I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

'...'

[Worried: The antiquarian bookstore is always ready to welcome Sensei's visit...]

It's only been a few days since I last checked momotalk, and there are already nearly a thousand messages piling up on it...

Moreover, a significant portion of the news is about the cherry blossom festival.

It seems that the Cherry Blossom Festival of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is indeed a well-known and special local event.

Amamiya's gaze finally settled on a message from Noah among the messages.

The cherry blossom festival is now nearing its end... but the cherry blossom season has not yet arrived.

Taking advantage of this time, bringing the girls from the seminar to catch the tail end of the cherry blossom festival seems like a good option.

After a moment's thought, Amamiya replied to Noah's message: "Hmm, regarding the 'hot spring trip'... I've already done some research at the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons)."

Regarding the 'hot spring trip'... I've already made a reservation at a private hot spring.

It's currently around 9 p.m., a time when most students are free.

Noah was no exception; she received and replied to Amamiya's message immediately.

Noah: Sensei, did you have fun at the cherry blossom festival?

[Noah: [smiling.jpg] Do you know any girls worth getting to know?]

Amamiya: "..."

That's a bit scary, that's it.

Amamiya, sensing a sharp edge in Noah's seemingly warm greetings, couldn't help but recall Izuna, whom she had met at the festival, as well as Mimori, the most noteworthy member of the training club, and Shizuko of the festival club.

Well... not only did I get to know many of them... but I also reached a special relationship with one of them, which can be considered as a 'life-long commitment' in a certain sense.

But could this "truth" be told to Noah?

Obviously, no.

Slightly sweating, Amamiya calmly and carefully chose her words in her reply: "I did indeed meet a few strange children at the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. However, most of the time I was just helping them solve their problems there."

Amamiya was certainly not foolish enough to deny it outright.

Because he knew very well that if he denied it outright, the credibility of the news would be greatly reduced.

Noah: Is that so?

Noah: [Xiaoxue crying emoji.jpg]

[Noah: Sensei, do you have any detailed, further plans regarding the 'hot spring trip'?]

Amamiya can reply "Yes".

However, given the current situation, it is clearly not appropriate to respond in this way.

After a moment's thought, Amamiya shifted the blame to Rion: "After all, this was Rion's plan... I plan to discuss the specific details with Rion later."

Time passed slowly as Noah chatted on the phone for hours.

Amamiya ended her chat with Noah only after the motion-sensing vehicle began to slow down slowly. She hurriedly took a picture out the window, sent it to Noah with the message, "I have to go back now."

It can be said that... compared to Yuka, who is 'easy to coax,' Noah's aggressiveness is far more than just a little bit stronger.

After relaxing for a while on the train at the station, Amamiya got off at the station closest to Shiratori Ward.

After walking for a short while, Amamiya saw the Xialai Building standing tall in the night sky where stars were falling.

Before even getting close to the building, Amamiya spotted a green-haired girl carrying heavy equipment, with a serious expression, slowly pacing back and forth, looking like she was on patrol.

Her long, light green hair stood out against the early spring night sky.

As the scenery came into view, her highly recognizable figure was immediately and clearly captured by Amamiya.

When Amamiya noticed the girl, she also noticed Amamiya immediately.

A hint of joy instantly filled her gray eyes. The green-haired girl waved and jogged along the road toward Amamiya.

"Sensei~Sen...Sensei...~"

'...Hiyori? '

Chapter Thirty-One: Swimsuits, Is It Really Possible?

Under the curtain of night sky, the green-haired girl noticed Amamiya walking by the roadside. Without bothering to comb her slightly disheveled hair covered with a layer of fine sweat, she jogged towards Amamiya.

After stopping in front of Amamiya, she breathed softly, tilted her head back, and gave Amamiya a smile so cute that Amamiya almost wanted to pinch her cheek.

Hiyori seems to have a lot to say.

But precisely because she had so much to say... just before the moment she was about to speak, Hiyori found herself at a loss for words.

"Good evening, Sensei..."

The prepared welcome turned into a dry greeting, and the smile that bloomed on the girl's face instantly withered.

"Ugh~~~"

Under Amamiya's subtle gaze, the girl began to sob and wallow in self-pity: "Even after reading so many textbooks, I still can't even say hello. I'm so useless... Waaah~ I guess I'm still the same..."

Amamiya: "..."

Even after escaping the extreme environment of being oppressed by Beatrice... Hiyori still can't shake off her 'fully automatic EMO princess' characteristics.

Amamiya stepped forward and interrupted her self-pity in the simplest and most direct way.

"Being so self-pitying and talking to yourself is not a good habit."

As he said this, Amamiya snatched Hiyori's wide-brimmed hat off, and with the girl's expression somewhere between surprise and shyness, he pressed the inside of the hat brim close to his nose and took a deep breath.

Then, he dusted off Hiyori's hat and put it on his own head.

"Hmm, so this is what Hiyori tastes like. I'll remember that."

"Eh? Sen-Sensei?!"

Ignoring Hiyori's seemingly bewildered and even delusional words, Amamiya turned her gaze to the distant, star-studded sky.

He deliberately ignored Hiyori's flustered little expression, maintaining his 'looking into the distance' posture, and casually pinched the girl's slightly plumper and smoother cheeks: "Also, greetings and stuff... don't need any textbooks or anything, okay?"

“In front of me, Hiyori only needs to be the most natural and authentic version of herself.”

【~???~】

Amamiya's smooth little combo...

This might be a bit of a headache for other students, but it's just right for Hiyori.

'Hehehe...Sen and Sensei are actually willing to accept someone like me who's only good at living in the shadows and getting moldy all by myself...'

'Sensei's actions just now...'

'To make Sensei remember my scent more clearly, should I choose a special shower gel and shower more often...?'

When interacting with a girl like Hiyori, who is prone to feeling inferior and getting caught in her own vortex, you should use a slightly more intense approach to the interaction.

After successfully appeasing Hiyori with this 'drastic measure,' Amamiya immediately asked, 'Hiyori, during my absence, did anything noteworthy happen in Xia Lai?'

"Well……"

After a moment's thought, Hiyori gave a somewhat uncertain answer: "It seems that nothing noteworthy has happened."

Amamiya breathed a slight sigh of relief: "That's good."

If nothing 'special' happens, it means my short vacation can continue.

"Is Hiyori on patrol?"

Hiyori pursed her lips slightly, seemingly happy that she could communicate normally with Sensei.

Perhaps because she was in a good mood, her tone wasn't so 'gloomy,' but rather carried a slightly joyful seriousness: "Yes. Now that I've agreed to Sensei and become the strength Sensei needs, it's only natural that I should do my best to realize my value..."

Amamiya rubbed his forehead with one hand: "There's no need to go that far... At this time of day, is patrolling even necessary?"

"As part of Xia Lai's security force, your most important time of day is during the day. Wasting your energy at this time is not a good choice, is it?"

As Amamiya spoke, she took Hiyori's hat off her own head and gently put it back on.

"It's getting late, let's go back together, Hiyori."

Carefully adjusting the hat, the green-haired girl lowered her head slightly and chuckled softly.

"Hey hey hey..."

After a distinctive, light laugh, followed by a soft, relieved sigh: "Going 'home' with Sensei like this... how wonderful."

"It feels like a dream..."

Amamiya remained silent, listening attentively to Hiyori's monologue.

After her initial reflection, Hiyori's tone became slightly somber: "The time I spent by Sensei's side was short, but it was very happy..."

“Once you have that feeling, you feel that… not seeing Sensei is a very long and painful time…”

"Hehehe... Am I completely immersed in Sensei's gentle embrace and fallen into depravity...?"

"What would happen if Sensei abandoned me in this state...?"

"Even if I stay by Sensei's side in this way, I'll definitely be of no use to her in the future..."

"It's inevitable that I'll face an ending of being 'lifted high and then slammed down, only to be treated coldly again'..."

"I can't even imagine what that feeling would be like..."

Sigh, I'm daydreaming again.

Amamiya sighed softly to himself.

Ultimately, it's because Hiyori had previously lived in such extreme and harsh environments...

"We will not abandon Hiyori."

【~???~】

The girl paused slightly, a blue favorability indicator appearing above her head, before becoming somewhat pessimistic: "Even if Sensei says so..."

Hiyori's 'overly pessimistic' reaction left Amamiya feeling helpless and slightly troubled.

Arius's squad has indeed broken free from Beatrice's "iron fist"... but their individual psychological states, each ravaged by Beatrice's 'nihilism,' certainly deserve close attention...

Is there any way to improve the mental state of Arius's squad to some extent...?

Amamiya squinted and pondered for a moment, then quickly came up with a special keyword—[swimsuit].

As everyone knows, when in doubt, a "swimsuit return" is always a safe bet.

Even without mentioning mystical explanations like the "7/8 rule," Amamiya has every reason to believe that for girls like Arius, who generally lack common sense about life, a "swimsuit trip" would be enough to largely dispel the negative emotions that have been building up for a long time.

Thinking of this, Amamiya suddenly asked, "Has Hiyori ever thought about us all going to the beach in our swimsuits?"

Hiyori was taken aback by Amamiya's unexpected and absurd question: "Huh?"

After blinking blankly for a moment, Hiyori's expression gradually turned longing: "Swimsuits... I've seen them in magazines..."

Of all the (outdated) magazines I've seen, the one that left the deepest impression...

Hiyori recalled that recently, after moving to Xialai, she had unintentionally found a swimsuit magazine on a bookshelf in a Xialai café.

Because of recent security concerns, a comprehensive investigation of Xia Lai was conducted, and Hiyori also conducted an in-depth exploration of the café.

As a place frequently visited by students to pass the time, the café is often left behind by students, either accidentally or intentionally.

For example... a magazine called "Weekly Pandemonium - Charlene Sensei Special Issue" left behind by a short, red-haired student.

For example... another pink-haired girl with a pair of small wings on her head and back, looking furtive and somewhat suspicious. This is a student's work titled "The Girls of Abydos and the Swimsuit Anecdotes of Sensei Charai" (authors: Meruru & Akira Momiji; this work has been authorized by Abydos and is an authorized fan fiction).

Hiyori, who had a particular interest in magazines, read them carefully after the two magazines were left at the coffee shop.

Hiyori, who was particularly impressed by the plot developments in the book "Swimsuit Anecdotes," couldn't help but recall the storyline she had read about in the magazine...

"Playing beach volleyball together in swimsuits, then applying sunscreen, then lying under a parasol looking at the sky, doing weird things without anyone noticing..."