I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Noticing Amamiya's gaze, Shirako's pair of gray, fluffy wolf ears twitched, as if belatedly realizing something.

Is Sensei wondering 'why I'm not wearing winter clothes'?

As Bai Zi spoke, he stretched his body, calmly tugged at the hem of his shirt, and tightened his scarf: "For me, this is enough."

Nomiya chuckled and said 'meaningfully,' "Shirako-chan's body temperature is always slightly higher than ours in winter..."

"Of course, they also seem more agitated than we are..."

Amamiya: ...

Could it be some kind of estrus cycle setting for animals in the gutter?

"Ahem... Well, it's been a long time, everyone... Today happens to be Christmas, so I came here especially..."

Looking around at the girls, some nervous, some excited, some openly anticipating, and some secretly hoping, Amamiya magically produced and distributed different 'Christmas gift boxes' to everyone.

"Although Christmas gifts are supposed to be delivered at night, late at night when it's more 'romantic'... my schedule is a bit tight..."

Serika, who had taken her blue-black gift box with a cat paw pattern first, pouted upon hearing this, her expression showing a moment of displeasure.

I can understand... but the thought of Sensei not being able to spend the whole Christmas with me...

I got inexplicably angry.

Amamiya then handed Nomiya a gift box that was completely different in style, which Nomiya accepted with a smile and a squinty eye.

Then, she suddenly did something that surprised Amamiya somewhat—

After freeing one hand to remove the scarf from her neck, this 'rich heiress' casually wrapped the scarf she had been wearing around Amamiya's neck, seemingly oblivious to the shocked, puzzled, envious, and hostile gazes of the other four.

Nomiya's scarf is off-white, and it seems to be a high-end brand that is sold in the market or even specially made by a manufacturer.

It still retained the warmth of the girl's body, and also carried her unique fragrance, mixed with a slight smell of sweat.

"I also have a gift for Sensei~"

After winking at Amamiya, she continued with her 'witty remarks': "So it seems... Sensei has also become a 'scarf-wearer'?"

As soon as Nomiya finished speaking, the atmosphere in the club activity room, which had been somewhat tense, immediately eased a little.

Nomiya then clasped his hands together in a happy prayer gesture, seemingly oblivious to the 'hidden malice', and continued to smile, saying, "Speaking of which... it seems that everyone in Abydos could be said to have 'established a bond through the scarf'... In that case, can Sensei be tied to the thread of this bond?"

'A bond forged by a scarf…'

Hoshino was slightly lost in thought.

Bai Zi subconsciously touched the blue and black striped scarf around his neck.

“…Then thank you very much, Nonomiya.”

With a slightly complicated expression, Amamiya rubbed the "gift" that Nomiya had suddenly given her. She thought to herself, "This 'young lady' has really done something big for me without saying a word."

Given the girls' sensitivity to smells, it's not hard to guarantee that Amamiya will encounter some strange problems when she comes into contact with her assistant at noon or in the afternoon.

"This scarf...it looks like a 'masterpiece' made to order...Nomiya, is it really okay for you to just give it to me so casually?"

Nomiya maintained his nonchalant, squinting smile and waved to Amamiya, who had asked the question.

"Don't worry, Sensei~ I just placed an order for a 'special edition' that's similar to Sensei's current one, but in a different color~"

She blinked and calmly said under the gaze of the other four girls, "This 'couple'... I mean 'special edition,' will arrive this afternoon~"

Amamiya: "..."

Having money really allows you to do whatever you want.

After silently complaining to himself, Amamiya continued working.

After distributing the remaining gift boxes, Amamiya finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Hoshino found an old-fashioned coal stove from somewhere, fiddled with it for a bit, and then Amamiya and the girls sat on the floor in the club room with the doors open, and began to casually talk about some everyday issues.

From their accounts, Amamiya learned that the Caesar Group in the black market was ultimately not 'destroyed'.

However, they have indeed broken away from the Caesar Group, which extended its reach to various colleges.

Adhering to the principle that "there must be a Lich King," and in order to prevent the black market from exhibiting the chaotic phenomenon of "one whale falling and all things being born," the Caesar Group of the black market ultimately survived.

Abydos also began to occasionally use the power of the Caesar Group to make minor improvements to the academy's greening and sandstorm control.

After all... without the magical blessing that can instantly bring spring back to life in the entire desert, greening can only be done little by little.

"At this rate, the day when Abydos Higher School will truly 'reopen' is just around the corner."

After taking a sip of the coffee that Amamiya had hastily prepared, Hoshino narrowed his eyes in a relaxed and contented manner, his tone becoming leisurely and relaxed: "Perhaps... during the next 'entrance season,' Abydos might welcome a new junior!"

"Hoshino-senpai..."

Hoshino's lazy attitude earned her a helpless eye roll from Ayane.

Even if the academy has been almost completely restored, it's unlikely that Abydos will start recruiting students immediately, right?

Nomiya's tone was cheerful, but the truth she spoke was heavy: "That's right... Although the school has recovered, the 'real threat in the desert,' as well as... the addition of various facilities on campus and the availability of teachers, are all problems that are hindering the school's reconstruction."

"The road ahead is still long~"

Serika pouted, feeling somewhat helpless, but she had to admit that Ayane and Nomiya's statements and additions were quite reasonable.

In any case... even if Abydos's campus problems and the surrounding sandstorms are resolved, it will still face a future where its teaching strength cannot be compared with academies like Millennium or Holy Trinity.

"so……"

Nomiya suddenly clapped his hands and said seriously, "Let's focus on the present, shall we?"

Ayane pushed up her glasses, seeing Nomiya looking so serious, and wanted to hear what insightful opinions she had.

Then Ayane saw Nomiya suddenly let out a soft "Eh-whoosh~" and grab Amamiya's left arm, pressing down with her exceptionally powerful "weapon".

"Right now, the most pressing issue is the 'teaching staff'... Abydos has lost far too many teaching materials from other schools, and partnering with other schools isn't particularly realistic... So, could we perhaps enlist Sensei as our 'exclusive resource'?"

Ayane: "..."

She pushed up her glasses, about to say something like "Don't bother, Sensei," when she saw Shirako sitting to Amamiya's right. She immediately glared at Nomiya fiercely and cutely, like a hungry wolf guarding its food, and then imitated Nomiya's behavior without showing any weakness.

“Nomiya…senpai, please don’t get too close to Sensei.”

"Hehe~ So why does Shirako-chan want to be so similar to Sensei~"

"Hey... what kind of weird competition game are these younger folks playing...? It looks interesting. I'll give it a try, old man..."

"Wait? Everyone, don't get so close... It's very, very hot..."

The other four immediately fell into chaos and began to 'confront each other'.

Ayane, being a person of common sense, sighed, rubbed her forehead, and then helplessly looked up at the sky.

In this brief, small-scale exchange, Nomiya ultimately prevailed slightly.

In a very unfair way, without Amamiya resisting at all, she gently pushed Amamiya down and pressed her against her plump, smooth thighs, which seemed to have a better texture than Yuka's.

"Speaking of which... isn't it time to 'fulfill the promise' now? Sensei~"

"...An agreement?"

"A promise to help with the Sensei knee pillow, and also an ear cleaning."

With an unexpected and ingenious move, Nomiya, who had gained an absolute advantage, barely revealed a 'victor's smile'.

With one hand rubbing Amamiya's forehead, and with her breasts obscuring most of Amamiya's view, she softened her voice and spoke softly.

(Note: Nomiya's 'Promise' - The Transformation of the "Sun" Chapter 7)

"Those casual remarks from back then... does Nomiya really still remember them to this day?"

[...I sensed the gentle affection emanating from Nomiya.]

Coopation is now unblocked!

【Izayoi Nomiya (Belief) ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

[★1 Ability: 'Aura of a Wealthy Heiress' has been unlocked!]

Nomiya didn't say anything more, but quietly continued to stroke Amamiya's forehead and hair.

After pausing for a long moment, she finally parted her lips slightly.

"An agreement is a very important thing, isn't it?"

Feeling the slight malice emanating from her, as if she were surrounded by wolves, she spoke softly.

Chapter Thirty-Nine: I like Hina the most...?

After a series of 'extreme struggles' with the girls on the countermeasures committee, Amamiya finally found an excuse and left Abydos Academy just before noon.

'I've been so busy this Christmas... If next year, I get to know more students and form deeper relationships with them...'

On the way back to Xialai, Amamiya kept imagining this possibility.

—It's terrifying just to think about it.

The snow is still falling.

However, perhaps because it was noon, the snowfall seemed to have decreased slightly.

The heavy snowfall in the early morning had dwindled to just a few scattered snowflakes by noon.

After brushing the fine snow off his shoulders at the door and putting away his umbrella, Amamiya returned to his residential area.

Shi did not remain in the 'common living room', but the warm fireplace and Christmas tree had been neatly decorated, looking exceptionally beautiful and creating a joyful Christmas atmosphere.

After confirming that there were no problems in the living room, Amamiya went straight to her living area.

After gently opening the door, Amamiya observed the room's interior...

Hmm, it seems Hina hasn't woken up yet.

After changing out of her outer clothes, Amamiya tiptoed into her bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Hina, who was curled up in her blankets with her hair disheveled due to her poor sleeping posture.

After quietly observing the girl's sleeping face, which occasionally showed signs of slight unease, Amamiya reached out and stroked her strangely empty 'forehead'.

The girl, still fast asleep, was not awakened immediately. Instead, she smacked her lips and made a few soft sobs or words that sounded ambiguous.

'...'

After a brief period of calm, the halo above her head suddenly appeared and was 'lit up' in a rather rapid manner.

Seeing the halo light up, Amamiya knew... Hina had definitely woken up.

Because the aura disappears immediately when the students are asleep or unconscious...

Additionally, if they fall into a state of 'approaching unconsciousness', their aura will flicker as if there is a malfunction.

Amamiya could also sense that the girl on the bed instantly tensed up, appearing as if she were more nervous than ever before.

Amamiya smiled silently at Hina's strange "pretending to be asleep" state and deliberately did not expose her. Instead, he continued to rub his forehead and began to murmur to himself.

"Sigh... It's also my fault for not paying attention to the Pandemonium lately for various reasons, which has indirectly made Hina and the members of the Disciplinary Committee tired..."

"Speaking of which, the chairman when he's asleep... seems to have a kind of 'cuteness' that's unusually different from usual..."

'...'

【~???~】

Trying hard to suppress her subconscious reaction of flapping her wings due to emotional excitement, Hina, whose cheeks were burning hot, instinctively shrank her neck.

What is Sensei saying?

wrong……

Why is he in my room?

...That's not right either.

Where exactly is this place? It doesn't look like my bedroom...

Could this be Sensei's residence?

Did I... sleep in Sensei's room for one night?

So, when I'm asleep... the 'pillow' I'm hugging, which seems to have some warmth, could it be...?

At this moment, Hina felt that her mind was in complete chaos.