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

"I didn't..." Eriri denied instinctively, but her gaze wandered and her voice was weak, offering no convincing evidence!

"You're lying! Don't you feel any gratitude at all? If you really say that... then I'll go tell my brother right now!"

"Wait, wait—! Of course I'm grateful!" Eriri grabbed Rikka, who was about to leave, and pulled her back, her face flushed red. "Don't talk nonsense! I, I'm very grateful to him!"

"That's more like it." Rikka smiled triumphantly, settling into a more comfortable position. "So, besides gratitude, is there anything else you feel for my brother?"

"Rikka, what... what exactly do you want to do?!" Eriri was dizzy from all the confusion, feeling both embarrassed and anxious.

"Hehe, I just felt that we couldn't let Eriri waste this hard-won opportunity."

"Wha...what opportunity?"

Rikka didn't want to explain; she knew Eriri's personality—she was completely like a snail.

They would retreat at the slightest sign of trouble.

If some things were pointed out directly, it would be truly the end, and I doubt I could get her to fully cooperate.

Therefore, maintaining a vague and ambiguous feeling, offering subtle hints and guidance, and stopping there, is perfectly sufficient.

Rikka spoke sincerely, "In short, you just need to believe that I'm on your side and doing this for your own good, that's enough!" Eriri turned her head away, avoiding her gaze, and said, "Your way of arguing is quite unconvincing from every angle..."

"I've been your best friend for so many years, do you think I would betray you?"

"This sentence is also true. It feels like they're about to try to sell me some kind of lucky pot or lure me into joining some dangerous cult."

Rikka looked incredibly hurt and incredulous: "Is that how you see me?"

“Yes.” Eriri was completely immune to her pretense and nodded honestly: “I didn’t have this feeling before, but after I moved into your house, I always felt that you became quite strange, in every sense of the word.”

"Gurgle—!"

Rikka clutched her chest as if struck by an invisible arrow.

She put one hand on Eriri's shoulder: "Think about it this way, with your intelligence, even if I had some ulterior motive, I couldn't fool you at all, could I?"

“That’s true.” Eriri nodded, quite pleased.

They actually agreed...

Rikka remained silent, but pressed her advantage: "So now I'm completely thinking from your perspective. You've been sullen ever since you spilled the dishes last night, feeling very guilty, especially towards Toka-nee and Chiya, right?"

"I'm so sorry, you were really looking forward to the stewed beef, but after it was spilled on the floor, you looked like you were about to cry..."

"Oh, it's alright! Anyway, I'll make it again in the future, so I'll always be able to eat it whenever I want. What I want to say is that I know you want to do something to make up for it, so I have a suggestion for you."

Tomorrow morning, you can prepare breakfast. This will lighten the load for your sister who usually gets up early and is very busy, and it will also show your thoughtfulness. What do you think?

"Hey, that's a great idea! But my cooking skills are..."

"Just go outside and buy ready-made breakfast. There are many breakfast shops downstairs, but you'll have to get up a little earlier."

"That's no problem at all, I can just set an alarm."

"In this way, my sister's feelings have been expressed, and now it's up to Qianye."

"Ah, I was just talking to Yukino about that on the phone. I was just about to ask you, what brand of clothes does Chiya usually wear? Or what style does he like? I'll go buy him a new outfit later..."

"My sister usually helps him organize this, so I don't really know. I can ask her for you later, but I don't think it matters. I can give you another more thoughtful suggestion."

"What?"

"Qianye is currently doing aerobics with his sister in the living room to build muscle."

"and then?"

He'll go take a shower later.

"...You don't mean you want me to help him... scrub his back or something, do you?!"

"No way! What are you thinking! You're a girl too!"

"What do you mean by 'for the time being'..."

"What I mean is, you can go to his room after he takes a shower and before he goes to bed at night, and give him a massage on his shoulders and arms to relax his muscles after exercising, just like I used to do all the time."

…………

Volume 2: Chapter 127: He, She, and Her, A Restless Night (6k)(7)

Rikka rarely uses her wisdom, and she cleverly incorporates it into her words.

The final, deliberately added phrase, "just like I used to do," instantly transformed what could have been a slightly private and ambiguous event into a completely ordinary, everyday occurrence.

And this is exactly what Eriri cares about most.

Eriri's strong feelings of hesitation and even retreat, which had just made her feel troubled and even want to back down, deflated quickly like a punctured balloon.

Instead, there is a sudden realization and a strange sense of peace that follows.

Yes, if this is something Rikka used to do for Chiya often, then... it doesn't seem like a big deal if I do it too.

Because this matter itself is not particularly outrageous or strange behavior.

Eriri had one small concern: "Can a massage really express an apology? It feels a bit too casual, like it's not formal enough."

"You don't need to worry about that. You can completely trust me. You don't know how much my brother usually likes to make me massage him. Sometimes when I'm not willing, he even uses despicable means like money to lure me into giving in. It's only because you came to live with us that he's toned down his cunning ways a little."

"Hmm... but I'm not very good at massage either."

"What's so difficult about that? It's hard to master massage, but it's quite simple to get started. It's just about squeezing the muscles to make people relax. Besides, don't worry, I won't leave you alone! I'll be with you in a bit."

"Rikka, you're coming too?" Eriri was a little surprised, but felt inexplicably more at ease.

"What? Are you going alone? I'm fine with it..."

"No! Please, you absolutely must come along!"

"Actually, I feel that you've been too distant since you came to my house, even though you have such a good relationship with my brother."

Eriri muttered under her breath, "This...this has absolutely nothing to do with whether we're close or not..."

Rikka heard it clearly, but pretended not to hear it.

It's truly remarkable that we've made this far; it's already a stage victory, so we can't push too hard.

"So, can I take that Eriri has already agreed? Shall we go together later?"

"Well, after all, I ruined Qianye's clothes, so I really should apologize to him properly and do something to make him happy."

Eriri, whose tone and expression seemed rather helpless, unconsciously curled her small, white toes tightly as she knelt beneath her buttocks, rubbing them together nervously.

She tried to make her tone sound like she was acting out of a sense of helpless responsibility, but it sounded more like she was explaining herself to herself.

Rikka revealed a bright smile that seemed innocent and harmless but actually concealed her true intentions. She nodded vigorously in agreement, "Okay, then let's make some preparations."

"Prepare?"

"Okay, don't worry, just leave it to me."

As expected, listening to Saeko-nee was the right thing to do.

To get a textbook example of a tsundere like Eriri to submit, the most important thing is not to apply strong pressure or directly confront her, but to guide her subtly.

As long as enough groundwork is laid, she can give herself a reason to comply, and then without doing anything extra, she will simply give in half-heartedly and reluctantly.

Perhaps I should thank her afterwards.

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.

In the bathroom, after finishing, Gen Chiya called Toka to take a shower.

It's not too late yet, Rikka isn't asleep, let alone Eriri who's moved in, so there's no special interaction between the two.

Having determined that there was no risk of exposure, Gen Chiya gently kissed Toka's cheek at the opportune moment.

Shika's initial slight resistance and embarrassment have transformed into a calm acceptance, with her heart beating slightly faster.

This feeling is somewhat like a long-married couple who love each other deeply but are used to being reserved, secretly exchanging a moment of intimacy with a little excitement and warmth in a corner where the children can't see.

She found herself increasingly enjoying this clandestine, intimate interaction.

Good night, get some rest early.

"Ah, you too."

Well, it's just a bit troublesome.

If Rikka, who's like a little tail, weren't around, and it was just the two of them alone...

As the warm water flowed over her delicate skin, Shihua's fingers unconsciously traced the curve of her chest, followed the soft curve of her waist and abdomen, and gently rested on her flat and firm stomach.

Her eyes were glazed over, and her face was flushed.

However, she quickly realized what was happening and shook her head vigorously.

No, I can't think like that.

Rikka wasn't a "hindrance" at all; rather, it was precisely because of her that he was able to get a moment's respite from that hormone monster whose energy was so high it was almost inhuman.

Otherwise, it would be problematic whether she could get up on time every day, maintain enough energy to face her studies, or even go to work at the restaurant in the evening.

Thinking about it this way, Rikka is actually quite useful.

Despite not knowing it, I still helped my sister a lot without realizing it.

We should be grateful to her.

Something unexpected happened tonight and this little foodie didn't get to eat the stewed beef she'd been craving. I'll just bring back some other signature dishes from the restaurant tomorrow.

After taking a shower, Shika, as usual, threw her clothes into the washing machine.

She picked up the laundry detergent bottle next to her, and was about to pour in the appropriate amount as usual, but suddenly stopped.

She frowned slightly and hefted the laundry detergent bottle in her hand with a puzzled look.

Strange, I remember there was about a third left last night, and I shouldn't have used it up in a short time, so how come a brand new bottle was opened and placed here today?

A faint sense of confusion crossed Shihua's mind.

However, it's not a big deal.

Perhaps Rikka or Chiya washed something during the day and finished the old bottle.

She shook her head, not thinking about it anymore, poured the appropriate amount of new laundry detergent into the washing machine tub, and set the program.

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.