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

There's no point in thinking about it now. I should finish reading Qianye's diary first and then make a decision.

But as she turned to the next entry in her diary and continued reading from where she had just stopped, Toka's gaze gradually turned strange.

The aura around him was no longer as hot as it had been just moments before.

Instead, it gradually cools down.

……

December 25th

Today is Christmas, and I invited friends over to my house. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to be all together in such a warm and happy atmosphere.

It's a pity that Shihua is no longer here.

She said she went to help out at the store, but I feel like she just thought that if she were there, we would feel uncomfortable. She was as gentle as ever, even though we didn't need to care so much.

But it's precisely this unintentional display of care for others that makes her so charming; I feel like I like her even more now.

In addition, some other things happened today.

To put it simply, while I was playing games tonight, someone touched my foot under the fireplace.

At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but the frequency of it became quite high, which made me realize something was wrong.

It wasn't an accidental touch, but rather a deliberate attempt to flirt and seek intimacy.

I quickly identified Saeko by looking at everyone's seats; it was Saeko who had made that move on purpose.

I was a little surprised; I didn't think she was the kind of girl who was promiscuous.

But at this moment, her actions seemed frivolous and inconsistent with her personality.

Was it just playful teasing, or did she actually have feelings for me?

After that, the game moved to the next stage, and everyone switched positions.

Then, around this time, someone started touching me with their foot under the stove again. This time, they even reached my inner thigh, accompanied by a gentle sliding and rubbing motion with their toes.

This time it's not Saeko, but Utaha.

Her movements were bolder than Saeko's and lasted much longer.

I did not respond to this.

Because the first thing that comes to my mind right now is Shika.

Although I haven't said it out loud for various reasons in reality, I'm still certain that she's the one I like.

So I never said anything. I always felt that if I responded to them at that time, it would be like betraying Toka and my feelings for her.

It's just a little strange... I'm the kind of person who's quite particular about hygiene.

Wash hands before meals and rinse mouth after meals; always carry tissues when going out; cannot bear to see any stains on my clothes.

If you have no choice but to use a public restroom, and there isn't an automatic disposable seat cover device, you'll inevitably have to wipe the toilet seat clean, round and round.

Although I don't say it, I sometimes complain about my dad, who is my family member.

Rikka is the same way. If she comes back from outside and runs to my bed without showering or changing her clothes, I feel a little resistant.

But for Shihua, this feeling was completely absent.

My troublesome personality traits completely failed me in front of her.

I didn't mind her body was covered in sweat after exercising, nor did I care that she came to my room as soon as she got home and sat on my bed to discuss things with me.

I always thought that she was probably the only one in my life who would receive such special treatment from me.

But to my surprise, Saeko and Utaha touched me directly with their feet one after the other, and I didn't feel any resistance at all.

I tried hard to imagine their feet trapped in those little leather shoes, the steam rising from their lower bodies as they took them off, in an attempt to bring my own sense of rejection back into play.

But it failed.

I never felt even the slightest bit of disgust towards them.

……

December 31st

New Year's Eve, the last day of the year.

I used to be indifferent to such holidays because it was just my dad and me, and there was no festive atmosphere at all.

But now that there are ten-flower and six-flower varieties, it's completely different.

Shihua looked quite beautiful today, her hair was tied up with a hair tie, and she was wearing the necklace I gave her on her snow-white neck.

The moment she greeted me with a smile first thing in the morning, I was instantly healed by her.

I have a strong urge to pull her into my arms, bury my face in her neck, and inhale deeply...

But it's just a thought. If I actually did it, she would probably be very angry, and our relationship would break down.

I told Toka about Saeko and Kazusa's family situation; their parents aren't around, and I wanted to invite them to come over for the holiday.

Toka agreed without hesitation. As expected, I love Toka the most for being so kind and gentle.

When Saeko came to visit tonight, she didn't do anything else to me behind my back.

Even Kazusa, who's a picky eater, seems satisfied with tonight's meal.

When she eats, her cheeks puff out, which is different from her usual sharp style and makes her look kind of cute.

……

January 18th

I don't know if I should call it bad luck.

On the 3rd, I went to pay my respects to the gods for the New Year with everyone.

Everyone was making sincere wishes. I was initially skeptical, but Rikka persuaded me that they were very effective, so I tried making a wish myself.

The content of the wish was entirely selfish.

I hope that Sister Shihua can like me as much as I like her, and that we can officially date after I enter high school, so that we can experience all the things I used to do with her in my dreams.

It turns out that Rikka was probably right. Perhaps my wish was too improper, and even the gods couldn't stand it, so they punished me.

I went to Touma's house, and because of the flu, I was quarantined until today before I came back.

A lot happened during this time. Under the guidance of Kazusa, a piano prodigy, my piano skills improved rapidly.

Kazusa's attitude towards me has become increasingly friendly because she likes my cooking.

The time we spent living under the same roof was actually quite pleasant, setting aside my anxious feelings of missing Toka and wanting to see her.

During this period, Kazusa's mother also frequently asked people to send in some high-end ingredients.

The only slightly troubling thing is that when she video calls her daughter, she often jokingly asks me to call her "Mom".

I understand what she meant.

Whenever Kazusa hears her mother say that, she always replies with something like, "My mother is an idiot, don't listen to her."

But her face remained flushed throughout the conversation.

I feel like she might have feelings for me.

I actually quite enjoy spending time with her.

But this feeling of liking is different from the kind of liking I have for Toka, the kind of liking where I want to spend the rest of my life with her, and that much is certain.

……

March 20th

As the weather begins to warm up, people start to wear lighter and cooler clothes.

Therefore, I've recently felt that my feelings for Toka are starting to become uncontrollable, and I often have some fantasies after seeing her.

Lately, I often let Shika take a bath first, and then I follow her into the bathroom.

The purpose of doing this is self-evident...

I always feel like I'm getting worse, but I just can't help doing it...

……

April 25th

Today, while I was tidying up the kendo dojo's storage room with Saeko, she lost her balance and fell off the stepladder.

I caught her and prevented her from getting hurt.

Looking at her in my arms with an expression of complete nonchalance and reassurance, I wondered if she had deliberately fallen.

But whether it was intentional or not, I don't find it annoying.

When I first met Saeko, I witnessed her incredible swordsmanship.

Besides feeling a sense of longing, there was also a desire to improve one's physical fitness so that one could better protect Toka.

But now, I'm starting to realize that Saeko is also a very outstanding person...

……

June 17th

Invited to Eriri's house, I accidentally spilled a cold drink on my pants while chatting in the living room.

Eriri's first reaction was to grab a tissue and wipe me clean; afterwards, her face turned bright red.

Aunt Sawamura came over and teased her, so Eriri immediately hid back in her room.

The rest of the time was spent chatting with Aunt Sawamura.

I've noticed that I seem to be quite popular with older women. This is true for Aunt Touma, Aunt Kasumigaoka, and Aunt Yukinoshita.

Shika is a few years older than me; I wish she were also affected by this rule...

……

July 31st

Today I accompanied Shiyu to the banquet hosted by the paperback company.