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

Nestled among mountains and facing the sea, the scenery is exceptionally beautiful.

As soon as Yuan Qianye got out of the car, he felt a strong natural scent of grass and trees. The oxygen was plentiful, and taking a deep breath made him feel refreshed and relaxed.

Rikka then quickened her pace, raised her phone, and started taking pictures of the surrounding scenery.

After thinking about it, instead of sending it to a specific person, I sent it directly to a group chat where everyone was present.

She was a neutral party who was completely dependent on her older brother. This way, she didn't give any special treatment to anyone, which meant she wouldn't offend anyone, which was good.

Miyoko Kudo turned off the car, but unlike the brother and sister, she didn't immediately get out and stretch her body.

She was still reeling from the shocking news that Rikka had just revealed and was questioning the meaning of life.

When did the boss, who spends most of his time with me, develop a romantic relationship?

It wasn't really surprising, after all, he was indeed very handsome, had a pleasant voice, was young, energetic, capable, had outstanding personal charm, great abs, and his smile was as healing as the sun...

But that's not the real issue... How did he manage to date two people at the same time?!

No, no, no, now is not the time to think about this.

The most urgent thing right now is to report this to the president, right?

However, Miyoko hesitated for a moment after picking up her phone.

If the boss can date two people at the same time, will there be any further developments in the future?

Just like...

"Dong dong dong."

Miyoko was startled by Gen Chiya's light tapping on the car window, and she almost dropped her phone.

She quickly rolled down the car window.

"What are you always doing sitting in the car?" Yuan Qianye asked curiously.

"Ah, I... I was just texting a friend!" Miyoko said, quickly getting out of the car.

"Oh, they'll be here in a while. Let's check out the nearby shops first. Besides outdoor camping and BBQ equipment for rent, there also seems to be badminton courts available. Let's take a look around and then decide on our plans for today."

"Ah, you're right!"

"Why do you look so flustered? Are you still thinking about what happened between me, Saeko, and Utaha?"

"Ha ha……"

Not knowing how to answer, Miyoko could only force a smile and brush it off.

"Don't worry, I will be careful to keep things confidential in public and try to keep a low profile so as not to add any extra workload for you."

Miyoko could only laugh helplessly at this statement.

These are not what she cares about or is worried about.

Suppressing her worries, she walked with Chiya and Rikka towards the commercial area of ​​the campsite.

Around 9 a.m., a Toyota Crown SportCross drove into the parking lot, and Rikka, with her black wings on her head, cheerfully greeted it, "Yukino, Eriri, we've been waiting for you for so long, you've finally arrived!"

"Rokka, good morning."

"Rikka, ah, the Black Wings have arrived too."

"Gah-"

Rikka first hopped cutely while holding Yukino's hand, then quickly turned her concerned gaze to Eriri: "Eriri, are you... alright?"

Eriri put her hands on her hips: "What are you saying, Rikka? What could possibly be wrong with me!"

Rikka observed carefully and found that her friend's tone and actions seemed a bit deliberate, but it was indeed much better than the previous two days.

At least my mood isn't so low anymore, and my eyes aren't so red.

"I was just asking casually. There was a winding mountain road on the way here, and I felt a little dizzy. I was just asking how you were feeling, Eriri."

"The driver for the Yukino family drove very smoothly; I didn't feel anything at all."

"That's good. Let's go meet up with Chiya now. He and Miyoko are buying ingredients for the barbecue at the shop over there. You can go over now and pick out some things you like to eat. He's treating us to everything today, as a celebration of his new book's great success. Don't be shy with him later."

"Today's activity has been decided: an outdoor barbecue."

"That's not all, there are many other fun activities too, you'll find out in a bit."

Yukino asked with concern, "Hasn't the others arrived yet?"

"Um... Saeko-nee and Utaha-nee will be a little later. Utaha-nee had an appointment to go to the publishing house this morning, and Saeko-nee went to meet her. They'll come over after that."

Rikka observed Eriri's expression, which had clearly changed from bright and cheerful to somewhat gloomy.

Without hesitation, she immediately reached out her hands and hugged her tightly.

Eriri was caught off guard by Rikka's sudden hug: "Rikka, what are you doing?"

Rikka took a step back, but her hands were still on Eriri's shoulders. She said very seriously, "Eri, I know some things are regrettable and sad, but please rest assured, no matter what, I will always be on your side! We will always be best friends!"

“Rikka…” Eriri’s nose immediately tingled as she looked at the usually unreliable Rikka speaking to her so earnestly and solemnly.

He immediately threw himself into Rikka's arms and returned a very tight hug.

They didn't overlook Yukino, who was looking on with a relieved expression, and grabbed her arm, pulling her into the sweet embrace between the girls.

Upon arriving at the store and meeting up with Chiya and Miyoko, Yukino's attitude was no different from usual; she simply greeted them.

Her resentment had mostly dissipated over the past two weeks, and her sister's words reminded her that, from the perspective of her childhood friend, she really had no reason to be angry, as Qianye had never made any clear promises to her.

The promise made by Eriri and her two friends on that Christmas Eve when they were children was that they would stay together like they did back then.

Regardless of who he chose as his lover, at least in this matter, he has always done so.

On the contrary, she herself, who missed three years of studying abroad, is the one who breached the contract in a certain sense.

…………

Chapter 022: He Couldn't Bear to Part with It (6k)

After a brief greeting to Yukino, Chiya Minamoto turned his gaze to Eriri.

"Eri looks beautiful today."

"Thank you... Qianye, you're also... very handsome."

Although they didn't seem to be doing anything special, and just exchanged a normal greeting as usual, both of them felt somewhat uneasy.

Yuan Qianye could no longer ignore the feelings of his petite childhood friend as he had before.

He has a very basic understanding of himself.

Although he has a moral bottom line, he is very flexible and not exactly a gentleman.

Eriri is of Japanese and British descent. She has striking features, dazzling blonde hair, and clear blue eyes like the sky. She is petite but not lacking in beauty.

She has a great personality. Although she tries to be elegant in public, it doesn't change the fact that she is a gentle and kind girl. Her occasional little quirks also reveal her adorable nature.

She herself is quite attractive.

So why haven't I developed any other feelings for her all these years?

Such a question arose in Yuan Qianye's mind.

It's probably because they've been together since they were very young and are so familiar with each other that it's hard for those kinds of feelings to arise.

No, no, if we think about it that way, Yukino shouldn't have come into my sight in the first place.

So it turns out that there were problems at some stages in between.

After all, no matter how you look at it, Eriri is indeed very cute.

Just like now, her face is so red and she looks a little flustered, giving off an urge to pinch her smooth cheeks, making her look pitiful because of the pain.

Or perhaps he'd whisper something naughty in her ear to shatter her sense of shame, unleashing a sadistic urge to cruelly torment her...

"Seriously, I know Eriri looks pretty in her little dress today, but you don't have to stare at her like that, brother," Rikka said, displeased.

Reminded by this, Yuan Qianye realized that his gaze just now might have been a bit too blatant and direct.

Not to mention Eriri, whose face turned as red as if it were about to bleed when Rikka hugged her.

Even Yukino, who was standing next to him, was staring at him with an extremely cold and slightly disdainful look.

"What are you talking about? Do you think I'm that kind of person? I was just thinking that since we've all finally gotten together today, how can we proceed with the activities only if everyone is satisfied?" Yuan Qianye's skin was as thick as Greenland ice; even when he lost his composure, he wouldn't show it in the slightest.

"Is that so?" Yukino's gaze was distant, and she didn't quite believe it.

Honestly, ever since he found out that I was dating Saeko Utaha, this guy's attitude towards me has completely changed.

That rebellious attitude I had when I first met her as a child, before we were even close, has returned.

The most crucial question is why I still have such a strong sense of nostalgia...

“Of course, you can keep your expectations up.” Yuan Qianye’s gaze shifted to Eriri, and his casual tone softened: “Eri, you can tell me anytime you need anything today.”

"okay."

Eriri's tone still sounded somewhat unnatural.

Because of their height difference, the two stared at each other from above and below at close range.

Yuan Qianye smiled at her again, revealing his clean, white teeth, his smile sunny.

Eriri couldn't look directly at her and timidly hid half of her body behind Rikka as if trying to escape.

It's not that I hate him, but rather that over the years I've always regarded him as the savior prince of my life.

The more you like someone, the less you can say it out loud; even just being near him feels like a blessing.

However, psychological activities, unlike words or writing, cannot be directly displayed and made known to others.

Her subconscious action, driven entirely by her heart, not only evoked a unique feeling in Minamoto Chiya, but even Rikka, feeling the tightness with which her friend gripped her clothes, felt that her friend's cuteness was off the charts today!

I want to hug her tightly again, just like before, and cuddle with her repeatedly like I'm holding a cute little creature!

Eriri, if you had done this earlier, you would have won over my brother long ago! Why did things have to come to this? You can't play without facing adversity, can you?!

“Alright, let’s buy the ingredients for our barbecue later. The meat and vegetables here are a bit more expensive than in the city supermarkets, but they look pretty good and seem to have just been put on the shelves recently,” Miyoko Kudo said at the right moment.

Everyone agreed and nodded in unison.

Later, while selecting dishes, Yuan Qianye took the initiative to talk about the upcoming arrangements.