In this crossover anime, I've been bound to two systems.

"Books, toys, photo albums, clothes, and the like that I used when I was a child."

Because she didn't want her mother to know her true thoughts, Touma Kazusa deliberately mentioned a few unimportant things to hide her important purpose.

Even so, Touma Yoko still sensed something was off about her daughter.

"Why are you suddenly asking about these things? You're not the kind of person who gets nostalgic. If you want something, just go and buy it. If you can't buy it in China, just give me a list and I'll have my assistant buy it and mail it back to you."

Is that really the case...

"It was just a sudden whim, and it seems you didn't know. Oh well, that's it."

Touma Kazusa was about to hang up the phone, but was stopped by Touma Yoko.

"Go ask Aunt Xiaoyuan. I hired her to take care of you after we moved. She was also in charge of organizing your things in the new house. If you did pack those things properly, she should have kept them organized and not left them lying around."

Toma Kazusa remained silent for a while.

After waiting a while, Touma Yoko's relaxed smile drifted over.

"Did you call specifically to ask me this?"

"Ah."

"Nothing else to say?"

How's work lately?

"Thanks to you, it's not bad."

"This has nothing to do with me."

"In order for my precious daughter to enjoy life better in the future, as a mother, I have to work hard to earn more assets and pave the way for her future."

"Keep those assets to take care of your retirement. I will walk my own path."

"Still as stubborn as ever, but it's kind of like me when I was a kid. Why is that? I suddenly feel a little nostalgic."

"...If there's nothing else, I'll hang up."

"Okay, goodnight, Kazusa."

"……Good night."

Yoko Touma hung up the phone with a smile on her face.

"What goodnight, you silly daughter? The sun is shining brightly here right now."

Leaning back on the bench, Yoko Higashima in Vienna looked up at the sky.

Her assistant, Ms. Kudo Miyoko, held the medical diagnosis report in her hand, her face filled with worry.

"President, given your health condition, it would be better to tell your daughter."

Touma Yoko waved her hand dismissively.

"There's no need for that. She won't die anytime soon. Letting the child know would only cause her more worry. She still has two years of high school left. Let her spend those two years carefree."

"At the very least, we should listen to the doctor, put down our work for now, and rest at home for a while."

"If that's the case, I won't be able to earn money and therefore won't be able to pay your salary, Miyoko-chan~"

"Please stop joking!"

Kudo Miyoko stood up excitedly.

"I know what I'm doing."

Touma Yoko always had that reassuring, lazy smile on her face.

"Life is full of disappointments. I've had a smooth life for the first half of my life, so I have to experience some storms. Otherwise, it would be too unfair to others. I'm not worried about you, so why are you worried? The itinerary doesn't need to be changed, everything will proceed as usual."

"..."

Miyoko Kudo turned her head to the side, silently expressing her protest.

"This is the president's order."

"……Yes."

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.

Toma Kazusa dialed Aunt Ohara's number and asked her question.

According to Aunt Xiaoyuan's recollection, after moving in, she packed up and categorized some of the less frequently used items and placed them in the innermost room on the first floor, with identification labels written on the outside of the cardboard boxes.

Aunt Ohara said that if there's anything you're looking for, you can tell her, and she'll come over tomorrow to help you find it; there's no need for Touma and Kazusa to do it themselves.

She kept Touma Yoko's words in mind and tried her best not to let Touma Kazusa do anything that might hurt her hands.

But Kazusa couldn't wait until then.

After hanging up the phone, she went straight into the room she had never set foot in since moving in.

She rummaged through the cardboard boxes and found the one labeled "books".

She excitedly opened the package, did a quick search, and got what she wanted.

Several piano beginner textbooks were given to her by her piano teacher and her mother.

She flipped through these introductory tutorials countless times when she was a child, leaving many pages creased and covered with meaningless doodles.

After Suzumiya Chisato suggested that she be asked to teach her piano, Touma Kazusa's heart, hidden beneath her indifferent expression, instantly fluttered with girlish excitement.

That most innocent yet pure time, those meaningful books she used and that accompanied her during her early school years.

She would find it very romantic to give it to a boy who could make her laugh and keep her entertained for as long as possible.

That's it.

…………

Chapter 114 Teacher Touma

On Friday, raindrops fell on the window, and the pattering sound made me feel a little sleepy.

But Touma Kazusa, who was lying on her desk in the classroom, wasn't sleepy at all. She looked at the dark clouds outside the window and the occasional flashes of lightning, silently calculating how long it would be before lunch break.

She doesn't usually think about these things intentionally, but today is an exception.

After the bell rang, she stood up more quickly than usual, glanced at Suzumiya Chisato beside her, and then strode out the back door.

Suzumiya Senri understood; last night, before he went to sleep, he received a very brief message from Touma Kazusa—

Come find me in the First Music Room tomorrow at noon.

The meaning of this message is self-evident: Touma Kazusa has agreed to the suggestion that Suzumiya Chisato had previously made to her.

This means that one party teaches the other to play the piano, and the other party teaches the other to study – a very fair and mutually supportive arrangement.

It was much simpler than I had imagined.

Do you really like me that much, Touma Kazusa?

Suzumiya Chisato usually has a smiling face and is very gentle to everyone, but today his smile is particularly sunny and dazzling, even infecting those around him. Several girls were criticized by the teacher in class today because they kept glancing at him.

"You seem to be getting along quite well with Touma lately. Are you going to see her now?"

Fukube Satoshi turned around and curiously spoke to Suzumiya Chisato, who had tidied up her desk, picked up her lunchbox, and stood up to leave.

"Yes."

After saying that, Suzumiya Chisato quickened her pace and walked out the back door.

Fukube Satoshi, who had watched him leave with a look of surprise, sat there muttering to himself.

"They actually admitted it so honestly. I thought they would hide something."

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.

According to a dating survey, when people first develop feelings for the opposite sex, feel a deep longing for them, and unconsciously follow them with their eyes, 80% of the respondents chose "campus" as the setting for this innocent and budding emotion.

There was no ulterior motive or calculation involved. The reason for developing feelings for that person was excessively simple. Perhaps it was just a casual glance when they first met at a corner, or perhaps it was simply being healed by the gentle smile on his lips, or perhaps it was simply his kindness to you, or his timely arrival to offer help in a moment of confusion or difficulty.

That pure, heart-fluttering moment will continue to influence a person's subsequent thinking. At first, it simply means picking that person out of a group of people and making them a special existence.

Then you'll slowly start paying attention to him, observing his every word and action, and constantly wondering in your heart if the smile he just showed to another person had a hidden meaning? Is the slight yawn he made in class a sign that he didn't sleep well last night?

When I finally realized it, I found that my eyes were filled with that person's image.

They want to be in contact with the other person, want to keep talking to them, and crave closer proximity and a more intimate relationship.

That feeling of unease and bittersweetness in her heart is still something that Touma Kazusa truly experiences today.

But if possible, as a dessert lover, she still wants to savor more sweet flavors.

"what is this?"

Upon arriving at the First Music Room, Chisato Suzumiya received a tote bag from Kazusa Touma. Instead of opening it immediately, he asked her a question first.

"The piano textbook I used when I was a child is just right for you as a beginner."

After handing over the paper bag, Touma Kazusa turned and walked to the window, seemingly looking at the scenery outside, but in reality, she was using the reflection in the window to secretly observe Suzumiya Chisato's reaction.

"Hey, is this the textbook Touma used when he was a kid?"

That's great, he's happy.

The genuine surprise on Chisato's face made Touma Kazusa's lips curl into a slight smile.

"Can I open it now and take a look?"

"That's already yours."

Suzumiya Chisato smiled and opened it to take a look.

Several piano textbooks, their covers no longer pristine, but holding them in my hands brings me more joy than holding brand-new textbooks.

"Thank you, I will study hard, Touma-sensei."

Suzumiya Chisato's earnest thanks made Touma Kazusa feel slightly uncomfortable.

She turned around, watched as the other person responded with a drawn-out "Idiot" without any expression, and then sat down at the piano.

"Hurry up and finish your meal. I'll start teaching you some basic knowledge in a bit."

Although he showed disdain for the title of "teacher," his words subtly carried the tone of an educator, clearly indicating that he enjoyed it.