I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Soon, a wonderfully fragrant aroma wafted from the curry pot.

As Amamiya continued to sprinkle in various seasonings, Kayoko felt as if the Sensei in front of her had opened a "Pandora's box".

He calmly opened the Pandora's box, releasing the demon known as "Appetite".

As Amamiya prepared to plate and serve, Kayoko suddenly realized something—

My club members will be back soon.

Chapter Thirty-Four: Mutsuki: So excited she practically ripped open a flag!

"Sniff... Wow~ It smells so good!"

"Did President Aru secretly buy some delicious food again without telling us?"

"Eh—?! I, I won't hide it... No, wait..."

"Lord Alu?"

"...Ahem. Hmm... This must be a celebration party that Kayoko specially prepared for us because she knew we had completed the mission! That must be it, yes!"

The three girls, whose clothes were dirty and slightly torn, and who all looked a little bruised, paused outside the door for a moment before a mischievous girl with a teasing smile quietly pushed the door open.

What came into their view was the familiar scenery of the convenience store, and...

"Hey?!"

Seeing Kayoko calmly tasting curry with a spoon, but the spooning speed getting faster and faster, and the 'stranger' who had already eaten and was drinking coffee, the wine-red-haired girl froze, slowly revealing an exaggerated expression of surprise.

"Kayoko...and..."

"Oh ho ho~ Isn't this Sensei, who's been all over the place lately? He actually showed up at our convenience store 68..."

"..."

The girl with long purple hair timidly hugged her gun, and after glancing around the room, she shrank back behind the girl with burgundy hair.

Before they could react, Amamiya waved to them in a very familiar manner.

"Hey, I'm back."

Just like the café owner at the time, Sakura Sojiro, when he saw himself push open the door to Leblanc Café.

"Ah... um."

Aru, who was a little confused about the situation, paused for a moment, and then came to her senses when Mutsuki tugged at her clothes. She nodded with what she thought was a reserved and steady expression, but actually had a slightly silly look on her face.

“That’s right, we’re back from completing the mission! ...Speaking of which, you’re Sensei from Xia Lai, right?”

As she seemed to gradually get into the zone, she began to wear a confident, almost disdainful smile.

"I am the president of Convenience Store 68, Riku-ba-ma Aru."

"Her name is Asaki Mutsuki, and she is the manager of the convenience store."

“And she…” Aru pointed to Kayoko again, “She is the section chief of Convenience Store 68, Onikata Kayoko.”

"at last……"

Taking a step back to give way to Amamiya, Aryu 'exposed' the bewildered Haruka to Amamiya's view. Seeing Haruka's almost tearful expression, Aryu introduced her: "This is Haruka Itsuki, an employee of the convenience store... Eh—Haruka?!"

"Pfft... As expected of the club president, even the introduction segment has a flaw..."

After making a teasing remark in a mischievous, playful tone, Mutsuki took another look at Sensei, who had been the subject of much discussion lately.

How should I put it...? He has a kind of... strange attraction?

Upon seeing the glasses on Amamiya's face, a mischievous idea popped into her head.

In order to break the awkward atmosphere, Mutsuki jogged up to Amamiya, tiptoed slightly, and reached out to grab Amamiya's glasses frame with a speed that caught everyone off guard.

"Hey……"

Sensing the malice in the other party's actions, Amamiya hesitated for a moment, wondering whether she should immediately retaliate or devise a countermeasure.

Never mind... Although it was malicious, it was just a prank, and I don't need to retaliate swiftly and decisively.

However… this could be a good opportunity to try out the “special skill” gained from deepening my relationship with Kayoko…

"Hoohoo... Come on, come on... Let me see Sensei's true face... Huh?!"

Mutsuki effortlessly clamped the glasses frame and quickly took them off, but the mischievous smile on her face and the teasing tone in her voice both vanished at that moment.

She remained in the position of removing her glasses, staring blankly at the gaze directed down at her.

Amamiya wears glasses not because he is nearsighted, but to shield himself from the gaze and scrutiny of others, and also to hide his own 'unpleasant' gaze.

During his time as a phantom thief at Shibuya in Tokyo's Shibuya district, many of the villains Amamiya encountered said similar things: 'Your eyes... are really unpleasant/repulsive!'

Similarly, many people who have helped have said things like, "What beautiful eyes, full of faith..."

Amamiya wears glasses to cover his eyes because his eyes are often sharp, and this 'sharpness' makes the person being looked at feel particularly uncomfortable when it is not covered by glasses.

Even Amamiya in her 'normal state' is like this...

In certain special circumstances, Amamiya's gaze becomes even more terrifying.

When I was in school, Amamiya would sometimes feel listless the next day because of the phantom thief's activities, and because of lack of sleep, she would take a nap during breaks.

Occasionally, he would be deliberately disturbed by some classmates or other students... At that time, he would be suddenly woken up, and the students who were glared at by him would always be so frightened that they would run away on the spot.

Ryuji Sakamoto, a close friend, once commented on Amamiya's eyes when he was sleep-deprived and disturbed: "His eyes were so fierce, it was like he wanted to kill someone... No wonder the students always mistook him for a gang member or a delinquent."

Amamiya's 'eyes' were always exceptionally special.

With the added bonus of "malicious charm", this "specialness" is elevated to another level.

That casual glance seemed to come from beyond the heavens, or as if he didn't even care about it, but Mutsuki, holding the Amamiya glasses, felt a real sense of déjà vu of a "yakuza villain," a "gangster godfather," and a "suit-wearing thug."

It was as if a high-ranking figure had looked down at them with the disdainful gaze of someone who looked down on an ant, giving them a cold and indifferent glance.

It feels terrifying...

But at the same time, there was a sense of longing, attraction, and infatuation.

(Mutsuki: I'm so excited I'm practically waving my teeth!)

"Hey...hey..."

Stunned, Mutsuki uttered two ambiguous sighs. Immediately, she felt as if a cold current had poured down on her head, the icy sensation spreading from her head to her ankles, and then back up her head from her ankles.

That is... something that brings joy and happiness, something that opens the door to a new world—

A shiver ran through me.

【~???~】

'Gulu...'

After the barely perceptible sound of swallowing saliva, what followed was an excitement like discovering a new continent, a curiosity about discovering a new toy, a shock of opening the door to a new world, and... a burning passion from the heart of finding a superior 'kind'.

"Hmm...not bad, Sensei's eyes..."

After a few seconds of silence, she slowly placed the glasses back into Amamiya's outstretched hand, chuckling as she said, "The sheer power in her eyes... far surpasses that of the 'real villain,' President Aruru~"

Amamiya: "..."

As expected of the wielder of the demon Arcana, he really likes this tune.

He looked at the wine-red-haired girl whom the 'little devil' called 'President'.

What "amazing talent" does this company president possess?

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Helpers of the Convenience Store

[Assistant: Asaki Mutsuki / A mischievous little devil]

Arcana: The Devil (XV. The Devil)

[Assistance Relationship: Not Unlocked]

Amamiya gave a soft 'humph', thinking to herself that he really did like this kind of thing, as expected of the holder of the [Devil] card.

The Devil card has always been a symbol of desire and depravity.

Although its card design is the same as "The Lovers", the angel on the "The Lovers" card has been replaced with Pan, the Greek god of desire.

Pan, representing desire, stirred up Adam's desires, while also causing Eve to fall and become a succubus, revealing the desires and bestiality of the earliest human ancestors.

Although Adam and Eve were chained by Pan, the chains binding them were actually very loose, and they could escape at any time if they wanted to.

But our ancestors were so engrossed in their desires that they forgot all about home. They were merely symbolically bound by chains, and they accepted that they were bound by their desires and did not want to escape.

Those who hold this card often possess traits such as greed, pride, lust, or other undesirable character traits. They are somewhat antisocial and generally do not care much about the needs or well-being of others, although a few may be dedicated to their work and career.

"Such an impressive aura..."

The girl with long, wine-red hair seemed to snap out of her daze only then, and expressed her amazement in a tone that was filled with wonder.

Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, she puffed out her chest slightly and added with an air of 'elegance': 'Your temperament is already quite similar to mine... Not bad. It seems Sensei would be a suitable client.'

"Pfft... Are you still going to force yourself at a time like this? President, your legs are trembling slightly~"

Ignoring Mutsuki's act of revealing her secrets, Aru coughed heavily and, with a similarly trembling motion, extended her hand to Amamiya.

"Convenience Store 68...I'm really looking forward to collaborating with Sensei."

Amamiya put his glasses back on, as if nothing had happened. His demeanor softened and warmed once more, exuding the approachable charm of a 'senior'.

【Déjà vu】; 【Two stars with the moon】; 【Adorable destructiveness】; 【Shadows of the past】... Now, we must add 【A wicked charm】.

Amamiya reached out to the slightly trembling Aru and grasped her fair, jade-like hand, transferring the slight warmth from his palm to her through this brief contact.

"President Aru, I think... we should be able to have some common topics."

"Eh... Ah! Hmm."

After a moment of stunned silence, the girl quickly composed herself, narrowed her eyes slightly, and smiled like a 'mastermind'.

“I think so too…we should have things in common.”

'At first glance, he gives off the impression of being a 'pure villain,' but upon closer acquaintance, he seems like a 'fool.' He's also incredibly quick to adjust his emotions, giving the impression of being on the same wavelength, but not quite...'

Amamiya gave the girl, who was clearly not quite keeping up or was completely out of sync, a meaningful smile, and then the two 'tacitly' withdrew their hands.

[Assistant: Lu Bamo Aru / Not-so-bright Great Demon]

[Arcana: X. the Hanged Man]

[Assistance Relationship: Not Unlocked]

'Another "Hanged Man"...'

'In this terrible situation, silently reflect on yourself; as long as you endure, your selfless dedication will eventually be rewarded…'

During the brief break, Amamiya quietly observed the unusually timid and withdrawn purple-haired girl who had never dared to speak to him.

[Assistant: Haruka Ikusa / The Self-Deprecating Monster]

[Arcana: Moon "La·Lune"]

[Assistance Relationship: Not Unlocked]

'Moon Brand...that's just right.'

'However, unlike the usual helpers associated with the Moon card, this one is a bit too extreme.'

"Are all the members of Convenience Store 68 gathered yet?"

Amamiya turned around and looked at Kayoko, who had somehow finished her curry rice completely and even scraped the plate clean.

"Yes, Sensei, the four of us you see right now are all the members of the convenience store."

Amamiya nodded slightly, turned around and clapped her hands, then greeted Aru, Mutsuki, and Haruka, saying, "Now that you've all met, let's eat!"

"After the meal, I have some things to discuss with the members of the convenience store."