I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Or perhaps...

Is it a 'kissing discussion'...?

Little Green's anticipation lasted less than a second before she keenly noticed Amamiya's slightly serious expression, clearly indicating that he was about to announce something.

"Sensei...is there something you want to say?"

She had a vague sense of unease and tentatively asked.

“Hmm…” Amamiya nodded, “It’s a major incident concerning the game club.”

Having detected the keywords, Yuzu and Alice also stopped their operations one after another.

Even though Momoi had just received a coin, had full health, and was equipped with the weapon she had just received, she was now helpless as she was being dragged along by three idle game characters.

She loosened her headphones and then noticed that the other three had gathered around Amamiya.

"Huh? Sensei...when did you get here?"

Ignoring her character controls, Momoi jumped off the machine's chair and went to Amamiya's side.

"Then... I'll get to it."

What...what should I say?

Momoi tilted her head, puzzled—but seeing that her three friends all looked nervous, she subconsciously became nervous as well.

After clearing his throat, Amamiya began to calmly explain the information he had obtained from the seminar.

"First of all... regarding the various equipment issues in the game club—Rion only conducted a search and did not damage any of the equipment inside. Once Rion has finished her repentance, these devices will be returned after an inventory check."

"Yuka stated that if the equipment is damaged due to the confiscation, the seminar will fully compensate for the corresponding losses."

Isn't this fantastic news?!

Momoi's expression instantly brightened—and just as she was about to wave her arms and cheer in celebration, Midori tugged at her clothes.

Amamiya continued, "...Next, there's a question about the 'Grand Prix'."

"The Grand Prix will not stop... on the contrary, it will be held better and more rigorously..."

The seminar aims to use this grand prix to divert attention from the aftermath of repentance and from the focus of millennia of students—and consequently, to further relax the requirements for review and participation in clubs.

In other words, clubs that missed out on the competition for various reasons in the past, or even some 'monster' clubs, will now be eligible to participate.

As the saying goes, true masters are often found among ordinary people.

Who knows, a few dark horses might emerge from here.

"so……"

Amamiya clapped his hands and said in a somber tone, "Do you understand the seriousness of the situation?"

Little Green, Alice, and Yuzu all nodded solemnly in deep agreement.

"There's less than a month left..."

"To 'create' a game from scratch..."

"The time limit is so tight... It's an even more difficult task than stealing hearts. However, Alice believes that as long as she can work with her friends, she can complete this task!"

what……

Momoi's brain paused for a moment, then she suddenly realized something terrible—

and many more.

Is the game club currently in danger of being "abolished"...?

"Gulu..."

Realizing what was happening, Momoi made a sound of swallowing.

Oh no... I was so caught up in the relief of 'stealing hearts' that I forgot the crisis in the real world hasn't been resolved yet!

"This is the current situation the game department is facing."

Amamiya glanced with a hint of sympathy at the four members of the game club, whose expressions gradually hardened; looked as if facing a formidable enemy; remained calm; and were stunned and bewildered.

"My help has come to an end for now. From now on... it's up to you."

Realizing just how difficult the road ahead would be, Yuzu quickly showed her fighting spirit.

Yuzu instinctively tried to pull her hat brim down, but then realized she wasn't wearing a witch's hat. She continued her action and tidied her sideburns.

"Sensei has already done enough for us..."

"Next, we... will work hard...!"

Having witnessed the splendor of another world, combined with the top-tier game text produced by the 'Seminar Secretary'... and the combined strength of everyone in the game club!

Yuzu has every reason to believe that... they can absolutely turn public opinion around and create a masterpiece that can change the landscape of the gaming industry!

[...I felt Yuzu's drive and courage.]

Coopation has been improved!

【Hanaoka Yuzu (The Hermit) ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆】

Amamiya's gaze swept over the four members of the game club who were gradually becoming serious, and she gently encouraged them, "Yes, I believe you can do it."

【~???~】（*5）

"Before this..."

Realizing what to do next, Momoi, who was already eager to get started, suddenly looked at the arcade game screen that was about to be 'killed by time' due to running out of time.

After hesitating for a moment, she decisively jogged back to her position and waved to the other three who were still standing there.

"Let's finish this game first!"

Amamiya: ...

I hope you can truly create a best-selling game, instead of scrambling at the last minute and churning out a half-finished product...

He rubbed his temples and sighed. (Part Two) After fuming, he chose to leave quietly.

"So next... we should think about who to invite today..."

As night fell, Amamiya looked up at the sky, and after a moment of blank staring, he took out his phone to deal with messages.

Then... what you see is a new friend request.

[Asuka Mato sent a friend request (via a friend card forwarded by Rion)]

[Asuka Matoshi sent a message (Because you are not a friend of this contact, you can only send one message to each other before you add each other as friends.)]

[Time: Sensei... There's something I'd like to talk to you about. Could I have a moment of your time?]

Chapter Three: Rion, Your Maid I Will Keep

'Crunch... crunch...'

The sound of potato chips being chewed and the repeated rustling of chips being pulled out of plastic bags echoed endlessly in the office lit up late at night.

Amamiya: "..."

Looking at the 'blonde maid' in front of him, who displayed a completely different demeanor from her usual personality, he fell silent for a moment.

The hem of the maid's long dress, scattered under the sofa, and the blonde maid, whose dress seemed to have undergone a 'Cast Off' transformation, shortening it to facilitate movement during combat, all seemed to instantly regain her original charm with the shortened skirt...

'Splash splash...'

She reached into the bag of cucumber-flavored potato chips and, finding none, finally stopped eating in silence.

She sucked on her fingers, which were slightly green from the potato chip seasoning, and then placed the empty bag of chips in the trash can next to her feet. She sat up and nodded to Amamiya.

"Hello... Sensei from Xia Lai."

"Let me reintroduce myself... I am Toki, Asuka Toki."

Uh……

Amamiya was a little slow to keep up with the pace of her conversation, so she decisively switched her personality mask to [Emperor].

"Ah."

"There's no need to repeat yourself in the self-introduction, and of course, it doesn't need to be too formal."

After waving to her, Amamiya pulled over an ergonomic chair, sat down, and gripped the armrests with both hands, asking with some surprise, "So, is there something you want to tell me? Or is President Rion inviting me again?"

Without hesitation, he first nodded and then shook his head.

"To be precise, there are two purposes for borrowing Sensei this time..."

"Purpose 1: This is an order made by President Rion before she fell into a state of 'consciousness confusion' because she foresaw her future - President Rion asked me to serve you as your personal maid before her consciousness is restored."

Amamiya: ...

After a few seconds of silence, he said bluntly, "But you seem to be even less good at taking care of others than I am."

[Coopation - Unconventional Negotiation: The assistant of the 'Emperor' card usually has some eccentricities. In this situation, you can also act eccentrically or directly.]

"..."

His gaze sharpened slightly, and his calm expression seemed to hold a burning intensity of feeling looked down upon.

“A maid’s role is not limited to taking care of daily life. A true maid must have the determination and perseverance to become the perfect assistant in her master’s daily life.”

—A similar emotion and subtle reaction was something Amamiya had only seen in Yusuke when he was mocking Yusuke's drawing skills.

She stood up, seemingly to demonstrate her capabilities as a 'maid,' and immediately used the computing power she had mobilized to scan the surrounding area.

"While it may be difficult for you to immediately accept the current situation, and getting you 'up there' right away would be beyond our manpower..."

“Sensei, please believe me.”

"Until President Rion recovers, I will definitely become your perfect assistant in your work."

It carries a hint of 'declaration of war'.

Amamiya displayed a skeptical expression: "So... what are you planning to do to prove yourself?"

"A kitchen has been detected in the nearest area. Sensei, please wait a moment... To prove that I can indeed take care of your daily life, please allow me to prepare a special midnight snack for you immediately."

Amamiya wanted to see just how terrible this maid, whom the third eye called an 'outcast,' really was in her daily life...

Or how outstanding they are.

So he nodded and followed Shi to the Xia Lai Dining Hall, which was currently in a semi-abandoned state.

This canteen, which was already struggling financially, still prepared ingredients in the minimum required quantities, even though almost no one ate there. The kitchen utensils and other equipment were also cleaned regularly.

With Sensei access, Amamiya was naturally free to use the well-equipped kitchen.

After leading Toki to the kitchen and opening the door with his own authority, Amamiya leaned against the doorframe and watched Toki, intending to see what she was going to do.

As Amamiya observed, Toki lived up to expectations and began preparing the 'midnight snack'—starting to process the raw chicken that had been simply processed and stored in the refrigerator, and also taking the time to cut various tuberous plants.

Is this... a plan to make chicken soup?

After watching for a while, Amamiya realized that she had been overthinking things.

Because then... he naturally started heating oil in the fryer—clearly preparing to make fried chicken nuggets.

She methodically began by coating the chicken nuggets with batter, sprinkling them evenly with breadcrumbs, and then frying them until golden brown before removing them from the pan... The whole process was quite clean and efficient.

It has no outstanding features, but it also has no major flaws.

I sprinkled a little bit of ketchup and black pepper I found during the process on the golden-brown fried chicken pieces, and then placed the shiny plate steadily on the nearest kitchen table.

Then, she immediately went to Amamiya's side, tilted her head slightly to look directly into his eyes, and said in a calm tone that seemed to carry confidence, or perhaps a hint of seeking praise: "Sensei, this is my 'achievement'."

Amamiya: ...

It was just some fried chicken nuggets, is it really necessary to be so 'proud'...?

He almost wanted to make a face that looked like he was both laughing and crying—but then he thought better of it.

"All right……"

Amamiya nodded thoughtfully: "I acknowledge your strength..."