After asking her question, Jodie still found it hard to believe. There was no "actor" at all—could it really have ended this simply?
...Otherwise, it couldn't be that two more people would show up on their side to make up the two missing players that person liked.
While Jodie was still harboring doubts, Suzuki Sonoko, whom she had been watching closely, made a new move.
The innocent-looking high school girl wrinkled her nose meaningfully. "What's that smell?"
Jodie immediately became alert and sniffed hard. The stench of a corpse? Explosive residue? Or some kind of scented poison?
But it was none of those.
Once she focused on her sense of smell, only one scent became especially distinct—the aroma of curry.
Grrr.
Jodie's stomach growled.
Although everyone's actions today had followed her plan, on closer inspection, not a single thing had actually gone according to it—especially their means of transportation being washed away and forcing them to trek through the woods.
By now, her hunger had already gone off the charts. Some of the analysis filling Jodie's head dispersed, and her gaze could not help drifting toward the kitchen.
Suzuki Sonoko was also looking toward the kitchen, her intentions obvious.
The tennis coach came back to his senses and glanced at the large pot in his kitchen. "Oh, that's curry I made last night. There's still half a pot left—if you don't mind..."
"We don't mind, we don't mind!" Suzuki Sonoko looked like she was one step away from rushing in to serve herself. Though it could be called leftovers, it was not food left on someone's plate—it had merely been left in the pot after cooking. She was practically starving flat by now, so how could she care about such details?
The tennis coach smiled and returned to the kitchen