executives on a corporate trip – who regularly shot them disapproving glances.
They can disapprove all they like , Josh thought. We’ve earned our seats a hundred times over!
Josh felt a rush of pride as he gazed down at the half-time cheerleaders, their red and white striped skirts swishing as they tumbled and backflipped across the pitch in formation. It was down
to him and his twin sister that the teams were playing at all. He just hoped Shini kept playing well, so that Yoshida didn’t win his bet.
It’s a bit weird, cheering for Japan to beat England , Josh thought. But to defeat Yoshida, I can deal with it!
As the players ran back on for the second half, singing from the English fans filtered down from the stands and mingled with the rhythmic, syncopated drumming of the Japanese supporters. The TV
cameras swooped back and forth on their cranes. The scoreboard flashed a bewilderingly fast stream of kanji which resolved themselves into the words GO JAPAN GO .
Kick off! Japan had possession at once, but the ball was stolen with a clever bit of misdirection by Mark Gallagher, and he zipped towards the Japanese goal. Then Goro got in the way of
Gallagher’s pass and booted it back towards the England end...
Granny Murata’s mobile phone rang, and she fished it out of the little beaded purse that hung from the belt of her kimono. “Ah, it is Nana-san,” she said, flipping open the
phone. “Hello?”
Josh held his breath, his heart pounding and his attention torn from the pitch for a moment. Had something gone wrong? Was there another threat to Shini...?
Granny nodded, her eyes narrowing. “That is good news,” she said. “Thank you, Nana-san. Excellent work.” Josh’s heart slowed to a steady thud as she hung up and
turned to him with a satisfied smile. She motioned for him and Jessica to lean close to her.
“Minister Kobayashi has been apprehended,” she said, keeping her voice low so the executives couldn’t hear over the roar of the crowd. “Nana’s surveillance
operation caught him as he attempted to check in at Tokyo airport.”
“That’s fantastic!” Josh beamed.
“Kobayashi is willing to testify that Yoshida was behind it all. It’s not enough to take Yoshida down yet, but the Minister will be a valuable asset for the police as long as Yoshida
doesn’t find out we have him.”
“Like the ace up our sleeve!” Jessica said.
“Or the East Wind tile hidden in our kimono,” Josh joked, remembering Granny’s talent for mah-jong.
“Indeed,” said Granny, her face deadpan.
The crowd made an “ Ooooooohhh! ” noise, and Josh’s attention flicked back to the pitch again. One of the Japanese players was on the ground in the England penalty box,
with an England player standing over him, gesticulating wildly. The referee held up a card – penalty to Japan!
Josh watched, holding his breath as Takeshi took the kick...and sent it speeding past the goal. A groan went up from the Japanese supporters.
Josh heard a chuckle from behind them. “ Konnichiwa , Mimi,” said an elderly man’s voice. “I shan’t pretend I’m surprised to find you here.”
Josh, Jessica and Kiki all spun around to find Yoshida Noboru standing in the box. He bowed low to Granny Murata then stroked back his long silver ponytail and met Josh’s eyes.
“And hello to you, precious grandchildren,” he said, grinning like a shark. Josh fought the urge to shudder. “Mikiko-san, how nice to see you again.”
“ Nice? ” Kiki gasped. “You...you horrible old man! You had me kidna—”
“Now,” Yoshida said, his voice low but a nasty smile still plastered on his face. “Let’s not dig up ancient history, for which there is no proof, eh?”
“Ancient history?” Jessica growled. “That was three weeks ago!”
Yoshida gave a little shrug and turned to the three executives. To Josh’s dismay, they each rose politely to shake his hand, exchanging a few words of greeting as if they had all
They can disapprove all they like , Josh thought. We’ve earned our seats a hundred times over!
Josh felt a rush of pride as he gazed down at the half-time cheerleaders, their red and white striped skirts swishing as they tumbled and backflipped across the pitch in formation. It was down
to him and his twin sister that the teams were playing at all. He just hoped Shini kept playing well, so that Yoshida didn’t win his bet.
It’s a bit weird, cheering for Japan to beat England , Josh thought. But to defeat Yoshida, I can deal with it!
As the players ran back on for the second half, singing from the English fans filtered down from the stands and mingled with the rhythmic, syncopated drumming of the Japanese supporters. The TV
cameras swooped back and forth on their cranes. The scoreboard flashed a bewilderingly fast stream of kanji which resolved themselves into the words GO JAPAN GO .
Kick off! Japan had possession at once, but the ball was stolen with a clever bit of misdirection by Mark Gallagher, and he zipped towards the Japanese goal. Then Goro got in the way of
Gallagher’s pass and booted it back towards the England end...
Granny Murata’s mobile phone rang, and she fished it out of the little beaded purse that hung from the belt of her kimono. “Ah, it is Nana-san,” she said, flipping open the
phone. “Hello?”
Josh held his breath, his heart pounding and his attention torn from the pitch for a moment. Had something gone wrong? Was there another threat to Shini...?
Granny nodded, her eyes narrowing. “That is good news,” she said. “Thank you, Nana-san. Excellent work.” Josh’s heart slowed to a steady thud as she hung up and
turned to him with a satisfied smile. She motioned for him and Jessica to lean close to her.
“Minister Kobayashi has been apprehended,” she said, keeping her voice low so the executives couldn’t hear over the roar of the crowd. “Nana’s surveillance
operation caught him as he attempted to check in at Tokyo airport.”
“That’s fantastic!” Josh beamed.
“Kobayashi is willing to testify that Yoshida was behind it all. It’s not enough to take Yoshida down yet, but the Minister will be a valuable asset for the police as long as Yoshida
doesn’t find out we have him.”
“Like the ace up our sleeve!” Jessica said.
“Or the East Wind tile hidden in our kimono,” Josh joked, remembering Granny’s talent for mah-jong.
“Indeed,” said Granny, her face deadpan.
The crowd made an “ Ooooooohhh! ” noise, and Josh’s attention flicked back to the pitch again. One of the Japanese players was on the ground in the England penalty box,
with an England player standing over him, gesticulating wildly. The referee held up a card – penalty to Japan!
Josh watched, holding his breath as Takeshi took the kick...and sent it speeding past the goal. A groan went up from the Japanese supporters.
Josh heard a chuckle from behind them. “ Konnichiwa , Mimi,” said an elderly man’s voice. “I shan’t pretend I’m surprised to find you here.”
Josh, Jessica and Kiki all spun around to find Yoshida Noboru standing in the box. He bowed low to Granny Murata then stroked back his long silver ponytail and met Josh’s eyes.
“And hello to you, precious grandchildren,” he said, grinning like a shark. Josh fought the urge to shudder. “Mikiko-san, how nice to see you again.”
“ Nice? ” Kiki gasped. “You...you horrible old man! You had me kidna—”
“Now,” Yoshida said, his voice low but a nasty smile still plastered on his face. “Let’s not dig up ancient history, for which there is no proof, eh?”
“Ancient history?” Jessica growled. “That was three weeks ago!”
Yoshida gave a little shrug and turned to the three executives. To Josh’s dismay, they each rose politely to shake his hand, exchanging a few words of greeting as if they had all
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