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

As she was secretly speculating about this, she was stunned when she stepped into the hotel lobby.

The girls, led by a tall woman, all came to greet Yuan Qianye the moment he appeared in the front hall.

One, two, three, four... Every girl has her own style, but they also share an absolutely unified and undeniable commonality.

Each of them possesses unforgettable beautiful features and outstanding temperament, with exceptionally high looks!

Any one of them would be the center of attention in a crowd, and now that they are standing together and suddenly close together, that feeling is even more obvious!

Besides that, some of them looked familiar.

The long-haired girl in the lead, with her stunning figure that's almost unfair, those calm and beautiful eyes, that elegant and composed demeanor... haven't I seen her somewhere before?

Not only Kazuha Toyama, Heiji Hattori was also a little confused, as he recognized Saeko Busujima at a glance.

This situation prompted him to instinctively begin to think, trying to sort out the specific relationship between them and Yuan Qianye.

Following Yuan Qianye's introduction, he responded somewhat embarrassedly to each point.

Having observed the general situation and drawn some conclusions, he was in awe of Gen Chiya in his heart.

In other words, Qianye, a boy, took five girls on a trip all by himself.

Aside from his younger sister, the other four girls include two upperclassmen and two who are childhood friends with him and Kazuha...

Based on his understanding of girls, would a girl normally go on a trip with a boy she doesn't like or have feelings for?

The answer is clearly no.

Given this situation, the complexities and subtle relationships involved cannot be ignored.

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.

This is the hotel reception area.

Both Minamoto Chiya and Hattori Heiji completed their check-in procedures.

This traditional Japanese-style inn occupies a large area with winding paths leading to secluded spots.

Different areas are cleverly divided by natural bamboo fences and carefully trimmed greenery, with several Japanese-style buildings of different functions scattered throughout, ensuring both privacy and elegance.

The hotel rooms they booked were not in the same direction. He nodded slightly with a cheerful smile after looking up.

Shiwa returned the smile with an impeccable elegance, her voice soft: "Hello, Hattori-kun, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Hattori Heiji quickly looked at Minamoto Chiya again: "Minamoto-kun, what you just said was quite subtle. She's your senior, does that mean there's something even closer between you two?"

“Hmm…” Yuan Qianye smiled and drew out the sound without saying a word.

Utaha, in a mischievous tone, looked at him gently and said, "Yes, I've never been sure about his attitude on this matter either. Today is perfect, Hattori-kun asked him for me."

"Eh, did I really stumble upon some sensitive topic by accident? I was just joking..." Sensing that the topic was taking a slightly awkward turn, Hattori Heiji was holding the back of his head and chuckling awkwardly, preparing to play dumb and let it go.

Suddenly, a young girl's voice came from behind.

"Heiji—! You really are…!!"

A girl in a dress ran towards them from in front of a shop on the side of the road, calling out.

Upon approaching, the first thing she did was angrily complain to Hattori Heiji.

"Honestly! We agreed to shop together, how come you just ran off halfway through? I didn't even notice! You were in the store talking to yourself and picking things out for ages, and when I turned around you were gone! I only realized it when other customers were giving me weird looks. Do you know how embarrassing I was?!"

Hattori Heiji quickly raised his hands in front of him, making a gesture of surrender, and smiled apologetically: "Well, don't be angry, Kazuha. I just suddenly saw a friend I haven't seen for many years."

His reminder made her realize that there were two other people standing in front of her, and she felt a little embarrassed, her face turning red.

Hattori Heiji began, "Let me introduce you. This is my childhood friend, Toyama Kazuha. As you can see, she's a bit impulsive, so please forgive her."

"Who's being so reckless!"

"Alright, stop arguing about this in front of my friends!" Hattori Heiji tried to drown her out.

Kazuha Toyama retorted sharply, "Isn't it your argument that's flawed?"

After waiting for them to finish arguing, Hattori Heiji finally straightened up and gave a formal introduction to both sides.

After hearing the introduction, Toyama Kazuha's gaze fell on Minamoto Chiyo's face. He looked at her carefully for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening. Pointing at Minamoto Chiyo, he exclaimed in surprise,

"Ah! I remember now! You're the one I always see on TV and in magazines... 'Tiger of the Empire'! The one who's amazing at writing books besides swordsmanship, Minamoto Chiya!"

Yuan Qianye nodded in agreement: "Yes, the Tiger of the Empire, that's what my friends usually call me."

Kazuha Toyama realized that her actions and address might have been somewhat impolite, so she quickly withdrew her hand and apologized softly, "Ah, I'm so sorry, I was so rude..."

Hattori Heiji laughed heartily, earning an eye roll from his childhood friend. He then naturally asked the next question: "But Gen-nii, what are you doing here?"

Gen Chiya's gaze swept quickly over the travel bags he and Toyama Kazuha were carrying, along with the diving watch on his wrist: "Our reason for coming here is probably the same as yours."

Hattori Heiji put his hands on his hips, his smile widening, and turned his head to look at the hotel not far away: "Gen-nii is in the same place for the same reason as us, and there is no other place to stay nearby except this hotel. It can't be that much of a coincidence."

Gen Chiya smiled noncommittally: "Don't keep calling me Gen-nii, just call me by my name. Hattori-kun, how long will you be staying here?"

"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony. Qianye, you can just call me by my name."

He glanced at the distant mountains and leaves beside him and replied,

"Because her idea is to visit as many tourist attractions as possible during the summer vacation, and I am accompanying her on her father's orders, we will probably only stay here for two or three days. Our next stop should be Ryusendo in Iwaizumi-cho."

Kazuha Toyama nodded and added, "That's one of the three major stalactite caves in Japan. Inside, there's an underground lake with extremely high transparency. Combined with the reflections from the pebbles on the lakebed, it's said to be as beautiful as the Milky Way!"

"It sounds like it's definitely worth a visit. I wish you a great time in advance."

"Putting that aside, unexpectedly running into you here, Qianye, makes me feel like the next few days are going to be much more interesting. Speaking of which, I'm a big fan of your books! Your novel, 'The Astrological Murder Magic,' is absolutely amazing; the plot twists are absolutely brilliant."

I have so many questions about the details and foreshadowing in the novel that I'd like to ask you in person. How about we grab a meal sometime? We can have a good chat, and of course, it'll be on me!

"It's fine to have dinner together, but there's no need for you to treat me."

"Don't be so polite, after all, it was me who extended the invitation..."

The two chatted warmly as they walked side by side toward the hotel lobby.

Shiha, who was a step behind, and Toyama Kazuha, who was slightly at a loss but still maintained a polite smile, exchanged a glance.

Utaha gave Toyama Kazuha a friendly smile first, and the two of them followed along while chatting.

Like Hattori Heiji, Toyama Kazuha also concluded, based on her own judgment, that the relationship between the two people in front of her was probably far more than just friendship.

The way their eyes met, the natural atmosphere that flowed between them... well, it was definitely something special.

As she was secretly speculating about this, she was stunned when she stepped into the hotel lobby.

The girls, led by a tall woman, all came to greet Yuan Qianye the moment he appeared in the front hall.

One, two, three, four... Every girl has her own style, but they also share an absolutely unified and undeniable commonality.

Each of them possesses unforgettable beautiful features and outstanding temperament, with exceptionally high looks!

Any one of them would be the center of attention in a crowd, and now that they are standing together and suddenly close together, that feeling is even more obvious!

Besides that, some of them looked familiar.

The long-haired girl in the lead, with her stunning figure that's almost unfair, those calm and beautiful eyes, that elegant and composed demeanor... haven't I seen her somewhere before?

Not only Kazuha Toyama, Heiji Hattori was also a little confused, as he recognized Saeko Busujima at a glance.

This situation prompted him to instinctively begin to think, trying to sort out the specific relationship between them and Yuan Qianye.

Following Yuan Qianye's introduction, he responded somewhat embarrassedly to each point.

Having observed the general situation and drawn some conclusions, he was in awe of Gen Chiya in his heart.

In other words, Qianye, a boy, took five girls on a trip all by himself.

Aside from his younger sister, the other four girls include two upperclassmen and two who are childhood friends with him and Kazuha...

Based on his understanding of girls, would a girl normally go on a trip with a boy she doesn't like or have feelings for?

The answer is clearly no.

Given this situation, the complexities and subtle relationships involved cannot be ignored.

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.

This is the hotel reception area.

Both Minamoto Chiya and Hattori Heiji completed their check-in procedures.

This traditional Japanese-style inn occupies a large area with winding paths leading to secluded spots.

Different areas are cleverly divided by natural bamboo fences and carefully trimmed greenery, with several Japanese-style buildings of different functions scattered throughout, ensuring both privacy and elegance.

The hotel rooms they had booked were not in the same direction. They showed each other their room numbers and agreed to meet up later, then went back to their rooms to unpack their luggage.

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.

Inside Hattori Heiji's room.

Kazuha Toyama put down her luggage and went straight to Heiji Hattori's room next door without even looking at the room carefully.

When I pushed open the door, he was humming an Osaka folk song in a good mood, sitting on the tatami mat and organizing his luggage.

Kazuha Toyama walked over and sat down on the cushion opposite him: "Are you still thinking about Gen-kun?"

"Hmm, it's unbelievable. I always thought that the next time I would see him would be at some higher-level kendo tournament, where we would meet again as opponents on the field. I never expected that we would run into each other in such a random way at a resort. Fate is really interesting!"

"..." Looking at his genuinely happy expression, Toyama Kazuha felt a strange pang of unease and muttered to herself, "Your expression right now... is much happier than when we set off on this trip together."

"Of course." Hattori Heiji clenched his fist: "You know Kazuha, although I was convinced of my defeat in the competition back then, I was still quite unwilling to accept it."

"Hey, you don't mean you're going to challenge him to a sword duel, do you?"

"Of course, we can't miss this opportunity."

"This won't do, will it?"

“Why not? I can tell that guy’s personality is similar to mine; we’re both straightforward and easy to talk to. As long as I earnestly ask him and express my desire to spar, he definitely won’t refuse. That’s the unspoken understanding between swordsmen!”

"This isn't a matter of refusing or not. There's no proper kendo dojo here, and no protective gear! How are you going to compete? What if you get injured?"

"It's just a friendly sparring match, and we don't have strict scoring or any particular rules. As for injuries, as long as we're careful not to hit each other in vital areas like the head or joints, it'll be fine."

"Then what about the most important thing, the sword? This is a tourist area, so there are no kendo dojos where you can buy bamboo or wooden swords."

"Kazuha, you don't practice kendo, so you might not know. For those of us who truly love and are passionate about kendo, it's not just bamboo or wooden swords made in professional workshops that meet specifications that can be called 'swords'."

As long as the length is suitable, the thickness is comfortable to hold, and it can transmit power and intention, even if it is just a straight branch or a piece of tough bamboo, it can be regarded as an extension of the 'sword' in our hands, a carrier of 'form'. What matters is the heart that holds the 'sword', not the external appearance of the 'sword' itself."