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

Based on Chiya's understanding of Mrs. Yukinoshita, she was probably aware of this latter reason.

Even so, she still made a point of asking, and the intention behind that is quite intriguing.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Haruno immediately quieted down and made no move to start a conversation. Yukino, sandwiched between the two in the back seat, also remained quiet and silent.

I don't know if it's because of their upbringing that they don't interrupt their mother when she speaks, or if they each have their own thoughts, or... they also want to hear the answer to this question.

In short, he was the only one left to take action at this point.

“There’s no particular reason,” Gen Chiyo said, his voice steady. “I’m just having some trouble, so naturally I wanted to ask Yukino for help, just like we used to.”

It's unclear whether Chiya's answer satisfied her future mother-in-law, but Yukino's reaction was rather subtle.

She suddenly turned to look at him, her cool eyes filled with complex emotions, like ripples gently spreading across them.

Why are you looking at me like that? I'm just telling the truth!

Yuan Qianye raised his eyes, and the look in his eyes as he looked back clearly conveyed this meaning.

Yukino's lips curled up slightly as if she was amused, but she quickly calmed down and tried to hide her uncontrollable little emotions. She stopped making eye contact with him and looked straight ahead again.

Mrs. Yukinoshita, who was standing to the side, took in the subtle interaction between the two and couldn't help but smile gently, her expression filled with a touch of nostalgia: "Indeed. When Yukino was little, she was even colder than she is now, and she didn't have many friends. You were her best friend."

"Mom!" At this point, Yukino could no longer remain indifferent: "Have you forgotten that there are other people around?"

Mrs. Yukinoshita immediately understood, her smile deepening: "I didn't mean to ignore Eriri, you know. But you two really became close around the third grade of elementary school, right? From kindergarten until then, weren't you only closest to Chiya-kun?"

"And, the reason she got along well with Eriri was probably thanks to Chiya back then." Suddenly, Haruno, who had been silent in the front row, chimed in, her tone light and slightly mischievous.

Xueno: "..."

She simply couldn't deny that.

"Speaking of which, I vaguely heard Yukino mention it back then." Mrs. Yukinoshita seemed lost in memories, lightly tapping her chin with her fingertips: "It seems that Eriri encountered some difficulties, and Chiya-kun and Yukino helped her together, and the three of them became acquainted because of this, is that right?"

“Hmm.” Yang Nai turned slightly from the passenger seat, her eyes curving into crescents: “Little Chiyo was quite cunning back then. Not only did she find a way to get me to play a role and help, but she also gave Yukino an irresistible reason to willingly put on a magical girl cosplay outfit and go on stage to perform in a stage play.”

Mrs. Yukinoshita rested her chin on her hand: "Hearing you say that makes me suddenly nostalgic. I think we still have those videotapes from back then at home."

"Of course, since this is one of the few times that Yukino has truly shown her cute side, I made three copies. Just in case someone maliciously destroys them, I also made backups on my local computer and cloud storage. If Mom wants to see it, I'll send you a copy when we get back."

For some reason, the topic shifted subtly, from exploring Chiyo's inner thoughts to revealing Yukino's dark childhood history.

One person was publicly tortured, while the other three were quite amused.

"Mom, do you remember when Yukino was three years old, she went to the park with us, but she was scared by a dog that was barking and was on a leash. She cried and clung to my leg and wouldn't let go."

"I remember you complaining to me back then that your brand new dress got dirty like this."

Gen Chiya's desire to join in was at an all-time high.

Over the years, with the development of technology and mainly due to the lag in the performance of old mobile phones, he has replaced his personal mobile phone twice.

However, the "epic data" about Yukino Yukinoshita stored inside has been treasured by him and has been preserved to this day. It is foreseeable that it will be passed down as a family heirloom in the future.

He hadn't forgotten Yukino's earlier instructions and was eager to take this opportunity to use his phone to share with his mother-in-law the series of actions Yukino, despite her strong reluctance, had to take in front of his camera because of her promise to keep her bet—including, but not limited to—

She performed gymnastics with rather stiff steps, then awkwardly mimicked a cat's meows with her hands on her head like cat ears. Holding both of their report cards in front of her, she glared at him with gritted teeth and declared, "Today is [date], and I, Yukino Yukinoshita, lost to Chiya Minamoto in the final exams. This is my fourth defeat, and I concede defeat..."

Whenever Yuan Qianye feels tired and thinks she's worked too hard, she takes out these old videos and watches them, then smiles knowingly and feels healed.

This is his spiritual nourishment, and it is extremely important.

He felt that bringing out this hidden gem at this moment would surely earn him a happy smile from his mother-in-law.

But he ultimately didn't do it, mainly because the timing wasn't right.

If I were to watch those videos in front of the second young lady, it would feel no different from making her moan and groan in public.

If he were so inhuman, she would most likely give up the idea of ​​staying in this world on the spot and try to take him down with her.

Yuan Qianye didn't want to die together with her, and even if they were to die together, the place shouldn't be in the car.

Therefore, now, listening to his mother-in-law and Yukino's increasingly off-topic conversation, and looking at Yukino's embarrassed expression that was trying to appear calm but was full of flaws, he felt that the right choice at this moment should be another one.

He reached out and gently patted Yukino's slightly clenched hand, which was resting on her lap.

Meeting Yukino's suddenly stunned gaze, he raised his voice slightly: "Auntie, the reason I asked Yukino for help is not only because of our friendship, but also because of another reason. She excels in humanities subjects and enjoys reading a lot. I have read her essays many times and concluded that she is also very good at writing and understanding literature. It is for this reason that I chose her."

He managed to steer the increasingly off-topic discussion back on track in a somewhat awkward way.

The second young lady's reaction to this was naturally...

hiss--!

Why are you pinching people!

Yuan Qianye winced in pain and quickly withdrew his hand.

He was met with a glare from Yukino, her ears burning red and her expression one of utter embarrassment and anger.

He rubbed the back of his hand, feeling quite innocent. He had spoken to stop her from being teased in the conversation, and patted her hand simply to comfort her. Perhaps he had accidentally touched her thigh in the process... but no matter what, he was doing it entirely out of good intentions to help her!

We're in this together, aren't we?!

The way Gen Chiya looked at her kept conveying this meaning.

However, Yukino's extremely shaken eyes did not look at him at all, so such a signal was ultimately not received.

In such a cramped car, how could the interaction between the two escape Mrs. Yukinoshita's eyes? But she pretended not to notice anything and naturally continued along with his words: "So, Chiya-kun actually values ​​Yukino's abilities more?"

That's right.

"Oh my~" Yukino's mother smiled even more gently and happily: "Yukino, did you hear that? This is the evaluation of you by the up-and-coming bestselling novelist who won both the Rampo Award and the Hayakawa Award."

"What he thinks of me is his business," Yukino said, turning her face away and feigning indifference. "Anyway, I only agreed to help him this once."

Mrs. Yukinoshita showed just the right amount of doubt on her face, glanced at Minamoto Chiya, and quickly regained her confident smile: "That being said, you were taking notes very carefully when he was giving his speech on stage just now."

"...!"

From Yukino's perspective, nothing made her feel more helpless than her own mother's teasing. She could argue back against her older sister's words, but she was truly powerless against her mother.

Seeing that the second young lady was about to fall into a state of self-isolation again, it was Yuan Qianye who spoke up again. This time, he took the opportunity of his parents' words to greet Mrs. Yukinoshita and extend an invitation to have dinner together later. He chatted about such family matters and once again successfully changed the subject.

The journey back to Yukinoshita's house from the university always took nearly an hour, and Minamoto Chiya followed along with Mrs. Yukinoshita, with Haruno occasionally chiming in as a side character, chatting all the way.

Yukino was quite dissatisfied with Chiya's womanizing character, but it was undeniable that he was exceptionally outstanding in many other aspects as well.

For example, the ability to chat happily with elders as if it were innate made her realize that she probably could never learn it in her entire life.

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.

When I arrived at Yukinoshita's house, it was already past four in the afternoon.

After getting off the bus, Yukino and Haruno, who were a few steps behind Yukino and Chiyo, exchanged a glance. They smiled knowingly at each other about what had happened on their way home.

After returning home, Mrs. Yukinoshita invited Chiya Minamoto to sit in the living room, while Haruno pulled her younger sister to the kitchen.

One person brews tea, while another takes out snacks from the refrigerator to serve guests.

After resting for a while, Mrs. Yukinoshita looked at the sky outside. "That child's meaning... But you and she really became close around the third grade of elementary school, right? From kindergarten until then, weren't you only closest to Chiya-kun?"

"And, the reason she got along well with Eriri was probably thanks to Chiya back then." Suddenly, Haruno, who had been silent in the front row, chimed in, her tone light and slightly mischievous.

Xueno: "..."

She simply couldn't deny that.

"Speaking of which, I vaguely heard Yukino mention it back then." Mrs. Yukinoshita seemed lost in memories, lightly tapping her chin with her fingertips: "It seems that Eriri encountered some difficulties, and Chiya-kun and Yukino helped her together, and the three of them became acquainted because of this, is that right?"

“Hmm.” Yang Nai turned slightly from the passenger seat, her eyes curving into crescents: “Little Chiyo was quite cunning back then. Not only did she find a way to get me to play a role and help, but she also gave Yukino an irresistible reason to willingly put on a magical girl cosplay outfit and go on stage to perform in a stage play.”

Mrs. Yukinoshita rested her chin on her hand: "Hearing you say that makes me suddenly nostalgic. I think we still have those videotapes from back then at home."

"Of course, since this is one of the few times that Yukino has truly shown her cute side, I made three copies. Just in case someone maliciously destroys them, I also made backups on my local computer and cloud storage. If Mom wants to see it, I'll send you a copy when we get back."

For some reason, the topic shifted subtly, from exploring Chiyo's inner thoughts to revealing Yukino's dark childhood history.

One person was publicly tortured, while the other three were quite amused.

"Mom, do you remember when Yukino was three years old, she went to the park with us, but she was scared by a dog that was barking and was on a leash. She cried and clung to my leg and wouldn't let go."

"I remember you complaining to me back then that your brand new dress got dirty like this."

Gen Chiya's desire to join in was at an all-time high.

Over the years, with the development of technology and mainly due to the lag in the performance of old mobile phones, he has replaced his personal mobile phone twice.

However, the "epic data" about Yukino Yukinoshita stored inside has been treasured by him and has been preserved to this day. It is foreseeable that it will be passed down as a family heirloom in the future.

He hadn't forgotten Yukino's earlier instructions and was eager to take this opportunity to use his phone to share with his mother-in-law the series of actions Yukino, despite her strong reluctance, had to take in front of his camera because of her promise to keep her bet—including, but not limited to—

She performed gymnastics with rather stiff steps, then awkwardly mimicked a cat's meows with her hands on her head like cat ears. Holding both of their report cards in front of her, she glared at him with gritted teeth and declared, "Today is [date], and I, Yukino Yukinoshita, lost to Chiya Minamoto in the final exams. This is my fourth defeat, and I concede defeat..."

Whenever Yuan Qianye feels tired and thinks she's worked too hard, she takes out these old videos and watches them, then smiles knowingly and feels healed.

This is his spiritual nourishment, and it is extremely important.

He felt that bringing out this hidden gem at this moment would surely earn him a happy smile from his mother-in-law.

But he ultimately didn't do it, mainly because the timing wasn't right.

If I were to watch those videos in front of the second young lady, it would feel no different from making her moan and groan in public.

If he were so inhuman, she would most likely give up the idea of ​​staying in this world on the spot and try to take him down with her.

Yuan Qianye didn't want to die together with her, and even if they were to die together, the place shouldn't be in the car.

Therefore, now, listening to his mother-in-law and Yukino's increasingly off-topic conversation, and looking at Yukino's embarrassed expression that was trying to appear calm but was full of flaws, he felt that the right choice at this moment should be another one.

He reached out and gently patted Yukino's slightly clenched hand, which was resting on her lap.

Meeting Yukino's suddenly stunned gaze, he raised his voice slightly: "Auntie, the reason I asked Yukino for help is not only because of our friendship, but also because of another reason. She excels in humanities subjects and enjoys reading a lot. I have read her essays many times and concluded that she is also very good at writing and understanding literature. It is for this reason that I chose her."

He managed to steer the increasingly off-topic discussion back on track in a somewhat awkward way.

The second young lady's reaction to this was naturally...

hiss--!

Why are you pinching people!

Yuan Qianye winced in pain and quickly withdrew his hand.

He was met with a glare from Yukino, her ears burning red and her expression one of utter embarrassment and anger.

He rubbed the back of his hand, feeling quite innocent. He had spoken to stop her from being teased in the conversation, and patted her hand simply to comfort her. Perhaps he had accidentally touched her thigh in the process... but no matter what, he was doing it entirely out of good intentions to help her!