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

Thus, Hayasaka Ai has now officially come to Minamoto Chiya's side and has begun to serve as his secretary.

The maid, now, could finally be considered, in the strictest sense, to belong solely to him.

And then there's...

"Soaking it for so long, are you messing around again?"

After carrying Hayasaka Ai, who was too weak to stand, back to her room, and then going to the living room with Saeko, whose legs were trembling, Kudo Miyoko was setting out the dishes.

The boy blushed, too embarrassed to answer, and went forward to help serve the dishes and rice.

Yuan Qianye, however, was thick-skinned and such a trivial matter no longer moved him.

He pulled up a chair and sat down casually: "We rubbed each other's backs, so it was a little slow."

“~” Miyoko rolled her beautiful eyes slightly, turning away with a speechless look.

Only a three-year-old would believe that.

Yuan Qianye didn't mind at all. The hasty commotion just now hadn't made him feel fully engaged, so seeing Miyoko's still-on office lady outfit was starting to perk him up.

For some reason, his hand involuntarily landed on Miyoko's bodycon skirt.

Miyoko's expression changed. She glanced at Yako in the kitchen and, seeing that she wasn't paying attention, completely lost the idea of ​​escaping. In fact, she even moved closer to her in a slightly flirtatious way.

That's right, now the manager who has been by his side for many years has officially been taken over by Boss Yuan.

This was actually all thanks to the maid.

About two weeks ago, she came to Yuan Qianye's side and began working as his personal assistant. Within just a few days, she noticed the feelings this senior colleague had for Qianye.

After discovering that Qianye also harbored secret feelings for her, she used her position to bring the two drunken men together during a dinner one evening, joining in herself to first instigate the situation and then fuel the flames...

The next day, the deed was done, and their relationship was thus smoothly established.

As a result, Boss Yuan's grand life plan is now reduced to just one piece of the puzzle.

The strawberries, the most eye-catching and cherished part of the strawberry cupcake, are usually saved for last.

And now it seems that it's about time.

…………

P.S.: Kaguya will also be included; she won't be missed.

274: The four-year agreement has come to an end.

Four years later.

It was a scorching hot afternoon.

Yukino Yukinoshita emerged from the University of Tokyo. Her stunningly beautiful face and aloof, unapproachable demeanor, like a flower on a high mountain, drew the attention of many even among the most outstanding students at this prestigious university.

A special car was already waiting outside the school gate.

The temperature was over 30 degrees Celsius, and she only breathed a sigh of relief after sitting in the well-air-conditioned back seat.

She took out a hair tie from her backpack, simply tied her hair up, and then used a handkerchief to wipe the fine sweat from her forehead and neck.

She gave her driver an address, and only after the car started moving did she take out her phone, open the folder, and enter the password again.

Thus, the old photos that she had kept hidden deep in her phone since childhood came into view.

As she swiped her finger, photos of her and Yuan Qianye from their childhood came into view, one after another, scene by scene.

Memories, some vivid and some increasingly hazy, kept flashing before her eyes. She smiled softly, then her smile turned wistful. She sighed softly, locked her phone, leaned back in her seat, and closed her eyes.

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.

After more than forty minutes, the vehicle came to a stop, and the driver announced, "Miss, we've arrived."

Yukino opened her eyes, nodded, put her handbag in the car, opened the door and got out.

Following her childhood memories, she walked forward along the street.

The shop signs along the way, and the plants and flowers on both sides of the road, were both familiar and unfamiliar to her.

That's true, after all, a full thirteen years have passed.

Along the way, she attracted the attention of many passersby. Finally, Yukino stopped under the shade of a tree and looked across the road at the buildings with bright yellow as the main color.

With a nostalgic look on her face, she approached the pedestrian crossing as soon as the green light came on.

Now you can see it more clearly. On the right side of the two tightly closed iron gates, there is a slightly yellowed sign with the five large characters "Blue Sky Kindergarten".

That's right, this is where she met Yuan Qianye when they were young, and it's also the beginning of their "ill-fated" relationship.

Above the iron gate, there is a clear warning sign: "To be demolished soon, please do not enter."

Looking through the crack in the iron gate, the once lively and cheerful scene is now desolate and quiet. Only the big tree that he used to spend his afternoons with still stands in a corner of the garden, with its thick branches and lush green leaves.

I just don't know if this big tree will survive the demolition of the kindergarten...

As Yukino reminisced about the past and her mood became somewhat downcast, a shadow suddenly and silently drifted over her head, blocking out the blazing sun.

Yukino sensed something and instinctively took a step to the side, assuming a defensive stance, then turned her head to look.

When she saw that it was that all-too-familiar guy, her tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and she gave him a disgruntled look: "Can't you make a little noise when you walk?"

“You were too engrossed in it.” Yuan Qianye, holding a parasol, leaned closer to her again, seemingly unconcerned, and stood shoulder to shoulder with her once more. His gaze was fixed on the kindergarten, his playful smile unchanged, but like Yukino's, it held a hint of nostalgia: “But since you came here, why didn’t you call me along?”

"You're such a busy person, you don't have that kind of free time."

"Don't say things like that again. What am I doing right now? Besides, no matter how busy I am with work, I haven't spent any time with you..."

"Stop it, put away those amusing words. Tell your sister later, she'll like that kind of thing."

Gen Chiyo smiled, handed the umbrella to Yukino, and went to the iron gate. She glanced at the warning sign casually, showing no intention of obeying it, and then ignored it completely as she fiddled with the chain lock.

Seeing this, Yukino hurriedly followed, and was about to remind him not to do anything reckless when she saw Minamoto Chiyo click his tongue, pat the rust off his fingertips, and then beckon with his fingertips.

Two people emerged from a group of people dressed in black suits despite the sweltering heat. One of them held an iron lock, while the other held hydraulic shears. They swiftly and decisively cut the iron lock, then stepped back to the left and right of the gate, using their bodies to block it, and respectfully stood guard at the entrance with their hands behind their backs.

Even now, Yukino is still quite unaccustomed to the fact that Chiyo Minamoto is always accompanied by a group of professional bodyguards no matter where she goes.

But considering his current status as one of the world's richest people and the numerous attacks he has suffered in public, it is clear that this is essential for him now.

“What’s the point of just wandering around outside? Since we’re already here, we should go in and take a look.” Gen Chiya turned around and naturally took the umbrella from Yukino’s hand, then stepped inside.

Yukino hesitated for a moment, but followed after him anyway, though she didn't hold back her words: "Unauthorized unlocking and illegal intrusion, that's already a crime."

"Crimes should be judged based on the specific circumstances."

"The reality is already very clear."

"Then why did you come in with us?"

"I was just worried about leaving you alone, so I thought I'd keep an eye on things together."

"So many years have passed, and you're still so rigid and inflexible."

"I'm so sorry for causing you trouble."

"Your expression doesn't show the slightest sign of wanting to apologize..."

The two chatted casually, or perhaps they were bickering, as they walked side by side to the kindergarten's sandy area, just like always.

Passing by the teaching building, I paused near the old, faded slide, and finally came to the shade of that big tree.

Someone had already laid out camping mats here sometime ago, and there was a folding table next to it with chilled juice on it.

They sat down together.

Yukino watched him lift his head with his hands behind his back, sunlight filtering through the leaves and dappling his face. In the languid afternoon, time seemed to stand still, worries temporarily receded, and the two seemed to return to the past.

Yukino was momentarily dazed.

It wasn't until Yuan Qianye softly sighed, "This is so comfortable. It would be even better if someone could give him a lap pillow so he could take a nap," that things got better.

Yukino ignored him, and didn't even blush or feel awkward.

Over the past four years, they have entered the University of Tokyo together, and similar jokes and teasing have happened countless times, so they have long since become desensitized to them.

The fact that Boss Yuan was able to train that sensitive-skinned young lady into the composed and unperturbed old married couple she is today shows how much effort he has put in over the past few years.

It's a pity that although they had already managed to score a touchdown on first and second base, that was all they could do.

However, they could never get past that crucial step.

Yukino hugged her knees, her small feet, clad in semi-sheer white socks, pressed tightly together, and couldn't help but ask, "How did you know?"

Yuan Qianye lazily squinted his eyes: "What do you mean?"

"What else could it be?"

Of course, it was because she learned by chance that the place where she went to school as a child was going to be demolished, so she thought of coming here to take a look.

This was entirely on her whim; she didn't tell him at all. How did he find out?

"Mom said..."

Yukino interrupted him: "Which mother?"

It's not that she's being difficult, but he currently has five mothers in name only.

Sometimes, not explaining things clearly can easily lead to misunderstandings.

“Yukinoshita’s mother said that you looked lost and dejected after you heard from her that this place was going to be demolished. And based on my understanding of you, I think you will take some time to come here and see.”

After hearing this, Yukino thought to herself, "Just as I thought."

For the rest of the time, Yuan Qianye spent most of it smiling as she reminisced about the past.

They talked about their childhood friendship, how they met every day like clocking in for work, and how they rarely spoke to each other but had a tacit understanding to come here to read and pass the time during their lunch break.

They also talked about the real reason why Yukino was bullied and isolated by many children when she was a child. It wasn't because of her own shortcomings, but because she was too cute in a crowd.

Her striking appearance made girls her age feel inferior, and although the boys secretly liked her very much, they were unable to approach her naturally to talk to her due to the surrounding atmosphere and their lack of maturity.

"And what about you?" Yukino gazed at the sky with her clear eyes: "Why did you specifically help me back then, and why did you take such a proactive approach to getting closer to me afterwards?"

Although she roughly knew the answer, she still wanted to hear Yuan Qianye say it clearly.

"Because at the time I really thought Yukino was quite outstanding, and I was sure that I would also make some progress by following her."

That's very helpful.

Especially since the person who said it was Yuan Qianye himself, who carries the title of "the world's youngest emerging billionaire".