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

Those who have experienced it know what I mean... it's just... incredibly disheartening!

Shihua sneaked back to her room around 2 a.m.

Yuan Qianye lay on the bed, his body burning with heat, staring at the blurry changes in light and shadow on the ceiling. It wasn't until the sky outside the window began to lighten, close to four in the morning, that his body and mind, exhausted and numb with a sense of self-abandonment, managed to doze off for a short while.

The reason he said "barely" is because he experienced again, after a long time, the embarrassing "situation" that occasionally occurs when the body is just beginning to awaken and energy is excessive.

Fortunately... he woke up at the last minute... avoiding the worst possible outcome.

Otherwise, he would have to secretly wash his pants behind everyone's back, just like before.

No, that's not right.

Given his current storage capacity, he'd probably have to wash even the bed sheets he's sleeping on.

That scene... just thinking about it makes me want to die.

In short, when Toka woke up naturally around 7 a.m., as is her usual holiday biological clock, this is what she saw when she came to the living room.

Gen Chiya, his muscular upper body bare and wearing only a pair of athletic shorts, struck a pose that looked quite strenuous, even somewhat self-destructive—

With his feet hooked upside down on the horizontal bar of the fitness bar installed at the connection between the balcony and the living room, he was hanging upside down with his head down and feet up on the ground.

He was doing difficult sit-ups and crunches at an almost insane speed and frequency.

Even more exaggeratedly, he was holding a heavy dumbbell in each hand. With each effort to lift his upper body, his arm muscles bulged, steadily raising the heavy iron weight as an extra resistance.

The exposed arms and back were covered in sweat, which shimmered with an oily sheen under the light.

There were also obvious sweat stains accumulated on the floor beneath him.

His breathing was heavy and rapid, and his handsome face was expressionless, but the slight furrow in his brows revealed his complete concentration and a hint of barely perceptible ruthlessness, as if he were struggling with something.

Chiya usually maintains a regular training regimen to keep her physique and stamina in check, but it's rare to see her pushing herself so hard today...

"Be careful not to strain your muscles if you push yourself so hard," Shihua said softly as she took a few steps closer.

She had studied rhythmic gymnastics systematically for many years and had some common sense and experience in sports physiology and training safety.

"Don't worry... I know what I'm doing. I have to do this now, otherwise I'll be restless all day and won't be able to do my job properly."

Even as he spoke, Yuan Qianye did not stop moving. His abdominal muscles were clearly defined, and they tightened and contracted with each movement, creating a very aesthetically pleasing effect. Along with the sweat on his body, he exuded a strong aura of male hormones.

Shihua's beautiful eyes were drawn to the view up close, and she couldn't look away. A faint blush crept onto her cheeks without her even realizing it.

Only women who have truly crossed the line between girl and woman can understand how delicious this scene is.

After staring at it for a few seconds, Toka roughly understood the meaning behind Chiya's words.

It was nothing more than being teased and manipulated by her last night, only to have it abruptly ended because of Eriri and Rikka's interference. All his "expectations" were dashed, which was quite distressing. Now, he could only soothe his restlessness by exhausting himself.

Judging from his movements, he probably didn't sleep well last night...

In Shi Hua's heart, a complex emotion rose up, a mixture of apology, heartache, and a little guilt as if she were the "culprit."

Unlike what she didn't know about Haruno's situation, the older sister would occasionally play little pranks out of mischievousness, using them to see Chiya's amusing reactions and to please herself.

But she was different. She didn't have any malicious thoughts from the beginning. She was honest and wanted to do her best until the end, but the reality was that she couldn't.

She also wanted to be understanding and even wondered if she should do something to make amends.

But after last night's harrowing experience of almost being caught red-handed, she simply didn't dare, nor did she have the courage, to do anything outrageous that might expose her or arouse suspicion, especially since Eriri and Rikka were both clearly at home.

That feeling of tension, shame, and despair that makes your heart pound—once is enough!

"What do you want for breakfast? I'll make something you like... How about grilled ribs and pan-fried salmon?" Since physical needs couldn't be met, the only solution was to try food. This was the only way Shihua could think of to make up for it.

"Whatever you want, just... don't keep standing here with me." From Yuan Qianye's upside-down perspective, every time he came down, he could see up close the large area of ​​Toka's legs covered by hot pants.

Her smooth skin and graceful lines seemed to radiate a soft glow in the morning light...

And when he forcefully lifts his body up again, his nostrils are filled with her unique, rich fragrance!

The combined visual and olfactory impact of these two elements is simply overwhelming!

Shi Hua understood immediately, nodded, and turned to leave.

I went to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, took out the ingredients, and started preparing them.

In this situation, she couldn't say anything about making it up to him later, as that would only provoke his already suppressed emotions and have the opposite effect of adding fuel to the fire.

As for herself...

Today, she needs to go to Mr. Yukihira's place for intensive pre-competition training.

Tomorrow, she will need to arrange everything at the restaurant to ensure its smooth and stable operation during her absence.

These past two days, she's been incredibly busy, and she really doesn't have any spare time or energy to "properly handle" Qianye's current "special situation."

Therefore, she doesn't have the means and can't really help much right now.

If I had to say... it's not that I can't squeeze out even a little bit of time.

but……

Given that Qianye often spends more than two hours at a time and never stops until she is completely exhausted... those little bits of time are indeed meaningless and cannot solve any real problems.

Moreover, she didn't want to participate in the cooking competition while exhausted and in a low-spirited state.

That would not only be disrespectful to the competition, but also irresponsible to herself and to Mr. Yukihira, who had specifically guided her.

She felt that Qianye should understand this, which was why he chose to do this almost self-torturing physical training alone in the living room early in the morning to burn off his excess energy.

Instead of forcing her, or even trying to make any demands that would make her feel uncomfortable.

This warmed her heart and made her secretly decide to make it up to him when she came back.

As for now... it probably doesn't matter.

After Qianye finishes his work for the day, he can go find Saeko and Shiho. Don't forget, he has two girlfriends by his side. It's just right for his lovers to solve this kind of problem.

With that thought in mind, Shihua stopped worrying and simply tied her hair up before starting to prepare breakfast.

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.

Because they had stayed up all night and lingered in bed, Eriri and Rikka didn't get up until after 9 a.m., rubbing their eyes. They were a little late.

When they arrived at the restaurant together after washing up, they were both stunned.

On the table were roasted ribs, browned to a deep reddish-brown, and thick-cut salmon fillets served with lemon wedges.

In addition, there's crispy garlic bread, a fresh and refreshing vegetable salad, and a rich and aromatic mushroom soup...

What's going on with this bizarrely lavish breakfast?

Based on my sister's usual style, isn't breakfast usually a simple combination like toast, milk, fried egg, or miso soup with rice balls?!

Did something good happen to my sister?

The two little ones looked at each other in bewilderment.

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.

"...Boss, are you in a bad mood today?"

Around noon, Miyoko Kudo cautiously asked as she walked out of the Kodansha building.

Yuan Qianye, standing beside her, looked at her with a puzzled expression: "Why do you ask that?"

"Um, it's nothing." Miyoko raised her hand to smooth a stray hair behind her ear, carefully choosing her words: "It's just that I have this feeling."

Actually, it's just a "feeling".

From the moment Miyoko picked up her boss on time that morning, her keen sixth sense as a woman and the familiarity she had developed over time made her vaguely aware that something was off about her boss's behavior that day.

Most obviously, after he got into the car, while he was texting someone on his phone, his usually gentle and smiling black eyes were constantly furrowed.

It wasn't so much a focused frown when thinking about work, but more like a subconscious expression of... frustration, helplessness, or some kind of unresolved emotion.

Shortly after, he seemed to have ended the chat, and as he casually put his phone screen away, he let out a very obvious, almost undisguised, soft sigh.

The sigh was soft, but in the relatively quiet carriage, Miyoko heard it clearly.

She was focused on driving at the time, and the road conditions were somewhat complicated, so although she had doubts, she didn't dare to ask immediately.

When they arrived at Kodansha, there were already people who had been informed in advance and were waiting respectfully at the entrance.

As soon as they got out of the car, they were warmly and thoughtfully led to the VIP reception room upstairs, where they met and discussed matters with the editor-in-chief, copyright manager, marketing and publicity staff, and other personnel.

Throughout the process, as an assistant, Miyoko needed to concentrate fully on recording, supplementing, and raising questions and requests on behalf of her boss when appropriate, and she didn't find a suitable opportunity to ask any questions herself.

Subsequently, during the detailed discussions that lasted for more than two hours regarding a range of matters including the publication, promotion, and copyright derivatives of the new novel, Miyoko also keenly noticed that although her boss appeared calm and collected on the surface, he reacted quickly and clearly during the conversation.

However, occasionally, when the other party is explaining some less important details, or when there is a brief pause in the meeting, his eyes will wander for a moment, as if he is daydreaming and absent-minded.

Although he didn't show it so obviously on the surface, at least not to outsiders, Miyoko, who was his personal assistant and knew him very well, could still notice this abnormality at a glance.

Mentally... he didn't seem listless or tired; his eyes were still bright, his posture was upright, and he handled his work flawlessly. It didn't seem like the result of being too tired from the trip or not getting enough rest...

So... it seems that the only remaining reason is related to mood?

A good agent and assistant not only needs to manage the boss's business and work in great detail, but also needs to pay attention to the boss's mood fluctuations and changes in state, and provide appropriate care when needed. Miyoko has always demanded this of herself.

After all, working under Gen Chiya was really enjoyable, and I also felt a great sense of honor in growing and progressing together with him.

Therefore, she not only regards this job as a profession, but also as a responsibility and a bond that needs to be carefully managed.

"Feelings..." Yuan Qianye repeated the word noncommittally, then looked up at the sky and fell into a brief silence.

As for Miyoko, who had been carefully observing him, she could easily catch a trace of melancholy mixed with sadness in her boss's eyes.

Is it just my imagination?

Yet, this genius, who spans multiple fields and has won numerous awards, earns a steady stream of copyright and endorsement income from the comfort of his home. He is hailed by the media as a once-in-a-millennium prodigy in Japanese history. More importantly, he is still so young, and his future prospects are limitless.

What could he possibly have to feel melancholy or sorrow about?

"Boss, is there anything you're dissatisfied with regarding the contract for your new novel? If it really doesn't meet your expectations..."

Miyoko thought for a moment: "...Right now we've only reached a general agreement on some key points verbally. The more specific contract will need to be finalized and signed after Attorney Komikado arrives in three days. Until then, you can tell me if you have any needs, and I can talk to them separately."

“It has nothing to do with that.” Gen Chiya shook his head: “The conditions offered by Kodansha have exceeded my expectations. To be honest, I didn’t expect them to be so accommodating. This is entirely the result you fought for. I’m very satisfied. You’ve worked hard.”

Miyoko blushed a little at the praise: "Oh, it's because you have market appeal, boss. Every novel you publish is a bestseller, and the feedback from readers is also very good. That's the most important thing."

“Don’t be so self-deprecating. I wouldn’t be where I am today without your full help. This time is no exception. The smooth progress of the new book’s publication preparation is also thanks to your thoughtful arrangements in the early stages and your efficient communication on site…” Yuan Qianye looked at her with a slight smile, but then suddenly changed the subject: “…Miyoko-nee, have you lost weight?”

"Huh?" Miyoko was slightly taken aback, then embarrassedly cupped her face and looked down: "...I have lost a little weight."