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

The banquet ended in the evening.

As soon as she returned to her room, Kaguya Shinomiya collapsed onto the bed as if all her strength had left her.

The discomfort and soreness in my heels and calves caused by wearing high heels can finally be relieved.

She was finally free from having to stay by her brother's side, with whom she had only a blood relation but little affection, and maintain the so-called refinement and good character of the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family, smiling and behaving hypocritically towards guests she didn't know or was unfamiliar with.

Her schedule for the day was now complete, but for Hayasaka Ai beside her, it was far from over.

"It's getting late, Miss. You should take a bath and rest."

"Hmm... I want to go for a bath today."

"Understood, I'll have someone make the arrangements immediately."

Hayasaka Ai bowed slightly and then prepared to leave.

"Wait Hayasaka."

"Is there anything else, Miss?"

Kaguya sighed helplessly, "I've told you so many times, this is a private occasion just between the two of us. Stop making that sour face and just talk to me normally."

Hayasaka Ai said in a serious tone, "I've already explained it to you before, Miss. If I really do what you say and get used to interacting with you like that in private, it will definitely become a subconscious habit in the future. If I attend an important event with you and do something inappropriate, it will not only cause trouble for you and embarrass you, but I will also be punished by the head of the family, and even have my salary deducted."

"In fact... so deducting salary is the most important thing!"

"Yes."

Hayasaka Ai's completely emotionless and indifferent reply made Shinomiya Kaguya puff up her cheeks.

Seeing this, Hayasaka Ai couldn't help but smile gently: "Don't be angry. I just wanted to crack a joke once in a while because you were so serious, Miss."

"It's not funny at all." Although Kaguya Shinomiya said this, the resentment in her heart was not as strong as before: "Fine, I forgive you."

"Thank you so much for your generosity, Miss. If there's nothing else..."

"Something came up. You don't have any plans for the rest of the day, right?"

"Of course, I have to supervise others to clean the banquet hall, and I also need to plan your schedule for tomorrow, as well as prepare the clothes and supplies you will need for tomorrow."

"These things could obviously be delegated to others, couldn't they?"

"Theoretically, it's possible, but I wouldn't feel comfortable if I weren't the one to do it personally."

"What's there to worry about? It's not a big deal..." Kaguya Shinomiya muttered, looking at Ai Hayasaka, who was completely unlovable in her work mode, and sighed helplessly.

She stood up and went to Hayasaka Ai. Meeting her questioning gaze, she said somewhat awkwardly, "I understand that you're... concerned about me, but sometimes you don't have to go to such lengths to do everything yourself... Look, the banquet ended early today, which is rare. You should learn to take a break sometimes and give yourself a reasonable vacation, shouldn't you?"

"Young Miss, you mean..."

"Let's take a bath together later."

"Does Miss want me to scrub your back? I understand."

"Hayasaka, do you really have to think of people in such a dark way..."

"Hehe, I understand Miss's concern for me. As I just said, it was just a joke."

"I'll say it again, your joke is really not funny at all."

Although it took some twists and turns, Kaguya Shinomiya finally managed to get her somewhat disobedient maid to accompany her into the large bath.

She was completely naked in the bath, but when she saw Hayasaka Ai appear, she hesitated for a second before quickly covering herself with her hands!

Hayasaka Ai approached and sat down by the bathtub, testing the water temperature with her hand: "What's wrong, young lady? We're both girls, there's no reason for us to take advantage of each other, so there's no need to be so defensive."

Kaguya was even amused by her: "You know that too! Then why did you wrap yourself up so tightly in a bath towel!"

Hayasaka Ai read the random reply: "Okay, then I'll help you scrub your back now, Miss."

"Don't pretend you didn't hear anything and just ignore my question!"

Kaguya, now playing the role of the tsukkomi (straight man), was quite dissatisfied. The next moment, she grabbed the towel off Hayasaka's body, trying to make her return to her natural state like herself.

Instead of what it is now, where I am completely exposed and feel ashamed of being naked when facing her who is fully covered up!

But Hayasaka Ai, anticipating this, firmly grasped Kaguya's wrist: "Miss, there are some things that even I would get angry about. Let's just leave it like this; it won't affect you anyway."

"..."

Looking at Hayasaka Ai, who was smiling slightly but seemed to be surrounded by black energy, even Kaguya, who was nominally the master, couldn't help but shrink back.

Looking at Hayasaka Naki's well-developed and beautifully undulating figure, it was an illusion...

Kaguya seemed to understand something. As expected, for Hayasaka, the topic of that part of her body was still an insurmountable minefield.

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.

Yukino Yukinoshita has been very busy lately, so busy that she's dizzy.

The reason is not his own studies, but the family business, where all the plans have recently been quite unsuccessful.

At the beginning of this year, the board members realized this in a meeting and actively planned and attempted to carry out industrial reforms, hoping to escape this predicament and find a new way out.

With the ideas and plans in place, Yukinoshita Haruno, under the guidance of her mother, did indeed work hard and make fulfilling attempts in various aspects during the first half of the year.

Although the current economic situation is not very optimistic, both she and her mother believe that as long as they adapt to the market and narrow their product lines, they will be able to get through this difficult period.

The Yukino family started with her great-grandfather and rose to prominence with her grandfather's hard work, gaining influence in both business and politics. Now, the family business has been passed down to her mother. If we include her and Yukino, who have not yet fully taken over the family business, it can be considered as a fourth generation of succession.

The difficulties and dangers encountered during this period were countless.

When my maternal grandfather was in charge of the Yukinoshita family in the early days, there was even a dark moment when he almost got purged because of political factions.

Despite the perilous situation, the fledgling Yukino family managed to survive.

After years of operation, Yukinoshita has established itself in various industries.

Although they are not leading companies, they are quite powerful, so how could they possibly fail under such minor difficulties?

However, things didn't go as planned. The recent global situation has indeed brought even greater trouble to Yukinoshita, which is currently undergoing transformation and seeking breakthroughs.

"...Qianye, tell me, why do people always have to hurt each other? Wouldn't it be better if everyone could live together peacefully?"

Yang secretly rented and decorated a cozy little house without telling anyone, including her parents and sister.

On the balcony overlooking the beautiful night view, Chiya Minamoto was holding Yono, who had now shed her strong woman persona and was behaving like a docile kitten. The two of them were curled up together in a hanging chair, swaying gently in the night breeze.

Hearing her question, Yuan Qianye hugged her even tighter: "This doesn't seem like a question that an older sister would ask."

"Hehe, that's true." Yang Nai wasn't unaware of the answer to the question. She had just been working too hard lately, and her parents weren't in their usual cheerful moods, which increased her stress, so she unconsciously uttered those words of complaint.

It's not so much about seeking answers, but rather about finding comfort.

"Is the situation at the company not looking good lately?" Yuan Qianye asked for more details.

It would be better if we didn't talk about it, because just mentioning it makes Yang Nai want to sigh.

"It's not just pessimistic; with the economic downturn, rising prices, and soaring material costs, our overseas companies have also been greatly affected, meaning all our previous investments have gone down the drain."

Therefore, there are now two voices on the board of directors. One side believes that the transformation should be stopped, the company's original decisions should be postponed, and adjustments should be made to service prices. In short, the priority should be to recover funds.

The other side argues that traditional real estate development has shrunk drastically, and large-scale renovation projects are also decreasing rapidly. This is a reality we must face, and this is the best time, perhaps even the only way, for us to transform.

Yang Nai's voice was a little muffled. After speaking, she adjusted her position in Qianye's arms, her beautiful eyes reflecting the city lights that flickered on and off.

Yuan Qianye patted her head: "What are your thoughts?"

Yang Nai countered with, "Take a guess?"

"The latter one is better. Although the former idea seeks stability, it is too conservative and does not suit your personality."

Yang Nai smiled happily, confirming his guess, and asked, "Qianye, do you know about the lipstick effect?"

Yuan Qianye naturally knew: "Yes, the term 'lipstick effect' originated in the Great Depression in the United States. It refers to the phenomenon that during economic downturns, consumers reduce their spending on big-ticket items such as cars and real estate, and instead buy items like lipstick to seek psychological comfort and satisfaction."

This economic concept is not limited to "lipstick" as an example.

Examples of such items include small trinkets, movies, coffee, and snacks—relatively inexpensive or non-essential goods.

For example, his published novels can also be considered among them.

Because a book is not expensive, even the poorest person can afford it, and it also has emotional value, bringing people a sense of spiritual satisfaction.

Therefore, he has not encountered much obstacle on his current literary path.

The novel's sales may even see further growth in the near future.

"That's right, people will always have the desire to consume, no matter when."

I have always believed that in the current economic downturn, people cannot afford to buy new homes and may even temporarily postpone large-scale renovation plans.

But the small desire to make living space more comfortable won't disappear; it might even become stronger due to increased pressure.

Gen Chiya nodded in agreement, finding Yang Nai's reasoning very reasonable.

For example, a family that postpones a full house renovation due to budget constraints might be willing to spend a small amount of money to make the living room more cozy or to upgrade parts of the old kitchen, thus bringing themselves some psychological comfort and a small sense of happiness in this high-pressure society.

"Your idea will likely face significant resistance at the board meeting, won't it?"

"Who can argue with that? The veterans on the board think this is beneath them, an abandonment of the family's foundation and pride. They believe we should hold back and rely on the future, hoping things will turn around. My mother, though she hasn't explicitly stated her opinion, shares my inclination towards change. However, at this critical juncture of internal and external troubles, every step is like walking on thin ice..."

As Yang Nai finished speaking, she suddenly let out a lazy "Ah—" and hugged Yuan Qianye's neck tightly.

"...Forget it, I'm too tired. I really don't want to deal with these things anymore. It's getting more and more troublesome. Great writer, just support me, provide me with three meals a day, give me a little less of my salary each month for daily expenses, and promise me at least one trip a year. I'll just retire early. I really don't want to keep trying."

Gen Chiya smiled and carried the coquettish Yang Nai back to her room.

This kind of request is hardly a request to him now. He doesn't really want to see Yono continue to work so hard, just like he doesn't really want Toka to be busy in the smoky kitchen all day.

But this is their dream, the source of meaning and joy in life, a place where they can find a way to release their self-worth. They are so autonomous and independent, how could they be content to just spend their days idly under his protection?

Therefore, what I just said was just a complaint.

There's no need for words now; since language can't offer comfort, let's use more direct physical intimacy instead.

Tonight was one of the rare times Yang Nai took the initiative to contact him, and her intentions were self-evident.

Yang was in a bit of a gloomy mood today, which resulted in her being very proactive tonight.

But no matter how proactive she was, the gap in strength still caused her to lose her strength halfway through and be unable to maintain her dignity.

Then, in this undignified state, he went back and forth between being conscious and drowsy.

Finally, Yuan Qianye was satisfied and let her go. It was already past 1 a.m.

Yukino had long since melted into a puddle of water. Gen Chiya carefully removed her arms from around his waist, slowly got up from beside her who was already fast asleep, picked up his phone, and carefully went to the bathroom.