Jodie had merely been struck by inspiration when she saw the bookstore. Following the simple notion of consulting reference books whenever she ran into trouble, she had turned in on a whim.
As for what kind of books she should buy, she had not given it much thought before entering.
But after listing all her needs, Jodie vaguely understood. She snapped her fingers and summed it up: "Reference books that can quickly bring teachers and students closer together!"
The clerk watched her gesture intimacy with two fingers, then caught sight of the foreign woman's low-cut tank top from the corner of his eye. The stereotype that blond, blue-eyed foreigners were very open-minded popped into his head.
Combined with Jodie's strange description, he vaguely felt that he understood.
The bookstore employee tried his best to maintain the calm demeanor expected of a professional and steadily confirmed, "The kind of... books suitable for adults?"
Jodie was worrying over how, as an adult, she could bridge the generation gap with high school students. Hearing this, she nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, exactly that kind!"
The clerk's feelings grew even more complicated, though none of it showed on his face. He went to a corner of the bookstore, lifted a curtain, and entered a room separated from the rest of the store. He quickly picked out a stack of books, all of them manga.
Then he returned outside, intending to show the books to Jodie.
Jodie happened to receive a call from Akai Shuichi—he seemed to have found a new lead and wanted to discuss it with her.
Jodie was busy on the phone. When the clerk came over for her to choose, she had no time to inspect them and simply waved a hand. "Wrap them up. I'll take them all."
A few books