I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

A messaging app with a peach icon... its usage is similar to social networking services; Line... or perhaps WeChat?

The once empty contact list now contains the profile pictures of several students.

Amamiya opened the messaging app called "momotalk," and several messages popped up.

[Yuka Hayase: Sensei, about Giwatos...]

'I haven't established a bond with Hayase Yuka yet... This seems like a good opportunity to deepen that bond...'

'Shall we spend this time together with Yuuka Hayase?'

Amamiya did not make a decision immediately, but instead looked at other messages.

[Hanokawa Hasumi: Sensei...would you like to visit Trinity? The "Justice Realization Committee" welcomes you anytime.]

'This is a great opportunity to deepen our bond...'

I also received messages from other people.

[Chinatsu Himiya: Sensei, could you come to Gehenna? It seems our "Discipline Committee" chairperson needs your help...]

'Similarly, a great opportunity to build new bonds...'

I also received messages from other people.

[Suzumi Moritsuki: Sensei, are you free lately?]

'...'

[Nanagami Rin: Sensei, if you need anything or require any assistance, please feel free to contact me.]

Seeing that her MomoTalk had received so many invitation messages at the same time, Amamiya felt a sense of satisfaction that her efforts had not been in vain.

So here's the question... Whose invitation should I accept next... and with whom should I build a bond?

Amamiya naturally thought of the blue-haired girl who had gained two points of favor during the 'self-introduction' segment.

Her black shirt and blue tie, neat and meticulous, resembled the attire of a typical "working woman," paired with a white-outer, blue-inner school uniform jacket that she usually wore casually, creating a striking contrast in her clothing.

Slightly different from her formal attire was the 'lifelike atmosphere' that Amamiya sensed from her during their brief encounter, a quality unlike that of the other students.

—To describe it in more precise, obvious, and easy-to-understand terms, it's like the awkwardness of childhood sweethearts, and the warmth of everyday life as if you've already lived with her for a while.

...Perhaps this is also related to the bond ability [Déjà Vu] obtained from the "Federal Student Council President".

Amamiya opened Yuka's chat interface and carefully considered her words.

Yuka's Arcana is "X. Temperance". Those who hold this card as 'helpers' usually have a steady will and are also good at reconciliation and communication.

The negotiation experience gained from the "unrestrained negotiation" taught Amamiya that when dealing with the assistant of this card type, a more "steady" negotiation approach should be chosen.

After replying to other people's messages, Amamiya finally typed "Thank you for your help" in Yuka's chat interface.

On the other end of the communication, a response came almost immediately.

[Yuka: I understand... I'll head to Xialai immediately.]

About ten minutes later, Amamiya, who was in the Xialai office building, heard the 'roar' of helicopters taking off and landing outside.

Amamiya waited a few more minutes before hearing the 'ding' sound of the elevator doors opening from outside.

The girl, who had traveled by helicopter to the Xia Lai office building, revealed a slight, unnoticed restraint as she stood at the elevator door.

She flexed her wrists, and then tapped the ground lightly with the soles of her shoes... a series of subtle movements to 'cheer herself up'.

Standing outside the 'Xia Lai Activity Room', she took a few deep breaths and then reached out and knocked on the door.

"...Sensei, are you there?"

The moment she made the question, Yuka seemed to smell a thick, lingering aroma that could invigorate anyone just by smelling it... the aroma of coffee?

"The door is unlocked, come in."

A calm voice came from inside the door.

Yuka reached out and grasped the doorknob, gently turning the knob to open the door—

The next second, her purple eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Because what appeared before her eyes was not the elegance and tranquility of a "morning aristocratic tea party at Trinity" woven from the "aroma of coffee" in her mind, but rather... a scene full of life.

A young man with curly hair, dressed in casual clothes, was fiddling with a filter coffee machine that looked old and outdated in Kivotos.

He paused when he heard the door open, turned around, and greeted Yuka who was standing in the doorway.

Good morning, Hayase Yuka.

Yuka carefully looked the young man up and down, who was wearing the same blue apron as 'Angel 24' and whose expressions and actions exuded a strong sense of everyday life—and then a question arose in her mind.

Does clothing really have such a big impact on a person's temperament?

Without a doubt, 'sensei' is still the same sensei she knows.

But... his aura had undergone a dramatic change along with the change in his clothing.

Mature and composed, the subtle aroma of coffee and curry imbues his 'life' with an exceptionally rich feel.

For a fleeting moment, Yuka even felt that the 'sensei' before her didn't seem like a nominal "mentor," but rather more like... a...

Her cheeks flushed slightly as she lowered her head, hastily concealing the momentary panic that had gripped her.

【~??~】

Seeing Yuka's 'performance' and the blue eighth note that appeared above her head, Amamiya knew that his special preparations had most likely worked.

"Thank you, Hayase Yuka-san. Your prompt acceptance of our appointment has been a great help..."

After guiding Yuka, who occasionally displayed the shyness of a young girl with tender eyes mixed with daydreams, to sit at a temporarily set-up meeting table, Amamiya finally spoke.

To ease her tension, Yuka picked up her coffee cup and took a sip—using the act of drinking coffee to demonstrate her slight nervousness and helplessness.

……Why?

It seems surprisingly... really delicious?

A unique coffee aroma and bittersweet sourness spread and 'exploded' in her mouth, causing Yuka, who had intended to relieve her tension by drinking coffee, to momentarily lose her focus.

The unique, handcrafted coffee, with its meticulously blended and 'exquisite' feel, instantly overwhelmed all her preconceived notions about coffee.

"...Yuka Hayase?"

"...Ah! sen, sensei?"

Yuka hurriedly put down her coffee cup, clenched her fists slightly, placed them on her thighs, and looked at Amamiya, who had called her name, with a restrained and nervous expression.

“It’s like this… Hayase Yuka-san. As you know, I’m from Giwatos… Everything about this place is still a strange and vague memory for me…” Amamiya said, stroking her right cheek with her right hand, showing a touch of boyish reserve. “I need your help with this…”

The "unconventional negotiation" approach, which involves speaking to people in a human language and to ghosts in a ghost language, extends far beyond mere verbal communication...

Beyond these 'superficial' aspects, [Unrestrained Negotiation] provides 'specific performance experiences' for individuals with specific personality traits.

Light music playing from a classic record player reached my ears at just the right moment, and a languid female voice, accompanied by the unique accompaniment of light jazz (acid jazz), began to sing the lyrics in a high-pitched voice.

'I'm a shape shift~~, At Poe's masquade'

Hiding both face and mind, all free for you to draw (imagine the true appearance).

At this point, Amamiya also picked up her coffee and took a small sip.

After putting down his coffee cup, he suddenly put his hands together and made a serious and sincere request.

"Regarding understanding various matters concerning Gevotos... such as the operation of each academy and related knowledge... I would like to ask for help from Hayase Yuka."

"Yuka Hayase...can you grant my request?"

Chapter Fourteen: The Most Moving Episode

"Yuka Hayase...can you grant my request?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Amamiya felt... that the blue-haired girl sitting opposite him seemed to have fallen into a brief 'dazed' state.

She seemed prepared to accept some requests from Sensei, but she didn't seem to have anticipated that... Sensei would make requests in this way.

She seemed somewhat flustered and surprised by the unexpected situation.

Immediately afterwards, Amamiya saw a 'dizzying spiral' slowly emerge in the girl's clear, beautiful hibiscus-purple eyes. Then, a faint blush appeared on her pretty cheeks, so subtle that it was almost imperceptible without close observation.

【~???~】

Quite adorable 'girlish performance'.

So why is her title 'The Ruthless Calculator'?

Amamiya felt that... the Yuka in front of him seemed completely unrelated to the word 'cold'—he even had a subconscious impression that "Yuka might be the easiest assistant he knows to handle."

After a brief moment of panic, Yuka quickly calmed down.

She clenched her fist to her lips, closed her eyes, and coughed lightly.

"So...Sensei needs me to learn some things about... Givotos, the various academies, and so on..."

"Is that right?"

Meeting her gaze, Amamiya calmly nodded and added, "Yes... Also, I'll need your help with various tasks, such as document processing, for the foreseeable future..."

“I know this request may seem hasty, or even unreasonable, but…”

"Right now, the Federation Student Council seems to be busy with various matters and doesn't have time to attend to me. So, it seems that the only person I can rely on is you, Hayase Yuka."

After hearing Amamiya's words, which were filled with apology and gratitude, Yuka remained silent for a few seconds.

But then she looked up and gave Amamiya a smile that could only be described as 'bright'.

"No problem... Leave it to me, Sensei."

【~???~】

'They've firmly grasped the other person's heart...!'

This is the second time Amamiya has seen such a symbol of "firmly grasping the other's heart" from another assistant, since that "unauthorized deepening of the bond" Kitsuzaka Wakamo.

[...A basic consensus was reached with Yuka Hayase.]

The clanging sound of chains being broken, symbolizing the establishment of new bonds, appears simultaneously with the sound of butterflies flapping their wings.

I am you...you are me.

Here you receive a new covenant.

[As the saying goes, "Break through destruction to find the wings of resistance."]

Here you bask in the light of hope and find blessing. You obtain a fragment of the ultimate mystery of "Temperance"...

[To further propel us toward the future...]

[Coopetition restrictions have been lifted!]

【Yuka Hayase (Temperance) ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

[★1 Ability Unlocked!]

……

[Assistant: Hayase Yuka / The Cold-Blooded Calculator]

Arcana: Temperance

[Assistance Ability: ★1 - Basic Factorization]

[Basic Factorization: The powerful computational capabilities that bring logical reasoning and thinking abilities allow you to concentrate anytime, anywhere, and try to carefully analyze the basic principles of an object, its logic, etc.]

[Assistant's Profile: A girl known as the 'Cold-Blooded Calculator.' She's said to be the accountant for the Millennium Symposium. Perhaps for this reason, she possesses exceptional sharpness in mathematics and rational thinking. Having entrusted her with this task, what I must do next...]

"So... what does Sensei want to know?"

After pondering for a few seconds, Amamiya looked up at the window not far away.

"Let's start with the academy that Yuka is most familiar with... What's the basic situation of Millennium Technology Academy? When interacting with the students here, are there any things worth noting..."

This is just a very basic question used to expand on the topic.

Yuka frowned slightly, pondered, and organized her thoughts and understanding before beginning her narration.