I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Arius's squad had endured Beatrice's 'endless torment and denial' before they finally mustered the courage to look up at the sky.

Amamiya certainly has high expectations for this 'future ace' team.

But he also understands that true care and expectation are not about blindly encouraging someone, but about understanding the source of the pressure and preventing further harm.

After briefly explaining the details of the mission, Amamiya waved to the girls, temporarily 'dismissing' them.

"There's still a long time before we arrive at our destination. Let's all take a break to prepare."

Chapter Forty: The Squad Members' "New Clothes"

After a long and tiring day of travel, the members of Arius's team inevitably relaxed a bit.

With one on each side and another hanging in his arms, Amamiya couldn't help but yawn as he was 'wrapped' by the soft, sweet, and fragrant girls of the Arius Squad.

Stuck in the car seat, forced to endure for most of the day the long, lingering breaths of the girls, each with its own unique fragrance, brushed against their necks as they drowsily drifted off... it was truly an exceptionally long ordeal.

Saori, sitting opposite, noticed this unusual scene, took out her phone from her coat pocket, and snapped a picture of it.

He twisted his neck, which was a little stiff from sitting for a long time and not moving for a long time, got up and did a few simple stretching exercises, and took down the luggage rack from which the members of Arios's team had just filled two suitcases.

'Like this, with Sensei, the entire Arios squad goes on an outing...'

'Although it's my first time, but...'

As Saori exhaled a long breath and prepared to get off the bus, she inexplicably felt a strange sense of 'two adults bringing three children back from a trip'.

It was the first time, but it felt like something I had always known, a warmth akin to that of a family.

The 'Charles' formal uniform' is designed with pure white as the main color.

Exquisite design, tailor-made, high-quality fabrics, and more...

It carries a sense of stability and rich emotion that makes one feel 'reassuring'.

After taking one last look at the tranquility and warmth of the 'white dumplings clustered together', Saori was momentarily dazed. Then she pulled out the suitcase handle, clapped her hands, and made a little noise, disturbing Misaki, Hiyori, and Azuko who were in a light sleep.

She shared the fatigue of the long journey with her team members... Therefore, Saori completely empathized with the team members' current state of 'distracted attention', where they were not sleepy but very tired and wanted to sleep.

But the train is about to slow down and enter the station, so sleep and tidying up can wait until "going home".

Hmm... "home".

She couldn't help but yawn because she was sleepy. Perhaps because of the drowsiness, Saori's gaze lost its usual sharpness and alertness, and instead had a hazy and cute look that was very unusual to her.

Saori's mind went blank for a moment, and when she came back to her senses, she noticed that Amamiya, who had been dozing with her eyes closed not long ago, had now raised her phone, and the phone's spotlight had just flickered slightly.

Saori jumped, only to be met with Amamiya's teasing gaze.

"Saori... what are you thinking about?"

Saori: "..."

【~???~】(Saori)

Saori took off her crooked beret and used it to temporarily cover half of her face, then coughed lightly.

Though somewhat embarrassed to speak... after a short pause, Saori awkwardly stammered, "I need to think about... some things about 'home'."

Amamiya shrugged her slightly sore shoulders and echoed with a half-smile, "That's perfect... I guess I'm now 'on the same wavelength' as ​​Saori."

"...?"

Amamiya shook Azuko, who was hugging him from the front and sleeping with her legs curled up in a subtle yet adorable position, and woke her up. Amamiya teased, "This 'Red Winter Trip' really feels like 'bringing the whole family along'."

【~???~】(Azuko, Saori)

"Ah... are we almost at our destination?"

Rubbing her sleepy eyes, feeling utterly exhausted and with barely any energy, the purple-haired girl climbed off Amamiya with unfocused red eyes and then peered out the window at the scene outside the carriage.

The train was slowing down and pulling into the station, and the station signs outside were appearing more and more frequently. The "Shiratori Ward No. 3 Station," which was closest to Xialai, was already very close.

Still a little dazed, Ajinko perked up considerably when she saw the scene outside the window.

Then she naturally noticed Hiyori and Misaki, who were still asleep.

'Um……'

'It's a really nice angle, like perfect for taking a picture...'

Akiko made a similar reaction to Saori—take a picture first.

The girl deftly pulled her phone from her shoulder bag, opened the camera app, focused, and pressed the shutter.

By this time, Misaki had almost woken up.

Misaki, who had just opened her eyes, felt a fleeting flash of camera light and immediately jumped.

"...?"

Misaki, who had hurriedly stood up, realized that she didn't need to be so nervous, so she yawned and straightened her back.

'She actually fell asleep leaning against Sensei...'

'Relying on Sensei like this... seems to make me feel safe.'

Misaki suffers from claustrophobia; staying in a small, enclosed room gradually builds up her anxiety and unease.

Train carriages... are also a type of claustrophobic environment.

Spending a long time in a train carriage that hardly changes...

Fear, terror, urge to self-destruct... If I was also affected by hay fever at the time, I really wanted to break down.

Logically speaking, one should be restless and, no matter how tired one is, should not be able to fall asleep...

Is it because...you're with Sensei?

Lost in thought, Misaki scratched and combed her short hair, her gaze subtly drifting towards her previous seat, before she noticed...

The 'mark' I left on Sensei—a glistening drool stain on her shoulder.

'...'

'Sensei probably didn't notice...'

'Should I find an excuse to take back Sensei's coat and wash it myself...?'

'...If Sensei finds out, will she pet me like a petting a pet, and tease me about whether a pet feels safe with its owner?'

Oh right, clothes...

Misaki sighed as her gaze swept over the skirts of the other three members.

'I should have chosen a dress…'

There's also the opportunity to customize winter uniforms...

Should we consider skirts for winter uniforms?

'But wouldn't it be a bit out of season...? Wouldn't that seem strange to Sensei...?'

'...'

'You seem to care more about Sensei's opinion than usual...?'

My heart rate is slightly faster, probably because I haven't adjusted to the sudden change from cool to warm.

Misaki loosened her collar to 'cool down,' and only then did she have time to notice Hiyori, who was still asleep but whose expression increasingly resembled that of someone having a nightmare.

Not only her, but Saori and Akiko also noticed Hiyori's increasingly resistant and pitiful expression.

Did you have a nightmare...?

The awake girls expressed some sympathy and said it was within their expectations.

After all, the mission that Arius's team was about to undertake could be described as 'extraordinary'.

It's natural to feel stressed... and it's also expected that I'll have nightmares because of it.

Amamiya got up, squatted down in front of Hiyori's seat, and rubbed Hiyori's little head to comfort her who was having a nightmare.

The effect of the reassurance was immediate.

Hiyori, who was already used to being patted on the head like that, quickly had her nightmare-like expression replaced by a strange, blissful, and slightly dazed look.

Even this didn't wake Hiyori, and Amamiya let out a soft sigh.

'Sleeping so soundly...'

With her index finger raised to her lips, Amamiya gestured for Saori, Misaki, and Azuko to be quiet before waving her finger again.

"Shh~"

"A peaceful sleep after a long journey is precious... so let's not wake her."

【~???~】(Misaki, Saori, Atsuko)

The girls immediately nodded in agreement. Then, Saori and Misaki each dragged a suitcase, while Azuko followed closely behind, carrying their coats.

Amamiya carried Hiyori at the very back, and the group got off the car silently.

This is the closest station to the Charleaux Building. As soon as they got off the train, Amamiya and her party could see the Charleaux Building, surrounded by faint starlight, seemingly close yet still some distance away, under the star-studded night sky, as well as the surrounding residential area.

Just before the heatwave was about to hit, a cool breeze emanating from the 'Great Ice Age' enveloped Amamiya. Then, guided by the wind element of 'the flow of all things', this cool breeze merrily rushed towards Saori, Misaki, and Azuko, helping them resist the sweltering heat of the summer night.

Arius's team has a very heavy mission... From Red Winter to Xia Lai, they not only have to endure the long journey, but also jet lag and temperature differences...

Let's eliminate temperature fluctuations using the slightly clever trick of 'the magic of Persona'.

After escorting the members of Arios's squad to the living quarters and carrying Hiyori to her room, Amamiya breathed a sigh of relief.

"Next, let's check on the Rabbit team's message parsing progress..."

Leave of absence notice [August 1, 2025]

It's the beginning of the month... finally I have a leave slip to use again!

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I'm taking the day off today.

why?

Because the author is currently brainstorming how to write the storyline related to the palace... um.

This Hall of Fame event is roughly equivalent to the 4.2 storyline.

But as for the intensity...

It's probably not as tall as the Trinity Hall.

It may be a collective temple

I've already run the final attack CG of Kayoko and Aruru on SD, emmm...

So, let's start by touching it today.

Chapter 41 The Incompetent Seminar Accountant, The Evil Secretary's Amazing Leak

"Is it coming...is it coming?!"

"The final progress bar is at 99.99%..."

When Amamiya returned to Xia Lai's residential area, his voice was heard before he was seen.

Before even seeing how the little rabbits were doing, we heard Menghui's anxious yet excited voice.