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

"Oh, thank you so much. It's so convenient to have a boy in the family."

Carrying a suitcase in each hand, Yuan Qianye headed towards the teacher's room, guided by Grace.

Kazusa is currently alone with her teacher, Ilsa.

Looking at her teacher's tired face, Kazusa couldn't help but offer words of comfort, even though her mother had told her not to say or do anything special.

“Teacher Ilsa, please don’t be too sad. Everyone will have this day. What’s important is not the people who have passed away, but us who are still alive in this world. We have to look forward and continue to live happily and fulfillingly, according to our own ideas.”

She spoke somewhat haltingly, but her tone was sincere.

"?" Ms. Ilsa looked at her student strangely, wondering if she was still running a fever, otherwise why would she suddenly say such strange things?

"Kazusa, what do you mean by suddenly saying all this?"

Kazusa was taken aback by her teacher's question, thinking the teacher was trying to hold back her grief, so she said even more earnestly, "It's just... I hope you're not too sad about your friend's passing. I know I'm not good with words, but..."

"Wait a minute!" Ms. Ilsa raised her hand, interrupting Kazusa, her brows furrowing slightly. "Who told you my friend died?"

"Oh? Weren't you going to a friend's funeral this time?"

"How did this get involved with a funeral? I was away to help an old friend."

Ms. Ilsa patiently explained,

"He teaches music at the university and is currently in charge of guiding a student orchestra in ensemble rehearsals in preparation for a competition. He hoped I could come over and offer some advice. That's all. What's this talk of passing away or having a funeral?"

"!!!"

Kazusa's face flushed bright red, and her hands clenched tightly.

Seeing the students' reaction, Ms. Ilsa understood what was going on.

There are only three people connected to her and Kazusa at most.

Grace is a composed person and would never make such a malicious joke.

Chiya Minamoto is sensible and wouldn't try to deceive Kazusa with something like this.

So, it can only be that girl, Yoko.

"Your mother is absolutely ridiculous!"

Ms. Ilsa has made up her mind: next time that girl comes, she will definitely not let her off easily!

"Alright, you still don't look too good. If your cold isn't fully recovered, go back to your room and rest."

She looked at Chiya, who was returning from the room.

"Qianye, you've worked hard too. I'm going to rest for a while. After dinner, I'll check your learning progress and practice results from the past two days. Get ready."

"Yes, teacher."

Gen Chiya and Kazusa returned to the third floor together.

Looking at her clenched teeth, he asked, puzzled, "What's wrong? Why that expression?"

Kazusa originally wanted to give him a good scolding for her unreliable mother who had no adult composure whatsoever!

But upon further reflection, she realized that if her mother's words hadn't strengthened her resolve, she probably wouldn't have had the courage to kiss him while he was pretending to be asleep.

In that case, their relationship might continue to remain in that ambiguous, tentative stage, and it's anyone's guess how long it will drag on.

Then the clenched fist slowly loosened.

The overwhelming shame and indignation gradually transformed into a complex and indescribable emotion.

She shook her head: "It's nothing... but there's something I forgot to ask you."

"what?"

"The night before last, when you were lying on the table, were you awake from the beginning, or did you only wake up after I... sneaked over to you?"

Is this matter important?

"I just want to know the answer."

"Yeah, I was lying down thinking about something when you walked in. I was just wondering how you would react, so I just stayed like that. Of course, I had some ulterior motives at the time."

"What are you up to?"

"Of course, I'm hoping to take this opportunity to make a breakthrough with you."

Kazusa gave a small tsk, but seemed quite pleased: "So what are you going to do if I ignore that?"

"It's okay if that's the case. I still have almost a month here, so we can take it slow. Before the day before yesterday, you had already tacitly allowed me to hold your hand. Even if you don't do anything about it, I will take the initiative to define our relationship before I leave."

Under Kazusa's scrutinizing gaze, Minamoto Chiya answered frankly, then smiled and asked again when she saw Kazusa's thoughtful expression.

Is this answer acceptable?

"It's so-so." Kazusa turned to go back to her room, her voice suddenly softening: "I'll come find you tonight."

"No, how can you come to me like this?"

She tossed and turned all night, and when she was about to fall asleep, she was on the verge of collapse, but she still refused to let Yuan Qianye "leave" her.

This morning, she woke me up by crawling into the blankets, which made Yuan Qianye unable to resist tossing and turning her around for a while.

She slept until after 2 p.m. before waking up.

She was still floating, and it seemed impossible for her to continue like this.

But Kazusa simply replied with a nonchalant "I don't care" and went straight back to her room.

Yuan Qianye was left behind, tormented.

He himself is fine, but Kazusa was only having her first time the night before last, and she was tormented by him like that last night and this morning. Judging from her appearance tonight, she still wants to continue. Is she really okay?

His fears were soon proven true.

That evening, Kazusa secretly came to find him, and it was another one-sided confrontation and suppression.

Every night thereafter, if Kazusa didn't receive his visit, she would sneak into his bed and crawl under his blanket.

This situation has become increasingly exaggerated over time.

The time of her visits gradually shifted from late at night or early morning to earlier in the morning.

At midnight, eleven o'clock, and until the end of the whole day of studying, she would stick to him like this, never leaving his side.

In the evening, the third floor is their private space, and they don't have to worry about Grace or Teacher Ilsa coming up to disturb them.

Kazusa was happy at night, but she was scolded by Teacher Ilsa more and more often during the day.

This is exactly the same situation that Saeko encountered at the beginning!

In a way, Chiya Minamoto became a "femme fatale," affecting Kazusa's normal academic progress and making it impossible for her to concentrate.

So after seeing Kazusa lose her composure for several days in a row, Minamoto Chiya had no choice but to make a formal agreement with her.

They could rest together in each other's arms at night, but only once a day, and even that would make him very uncomfortable.

Although Kazusa was not entirely satisfied with this, considering that if she continued to lose her composure like this, she would eventually anger Ilsa-sensei to death and might also expose their relationship, she reluctantly agreed in the end.

Subsequently, Kazusa's condition gradually stabilized due to getting relatively enough sleep.

After a long-held confession of her feelings, there were no longer any obstacles between them, allowing her to spend the happiest half-month of her life.

Time quickly passed, and it was the ninety-third day since the two arrived in Vienna.

According to the original agreement, Kazusa would need to receive long-term instruction from Ms. Ilsa here until her teacher deemed her ready to leave.

Yuan Qianye only engaged in short-term, high-intensity intensive study.

Tonight is his last night at his teacher Ilsa's house in Vienna, and also the last night he will spend with Kazusa in this city.

…………

250: Absence makes the heart grow fonder (5k)

Vienna International Airport.

Just like when she came in March, Gen Chiya arrived here again, carrying a suitcase.

The airport's public address system broadcast announcements in multiple languages ​​as hurried travelers brushed past each other.

Outside the massive glass curtain wall, airplanes take off and land.

He was all alone; there was no one to see him off.

At the villa, he had already solemnly said goodbye to Kazusa, Teacher Ilsa, and Aunt Grace.

Kazusa, in particular, knew that separation was imminent and that they would not be able to see each other for a considerable period of time.

Last night, she seemed to burn away all her reluctance and longing, being unusually proactive and passionate, barely sleeping all night, and clinging to him without stopping.

When she woke up in the morning, she was so sore that she could barely get out of bed, but she still insisted on coming to the airport to see him off herself. Her eyes were red and her voice was trembling with tears.

But in the end, he managed to persuade her through his persuasion.

He disliked the feeling of loss he experienced while watching someone's figure disappear through the gate amidst the bustling crowds at the airport.

Besides, this wasn't a matter of life and death. The flight between Tokyo and Vienna was only a dozen hours. If he missed her, he could fly over to see her anytime.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Austrian Airlines flight OS123, from Vienna to Tokyo Narita Airport, is now boarding..."

The airport broadcasts the latest flight information.

Gen Chiya turned around and glanced in the direction of the airport gate, sent a message to Kazusa, and then turned to head towards the boarding gate.

Meanwhile, in the living room of Ms. Ilsa's villa.

Kazusa, dressed in thin loungewear, curled up on a single sofa by the window, hugging her knees, and stared listlessly at the sky outside.

Occasionally, contrails from airplanes would streak across the sky, each one feeling like a needle pricking her heart.

Ms. Ilsa, who was drinking tea nearby, sighed silently as she looked at her, but her words were firm: "If you want to go with him, you can go back to your room now to pack your luggage. I can help you book the earliest flight."

"..." Kazusa turned her gaze back to the teacher, remained silent, and lowered her head.

Ilsa felt a pang of pity in her heart. After all, she was the daughter of her favorite student and now a student she liked very much. No matter how strict she was, she was not heartless.

Her tone softened, carrying a worldly wisdom and a sense of advice.

"Kazusa, this temporary separation is for a better reunion in the future. If you want to go back to see him sooner and be with him forever without suffering this pain of separation, then you should be fully focused now and put all your longing and reluctance into what you need to do, and make yourself better and stronger. This is the fastest way to shorten this distance."

Kazusa's body trembled slightly.