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

She and Eriri were both taken aback.

Gen Chiya shared a cup with Eriri, poured himself a cup of tea, blew on it to cool it down, and sipped it slowly: "I just went to the staff room, asked the homeroom teacher for a few days off, and got this while I was at it."

Eriri's first concern was: "Chiya, are you taking another day off?"

Yuan Qianye replied with a smile: "Yes, this time it's me and Saeko working together with the sports equipment company that we signed a cooperation agreement with before. We need to launch new advertisements and brochures, and shoot a set of promotional photos and short video materials. It's not too troublesome, and we expect to be able to get it done in two or three days at most."

"I see."

"So there's no need to worry about it affecting our agreement."

"I...I don't care about that, I'm just worried that you'll have a hard time..." Eriri's voice trailed off, and her eyes became somewhat unfocused.

"Yes, I appreciate Eriri's concern. I will take care of myself, since there are still many things we haven't done together."

puff--!

Although Chiyo said these words in a very casual tone, she still managed to make Eriri blush quite easily.

Although they had known each other for a long time, they had only been in a romantic relationship for a little over a month. They were in the early stages of their passionate and innocent romance, so she was easily charmed by these seemingly harmless sweet talk.

Yukino remained calm, seemingly unconcerned about the flirting between the two.

However, his slightly lowered gaze still intentionally drifted to the cup in Chiyo's hand several times, first to Eriri's lips, and then to the rim of the cup which he used without any hesitation.

"You're so busy these days that you can't even manage your time properly between work and studies, and you're still thinking about running for student council president?" Yukino asked Eriri, expressing her doubts.

Yuan Qianye put down his teacup, lightly tapped the application form on the table with his finger, and explained,

"I had this idea last semester, but I haven't continued on this path since I've been so busy this semester. Actually, it's her who would have a hard time doing it to that extent, 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.

She and Eriri were both taken aback.

Gen Chiya shared a cup with Eriri, poured himself a cup of tea, blew on it to cool it down, and sipped it slowly: "I just went to the staff room, asked the homeroom teacher for a few days off, and got this while I was at it."

Eriri's first concern was: "Chiya, are you taking another day off?"

Yuan Qianye replied with a smile: "Yes, this time it's me and Saeko working together with the sports equipment company that we signed a cooperation agreement with before. We need to launch new advertisements and brochures, and shoot a set of promotional photos and short video materials. It's not too troublesome, and we expect to be able to get it done in two or three days at most."

"I see."

"So there's no need to worry about it affecting our agreement."

"I...I don't care about that, I'm just worried that you'll have a hard time..." Eriri's voice trailed off, and her eyes became somewhat unfocused.

"Yes, I appreciate Eriri's concern. I will take care of myself, since there are still many things we haven't done together."

puff--!

Although Chiyo said these words in a very casual tone, she still managed to make Eriri blush quite easily.

Although they had known each other for a long time, they had only been in a romantic relationship for a little over a month. They were in the early stages of their passionate and innocent romance, so she was easily charmed by these seemingly harmless sweet talk.

Yukino remained calm, seemingly unconcerned about the flirting between the two.

However, his slightly lowered gaze still intentionally drifted to the cup in Chiyo's hand several times, first to Eriri's lips, and then to the rim of the cup which he used without any hesitation.

"You're so busy these days that you can't even manage your time properly between work and studies, and you're still thinking about running for student council president?" Yukino asked Eriri, expressing her doubts.

Yuan Qianye put down his teacup, lightly tapped the application form on the table with his finger, and explained,

“I had this idea last semester, but I haven’t thought about it since I’ve been so busy this semester. But your sister still suggested that if I have the ability, I should try to get it.”

"elder sister?"

"Hmm—'Even the smallest and most insignificant experience in your life may have an unexpected impact on your future,' that was her exact words. I think she made a lot of sense, so I thought I'd give it a try."

Eriri, having recovered her composure, nodded vigorously in support: "I think it's great! And Chiyo, you're already very capable, so becoming the student council president won't be a problem for you!"

“Right?” Yuan Qianye winked at her: “Most importantly, the student council room is also very nice. There’s a heater in winter and air conditioning in summer. There’s also a separate archive room inside, where you can fit a folding chair. We’ll have a place to take a nap during lunch break.”

“Indeed.” Eriri’s eyes lit up even more upon hearing this, and she even imagined a wonderful tea party in her mind.

Yukino didn't mind pouring cold water on them at this moment: "Don't just think about the benefits. Since you're in that position, you must be prepared to take on the corresponding responsibilities."

Gen Chiya said confidently, "Yono-nee also told me about this. She said that based on her experience as student council president for many years in elementary, middle and high school, even if you are still in office as student council president, there are reasonable... well, a more relaxed solution."

"If you're going to be lazy, then be lazy. What do you mean by a more relaxed solution?" Yukino sighed helplessly, raised her hand to rub her temples, and said with a hint of exasperation, "Really, what bad things has your sister taught you? Don't take her words to heart. If you get into trouble, you'll be the one who suffers."

Gen Chiya smiled dismissively: "I think this is the wisdom of Haruno-nee as a senior. Yukino, don't you have too much prejudice against your sister?"

"It's just that we think about things differently, but... I'm surprised you'd talk about something like this with your sister."

"After all, I have business dealings with your company, and it's common for me to deal with Sister Yang Nai. Occasionally, after work, we'll have dinner together, and naturally, we'll talk about all sorts of things."

After so casually glossing over the topic, Yuan Qianye suddenly seemed to remember something.

"By the way, I'm so grateful to you for helping me proofread and polish my novel before. Thanks to you, the novel received rave reviews as soon as it was released, and the sales and word-of-mouth were both very good. I've been wanting to thank you formally for a while. Let's have dinner together sometime, it's on me."

Yukino refused almost without hesitation: "No need, you can spend more time with Eriri instead."

"Don't drag me into this kind of issue all of a sudden, I'm fine!"

Let alone eating together, even after the meal, Eriri would be perfectly fine with any other interactions between them!

In fact, this was exactly what she hoped would happen, because if Yukino could join in, she and Yukino together wouldn't be afraid of that jerk at all!

It might just turn around and make her furious!

Eriri quickly stepped closer and urged, "Chiya means well. Go ahead, Yukino. We all saw how hard you worked during that time. Pick a restaurant you like. Didn't you say before that there was a Chinese restaurant with a panda theme that you were interested in? Take this opportunity to try it out."

Yukino shook her head, still sticking to her own idea: "'Malice' succeeded entirely because of Chiya's own literary skills. My role in it was dispensable, so it's unnecessary. Besides, Chiya and I are friends, so there's no need to be so polite."

Seeing that he couldn't reason with her, Yuan Qianye didn't insist any further: "Then I'll skip the dinner invitation, but you did help me and put in your own effort, so you should accept the compensation. Hey! Don't rush to refuse, it's all reasonable and you deserve it."