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

"I'm sorry, but my sister's actions were just too obvious."

Gen Chiya lifted the things he was carrying in both hands.

"Your apartment has a kettle, humidifier, fragrance, shower gel, etc. I really can't imagine that all these things would break down or run out at the same time in your apartment. Similarly, I can't imagine that this would be your choice to give away or take home. After eliminating all the impossibilities, the remaining one is undoubtedly the truth."

He slowly lowered his head, his forehead lightly touching Yang Nai's, and spoke in a deep, magnetic voice that was almost bewitching: "Sister has always remembered what I said before, so she specially built a love nest that belongs only to us and that only we know about, right?"

"Hey, being too smart has its downsides, too. It completely prevents you from maximizing the surprise." Yang Nai looked him straight in the eye, then suddenly tiptoed and lightly touched his lips: "Are you satisfied with my surprise preparation?"

Yuan Qianye stared intently at her, as if trying to see into her heart: "I can only say that I feel I can't live without you in the future."

"So you mean that in your previous plans, there were still redundant aspects about me that could be cut off, right?"

Don't misunderstand me!

"Alright~ Let's go in first." Yang Nai chuckled, gently tapping his chest with her finger, and then took out a brand new key from her bag: "Let me tell you in advance, since we only plan to stay here occasionally for dates, we didn't rent a particularly big house, so don't have too high expectations."

"That's great, a smaller size feels more cozy." Yuan Qianye's restless heart grew increasingly impatient, and a smile already spread across his face.

The key turned, and the door unlocked.

The sensor light turned on automatically, and the soft light instantly filled the entryway and illuminated the interior.

Yuan Qianye's eyes lit up slightly.

"Considering that we will be relaxing and spending time together here for quite some time to come, I've put in a little effort."

As he stepped into the entrance hall, Yang closed the door, locked it, then took the things from Qianye's hands and casually placed them on the ground. She then wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder.

Just as Yang Nai had just said, what he saw was a space that wasn't particularly spacious, but it was even more thoughtfully designed than he had imagined, with her little touches of ingenuity everywhere.

At first glance, the overall color scheme is a low-saturation warm tone, with off-white walls paired with light wood flooring, making the living room appear bright and warm.

The open-plan kitchen connects to the living room, and the clean and spotless countertop is a testament to its simplicity.

“It’s really great.” Yuan Qianye exclaimed, his hand covering the hand that was wrapped around his waist.

"Come on, let me show you around." Yang Nai let go of his hand, then took his hand and led him inside.

Two pairs of slippers, the same color and style, were already placed side by side in the entryway, only differing in size.

Stepping into the living room, a two-seater sofa is placed against the wall, and opposite it is not a TV, but a bookshelf wall that reaches the ceiling.

Most of the bookshelf was still empty, with only a few shelves already stocked with books and several picture frames of varying sizes.

Yang Nai let go of the vase on the coffee table to change the water, while Yuan Qianye unconsciously moved closer to the bookshelf.

The photo shows his sleeping face, which was secretly taken by Yang Nai at some point while he was asleep. In one corner of the photo, Yang Nai playfully peeks out half of her face, makes a "V" sign at the camera, and smiles brightly with a hint of smug satisfaction at her successful prank.

There are photos of him performing or receiving awards on various stages.

There is also a group photo that is obviously from a long time ago. The background is a noisy school festival decorated with balloons and ribbons. The little boy and the equally little Haruno stand side by side. He smiles very reluctantly, while Haruno smiles like a fox. It is clear that he was once again being unilaterally punished or teased by her.

Looking at this old photo, Yuan Qianye's heart suddenly stirred slightly. In his subconscious, he seemed to have always regarded Eriri and Yukino as his childhood friends.

However, in reality, in terms of the time they met, Haruno and Yukino appeared in his life almost simultaneously.

It's just that because of the age and class difference, they don't spend as much time together as Eriri and Yukino, but this childhood friend relationship is just as valuable.

Yang Nai put down the vase, went to the small balcony, and waved to him: "Come over here quickly."

Yuan Qianye walked over, and found that the balcony was even smaller, barely big enough to fit a cushioned rattan chair and a small side table.

But the view is quite luxurious, with the city's skyline unfolding beneath your feet and stars faintly visible in the night sky above.

Yang Nai pulled Yuan Qianye down to sit on the hanging chair, and with a gentle push of her toes against the ground, the chair began to sway gently.

Just like in the car, she rested her head on his shoulder, her eyes half-closed, her voice filled with a dreamy longing: "From now on, we can occasionally look at the stars, or... look at the world, just like we are now."

A strange and warm current unexpectedly rushed into Yuan Qianye's heart, causing his heart to tremble slightly.

Yang closed her eyes, as if describing a beautiful dream within reach: "Like the recliner, the sofa was chosen so that we could sit together comfortably. We can fill the remaining space on the bookshelf together slowly. I'll be responsible for changing the water in the vases from now on. As for what I want to eat, you can have it..."

She didn't finish her sentence.

Because Yuan Qianye had already reached out and pulled her tightly into his arms, gently pressing his lips against hers.

The half-open window brought in a cool night breeze, but it couldn't dispel the burning heat between the two.

After a long while, Yuan Qianye reluctantly stepped back slightly, his gaze fixed on Yang Nai's eyes, which were already brimming with tears and shimmering with light. His voice was low and husky, as if he was trying his best to hold back something: "What my sister wants to play this time is the play of newlyweds?"

"It's not just about playing around." Yang Nai hugged his neck tighter, her soft body pressing closer to his, her warm breath carrying the slightly intoxicating scent of red wine, mixed with her unique fragrance: "Darling~ I think it's about time for us."

She paused, her red lips almost touching his earlobe, and her wet, provocative words reached his ears.

"Tonight... please do your best, let me be the mom~"

"——!!!"

boom--!

At this moment, the string of "reason" in Yuan Qianye's mind snapped completely!

He knew perfectly well that Yang Nai's words were more of a flirtation, a way to ignite tonight's carefree and unrestrained pleasure.

But, knowing... knowing!

She still couldn't control the raging passion and overwhelming impulse that surged forth like a volcanic eruption, almost engulfing her!

She asked the question knowing the answer already, gazing at him with those captivating eyes, her voice languid and sweet, drawing out the syllables.

"What are you going to do?"

Yuan Qianye, carrying her, strode quickly into the room, his goal absolutely clear. With his last shred of reason, he spoke slowly and deliberately.

"As you wish!"

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 next morning around 10 a.m., Yuan Qianye returned home feeling refreshed.

Upon entering the living room, he saw Rikka curled up on the sofa watching a variety show, and immediately handed her the paper bag he was carrying.

"Rikka, here you go, the honey cake from that shop you said you wanted to eat last time."

Wow! You remember? Thanks, bro!

Before Rikka could finish thanking him, her older brother suddenly scooped her up in his arms, spun her around, and then, still not satisfied, reached out and ruffled her hair, which she had painstakingly combed that morning, as if he couldn't resist petting his favorite cute creature!

Incidentally, he also gave a thumbs-up to Eriri, who was sitting on the sofa next to him, and praised her, saying, "Your pajamas are so cute today, and you look so cute too. All of this makes you just so adorable." These inexplicable words caused her brain to overload and her face to turn red instantly, and the potato chips in her hand to scatter all over the floor.

Even the black winged creature, which was watching in surprise from the side, could not escape his clutches. After being beckoned over, he kissed its head!

Then the two people and the crow in the living room watched as the nominal head of the household went back to his room humming an unknown tune as if he had developed a kind of manic disorder.

After coming out and changing his clothes, he said, "I prepared the ingredients yesterday, but something unexpected happened and I couldn't cook anything delicious for you. I'll make it up to you today." He then walked into the kitchen with light, almost hopping steps.

Eriri stared intently at the kitchen for a long time. She rubbed her eyes, met Rikka's gaze, suppressed her astonishment, and made sure she wasn't seeing things.

That strange guy just now was definitely Gen Chiyo himself!

"Did he win the lottery?" Eriri whispered in Rikka's ear.

It's no wonder she was so suspicious. Even when Qianye won the national championship, she had never seen Yuan Qianye so overjoyed, to the point of seeming a little silly.

Liu Hua shook her head and said quietly, "My older brother now holds the copyrights to several best-selling novels. He does nothing but stay at home every day and still has a steady stream of income while he sleeps. He has already achieved a basic level of financial freedom at such a young age. Do you think he would be this excited about winning the lottery?"

Of course, Rikka was so certain because she knew her older brother well; he had absolutely no hobbies like buying lottery tickets or playing pinball.

Eriri was even more puzzled after hearing her words: "What was wrong with Chiya just now? It felt like he was on stimulants or possessed by something evil. If it weren't for his face, I wouldn't have believed it was him at all."

Rikka also fell into deep thought. A few seconds later, her eyes lit up slightly, as if she had thought of something, but then hesitated, her expression becoming somewhat subtle: "Based on my understanding of him and my daily observations, I do have some guesses in my mind, but perhaps they are not very accurate."

Eriri looked at her helplessly: "Are you still keeping me in suspense at a time like this?"

"No, it's not that! I did it all for you!"

"What does it have to do with me!"

"So you're sure you want me to reveal my next prediction?"

Eriri hesitated for a moment before saying, "I...I'm sure."

His tone wasn't as confident as it was at the beginning; he sounded a bit weak.

"Okay, since you've said so, I feel no more guilty. Let me tell you..."

"Rikka, Eriri~ For lunch, do you want your tamagoyaki sweeter or savory?" Minamoto Chiyo suddenly poked her head out from the kitchen and asked.

"Oh, we're not picky, just pick whatever you like!"

Rikka shouted back, then gestured to Eriri with her eyes. The two went to the balcony, picked up a broom, cleaned up the potato chips scattered on the floor, and then slipped back into their room.

Leaning against the door, Rikka took a deep breath, then turned to Eriri, placing her hands solemnly on Eriri's shoulders with an unprecedentedly serious expression: "Eriri, what I'm about to say... please don't get excited."

Lili looked up and stared speechlessly at her friend.

I was going to say something, but seeing Rikka's serious expression, I swallowed my words and nodded silently.

“I think…” Rikka lowered her voice and moved closer like a spy making a rendezvous: “…Chiya probably didn’t work all night last night.”

Eriri squinted at her and said, "You're talking nonsense. Who would work all night?"

"No! You didn't understand what I meant! What I meant was that Chiya's rest after finishing work yesterday... shouldn't just be a simple nap, do you understand what I mean?" Rikka's eyes gleamed with intelligence.

Eriri paused for a moment, then quickly understood. Her expression suddenly became extremely complicated, a mixture of shyness after realizing the truth and subsequent resentment, which was quite difficult to describe in words.

Eriri clenched her fists: "You mean... Chiya went to Saiko-nee's or... that guy's place yesterday?"

“Yeah, that’s how I feel at least.” Rikka nodded. “Chiya used to tell me that he couldn’t go home because of work and had to stay out overnight. But most of the time when I saw him the next day, he had an overly cheerful expression, not at all like he was fully focused on his work the day before. Like today… well, not as exaggerated as today.”

“…Oh.” To be honest, after Rikka brought this up, Eriri had actually lost the desire to continue investigating.

It was already tragic enough to see her childhood sweetheart, whom she had loved for so many years, so close yet unrequited, but now she had to learn about his intimate relationships with other girls. This was nothing short of torture for her young heart.

But Rikka, at this moment, spread her left thumb and forefinger and rested them against her chin, looking thoughtful while her expression clearly showed eagerness.

"Hey, Eriri." Rikka looked over with bright eyes, her tone almost coaxing: "I mean... should we try to confirm this?"

Eriri became wary and didn't immediately agree. Instead, she asked, "What do you want to confirm?"

"Of course, it's about what Qianye did last night!"

"Huh—!?"

"Don't shout so loudly!" Rikka quickly gestured to shush, "Keep your voice down, Chiyo's hearing is very sharp, he'll hear you!"

Eriri lowered her voice: "How can we possibly confirm something like this with him personally!"