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

"Eh—" On the other end of the phone, Eriri sighed softly, her previously natural voice quickly becoming veiled with a soft, melancholic tone: "What should we do, Yukino…"

This statement came out of nowhere.

However, Yukino was quick-witted. After a moment's thought, and combining what she had learned from watching the news with her father that evening, she instantly came up with a possibility and spoke in a comforting tone,

"Don't worry, Eriri. Although there were public demonstrations and several violent clashes in the UK, the city that your aunt and uncle are going to is not the same place where the incidents occurred. It's far away and the security situation is completely different, so there's no need to worry too much."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, followed by Eriri's slightly confused voice: "Huh? Yukino, what did you say about the parade? What happened in the Eagle Country?"

"..."

Yukino also fell silent for a moment.

So you weren't worried about your parents' safety after all...

After feeling sad for her aunt and uncle for half a second, Yukino coughed lightly and subtly steered the conversation back on track: "It's nothing. So, what exactly are you worried about?"

"Oh, yes, it's about my current situation." Eriri's voice became melancholy again: "I feel that the situation of staying at Rikka's place is completely different from what I initially expected."

"Oh?" Yukino raised an eyebrow slightly, her tone concerned. "Are you not used to living here?"

"Hmm... I wouldn't say I'm not used to it..." Eriri's tone became even more hesitant, with an awkwardness that made her want to say something but couldn't: "The blanket is soft and comfortable, they're all very nice to me, even Toka-nee, it's just... it's just..."

Yukino keenly caught the clear annoyance in her friend's words.

Knowing Eriri as she did, this tone usually meant...

"Did you get into trouble?" Yukino asked directly, her voice carrying a hint of understanding.

"Ugh—~!"

The receiver carried Eriri's drawn-out, indistinct voice, like a small animal whimpering.

Her voice was soft, with a trembling quality at the end, which at first glance sounded a bit like she was being coquettish.

But Yukino knew all too well that this was the unique lament of her childhood friend when she felt extremely frustrated, ashamed, and at a loss for what to do.

Even over the phone, she could easily picture Eriri's current appearance.

Either she covers her face with her hands and shakes her head vigorously, her blond hair swaying wildly.

She would either sit on the edge of the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest, kicking the edge of the bed or the air with her little feet in frustration.

"What exactly happened?" Yukino softened her voice and patiently guided her.

"Yes...that's how it is."

Eriri sighed softly and began to confess.

"In the afternoon, after I finished drawing today's practice draft, I felt like I had nothing to do. I saw some clothes that had been changed out of the laundry basket in the bathroom... I thought to myself, since I'm staying here, I can't just act like a high and mighty guest and do nothing but eat. So I thought I'd do some housework and help out a little."

She deliberately omitted a crucial detail.

Regarding the clothes in the laundry basket, there was actually only the set that Yuan Qianye changed out of when she came back in the morning.

And...the dark truth that while she acted righteous and awe-inspiring in front of Rikka when she was getting the clothes, she would secretly sniff them like a thief when she was alone.

Yukino gave a soft "hmm" and waited for what was to come.

"Then, I took the clothes out of the laundry basket, ready to put them in the washing machine." Eriri's voice trailed off: "But... I think I grabbed the wrong detergent..."

"Did one of the clothes bleed color and stain the other clothes?" Yukino speculated, based on common laundry accidents.

"Well, it's... maybe a little better than that, but it's about the same. I poured in... that kind of bleach that's specially designed for washing white clothes and has super strong stain removal power, just like regular laundry detergent... When I took the clothes out after washing them... the color had become patchy, dark and light, and it was completely... unwearable."

Upon hearing this, Yukino subconsciously raised her hand and gently touched her forehead.

She could easily imagine the stunned, then tearful expression on Eriri's face when she opened the washing machine lid with the expectation of doing a good deed, only to find such a horrific scene.

A faint smile barely escaped her lips, but she quickly suppressed it.

no no no...

Eriri was genuinely troubled, realizing she shouldn't be having such impolite feelings.

"cough!"

Yukino understood that her friend needed comfort, not teasing, so she maintained a calm and rational tone, offering comfort and reassurance from her friend's perspective.

"It's okay, Eriri. It was just a careless accident. Anyone can make the same mistake. Chiya and Rikka will definitely understand and won't blame you."

“I understand the reasoning… but whether it’s my fault or not is secondary.” Eriri’s voice was muffled: “The key is… I feel incredibly embarrassed! I’m so clumsy, I can’t even do something this simple right.”

So it's a matter of self-esteem...?

Yukino wanted to say that she wasn't surprised at all after hearing this, as it perfectly matched her impression of Eriri.

But considering Eriri's current feelings, it's best not to say such things.

After thinking for a moment, Yukino decided to give practical advice: "If you really can't get over this, find some time later to go to the mall and pick out a suitable new outfit for them. Consider it an apology. They won't care about the clothes themselves, but they will be happy that you have this thought in mind."

“Hmm…that’s true,” Eriri replied.

Yukino keenly sensed that her friend's mood did not seem to have truly eased because of this suggestion.

Sure enough, the next moment—

"Actually... besides the clothes I ruined while washing them," Eriri's voice became even softer, almost like a hum, "there's something else...

"?"

"Tonight, Sister Shihua came back early, which is quite rare for her."

Eriri spoke in an incredibly desolate tone, as if the end of the world had arrived, utterly devoid of any joy.

"She even specially packed beef stew in Burgundy red wine to bring back for us from the restaurant. Because she had mentioned in advance that she would bring back some food, Qianwan didn't prepare many other dishes for dinner... but..."

Considering her friend's utterly despondent tone, Yukino quickly realized a possibility.

"You put the stewed beef... what's wrong?" she asked softly, already having a premonition.

“…It spilled.” Eriri uttered these two words with utter despair: “…I volunteered to help and carried the stewed beef that had been reheated in the microwave to the dining table. Halfway there, the plate suddenly became extremely hot, and my hand slipped and I couldn’t hold it…it fell straight to the ground. The whole thing…it all spilled, not a single bit was left, and the plate was shattered all over the floor.”

amount……

Yukino was at a loss for words.

She could put herself in Eriri's shoes and deeply understand how embarrassed she must have felt in that situation.

If it were in her own home, it wouldn't be a problem, but Eriri is a guest.

You'd probably have wanted to crawl into a hole in the ground back then...

"Aaaaah! I don't know why the plate was so hot after being microwaved! I was just holding the edge of the plate, and I tested the temperature with my hand before picking it up. It felt okay then, I could handle it! But halfway up, it suddenly became so hot that I couldn't stand it at all. My fingers couldn't hold on, and it slipped out of my hand!"

Eriri's emotions were somewhat out of control.

But Yukino's focus at that moment was not on her frustration.

Are you injured?

Since it's summer and we're staying at home, our clothing is inevitably quite light and airy.

Yukino could predict that Eriri would probably be similar to herself, wearing shorts and sandals.

Therefore, the skin of the feet and legs is completely exposed.

So, more than the emotional blow her friend suffered, she was worried that her friend might not have been injured by the hot soup or the splattered food.

"No, although there was some soup on my feet, as soon as Chiya heard the sound... she told me to go to the bathroom to take a cold shower."

"Is that so? It's good that you're not injured." Upon hearing this, Yukino breathed a sigh of relief, and her tense shoulders relaxed.

As long as no one is hurt, spilling food is ultimately a minor matter.

What she didn't notice was that Eriri's reply had a subtle pause and a barely perceptible change in tone.

The actual situation at the time was—

The moment the stewed beef and the porcelain plate crashed to the ground with a thud, Yuan Qianye, who was sitting at the dining table, almost reflexively jumped up from his chair and rushed to Eriri, who was frozen in place with a look of panic.

He didn't even give her a chance to react or speak as she looked timid and tried to say "sorry." He simply reached out and put his arms around her waist and the back of her legs, and steadily lifted her up in his arms.

The movement was so fast that Eriri only had time to let out a short gasp.

The next instant, she was carried into the bathroom of the house by Yuan Qianye at a speed of almost 100 meters per second.

Her overly tense demeanor made it seem as if the little bit of cooking soup stuck to her ankles wasn't soup, but highly concentrated sulfuric acid.

By the time Eriri recovered slightly from the sudden princess carry, she was already sitting on the dry, non-slip mat in the bathroom.

Yuan Qianye knelt in front of her, supporting her calf with one hand, while the other hand picked up the shower head next to him, turned on the cold water, and quickly rinsed the sauce that had splashed onto her ankles and insteps.

The whole process was smooth and efficient, with an undeniable decisiveness and urgency, which made Eriri, who was originally just a little scared and guilty, have her heart skip a beat, her cheeks belatedly starting to burn, and her heart beating exceptionally fast.

"...After I finished rinsing the floor, Sister Shihua, wearing rubber gloves, had already cleaned it up. I didn't even have a chance to help clean up and salvage the situation... Then, because the main dish was gone, Sister Shihua, who had been busy all day, had to cook something else for dinner... I'm so useless! I can't help at all, and I only cause trouble, like a nuisance..."

Don't think like that.

Yukino gently interrupted her friend's self-deprecation.

Although the facts are very close, it's best not to think that way.

"These are just a series of unfortunate accidents. No one was injured as a result. It's just a trivial matter in life. Chiya, Rikka, and Toka are all reasonable people. They won't blame you for these things, and they certainly won't think you're a burden."

"Um……"

"It's pointless for you to be so self-critical and fixated on this. It will only make things worse. Instead of doing that, you should think about what you can do to make up for it and express your apology in other ways. At least in my opinion, that's a better choice."

Yukino's words of encouragement were very effective.

That's how it is between friends.

When you have worries or troubles, you need someone you can confide in without reservation.

Many things, once spoken out and heard, can be greatly relieved by someone listening, understanding, and offering rational advice.

"Well, that's all we can do." Eriri's voice regained some vitality, though it still carried a trace of lingering frustration, but it was much better than before.

It had to be her best friend, her Yuki A-no.

"Yes, keep a good mindset. This is only your second day staying at Qianye's house. There will be plenty of time and opportunities for you to make up for or showcase your other strengths."

"Thank you, Yukino."

"You are welcome."

"By the way, Yukino, are you coming later?"