"I have to admit, sometimes talent really does seem more important." Jodie sighed and briefly thought this to herself, but she didn't say it aloud.
After all, Jiang Xia meant well. She shouldn't use an adult's pessimism to dampen Mouri's enthusiasm.
As the foreign teacher reflected to herself,
Mouri Ran, encouraged by this, had already marched into the store with her head held high.
The store manager was lecturing Nanakawa Aya. When he looked up and saw this group of persistent high school students trying to enter again, irritation welled up inside him.
He strode over, intending to drive them out once more. But before he could speak, Mouri Ran beat him to it. "Store manager, may I use your restroom?"
"...Huh?" The store manager hadn't expected that at all. But on second thought, these two high school students had indeed spent quite a while in the store. It was understandable that they might suddenly need the restroom...
Though he found the students irritating, the store manager didn't want to make things difficult for them over something like this. He could only shut his mouth, silently step aside, and watch her go in.
Jiang Xia stopped beside him and watched Mouri Ran solve the case with an approving look. Secretly, he hoped this high school girl would experience the joy of solving cases and perhaps try becoming a Detective herself someday.
Beside him, Nanakawa Aya looked at him, then looked again, and spoke in surprise. "You're... Jiang Xia?"
"Hm?" Jiang Xia turned around, looked at this classmate he barely remembered, and nodded in greeting. He was about to casually hand her and the store manager a Business Card each.
But just then, a loud shout suddenly erupted from the restroom.
After entering the restroom, Mouri Ran glanced at the