I really just want to grind for entries related to crossover anime/manga.

The audio for "Recovery in Progress" has been mostly recorded; the next step is mixing and post-production.

He opened the project file, adjusting the volume and equalization parameters of each audio track, his fingers rapidly switching between the keyboard and mouse.

Higuchi Madoka sat on a chair next to him, hugging her knees, quietly watching him work.

The girl's gaze started from Genkawa Yu's profile and slowly swept over his shoulders, arms, and fingers.

The other person's profile appeared exceptionally soft under the warm yellow light, with a straight nose, slightly pursed lips, and clean, sharp lines on their chin.

She suddenly remembered the way Asakura Toru had addressed Minakawa Yu before.

Asakura Toru always called him "Yu," a term of endearment that Higuchi Enka also wanted.

The title "Genkawa-kun" was too formal, she tilted her head and thought about it for a while.

"Genkawa-kun?" she asked.

Genkawa Yu took off one earphone and turned his head: "What's wrong?"

"I want a special name."

Genkawa Yu looked at her serious expression and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

"What do you want to be called?" he asked.

Higuchi Enka thought about it again.

In fact, both Akane Kurokawa and Mai Sakurajima call each other "Yu-kun". This way of addressing each other by name is also very intimate, but it is not unique.

Hmm... how about we do the same as Asakura?

"I also want to call him Yu directly, just like Asakura does."

"sure."

A bright smile appeared on Higuchi Enka's lips.

"Yu~"

She called out the name again, as if to confirm that it truly belonged to her.

"Well, I'm here."

April is like a slowly flowing river, moving forward unhurriedly.

The fact that he was in a relationship with Higuchi Madoka did not cause any major upheavals in Genkawa Yu's social circle.

It's not because this matter is unimportant, but because in Yuu Minakawa's emotional world, every relationship is established in an incredibly natural way.

There were no earth-shattering romantic scenes, just repeated interactions, repeated understanding, and repeated growing closer.

Even after Higuchi Enka became his lover, his life didn't change much.

She still goes to the agency every day to attend Nokuchiru's rehearsals, and still practices dance and vocals with the other members. The only difference is that she occasionally goes into the recording studio at night and sits quietly next to Genkawa Yu watching him work.

Like her, Toru Asakura is preparing for the album release every day.

She knew that Yuu Minakawa was very busy, but she wouldn't interfere with his work.

Genkawa Yu is indeed very busy.

The production of the album "Yesterday's Poems" has entered its final sprint stage.

He spends more than ten hours a day in the recording studio, dealing with all sorts of technical details.

Akane Kurokawa has also been busy lately. As Yu Minakawa's live-in girlfriend, she is already used to his busy schedule. To be honest, the girl is even secretly pleased about it.

Because busy boyfriends can't be in two places at once, they don't have time to pamper other women.

She has accepted the complexity of Yu Minakawa's emotional world, but acceptance does not mean indifference.

She still hoped that she would occupy the most important place in Yuan Chuan You's heart, and that after a busy day, the first thing he would think of was going home.

Meanwhile, Mai Sakurajima was also busy with her own career.

She is currently preparing to become a regular guest on a large variety show, which requires her to record two to three episodes every week. The workload is heavy, but she enjoys it.

Kato Megumi, as Yu Genkawa's personal assistant, has been helping him with various matters related to the "Yesterday's Poems" album.

This includes coordinating release dates with record companies, arranging promotional announcements, and coordinating media interviews.

She is always very organized and arranges everything perfectly, allowing Yuu Minakawa to focus on his creative work.

In this April, everyone is operating on their own orbits, like planets orbiting the sun, maintaining a delicate balance with Yuu Minakawa at the center.

On Tuesday of the last week of April, Nokuchiru's training had just ended.

The practice room was filled with the mixed smell of sweat and sports drinks, and towels and water bottles were scattered on the floor.

Fukumaru Koitoshi and Ichikawa Hina left together, but at that moment Higuchi Enka called out to Asakura Toru.

"Asakura," she called out to her.

Asakura Toru stopped and turned around. Today she was wearing a black sports vest and gray training pants. Her short hair was messy and there was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.

When she heard Higuchi Enka call her name, her expression remained calm.

"what happened?"

Higuchi Madoka hesitated for a moment, then said, "I have something I want to tell you."

Asakura Toru looked into her eyes, remained silent for two seconds, and then nodded.

"Okay," she said. "Let's talk about it back in the dorm."

The two walked out of the practice room one after the other and headed down the corridor toward the dormitory.

Star Engine rented a large, single-level apartment building as dormitories for the members of Nokuchiru, not far from the agency.

Back at the apartment, Higuchi Enka opened her bedroom door and let Asakura Toru in.

Asakura Toru sat down in the chair in front of the desk and glanced around the room.

The two women exchanged a glance. A subtle tension filled the air. They were good friends, but perhaps they both knew that something might have to be laid bare.

"Higuchi, what do you want to say?" Asakura Toru asked in a flat tone.

Higuchi Enka took a deep breath.

"I'm with Yu now."

After these words were spoken, the room fell silent for three seconds.

Asakura Toru's expression remained unchanged as she looked at Higuchi Enka, her eyes as calm as a still lake.

"I see."

"..."

Higuchi Enka lowered her head, not daring to look into Asakura Toru's eyes.

"I'm sorry, Asakura..."

“You don’t need to apologize to me,” Asakura Toru’s tone remained calm.

"You don't belong to just one person. You should know there are many other people, right? One more or one less won't make a difference."

These words were somewhat blunt, even a little harsh, but Higuchi Enka understood their meaning.

In a way, Higuchi Enka was an insider who knew how complicated Genkawa Yu's love life was, including Kurokawa Akane, Sakurajima Mai, and Kato Megumi, among others.

"Asakura," Higuchi Enka looked up, "Are you really not angry?"

Asakura Toru looked at her, remained silent for a while, and then, a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.

"I wouldn't say I'm angry," she said, "but I'm definitely a little bothered by it."

She paused, leaned forward slightly, and her gaze sharpened.

"So..." she began, "did you do it?"

"Huh?"

Higuchi Enka froze completely.

"Wh-what?" Her voice instantly rose eight octaves.

"Did you do it?"

Asakura Toru repeated it again, his expression very serious.

"Did you and Yu do it?"

Higuchi Enka's face instantly turned bright red.

She opened her mouth, unable to utter a single word for a long time; her mind was blank, and all her language abilities were shattered at that moment by this blunt statement.

"N-no!"

She finally found her voice, but it trembled like a leaf, "We just got together! How could this be..."

"Then let's do it next time."

Asakura Toru said in a calm tone, as if he were suggesting what to eat for dinner, "Yu is amazing, you'll feel very comfortable."

"..."

Higuchi Enka was completely dumbfounded.

She stared wide-eyed at Asakura Toru, her brain completely shutting down at that moment, all her thought processes severed by this unexpected statement.

She felt as if, after more than a decade, she had rediscovered her childhood sweetheart.

"What are you saying, Yinglin? Qi Sisi? Wu Sijiu? Asakura!"

The girl's voice had become a disjointed, breathy sound.

"This kind of thing...this kind of thing..."

Seeing her flustered state, Asakura Toru finally couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay, I wasn't joking, I was just asking."

Higuchi Enka paused for two seconds, then asked again.