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

"position?"

"Yes, positioning. There's a principle of first come, first served in everything, you agree with that, right?"

"First come, first served... What exactly are you trying to say? There's no need to beat around the bush." ​​Eriri's sense of unease grew stronger. Although she didn't know what Shiyu was planning, it didn't stop her from continuing the conversation in the same way she had before.

However, Shiyu remained calm and continued to speak her mind: "The core concept of first-come, first-served is to arrange and allocate according to time or order to ensure fairness and order. For example, when queuing to shop or making an appointment for other services, those who arrive first always have priority, and those who arrive later queue in order. You have no objection to this, right?"

"I already said, you've been spouting this whole bunch of nonsense for no reason at all..."

"It's not out of the blue, I'm talking about what happened between us." Shi Yu changed the subject: "Actually, I've been very angry lately. Qian Ye suddenly told me that he was with you and stuff. I had no idea about this before, so when I found out, my mind went blank and I couldn't believe it at all."

"I think Eriri, you should be able to understand that feeling, being betrayed by the person you love most, knowing that the one who has always held you in his arms has actually been secretly flirting with other girls. It's impossible to be indifferent to that, right?"

"Is...that's right?"

"I'm glad you understand. That's why I've been intentionally keeping my distance from Qianye all this time, hoping he can make a decision and choose between us."

I stubbornly believed that my feelings for him were deeper, but I underestimated the bond between you two. I won't go into the details of what happened, but I was eventually convinced by him, which is why I'm here talking to you face to face now.

"There's nothing I can do. I've already fallen for this man, and he's so pitifully begging me to accept him, saying his only wish in this life is for us to live peacefully together. He's said all that, what can I do?"

"Chiya... begged you for my sake?" Eriri looked at Chiya by the window with a bitter feeling in her heart.

“That’s right.” Shiyu stood up and took two steps forward to block Eriri’s view, preventing Chiya from giving her a hint as he turned around. “So even for his sake, I’ve managed to convince myself that I should at least give you a chance.”

"...!"

What do you mean, "give me a chance"?!

Her words were quite infuriating, filled with a condescending sense of condescension and superiority.

However, Eriri, overwhelmed by guilt, was completely unable to utter a rebuttal.

It wasn't because of that wretched woman, but because of Chiya, who was caught in the middle and in a very difficult position under these circumstances...

Under Shiwa's condescending and somewhat oppressive gaze, Eriri turned her head to the side and said, "I...I understand."

Shi Yu suppressed the joy in her eyes: "It's good that you understand. What I just said about first come, first served is also easy to understand. It's just a problem between us."

"?"

"Based on the actual situation, regardless of when you officially met Qianye, I started dating him before you did, and I was his official girlfriend. You can't deny that, right?"

Eriri shrank her neck and answered with great frustration, "No... that's right."

"And you were also in the process of my normal relationship with Qianye, unlike outsiders who knew about my relationship with him but still chose to follow their own desires to get close to him, and in the end you did get him, that's a fact, right?"

Eriri lowered her head even further, her fists clenching tighter and tighter: "Yes..."

"This is truly beyond my expectations. Eriri, you are much more upright than I thought."

Eriri forced herself to tilt her head back: "Because it's the truth, I have nothing to deny!"

"I underestimated you before. No wonder Qianye likes you. I won't say anything else, but at least you dare to take responsibility for your actions."

Deliberately using a small compliment at the last moment to lull her into a false sense of security, Shi Yu gradually revealed her true colors.

"Since you understand all of this, I have no objection to how we should get along in the future."

"What do you mean?"

"Just like between me and Saeko, as the later one, no matter how unwilling I am, I have to admit that she was the first one to be with Chiya in name before me."

I'm naturally shorter than her, so I have to show her respect in private. As the third person to enter this situation after me, shouldn't you also show me some respect in order to ensure peaceful coexistence between us?

"...!"

Eriri finally realized that this stinky woman had gone through all that trouble, only to find out that she was waiting for her here!

And what she just said... that was definitely not a slip of the tongue, it was intentional!

"Of course."

Shi Yu shrugged, giving the impression that she was easy to talk to.

"It's up to you to decide what to do. I just don't want Chiya's hard work to go to waste. Also, depending on your attitude and behavior, I might consider how I get along with Saeko. Actually, I don't really like the idea of ​​first come, first served. It's better to rely on one's own abilities."

"...!!!"

Eriri gritted her teeth, her fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, causing a sharp pain.

What do you mean by "each relying on their own abilities"?

This jerk is blatantly threatening me. If I don't comply, she'll disrupt the balance between her and Saeko, making the situation even more chaotic and putting Chiya in a more difficult position!

How could someone be so despicable?!

Gen Chiyo looked at Eriri, who was trembling with anger, and Utaha, who was calm and composed, and sighed silently.

He knew that although Shi Yu had made some concessions, the relationship between the two of them was not so easy to resolve.

In any case, Shiyu is determined to gain an advantage over Eriri, even if it's just temporarily.

…………

Volume 2: Chapter 198: The Repressed Maid (5k)

Lunch break.

Ministry of service.

Rikka went upstairs to find Kazusa, leaving the two of them alone.

"...Using Saeko-nee as an excuse is just a way for her to make you feel guilty, Eriri. As long as you don't respond, she can't continue. If she really goes that far, it's actually her who will have a hard time, and it has nothing to do with you."

The way she's trying to force her views on you is deliberately misleading; if you really take it seriously, she's the one who fits that description better.

After all, in academic terms, a "mistress" is usually defined as a third party who intervenes in an intimate relationship, rather than in a sequential order.

"She, who intervened after Chiya and Saeko got together, is the one who best fits the description of an interloper. She herself is in this position, so how can she have the audacity to stand on moral high ground and criticize you?"

Guide the conversation in a direction that benefits you, maintain a good pace, and ultimately achieve your goal.

This technique is often referred to as "guided communication".

Its core lies in subtly influencing the direction of the conversation and the other party's perception through conscious and structured dialogue design, ultimately achieving one's own goals when the other party feels that this is indeed the case and relaxes their mind.

After hearing Eriri recount the entire confrontation between Yukino and Kasumigaoka Utaha at the kendo club, Yukino almost instantly understood Utaha's intentions.

At that moment, a tactical review was immediately conducted, pointing out the obvious mistakes Eriri made in the confrontation a few tens of minutes earlier. She shouldn't have been so weak, and she didn't need to think so much. She could have directly confronted the other party.

Yukino was indignant on behalf of her friend, but Eriri remained calm.

I did feel quite indignant and resentful when I first came here to complain.

But after venting all her worries like pouring out beans, she quickly stopped taking it to heart.

Furthermore, halfway through Yukino's analysis, she had already rested her chin on her palm, and watching Yukino's earnest analysis and indignant expression, she couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

"Yukino, you're so smart. But it doesn't matter. Let that bitch get the upper hand verbally. I was a little angry before, but after talking to you, I don't care at all now."

Seeing Eriri's reaction, Yukino understood without her saying a word that it wasn't her words that had the effect: "It must have been something Chiya said to you afterwards."

"Huh?! Me, was I that obvious?!" Eriri felt her secret had been exposed and instinctively covered her face, feeling a slight burning sensation at her fingertips.

"It's written all over her face." Yukino shook her head helplessly, but a doting smile curved her lips.

How should I put it...

Eriri has had this kind of personality since she was very young.

She's a simple-minded girl whose emotions are written all over her face; you can tell at a glance that she's quite innocent at heart.

It is because they are not hypocritical or pretentious like others, but have always maintained a rare frankness and sincerity that they have been able to maintain a sincere friendship for so many years.

But there are also downsides.

Just like what happened earlier, if she encountered a conflict with someone like Kasumigaoka Utaha, who is deep-thinking, skilled at verbal manipulation and setting traps, she would most likely be the one who suffers.

Eriri smiled a little shyly: "Hehe, I didn't really intend to hide it from you, Yukino... Chiya did tell me privately that he'll specifically set aside two days of the weekend to go to an art exhibition with me, and then to an amusement park. We won't be bringing anyone else, just the two of us..."

At this point, Eriri suddenly realized what was happening, and her smile faded. She looked at Yukino with some concern.

Yukino smiled as usual: "What's wrong? You're fine. Remember to have fun with him."

Eriri tried to cover up her mistake in a flustered manner: "...Um, actually...I was thinking, if Yukino could come along..."

"Alright." Yukino decisively called a halt. Eriri's thoughts were obvious, but how could she possibly accept it?

Some things are best left unsaid and unspoken; there's no need to bring them up in the open. Doing so only makes everyone feel awkward and brings no benefit whatsoever.

“I can’t always be by your side, so try to think about different things more often, and don’t be so naive.”

"Me? Naive?"

"Yes, like right now."

"What's going on now?"

"Why didn't the man who made that promise to you come back with you? You can think about that more deeply."

"..."

Eriri was taken aback by Yukino's meaningful words.

At that moment, the door to the Service Department was suddenly opened, and a familiar figure swaggered in.

"Why do I hear people talking bad about me as soon as I arrive... Oh, I'm drinking green tea today."

Gen Chiya familiarly sat down at the table and reached for the teapot.

Yukino gently patted the back of his hand, took the teapot, and poured the remaining, cooled tea into her own cup: "I didn't say anything bad about you behind your back, I was just making a reasonable inference based on reality."

Eriri then offered her own teacup: "Chiya, drink mine."

“Eri is still the best.” Minamoto Chiyo took the cup, not minding that it was used by Eriri, and drank it all in one gulp as she was feeling a bit thirsty.

He refilled the teapot with boiling water and sat back down at the table.

"What speculation? It's just your prejudice. You're making me sound like a bad person and trying to sow discord between me and Eriri."

Yukino chuckled, her slightly raised eyebrows conveying the message, "You'll see if I believe you or not."

The next moment, Yuan Qianye took out a sheet and laid it flat on the table to prove his innocence.

"Student Council... Election Application Form..."

Yukino slowly focused her gaze and read out the prominent words at the top of the list.