I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

"Compared to simply 'waiting for others to report on the crime and check on the spoils of one's crime,' sophisticated criminals... often prefer to play a 'cat and mouse game,' seeking the thrill of unraveling the mystery and the invisible competition between them."

Noticing the ochazuke (rice with tea) placed in front of her, the girl tilted her head slightly.

'This is……'

'A way of eating I've never seen before.'

Amamiya sat down beside him: "So... high-end criminals crave 'valuable opponents' because of this mentality."

"Sensei... what is this...?"

"There is a special way of eating rice called ochazuke (rice soaked in tea), which is suitable for occasional consumption in the hot summer when one has no appetite. This way of eating is mainly found in the regions associated with the Classic of Mountains and Seas and the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons."

Tea-soaked rice...?

The smiling professor was taken aback, and then, with her quick mind, it took her several seconds to make the connection and understand this word that was completely unfamiliar to her.

The 'elegance' of Trinity made it impossible for the Smiling Professor to associate tea (especially black tea) with his daily meals.

After hesitating for a moment, she picked up the bowl and carefully scooped out a spoonful.

The icy coolness upon entry, combined with the aroma and texture that seemed to forcefully pry open the throat, instantly dispelled any waning appetite.

It's light and refreshing, with a hint of tea and the aroma of food... but they don't clash.

Although rough... it's also quite unique.

This was probably the most 'unique' meal I've ever had.

The professor's tired, dull eyes regained their former color, and he looked up in surprise: "I never expected... that someone with the dual identities of Sensei and Phantom Thief would possess such skills in the 'realm of daily life'..."

"Whether it's Sensei or the Phantom Thief... these identities are inseparable from daily life."

Amamiya responded with a slightly sentimental answer to the smiling professor: "After shedding all identities, no one can escape the simple idea of ​​'gathering under one roof'."

"Criminals are all eager for a showdown; I can't really live like some strange 'living saint,' can I?"

【~???~】

Also.

After a moment of relief, the smiling professor suddenly understood.

'My own thoughts about Sensei... the impulse to risk everything despite knowing I might end up like this...'

Probably...maybe...perhaps.

It's not a rational 'seeking an opponent worthy to play cat and mouse with,' but rather a more emotional 'interest in and attraction to similar people'?

[...I sensed the emotions emanating from the Smiling Professor.]

[Coopation Improvement!]

The Smiling Professor (The Fool) ★★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

The girl fell silent, savoring the dinner that had been specially prepared for her with a gradually developing, somewhat peculiar feeling.

The warmth of three meals a day passes in the blink of an eye, and the sunset and stars overhead quietly complete their cycle.

The girl who arrived was bound with thin ropes, anxiously awaiting her "punishment".

The girl left with a light heart. Her Trinity-style long trench coat and black knee-length skirt took on a unique depth and mystery under the cover of night.

The Smiling Professor chose to 'leave without saying goodbye,' because a brief departure doesn't require farewell.

She knew in her heart that this place might become a location she visited more and more frequently in the future.

Amamiya didn't personally go to see her off, because he knew that the girl, who even kept her name a closely guarded secret, didn't need his attention as a high-profile 'spotlight' to draw attention to her for the time being.

Standing on the balcony, Amamiya watched the blonde girl stagger away from Xia Lai, her figure disappearing into the night.

The "College Exchange Meeting" has now come to a complete end.

'Next, we need to start preparing for the Akawa Grand Festival…'

Chapter 43 Azuko's "Bud of Love"

On a bright summer morning, the sun shines and the air is slightly hazy.

As June progressed into mid-June, Amamiya could feel...

The number of students active around Xia Lai every day for various reasons has increased significantly, and even the time they are active has lengthened to some extent.

Summer vacation is almost here...

Looking around through the balcony, Amamiya saw many students dressed in various school uniforms, each with their own unique style, coming and going. Amamiya sighed inwardly.

'However, before summer vacation, there's the "Akawa Taisai," a festival that these students are both looking forward to and not looking forward to...'

Turning her gaze away, Amamiya looked at the purple-haired girl who was squatting beside the flowerpots, wearing gardening gloves and an apron, carefully tending to the flowerpots on the balcony.

Noticing the gaze, the girl paused slightly and tilted her head slightly in the direction of Amamiya.

"Flowers become more vibrant in the height of summer, but they also become more fragile."

Her red eyes reflected closeness and gentleness as she 'remarked' this, taking off her gardening gloves covered in damp soil, and looking at the flowers with an undisguised hint in her tone: "Whether it's the flowers growing in the pots or the flowers growing in the flowerbeds outside..."

"They will wither and die if they don't receive any rain, whether natural or man-made. They will also become 'jealous' if one of the flowers receives too much care..."

“Sensei, you said…”

Only after turning her gaze away from the flowerpot did Ajinko reveal a hint of mischievousness and cunning.

"Will the situation where only one flower blooms really cause all the other flowers to suffer?"

Amamiya: "..."

Having gone this far, Amamiya couldn't possibly be completely oblivious to Azuko's 'hint'.

Amamiya, who once worked part-time at a flower shop in Shibuya, Tokyo, to earn money, can confirm the true meaning of this question.

Yes... from a botanical point of view, the situation of 'one flower blooming alone' can indeed cause other flowers in a small surrounding area to grow.

In the short term, it may not seem like much, but in the long run, the other flowers will gradually wither away, while the flowers that 'seized the opportunity' will bloom even more profusely.

Regarding this, Amamiya recalled a sentence he had read in an ancient book before coming to Kivotos: "It is not scarcity that is to be feared, but inequality; it is not poverty that is to be feared, but instability."

Perhaps... it can be used to solve the problem at hand?

Amamiya knew what Azuko was implying, so he couldn't possibly give a reply as tactless as "From a botanical point of view..."

"Probably so."

Amamiya turned her gaze to the blue rose pot on the balcony, which was in full bloom, its petals and leaves glistening with water droplets, displaying its most vibrant and unrestrained beauty.

"Ha ha……"

The girl chuckled softly at the opportune moment: "Wild roses, nourished by 'miracles and the impossible,' seem to blossom with 'precious love and secrets unknown to others.'"

"The thorns of the roses have not disappeared, but they still bloom very beautifully."

Amamiya felt a little guilty under her pure and innocent gaze.

Recently... within Arius's squad, I have indeed been taking extra care of Saori...

The girl then looked at the light purple hyacinths in the flowerpot with star and crescent stickers on them. Although the natural flowering period of hyacinths can last for three or four months, by mid-June, even with the most careful care, they are inevitably nearing the end of their flowering period and begin to wilt slightly.

"The flowers have entered their withering period. Although they will bloom again when the time is right, it will be a long time..."

Amamiya knelt down beside the girl, trying to get her eye level with her, and also turned her gaze to the flower that symbolized Azuko.

“If the values ​​of Yajinzi are not equal, they do not need to be equal.”

As he spoke, Amamiya raised his hand, and a cluster of dark blue flames condensed from his fingertips.

'Psona...Apollo.'

'Drops of sweet dew.'

The phantom of the sun god appeared briefly, accompanied by a fleeting flash of eerie blue flames, before vanishing again.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

A more delicate dark cloud gathered on the small flowerpot, followed by a drizzle of rainbow colors.

The light purple hyacinths in the pot were truly "bathed in sweet dew," and then, in a way that was almost like time reversal, they were restored to their most vibrant moment in a very short time.

Amamiya waved her hand, dispelling the small dark clouds that had gathered on the flowerpot, and at the same time, dispelling the dark clouds in the girl's heart.

"If they are not equal, they don't have to wait..."

After repeating Amamiya's words, the girl stared blankly at the flowerpot gradually reviving, lost in thought.

Indeed...flowers shouldn't just wait.

The girl suddenly looked up and extended her hand to Amamiya, inviting him: "Sensei..."

"Ok?"

"I want to go somewhere with you."

"Okay. Where to go?"

"I'm going..."

Seemingly about to reveal the location, Akiko changed her mind and gave a mysterious, playful smile: "...I'll tell Sensei when we get there."

Amamiya smiled in agreement: "Should I put on an eye patch and open my eyes only after Azuko says it's okay?"

Akiko simply asked in return, "Is that alright?"

After thinking for a moment, she added, "If Sensei doesn't mind, I'd like to hold your hand and walk with you to many places..."

Amamiya raised her hand and placed it on Akiko's head, asking curiously, "Now that things have come to this... I don't need to say things like 'I completely trust Akiko' to show my determination anymore, right?"

【~???~】(Ajinko)

“Indeed, the relationship between everyone in Arius’s team and Sensei has now gone beyond simple ‘mutual trust.’”

Akiko turned the tables, grabbing Amamiya's wrist and preventing him from easily ending his head-patting gesture.

"However, flowers need to absorb nutrients."

"Initially, this nourishment was called 'trust'... Now, what will it be?"

After asking a question that only she could answer, as if talking to herself, Azuko winked at Amamiya.

"Sensei... Please wait a moment..."

After diligently absorbing some "nourishment" for a while, Ajinko, seemingly still wanting more, left with these words and a lighthearted departure.

Before long, the girl, dressed in a white sundress, a wide-brimmed hat, and summer-style sandals, returned lightly.

"Sensei... I'll need to take up a little bit of your time now~"

"...Before borrowing Sensei, that's how it should be said, right?"

Yajinko's slightly sarcastic remark was quite sharp.

Since arriving in Kivotos, Amamiya has heard countless students describe their 'classic starting stance'.

"Do I need to put on the blindfold now?"

Yajinko shook her head.

"Sensei only needs to put on the blindfold upon arrival and before getting out of the car..."

Under Azuko's initiative, Amamiya "obediently" sat in the passenger seat and "wisely" put on a blindfold halfway through the journey.

After about half an hour of stop-and-go driving, Amamiya finally heard the sound from the driver's seat.

"Already arrived."

"Sensei, please wait a moment..."

The sound of the engine shutting off, the sound of the seatbelt being unfastened. The sound of a door opening, closing, and opening again.

Immediately, Amamiya felt a faint fragrance, a blend of various floral scents that was not chaotic, as the girl leaned closer and entered his nostrils.

The moment the seatbelt was unbuckled, Amamiya felt a girl's slender, delicate hand slip into his hand and intertwine with his fingers.

"Stand up a little smaller, and be careful not to bump your head, Sensei."

Amamiya: "..."

No matter what, he was a 'phantom thief', and his spatial awareness, keenness, and dexterity were beyond doubt.