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

He couldn't help but think of Yukino, who was far away in the Eagle Country.

So it turns out that the second young lady has been harboring these feelings all these years.

If there's a chance in the future, I'll let her win this time.

…………

035: The Bitterness in the Hearts of Young Girls

"I am back."

"Thanks for your hard work."

Around 7 p.m., Yuan Qianye returned home.

Shihua poked her head out from the living room in response: "There's some food left for you at home. Shall we go heat it up for you?"

Yuan Qianye lowered his head and took off his shoes: "No need, I've already eaten at a friend's house, I'll have it for breakfast tomorrow."

I must say, Saeko Busujima's cooking skills are really good, and her habit of cleaning up after herself while cooking is also admirable. She will definitely be a virtuous wife and loving mother when she grows up.

Shika walked over, picked up the long object that Chiya had placed on the entryway cabinet, and opened the black cloth bag to take a look. Inside was a brand new wooden knife.

Are you planning to practice kendo?

"Well, after witnessing what happened yesterday, I think it's necessary to learn some self-defense techniques."

"It's quite heavy; it looks like good wood. It must have cost a lot of money."

"It wasn't bought from a store; it was a gift from a friend. Apparently, it's a special product that's unique to their family and not sold elsewhere."

"Eh... her..."

Shihua initially looked sarcastic, but quickly realized what was going on.

Did the officer return a wooden sword to the girl named Saeko Busujima who went to the police station with me last night when we were leaving?

"Hey Qianye, Mom said you went to a friend's house today. That friend wouldn't happen to be......"

"Yes, it's Saeko Busujima. She's a year ahead of me and the captain of our school's kendo club. Her kendo skills are quite high."

Yuan Qianye casually replied that it was nothing that couldn't be said.

"You two only met yesterday, and she's already given you a wooden knife. It hasn't been long."

"Don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who's greedy for small gains. I'll give her a gift back later."

That's not the problem.

Shihua secretly grumbled to herself.

At that moment, Rikka and Eriri, who hadn't gone home yet, heard the noise outside and came out of the second bedroom.

"Qianye, you're back."

"Eri?" Chiya Minamoto seemed a little surprised.

Eriri stood with her hands behind her back, and for some reason, she felt very happy to see her childhood friend, Chiya: "I came to visit Rikka today, I'm sorry to bother you for the night."

Earlier, around dinnertime, Junko Takanashi saw that the two little ones were having a great time playing together, so she hospitably invited Eriri to stay overnight.

Since we're from the same school anyway, we can go to school together tomorrow morning.

Eriri was very interested in this and called home. Her mother told her to behave well at someone else's house, and she obediently agreed. That's how the matter was settled.

"Really? That's great. You can take these and eat them together."

Gen Chiya handed over the roasted chestnuts and pine cones he had bought; these were all snacks that Rikka liked to eat.

Rikka's eyes lit up as she grabbed it, exclaiming, "Onii-chan, I love you!"

This guy only uses this ingratiating term of endearment to Chiya when he's particularly happy.

Shihua looked displeased: "It's not like she doesn't have pocket money. You shouldn't spoil her like this."

"It's alright, it's just once in a while. Sister Shihua, you should try some too. The freshly cooked chestnuts are very fragrant."

"I'll pass."

Unlike her younger sister, Shihua was already in high school, and her normal love of beauty as a woman was beginning to emerge.

Previously, when using Qianye to stretch her legs, this guy casually remarked, "Sister Shihua, have your calves gotten a little thicker lately?" This made Shihua completely give up her habit of eating after dinner.

As usual, once he got home, with nothing else to do, Yuan Qianye immediately went into the bathroom.

Rikka and Eriri also noticed the brand-new wooden sword he had brought back.

Rikka carefully pulled out the wooden sword, its considerable weight causing her to gasp in astonishment.

She was at the age of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome), and immediately struck a few cool sword-wielding poses.

As for Eriri, she learned about Saeko Busujima from Toka and from Chiya Minamoto's recent return from her home.

A sudden, indescribable feeling of suffocation welled up inside me.

I feel... a little unhappy all of a sudden.

Eriri knew she wouldn't get a response if she confided in Rikka about this, so she instinctively thought of her best friend Yukino, who was far away in the Eagle Country.

She mentally calculated the time difference and, knowing it was daytime for Yukino, took out her phone without hesitation.

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 morning classes have ended.

Yukino Yukinoshita walked alone to the cafeteria.

Even after so many days in the UK, she still couldn't fully get used to life in a foreign country.

Cultural differences lead to differences in various aspects.

The most obvious manifestation of this is in diet.

People from the United States are not used to eating rice. They prefer to eat various noodle products, meats, and potatoes. They add potatoes to almost every dish.

The cuisine is also a bit rougher compared to that of Japan.

However, Yukino Yukinoshita is not a picky eater. For the sake of her healthy development, she still makes sure to get enough nutrition every day, even if the food here doesn't suit her taste.

Yukino sat alone in a corner of the cafeteria with her tray. Whenever she saw other people in pairs, she couldn't help but think of her friends back home.

I miss you all the time, but it's never to the point of being uncontrollable.

She appears quiet and indifferent most of the time, but she also has a mischievous side.

Separation isn't all bad. She can work hard here, become even more outstanding, and then amaze everyone when she returns after many days!

The restaurant was noisy. As usual, Yukino took out her earphones and was about to listen to music when she suddenly smiled.

Eriri sent a message.

[Yukino, do you have time now? I have something very important to tell you!]

Looking at this line of text, Yukino could almost picture Eriri's serious and tense little face.

That cute, petite girl with pigtails—that's just her personality. Even the smallest thing can make her rush over and immediately come to me to tell me everything.

However, she didn't dislike this feeling of being trusted and relied upon by her at all.

Yukino smiled and typed a reply.

【What's wrong, Eriri?】

[Qianye went to the police station last night!]

? !

Yukino's eyes widened as she read the message, but before she could type a reply, Eriri sent several more messages in quick succession.

[And it seems he now wants to learn kendo!]

[It seems he went to the house of that senior student he met last night; she even gave him a wooden sword!]

???

What is all this nonsense?

Eriri, I don't quite understand. Please explain things one by one.

Ah, okay...

Ten minutes passed.

Yukino finally began to understand what had happened.

I also roughly understood why Eriri was so flustered.

In short, Chiya got involved in an incident and met a senior student named Saeko Busujima. The two seem to have become good friends now.

Eriri has loved playing with Chiya since elementary school, and they are practically inseparable.

It's understandable that she would feel lost now that she sees her childhood friend suddenly having other male friends.

Yukino breathed a sigh of relief; she was glad that Chiya was alright.

As for his desire to learn kendo and the new friends he has made, she doesn't think there's anything to worry about.

Eriri, Kendo, as a competitive sport, can not only improve physical fitness but also cultivate character. It's a good thing that Chiya wants to learn Kendo to improve herself.

As for that senior student, since Qianye acknowledges her, she must be of excellent character. You could try to befriend her.

Yukino sent the text message.

That's a good point, but at this moment, she was imagining that senior student whose face and figure she didn't know.

Yet, a similar feeling to Eriri's before welled up in her heart... a faint bitterness mixed with a touch of melancholy.

And then there's... a slight dissatisfaction.

After all, it had been three whole days since that guy last sent me a "goodnight" goodbye.

…………