I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

It's likely that the rest of Fox's team were also not at peace at this moment...

Especially Yukino.

Nico carefully closed the door, took off her shoes and stepped onto the bedding. She turned to the side and leaned her fox ears against the wall. Almost immediately, she heard Yukino's suppressed, low moaning and singing, as well as the unusual sound of her calling Sensei's name.

"..."

After confirming what was happening on Yukino's side, Nico sat down expressionlessly and took off her pantyhose.

Having been locked up in the detention center for so long as a 'tainted witness,' Yukino must be feeling a bit stifled, right?

After all, in contrast to the Fox team's 'limited freedom,' they hadn't seen Sensei for at least half a month.

Since the 'announcement letter' was released, the Fox team has voluntarily 'turned themselves in' as witnesses and cooperated in completing a series of subsequent investigations into Huaye.

She didn't bother to inquire about Walnut's situation next door, but instead tidied herself up briefly before taking a bath with a towel.

Lying on her back in the bathtub filled with steam and the fragrance of bath salts, Nicole gradually suppressed the overwhelming urge to release within her.

Last time, Sensei and I went to a clothing store and bought an outfit that we would never wear to the Fox team...

When I meet Sensei again and officially join Sharai... how should I formally 'introduce myself'?

After joining Xia Lai... can I be like the 'strange role-playing game' I used to play with Sensei, where Sensei calls me 'Mama' in a strange tone, and I take meticulous care of Sensei's daily life...?

If we live with Sensei, what would be a good name for the child...?

……

No, my train of thought seems to be jumping around too much.

"Tomorrow, the Fox team should be released, and then we can officially transfer to Xia Lai..."

"Let's prepare first."

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Yukino, could you perform that again?

On a melancholy autumn night, some are probably happy while others are sad.

Perhaps because the students who had formed deep bonds all had their own things to do, Amamiya was spared a 'night raid' today and had a rare good night's sleep.

Therefore, I can get up very early and then go to check on the 'guests' who will be joining Xia Lai today.

After calling out to the members of Arios's squad and instructing them to quickly wash up and get back to normal, Amamiya began 'waiting for the fox to come to the tree stump' near the building.

As dawn broke and the morning light rose from the horizon, Amamiya was greeted by an armed pickup truck with a distinctive fox logo, which looked like a vehicle used by some kind of squad.

It sped towards us from a distance at a relatively high speed, then with surprising stability and braking ability, it came to a sudden stop on the side of the road, close to the Xia Lai office building.

The blonde fox-eared girl, who was sitting in the carriage to prevent luggage from being lost due to unforeseen circumstances, had her cheeks slightly red from the cold wind blowing from the moving train early in the morning. She was shivering a bit when she got off the train.

The pink-haired, fox-eared girl in the same carriage was shaking her fox ears, and perhaps because she had wrapped herself in a blanket beforehand, she looked much better.

Compared to the two 'foxes' in the carriage, Yukino, who got out of the driver's seat, and Oto, who got out of the passenger seat, were much more normal.

As they got off the bus, Amamiya could easily see their longing for a new life in their eyes and expressions.

After getting out of the car, Yukino and Oto Aoi each took out a 'Parking Maintenance' sign from the driver's seat and placed it about ten meters in front of and behind the vehicle.

At that time, the members of Arius's team had basically finished preparing.

Wearing Xia Lai's winter uniforms, the team members, whose experiences of being controlled by their overbearing boss and having no control over their own lives are strikingly similar to those of the Fox team, have changed into their winter formal attire.

Standing on either side of Amamiya, the girls from Arius's squad watched quietly as another squad moved into Xialai, as if they had been there before.

There's a... strange feeling.

With the Fox team on board, the pressure on the Arius team will be further relieved.

The four foxes, each carrying their own suitcases, arrived neatly at the office building and stood before Amamiya from a completely new perspective.

"Sensei..."

After a brief exchange of glances, Yukino, as the team leader, straightened her back and took a half-step forward. With a solemn expression, she raised her voice slightly: "From today onwards... Team Fox will join Xia Lai and be under your command."

After giving the Arios Squad members who were watching, Yukino's tone quickly softened: "...From now on, I look forward to your guidance as well."

The other three foxes stood still, maintaining the 'professional demeanor', and did not say or do anything rashly.

Amamiya's gaze lingered on each of the little foxes before finally settling back on Yukino.

After a moment's thought, Amamiya suddenly spoke with a hint of mischievousness: "Welcome to Team Fox in Xia Lai... We'll leave the questions about student status and other follow-up matters for later at the dinner table."

"There are more important things to do now..."

Upon hearing this, the little foxes all perked up their ears and stood ready for battle.

'Could it be... some kind of 'job placement test'?'

'Should I spar with the members of Arius's team again? Or perhaps...'

'We're about to be assigned a task... Xia Lai's really busy.'

'Long time no see, Sensei seems to have an even stronger aura of 'needing to be cared for'...'

Amamiya coughed lightly and looked at Yukino with a serious expression, saying, "Yukino, could you perform that again?"

Yukino was taken aback, somewhat confused.

"Which one?"

Sensei's expression... he must be saying something very important, right?

Recalling the tone Yukino had used when she said those words, Amamiya suddenly adopted a serious expression and mimicked Yukino's tone, saying, "It was that... 'An adult like you...'"

Amamiya's serious yet humorous attitude made the other three little foxes, who were standing nervously side by side, suddenly lose their composure.

Without prior arrangement, they all turned their gazes to their captain, who was utterly embarrassed and at a loss for what to do.

'Eh, Sensei is still teasing Yukino-chan about this...'

"Pfft... Being teased like this in such a serious tone at a time like this is so embarrassing. It's a good thing it was the captain who said it, not me, otherwise I'd be the one feeling awkward now."

'Yukino... she's a little pitiful. But since she said something that really hurt Sensei, well... let's put it another way.'

Nicole's sympathy, Otoko's almost amused and gossipy attitude, and Kurumi's 'unusual rationality'... The subtle glances from the rest of the Fox team made the black-haired, red-eyed fox-eared girl lose her usual calm and aloofness.

The girls in Arius's squad watched this slightly awkward scene with some curiosity.

'I hate Sensei...'

Saori recalled her first encounter with Abydos Chaiguan Ramen.

My 'first meeting' with Sensei was far from pleasant; in fact, it was downright awful.

At that time, I was still in a state of uncertainty and confusion, and I was filled with doubt and wariness towards Sensei...

At least in terms of their attitudes when they first met, Yukino and I... should be quite similar, right?

Fortunately, I have hardly had any misunderstandings with Sensei.

If I hurt Sensei because of a misunderstanding or differing stances, and I'm not familiar with Sensei...

After a little thought, Saori realized that if this possibility were to occur, she would have to live with it for the rest of her life.

After greeting Misaki and Hiyori, Saori offered to help carry some of the luggage for the three foxes watching the show behind the Fox team.

Akiko stood still, the purple-haired girl, who was of equal status to Yukino, was now looking back and forth between Amamiya and Yukino with great interest, wondering what had happened.

Judging from the other person's embarrassed and ashamed expression, and the fact that Sensei was clearly imitating... it probably wasn't a pleasant memory, right?

A tsundere personality...?

Akiko stood beside Amamiya, maintaining a gentle and polite expression as she watched with a smile. Little did she know, Yukino, who was feeling extremely awkward at that moment, was like a thorn in her side.

She really didn't expect that Sensei would ask her to 'revisit her most memorable moments' at this time.

Regarding this famous line, Yukino felt that saying "I hate adults like you the most!" a couple of times when they were close to Sensei to boost his attack speed and attack power was actually not a big deal.

But no matter what, saying such things in such a public setting is really a bit...

She pursed her lips, head bowed, her red eyes flickering with a conflicted expression. She toyed with strands of hair that fell naturally from her shoulders, her voice filled with hesitation: "Sen...Sensei...? This might be a bit..."

Aside from shame, Yukino's body's biggest reaction to this line was a vague feeling of heat, as if something was missing.

Seeing that Yukino's cheeks were so red they looked like they were about to bleed, but she was clenching her teeth and didn't want to say anything, Amamiya felt that he should give her more stimulation.

He took a half-step forward, feigning regret, and placed one hand on his chest.

"When Yukino said those words... it left a very deep impression on me, and it really hurt me (nine) liuliu si, luba er-ba` oh."

"When we first met, Yukino's stance was quite firm, wasn't it? It's precisely because of Yukino's uniqueness that she could leave such a deep impression on me, just like Saori did when we first met."

"So, looking back on our first meeting, there's nothing to be ashamed of, is there?"

【~???~】(Saori)

【~???~】(Yukino)

【~??~】(Azuko, Nicole)

Amamiya was a little surprised that a single sentence could provide four hints about affection levels, but she quickly understood.

Akiko and Nico were concerned about their respective team members, while Saori and Yukino... were probably recalling their not-so-pleasant first meeting.

"...I really don't understand."

Yukino tossed her hair, her face slightly flushed, and closed her eyes, trying to recall how she had felt back then, 'cold and rigid'.

"..."

"Sensei..."

As she sharply opened her eyes, Yukino put one hand on her hip and pointed the other at Amamiya.

"We hate adults like you the most."

She maintained a strong presence, but unfortunately, it only lasted for a short while.

After saying that, Yukino covered her face with her hands in embarrassment.

With her fingers slightly parted, Yukino covered her face with her hands in shame, her voice trembling with a fear that she hoped no more strange requests would come her way.

"This... should be okay, right?"

"He really has the same confidence he had when he said those words..."

Amamiya clapped his hands and continued with an ambiguous expression, "...I hope I can be that assertive in the future."

Xue No: “…”

Steam was already forming on her head, and she gritted her teeth and remained silent.

【~???~】(Yukino)

With the other three foxes observing cautiously, Amamiya clapped a little louder, ending this unique 'job interview'.

"Welcome... everyone from the Fox team, to Xia Lai."

【~???~】(Nicole, Oto Aoi)

【~??~】(Walnut)

The less-than-welcome welcome speech made the Fox team girls truly understand what it means to be 'eager to go home'.

Even though it was my first time checking in and I hadn't even settled my luggage yet, I immediately felt a sense of belonging here...

It was quite a 'special' feeling, I suppose.

……

Meanwhile, at a nearby high vantage point.

The four little rabbits gathered here, anxiously and cautiously awaiting Menghui's 'observation results'.

"How's it going, Moe?"

Perhaps getting a little impatient, Saki took off her helmet, combed her hair, and asked in a low voice.

"Hey……"

In response to her, Moe let out a soft sigh.

After snapping her fingers, summoning the Persona and synchronizing the screen, Moe said in a gloating tone, "See for yourselves."