I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Based on the assessment of him as an "engineering madman" that he had heard from Noah, and the basic information that he obtained from Chihiro when he asked her to help him send the announcement letter, Amamiya's understanding of the members of the "Engineering Club"...

He should be the kind of tech geek who is very difficult to negotiate with.

Logically speaking... shouldn't the only tricky thing about such a 'tech geek' be that they're difficult to negotiate with?

Amamiya was confident that she had some charm, and with her charm and understanding of interpersonal relationships, she should be able to have some common topics with those tech geeks. She could use her experience in 'making infiltration tools' to chat with them and find some common topics.

"...No, it's nothing."

Yuka tried to imagine the 'shock' or 'unexpected surprise' that the engineering department could bring to Sensei, and she wanted to sigh and facepalm.

Indeed... the equipment in the engineering department is very 'powerful'.

However, this is contingent on the engineering department not adding any unnecessary modifications to the equipment.

Based on Yuka's own understanding of the engineering department... they seem to like adding a self-destruct function to everything, as well as all sorts of bizarre functions that have nothing to do with the equipment itself, and they also make drastic modifications to the existing equipment.

Not long ago, Yuka had met a student from a thousand years ago who commissioned the engineering department to modify her personal weapon—a silenced pistol.

What was sent in was a pistol.

What emerged was a heavy tank equipped with colorful dazzling lights, 88mm caliber gun, self-destruct function, high-speed racing function, and tracks that could generate sparks.

Yuka still remembers the student's stunned reaction when receiving the 'finished product,' the student's heart-wrenching sobs upon learning the cost of the modification, and the student's pitiful state when the complaint was brought to the seminar and was accepted by her.

“Sensei… if we want to cooperate with the engineering department and get their help… it’s definitely a very good option for Xia Lai…”

"...But please be prepared."

After much deliberation and weighing the pros and cons, Yuka finally used "Please be prepared" as her advance warning.

After confirming the afternoon's itinerary with Yuka, Amamiya began preparing lunch.

"Um... Yuka, I have a small favor to ask of you."

Yuka, who was just pondering whether to go to Angel24 to buy a bento or take the midday bus back to pick up the bento she had prepared before returning, looked up slightly after hearing Amamiya's slightly pleading voice.

"Sensei, is there anything else?"

"It's like this... Yuka, isn't it lunchtime soon? I need to prepare lunch—oh, Xia Lai's 'kitchen equipment' is quite complete. As soon as I arrived, I filled up the ingredients and other kitchen utensils here."

Amamiya squinted and sincerely invited, "Could you... ask Yuka to help prepare the ingredients?"

Processing food?

After temporarily putting aside her original 'bento plan', the girl glanced at the 'adult' in front of her, whom she hadn't known for very long.

"Sensei... do you still cook?"

Amamiya gave him a look that said, "Isn't this obvious?" He replied, "What else can I do? As an adult, I can't be unable to take care of my own basic needs, can I?"

makes sense……

【~???~】

"Even so..."

Yuka smiled confidently and nodded, agreeing to Amamiya's request, then added, "Indeed, there are many students in Kevitos who have absolutely no kitchen experience."

...Although she herself was one of those students who had 'almost no kitchen experience'.

However... with my own computing ability, everything will be fine, hmm!

As long as you follow the recipe, operate accurately, and strictly control every detail, making a delicious lunch is a matter of course, right?

You could see the slight unease beneath Yuka's confident smile, and Amamiya shook his head with a smile.

“Then Yuka, come with me… Xia Lai’s kitchen is here.”

After bringing Yuka to the kitchen, Amamiya first put on a blue apron that Angel24 had bought, the same style as Sora's.

"Yuka, do you need my help?"

He skillfully tied on the apron, then turned his head and saw the girl who was still slightly bewildered by the various kitchen utensils. Amamiya smiled teasingly and said, "Do you need me to help Yuka put on her apron?"

Hey?

Changing aprons and stuff...!

Yuka, who almost had her CPU fried by a single sentence, couldn't help but recall a conversation that seemed to happen between newlyweds—

'Honey, would you like me to tie your apron on for you?'

With that sound... a steady, familiar presence stood behind her and began tying an apron around her neck...

...Isn't this a bit too intimate?!

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

After giving a hurried reply, Yuka promptly tied on her apron, washed her hands, and went to the vicinity of the stove.

【~???~】

Sensei... he really is a clumsy adult who's bad at navigating the appropriate distance with girls...

Looking at the young man who seemed to have only casually expressed his concern, the girl couldn't help but feel a slight sense of resentment.

Feeling the warmth emanating from the young man beside her, Yuka gradually relaxed. As she helped wash the vegetables, all sorts of thoughts began to pop into her mind.

What is Sensei planning to do?

"Well... Yuuka, have you heard of the 'Hyakki Yagyō Joint Academy'? What I'm going to make is... curry in the style of that academy."

"To be more precise, this is a recipe with a special formula that I brought from outside Kiwatos."

Relying on years of 'knife-wielding experience', Amamiya's movements were like those of the protagonist in some gourmet anime, twirling the knife and then beginning to precisely and efficiently cut the ingredients in his hands.

'Looks so professional... Did Sensei often cook for herself before coming to Kiwatos...?'

As Yuka helped clean and prepare the ingredients, she watched Amamiya busy at the stove and gradually seemed to be drawn in by a special kind of 'charm of focus'.

In front of the stove, where smoke curled and the strange aroma of oil boiling in the pan filled the air, Yuka seemed to be hallucinating the future she had seen not long ago.

The young man, busy at the stove, had his back to her. As if he heard her footsteps, he focused on preparing the ingredients and did not turn around. Instead, amidst the rising smoke, the sizzling of hot oil, and the sounds of ingredients being stir-fried, he uttered a series of simple yet exceptionally sincere and penetrating words.

'Oh...you're back.'

What would you like to eat?

I wonder if today's food suited my taste...

"Have you encountered any problems at work? Is there anything I can help you with?"

"It's been cold lately, remember to wear more clothes so you don't catch a cold."

'Indeed...calorie consumption and replenishment are worth noting. But in my opinion, what's built upon these cold calculations is personal happiness.'

【~???~】

"Does Yuka have any preferences regarding taste? Or are there any foods she should avoid?"

Returning to reality, Yuka snapped out of her inexplicable 'vision of the future' and immediately heard Amamiya's question.

"There's nothing particularly special to be aware of..."

"Then let's make it 'mildly spicy'..."

Time flew by and it went from 11 o'clock to 12 o'clock.

'Glug glug...'

"And that's how you make the 'ultimate curry'."

The hot, flavorful curry, brimming with the happiness of generous portions, was plated and served in the dining area.

“Please enjoy the ‘ultimate curry’ that was specially seasoned for Yuka.”

Looking at the plate in front of her, with curry and white rice clearly separated, Yuka didn't pick up her spoon immediately, but instead frowned slightly in distress.

"Well……"

This huge plate clearly exceeds the recommended calorie intake...

This huge, incredibly tempting plate of curry... it's clearly a 'calorie bomb'!

But first of all... this is, after all, a thoughtful gesture from Sensei...

Besides, it smells absolutely amazing... Just by looking at it, you can tell this is a masterpiece that could command a high price even if the shop were to open for a thousand years! It will absolutely, absolutely taste delicious!

'Since it's Sensei's thoughtfulness... then let's finish it...'

'Excess calories... well, I'll burn them off with a sprint when I get back.'

After weighing the options in her mind, Yuka no longer hesitated, picked up the disposable spoon specially prepared for her, and unwrapped the spoon.

It turns out that... an absolutely delicious dish can easily break down barriers between people and increase the target's favorability.

Seeing Yuka's expression gradually filled with 'happiness', Amamiya once again gained a deeper understanding of the attraction that his boss, Sakura Sojiro, who had temporarily taken him in, had once again made.

It's said that the boss was a very womanizer when he was young...

That skill in making coffee and curry alone is enough to charm countless girls...

After scraping the first plate of curry clean, Yuka hesitated for a long time before finally deciding not to say "I want a second plate." This would undoubtedly cause a huge crisis in her energy management and also lead to misunderstandings such as "So Yuka is a glutton."

"Leave the dishwashing to me."

After the meal, Yuka volunteered to clean up the dishes in order to "burn off her calories".

Watching the girl collect the tray on a small wooden plate and then quickly leave, Amamiya took out her phone and sent a text message to Utahara, who had previously sent her a message on momotalk.

[Geyuan, is the engineering department free this afternoon? I'd like to discuss a collaboration with them regarding some issues concerning Xia Lai...]

It was noon, and everyone was eating, so they had more time to check the news.

Less than a minute after Amamiya sent the message, there was a response.

[Utahara: Huh? Is Sensei coming to visit the engineering department?]

[Utahara: I understand... I'll inform the engineering department members later and have them prepare.]

[Utahara: Engineering Department, Sensei, you are always welcome to visit.]

This volume includes "Ending Remarks & Previews".

After writing several months of fanfiction on Bilibili's momotalk and AzurArche, I've finally managed to turn the series I first wanted to write when I first encountered this IP into reality as a novel.

Well... only when you actually start writing a long novel can you truly appreciate how difficult it is for creators...

I started my first fan-made video around February of this year, and now my Bilibili account has accumulated 1.8 followers. I wouldn't say I'm well-known, but at least I have many viewers who have come together by chance to follow me.

From the 'collective madness' in February to the rhythm storm in March and April, and then to the ebb and flow of events.

In less than a year, I have witnessed a lot.

—This marks a milestone for me.

I once considered giving up on this area of ​​creation, but in the end, I persevered on and off.

Actually, I haven't played the game "Azur Lane," and my understanding of the world is only based on the fan creations of those who came before me.

-

But... what kept me writing was never some so-called passion.

The one who has always supported me on this path is not myself, but you all.

If we compare the stars in the sky to inspiration, then the author, holding his pen, is like that foolish "fool" trying to depict the entire starry sky.

They knew perfectly well that the high-resolution pixels of astronomical cameras (official original) were far superior, so why did they still stubbornly try to use their clumsy brushes to depict a distorted star map?

What supports creators is never the creators themselves, but [you].

It is your support that has enabled the emergence of high-quality creative works. The emergence of high-quality creative works, in turn, has brought even more support... This is a virtuous cycle.

But... as it's said.

What use is it to build a dilapidated temple if the human spirit has been burned away?

Obik's old village will never return.

Things change. They can get better or they can get worse.

—Whatever the outcome...you may want to walk away without saying a word, but please remember to say goodbye before that.