I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

After carefully replying to the other messages, Amamiya asked Yuka and Noah separately if there was anything noteworthy at the recent seminar.

The two responses to almost the same question showed subtle differences.

[Yuka: Huh? Ah... Something worth noting at the seminar...]

[Yuka: It seems there is. It's about the 'Grand Prix'...Sensei, if you can help...]

[Yuka: It seems difficult for me to handle this alone. Sensei, if you have time... please.]

Yuka subtly asked for help.

As for Noah... his reply was quite interesting.

[Noah: Ever since that 'late-night confession,' Yuuka-chan is like a completely different person! Her work efficiency and speed seem to have seen an amazing improvement—the Grand Prix budget, which was initially a bit of a burden, was easily resolved by the energetic Yuuka-chan.]

Noah: However, when I received the message, I clearly saw that Yuka, who was usually more assertive than ever, became noticeably shy and hesitant~

Noah: Should we say this is 'weaker' or 'stronger'?

Noah: "Because of love, I became invincible" and "I've become weaker...is it because of love?" both seem to perfectly summarize Yuuka's current state.

It's quite obvious... Yuka and Noah probably received the news at the same time, one after the other.

Otherwise, Noah wouldn't have been able to observe Yuka's expression when she received the message so closely.

Amamiya hesitated for a moment, realizing that she was finding it increasingly difficult to maintain the delicate balance between herself, Yuka, and Noah.

The current situation is that Yuka is in the open, while Noah is in the shadows... Yuka knows that Noah likes her, but she doesn't know the true nature of their relationship...

Well, it's all a mess to explain.

The concept of a triangle being the most stable shape seems to never hold true emotionally.

After careful consideration, Amamiya first sent Yuka a message saying "I agree to help," and then waited a short while before replying to Noah's message in the same way.

After sending the message, Amamiya carefully replied to the other students' messages while driving to the millennium-long seminar.

The setting sun quickly transformed into a twilight with a bright moon and few stars.

It hadn't been more than a day or two since the Christmas snowfall—and some snow still lingered around the Millennium Technology Academy.

The atmosphere was unusually empty and cold.

Amamiya parked the car and then, through the window, saw two girls standing under the starlight of the cold night.

Unlike in the past, the seminar, which began as night fell and gradually quieted down as the stars shone brighter and the night deepened, did not.

On the contrary... due to being in a crucial phase akin to an 'annual meeting,' the number of seminars and other millennial students coming and going from the office building has increased rather than decreased.

As night fell, Amamiya approached the two girls at the seminar and greeted them.

"Good evening, Yuka... and Noah."

It gives one a wonderful sense of tranquility, like the scene described in the poem: "The moon is bright, the stars are few, and crows fly south."

Wearing short skirts that just reach the knees, the girls, like a pair of flowers in the rustling night wind, stood back to back.

"Sensei... Good evening."

"Then, I'll leave the matter of the 'Millennium Grand Prix' to you, Sen~sei~"

Chapter Nine: Noah's... Invitation to a Hot Spring Trip?

Since the seminar was at a crucial stage, Amamiya didn't say anything that would be too tactless, like "You look really energetic," which would easily remind people of work.

He walked directly up to Yuka, and seeing the girl's guilty expression as she held two tufts of hair in her hands, he brushed aside her slightly messy bangs and gently touched her forehead to hers.

【~???~】(from Yuka)

A gentle touch of foreheads seemed enough to ease the pressure in one's heart, and that instantaneous touch of body temperature brought an indescribable warmth.

Yuka blushed instantly at this action, and after stammering for a while, she managed to utter a coherent sentence: "Sen, Sensi... don't suddenly do such intimate things..."

'Noah is still watching...'

'Furthermore, what if the other students at the seminar, or a student from the Millennium who happens to be passing by, discovers this…'

The rationality bestowed upon Yuka by her science background means that even when she has truly established a 'deep bond,' she still doesn't reveal any exaggerated emotional outbursts... At least in the eyes of others, she still maintains this innocent, pure, and reserved feeling.

This sense of naivety and awkwardness, which has gradually matured yet still remains somewhat immature, is, in Amamiya's eyes, her most precious treasure.

In a moment of panic, she was about to offer a brief explanation to the white-haired girl beside her when she was greeted by the girl's sweet and delighted smile, as if she were pleased with the relationship between the two.

Noah slightly brought his hands together, fingers touching, and with a relaxed and cheerful smile, he remarked, "Hehe... Sensei and Yuuka-chan's relationship is really... so good it's enviable~"

Yuka: "..."

Blushing, she fell silent after managing to compose half a sentence to explain to her 'good colleague'.

To ease the awkwardness, and also to prevent other seminar participants or students from noticing this unusual scene, Yuka pretended to be annoyed and slightly tiptoed, giving Amamiya a disapproving glare.

Seemingly realizing that doing so was a bit too aggressive, the girl hesitated for a moment, then carefully extended her index finger and, in a cute and light manner as if she were being coquettish, poked Amamiya's chest.

Then, realizing that the person in front of her showed no remorse whatsoever, she puffed out her cheeks slightly in a huff and issued a warning.

'Really...it really is...'

"Don't do that again next time, okay?"

Without a second thought, Amamiya readily agreed, "Mhm."

Yuka: "..."

'Why……'

'I really can't do anything with you...'

“…Sensei. While such close ‘contact’ is necessary, isn’t now the right time to do it?”

Noah's slightly unfriendly voice made Yuka's head buzz—she belatedly realized that her "good colleague" had been watching her and Sensei's "sweet interaction" the whole time...

'Oops……'

'In Noah's opinion, could this be considered deliberately showing off his...special relationship with Sensei...?'

After Noah's 'friendly reminder,' Amamiya decisively got to the point.

"How can I help with the 'Millennium Grand Prix' at the seminar?"

Quickly dispelling the tension in her heart and temporarily suppressing the indescribable sweetness, Yuka coughed lightly and quickly organized her words: "...It's like this."

Through Yuka's main narrative, and Noah's later additions, Amamiya roughly understands the 'dilemma' the seminar has recently encountered.

—Actually, it's just that there are too many miscellaneous tasks, and there's a lack of someone whose work efficiency can match Yuka's or Noah's, who is also stable and won't cause trouble, to be a helper.

In the past, there would have been no need to invite Amamiya to help with this matter; if Rion were still alive, she would have been able to handle it perfectly.

Aside from being greedy for funds and acting even more "ruthless" than Yuka, that "master of the seminar" actually has no major flaws.

After 'repenting' and eliminating these shortcomings, if Rion can truly regain her spirit, she might do much better than before.

But right now... Rion's 'repentance' is still in its final stages.

She has become much more lucid, and is now only one step away from being a normal person: to hold a press conference, where she can fully confess her misdeeds and then seek forgiveness.

"Regarding the topic of 'the seminar on President Rion's return to Millennium Technology Academy as a sinner,' it seems that the vast majority of clubs are in favor of it..."

"Sensei, what do you think?"

Amamiya squinted, thinking to herself that she couldn't just abandon Rion and then pass the student council president position at the seminar to her juniors like Yuka or Noah.

After setting aside the completed documents, he pondered Noah's 'unintentional question' for a moment and then answered seriously, "To prevent Rion from repeating the same mistake, I will take better care of her in the future."

【~??~】(From Noah)

【~???~】(from Yuka)

"So, regarding the game development department, which has recently become incredibly popular, even quite famous in academies throughout Giwatos, their new work... [Persona]..."

"This should be a good chance of winning an award, right?" Amamiya asked curiously. "Yuka, is there anything you're still unsure about?"

"It's about the name of the award..."

Yuka briefly recounted the nightmare that left a deep impression on her, as well as the 'award name' of the 'Ninth Art Award', which had already given her some psychological trauma.

Now, whenever that name is mentioned, she recalls a nightmare she had not long ago due to excessive stress...

After listening to Yuka's slightly embarrassed explanation, Amamiya had a "I thought it was something else" expression on his face.

"Well... if Yuka finds the name of this award a bit hard to accept, then how about we refer to the 'customs' I learned about from outsiders before I came to Giwatos... and call it the 'Golden Joystick Award'?"

'A joystick...?'

Yuka thought for a moment and then smiled and nodded: "Indeed... Even for laymen, when it comes to video games, the first thing that comes to mind is probably just game peripherals like controllers or joysticks."

"Then let's follow Sensei's suggestion... and change the originally planned award name to the 'Golden Joystick Award'."

After finalizing the award names, Amamiya slightly sped up the processing of official business.

Before midnight, Amamiya finally managed to finish assisting Noah and Yuka with their tasks.

"Phew... what a thrilling and fierce battle."

After letting out a sigh of relief, Amamiya, having finished her long online battle with the documents, stretched her slightly sore knuckles, lay back in her chair, and began to sigh.

Although Noah didn't look particularly tired, her slight signs of fatigue betrayed her.

"Without Sensei, this 'battle' would have been even more difficult for us."

After agreeing with Amamiya's sentiments, Noah suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

She suddenly revealed her signature squinty-eyed smile and walked briskly to Yuka's side.

“Sensei has helped us so much… Yuka-chan, don’t you think we should give Sensei something in return?”

Although Yuka didn't understand what Noah suddenly wanted to do, she keenly sensed malice.

Provoked into a mild stress response, she immediately bristled: "Noah... what are you trying to say now?"

Noah did not respond to Yuka, but instead turned back to Amamiya and walked around her once.

“Sensei… are you familiar with a particular ‘winter custom’?”

Realizing that Noah had come up with another way to "help," Amamiya understood perfectly and asked, feigning ignorance, "What custom?"

"Sensei...do you like...soaking in hot springs?"

Chapter Ten: Noah: Assist? Wrong, this is a leak!

"Sensei...do you like...soaking in hot springs?"

The white-haired girl's eyebrows curved slightly, her eyes filled with a gentle smile, concealing a cunning and a special longing beneath that smile.

Clearly, her seemingly probing question was actually a 'secret hunter' move, a probing and 'attack' hidden beneath the calm surface.

Amamiya was somewhat surprised and pondered Noah's question for a moment.

"...Would you like to soak in a hot spring?"

When hot springs are mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind for Amamiya is not the various hot springs he soaked in before coming to Giwatos, but rather the 'troublemaker club' of Ghena that he had learned about from Hina.

—Hot Spring Development Department.

It is said that the Gehenna Autonomous District is a region that is relatively 'rich' in hot springs.

The reason why Gehenna is "abundant" in hot springs is thanks to the members of the hot spring development department's... bottomless exploration and development.

From Hina's perspective as the head of the disciplinary committee, who is responsible for maintaining order and peace, the series of things done by the hot spring development department can be described as a disaster.

However, it must be said that, due to their diligent exploration, the hot spring development department has indeed found quite a few hot springs.

"Although I don't go there often, it's not a bad idea when it comes to hot springs."

After considering it for a moment, Amamiya replied with a smile, "I've heard that there are some hot springs worth visiting in Gehenna."