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

He reached for the remote and turned the TV back on.

The background noise of a TV program playing in the living room somewhat eased the awkwardness.

This allowed Eriri's tense nerves to relax slightly, giving her a moment to catch her breath.

“I guess I was just too hasty.” Yuan Qianye looked at the TV screen, as if talking to herself, or as if saying to her, “I didn’t know you would be in such a dilemma, Eriri. Actually, if you’re not ready yet, we can wait a while. Once you’ve thought it through, we can pick up the conversation again. It’s okay.”

"No need to wait anymore... It's already come to this. If it ends like this today... I'm afraid I won't be able to muster the courage to face things directly like this again."

Eriri spoke haltingly, but her meaning was clear: she wanted to seize the moment and press on.

"Shall we continue?"

"Um……"

"alright."

To be honest, Gen Chiya was also a little uncomfortable at this moment.

He's thick-skinned and a veteran of countless battles, so it's not like he'd be as overwhelmed with shame as Eriri at this moment, almost to the point of exploding.

He simply noticed Eriri's feelings at that moment and was genuinely thinking of her feelings.

Before he even opened his mouth, he had already roughly sorted out his thoughts, knowing what he was going to say to her and how and at what pace he should do it.

But the way things are unfolding now... Eriri's reaction is actually more innocent and intense than he originally expected.

This has affected this side to some extent, making it less able to fully utilize its capabilities.

However, since Eriri clearly stated that she wanted to continue the conversation with him today, he was naturally more than happy to do so. He just needed to think carefully about which aspect to formally start the conversation from.

"Um... Chiya... can I ask you something?"

Unexpectedly, Eriri spoke first after a brief silence.

Yuan Qianye immediately replied, "Of course."

"It's...it's what you just said..."

"Mm." Yuan Qianye looked at her gently, his eyes filled with encouragement.

Eriri continued in a low voice, "About what you said... is it really... are you serious?"

What exactly does that mean?

"It's about your friend... who likes... or something..." Eriri stammered, unable to finish her sentence.

“Oh.” Yuan Qianye nodded in understanding and did not press her further. He said with certainty, “Of course I’m serious. I really like Eriri. It’s not the kind of liking you have for a friend or childhood friend, but the kind of liking you have for a member of the opposite sex out of romantic love.”

"Well!!!"

A surge of scalding heat rushed from the soles of her feet straight into her head! Eriri felt like she was about to explode!

"No, you don't need to go into such detail!"

"Didn't you ask that?"

"That's true... Just say it the way it was before!"

"I thought we had already talked things out."

"Yes...but...but please consider it for my sake...I need some time to accept these things..."

"Okay, I understand."

This is a bit tricky!

However, when she thought about how this was actually a topic that Eriri had taken a small step to start, Minamoto Chiyo felt that it was nothing.

Children have such personalities; they are sensitive and awkward, and you really can't rush them. You have to gently guide them along with their personality.

"Let me repeat myself. My friend really likes his female friend. As for how much he likes her, well, he's already started imagining a future with her. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so troubled as to come to me for advice."

"I see." Eriri slowly raised her head from the cushion, her face still frighteningly red, but there seemed to be something else in her eyes besides shame.

"Yeah, because his female friend hasn't given him any clear signals, so he's actually quite nervous."

"What's there to be nervous about?"

"Of course, it's about her attitude towards him, whether she likes him too..."

"Of course I like it!"

Almost the instant Minamoto Chiyo finished speaking, Eriri blurted out.

Gen Chiya smiled silently at this.

Eriri, who had been turning her face away instantly, lowered it again, stammering as she tried to cover up her mistake: "I-I mean...I guessed...that should be it!"

Although there is still some lack of honesty, this is indeed proof that their relationship is moving forward and things are getting better.

Eriri had managed to suppress her embarrassment and act so unexpectedly, so there was no reason for Chiya to hesitate.

He said solemnly, "I will convey these words to my friend, and he should be very happy."

"..." Eriri nodded gently, her eyes brimming with tears of shame.

Seriously, she's so cute it's almost unfair... How come I never noticed before?

Looking at his childhood friend, who had just come out of the bath, wearing a cool nightgown, with her soft blonde hair falling naturally over her shoulders, and smelling sweet and soft, yet curled up in a ball and slightly twisting her body out of shyness, Yuan Qianye felt a soft spot in his heart gently touched, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

Upon closer reflection, the women he has formed close relationships with, whether it's Saeko Utaha or Toka Haruno, all seem to be older than him or more mature and psychologically mature older sister figures.

In that sense, Eriri, who is the same age as him and perhaps even more immature in some ways, is, from a certain perspective, really his first time.

This realization stirred a strange and subtle feeling in Yuan Qianye's heart.

"Let's put aside my friends for now and talk about us, Eriri."

Before speaking, Yuan Qianye thought about it seriously once again and felt that it would be better to make some things clear from the beginning.

There are countless cases of relationships where honesty, concealment, and secrecy exist, starting off smoothly but ultimately collapsing.

Because Eriri is also a girl he cherishes, he needs to take her seriously.

"I had a pretty good time on this trip. I saw the beautiful scenery of the seaside city, experienced the local delicacies, and made some wonderful memories with my friends. But most importantly, I understood my own feelings... well, no, I mean my friends understood..."

"No, you don't need to say that for me anymore," Eriri interrupted softly. "I can... I can accept it now."

"Okay, I understand how I feel about Eriri. As for that trigger... Eriri, would you like me to continue?"

He looked over and handed over the choice.

Eriri froze.

After a long while, she managed to utter a sound: "Qianye, you... you've already figured it out, haven't you..."

"Ah."

The two did not confirm the details of the issue; there was no need for it, and they both understood the unspoken agreement.

"I'm so sorry... I'm really sorry..." Eriri's voice trembled with even more obvious sobs, not feigned, but a genuine surge of shame and guilt.

"I'm not saying all this to make you apologize."

"But...I feel so...so disgusting." Eriri bit her lower lip, her hands clenched tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white.

Why do you say that?

“Because…” Eriri paused for a long time, so long that she herself felt quite embarrassed: “…I did such a terrible thing to you.”

"Where is it going too far? If it's Eriri, I'd like her more than enough."

“I know Chiya is very gentle, so these are words of comfort…”

"Eri is really insecure about herself, that's the truth. Ever since I met you when I was very young, I've wanted to protect that timid but kind little girl. I've always thought of her as a little sister who needs to be protected, and that feeling hasn't changed to this day."

"But... I'm not at all like what you think..."

Eriri finally turned around, but still couldn't look directly into Minamoto Chiyo's eyes; her voice began to tremble.

"I'm not the kind of girl you think I am... weak, innocent, and in need of protection... completely ignorant. A long time ago... I had all sorts of messy thoughts about you... not recently, and not because anyone pushed me... but because of myself..."

Eriri looked up, her eyes slightly reddening, tears welling up in them for some reason.

"I will miss you... My phone and photo album are filled with your pictures... I will secretly draw you... draw so many... And when you don't know... I will think about many things... many things I shouldn't think about... I've even secretly used your..."

She mustered her courage to say those words, and then, as if she had used up all her strength, her shoulders slumped and she curled up into a ball.

They were even prepared to be silenced, disliked, disappointed, and then distanced themselves.

But Yuan Qianye didn't. He just looked at her seriously, not denying everything she had just said, but accepting it all.

He asked softly, in an almost matter-of-fact tone, "So what?!"

Eriri's eyelashes trembled slightly.

She thought she had misheard and looked up blankly. "I won't say that Eriri's worries and self-doubts are unimportant, because saying that would be denying you for having these worries and self-loathings. It would be self-deception and a one-sided, rude disregard for your feelings."

But for me, whether it's the talented Kashiwagi Eri in private, who draws beautiful illustrations and... well, certain special doujinshi, or my important childhood friend who often fails English and needs my tutoring at school, I love them both.

Yuan Qianye raised his hand and gently cradled her face.

"Everyone has their own untold stories, secrets that they can't tell outsiders. They think, they have desires, they make mistakes, they have privacy they don't want others to know, and they feel helpless when they encounter difficult situations or complicated emotions, and they may even do things that they later find embarrassing and regrettable."

But what does it matter? If Eriri has a side I don't know about, a part I don't understand—"

From Eriri's perspective, the boy's smile deepened. There was no sarcasm, no disdain in that smile, only a pure joy and tenderness, like discovering a treasure.

"--That's even better, isn't it? Being able to see a different Eriri, a more complete Eriri, is an incredible stroke of luck for me."

Eriri listened quietly as he finished speaking, her lips trembling slightly, wanting to say something but unable to utter a sound.

At this moment, tears could no longer be held back and streamed down my face!

It wasn't the kind of crying that breaks down, but rather the kind of quiet, uncontrollable tears.

Realizing this, she raised her hand and wiped it haphazardly, but the more she wiped, the more it spread.

Gently, Yuan Qianye gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his fingertips, his voice as soft as a feather: "Why are you crying for no reason?"

"I'm sorry... I was really scared..." Eriri choked up, "...I was afraid that after you found out, you would never look at me the same way you used to, that you would think I was terrible, that I was a dark and problematic person..."

Yuan Qianye did not hug her at this moment, but said in a low voice, "Then let's take this opportunity to not be like before."

Eriri stared at him blankly, tears still flowing, but her sobbing gradually subsided.

Yuan Qianye continued, "It's not going in a bad direction. I will no longer take it upon myself to see you as someone who needs to be protected. I need some time, not to run away, but to think clearly about what stance I should take to continue to stay by your side in the future."