I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"Children~"

During Amamiya's observation, Shun had probably completed his 'schedule' for the day: "It's almost time, school's out~"

After waving to the little girls, she gathered them around her with amazing charisma and approachability. She then bent down and began to give small red flowers to the children who had performed well that day.

Shinna, standing to the side, held a "100 points" stamp with her own portrait engraved on it. Following the distribution of small red flowers, she lightly stamped a stamp on the card collection book handed to her by the child who received a small red flower.

Such a heartwarming scene... until, at the moment of bowing down to hand out small red flowers, he felt the gaze from Amamiya.

Her movements gradually slowed down and eventually stopped. Instantly, she stood up slowly and alertly, looking in the direction from which her gaze had come. At the same time, her hand slowly reached for the sniper rifle she carried, which looked like a teaching tool and had a black and white plum blossom pattern.

When she caught sight of the figure at the 'source of her gaze' out of the corner of her eye, Shun's movements froze again, and the tension in her body dissipated like snowflakes.

She let out a soft sigh, subtly returning the gun to its original position, and began to gather her emotions.

Shinna, who was standing to the side, hadn't immediately understood what was going on. Noticing that her sister's actions and reactions were a bit off, she was still instinctively reaching for the card album and stamping it, until she felt nothing and realized what was happening.

'Hmm...?'

Puzzled, Kokoro tilted her head slightly and then looked around at her surroundings.

In an instant, she saw the figure standing under the shade of a poplar tree on the opposite side of the street.

'Hey, that's...'

"Ahem... Children, look over there~"

Shun suddenly raised her voice slightly: "Over here~ It seems a 'special guest' has come to visit the plum garden~"

In an instant, Amamiya felt dozens of innocent and cute yet intense gazes, including those of Kokona and Hime, converge on her.

Amamiya's heart skipped a beat. Before she could figure out what bond skill to use against these children, she saw them rushing across the street and gathering around her.

Then, Amamiya felt several small hands climb up her clothes and start to rub, pinch, and tug at her.

"Wow—it's a living Sensei!"

Amamiya: ...What do you mean by 'living Sensei'? Do you think I'm dead if I'm here?

"Is this the kind of adult everyone's been talking about...? I can feel the same gentleness as Instructor Shun!"

“Sense2 (7) kick Ying Shan with a stud, I like it!”

Amamiya glared silently at Hisaki, who was mixed in with the crowd and pretended to say "I like it".

Don't think I can't find you, Sect Master.

"Hmm, Sensei seems very mature!"

"I want to be an adult like Sensei when I grow up!"

"Sensei's hair looks fluffy, what would it feel like to touch it...?"

"Everyone move aside, I want to touch the Sensei too!"

Maintaining a slightly awkward smile, and forced to accept the 'enthusiasm' and 'clumsy' touches of dozens of children surrounding her, Amamiya was truly helpless.

After being pulled and dragged around by small hands that, though seemingly small, were no less strong than an adult's, Amamiya finally saw Shun and Kokoro on the other side of the road. After the pedestrian light turned green, they crossed the road one after the other.

Exhausted from dealing with the children's pulling and tugging, Amamiya tried his best to maintain his balance and stability, looking at the two girls, one big and one small, who had come close to him.

"It seems Sensei has a great reputation and is very popular with children~"

Gently stroking his cheek, the 'mature instructor' smiled warmly, first teasing Amamiya about his exceptionally cool and popular aura amplified by his bond skills, before introducing himself: "I am Shun Sunohara, the instructor of Plum Blossom Garden~"

"I don't know why Sensei came here... but, 'since I'm here, I'll make the best of it.' Please take good care of the children here, Sen~sei."

Amamiya: "..."

Is this how you use the phrase "Since you're here, make the best of it"?

While struggling against the children's pulling and tugging, Amamiya nodded helplessly, then looked at the 'little instructor' following behind her.

Compared to Shun's mature and reserved yet relaxed self-introduction, Xin Nai seemed rather flustered and rushed.

"Haruhara Kokona of the Plum Garden, don't let my appearance fool you, I'm already an undisputed instructor!"

She even deliberately emphasized not to judge a book by its cover... Don't be fooled by her small size, she's actually quite mature...?

Amamiya felt that this was more like a show of bravado.

After the 'self-introductions', Shun clapped his hands, signaling the children to be quiet for a moment.

"Kids, quiet down~ It's not easy for Sensei, as an adult, to keep pulling on him like this~!"

As an 'instructor,' she was exceptionally 'respected' among the children.

As soon as she said that, Amamiya immediately felt the weight on her body and the dozen or so small hands that were tightly gripping her loosen.

Just as Amamiya breathed a sigh of relief, she heard another voice.

"Instructor Shun~ We want to play games with Sensei!"

Following the sound, Amamiya looked at Himeki, who had shouted something energetically and then pulled down her hat brim to hide her presence.

"Oops..."

He instantly looked troubled, as if to say, "If only I had known."

She gave Amamiya a slightly apologetic smile: "Sensei... since the children want to play with you more, you should..."

"Why don't you come to Plum Garden and stay for a while?"

Chapter Ten: Hisaki: Though I stand alone, I cannot escape the long, dark night...

"Sensei, shall we play 'Eagle Catches Chickens' together?"

"Sensei, let's play house! I'll be the mom, and Sensei will be the dad!"

"Sensei, what is the world of phantom thieves like?"

What kept Amamiya drenched in sweat the whole time was the various requests from the children of the Plum Garden, which continued until the lights came on.

It wasn't until it was completely dark that the children showed obvious signs of sleepiness. As if they had released all their energy and entered a low-energy-consumption mode, they yawned sleepily.

Shinna led the way, waving a small flag. Dozens of children lined up in a row, and Amamiya's exhausted team blended into the streets under the night sky.

Watching Shinna lead the children away into the distance, Amamiya let out a long sigh of relief, then turned her gaze to Shun, who was also standing under the streetlight, gazing tenderly in the direction the children had gone.

He seemed slightly distracted for a moment, and only now has he 'barely come to his senses'.

After looking away, she clasped her hands together, tilted her head slightly towards Amamiya, and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, Sensei..."

"This was a last resort, and I hope you can understand..."

Amamiya gently pinched her cheek, which had become a little stiff from maintaining a gentle smile for so long, and asked curiously, "...Are the children of the plum garden always so... energetic?"

Shun nodded slowly and helplessly, mimicking Amamiya by stroking his cheek with one hand and sighing softly, "Hmm... taking care of them is really not an easy thing."

“It is indeed very difficult…” Amamiya agreed, adding, “But occasionally being able to play with the children makes me feel like I’m being infected by a special kind of vitality.”

【~???~】

It was a subtle feeling, like finding common ground, that made me feel complicated for a moment.

She was about to express her feelings when she suddenly realized something was amiss.

Suddenly realizing something, she hurriedly asked, "Speaking of which... what exactly is Sensei here for?"

"To ease the pressure, we temporarily brought Sensei to the plum garden to play with the children... Did that take up too much of Sensei's time?"

It was delayed, but not completely delayed.

Amamiya's initial purpose in coming here was to fulfill the 'promise' he made with Hime Saki.

He said it was delayed because he had thought the 'agreement' would be for the two of them to be alone and go to an amusement park or something. But instead, he was half-forced to spend the whole afternoon playing various games with the children in the plum garden.

The reason I say there was no delay is because the purpose of coming here was indeed achieved.

Because Hizaki disguised herself as a child and participated in this special 'game'.

Amamiya really didn't expect... that as the leader of the Xuanlong Sect and the president of the Shan Hai Jing Student Council, Hisaki would 'vividly' portray a lively personality similar to that of the children around her during the disguise.

Even in the "playing house" game, it was she who volunteered to play the role of the mother.

Seeing that the 'Sect Leader' was having so much fun, Amamiya cleverly pretended not to recognize Himeki and played various pretend games with Himeki.

Thinking this through, Amamiya shook her head, as if amused, maintaining a 'suppressed laughter' expression.

"No, no... Rather, Shun's 'sudden invitation' allowed me to see a vibrant and unique side of the Shan Hai Jing region."

"If Shun doesn't mind, I'll come here occasionally in the future..."

After a pause, Amamiya looked at the mature woman, who looked slightly haggard in the night, her black hair swaying in the lamplight and evening breeze with a touch of 'sympathy'.

"...helping Shun alleviate some of the 'pressure of raising a child'."

He paused for a moment, stunned.

Then, she looked Amamiya up and down with a suspicious gaze that seemed to say, "Sensei, do you have ulterior motives?"

In an instant, she felt a strange emotion... although she was being cared for, it just felt so odd.

"Sensei... are you showing concern for me?"

“Shun can think that way too.” Amamiya remained calm, unmoved by Shun’s direct gaze into his emerald green eyes. “After all, children are friends, and ‘big friends’ are friends too.”

【~???~】

"?"

Shun was taken aback for a moment, then crossed his arms and snorted irritably.

"Is Sensei questioning my age?" She raised her voice slightly, speaking in a cautionary tone, "No matter what, questioning or teasing a girl's age is impolite, you know?"

Amamiya: "..."

The more sensitive you are to your age, the more this problem becomes apparent...

Amamiya squinted, avoiding Shuna's disgruntled, slightly pouting, and admonishing gaze from close range.

"Although Sensei's 'veiled criticism' about age made me slightly unhappy... well, anyway."

"Today, I still want to thank Sensei for understanding my willfulness..."

I felt Shun's gratitude.

Coopation is now unblocked!

【Shun Haruhara (Pope)★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆】

[★1 Bond Ability "Mature Aura" is now unlocked!]

Amamiya waved his hand dismissively: "If Shun encounters any difficulties later, you can contact me."

After receiving repeated thanks from Shun, Amamiya bid farewell to Shun, who said, "Although the pressure has been shared, my condition is still not much better."

It was late at night, and there were obviously no more late-night buses returning to Xia Lai at this hour...

Of course, even if there were a train, it would probably take until late at night to arrive, and even if it departed now.

Standing alone under the tranquil night sky of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, wandering the darkness all by himself... Amamiya suddenly felt like he was "being a phantom thief" again.

Perhaps because "people are always reminded of precious memories," Amamiya inexplicably recalled the time when she rode the train, carrying a shoulder bag, through the bustling night of Shibuya in Tokyo, and met the people she helped.

Please don't remove my mask, don't take away my home.

Humming a tune from his memory, Amamiya was about to find a nearby hotel to rest when suddenly his shadow, elongated by the streetlights, appeared before him.

Standing under the streetlights, she had her back to them, her striped gangster-style suit casually draped over her shoulders.

Between the buildings on both sides, the sky was filled with starlight and the cold moonlight, which mingled with the light of the streetlights, shrouding her in a cold and mysterious veil.

"Though I stand alone, I cannot escape the long night. But the long night will eventually end, and dawn will break..."

After reciting a passage of classical Chinese text that she had somehow heard, which sounded particularly elegant, the girl turned around gracefully, her gaze meeting Amamiya's as he looked at her with grey-blue eyes that shone faintly in the night.

"...Good evening, Sensei."

The 'cold and mysterious' feeling was completely different from the Hisaki I met in the plum garden, who was dressed in a child's outfit... They were like two completely different people.