I became a heart-stealing thief in Azure Files

Amamiya, who was about to get up and leave, stopped and faced the girl's fragrant assault.

"If things are settled here... Sensei, may I offer myself to you?"

Chapter Thirty-Two: Attitude is the Mask of the Soul

"Sensei, how do you feel about my 'Golden Wind and Jade Dew'?"

Licking her tongue, the black-haired girl's narrow eyes held a hint of amusement: "Did it make you feel that 'surpasses countless others in the world'?"

"Sect Master, even though you're alone... shouldn't you at least be mindful of your manners?"

The petite, warm, and soft woman in his arms moved slightly, her every frown and smile perfectly timed, repeatedly testing the edge of danger.

But... isn't she being a bit too clingy?

Unbeknownst to her, she had been half-forced to hold Hisaki for quite some time now, and felt helpless, while at the same time feeling that she had 'discovered' a special side of the sect leader.

Has Fei-Saki mastered her self-imposed rule of 'only looking, not touching' before establishing a relationship? Or... is she truly confident that she can withdraw at the most crucial moment?

"Demeanor...heh. If it's for the sake of pleasing others, then being reserved is pointless."

The girl, who had placed her hand on Amamiya's chest and was leaning against him without looking up, asked in a slightly languid tone, "Sensei, you said that I am more inclined towards the 'monarch'... Now that I am revealing my 'qi', what's wrong with that?"

The so-called... "love makes one strong"?

Amamiya twitched the corner of her mouth, but still didn't utter any unromantic remarks like, "Does the sect leader have a misunderstanding of Qi?"

"..."

Amamiya remained silent, while Himeaki continued her 'monologue' on her own.

"Sensei, is it truly possible to remain unmoved even with a beautiful woman by your side? Such composure truly... stirs my heart and soul."

She shifted to a more subtle position, resting her head on Amamiya's shoulder, her breath sweet as orchids, and whispered in an increasingly tender tone.

"Hoo hoo... Now that we've come into this contact and come to understand my true feelings... it's not so bad to know about 'the matter of rain and clouds,' yet you insist on enduring... are you waiting for me to take the initiative?"

Amamiya: "...Sect Master, you're playing with fire."

"If I could 'burn myself into flames' and shatter the thin veil between us, what's wrong with that?"

"..."

After a brief silence, Hisaki finally succumbed to the sweltering heat coursing through her body and gave in first.

Slightly disappointed, she crawled out of Amamiya's arms, played with her hair, and sighed.

"Well... it seems that no matter what I do today, I won't be able to win Sensei's heart."

"If there's nothing else, let's go back."

After getting off the bus, still feeling a bit unsatisfied, Hisaki didn't take Amamiya back to the Peking Opera club's reception room, but instead went to a training ground.

Kaguya and Mary seemed to have roughly confirmed the general direction of the 'dance training'. Kaguya, standing below the stage, was occasionally calling out commands and correcting Mary's movements.

On stage, Mary had changed out of her nun's habit and into a costume in the style of the Classic of Mountains and Seas for easier movement. Under Kaguya's direction from below the stage, she stiffly and unnaturally tried various poses that combined theatrical and idol styles.

"Hmm~ Not bad! Mary, you learn very quickly, you're a genius!"

"Ah ha ha……"

"Now, follow my example and do this movement~"

Kaguya shouted, then suddenly opened her folding fan with a whoosh and swiftly wiped it across her cheek.

"Huh... your expression changed in an instant?!"

"This technique is called 'face-changing'... Hmm, although you might not need it for your idol activities, it's still worth learning, right?"

"As the saying goes, it's always good to have more skills. Come on, Mary! Try changing your expression instantly by 'wiping your face'!"

"The key is the idol's 'attitude'!"

Stunned, Mary quickly tried to do the same, covering her face with the long sleeves of her costume while attempting to put on a very friendly and approachable smile.

"Hmm~ You're still a little rusty. But it's understandable since it's your first time~ To perform so well on your first try, Mary is truly a genius!"

Arriving beside Kaguya, Amamiya thoughtfully observed Kaguya, who was giving a smart and efficient command with a squinting smile, occasionally praising Mary, almost making Mary drool.

To be fair... Kaguya's constant encouragement and almost blind approval and recognition were indeed a particularly good educational method for a 'newbie' like Mary.

Mary, flattered by the praise, had completely lost all sense of shame in her actions and postures, and even seemed to have a vague sense of anticipated accomplishment.

"Oh~ Sensei is back."

Noticing Amamiya and Hime Saki's return, Kaguya approached them one after the other with a grin, removing her mask as she greeted them.

"Sensei, and Sect Master, good evening."

She was carefree and full of energy, and had no intention of asking what Amamiya and Hime had done when they suddenly left and only returned now. After greeting them, she pulled Amamiya aside and began to tirelessly explain the results of Mary's special training over the course of half a day.

"……In summary."

"Although Mary is introverted and shy, her quiet and gentle nature, as well as her strong adaptability, make her a promising candidate to become an 'idol'."

"Although she lacks camera presence and is a little dull when it comes to eye contact, this can be improved through training... If her camera presence and eye contact are enhanced, she can become a natural idol in front of the camera!"

"But..."

At this point, Kaguya shook her head somewhat dejectedly.

Hey……

In her opinion, it was a real pity that Mary, with her naturally gentle aura and voice, didn't become a "leading lady" or "young lady".

Furthermore, it features variations that are completely different from the style of the Classic of Mountains and Seas. If we could bring it to the Peking Opera Department for a few performances... it might have a remarkable impact on the Peking Opera Department.

However, I've heard that Trinity College also has a rather unique opera culture...

If she could master and integrate all of my skills, perhaps she could forge her own path...

"...Unfortunately, although he is a promising talent, he has nothing to do with the Peking Opera department."

Kaguya's sullen expression amused Amamiya.

"It's clear that Kaguya really loves theater."

【~???~】(Kaguya)

"Hehe~"

With her animal ears twitching, the girl suddenly covered her face and changed her expression.

“Sensei, like me, frequently switches between ‘masks,’ so she should understand my feelings to some extent, right?”

Amamiya thought to herself, "That's true."

The need to constantly 'switch masks'... definitely resonated with me.

He nodded in agreement, sighing softly, "Changing one's expression is truly not something that can be done easily. 'Not showing one's emotions,' just that alone... how many actors can actually achieve that?"

【~???~】(Kaguya)

【~??~】(Feisaki)

"Yes... It's already quite difficult to hide oneself behind that mask and suppress one's emotions to 'perfectly play the role.' Let alone truly present the expression on the 'mask' at this moment."

For a fleeting moment, Amamiya 'saw' complexity in Kaguya's simple and pure expression.

Amamiya smiled and turned her gaze to Mary on the stage, who was trying to switch her emotions constantly, attempting to change from 'joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness' to 'happiness'.

"...Sensei."

Amamiya glanced briefly in Kaguya's direction, casting a questioning look that seemed to ask, "Is there anything else?"

Noticing that Hisaki was staring intently at her, Kaguya hesitated for a moment before tentatively asking, "Regarding 'face-changing'... in that respect, may I ask you for some pointers when I have some free time?"

Amamiya laughed heartily, while giving Hime Saki a look that said, "Pay attention and seize the opportunity."

"Of course... In fact, I'm hoping that Kaguya can give those immature 'idols' some guidance during this time."

"..."

Kaguya raised an eyebrow slightly: "Hmm..."

"One day of training is certainly not enough for Mary to grasp the essence of stage performance. Besides, Mary is not the only 'idol'..."

"Is Sensei inviting me to temporarily fill in as a dance teacher? That wouldn't be a bad idea..."

Himeki, however, keenly seized an opportunity.

For Mary, today was a perfect opportunity to broaden her horizons by visiting other schools...

For me, isn't this also an 'opportunity'?

【~???~】(Kaguya)

【~??~】(Feisaki)

"How is it, Kaguya?"

After only a brief moment of consideration, Kaguya readily extended her hand to Amamiya: "I'll take this deal!"

A deal has been struck with Kaguya.

[Coop is now unbanned!]

Kaguya Urushibara (The Fool) ★☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

[★1 Bond - "Life is Like a Play" is now unlocked!]

After chatting with Kaguya about the upcoming 'idol project', dusk was already falling.

It's getting late, it's time to take my leave...

Chapter Thirty-Three: Hinata's "Confession"

The night is getting darker.

“Xia Lai…”

"This place now gives people such a sense of 'belonging'."

Under the guise of "preparing for a school exchange," Yui stands downstairs at the Xia Lai office building with Kaguya, who is a "dance instructor." After a long time... Hisaki once again experiences a "refreshing" feeling.

The traces left by spring, summer, autumn and winter are particularly obvious here... In her opinion, Xia Lai's changes, though not obvious, can be described as 'changing rapidly'.

Today, so many students, including myself, have developed a sense of belonging... Why is that?

Is it just because of Sensei?

"Phew... This is really subtle."

Kaguya, who came along with them, found it even more novel—after spending so much time in the Classic of Mountains and Seas, she found the outside world quite fascinating.

Just think of it as going on a trip to see the sights... Although the journey is inevitably tiring, this feeling of 'seeing new things' can dispel the long-standing boredom in your heart.

Are we staying here tonight?

Although she didn't actually spend the night in Xia Lai, Fei Xiao believed that the information she had gathered through Xuanlongmen and other means was still quite valuable.

"Of course... Many students are now staying in Xia Lai, so there's no need to be reserved."

While explaining to Kaguya, she looked at Amamiya with an expression that clearly sought her opinion.

“What the sect leader says is true. Although Xia Lai is not yet at the point where ‘any student can enter,’ it is normal to stay temporarily in the Xia Lai living area if one has applied in advance, has important business to discuss, or has nowhere else to go for other reasons.”

"Given the scale of the Xialai residential area... it can easily accommodate at least several dozen students."

【~???~】(Feisaki)

【~??~】(Kaguya, Mary)

Since they had come hastily with the intention of 'going on vacation', neither Hisaki nor Kaguya had prepared any luggage. They simply packed their ever-present weapons into a small suitcase.

Settling them in was also simple – the living area was designed from the very beginning to accommodate the activities of multiple students.

The cafeteria, audiovisual room, library, classrooms, game center, etc., which Amamiya doesn't use often, are actually mostly prepared for students.

Let alone accommodating dozens of students... In special circumstances, such as being used as a shelter, Xia Lai could support hundreds of students on a monthly basis—but that's another story.

After settling Hisaki and Kaguya in temporarily, Amamiya showed off the culinary skills she had learned before coming to Giwatos and prepared a sumptuous dinner for them.