Survive in Azure Files

Ayane closed the book she was reading and placed it on the table. She then picked up a stack of organized documents from the side, stood up and handed them to me who had just approached.

"Teacher, this is the completed document, please take a look."

It is now afternoon. I have already had lunch at the convenience store downstairs. By the way, I gave the express delivery I just received, an almost brand new second-hand phone, to Xiaokong.

Although I felt a little sleepy from the car ride, I didn't have the courage to tell him that I wanted to take a nap because I thought about Ayane being energetic after working alone for the whole morning.

"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Ayane. Just do your own thing first, I'll call you after I finish the examination."

I took the document that I asked Ayane to handle, sat back in my seat, and examined it carefully.

I have to say that Ayane, who gives people the impression of a serious and reliable literary girl, has neat and beautiful handwriting that matches this impression, and it is pleasing to the eye just by looking at it.

"Teacher, please use it, be careful with the heat."

At this time, Ayane made me a cup of hot coffee.

"Well, thanks."

I put the coffee aside to cool and continued to check. In addition to the beautiful handwriting, the work was also very well done, with almost no mistakes or omissions, and only a few minor details that needed to be supplemented or corrected. It can be said that it far exceeded my psychological expectations.

I hope some of the Lu Bamo ladies can learn from others.

I nodded with satisfaction and looked up at Ayane who was reading opposite me. When I looked closely, I suddenly realized that Ayane was reading a textbook.

"Ayane, are you studying?"

"Ah, I'm just doing some preparation for the next lesson," Ayane closed the textbook again, "Teacher, if you need me to do anything, please don't worry, I'm always available."

"Not yet, I just want to say that I think Ayane is very serious."

I picked up the coffee cup and said with a smile, "It's also very cute. I like it very much."

After that, I took a sip of coffee, relaxed, and prepared to appreciate the girl's shyness——

As I expected, the honest girl Ayane opened her eyes wide and her face turned red because of my direct attack. She was so shy that she could hardly speak complete words: "Eh? You said I was cute and liked me... How could it be... Ah, wuwu..."

It was a wonderful reaction, but now, I no longer have the time to appreciate it.

Why is this coffee so bitter!

Could it be that... there is no sugar or milk added at all? Because they think I'm an adult?

In order to maintain my dignity as an adult in front of Ayane, I had to pretend that nothing had happened. Just controlling my expression and pretending to be calm had occupied most of my mind, and I really couldn't pay more attention for a while.

By the time the bitterness in my mouth was diluted, Ayane also reacted, puffed up her cheeks, and said to me coquettishly:

"Really? The teacher is actually teasing me!"

"No, I said this from the bottom of my heart."

Even the slightest hint of shyness would be clearly and intuitively revealed on the fair face of the literary girl wearing glasses.

"... Humph." Ayane opened the book and covered the lower half of her face, but her eyes were fixed on me through the lenses. "Teacher, how many girls have you said this to? In the Strategy Committee alone, except for Senior Hoshino, everyone else has received similar compliments."

I didn't expect that such a question about death would come out of the gentle and shy Ayane's mouth. I guess it was mostly because of the emotional excitement?

That would be even cuter.

I thought about it for a moment and answered honestly, "That's not the case."

After all, in fact, Hoshino was also included, and it could even be said that he was the one who suffered the most and the deepest.

"I do not believe it."

Even as she said this, there was obvious joy on the girl's face. She was truly a good child who was easily contented.

Realizing that I was staring at her with a half-smile, Ayane shrank her neck and buried her face deeper into the book, leaving only a pair of sparkling brown eyes visible as she stared at me from bottom to top.

Then, she put down the book, showed a quiet and gentle smile, and said softly: "Teacher, continue working."

"Well." I pulled out the chair next to me, "Come sit over here so I can explain the problem to you."

"Well...I know..."

I spent some time explaining to her the areas that needed attention, using the actual omissions in the documents that Ayane had processed as examples. Ayane understood things very quickly, and with her serious nature, the teaching process was easy and enjoyable, which gave me a great sense of accomplishment.

"Thank you, teacher. I think I understand now."

Ayane thanked me happily, and then asked, "So what work are we going to do next?"

It makes me cry. This is such high-quality free labor, and yet they actually ask to work overtime.

I shook my head and looked at Ayane lovingly, "Today's share has been completed."

"Ah, is that so?"

Of course not, but there isn't much work left, so I'll just do it myself.

I said gently, "Of course. So, the duty time is over. You can do what you want now. If you have other things to do, you can go back to school directly."

"I don't have any plans for the future..."

Ayane lowered her head, pointed her index fingers together, and asked tentatively, a little shyly, "Where's the teacher?"

Ask me?

Of course, I am not so unromantic that I cannot hear such obvious hidden meaning.

"Well... like I said, the working hours are over," I said, pretending to be troubled, "but I haven't figured out what to do next to kill time. By the way, does Ayane have any good ideas?"

I cast an encouraging look at Ayane, who was showing a bit of shyness and excitement.

"Yes, it is."

Ayane picked up the schoolbag beside the table and took out a brand new book with black words on a white background. She pursed her lips and her eyes were moist:

"Teacher, do you still remember the gift you gave me?"

I saw the title of the book and was slightly stunned.

"Gun Lovely Youth" is the annual bestseller of Kivotos. If I remember correctly, it was a gift I bought for Ayane, who loves reading, when I was still in Abydos on a commission from the Countermeasures Committee.

Looking back now, I feel nostalgic. The time I spent in Abydos, even though it was a deserted place covered with sand and dust, the memories it brought were not all so beautiful.

You mean, classmate Kotori who is not here?

However, I also recalled something closely related to this gift.

"...Haha." I chuckled, "Yes, it's time to fulfill the agreement."

I pulled a chair and sat close enough that we could almost feel each other's body temperature. I put my hand on the slightly cool cover of the book and said in the most gentle tone I could: "Then, let's read together."

A bright and beautiful smile appeared on Ayane's face.

The girl nodded heavily: "Yes!"

Chapter 58: It must be a stalker!

What surprised me the most and made me feel warm was that from Ayane's performance, it seemed that she was reading this book for the first time.

I still remember how surprised she was when I gave her the "Gun Lovely Youth".

Could it be that Ayane has been enduring until now just because of the promise to read with me?

That's really cute!

I was filled with joy. It was not so much that I was reading with the girl, but rather that I was reading about the girl who was immersed in the world of books under the pretext of reading.

Although this best-selling book is also quite interesting, it is far less attractive to me than Ayane.

However, Ayane read very slowly and carefully, so I could get a general idea of ​​the contents of the book while observing Ayane.

This kind of quiet and leisurely time, as if free from the worries of the outside world, seems so long, as if it were eternal.

Until a loud phone ring sounded.

I frowned slightly and took out my cell phone. There was an unfamiliar number on the screen.

I gave him an apologetic look and said, "Sorry, I have to take a call."

Ayane shook her head: "It's okay, I'll wait for you to come back."

Then, I stood up and walked quickly to the corridor, pressed the answer button, and said preemptively:

"Hello? This is Xia Lai's teacher. Who are you?"

However, there was no answer from the other end of the phone, but a faint noise came from it——

“Ah, it’s really connected! What…what should I do!?”

"Take a deep breath and calm down, Chairman! Breathe in, breathe out!"

"Okay... okay. Breathe in... breathe out..."

The corners of my mouth twitched slightly. Listening to the little drama between the strange caller and his companions, I felt a sense of both laughter and tears in my heart. Even the anger of being interrupted in the middle of an important matter dissipated a lot.

…But then again, could these two have done this on purpose? Maybe they had sensed the subtle dissatisfaction in my tone, so they resorted to an improvisational strategy?

You can't be so nervous just because you made a phone call...

But this is Kivotos, and judging from the voices on the other end, they must be students, so I can’t say for sure.

"Hey, hi! Um, I'm..."

The voice on the other end sounded a little strange, as if it was deliberately using a business-like voice: "Excuse me, is this Xia Lai's teacher's phone number?"

Didn’t I just introduce myself? You didn’t listen at all, did you?

Feeling weak for a moment, I pulled myself together and repeated in a calm tone, "Yes, this is Xia Lai's teacher. May I ask who you are?"

"That's great! Ah, that... um, good..."

The strange girl who called seemed to have finally suppressed her excitement: "Please allow me to introduce myself first...Nice to meet you, Xia Lai's teacher! My name is Shizuko!"

"Okay, I get it, Shizuko, right?"

I leaned against the wall and said coldly, "So, how did you get my phone number? Are you a stalker?"

"……Eh?"

The corners of my mouth curled up, and I felt that the other party must have been exposed by me, so he made a puzzled sound.

There is no way. It is normal that a great man like me, who is extraordinary, outstanding and charming, would attract the attention of some inexperienced students and even be worshipped as an idol.

I can understand the admiration that Shizuka, who got my phone number from somewhere, has for me, but at the same time, as a teacher, I must dissuade her from letting her beautiful aspirations turn into blind fanaticism.

Why not send me a selfie first so that I can appreciate it. If I like you, it’s not impossible for us to have normal interactions in the future.

"Huh? What are you talking about! Shizuko is not a stalker!"

Isn't that so? That doesn't matter. I felt relieved when I heard Shizuko's voice, which was so angry that she couldn't hold it back any longer.

"Ahem. Start over again."

Shizuko realized that she had failed, and changed her tone to a business-like voice: "Actually, Shizuko~ is the chairman of the festival management committee of the Hyakki Yagyo Joint Academy~ and surprisingly! She is also the poster girl of Hyakya Hall~"

One Hundred Demons Night Parade United Academy, Festival Operations Committee.

When I caught these two key words, I immediately thought of the festival that would be held at the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, which I had already heard of.

And Shizuka's next words also confirmed my guess:

"And then, the reason I called you this time is because... I want to invite you to participate in the spring festival we are holding at the Hyakki Yagyo Joint Academy, which is the [One Hundred Nights of Spring Sakura Festival]."

Shizuko paused and said, "Your phone number was obtained through legal channels! So, Shizuko is definitely not a strange person!"

"Okay, okay, I got it."

I answered perfunctorily, and then asked casually, "Then why did you invite me? I don't think your club and I have any interactions before, or do you have any request that you want to ask Xia Lai?"

After I finished speaking, there was silence on the other side. It seemed that he was somewhat at a loss because of my aggressive attitude. After a while, he stammered:

"Well, there is something, although it's not a big deal, I want to discuss it with you, teacher..."

Shizuko spoke in a lower voice, and then coughed to hide her embarrassment: "But the main purpose is to simply invite you to visit, since you have been active in various places in Kivotos recently and have become famous. That's all."

So can I really be considered active? I reject most of the commissions I receive, but my reputation is getting better and better?

At this point, Shizuko changed to a mysterious and persuasive tone: "Also, at this [One Hundred Nights of Spring Sakura Festival]... commonly known as the Sakura Festival, we plan to make unprecedented innovations!"

Although I knew it was the other party's rhetoric, I still piqued my interest: "Innovation? Can you reveal a little bit?"

"Hehehe~ If you tell me in advance, the sense of surprise will be discounted! So, please wait and see~" Shizuko smiled proudly, "Then, if possible, please come to our celebration when it is convenient for you?"