I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

If we take 'interpersonal communication' as an example for comparison...

The way Celery interacts with the others in Abydos is generally just like ordinary friends. Everyone seems to maintain a certain distance, yet it also seems like they are closing that distance at a very subtle pace...

And what about this 'sensei of Charlene'?

After a brief 'negotiation' with him, Celery had a misconception—

This illusion is that "the other person sees through all your thoughts and then deliberately caters to you in the way you like best"... such an illusion.

In general, interpersonal relationships require both parties to take the initiative to approach each other in order for the relationship to improve.

This Sensei from Xia Lai has a very unique way of negotiating—he takes the initiative to approach others and caters to them in the way they like best, instantly gaining their favor.

She couldn't say whether this method of negotiation was good or bad... she just felt it was a bit strange.

To be honest, I don't really hate or dislike it.

To say I 'like' this extremely peculiar way of 'negotiating with others'... well, I guess I do have a tiny bit of that...

What is going on here?

Celery couldn't bring herself to say it, because she couldn't explain it clearly.

After all... even if these girls, including Serika, have rich life experience and are very smart, they only have a little over ten years of life experience. Based on this, there are many things that they may find difficult to understand and explain.

"Indeed..."

Ayane, who asked the question, gave a dry laugh and lowered her head, saying in a dry voice, "That Sensei... gives people a very unique feeling... I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's a kind of approachable feeling that unconsciously draws people closer."

"It seems that when I'm with him, I unconsciously let down my guard and want to tell him everything..."

Bai Zi, who had been standing to the side seemingly detached and with almost no expression, nodded in agreement.

"It's like... a 'defense counterattack' in a game."

"Defense and counterattack..."

Nomiya pondered Shirako's peculiar analogy for a moment, then smiled gently: "Shirako-chan really did come up with a very special analogy."

"Sensei's negotiation style... is less a 'defensive counterattack' and more like... 'intentional provocation'."

Nomiya, perhaps the most knowledgeable and insightful member of the countermeasures committee, further elaborated on the strange description Shirako had given.

She paused for a moment, then, seeing the curiosity of the other three, she continued, "You see... judging from the feeling Sensei gives, everyone has a sense of 'suddenly having a stranger enter their inner world'..."

"If we compare our inner world to a private area... then sensei should be considered an intruder who 'trespasses into our private world', right?"

“But we don’t feel disgusted by such ‘intruders’... On the contrary, we want to try to contact them because of curiosity or novelty…”

Ayane, who was slightly hunched over due to exhaustion, suddenly 'realized' what was happening. She straightened up and said in a surprised tone, "If we consider what Shirako-senpai said..."

“That ‘sensei’ was actually the aggressor. But after attacking, he adopted a defensive stance that represented compliance… And we, perhaps out of instinct, or perhaps for other reasons… wanted to try to ‘counterattack,’ but he…”

Nomiya chuckled softly, picking up where Ayane left off: "But he, with a 'defensive counterattack' stance, deflected our 'attacks' and 'probing,' and instead gained our 'favorability'..."

Ayane paused, suddenly at a loss for words.

Even Serika couldn't help but speak up after a short silence: "What is this? It's like one of those 'special characters' in a fighting game who does no damage, relies on defense and counter-attacks to put pressure on the opponent, and then unleashes a special skill to finish them off in one hit!"

No one responded to Celery's words, and the girls present fell silent.

They seemed to have never seen such a unique 'negotiation method' before...

But it must be said that they were indeed curious about this, wanting to get to know this mysterious Sensei better and understand him...

At this moment, they realized that they had unknowingly fallen into the other party's trap.

Even knowing it was a trap, they still wanted to see—to see how this trap would ingeniously capture their hearts step by step, making them truly accept his existence and begin to believe in him.

After a moment, Celery gave a muffled hum, saying in a tone that was hard to tell whether it was joy or resentment, "...What a cunning and strange adult."

Nomiya, who had pointed out the art of negotiation, seemed quite open-minded. She smiled and said lightly, "Isn't it fine?"

"Now that we can't even count on the Federal Student Council... this 'strange adult' is probably the only one willing to listen to our situation in Abydos and help us solve our problems, right?"

"If you're only averse to someone because their negotiation style is a bit unusual..."

Nomiya did not continue speaking.

—Because going further, it would mean that 'Abydos's desire to resolve the predicament independently without outside intervention is neither realistic nor possible.'

The entire Abydos region can be described as 'prey held tightly in the grasp'. No matter how much it struggles, in the eyes of those who covet Abydos, it will only become a laughing stock.

Go ahead and struggle, it's all in vain anyway. You're only wasting your own energy. The weaker you are, the easier it will be for us to control you.

In this predicament... perhaps the more unexpected the means and methods, the more amazing the effect.

It's better to go for it with determination and courage, and fight to the death.

It's what they call 'being put in a desperate situation to survive'.

Isn't the same true for Tarot cards?

"Death" is the beginning of everything, and also signifies "the glimmer of hope amidst death".

If one can grasp it, then the "fool" is qualified to learn "moderation" on the journey, become more mature and stable, and become able to resist the temptation of the "devil," uphold one's true nature, control desires, and achieve inner sublimation.

If the Fool had not witnessed the destruction of the Tower, how could he have truly seen the Stars, the Moon, and the Sun along the way, truly understood the final outcome of the Judgment, and obtained his own unique World?

"Nomiya-senpai... you seem to have a very open-minded attitude."

Although Ayane agrees with Nomiya's opinion from the bottom of her heart...

But she was also moved by Nomiya's 'choice' at that moment.

If given the same choice, perhaps... I would be indecisive.

“I’m willing to believe that sensei… because of my intuition.”

Bai Zi suddenly spoke up at this moment, interjecting with an untimely remark to express his opinion.

She seemed out of it the whole time... yet she also seemed to be in it the whole time.

Qinxiang: "..."

She scratched her hair in frustration: "Ugh... So, what we need to do now is accept that Sensei, truly 'open our hearts' to him, and explain all of Abydos's troubles and hardships..."

"Then we'll figure out a way to solve it together, right?"

Her words carried a hint of self-abandonment—but for some reason, after stating her 'conclusion,' Qinxiang felt a sense of relief, as if a 'giant boulder had been lifted'.

...It turns out that expressing one's truest thoughts in words is such an difficult thing.

"It seems everyone has decided on their feelings and attitudes towards Sensei..."

Suddenly, someone pushed the door open and came in.

Ayane hurriedly stood up, looking at the figure who pushed open the door with great surprise, and asked, "Hoshino-senpai?!"

Hoshino waved to Ayane with his eyes half-closed, almost unable to open them.

"Hey~~ I was planning to continue my night patrol... but I'm just too tired, so sleepy I can barely keep my eyes open, so I came back first..."

After glancing around at the other members in the room, Hoshino 'naturally' changed the subject: "Oh...? Are you all gathered here to talk about that Sensei?"

"It seems a conclusion has been reached..."

"The younger generation is already capable of making mature choices... I don't need to worry about them anymore..."

Ayane found Hoshino's 'abnormal' behavior very strange.

Hoshino-senpai used to be very wary of 'outsiders'... Why has his attitude changed so much?

"Th-that... Hoshino-senpai?"

She asked tentatively.

Actually, it wasn't just Ayane who noticed; others also felt that Hoshino's behavior seemed a bit strange.

"Hmm...? I'm really tired today, so I'm going to bed now~"

"Let's discuss the juniors' ideas with Sensei tomorrow."

Chapter 7 Qinxiang: Seize the young master? !

In the early morning, Abydos was already starting to feel hot.

Even at sunrise, Amamiya, who was waiting early in the club activity room and looking out the window, still felt a considerable degree of dryness and heat, typical of desert regions, which made her mouth dry.

"Squeak-"

The door to the activity room was gently pushed open. The girl with long, straight pink hair, who hadn't slept much all night and had barely rested during the day, was holding the helmet that still shone brightly in the real world, its preciousness clear to even a layman at a glance.

"Oh my... Sensei is here so early..."

The greetings no longer carried the faint wariness of before, but instead carried a subtle, almost imperceptible warmth.

Although she didn't say anything more, and simply lay down and pretended to sleep when she got to her spot, Amamiya could clearly feel that her attitude towards him had softened.

Noticing the change in the other party's attitude, Amamiya knew that her 'actions' had indeed had some effect.

After Hoshino entered, other members of the countermeasures committee successively opened the door to the club activity room.

"Huh? Sensei is here so early?"

The second person to push open the door was Ayane Okusora, who was carrying a folder and also looked like she hadn't rested much.

Amamiya, who was standing by the window 'enjoying the view', turned around at the sound and greeted this seemingly ordinary and unassuming person, who was probably one of the few 'normal people' in this countermeasures committee.

Good morning, Ayane.

【~???~】

Three eighth notes floated up from above the girl's head. The next moment, her ears turned slightly red, and she lowered her head a little shyly, greeting the girl in return.

"Hmm... Good morning, Sensei."

Ayane opened the door, and the girls following behind her filed in.

"From today onwards, I'll be leaving the Abydos matter to Sensei~"

As Nomiya entered, he said in a friendly tone with a hint of subtle meaning, "Hmm... if Sensei can do that, then reward Sensei... with a lap pillow, or ear cleaning~? Anything is fine~"

【~???~】

After she finished speaking, an eighth note representing her favorability level appeared above her head.

Serika, who was right behind her, immediately bristled: "Nomiya-senpai... this, this isn't quite right... after all..."

【~??~】

That's what she said, but what appeared above her head were clearly double eighth notes, a symbol of 'truly capturing the other person's heart'.

“What’s wrong with that?” Nomiya blinked innocently at first, then smiled with narrowed eyes. “If Sensei could really do something as great as ‘saving Abydos from its dire straits’…”

Shouldn't we express our gratitude in our own way?

"Well……"

Serika fell silent—she suddenly realized that Nomiya's words were absolutely correct.

Abydos knew very well that relying on her own efforts, such as "working," to repay her "astronomical debt" was absolutely hopeless.

If Sensei really succeeded in doing so, not only helping Abydos solve its debt problem but also helping Abydos return to a normal path... then how should they express their gratitude?

You can't just dismiss someone with a simple "thank you," can you?

Amamiya chuckled lightly in response to the words of this wealthy young lady whose true face was never seen.

"Then I look forward to the day when the promised reward is delivered."

【?~】

【~???~】

The first double eighth note came from Nomiya's head, while the second one came from Serika's head.

The latter was probably thinking about something subtle, and a slight blush inexplicably appeared on her cheeks. She coughed lightly and turned her head away, as if she didn't intend to continue speaking—however, the three eighth notes above her head betrayed her change of mind.

"Sensei... I'll leave it to you."

The last one to enter, Shiroko, twitched her ears slightly. The burning emotion in her clear, heterochromatic eyes even gave Amamiya a subtle... strange enthusiasm, like "a dog that has been raised for many years seeing its long-lost owner."

【~???~】

Three more double eighth notes, signifying the highest level of favorability.