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

"Very good, then raise your hands and cover your head."

The two were puzzled, but they still continued to do as instructed.

"No, no, it's not like Yukino, with your hands on top of your head, nor like Utaha, with your hands on either side of your head. It should be like this, with your hands interlaced and supporting the back of your head, like this." Minamoto Chiyo said, demonstrating the gesture herself.

When Eriri saw his standard gesture, certain "knowledge" stored in her mind was instantly activated, which immediately reminded her of certain scenes and poses with subtle themes that usually appear in specific types of works, and her cheeks involuntarily became slightly hot.

The confusion in Yukino and Utaha's eyes gradually turned into a kind of understanding, followed by a feeling of embarrassment and annoyance.

Seeing that Yuan Qianye was so serious, as if he were genuinely explaining the rules of the competition, neither of them immediately objected. Instead, their eyes sharpened, and they patiently continued to follow his increasingly suspicious instructions.

"Very good. After supporting your head with both hands, don't lower your elbows too much. Raise them as high as possible, and then raise them even higher... Yes, that's right, perfect. You two are quite talented. Then, spread your feet slightly apart, about shoulder-width apart..."

Gen Chiyo watched the two move as they followed her commands, her eyes filled with admiration.

"...Okay, very good. Now I will explain the specific rules of the second round. In this round, we will compete in stamina. The competition is timed squats. Maintaining the current posture, whoever does the most standard squats within three minutes wins. So, who wants to go first?"

"..." Yukino silently lowered her hands from behind her head, letting them hang down at her sides. Her azure eyes narrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly, and the chill emanating from them was like a solid ice spike, shooting precisely straight at Minamoto Chiyo from a distance.

Shiyu glared at him too, but compared to Yukino's icy gaze that could almost freeze someone, that look was less like anger and more like the annoyance and embarrassment of seeing through Chiyo's little schemes.

“Brother…” Rikka drawled, her tone filled with speechlessness.

"Chiya!" Eriri's voice held both shyness and a hint of reproach.

The action he described has become a standardized template due to its high frequency of appearance in certain works, and has even gone beyond its original scope.

They could all understand the context and implications usually associated with this gesture.

In Eriri's own 10-18+ works, there are often such action compositions to show the process of the heroine in her paintings going from being aloof and proud to completely losing her dignity as a woman and falling into the depravity of a mere female who follows the pleasure of the flesh.

"Just kidding."

Yukino mercilessly exposed him: "Heh, if we hadn't brought it up, you probably would have just let the match continue naturally instead of emphasizing that it was just a joke, right?"

Otherwise, how could we call him a childhood friend? He has a perfect grasp of his little tricks and quirks in this regard.

"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Just pretend I didn't say anything."

Gen Chiya knew when to stop.

"The competition will still be a timed squat, but the movement will be changed to stretching your arms straight forward. Also, I've been thinking about it, and I suggest that you two do it together. After all, the person who goes last will have more rest time, which might affect the fairness of the competition. You can start whenever you're both ready."

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.

"You've worked hard, Minister."

"You've all worked hard. Training requires a balance of work and rest. You all performed very well today. That's all for today. Let's keep up the good work tomorrow!"

"Yes!"

2 PM, Kendo Room at Sobu High School.

After finishing her club's summer training camp, Saeko Busujima changed into casual clothes and headed to Chiya's apartment.

Everything was arranged in advance. We're all getting together today to plan our trip and have dinner at his place tonight.

It's been a while since we've had such a lively and bustling event. I'm sure it will be a very enjoyable occasion.

Although Saeko Busujima has practiced kendo since childhood and possesses exceptional martial arts skills, and her methods when she turns to the dark side are exceptionally cruel, this does not change the fact that she is, at heart, a gentle and quiet woman who cherishes friendship and family and longs for a warm and peaceful family.

Therefore, she actually really enjoys the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere of gatherings among friends.

About half an hour later, she arrived at the entrance of Yuanjia Apartment with great anticipation.

Rikka opened the door, and the house was as lively as Saeko had expected.

It was just a little different from what she had imagined; the place was a bit too lively.

From the moment she stepped into the entryway, she could hear singing coming from the living room.

It's Yukino's voice, singing the classic old song "Yukino Hana".

It must be said that the singing was quite beautiful, with excellent pitch and emotional expression.

She and Rikka entered the living room, where the first thing she saw was Yukino holding a microphone in both hands, singing earnestly to the lyrics displayed on the television screen, seemingly unaware of her arrival.

Shi Yu sat on the sofa, staring intently at the TV screen. However, her gaze was not actually focused on the lyrics at the bottom, but rather on the constantly changing scoring system at the top of the screen that judged pitch and rhythm.

Rikka said softly, "Saeko-nee, please make yourself at home. I'll go get you some tea."

"Thank you for your help."

"No trouble at all~"

"Saeko-nee, you're here." Eriri waved to Saeko in a low voice.

Saeko nodded slightly in response, somewhat confused about the situation at the moment.

Karaoke should be a lively and fun activity at a party, but why did the atmosphere at the scene subtly reveal a tense, almost competitive feeling, with no one singing along or clapping to liven things up?

Saeko followed Chiya's silent, smiling beckoning and sat down beside him.

Without any hesitation or reservation, Yuan Qianye leaned close to her ear and explained the current situation.

After a moment, Saeko nodded knowingly, a hint of helplessness and amusement flashing in her eyes.

"The competition... so what's the result now?" she asked in a low voice.

"In the first round, Yukino won the plank challenge; in the second round, Utaha won the squat contest; in the third round, Yukino won the logical reasoning detective contest; in the fourth round, Utaha won the impromptu creation contest under certain conditions; in the fifth round, Utaha won the game of frog jumping while blowing up a balloon without letting it fall; and in the sixth round, Yukino won the blindfolded olfactory and gustatory challenge."

Gen Chiya quietly counted on his fingers as he slowly combed Saeko's hair in order.

"In other words, the current score is three to three. What is happening now is a singing competition. The two of them will randomly choose three songs, take turns holding the microphone and challenging each other. The machine will automatically score them, and the one with the highest total score for the three songs will win."

"It sounds like... the battle is quite intense." Saeko's eyes widened slightly after hearing this, sparkling with curiosity and a hint of amazement: "However, their competitive spirit is really stronger than I imagined. These two people, who usually prefer quiet to activity, have actually managed to persist in the competition for so many rounds."

“Right, who can argue with that?” Yuan Qianye sighed softly. “I’ve deliberately tormented them like this, but all they can see is the desire to overpower the other. The match is already in its seventh round, and I don’t think they’ll give up until they get a final result.”

"I'm sorry, I should have come sooner."

"This has nothing to do with you, Saeko. You have club matters to attend to."

“But if I had come sooner, I might have been able to help ease the tension and prevent things from escalating to this point.” She gently placed her hand on Yuan Qianye’s, her voice reassuring: “Leave the rest to me, Qianye. You just need to cooperate as I tell you later…”

She leaned close to Yuan Qianye's ear and whispered a few words.

After hearing Saeko's gentle instructions, Chiya hesitated, "But if that's the case... Saeko, won't your position be put in a difficult position?"

“I didn’t feel embarrassed.”

Saeko shook her head gently but firmly, her gaze sweeping over the two who were still engrossed in their performance and focused on scoring. A calm, faint smile curved her lips.

"Moreover, the most urgent task now is to get them out of this head-to-head confrontation, right? Since it could bring trouble no matter who wins, why not... shift their attention away from each other and turn it in another direction?"

"Thank you for your hard work." Yuan Qianye looked at her, feeling a warmth in his heart.

"Don't worry, it's not hard work at all. Besides, it's really fun. I actually really want to join them." Saeko smiled slightly, her eyes shining with a calm and reliable light.

At this moment, Rikka brought over warm tea, which was served in an exquisite porcelain cup.

Saeko thanked him but did not accept the gift. Instead, she whispered a small request to Rikka.

Hana blinked. Although she didn't quite understand the specific meaning behind Saeko's actions, she had always trusted this calm and reliable senior, not to mention that this person was already certain to be her future sister-in-law.

So he nodded immediately, turned around and went to prepare without asking any further questions. ————

The seventh game has finally ended.

Yukino narrowly defeated Utaha's 279 points with a total score of 281, just two points higher, winning this crucial game.

The score is now 4-4 in favor of Utaha.

Before Eriri could cheer for Yukino's victory, Minamoto Chiya, who had been quietly observing, stood up, clapped his hands, and attracted everyone's attention.

"Alright, now, the eighth game will officially begin. The rules and details are very simple—"

Before he could finish speaking, he turned his head to gesture, and Saeko Busujima, who was standing next to him, smiled and stood up at the opportune moment.

In her hand, she held an ordinary disposable paper cup, which was more than half full of warm tea.

She took two steps forward, reached the center of the living room, and said in a clear tone,

"The two of you will take turns, each having one minute to challenge me one-on-one."

There is only one rule: without any external force or tools, use any method you can think of to make this cup of tea in my hand spill, even if it's just a single drop.

Whoever achieves this goal in the shortest time will win the game.

Utaha and Yukino's expressions changed slightly almost simultaneously the moment Saeko finished speaking.

"Stop joking, Saeko," Utaha spoke first. "What's the point of this kind of duel?"

Yukino followed suit, her voice cool and rational: "Saeko-nee, whether considering the possibility of someone getting hurt or just looking at the content of the competition itself, I don't think this is a proper suggestion."

The two were unusually in agreement on this issue.

They weren't afraid or backing down; they just felt that the rules of the competition themselves were absurd.

"Indeed, I understand that the competition will be somewhat difficult, but that's what makes it interesting, isn't it? Also, please rest assured, I will be careful with my strength. The process may make you look a little disheveled, but I can guarantee that I will not let you get hurt."

Saeko looked at them, a confident smile on her face, her chin slightly raised and her eyes narrowed in a friendly expression that also seemed to be a provocation as if she felt no threat at all.

Beneath this calm exterior lies an almost arrogant composure, like a tiny yet scorching flame that instantly ignites something.

Yukino's expression darkened, and her fingers, which were placed at her sides, tightened slightly.

She dislikes pointless arguments, but hates being looked down upon even more.

Shi Yu laughed in exasperation, her lips curving upwards, but clearly with displeasure.

She's always the one who provokes others; when has she ever been humiliated like this?

The tense atmosphere between the two men took a strange and subtle turn at that moment.

A fierce determination to win, mixed with the annoyance of being underestimated, surged within them simultaneously.

Their gazes briefly shifted from each other, then simultaneously turned more solemnly to the purple-haired girl holding a water glass, her smile gentle yet her aura imposing.

Saeko remained as calm as ever: "If you two are both ready, we can begin at any time."

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 Eriri first heard the specific rules of the eighth game, her first reaction was the same as Rikka's—puzzling. But after a moment's thought, an overwhelming joy welled up inside her.

She felt that this match was practically a free point for Yukino!

The reason is simple: Yukino has trained!