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

The fine beads of sweat that seep out due to continuous exercise adhere to the skin's surface, reflecting a crystalline sheen under the light...

The scene before my eyes is simply... simply...!

Eriri didn't even realize when she had unconsciously released her breath.

Her breathing became somewhat rapid, and her small chest heaved quickly.

She watched with such focus, as if she wanted to deeply imprint every detail of this powerful and beautiful scene in her mind and cherish it carefully.

until--

"Buzzing—"

Suddenly, the clear sound of a hairdryer starting up came from the direction of the bathroom.

Eriri jolted awake as if from a dream, instantly realizing what had happened. Overwhelmed by shame and belatedly realizing her foolish behavior, she covered her face and ran back to Rikka's room.

"boom!"

The door was hurriedly slammed shut, and she leaned against it, hating herself for being so weak!

She internally scorned herself!

Peeking is one thing, but watching for so long is quite another.

It's one thing to watch for so long, but why would I associate that with what Saeko-nee said earlier and think of so many inappropriate images for children?

I'm... hopeless! Utterly hopeless!

Eriri pounced on the bedding that had been prepared for her, fiercely lifting the pillow and pressing it down on her head, kicking her little feet angrily.

There was nowhere to vent the chaotic emotions in my heart.

Eriri originally liked Saeko a lot. Not only was she elegant, but she was also gentle and kind. She was practically the perfect older sister in her ideal.

But now, Eriri harbors a slight resentment towards her.

Why... go to all that trouble and say those nonsensical, suggestive things?

I already... I already liked him so much...

Saeko, one of his official girlfriends, used a gentle yet confident tone to proactively express that she "didn't mind" or something like that...

They even used their own comic books to say things like "very comfortable" and "a great experience," giving suggestive hints.

Then there's no way to stop her from thinking in that direction!

And just now... I even witnessed Qianye training.

I really hate to admit it, but his physique is... getting better and better! It's ridiculously good! It's almost unfair!

Eriri almost burst into tears!

It's just a back, and the visual beauty created by a little sweat reflecting off the skin—how could it be so perfect!

Eriri's reason screamed "No!", but the part of her soul belonging to "Eri Kashiwagi" honestly and restlessly clamored that she wanted to touch it, to feel the taut lines of its muscles with her fingertips, and to depict it in detail with a paintbrush.

She even wanted to give up and obey Saeko's words, but Chiya just... no, stop!

What should have been a relaxing vacation, simply a stay at a friend's house because my parents were away, has now been turned into some kind of unforgettable opportunity that I absolutely have to seize and that could have a profound impact on my future happiness, all because of Saeko's few suggestive remarks...

No matter how you look at it, something must have gone wrong here!

"Aa ...

Eriri, with her head buried under the pillow, let out inexplicable, chaotic howls, like a groundhog desperately trying to escape back to its den, but whose hind legs were already being bitten by a predator.

My mind is getting more and more confused, like a ball of yarn that's been tangled up by a cat.

What should she do next?

Are we going to pretend nothing happened and continue to maintain the status quo?

Or... should I be a little braver?

But what comes after being "brave"? What should you do? What should you say? What should you do?

Unfortunately, he couldn't discuss these complicated and special feelings with Yukino as freely as he used to.

Therefore, the current situation is almost unsolvable, and she can only figure it out herself, without being able to get any advice from others.

The groundhog suddenly straightened up, buried its fingers in its hair, and ruffled it into a mess.

This troubling and conflicted struggle continued until Rikka finished her shower and returned to her room, smelling fresh from the shower gel.

Rikka was clearly still preoccupied with the unresolved topic in the bathroom and was eager to get to the bottom of what she hadn't been able to investigate earlier.

This time, Eriri learned her lesson. She simply said "I'm sleepy, goodnight" and lay down on the bed with her eyes closed, deliberately adopting a "do not disturb" posture.

She knew she often said one thing but meant another, and that her expressions would completely betray her true feelings, so she simply pretended to be sleepy.

This would allow me to escape Rikka's questioning and force my currently overthinking, poison-like brain to shut down, restoring a clear mind.

Her idea was good, but unfortunately, the human brain is not a machine and cannot instantly shut down and clear its mind when a switch is pressed.

Lying on the soft, comfortable bedding, she tossed and turned, Saeko's words flashing through her mind. Following Saeko's hints and the sight of Chiya's muscular physique that she had just witnessed, her imagination, driven by the mindset of a doujinshi artist, began to expand her thoughts to include even more inappropriate content for children...

Tonight, she experienced a long-awaited and complete insomnia.

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.

"Eriri...Eriri...Wake up..."

The next day, Eriri was woken up by gentle pushing and calling.

Eriri, still half-asleep, looked at Rikka squatting beside her and instinctively greeted her, "Good morning, Rikka..."

"What do you mean 'early'? The sun's already high in the sky." Rikka wasn't just making a figure of speech; she was stating a fact.

Eriri was sleeping on a makeshift bed on the floor, not far from the window. The sunlight was now completely enveloping her lower body, making her feel warm and cozy.

"Hmm... what time is it?" Eriri propped herself up and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

It's 10:47.

"How is this possible... um..."

Rikka put away the phone that was displaying the time and smiled: "It seems you feel quite at ease here. You slept soundly until now without waking up, and you didn't even react when Chiya came in."

"Huh? Chiya came in?" Eriri hurriedly straightened her messy hair and collar, her voice suddenly rising.

"Yeah, it was around nine o'clock in the morning when they woke me up for breakfast. They also pulled down your pajamas to keep your stomach from getting cold."

"Huh?!" Eriri's face immediately showed horror, and her hands subconsciously gripped the hem of her pajamas tightly.

"Hahaha, just kidding, just kidding." Rikka laughed heartily: "I usually sleep alone, but how could he just come in when you're here? He left with my sister a long time ago. He has work today, and it seems like he'll be busy outside all day."

"...Damn it, Rokka—!!!"

Eriri, enraged and embarrassed, pounced on him, and the two started arguing.

half an hour.

After Eriri finished washing up and sat down at the dining table, looking at the sandwich and milk combination, she sighed silently.

Rikka, holding a yogurt and with a straw in her mouth, said, "What's wrong? Doesn't it suit your taste? Don't underestimate this sandwich. The bread is toasted with butter infused with special spices, and the chicken inside has been specially prepared by my sister. It's first pan-fried and then roasted, and then soaked in a very delicious broth. It's incredibly fragrant and super delicious. You should try it if you don't believe me."

"It has nothing to do with sandwiches." Eriri picked up a sandwich and took a small bite as instructed. The crispy and fragrant bread crust, the tender and juicy chicken with its rich flavor, mixed with refreshing vegetables and slightly sour sauce, created a rich and delicious taste.

However, she wasn't a foodie after all, and the brief pleasure she felt from the delicious food lasted less than two seconds before being overshadowed by the lingering melancholy in her heart.

"Then why are you sighing so early in the morning... oh no, I mean in the middle of the day?"

"It's because of my own performance," Eriri said, poking at the sandwich on her plate, her tone somewhat dejected.

"Performance?" Rikka didn't understand.

"Well... on my first day at your house, I slept until almost noon, which was... incredibly rude of me." Eriri felt more and more embarrassed as she spoke: "I felt so impolite, I didn't even realize I was a guest... I was thinking of helping to prepare breakfast and all that."

"Ah, you mean this..." Rikka waved her hand dismissively: "I don't think it matters. After all, Eriri, you like to sleep in just like me, and Chiya and my sister both know that."

How did they know?

"I told them," Rikka replied matter-of-factly.

"..." Eriri's fist hardened.

She said through gritted teeth, "I'm so grateful to have such a good friend like you!"

Rikka seemed completely oblivious to her friend's cold gaze, even clinking her drink against Rikka's milk: "Don't mention it~ We're best friends, right? Also, there's something I wanted to ask you."

Eriri said coldly, "I don't want to answer."

"Don't be so childish. When I got up to go to the bathroom last night, I found that you weren't sleeping very well... tossing and turning, and you kept mumbling something incoherently... 'No,' 'No,' 'Not there'... were you having a dream?"

"—!"

Eriri's body froze instantly.

She was indeed... dreaming.

And the content of the dream... is extremely, incredibly, and utterly unspeakable! It's a dream she deeply immerses herself in, with only one fixed male protagonist, and it's very explicit and violent! It requires full-screen censorship... a restricted-level plot!!!

Her internal alarm bells were ringing, and her palms were sweating with nervousness. She tried to remain calm: "Did...did you hear anything else?"

Rikka did not answer immediately.

She stared at Eriri for two seconds, then tilted her head back slightly. Her smile widened, and her tone became unusually excited: "You really had a dream! What did you dream about? What was it about? Tell me!"

"...!"

Eriri opened her mouth, then immediately felt embarrassed and annoyed.

She was so angry that she picked up the milk and almost threw it at him.

That cunning Rikka is getting worse and worse; all she does is try to trick me!

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.

Executive Office, Yukiyaka Co., Ltd.

"Here, take a look at this—your work schedule for this afternoon."

Yukino Yukinoshita stood up from behind her desk, walked around to the front of the desk, and handed a small stack of neatly organized documents to Chiya Minamoto, who was sitting on the guest sofa.

Yuan Qianye took it, glanced at it briefly, and then put it down.

His gaze became more focused on Yang Nai in front of him.