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

"..."

Yukino's body stiffened slightly, and she remained silent.

"From the very beginning when I met you, I felt that you were the most perfect match and the most natural couple in the world."

Childhood sweethearts, understanding each other, supporting each other... just like in fairy tales.

But now... now it's my turn... first...

I've been wanting to apologize to you for this, but I've never known how to bring it up.

I...I feel like I stole something that originally belonged to you..."

"Alright, Eriri, you didn't do anything wrong, and neither did he."

When it comes to matters of the heart, there is no first come, first served, and no such thing as 'who should belong to whom'.

Let bygones be bygones. As long as you feel happy enough now, don't think about it anymore.

“But, you…” Eriri’s eyes were red as she peeked out from under the covers.

"I'm very good."

Yukino's lips curved into a very faint smile, her eyes clear and sincere.

"Being able to be by your side as your friend and witness your happiness firsthand is already enough for me, and to be honest..."

I didn't expect things to go so smoothly between you two at first, and seeing you so happy now... makes me happy for you too, so stop overthinking things.

Yukino's words came from the bottom of her heart, without the slightest reluctance.

Because Eriri isn't the only one by Chiya's side.

At first, she was worried that Eriri wouldn't be able to adapt to the situation and might need her help.

But the reality is that Eriri is doing well now. Not only does she get along well with Chiya, but she also has good relationships with other people.

Leaving aside Rikka and Touka, the two most important family members in Chiya's life, the same applies to Saeko Utaha.

Saeko's gentle and tolerant personality goes without saying, but what's most surprising is Utaha.

They used to be at odds, but now they can actually live together in a relatively harmonious way.

Of course, minor verbal squabbles and teasing are still inevitable, but it's much, much better than the sarcastic and veiled sarcasm of the past.

Furthermore, Eriri also successfully found her life goal, which she had always longed for but had not been able to achieve for various reasons, in the process of becoming a real manga artist.

Seeing the sparkle in her eyes when she talked about the storyboard, and seeing her works becoming more and more popular, Yukino was genuinely happy for her.

Everything went so smoothly, not entirely due to Eriri's own choices, but more so due to Chiya's personal abilities.

It was through his efforts and maneuvering that Eriri was able to achieve such happiness and fulfillment, and have such a smooth life.

He's really amazing... it's just that his personality is awful!

"Yukino!"

Eriri was so moved that she choked up. She suddenly sat up from under the covers, not caring whether the marks on her body would be exposed, and hugged her best friend in front of her!

At the same time, she made up her mind that she couldn't be the only one happy like this!

She was determined to do everything in her power to bring Yukino in too!

Such a wonderful Yukino deserves the same happiness!

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.

When Yuan Qianye returned, the atmosphere in the lounge had eased considerably.

Eriri had already put on her top and was leaning against the headboard, whispering something to Yukino, a shy smile on her face.

Seeing him push the door open and come in, Eriri immediately looked up at him, her eyes instantly filled with dependence and shyness, and softly called out "Chiya".

Gen Chiyo smiled and nodded to her. He came to the bedside, ignoring Yukino's resentful gaze after he had tricked her, and leaned down to give Eriri a light kiss on the forehead without any hesitation.

"Well……!"

Eriri's body trembled, as if she had been electrocuted.

She immediately turned to look at Yukino, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes, afraid that her friend would feel uncomfortable.

But Yukino had already shifted her gaze elsewhere, her face showing only a slight blush, and she didn't show any other particular emotion, which reassured her somewhat.

Chiya looked up and said to Yukino, "It was definitely the right choice to entrust Eriri to your best friend. Thank you for your hard work, Yukino."

Yukino gritted her teeth, her eyes sharp enough to pierce: "I really thank you."

She harbored no resentment towards Eriri, but towards this shameless guy in front of her, she not only had resentment, but a lot of it!

From childhood to now, how many times have I been bullied and teased by him in similar ways?

"You are welcome."

Yuan Qianye seemed completely oblivious to the sarcasm in her words, his smile growing even brighter as he began taking things out of the plastic bag in his hand.

"Then leave the rest to me. Oh, and of course, if you don't mind, I won't object to you staying here to help."

He placed the items he bought from the convenience store one by one on the bedside table.

Alcohol-free baby wipes, soft disposable towels, a bottle of mineral water, and... a small bottle of mouthwash.

Judging from Eriri's face, which turned even redder in an instant, Yukino could barely understand the purpose of the first two items.

Undoubtedly, it was used for certain "cleaning" tasks.

The mineral water is probably to replenish the water content of Eriri.

But... what was that last bottle of mouthwash for?

Who among them didn't brush their teeth before leaving home this morning?

Or did you eat something with a strong smell before?

Yukino, a pure and innocent girl untouched by certain "knowledge," lacks the corresponding knowledge base and is utterly perplexed by this.

I just instinctively felt that the presence of this thing here seemed to carry some kind of inexplicable ambiguity.

"I'll wait for you outside."

"Good~"

Yukino got up almost immediately, walked out of the lounge without looking back, and thoughtfully closed the door tightly.

So only the young couple remained.

"You're not wearing panties yet, are you?"

"...N-no." Eriri's voice was barely audible, her head almost buried in her chest.

Gen Chiya first unwrapped the baby wipes: "Very good, lift the blanket, I'll help Eriri with this."

Why choose baby wipes instead of regular adult wipes?

It's not out of any perverse sense of humor, but because baby wipes are usually made with gentler ingredients, free of alcohol, fragrances, and other irritating components, making them safer for delicate skin and meeting higher hygiene standards.

"Um... I... I can do it myself, Chiya..."

The lover spoke in a gentle, coaxing tone, as if caring for a baby.

Eriri felt even more ashamed, and shrank back, reluctantly refusing to comply.

Gen Chiyo shook his head with a serious expression: "How can that be? Eriri just 'carefully and considerately' cleaned me up so well, I definitely have to 'repay' her properly, it's only fair."

As he spoke, he reached out and touched Eriri's ankle under the blanket, grabbing it.

Eriri knew she couldn't escape today, so she gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and threw off the covers in a self-destructive manner.

She completely exposed herself to her lover's smiling gaze, appearing completely at his mercy.

But Chiyo did not immediately begin the so-called cleaning work.

He gently lifted Eriri from the bed, placing her comfortably in his lap, and adjusted them into a position that was comfortable for both of them.

Then, just like when he took care of his younger sister Chiyo when she was a baby and helped her urinate, he guided Eriri to slowly spread her legs apart.

"No matter how many times I see it, Eriri is always so cute."

He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, his warm breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe.

He said awkwardly, "What should I do if I want to kiss you again?"

"Waaah... Qianye, please stop...!"

Eriri was now so ashamed that even her toes curled up, and her voice was so soft that she couldn't even speak clearly. She just pressed her burning cheeks tightly against her lover's firm neck, as if that would shut her out everything from the outside world.

Gen Chiyo's movements were gentle. Knowing that Eriri was extremely embarrassed at the moment, and with Yukino still waiting outside, he didn't continue to tease her with any more malicious intent.

I quickly took care of her hygiene, then personally helped her put on her underwear, skirt, and socks, and handed her mouthwash so she could use it and spit it into the trash can.

About five minutes later, the door to the lounge opened again.

Eriri, dressed neatly and with her hair simply combed, came out.

Although the blush on her face had not completely faded and her walking posture seemed slightly unnatural, she had at least returned to her usual appearance on the surface and regained some confidence in front of Yukino.

The three then got down to business.

First is Yukino.

She went straight to the point with Yuan Qianye.

“After the New Year, Mom felt that I had received a lot of care from you in the past year. She thought that if Uncle and Aunt were free and it was convenient, she would like to arrange to meet up during the New Year’s Day shrine visit and then have lunch together afterwards.”

The term "being taken care of" is, of course, a polite way of putting it. The real purpose of the two families' formal meeting is to enhance their understanding and grow closer to each other.

Before Chiyo could answer, Eriri exclaimed in surprise, "Eh?"

"What a coincidence! My mom said the same thing! She said she hasn't visited my uncle and aunt for a while and wants to arrange for both families to go on a New Year's prayer ceremony together after the New Year, and then we can go shopping together or something."

She also asked me to ask you, Qianye, if you could arrange a time with your aunt and uncle.

Both of my future mothers-in-law coincidentally chose to send out family gathering invitations during the New Year's shrine visit period.

Yuan Qianye raised an eyebrow slightly, lost in thought. The timing was rather coincidental.

Yukino seemed to sense his predicament and added, "Mom insisted that I come and ask, but you don't need to feel pressured. Everyone is very busy during the New Year period, and it's normal that you can't make arrangements. It's okay to just refuse."

Eriri quickly added, "Yes! Chiya, you don't need to be in a difficult position. My mom is always impulsive. She even said she wanted to rent a neighboring apartment near yours! When I get back, I'll just tell your parents that their schedules are very full during the New Year, and we can make an appointment later!"