I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Amidst the sound of rain, the girl unexpectedly looked up slightly and met Amamiya's calm yet concerned gaze.

After their eyes met, Amamiya smiled and said, "Don't let my appearance fool you... I'm actually quite the 'cat expert'."

Morgana is a cat, although she can speak human language.

Having owned a Morgana cat, that counts as owning a cat, yeah.

After seemingly hesitating for a moment, Kayoko immediately took a folding umbrella out of her bag.

“…Sensei, please come with me.”

Chapter Thirty: Interactions Among Cat Lovers

Amamiya followed Kayoko all the way to a dark alleyway nearby that was almost unnoticed by anyone.

"here."

Because of the close proximity of the buildings, and the shelter from the rain by some roofs in the dark alleys, once inside the alleys, Amamiya could hardly hear the sound of rain falling on his umbrella.

Instead, there was the continuous, soft, crisp sound of raindrops hitting the metal canopy.

Amamiya glanced around the alley and realized it seemed to be a small stray cat shelter.

I don't know who built this tiny area between the buildings, it seems like it could serve as a temporary haven for the wildlife of Kiwatos.

Amamiya saw cardboard boxes deliberately laid out there, along with opened and emptied cans of cat food; small beds for the cats to rest in; litter boxes and other cat-related utensils...

This little alleyway has a unique and warm feel to it.

Kayoko squatted down in front of a cardboard box that looked brand new, and first looked up at Amamiya, who was also holding an umbrella.

"The box looks very new... was it just recently dumped here?"

Amamiya also came over, leaned down slightly, and looked down at the cat in the box that looked 'half-dead' and listless, wrapped in bandages.

The cat was a black calico cat, almost entirely black with light blue eyes. Seemingly sensing the gaze, it merely raised its head slightly and glanced at the two 'humans' who were looking at it, even though it was struggling to survive.

"It must have been dumped here this morning... Judging from the wound, it must have been shot and then just given a cursory treatment before being dumped here."

Kayoko's voice was cold as she reached for the box—which, unsurprisingly, triggered a stress response from the injured black cat inside.

'Woo...'

Hearing the threatening growl, Kayoko stopped what she was doing, withdrew her hand, and looked at Amamiya.

Amamiya was also watching Kayoko.

In the alleyway filled with the white noise of raindrops, listening to the sound of rain beside him, he seemed to be able to sense the gentleness that the other person was showing at this moment, which was different from the 'terrifying appearance'.

"Was the structure in this alley... built by Kayoko?"

Kayoko didn't speak, but nodded after a brief silence.

Amamiya's gaze then fell on the black cat in the box, which was baring its teeth and making a threatening gesture, and then she let out a sigh.

So... given the environmental conditions in Kiwatos, where gunfights and even large-scale shootouts happen almost daily, it must be really difficult for wild animals to survive...

He might get shot and 'die' in a conflict between students.

This is completely different from the students protected by an aura, and from the native residents of Kiwatos—

Amamiya knew perfectly well that even those animal natives without any special aura could withstand rifle bullets and small projectile explosions with almost no injury.

In comparison, these wild animals... if they are injured by stray bullets, their fate is extremely tragic.

This black cat was relatively lucky; someone rescued it and brought it to Kayoko's place. Amamiya glanced at it again out of concern...

Amamiya squatted down, mimicking Kayoko's movements, and reached for the cardboard box.

Kayoko watched this scene calmly—and then something unexpected happened.

The black cat, which had been full of resistance and even whimpered as a threat when Amamiya reached out, didn't react at all when Amamiya reached out.

On the contrary, it acted very affectionately, even bringing its head closer for Amamiya to pet.

"It's a black cat that understands human nature... it just had bad luck."

After sighing, Amamiya frowned slightly, and a flash of dark blue flame crossed his cheek.

'psona—General Cat.'

【psona - Cat General (Arcana: Star)】

[Introduction: A deity in Taoist mythology, said to have a human body and a cat's head. Possesses various abilities, including the ability to foresee the future.]

It is said that it was originally built to commemorate the military general "Minister Mao". However, due to various reasons such as misinformation and transmission, it was later known as "General Cat".

'Licham.'

The emerald green lights, like a spring breeze, instantly transformed the dark alley into a scene of 'springtime beauty'.

Amamiya withdrew his hand, then took the black cat that was affectionately rubbing against his hand out of the box and removed the blood-stained bandages that someone had put on the kitten.

It's practically a miracle of time reversal...

The shrapnel was pushed out of the wound by the amazing resilience of life.

Then, the healing power of the living dead and the skeleton began to take effect, erasing all of the kitten's injuries in an unbelievable way, almost like 'rewinding time'.

If it weren't for the blood still clinging to its fur and the kitten's relatively listless state, even Kayoko, who witnessed the scene, would find it hard to believe that the black cat had suffered a fatal injury not long ago.

"Alright... this should be fine."

Amamiya placed the kitten on the ground and then straightened up.

The kitten seemed to be in a state of disbelief, remaining in place for a while before trying to run and jump.

Then, it meowed at Amamiya, as if to express its gratitude.

"...Sensei."

Kayoko, who had been observing the whole scene, finally spoke up at this moment: "You... seem to be quite popular with cats."

"Perhaps it's only temporarily grateful to me because I cured it."

Amamiya smiled noncommittally, then changed the subject, saying, "In my opinion, Kayoko is just as good."

"It's not just about building a temporary shelter for these cats, but also providing them with food and various supplies... Plus, it needs to be cleaned regularly, right?"

"Although she often claims to be 'terrorist-oriented,' the current Kayoko seems very gentle to me."

【~???~】

The girl remained silent, her head slightly lowered, and she pressed down on the umbrella in her hand, offering no response.

But Amamiya clearly felt the little wing on her back flapping happily a few times.

"Kayoko, if you ever encounter something like today... something that can't be solved with conventional 'medicine', you can come to me. Even if it's just to encourage Kayoko's indomitable gentleness, I will help Kayoko treat these things like today."

"..."

【~???~】

"Thank you...Sensei."

Amamiya smiled and waved his hand: "No need to thank me. It's what I should do as a 'Sensei'."

[...I felt Kayoko's trust.]

Cooperative status has been improved!

[★2 Ability Unlocked!]

【★2·Animal Affinity】

[Animal Affinity: From Kayoko's 'frightening appearance,' one senses a gentle and healing inner world, completely different from her 'frightening exterior.' Improves negotiation effectiveness when dealing with students who possess 'feline characteristics.' Enhances Lu Qiyi's own animal affinity.]

[Assistant's Profile: A member of Handy Shop 68, a kind-hearted girl with a completely different inner world than her 'terrifying appearance'. After the unexpected incident of saving a kitten, I seem to have seen another side of her, who possesses the "Emperor" Arcana...]

"Well, it's getting late... Kayoko, let's go back to Xialai and take care of the remaining official business."

"……Um."

After saying goodbye to the black cat, who was gradually regaining its mobility, Amamiya and Kayoko returned to Shirai and began to handle various paperwork tasks in Shirai.

—Clearly, Kayoko's 'professional skills' are almost on par with Ayane and even Yuka.

With Kayoko's help, Amamiya's speed in handling official business increased significantly.

While handling the matter, Amamiya also chatted with Kayoko about the recent situation of the convenience store...

Despite the initial funding from Amamiya, the convenience store is currently facing a slight financial strain due to Aruru's 'mismanagement'...

In addition, considering that they have already joined Shalai and started a 'long-term cooperation', the convenience store is currently selecting a club activity room that is relatively close to Shalai, preferably on the border of the Gehenna region, the area closest to Shalai.

"About the new 'club activity room' and living quarters...?"

Upon hearing this, Amamiya, who was resting temporarily in the ergonomic chair, straightened up and tapped the table.

“I’ll try to figure something out for everyone. If all else fails… Kayoko, you could also suggest that President Aru ‘move the whole company’ to live here in Xialai.”

【~??~】

"Thank you for your understanding, Sensei. I will pass on your words to the president later."

'I had lunch with Kayoko...and after that,'

'...I worked on official documents with Kayoko until the afternoon.'

As evening approached, the cold drizzle that had been falling for almost a day finally stopped.

However, the sky remained overcast, and there seemed to be signs of continued rain.

Noticing that Amamiya was observing the sky outside the window, Kayoko, who had finished her paperwork and was resting on the sofa, got up and asked softly, "Sensei, do you have any plans for this afternoon?"

"Hmm...it is indeed planned."

Amamiya thought of the game development department's 'demo' and the 'ruins exploration' project, and it was urgent to get things done.

“In that case… I will help Sensei keep watch at Xia Lai before I leave tonight. If anything happens, I will notify Sensei immediately.”

Kayoko, being very 'understanding', took the initiative to speak.

Amamiya got up and stretched his back, then put on his coat.

"Thank you very much, Kayoko..."

"If nothing unexpected happens, I'm going to the Millennium Technology Academy next. If any other students come to visit, just tell them that."

Chapter Thirty-One: A chance encounter with the teacher in the activity room, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't defeat him...

It was dusk, at the Millennium Game Development Department.

Pushing open the door, after glancing around the familiar, slightly dark little room, Amamiya fixed her gaze on a metal cabinet that had previously been used to store clothes or sports equipment.

In his "third eye," a very obvious "Hermit" tarot card is floating above the cabinet.

Unable to find the sisters Momoi and Midori immediately, Amamiya decisively approached the cabinet and peered inside through the gaps.

Through the gaps in the cabinet and the faint light shining from inside, Amamiya could see... that large-foreheaded, unsociable 'introverted president' was cowering in the cabinet, seemingly trembling slightly, his breathing slowed by fear.

Amamiya: ...

Even after he'd gone to great lengths to be considerate, was he still unable to win her heart?

Isn't this a bit too much for someone with social anxiety?

Slightly exasperated, he knocked on the cabinet door and tentatively asked, "...Yuzu? Are you in there?"

After knocking on the door, Amamiya could clearly hear a soft exclamation of surprise from inside the metal cabinet.

'babble……!'

Sensei found out...