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

"Congratulations, customer!" At the candy-making game stall, the stall owner rang a bell: "Congratulations on successfully completing this round of the game. This is your prize for completing the game, and please keep the card."

Hayasaka Ai took the card.

All nine round boxes above have now been filled with signatures.

She held up the card and asked the stall owner, "So, I can go back and redeem that mystery prize now?"

"That's right, sir. Go back to the stall where you got the cards, and the stall owner there will give you the grand prize."

"OK, thanks."

Hayasaka Ai got up from the candy-making game booth, picked up the two bulging gift bags beside her, and started walking back.

She is currently experiencing a rather peculiar feeling.

The time is 7:50. Since Yuan Qianye left, she has experienced nine game booths.

Aside from the initial booth where she paid for the toy gun balloon shooter, the subsequent eight booths were all free for her.

Goldfish scooping, ring toss, mini bowling, pinball, water balloon fishing...

Just like at the balloon popping stall at the beginning, she would receive a gift from the stall owner after completing the corresponding game at each subsequent stall.

Their enthusiasm made Hayasaka Ai feel a little embarrassed, and completely dispelled her idea that this was a business strategy to make money.

He was beginning to accept the fact that he had won a mysterious grand prize.

Starting from the second stall, the gifts she received were—

A cartoon-style starry sky projector lamp, a high-quality craft kit, an elephant-shaped instant camera and matching camera paper, a soft blanket, an exquisite bracelet, a pair of matching cream-colored gloves and a scarf, and a stylish high-end desktop Bluetooth speaker.

And the last thing I acquired was a rather exquisite notebook wrapped in black leather.

The moment Hayasaka Ai took the notebook, she vaguely sensed something, but since all the games were already finished, and she was more concerned about the grand prize, she didn't think about it any further. Carrying her bags, she walked back to the stall where she started.

When Qianye returns later, I'll tell him about this amazing experience. He'll probably be quite surprised.

Just thinking about the expression her favorite guy might make when they met again later made Hayasaka Ai's smile even brighter.

Before long, she returned to her original stall.

"Good day, boss."

"Oh, you're back, sir! It looks like you've completed all the game challenges."

“Yes, this is for you.” Hayasaka Ai handed over the card.

"Okay, okay." The shopkeeper took the items, but didn't even look at them, just tossed them aside. He then ran out of his stall with a very friendly smile and helped her take the spoils she was carrying: "I'll keep these for you for now. Now hurry up and walk straight ahead along this road. After you reach the end, turn right, and you'll see a small triangular tent set up. He's there..."

Ok? !

Hayasaka Ai's suddenly sharp gaze made the stall owner immediately realize his slip of the tongue and quickly correct himself! "...No, the final mystery prize is right there!"

Hayasaka Ai didn't miss this opening: "Boss, you were thinking that someone was waiting for me there, right? Who was waiting for me over there?"

"I didn't say that! Instead, you should hurry up and redeem your mystery prize, or you'll miss out!"

After saying that, the stall owner immediately slipped back into his stall, determined not to say a word no matter how much the cute girl asked him!

Hayasaka Ai had no intention of asking any further questions.

She walked along the path the stall owner pointed out, recalling Qianye's unnatural behavior before he left, and how "lucky" she was to win the mysterious grand prize after he left. The game experience along the way was quite simple, but she liked every single gift she received.

Furthermore, each gift received after the first one, seemingly unrelated, subtly reveals a certain pattern...

The answer gradually became clearer in my mind.

A certain certainty, like a spring bud breaking through the soil, could no longer be suppressed and began to grow; the answer was about to be revealed.

The maid quickened her pace unconsciously.

At first, it was just a little faster than a stroll, then it turned into a brisk walk, the hem of her skirt swaying slightly with each step.

Later, she almost started jogging, with the wind whistling past her ears and only one clear direction in her mind.

Her heart began to pound faster in her chest, causing her to breathe heavily and her cheeks to flush with a beautiful blush.

The moment the triangular tent adorned with tiny light bulbs came into view, she abruptly stopped in her tracks.

In the open space in front of the tent, warm-colored lights gently poured down, outlining the figure standing there with perfect clarity.

He stood there quietly, his smiling eyes like stars in the night sky.

…………

Chapter 083: Filling the Void of the Past (6k)

The moment she saw him, the maid's rapid breathing, a result of her running, strangely subsided.

Yuan Qianye came forward and said somewhat awkwardly, "I'm sorry, there were some unexpected events tonight, and I didn't manage the time well. I should have been able to do it more perfectly."

Hayasaka Ai opened her mouth in a daze, but in the end, she couldn't say anything.

For some answers, verification is sufficient; how they were derived is no longer important.

"But it's okay, the second round is about to begin, come and watch together."

Hayasaka Ai was pulled by the wrist, and the two sat down in front of the small tent.

There were even blankets thoughtfully laid out on the grass, so she wouldn't feel any inconvenience wearing a skirt.

To be fair, there's nothing particularly special about this place; it's just a flat grassland. Because of its elevated location, it offers a good view, allowing you to see the crowds below and, further on, the brightly lit buildings.

But because that special person is here now, this ordinary place has been given a special meaning.

The surrounding area was filled with the noise of the festival, but Hayasaka Ai felt as if she had been temporarily detached from the world, and that the two of them were alone in a special dimension, undisturbed, so quiet that she could hear his breathing and her own heartbeat.

"call out--"

A sudden, sharp whistling sound shattered the special atmosphere, and Hayasaka Ai's gaze shifted from the boy's smiling profile to the sky in front of her.

A bright flame shot up from an open space not far away. After disappearing briefly in the night sky, it burst open with a "bang" and bloomed into an extremely beautiful flower.

Countless streams of light scattered outwards and then slowly fell, illuminating her eyes.

"Fireworks..." Hayasaka Ai murmured softly.

The first firework shattered the silence, igniting the night's clamor, like a signal announcing the start of a grand feast.

Immediately, more flames shot into the sky, like shooting stars against the current, blooming into huge flowers in the air and transforming into a sky full of colorful light.

The bright full moon paled in comparison to this grand, man-made shower of flowers, becoming a quiet backdrop that willingly served as a foil.

Hayasaka Ai gazed intently at the beautiful night sky, her hands, which were resting on the blanket, involuntarily moving little by little to her side.

A moment later, she touched the boy's fingertips. She tried carefully, first touching his little finger and then gently covering his ring finger. Seeing that he did not flinch, she no longer hesitated and gently covered his much larger hand with her whole hand.

The maid tried to remain calm as she watched the fireworks, but her eyes kept glancing at his expression. However, a surge of shyness overwhelmed her, and she couldn't muster the courage to turn and look at him.

Just then, she suddenly opened her eyes slightly, and her body trembled slightly—

He actually turned his palm over and held her hand firmly in his warm palm.

The gentle caress was tender, yet the tightening force was unwavering, as if guarding a priceless treasure, unwilling to let go.

He slowly approached, and the maid, realizing what was about to happen, held her breath and closed her eyes.

However, the expected thing did not happen.

Hayasaka Ai opened her eyes, turned her head to look, and saw Minamoto Chiya's expression, which seemed to be caught in a dilemma, with a hint of embarrassment mixed in.

Realizing she had misunderstood, the maid's face flushed.

Just then, the fireworks in the sky stopped, and the night wind carried the smell of gunpowder. The surroundings suddenly became quiet, and the atmosphere between them became even more awkward.

"Uh, no..."

"Feel sorry……"

The two spoke at almost the same time, and then stopped simultaneously after hearing each other's voices.

The two stared at each other, their awkwardness deepening.

Hayasaka Ai's eyes were wet with tears, making it difficult for her to maintain eye contact with him under such circumstances. She awkwardly lowered her head and turned it to the side.

In the end, it was the shameless Minamoto Chiya who took on everything. He held Hayasaka Ai's hand tightly and didn't let go: "Sorry, come with me first."

Hayasaka Ai didn't ask him where he was going again, she just nodded quietly.

Now, even if he takes her to a love hotel, she won't complain at all. She'll even obediently go to the bathroom to shower and then wait for him in bed. She'll also take the time to send the young lady a message asking for leave the next morning.

But at this moment, Gen Chiya had absolutely no such thought.

It's not that I don't want to, but there are more important situations that I need to understand and resolve immediately.

He pulled Hayasaka Ai into the small, dreamlike tent behind them, which was decorated with tiny light bulbs.

There aren't any extra facilities here. Originally, Chiyo's main plan was to watch the second round of fireworks with Hayasaka Ai here. The tent was just a backdrop to enhance the atmosphere.

But when the maid saw Yuan Qianye pull her in and then turn around to pull up the tent flap, she once again misunderstood.

Of course she could give it to him, or even be held in his arms, the two of them embracing and rolling around in each other's sweat... Such extremely intimate postures had appeared in her dreams many times.

But since it was her first time, choosing to be in the less comfortable wilderness, not to mention that people might pass by at any time, the tent, although it blocked out possible prying eyes from the outside world, was just a thin layer of cloth and could not provide her with a sense of security.

The tent was too low to stand up directly, so Chiya Minamoto squatted down in front of Ai Hayasaka, staring intently at her and holding her other hand.

Hayasaka Ai really wanted to say no, at least not here... but thinking about the embarrassing situation caused by her presumptuous idea, she decided to wait and see.

As expected, what Yuan Qianye said the next moment made her secretly feel fortunate.

He said, "Ai, have you run into some trouble lately? Are you being watched?"

The moment Hayasaka Ai realized what was happening, her romantic fantasies cooled down instantly: "You mean, someone's been following me?"

"It should be. I saw it when you came. There was someone standing at the intersection where you came from, looking in our direction. At first, I didn't pay attention and thought it was just a curious passerby, but just now he even took out his phone and secretly took pictures of us."

There is even better evidence, such as the two people he shook off when he left, who are now following him again.

This clearly proves that their primary target is Hayasaka Ai, and only secondarily themselves.

However, he didn't mention this for the time being, as he didn't want to expose his overly powerful counter-surveillance abilities. In short, it was enough for him to provide accurate intelligence like he was now and guide the maid to think in the right direction.

After listening to what Yuan Qianye said, Hayasaka Ai turned around and unzipped the tent, revealing a small gap. She leaned closer and looked in the direction they had come from. Sure enough, she saw a suspicious figure peeking and looking in their direction.

Hayasaka Aiko's expression immediately darkened, her mood shifting between light and dark. The first thought that popped into her mind was that the person following her might be after Lady Shinomiya.

Beneath the facade of the Shinomiya family's prosperity and glamour lies a multitude of dark secrets, giving rise to various illicit dealings. Surrounded by wolves, it's predictable that someone would target the young lady herself, who is closest to her.