Survive in Azure Files

I don't know when Hoshino woke up, or maybe he never really fell asleep at all. He suddenly asked a question that scared me.

"Sensei said a few days ago that he ran into Serika on the street. Could there be any clues?"

"Actually, Serika has been working a part-time job recently."

Credibility is vulnerable in the face of star desire (referring to the desire to have a good relationship with Hoshino).

"Hey~ So that's how it is~" Hoshino smiled mischievously and asked, "So, does sensei know which store Serika works at?"

I continued to betray poor Serika: "It should be at Shibaseki Ramen."

"As expected~ I knew~ There aren't many other shops in Abydos where I can work~"

As far as I know, Serika's part-time job is not limited to Abydos. If she gets a day-paid job on her weekends that can earn her more money, she will go to other academies.

So the possibility of Serika working at Shibaseki Ramen today remains unknown.

Have I betrayed you? Yes.

Nonomiya also said with interest: "Is it the famous Shibaseki Ramen? I haven't been to that store yet."

Ayane agreed, "Me too."

Hearing this, Hoshino suggested: "That's perfect~ In that case, let's all go to Shibaseki Ramen at noon today and take care of Qinxiang's work~ Please raise your hands if you agree~"

The door to the activity room was opened again.

Bai Zi, who had just finished taking a shower, came late and looked at everyone voting with a show of hands in confusion:

"Did I miss something?"

-

At noon, Chai Guan Ramen.

"Welcome, how many people are there in total...eh?"

Serika stared blankly as classmates and seniors from the Abydos Countermeasures Committee filed in under my lead, and her businesslike smile froze for a moment.

Then, Qinxiang stared at me intently, and endless shame and anger surged into her heart, turning into a roar of grief and anger:

"You bastard! How dare you betray me!"

I said ashamedly: "Qingxiang, I was also forced. If I hadn't betrayed you in time, they would have tortured me! You don't want your master to be insulted because of you, right?"

"Don't act like I know you very well! I don't care what happens to you!"

Hoshino chimed in: "Serika, Sensei took two full seconds to think about telling us that you were working here, so just forgive him~"

"That would be a leak right away! You're the useless adult I'm talking about, right?!"

The smell of celery made us grit our teeth, but after being invited by the store manager and chef Chai Dajiang, we were led to our seats and sat down.

After another round of laughter, everyone except me placed their orders.

As for me……

"Heh... Don't you want to try the dishes I recommended to you? Then I'll arrange your portion."

Qinxiang sneered, held her head high and walked away as if she had won a battle, leaving me feeling uneasy.

To make matters worse, Hoshino also gave me a meaningful smirk:

"Sensei~ Now is a rare opportunity to fill the stomachs of cute girls~ I believe sensei will not miss it, right~"

Such a good opportunity? I have to pay for it now!

Just when I was ready to be the scapegoat, Nomiya, who was sitting next to me, took advantage of everyone's inattention and quietly handed me a credit card and whispered:

"Sensei, please use this card to pay later."

I looked at Nomiya's gentle and innocent face, and a strange emotion was brewing in my heart: what happened in recent days made me involuntarily suspect that Nomiya might also have a good impression of me.

She had said before that she would give me a lap pillow in private.

But maybe I’m just naturally extroverted… I’d better not be too self-conscious.

After considering it, I declined Nomiya's kindness. The most important thing was that it was just the money for a few bowls of ramen, which was nothing compared to my salary. As long as everyone was happy, that was enough.

A moment later, five bowls of steaming ramen were served one after another.

The biggest difference from the other bowls was that the ramen in front of me had a flaming red soup.

Qin Xiang proudly put her hands on her hips and said, "Hehe~ This is my recommendation~ Super spicy hell ramen~ What's wrong? You look so hesitant, are you afraid to eat it~"

However, in fact, there is another reason why I have not started eating.

Under the table, Bai Zi quietly rubbed his calves against my legs and nodded his head slightly.

Out of trust in Shirako, I took a sip, and the moment the noodles entered my mouth with the soup, I understood: although this ramen looks scary, it is only slightly spicy, and you can taste a light sweet and sour tomato flavor.

So this is ah.

I raised my head and looked towards the kitchen, where General Chai was standing with his arms folded looking over here. I quickly exchanged glances with him and nodded in greeting.

General Chai is particular.

Baizi's nose is really sensitive.

So I finished the whole bowl of noodles without changing my expression.

It's really funny to see Qinxiang's expression change from surprise to worry to awe and suspicion.

After everyone had their fill, we paid the bill with my credit card.

When we were about to leave, Qinxiang honestly walked us to the door, but she was still harsh in her words, saying things that were easy to understand, such as "Don't come again," "You'll disturb my work," and "I hate you so much."

Everyone burst into laughter, and the store was filled with a happy atmosphere.

I followed the students and walked for a while in the direction of Abydos, but then left halfway, making an excuse for other things.

In fact, I took a detour and returned to Shibaseki Ramen to apologize to Serika.

In any case, it is an indisputable fact that I failed to keep my promise with Serika.

So, I spent some time near Shibaseki Ramen, waiting for Serika to get off work.

Chapter 11: Serika's Great Crisis

In the abandoned Shibaseki Ramen shop, I worked remotely until nightfall, and finally I waited for Serika to get off work.

I quickly packed up my things, waved my hand, and ran over to greet them with a bright smile:

"Qingxiang-chan! Good evening! What a coincidence, we meet again!"

As soon as she saw me, the already somewhat exhausted Qinxiang was immediately filled with energy:

"What a coincidence! You, it's obvious that you're waiting for me to get off work! So disgusting, are you really a stalker?"

Very good, very energetic.

"Ahahaha~ I didn't expect you to find out this... Wait, don't take the gun! I'm here to apologize."

Qinxiang looked gloomy and glared at me unhappily, saying:

"I don't need your apology. I won't forgive you."

After saying that, he snorted proudly, held his head high, and walked around me.

The innocent and coquettish look of the girl touched my heartstrings and made me dazed for a moment.

So cute!

I quickly chased after her, followed closely beside Qinxiang, and begged for forgiveness with sweet words:

"Qi Xiang, don't be impatient, listen to me first..."

At first, Qinxiang forced herself to keep a straight face, not even looking at me, and simply ignored me.

Later, Qinxiang burst into anger and shouted, "You're so annoying, stay away from me," and quickened her pace to try to get away from me.

And in the end...

"Wow, Serika-chan, I really know I was wrong."

Qinxiang still frowned and pouted, looking unhappy, but her tone had unconsciously changed to that of a spoiled child:

"Don't be so affectionate, who are you to me? Really, you have no sense of shame for pestering female students like this?"

I made a frustrated expression:

"Of course I do, but if I don't get Serika-chan's forgiveness, I will regret it for the rest of my life."

"Hmph~ Then you still make me angry."

"I really know I was wrong. Please forgive me, gentle, lovely, and sensible lady Serika, for once, okay?"

Serika, who is easy to please, can't help but smile, and seems to be very pleased with my compliments:

"Okay~ Since you said that, I'll forgive you reluctantly, but there won't be a next time."

What an interesting child.

A typical tsundere like Qinxiang, with a simple and kind personality, can be made to smile as long as you put down your airs, act pitiful and say a few nice words.

Of course, this is also based on the premise that I have a good impression of Qinxiang.

Seeing that Qinxiang was in a good mood, I decided to strike while the iron was hot and praise her a few more times to gain some favor from her.

However, just as we reached an intersection, a dozen bad girls wearing helmets and holding guns suddenly jumped out from the darkness.

Many guys dressed similarly surrounded us from behind, blocking our retreat.

"The guys from the Steel Helmets?! Have they expanded their influence here? No, this was an ambush from the beginning!"

Qinxiang gritted her teeth, frowned at me who was defenseless, and whispered:

"Sensei, I'll cover you, you find the right opportunity to escape."

I nodded silently. If I stayed here, I would only hinder Qinxiang.

But something unexpected happened again.

"Hey - that sir over there, is that Xia Lai's sensei?"

The leading bad girl shouted: "What happened between us and Abydos has nothing to do with you. If you don't want to get hurt, get out of here!"

He recognized my identity at a glance. Did he obtain my information through some channel?

They were willing to let me go, probably to avoid trouble and not to attack the head of an important institution directly under the Federal Student Union.

It seems that the other party is not an ordinary brainless fish...

So, are you going to leave and leave Qinxiang alone?

In this situation, I touched the Shiting Box in my bag, feeling hesitant.

There is not much battery left. If we are involved in a battle, I don’t know how long I can last.

Originally I was just a burden, but if the other party didn't want to hurt me...

Perhaps, if I stay, I can become a distraction.

Just as I was hesitating, I heard Qinxiang heaving a sigh of relief.

Qin Xiang said happily: "That's great, sensei, you go quickly and inform Senior Hoshino and the others. I will try my best to hold on until support arrives!"

The balance in my heart has now clearly tilted in this direction.

"...I understand. Be careful."

So, I ran away.

I told myself that this was the right choice.

After leaving the Steel Helmets' sight, I quickly took out my phone to send a message to everyone in Abydos.

But it was only halfway through when I heard a violent explosion behind me.

My steps paused, and my expression twisted.

"If I hadn't run away, would those people have been afraid to use heavy firepower because of my identity?"

I closed my eyes in pain, and when I opened them again, only determination was left.