I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"……Now."

Her low voice seemed to simultaneously convey a sense of relief, loss, relief, and absolute dependence.

"I can only... rely on you."

Amamiya maintained her gentle smile: "Yes. Yukino can rely on me anytime."

【~???~】(Yukino)

“Sensei…I like it.”

Amamiya was taken aback: "Huh?"

Yukino, who suddenly confessed her feelings, was stunned afterward: "...Huh?"

She didn't seem to understand immediately why she had suddenly said such a thing.

After a brief exchange of glances and silence, Yukino, seemingly a little embarrassed, changed the subject: "...Um, Sensei. You mentioned before...the reconstruction of SRT..."

"I'm really... so grateful that you would say that..."

Because she unintentionally confessed her feelings, Yukino's words became a little jumbled.

Even towards students like us who spoke harshly to you upon first meeting, you remained steadfast in your support.

"He earned the admiration and respect of most students, consistently doing the right thing; maintaining peace in Kiwatos;"

"And, and..."

At this point, Yukino, realizing that she had unilaterally refused to understand Amamiya because of her previous 'dislike' and knew very little about Amamiya, paused briefly.

"I...like this Sensei..."

As she spoke hesitantly, Yukino's voice gradually lowered until it was almost silent.

"Anyway..."

“I…I…From now on, I want to believe only in Sensei…”

As she spoke haltingly, Yukino slightly raised her fox ears and also quietly looked up, like a cunning fox observing its prey, intending to observe Amamiya's reaction.

However, she did not see Amamiya's reaction—Amamiya was opening the door with his back to her, and the clean interior of Xia Lai's club activity room slowly appeared before her eyes as Amamiya pushed the door open.

At a glance, Yukino saw traces of life left by several students, including the other three members of the Fox Squad.

This is... Xia Lai's club activity room?

It looked like an ordinary office.

But why... does it give me a wonderful, warm feeling, like 'home'?

Yukino shook her fox ears and sniffed slightly, catching the lingering aroma of coffee in the air, along with other faint scents that intertwined to create the essence of 'life'.

"This is Yukino's first time in Sharai's club room, isn't it?"

Amamiya turned around and beckoned to Yukino, who was standing at the door: "Don't be shy, make yourself at home, find a place to sit."

As he spoke, Amamiya took off the white uniform shirt that symbolized his identity as Sensei and hung it on the back of the ergonomic chair.

"Next... Yukino must be hungry too, I'll prepare dinner for her."

With the triple bond skills of 【Like a Full Moon】+【Like a Sculpted Illusionary Moon】+【Like Awaiting a New Moon】 (Ayane's Bond), Amamiya can easily create a sense of family, like "having lived under the same roof for a long time," without having to do anything deliberately.

—For a girl whose perceptions were recently reshaped, the most important and priority step in 'reshaping' her is to help her rebuild her sense of dependence and belonging.

Yukino sat up obediently without hesitation, placing her legs flat on her skirt, and looked at Amamiya seriously, replying, "Hmm... I'll wait for Sensei."

After speaking, Yukino seemed to feel that something was missing, and hesitated briefly.

"There are still many things I want to say to Sensei today..."

"But it's too late..."

The fox-eared girl twisted the hem of her pleated skirt, her legs in black over-the-knee stockings rubbing together unconsciously. After much hesitation, she finally made her request, as if she had made up her mind.

"So...can I...stay at Xia Lai for one night...?"

Amamiya knew that Yukino probably wanted to ask about the future of the Fox Squad... or something like that.

"welcome any time."

I sensed the complex love emanating from Yukino.

[My bond with Yukino has deepened...]

【Seven Degrees Yukino (Faith) ★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆】

[★3 Bond Ability "Noble and Fierce Fox" is now unlocked!]

"Well then, I'm sorry to have bothered you..."

Watching Amamiya leave the office for the kitchen, Yukino, her fox ears fluttering in her cheerful mood, sat on the sofa for a while before finally turning her gaze to the Sharai uniform that Amamiya had hung on the back of the chair.

Sensei's uniform was so big...

Even clothes can provide a very clear sense of security...

After looking around and confirming that there was nothing in the room that resembled a surveillance device, Yukino began to have a little thought.

Although Sensei didn't agree, probably no one will find out...

Try wearing Sensei's oversized coat, it should... be fine, right?

Chapter Eighty-Nine: The Night of Dancing with Rabbits and Foxes

The leisurely hours of a summer night are relaxing and pleasant, perfect for sitting under warm, dim lighting, gazing at the starlight overhead, and daydreaming about the future.

Since ancient times, "stars" have always symbolized something that has never fallen to earth, something that is quite distant yet gives those who look up to them a brilliant light and a "hope" to pursue their aspirations.

"Sensei coat..."

After waiting a short while in the office to make sure that Amamiya wouldn't return immediately or at the most 'perfect' time, Yukino tiptoed to Amamiya's desk and took down the "summer uniform" that Amamiya had been wearing all day, which was hanging on the back of his ergonomic chair.

Even after wearing it all day, this uniquely crafted uniform remained completely free of sweat and dirt, truly deserving the description "spotless".

Aside from its spotless appearance, the first feeling Yukino experienced when holding this long coat in her hands was an unparalleled sense of security.

How similar it is to the feeling of looking up at the sky and the stars in the sky when you are disappointed and uneasy, and to the feeling of searching for hope in the long night.

With the front of her clothes facing her, Yukino lowered her head, her nose twitching slightly incessantly.

"Sniff sniff..."

Sniffing and absorbing the lingering warmth and the inexplicably comforting scent on her clothes, the girl, lost in thought, stood frozen in place, a faint blush rising on her cheeks, which were mostly hidden by the clothes.

'Sensei's...clothes smell...so unique.'

There was no smell of sweat as expected... Instead, there was a... scent mixed with the lingering warmth, a scent that gave a sense of security...

'What...what is this taste?'

Clutching the clothes, Yukino stood there, pondering how this feeling, so abstract yet so reassuring, corresponded to the scent she remembered...

"Willpower".

What you can clearly smell symbolizes adult maturity and gentleness; it symbolizes the mystery of being moved by the opposite sex; it symbolizes longing and yearning...

To make a comparison in a more romantic and abstract way is like...

The stars are breathing.

In reality... what Yukino felt was the connection between Akiko's bond skills - [Seed of Hope] and [Flower of Prayer], Noah's [Distant Starlight] and [Comet Mark], Ayane's skill [Like a Full Moon], and Saori's skills [Tower Knight], [Yearning for Hope], and [Determination to Protect]...

This series of effects represents the bond skills that Amemiya gradually 'accumulated' after arriving in Giwatos.

Generally speaking, items are not affected by the additional effects of bond skills... but there are exceptions.

When something is worn close to the body for a long time, it will inevitably pick up the scent of its owner—this is especially noticeable with clothing and other frequently used items.

When she came to her senses, Yukino had already draped the garment over herself, fastened the first button near her neck, and put her hands into the sleeves, half-wearing the outer garment.

Both the sleeve length and the hem width are too large and don't fit well, but they don't feel heavy when worn.

'It feels very loose... but it also seems to fit perfectly...'

'It feels...too thin to wear?'

With her arms outstretched, Yukino imagined a dressing mirror in front of her. She turned around in front of the off computer screen and vaguely saw her own reflection.

After all, it's summer clothing, so the design is mainly focused on being cool and light.

Even though the 'public official' style necessitates the use of long sleeves and a long hem, the design, resembling a 'white swallowtail coat,' doesn't feel bulky at all.

Like a little ghost, she swayed her slightly loose sleeves, and a nameless joy quickly rose in Yukino's heart.

There was no reason, no cause... but I was just very happy.

Sensei... he really is a gentle adult.

Even though he treated Sensei harshly when they first met, and even though he had always been cold and sarcastic towards her due to strange psychological issues, never giving her a kind look...

Sensei was still willing to help, even with herself like that.

Willing to be someone I can rely on...

I really want to 'not think about anything' and 'recklessly abandon everything to rely on' this kind of Sensei...

When I'm with Sensei, I always have this feeling that "as long as I'm with Sensei, I can overcome any difficulty with perseverance and faith".

Maybe……

In Hua Ye's view, she, and the rest of the Fox Squad, were truly cheap tools to be "used and discarded," or rather, useful tools to be "used until they break"...

However, no matter what kind of tool it is, it cannot escape the fate of being discarded when it is no longer in use, or being abandoned when it is broken. Ultimately, it is regarded as a tool.

And Sensei…

They do not use SRT, nor do they use the Fox Squad and Rabbit Squad as tools.

But then he said something like, "We hate adults like you the most..."

Although Sensei only showed a brief expression of surprise before launching a 'brilliant' counterattack and didn't seem hurt at all, but...

Lost in her thoughts, Yukino sat on the sofa, swinging her legs and trying to let her mind wander.

I'll probably lose the chance to take my relationship with Sensei a step further.

The clothes she was wearing seemed to exert a slightly suffocating pressure, causing Yukino to tremble involuntarily.

An inexplicable emotion arose within her. Even though Yukino had led her team to carry out the absurd mission of 'attacking the Federation Student Council' issued by Hanaya without changing her expression, she felt a strange 'fear' at this moment.

Once the Fox Squad achieves its 'dream-chasing' goals, the possibility of rebuilding SRT will arise...

Will Sensei distance itself from me?

Will I still be able to stay by Sensei's side and enjoy that sense of security when I'm with Sensei?

No, that's not right...

Sensei isn't the kind of adult who would decide to cut off all contact with a student just because they gave him a bad look...

Even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, such a thing must not happen.

My thoughts gradually became chaotic, converging and ultimately transforming into countless threads of fear.

No, you can't...

Even if it's just so I can stay by Sensei's side legitimately...

In order to further improve our relationship with Sensei...

I should also...do something...

With this thought in mind and a deep sense of unease welling up inside her, Yukino decided to do the first thing she needed to do immediately—go to the kitchen to find Sensei and apologize for what she had said.

Today was probably the day Yukino's mind was most active.

This will probably be her most 'chaotic' day.

As Yukino rushed to the door, she unexpectedly bumped into a white-haired girl wearing rabbit earrings, who seemed to be alert to her surroundings but was acting suspiciously.

The moment their eyes met, Yukino's brain went blank.

After a brief moment of mental blankness, Yukino sensed the surprise and subsequent hesitation from the white-haired girl outside the door.

"...Yukino-senpai, what are you doing here?"