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

When it comes to kendo, only Chiyo Minamoto and Saeko Busujima can rely on their own hard work; others can only offer encouragement from the sidelines.

That afternoon, Yukino faced Minamoto Chiya, who was suddenly going to participate in the Jade Dragon Flag competition. She thought about the meaningful words her sister had said to her before she left, but she still couldn't find an opportunity to talk to him alone.

But it's okay, we still have our phones.

In the past, we always said what we meant and didn't care much about each other. But now, as we grow taller and taller, we understand more and more things.

I thought the lost innocence of childhood could be replaced and made up for by something more beautiful, but that was just wishful thinking. Some things are lost forever, and there is no way to compensate for them.

Unless you put in the effort yourself.

Yukino's fingers hovered over the half-finished message sending screen, and she sighed softly.

This wasn't the first time she had clearly felt this unpleasant feeling.

For some reason, the image of Saeko Busujima and Chiya Minamoto's fierce confrontation in the training ground earlier today flashed through my mind.

Then, in another turn, the two who had just been attacking each other turned around and sat down to the side, their hostility completely gone. Although their foreheads and necks were covered in sweat, they still chatted and laughed heartily.

Yukino tapped the screen hard with her thumb, deleting each character she had typed.

I glanced at the time in the upper right corner of my phone; it was a little past eight in the evening, which didn't seem too late.

Finally, she mustered up the courage to call that person.

"Hey……"

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.

"Hey, Yukino."

Yuan Qianye's voice came through clearly.

It answered instantly! It actually answered instantly!

This caught Yukino off guard, who was still trying to decide what to say during the call.

But upon closer reflection, it's not entirely unexpected; in this day and age, short videos are all the rage.

During the peaceful moments before falling asleep, it's perfectly normal to relax your nerves after a long day by watching short, lighthearted, funny, or even posed videos on your phone.

They've been childhood friends for a long time, so Yukino wouldn't have the problem of being nervous in the face of battle, unlike Eriri.

Good evening, I hope I didn't disturb you.

"I won't bother you, you can continue."

Yukino vaguely sensed an echo from Minamoto Chiyo's side, followed by a few clattering sounds and a strange rustling sound.

But she didn't pay too much attention to it, treating it as background noise from his side.

She remembered her sister's words, took a light, deep breath to make her following tone sound natural.

"I didn't ask too many questions at Saeko's house today. You participated in the Jade Dragon Flag competition, so you've decided on your future path, right?"

“No,” the boy replied immediately. He felt that since Saeko had already figured it out, it wouldn’t hurt to tell Yukino: “I’m just really poor and short of money.”

"?"

Although she did get the answer she wanted, Yukino never expected that his answer would be so straightforward and frank, without any concealment.

She knew that due to the recent flu outbreak, the income of various physical businesses had dropped significantly.

But has the Yuan family's current economic situation deteriorated to the point that even Chiya, a student, has to consider making a living?

Yukino felt sad for her childhood friend, but at this moment she also felt somewhat fortunate. Her older sister, whom she had always regarded as someone to chase and a rival, suddenly seemed much more approachable in her mind.

After all, if his sister hadn't reminded him, she might still be unaware of the predicament he was facing.

Now, she can find a way to formally extend a helping hand to him.

Just like he did to himself, to Eriri, and to many other people when he was a child.

She should focus on doing what she can do first, and then move on to things that are beyond her current capabilities.

Just like my sister said, maybe we can ask Mom for help and get her opinion.

"If you don't mind, could you tell me more about it?"

Yukino is essentially a very gentle girl, but her usual aloof and distant expression can easily lead people to mistakenly believe that she is a cold-hearted person.

It's a bit like a shellfish; once you get past its strong outer defenses, you'll find that its inside is very soft.

She speaks in the same way now, taking care of the inner self-esteem of teenagers of this age, her voice as gentle as a cloud.

Yuan Qianye's response was: "What did you say? Sorry, I was washing my hair and didn't hear you clearly."

"..."

So the strange sound I noticed earlier was the sound of him scratching his head after squeezing out the shampoo.

Yukino maintained her composure, trying not to imagine his posture in the bathroom, nor did she ask him why he could answer the phone while showering; there were more important things to do right now.

She repeated what she had just said.

Yuan Qianye heard clearly this time, but still didn't quite understand: "What exactly did you mean?"

"It's about... the specific difficulties you're currently facing."

"I don't have any difficulties."

"But you just said that you... seem to be having some financial problems."

Originally, I wanted to say that I was "short of money," just like what Yuan Qianye said.

But Yukino realized her mistake and chose a more considerate way of putting the other person's feelings.

"You can tell me anything. We're friends, right? I'm willing... I want to help you."

After saying that, Yukino held both hands on her phone.

She held her breath, waiting for the other party's response.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone: "Wait a moment."

"Ah."

"呲-"

A distinct sound of water could be heard coming from Yukino's microphone.

She had visited Yuan's house before and even used his bathroom, so she knew the layout of his bathroom.

Although I kept telling myself not to overthink it, the image of him sitting on a small wooden stool, holding a showerhead and rinsing my hair, white foam slowly sliding down his broad shoulders and strong arms... kept popping into my mind.

Yuan Qianye brushed his bangs back, vigorously shook the water droplets off his hands, and picked up his phone, which was on speakerphone and lying to the side.

"Yukino, you must have misunderstood something. When I said we were short of money, I meant we were short of money because we need to move to a new house. Our family is perfectly fine right now. Rikka was wearing a brand new dress that we just bought today."

"..."

Silence fell on the other end of the phone.

Only when Chiyo called Yukino's name again did she respond.

"Why would someone suddenly want to move?"

“It didn’t matter before, just my dad and I, but now that he’s remarried, there are ten and six more women, so our little home is already feeling a bit crowded.”

At this point, Gen Chiyo couldn't help but laugh, recalling Yukino's cautious voice just now.

"Did you just think that my family's financial situation was dire, that I was struggling to make ends meet?"

It's not that the guess was inaccurate; it's that it was completely consistent.

Yukino's voice suddenly turned cold: "So what? If you don't explain yourself clearly, it's only natural that it will cause misunderstandings."

It's an old habit, a long-lost practice of using cold, sarcastic remarks as tactical armor to disguise oneself and try to conceal something.

"But I'm still very happy, because it means that even if I go bankrupt and become so poor that I can't afford to eat, I don't have to worry about it. At least I still have a friend who is willing to help me."

Although it was a minor misunderstanding, Chiya sincerely thanked Yukino for saying those words and showing her attitude.

"Thank you, Yukino."

"No, there's no need for such a formal thank you. I didn't do anything in the first place."

The light blue bed sheet wrinkled as the girl's delicate pink toes curled up.

"Alright, I'm glad you're alright. I won't talk to you anymore."

"Ah."

call--

After hanging up the phone, Yukino breathed a long sigh of relief, as if she had finally crossed the finish line in a long-distance race.

She touched her face and could clearly feel the excessive heat at her fingertips.

Could this be considered the first time in her life that she sought to take the initiative but unexpectedly suffered an accident?

In the end, it seemed that I hadn't been able to help him much.

But if we follow the older sister's theory, wouldn't expressing concern be enough at this point?

"Buzz."

My phone suddenly vibrated.

Someone sent me a message.

Oh, I forgot to mention, the cardigan and solid-colored dress you wore today looked great on you, it suited you perfectly.

Yukino froze after reading the message.

A simple compliment caused her heart rate, which had just begun to calm down, to spike again.

He... he really is...

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.

Yoko Touma, in her early thirties, is a pianist and a single mother.

The most important person in her life is undoubtedly her daughter, Touma Kazusa.