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

The others seemed relatively calm. Yuan Qianye and Shiyu were just like that in their personalities, mostly reserved and unassuming. The other girls were mostly worldly-wise and didn't find it particularly strange.

"Guest, the dishes are all served. Please feel free to call me anytime if you need anything."

"Thank you for your help."

The waiter smiled, knelt down, and slowly closed the sliding door.

Rikka sat at her table, not in a hurry to pick up her chopsticks. Looking at the miniature portions of food served on small plates, she exclaimed, "So this is kaiseki cuisine. I've seen it on TV before, but this is my first time actually eating it."

Eriri, worried that her friend might feel awkward eating, said nonchalantly, "It just sounds very high-class to people who haven't tried it, but actually it's just okay."

“That’s true. Kaiseki cuisine isn’t actually as famous as the media makes it out to be.” Yukino knelt down at the table, sitting right next to Minamoto Chiyo on his left. From his perspective, he could see her little feet in over-the-knee socks neatly tucked under her bottom, showing how well-mannered she was.

Saeko sat down to his right: "It is said that this is a style of cooking that developed from Zen."

Rikka was puzzled: "Zen?"

Shi Yu felt a little regretful for being a step too late, but she wasn't upset, since the journey had only just begun.

She sat down opposite him: "Well, it is said that a long time ago there was a monk who, in order to resist hunger during long periods of meditation, would hold a stone in his belly to ward off hunger, hence the name 'Holding Stone'."

"I was surprised to learn that there's such a connection between the origins of this story." Rikka exclaimed in surprise.

"That's why I always tell you to read more serious books," Yuan Qianye said sarcastically at the right moment.

"Qianye, you've changed. You talk like an older sister now. You always find a chance to teach me a lesson."

"This is for your own good."

"This sentence, too, is full of spirit."

"Don't make up words for me."

But to be honest, those words actually sounded quite pleasant...

“Although the historical origin is very simple, kaiseki cuisine is still a representative of high-end cuisine in modern times. Eriri, thank you for your hard work this time.” Gen Chiyo looked at Eriri with gratitude, and the others also looked at her with gentle eyes.

This made Eriri very happy, feeling that her efforts had been rewarded, but she really didn't know how to respond. Her face was flushed, and she could only try her best to pretend that she didn't care: "Don't say that... Okay! Everyone, let's eat quickly, it won't be good if the food gets cold."

After she said that, and took the initiative to lead the way, the others also started to follow suit.

It must be said that the people of this island nation, who seem to have a comfortable life, are indeed very good at product marketing.

Simple and common appetizers, clear soups, sashimi, stews, etc., have been given new, high-end-sounding names like "sakifuku," "gowan," "zoshin," and "saki-gai."

Furthermore, they primarily select fresh ingredients, emphasizing the "freshness" of "tasting the flavors of the season." All the serving utensils are also ceramic products, which, when placed on the table, are warm and simple yet display a considerable degree of artistic appeal.

Take, for example, the appetizer that Yuan Qianye is eating now. It's sakura shrimp with tender bamboo shoots. The presentation is pleasing to the eye, and it's really fresh and delicious. But it's gone in one bite. He suspects that this little bit of food doesn't even weigh 20 grams.

The subsequent dishes, such as matsutake mushroom, fish, shellfish, and tofu soup, tuna belly with perilla leaves, grilled Wagyu beef, pumpkin stewed with oysters, and steamed egg custard with ginkgo nuts and shrimp, were all served in incredibly small portions, each one barely filling a single bite.

This amount seems just right for a girl.

But he's a guy who eats two pounds of food per meal, and he might eat even more if he likes a particular dish, so this amount isn't enough.

Seeing that he had finished all the food on his plate the fastest, Yukino covered her mouth and chuckled, "I guess we'll just have to ask the waiter to bring you something else."

Yuan Qianye was somewhat at a loss, feeling his stomach, which was not even half full: "Nod, that's the only way."

If you're hungry at night, you won't be able to sleep well.

He didn't order any more kaiseki dishes, but just a regular omelet rice dish, plus the tempura set meal recommended by the staff. He finished all the extra dishes and only then did he feel about 80% full.

That's enough; it's not advisable to eat too much at night.

Recently, he has noticed that he is eating more and more and his weight is gradually increasing, but there is no sign of him getting fat, and his body is becoming more and more robust.

It seems the amount of exercise from kendo has kept up, preventing his physique from becoming deformed, which is good.

Dinner is over, so naturally, the next step is...

"It's already past seven o'clock, shall we all go to the hot springs together?"

After nearly an hour of digestion, it was finally Rikka, who was eager to try it, who took the initiative to suggest it.

…………

Book 1: Chapter 137: Among six people, there must be one who steals fish!

The Xinxiang Hot Spring Resort received high ratings from over two thousand people online, with the top recommendation being the overwhelmingly positive phrase "worth a second visit."

It must have its own unique merits to receive such positive reviews.

Although Gen Chiya and his group praised the food here.

But ultimately, a hot spring resort must win by using hot springs.

If you simply want to eat something delicious, there's no need to make a special trip from Tokyo with multiple transfers to get here; the options in a big city are much more diverse.

Xinxiang Hot Spring Resort has clearly put a lot of effort into its hot spring facilities.

The most famous sulfur springs in Hakone need no introduction; they are known for their detoxifying and skin-softening properties.

They have also ingeniously launched other types of themed hot springs with unique characteristics.

For example, the "Women's Bath" is very suitable for women to drink. It contains iron ions and is said to improve anemia and promote blood circulation.

Or there's a beauty soup specifically for young women, with alkaline water that feels silky smooth and can whiten skin and fade blemishes.

And so on... Regardless of whether it's purely natural or artificially modified, the hype is there, and with so many choices, it's definitely more eye-catching than other monotonous hot spring hotels.

This time, Eriri booked the most prestigious suite in the hotel, giving her another option.

That is an open-air scenic hot spring located in a corner of the courtyard within the suite.

Although it is not as large as a public bathhouse, its advantage lies in its privacy. You will not be disturbed by outsiders. Families or friends can talk freely without worrying about disturbing others.

"It's already past seven o'clock, does everyone want to go to the hot springs together?"

The suggestion made by Rikka reached the ears of the other four girls present, causing them to have some thoughts of their own.

Yuan Qianye didn't react much. He was sitting cross-legged in front of the TV watching the evening news. The King of Truth was acting crazy again. He really was the most entertaining president. It was quite amusing.

Eriri glanced at Chiya discreetly before speaking first: "It's almost time. We need to rest early after our soak. Tomorrow we're planning to visit the hot spring shopping street nearby and then check out the shrine halfway up the mountain."

When she said that, the others all agreed.

Saeko turned her head to look at the courtyard, at the small hot spring pool enclosed by a bamboo fence, and asked, "So what are the arrangements for tonight? Should we go to the public hot spring pool outside, or just stay here in the courtyard?"

Rikka immediately replied, "Let's use the suite's private area tonight, and if we're interested tomorrow, we can try out the public ones outside."

Eriri agreed: "After all, it's part of the suite, so it would feel like a waste not to experience it at least once."

That's how it was settled.

However, there is still one problem.

Yukino looked at Chiya Minamoto, who was still engrossed in watching the evening news, and moved closer to ask, "So what are you going to do?"

After finishing our meal in the room, we turned on the underfloor heating.

Once the room warmed up, everyone took off their coats.

Yukino was the same; her close-fitting soft sweater exuded the sweet scent unique to young girls, which was clearly perceived by Minamoto Chiya's keen sense of smell.

He kept his eyes glued to the TV screen without turning his head: "You guys go first, I'll go after you're done."

There's no rule against men and women bathing together in private hot springs; you can have a huge sex party there without any problem.

Although that is someone's ultimate ideal, given their current relationship... it's too early to say, so let's forget about it for now.

Yukino nodded in agreement with Chiyo's answer; it was the same as what she had thought, and she felt there was no problem.

But others had different ideas.

Saeko looked at Chiya Minamoto, then at the others. Considering their modesty as girls, and trying to understand their perspective, she hesitated, clearly wanting to say something but holding back.

Eriri was also secretly anxious. Unlike Saeko, she didn't think as much and even took other people's feelings into consideration.

She simply felt that it was a rare opportunity for everyone to get together and have fun, and they went to the hot springs together, which was lively and enjoyable.

But when Yuan Qianye was left alone to take a bath later, I felt sorry for him, seeing him all alone.

She felt quite conflicted about this. She had some specific thoughts in mind, but she was too embarrassed to say them out loud because of her girlish pride.

In that moment of hesitation, Yukino called out to her and the others, "Then let's go straight there. Although the pool isn't very big, it's more than enough to accommodate all of us."

Although the thought of them being completely naked in front of each other made her a little shy, Yukino felt there was no need to make him wait so long by taking separate baths, considering that Chiya was also coming up.

After she said that, it seemed that everything had been settled.

Most of the others also accepted this arrangement.

Kasumigaoka Utaha, who hadn't said much from beginning to end, suddenly put her hand to her forehead and sighed weakly, as if she was extremely tired or had some physical discomfort.

Everyone looked at her, including Yuan Qianye, who was watching the news.

The next moment, Kasumigaoka gently rubbed her temples with her palms, then knelt down next to Minamoto Chiyo and said in a weak voice, "I don't know what's wrong, I suddenly feel a little dizzy. You guys go to the bar first, I'll rest for a while and see how I feel."

The innocent Rikka immediately looked worried: "Utaha-nee, you're not having a food allergy, are you?"

It's no wonder she didn't think that way; although the portions of food for dinner tonight weren't large, the variety was truly abundant.

Everything that runs on land, swims in water, flies in the sky, vegetables, fruits, mushrooms... they're all there.

Shi Yu shook her head: "It shouldn't be. Maybe I just haven't fully recovered from the motion sickness. It's nothing serious. You guys go to the bar first, don't worry about me."

Hearing her say that, Rikka breathed a sigh of relief.

But Eriri felt that something seemed off.

Yukino, with her sharp eyes, immediately noticed the flaw.

I've never heard of motion sickness being delayed. This novelist didn't show any signs of motion sickness at all when he was eating dinner.

Moreover, after the meal, she was still telling Saeko about the interesting things she had encountered at the publishing house, and her smiling face didn't look like she was dizzy at all.

Now, just as everyone is about to go to the hot springs together, she suddenly becomes so delicate, appearing frail and weak.

Is this reasonable?

If we rule out the possibility that she was genuinely unwell, then her intention in deliberately staying alone instead of with the others is understandable.

Could it be that...

"What's wrong, Yukino, Eriri, Saeko-nee? Why aren't you all going back to your rooms to get your clothes?"