Azure Files, the starting point of all miracles

"Noah...oh, okay."

Just as the two girls went to choose their clothes, Xiyu also came to the kitchen of Xialai's living area.

Considering the current weather conditions, the two will probably have to stay overnight.

In this case, dinner must also be prepared in advance.

After sending text messages to several children with her mobile phone, Xiyu looked at the freezer where the ingredients were stored.

Although he can cook, he is not a person who likes cooking.

On weekdays, all three meals in Xialai are basically solved by fast food.

As for why there are ingredients here, it’s all thanks to a little cook named Gehenna.

"~"

After thanking the cute child in his heart, Xiyu began to take out the ingredients from the freezer.

Suddenly, his vision was shrouded in darkness.

Along with it came a faint fragrance.

? : "Guess who I am?"

"This familiar voice, and the touch of my palm... I understand."

After thinking for a while, Xiyu came up with the answer.

"Is that Yuuka?"

? : "Oh~ I didn't expect the teacher to like Yuka-chan so much, but unfortunately, it's not the case."

"So... it's Himari?"

? : "It's impossible for Himari-senpai to come here at this time, right?"

The mysterious voice gradually changed from playful at the beginning to a bit helpless.

"Isn't that right? That... is the hour?"

"..."

"Alice? Xiaotao? Xiaolu?"

"........."

"It can't be Li Yin, right?"

"—!"

For a moment, Xiyu felt the hands covering her eyes increase in strength, and then she let go of him.

"Really, Teacher Xiyu, even I would get angry like an ordinary girl."

"Hehe, sorry, sorry, Noah, I didn't mean it."

Turning back to look at the girl who rarely showed an extremely serious expression, Xiyu quickly apologized to her: "Because I was a little curious about how Noah would react cutely, I played a little prank on her."

*cute……

Listening to the teacher's evaluation of himself, Noah was distracted for a moment, but quickly recovered.

"Teacher, the tricks you used against Yuuka won't work on me~?"

"I'm just telling the truth. Noah is very cute~" Xiyu said with a smile.

Noah: “——!”

After a brief moment of daze, Noah's cheeks flushed slightly.

However, before the girl could react, the teacher's words came again.

"By the way, Noah, why are you here?"

"Shouldn't you be with Yuuka right now—"

"Take a shower? I'm not in a hurry. Let Yuka take a shower first."

After a brief adjustment, Noah regained his composure and once again showed a relaxed look on his face: "Compared to this, teacher, is there anything I can help with?"

"Noah, you'll catch a cold if you do this..."

"teacher……"

Facing Xiyu's gaze, Noah pondered for a moment, then spoke softly in a low voice.

"Are you tired of me?"

Xiyu: “?!”

Chapter 9: Teacher, please don’t peek~

The world is divided into two completely different colors by a clear boundary.

On one side there was the noise of heavy rain, while on the other side there was an indescribable silence.

It was clearly within reach, but in the girl's eyes it seemed so far away.

No matter how hard you stretch out your hand, it seems impossible to reach the other side.

"Teacher...are you tired of me?"

Under the influence of this inexplicable emotion, Noah couldn't help but say these words.

By the time she realized what she had said, it was too late.

So she lowered her head, not daring to look into the teacher's eyes, and used silence to hide her inner feelings at the moment.

The silence in the house and the noise outside, like reflections in a mirror, reverse the girl at this moment.

Looking at Noah in front of him, Xiyu took a step towards her without much hesitation: "Noah, what are you talking about~"

"How could I possibly be bored with you?"

"You are my most important student."

*The most important student...

After repeating Xiyu's words in his mind, Noah felt that his mood seemed to calm down a little inadvertently.

After a while, she raised her head and said to the teacher with a somewhat apologetic expression: "Teacher... you are really gentle."

"I have been causing you trouble and teasing you from time to time..."

"So I was thinking, maybe I could change myself a little bit—"

Just as Noah was about to say the rest of the words, she suddenly felt a warm touch on her head.

"teacher?!"

Tenderly stroking Noah's head, Xiyu said softly in a gentle voice: "As for causing trouble, this sentence should be said by me."

"Although I am a teacher, I have actually been receiving help from Noah, so the idea of ​​Noah causing me trouble is simply non-existent."

"Besides, even if we don't mention this, as my student, isn't it natural for you to cause me trouble? Helping every student or dealing with the problems they leave behind is my responsibility as a teacher and an adult."

"Teacher... this statement..."

Feeling the warmth coming from his head, the blush on Noah's face gradually spread to his ears.

"It's really unfair..."

"As for Noah's trick——"

Xiyu did not answer the girl's question immediately, but gestured for her to look out the window.

"Noah, tell me, what do you see ahead?"

"?"

Although he didn't know why the teacher asked this, Noah still responded truthfully: "Dark clouds, heavy rain... It's not such a good weather..."

"Yes, with dark clouds and heavy rain, this kind of scenery is not beautiful, and it makes people feel depressed."

"Although it's not appropriate to say this in front of students, life is often like this."

"Day after day, the work that makes people feel depressed is like this endless rain, with no end in sight, which makes people depressed."

"But now, I don't feel that way."

"Noah, do you know why?"

Noah: "..."

Listening to the teacher's words, the girl's eyes flashed with a strange light.

She seemed to have guessed something...

"Yes."

Xiyu also nodded at this time and gave her own response: "Although it is the same scenery, it will produce different feelings because of different things."

“Even if it rains continuously, as long as there are things that can change your mood, everything will become poetic.”

"Although sometimes I feel a little helpless, at the same time, my life has become wonderful because of your existence."

"So, Noah—"

Having said that, Xiyu looked at Noah's clear eyes again.

"Don't ever have such thoughts again."

"I won't hate Noah for something like this."

"And Noah just needs to stay as he is now, without forcing himself to change for anyone."

Teacher Xiyu...

As Noah's eyes met the teacher's, his heart was touched by his words.

*You are always like this...always so gentle.

*Knowing that I was such a troublesome child, he was still willing to treat me so gently...

*Really... a troublesome adult...

*If this continues, I——

The emotions that Noah had been suppressing deep in his heart became more and more agitated as his heart rippled.

Just when all this was about to burst out, the sound of footsteps coming from afar made Noah brake the car in time.

? : "Noah, are you guys here?"

? : "I've finished washing, it's your turn next."

"It's Yuuka."

Following the direction of the sound, Xiyu glanced at the gate and took her hand away from Noah's head.

"Okay, Noah, it's time for you to take a shower."

"If you keep wearing wet clothes like this and catch a cold, I'll be really sad."

"Hey, is that so?"

Although he felt a little sorry for his teacher's leaving hand, Noah managed to hide it all well.

With the corners of her mouth slightly raised, a mischievous smile quietly bloomed on the girl's face.

"So, does the teacher want me to take it off here?"

Xiyu: “?!”

Looking at Noah like this, Xiyu really wanted to ask for a moment, have you been possessed by Hanako from Trinity?