I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

After her silly, 'naturally clueless' laugh, Alona then adopted a deliberately mysterious expression.

“Sensei hasn’t contacted Alona for a while… so Alona has prepared a special ‘reunion gift’ for Sensei. Sensei, would you like to guess what it is~?”

Amamiya poked Alona's cheek—although it was done through a screen, the soft touch of the girl's warm, real, and delicate cheek was indeed felt.

Alona was no longer surprised by Amamiya's habit of "starting by touching his head or poking his face without saying a word".

From initial resistance and discomfort to getting used to it, and finally to enjoying the feeling, Alona felt uncomfortable if she wasn't poked for a while. It only took her a few months to adapt.

Alona 'enjoyed' it for a little while, then realized that Amamiya showed no sign of stopping, as if she wouldn't stop unless she brought it up herself.

Realizing she couldn't continue, she coughed lightly and said, "Waaah... if Sensei still wants Alona's gift, then don't click it yet..."

Amamiya, knowing when to stop, feigned curiosity and guessed after ceasing her actions: "The 'special gift' Alona prepared for me... could it be a very special student file?"

"You guessed right~" Arona chuckled, revealing her hands that had been behind her back. "But there's no extra reward~?"

As she spoke, she displayed the colorful file: "This is the student file of 'Mika Seien' from Trinity College. She only recently applied to join Charlene... Please check your inbox, Sensei~"

Unpaid? Joining Xia Lai at this time?

Amamiya was momentarily confused, but still decisively signed her name in the signature area.

【~???~】(from Alona)

On the tablet, standing in a dilapidated classroom shrouded in the color of the sea, the girl's smile, like that of a sea sprite, is exceptionally sweet.

"Arona will do her best to help Sensei pay attention to these little things that Sensei usually doesn't notice."

"after all……"

There seemed to be a moment of disappointment in her words, but then she raised her head again, holding her swaying hair ribbon.

“Arona is…”

“Sensei’s…”

"An irreplaceable 'assistant,' right?"

【…】

I felt a deep bond from Alona.

"I am you, and you are me."

"Here you have received the sign to the path ahead."

"As the saying goes, 'Seek the future to find your final resting place.'"

Color may become an obstacle ahead...

However, the bold strokes gradually turned black.

Where the rainbow converges, that's where the heart leads.

"Now you have obtained a fragment of the ultimate mystery of the 'world'."

"Reclaiming the harmony between azure and black and white."

[Coopation level is maxed out!]

【Alona (World) ★★★★★ (MAX/MAX)】

[★5 Ability "World Contract" is now unlocked!]

Amamiya found it strange, not quite understanding why Alona, ​​who was usually carefree, had suddenly become 'sentimental' today.

However, not understanding Alona's changes did not prevent Amamiya from making the right response.

"I'll need Alona's 'care' in the future too."

Upon hearing Amamiya's words, Alona immediately looked up with a pitiful expression.

"Arona has helped Sensei so much... In return, can Arona make a request?"

Amamiya asked in confusion, "Does Alona have any requests?"

“Sensei… Alona’s mood has been a bit… strange lately.”

"That...it's...ooh..."

The girl slowly approached the screen, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her skirt, revealing an expression of 'unspeakable shyness' to Amamiya through the screen.

"It's about... Sensei's 'special way of comforting' before..."

"Arona, I want to try it again..."

[Bonus Chapter] The Guardian Angel of Christmas Eve

On a cold night when fine snowflakes fell in clusters, the warmth emanating from the shop windows along the roadside dispelled the scattered, pervasive chill of the night.

The interior, illuminated by shop windows and candlelight, was bright and warm, with intermittent "Merry Christmas" greetings filling the air.

In stark contrast, outside the window, the seemingly endless swirling snowflakes and the icy petals hanging on the cold windowpane.

"...It's alright, though, Kiwatos won't see a tragedy like the 'Little Match Girl'."

As I stood in front of the shop window, listening to the Christmas wishes of the girls echoing in my ears, I stared blankly out the window.

"Sensei... what are you thinking about? It's dinner time now~"

Hanako's uniquely enchanting voice reached my ears, seemingly carrying an unusual meaning: "Or perhaps...Sensei wants to do something for Christmas...?"

"Hanako, it's Christmas and you can't say anything nice?"

I smiled, about to turn around and respond to the tea party; the Christmas party, comprised of students from the tutoring department, the nuns, and other Trinity students, continued its tense 'open and covert struggle' with the students—

Suddenly, a red and white figure flashed past my eyes.

Short pink hair, a single feather 'earring', and a Christmas outfit... I was extremely familiar with both the person's attire and demeanor.

"Cinna?"

I quickly and carefully opened the door and walked to the street, which was only a shop window away but chilly. I called out to her, "Qinna? What are you doing walking so fast?"

"Ah... Sensei."

The girl paused, and the crunching sound of her footsteps on the snow stopped as well.

She turned around in the cold night, a gentle and concerned smile appearing on her cheeks, which were slightly flushed from the cold wind.

'Sensei... Merry Christmas...'

The girl seemed to be in extreme cold; if you stopped moving, you would notice that her legs and shoulders were trembling slightly from the cold.

"……Wait a moment."

Even so, she immediately noticed my expression, her scanning gaze sweeping over my face with uncanny precision.

"...Sensei?" 』

The girl raised her voice, tinged with chill, "Lately... you haven't been resting properly again, have you?"

“Ahahaha…”

Faced with the girl's harsh words, which were full of concern, I could only hang my head and let out a couple of dry laughs.

Naturally, the girl who saw my 'awkward performance' let out a soft sigh.

"Why……"

"Honestly, teacher, how many times have I told you to balance work and rest?"

I gave a wry smile and said, "To make sure everyone has a better Christmas... and also to fulfill everyone's wish to spend this night together, I... finished my work a little early, and I'm a bit tired..."

"..."

The girl remained silent, head bowed and brows furrowed in quiet contemplation—yet it was precisely this silence that made me feel uneasy.

"Has Serena... risen?"

"No..." the girl smiled gently. "How could I possibly be angry about that..."

Then, her tone suddenly turned serious: "Next time, I will work even harder to monitor Sensei's healthy lifestyle and diet."

"Isn't that still making her angry...?"

With that in mind, I promptly changed the subject.

"Qinna, why did you suddenly go out? Did something happen?"

"Um……"

The girl nodded hesitantly: "I received an emergency contact from the Rescue Knights. They said there was an accident on the street near my abs. Apparently, someone opened an anti-personnel grenade from a Christmas present and got injured in the explosion..."

"..."

I was speechless.

"Kiwatos' Christmas present is really 'hardcore'."

At that moment, I saw the girl suddenly answer the phone, and her expression gradually became serious.

"...Huh? She's about to pass out?!"

Please stay alert and don't hang up!

"Hang in there! The doctor is on their way!"

The girl with the phone was about to run towards her destination when I caught up with her.

"...Let me help, Serena."

………………………………………………After a period of time…………………………………………

『Cough...Moon/Ripples-Eryi Gugu V Liushan Emu...』

After helping to resolve several incidents, I was exhausted, both physically and mentally.

The girl who had been full of energy was now leaning against the wall, supporting her waist, and sighing wearily.

"I never expected... so many 'strange gifts' to appear at Christmas..."

"Well... thankfully, no one was seriously injured today. The rescue was exceptionally timely."

I managed to get to the girl's side, then half-squatted down and looked up at her, who was breathing slightly and whose expression was somewhere between exhaustion and satisfaction.

"Serena... is amazing."

Lost in thought because she hadn't been able to spend a good Christmas with Sensei and had instead delayed her, the disheartened girl paused slightly.

Immediately, a light blush crept onto her cheeks.

"Huh...?!"

"I'm just... doing what everyone in the Rescue Knights does... and maybe I'm not even doing it as well as my seniors..."

Shyly, she unconsciously twisted the hem of her skirt: "Sensei, you didn't have to be the first to comfort me..."

"No," I interrupted, "in my opinion, Cinna is truly shining right now."

……

"It's like being a... 'Santa Claus who grants wishes'."

The girl seemed a little taken aback by my teasing and looked at me in surprise: "Sen, Sensei...?"

"Or should I say..." I smiled gently, "Cinna should be an 'angel'."

"Angels...?"

"Yes, an angel."

"If 'I protected everyone's Christmas Eve,' then could Cinna also say 'I protected my Christmas Eve'?"

"Like an angel, always by my side..." I smiled and patted the girl's head. "A 'guardian angel' who belongs only to me... Isn't that a romantic way to put it?"

"Hmm..."

The fine snow gradually turned into a downy flurry, and the wind grew colder as the snow fell heavier.

"That being said... I still couldn't be there for Sensei's Christmas..."

"Qinna has been waiting for me all year round. On this one day, let me wait for Qinna."

I smiled and said, "The Christmas present should be from me to Qinna, not the other way around... So, what Christmas present does Qinna want?"