Jodie nudged Mouri Ran and Suzuki Sonoko, leading them off to one side. Then she signaled Jiang Xia with her eyes to follow.
Sure enough, Jiang Xia did not expose her. He followed alongside the three girls and casually brought Conan with him.
Seeing this, Jodie happily gave herself a perfect score: A shared secret could bring people closer—this was a great start. Victory was in sight!
Next, it was time to take off her aloof mask and fully blend into this little high school clique.
Jodie led them to a small corner, continuing to act as though she were sharing a secret with her own people. "Actually, after school every day, I go browse all kinds of bookstores and game arcades."
Suzuki Sonoko unfortunately took the bait. Hearing that this seemingly aloof teacher actually had such a rebellious side, she immediately felt closer to her. "Really? You're not just messing with me, are you?"
Jodie: "..." Half messing with you, half not. It depended on how you looked at it.
Of course, she could not say that. Instead, she said excitedly, "Of course it's true! Your two-dimensional culture is very famous. The game machines here are beautiful and exciting. Actually, imported game machines from Japan are hugely popular where I'm from too. You have to stand in line forever just to play one. Oh, you have no idea how jealous I am of you."
"That's why I came to Tokyo to apply for a job as an English teacher, so I could play to my heart's content at game arcades every day!" Jodie lowered her voice. "You absolutely mustn't tell anyone about what you saw today—foreigners have such a hard time finding jobs here. You have to keep it secret for me. This is our secret!"
Jiang Xia's ears