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

This statement can now be applied, albeit somewhat, to Yukino.

After having lunch together at the cafeteria, Eriri and Rikka wanted to stay a little longer, hoping to maximize the time the four of them could spend together.

But Yukino cleared her plate, gave a quiet greeting, and got up to leave.

Seeing this, Eriri looked at her pitifully, then at Chiyo who was nodding gently at her, indicating that she didn't need to worry about her. She sighed helplessly, put away her own plate, and hurriedly chased after Yukino.

"Brother, even now you're not going to tell me what happened between you and Yukino? If you don't tell me, Eriri and I won't know the root cause of your conflict, and we can't help you persuade Yukino."

Rikka didn't chase after them. Instead, she voiced a question she had asked countless times over the past few months, hoping to gain some answers this time.

But she was destined to be disappointed.

"That's wonderful. My Rikka has grown up so much now, and she knows how to care about her brother." Gen Chiyo looked at her with a look of satisfaction and reached out to touch her head.

"I don't care about you right now, I just want to bite you to death. Fine, I won't say anything more, I'm not going to bother with you anymore." Rikka left angrily.

Of course, I was just saying it in anger.

In fact, she was quite resentful that Yukino and Chiya kept silent about the reason for their sudden estrangement.

But privately, he and Eriri never stopped thinking about how to get them back together.

I'll find another opportunity later to formally apologize to those who have been worried about me.

With this in mind, Yuan Qianye waited until they had all left the cafeteria before getting up and leaving as well.

I went to the school store and bought two caramel puddings.

This pudding has a very strong milky flavor and is quite sweet. Yuan Qianye doesn't really like it, but some people really like it.

As you walk toward the club building, you can hear the piano piece "The Girl's Prayer" by D'Azevskaya from afar.

The music was slightly melancholic, yet exceptionally beautiful.

Yuan Qianye could almost picture Kazusa's natural posture, completely immersed in the flow of music, her fair forearms guiding her slender and flexible fingers as they danced smoothly across the piano keys.

In contrast, the performance of the ensemble, also practicing in the club building, was unbearable to watch.

The various chaotic sounds are each immersed in their own world, and the combined effect is like being in a noisy vegetable market.

A comparison of disaster levels.

Instead of going to the Service Club, Gen Chiya went directly to Kazusa's practice room.

No, this classroom should be called the "Second Music Classroom" to be precise.

Above the entrance, the school has placed a prominent sign that echoes the "First Music Classroom" sign on the other side of the teaching building.

Chiya seemed to understand the school's thinking. Perhaps they thought that giving Kazusa a classroom to use alone was somewhat of an abuse of privilege. Although that was indeed the case, they couldn't make it too obvious.

Therefore, adding this sign will create the impression among other unsuspecting students that the school is simply lending her the second music room, and that the room is not her personal property.

Kazusa didn't care about it; whatever happened, as long as no one bothered her while she practiced the piano.

As the song ended, Kazusa turned her head to look over, and Minamoto Chiya, who was sitting in a chair, raised his hand and tossed her a pudding.

He had gotten the chair from the Service Department about two weeks ago, and in front of Yukino, Chiya even asked for her opinion.

Yukino's reaction at the time was to silently look at him, then lower her head and turn a page of the novel she was reading; in short, she was quite aloof.

Silence is a form of consent, so Yuan Qianye took it as her agreement.

What time did you arrive at school today?

"Around 10 o'clock."

"Did you practice piano until 2 a.m. again last night?"

"It wasn't that late, I only practiced until 1:30, but then I took a shower, ate the late-night snack that Aunt Shibata prepared for me, and brushed my teeth. By the time I got to bed, it was indeed close to 2:30."

Yuan Qianye couldn't help but exclaim, "What an enviable healthy and regular lifestyle!"

Kazusa rolled her eyes at him speechlessly, knowing that he was being sarcastic: "There's nothing I can do. The competition is in half a month. If you don't want to embarrass yourself in the competition, then practicing eight hours a day from now on is just the beginning."

Not only is he a genius, but he also works this hard. What are others supposed to do?

"Let's save this for this afternoon."

Gen Chiya placed the remaining pudding on the top shelf of the piano.

"hand."

"No need." Kazusa held the plastic spoon she was using to eat pudding in her mouth, her gaze subtly drifting elsewhere.

"Okay, hurry up. You've been doing this for so many days, why are you still being shy with me? Besides, I already promised your mother."

"..."

Kazusa took a shallow breath and finished the rest of the pudding in one bite, her cheeks puffed out. She slowly stretched out her hands first.

Without hesitation, Yuan Qianye took her hands in his palms, like a warm nest receiving a weary white bird.

He first gently pressed her thumb on the web between her thumb and forefinger, where her hand had become slightly stiff from supporting the position for so long.

They also took meticulous care of her finger joints and even her fingertips.

The force was controlled very well, which not only relieved the soreness after high-intensity piano practice, but also kept it at a level that would not hurt her.

From Kazusa's personal perspective, it felt sour and tingly, which was very comfortable.

It's much more comfortable than relieving my fingers myself, or even having my mother do it...

Last week, when Ma Youzi called to inquire about Toka's situation and casually mentioned how she used to help her daughter relieve finger fatigue when she was at home, Yuan Qianye understood the implication in her words. Most importantly, he didn't actually feel any resistance...

In short, from the day he hung up the phone, he would hold Kazusa's hands with the same self-righteousness he has now.

He would come over during his lunch break, and if he didn't have any extra work scheduled for the afternoon, he would come again after finishing his work at the kendo club.

At first glance, it may not seem like much, but in reality, something is changing without us even realizing it.

Kazusa would always be secretly moved and overjoyed by these close interactions, and so would Chiya.

Kazusa's hands are not like those of Utaha, Yukino, and Eriri; they are small, soft, and possess a delicate and tender quality unique to girls.

Instead, like Saeko, she has long, slender fingers with distinct knuckles.

My nails are always trimmed short and rounded, and long-term practice has left a thin but tough callus on the fingertips.

Even so, this could not conceal Gen Chiyo's fondness for these hands.

Every press on any part of Kazusa's palm would cause her to unconsciously curl her fingertips. This overly sensitive yet feigned indifference made her incredibly adorable.

"Excuse me……"

On a typical afternoon, as Kazusa raised her hands and let Chiya help her relax, an uninvited guest suddenly arrived in the second classroom.

Three people were standing in front of the door that had been opened without permission.

The woman in the middle had two braids hanging down her chest and a friendly, smiling expression. The greeting she just gave was from her.

She had just opened the door, which wasn't fully closed, when she saw the two people inside holding hands. She immediately stopped talking, reached out to cover her slightly open mouth, but couldn't hide her face that quickly turned red.

Startled, Kazusa quickly pulled her hands back, turned around, and left everyone else with only her back to her.

"I'm so sorry, I seem to have disturbed you two. Did I come at a really bad time?" The cheerful girl with braided hair, who seemed to be the leader of the three, took the initiative to apologize.

"It's nothing, just knock before coming in next time." Yuan Qianye shook his head, not minding it. At this moment, he recognized the girl in front of him: "You are Shiromaru-senpai, right? The student council president."

Shiromaru cupped his face and said, "I didn't expect that Gen-kun would remember my name. I'm quite happy."

"You also gave a speech at the opening ceremony, which was very impressive."

Kazusa, who had turned her back, took a deep breath.

She had almost endless tolerance and patience for Yuan Qianye, but she had absolutely no desire to deal with anyone else, regardless of whether they were the so-called student council president or not.

The increased breathing sounds at this moment are a sign that he is already getting impatient.

Gen Chiya naturally understood the meaning behind Kazusa's behavior. He stopped being polite and asked directly, "What brings President Shiromai here?"

"Yes, something is indeed happening."

Student council president Shiromai took a document from a male student who was probably also a student council member, and approached the two of them, asking in an uncertain tone,

"This must be Touma Kazusa, right?"

Upon hearing her name, Kazusa turned around and nodded.

Chairman Shiromai continued, "It's good that it's you. Actually, we came here specifically to find you. Please accept this."

She handed over the documents in her hand as she spoke.

Kazusa took the document, and the words "School Festival Program Application Form" were prominently displayed at the top.

…………

Chapter 018: You Come Too (6k)

Gazing at the documents in her hand, Kazusa lowered her eyelids, her brows not furrowed, but only slightly furrowed in a subtle curve. Her lips, which were originally pressed into a straight line, unconsciously twitched slightly to one side.

She quickly turned to look at Yuan Qianye, her expression not changing much.

But Yuan Qianye, who knew her all too well, had already read Kazusa's mind at that moment—without a doubt, it meant "this is troublesome," and she probably hoped that he would quickly ask these three uninvited guests to leave.

'If that's what you mean, then say it to me!' Yuan Qianye raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.

"No, you say it." As if on cue, Kazusa handed the document back to him, turned around and sat down facing the piano, tearing open the second pudding wrapper as if no one else was there.

"that……"

Cheng Huixun, who had been smiling ever since she entered, took in the silent interaction between the two. Although a few ambiguous guesses crossed her mind, she did not show it.

I was really looking forward to seeing more of these two interesting juniors interact, but unfortunately I have a mission to complete today, so I'll have to find another opportunity later.

“…Let me explain briefly,” she began, “I’m here today to confirm whether Kazusa is interested in signing up for the school festival performance a month from now.”

Yuan Qianye looked down at the application form in his hand and felt that the explanation was actually superfluous; the other party's intentions were obvious.

He had another question: "Did Shiromaru-senpai come specifically to invite Kazusa?"

Wow! They're calling each other by name now? How bold of them...

“That’s not how it is.” The student to the left of President Shiroi pushed up his black-rimmed glasses and explained calmly, “Actually, the president started sending program application forms to each club a few days ago.”

The implication is—don't misunderstand, everyone is the same, there's nothing special about you.

"Clubs?" Yuan Qianye didn't pay much attention to his tone, but keenly caught the key point in his words.