, he knew to let his family know that he had arrived safely as soon as he got to the hotel."

Saeko chimed in, "Indeed, it's really rare to see a guy like him these days. In my previous kendo club, we often heard male members complaining about their families or their family members' situations, but I've never seen anything like it from Chiya."

It was a very simple thing, yet it was enough for these two people with such meticulous attention to detail to discern something.

It's good that he cares about his family; it means he will care about his partner and future children in the same way.

The two exchanged a knowing smile without making a sound, and then looked at his figure in the sunset outside, their eyes softening.

Meanwhile, Yuan Qianye had already made a video call. He put on his slippers by the corridor and walked slowly to the yew tree next to the wall. After waiting for about twenty seconds, the video call was finally connected.

On the phone screen appeared Shihua leaning against the sofa, gently rubbing her eyes, her face still sleepy.

Looking at her like this, Yuan Qianye felt that Shihua was soft and cute at this moment, which made his heart flutter.

"Are you sleeping at this hour?"

"I slept with Chiyo last night and got up twice, so I didn't sleep well. I was reading on the sofa just now, but I was so sleepy that I dozed off for a while."

"Let me help out in the future too. I can change diapers and feed the baby."

"Forget it, you're always so busy, you need to get some rest." Tohka covered her mouth with the back of her hand, yawned slightly, and noticed the background of Gen Chiya's group: "Are you guys at the hotel?"

"Mmm." Yuan Qianye turned his phone around to show her. "Isn't it pretty?"

"Yeah, that's good. Have fun with Rikka."

"You've been working hard lately. I'm just here to give you a preview. If you like it, how about I invite you over to relax on your own next time?"

"As long as you have the intention, that's enough. I don't think there's any difference between soaking in a hot spring and taking a bath at home. If you want to talk about mineral components, I can just buy some mineral-rich bath salts and sprinkle them into the bathtub, and it will have the same effect."

"You can't say that. The reason why hot spring culture has been passed down to this day and is sought after by more and more people is that it does have some benefits, such as relieving fatigue, treating diseases and maintaining health, and moisturizing the skin. Shihua, during those days when you have pain every month, you might be able to alleviate the symptoms by soaking in hot springs to improve blood circulation."

"Thank you, but you didn't need to go to such lengths for me!"

Yuan Qianye smiled without saying a word. Toka, who seemed slightly annoyed, was also very cute. He wanted to pick her up, put her on his lap, and then gently bite her earlobe.

"I'm not talking to you anymore, I should probably go make dinner now."

"Okay, give Chiyo a kiss for me."

"Know it."

Shihua hung up the video call with mixed feelings.

Distracted by Qianye, she was now wide awake and her feelings were quite complicated.

She really didn't want to think in that direction, but she just couldn't help feeling that her younger brother saw her as a woman, not as an adopted sister (there was no blood relation), and was slowly trying to win her over.

I think I really am going crazy...

Shaking her head in slight frustration, Shihua tried her best to banish this inexplicable sense of déjà vu from her mind and refused to think about it any further.

Yuan Qianye reminisced about the adorable and innocent look on Toka's face when she first woke up, and happily went back to his room.

By this time, everyone seemed to have already been assigned to their respective rooms.

There are a total of three bedrooms, two on the left and one on the right, connected by a common living space.

Eriri, Rikka, and Yukino shared one room, while Utaha and Saeko shared another; they occupied the room on the left.

The last remaining room was where Gen Chiya rested.

Once you arrive at the hot spring hotel, the most anticipated activity is naturally soaking in the hot spring.

But after they were assigned to their rooms, another waiter came over at the opportune moment to knock on their doors and ask if they wanted dinner.

Seeing Rikka unconsciously pat her tummy, Eriri knew she was hungry, so she looked at Yukino.

"Yukino, how are you now? Are you still dizzy? Can you eat anything?"

I also cast a concerned glance toward Kasumigaoka.

Since Qianye is here, give her some face.

"It's much better now."

After Yukino, Kasumigaoka also nodded, indicating that she was fine.

"In that case, let's eat first."

Night had fallen outside, and it was indeed getting late.

The waiter nodded and quickly went down to bring two more people back to set up tables for each person and to place the tableware.

Rikka watched their actions and found them amusing. She had originally wanted to take a picture, but then thought it might be inappropriate and gave up the idea. Instead, she leaned close to Eriri's ear and asked, "Dinner should be included in the room rate, right?"

"It originally did include three meals a day, but I paid extra to upgrade the quality of the complimentary meals."

"Upgraded?"

"Yes, a normal Japanese dinner has been upgraded to a kaiseki meal."

The waiter overheard the guests' conversation and chimed in with a smile.

"The customer has excellent taste. Our kaiseki cuisine is very famous, and many government officials from Tokyo are regular customers."

"Eh—" Rikka looked on with a puzzled yet impressive expression.

Eriri said to the waiter, "Excuse me, could you please bring all the dishes together at once? It would be too much trouble to bring them one by one."

"Ok, I see."

"Thank you for your help."

"Not at all, please don't be so polite, it's just our duty."

Many guests are like this; they prefer a private dining environment and are not used to having someone serve them, pour their drinks, or introduce the dishes.

Bringing all the dishes over at once actually saves the waiter some trouble.

As one exquisite dish after another was served, Rikka's eyes visibly lit up.