by Alex Ko
“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 met before. Were they corrupt business leaders, in Yoshida’s pocket?
Josh balled his hands into fists. He wanted to take Yoshida down right now – Jess could distract the man while Josh got in just one good punch to the back of Yoshida’s neck...
He glanced at Granny. She met his eyes, briefly, and gave the tiniest shake of her head.
“I am surprised you did not come for the first half of the match, Noboru,” she said in a pleasant, even tone of voice. “Or perhaps you could not bear the uncertainty of the outcome? You know how unpredictable these games can be.” She indicated the scoreboard.
Josh saw Yoshida’s eyes narrow and the twitch of a muscle in his cheek. His monks had failed in their mission and now the game couldn’t be thrown. He’s furious, but he can’t show it, Josh thought. Yoshida’s glance flickered over the pitch to Shini, safe in the Japanese goal. A cloud passed across his face for just an instant, before he recovered himself.
“I’m sure the end result will be pleasing,” he muttered.
Granny snorted. “So like you, to care only about the bottom line.”
Yoshida nodded. “So like you, Mimi, to care about fair play.”
Kiki spoke up. “Shini’s the greatest, and we’re going to win!”
“We will see,” said Yoshida, and turned to watch the game, smiling.
He looks suspiciously confident, Josh thought. Did he have some other plan up his sleeve?
Granny beckoned Josh closer.
“Do not worry,” she whispered. “As well as Noboru knows me, I know him. That smile is hiding his desperation – he has no plan but to hope that the game goes his way. Watch his face when the Japanese players do well, and you will see.”
Back on the pitch, the match was hotting up. A glance at the giant electronic scoreboard told Josh that there was only half an hour to go.
The England supporters roared and stamped in time as Clarkey got the ball at his feet and passed it up to Neil Ash, who sprinted for the Japan goal – but lost control at the last second, a Japan defender tackling the ball away.
Josh glanced at Yoshida. Sure enough, the dangerous smirk didn’t leave his lips, but his eyes were narrowed and angry.
Takeshi got the ball and booted it hard at the England goal. It spun as it shot through the air, and Josh gasped. But it wasn’t quite on target, and the England goalie Dave “the Giant” Levy caught it easily. The twins sank back in their seats, as the England crowd yelled their approval.
“This is just too weird,” Jessica muttered. “Bad enough cheering against our home team, but rooting for Japan while the Yakuza boss in the next seat supports England? That’s just not right!”
Josh nodded, and laughed to hide his nerves.
The minutes and seconds ticked away in a blur of sprinting, passing, shooting and tackling. Fifteen minutes passed, then twenty, twenty-five, twenty-seven... Kiki stood again, dancing from foot to foot in anxiety. Twenty-eight, twenty-nine...
“Yes! Full time!” Jessica jumped up, pumping her fist in the air. “One-nil!”
I can’t celebrate yet, Josh thought. There’s still extra time – I won’t jinx it!
Still, Yoshida looked pretty sick.
One of the referees held up a digital display that read THREE MINUTES EXTRA TIME. Japan just had to hold on to their lead for three more minutes...
Clarkey leaped forward with the ball and Josh’s breath caught in his throat. The England players were stepping up, playing better than they had all match! The Japan team hardly got a touch in as the ball passed smoothly from Clarkey to Gallagher, back to Clarkey, then to Brown, Ash, Elton...
Jamie Elton skidded to a halt in front of the goal, avoiding a tackle from Goro, and kicked the ball up, on target, towards the corner of the goal... Shini leaped, but Josh already knew it was too far away for him. He wasn’t going to catch it. Sure enough, the ball slipped between the tips of his fingers and the goalpost and hit the back of the net.
Yoshida leaped to his feet and let out an excited yell as Jamie Elton threw himself into a quadruple backflip in celebration, before the rest of his team piled onto him, patting his back and rubbing his head.
Josh groaned, as the England supporters cheered and chanted. That was a fantastic goal. Any other day he’d have been replaying it over and over, but this time, he felt cold shock crawling over his skin.
Shini kicked the ball as hard as he could, but it was no good.
Three, two, one...
The whistle blew.
“It’s a draw!” Jessica gasped.
Kiki frowned. “Does that mean Yoshida gets his money – or not?”
“It’s not over,” Josh said. “They’re going to penalties.”
He looked over at Yoshida, who seemed stressed. A few strands of long silver hair had fallen out of his neat ponytail. Josh realized he’d started chewing his lip. Shini was the greatest goalie in the world, even better than the Giant – that had to mean that Japan would win a penalty shootout, right? Right?
“Each team will take turns to try to score a goal,” Jessica was explaining to Kiki. “They get five goes each. They keep taking the penalties until there’s a clear winner.”
“I see...” Kiki frowned. “So it’s really up to Shini, now.”
Shini and the Giant joined the referee for the coin toss, and Shini raised his hand, waving up at the crowd, to show that Japan had won and they’d go first.
The Giant took his place in the goal, and Jun Fujita squared up to the ball on the penalty mark. The entire stadium seemed to hold its breath... Fujita took a run up, the ball went flying...and the Giant leaped the wrong way. The ball thudded into the back of the net.
1-0! proclaimed the scoreboard.
The teams swapped places. Shini waved up at the crowd again – and this time, he seemed to be waving right at Josh and the others. Kiki waved back, her other hand pressed tight across her heart. Neil Ash took the first England kick, but Shini leaped higher and faster than Josh had ever seen, and he saved the shot.
“It looks like your little gamble isn’t going to pay off, Yoshida!” Kiki said.
“We will see,” Yoshida snarled.
The next Japanese strike found its way into the goal. Then Jamie Elton stepped up to the ball, barely pausing before sending it soaring through the air. It hit Shini’s arm, but spun and bounced chaotically between the grass and the goalposts, and finally rolled over the line before Shini could turn and grab it.
2-1!
Kiki looked like she might burst into tears.
“We’re still one up,” Jessica said.
Daisuke Takeda stepped up...and missed. The ball went wide, flying into the stands. Josh clamped his hands tight onto the railing as Frankie Reed took the ball, squared up to Shini, drew his foot back...and missed!
It was Takeshi’s turn. Jessica screamed her encouragement. Josh couldn’t – his throat and his chest felt so tight he was afraid if he opened his mouth his lungs would try to climb out. But when Takeshi’s kick propelled the ball smoothly between the Giant’s legs and into the goal, Josh cheered along with the others.
“It’s 3-1,” Jessica said, breathlessly. “England could still equalize...but they’ve got to get this next one. If Shini saves it, we’ve won.”
“Come on, Shinichiro-san!” Granny called out, rising from her seat for the first time in the whole match. “For Japan! For justice!”
Josh grinned. “You can do it, Shini!” he yelled.
Daniel Akimbe lined up to take the penalty for England. He ran up and kicked, and the ball flew to Shini’s right. Josh gasped as Shini twitched to his left, then changed direction at the last second, pushing off from the ground and throwing himself in front of the ball. It hit him in the chest and he clamped his arms around it as he fell.
Save!
Kiki and Jessica hugged each other and jumped up and down, their ear-piercing shrieks of joy making Granny flinch, despite her smile. The giant scoreboard flashed, red circles spiralling all over it for a second, and then the words, in kanji and English:
1-1 DRAW! JAPAN WIN 3-1 ON PENALTIES!
Kiki pulled Josh into a hug and ran out of the VIP box. Where’s she going? Josh wondered.
Yoshida’s face looked like thunder. He glared at the twins and then at Granny.
“Congratulations,” he said, through gritted teeth. “Well played, Mimi. But don’t celebrate too soon. Your little troupe hasn’t seen the last of me.”
“I don’t doubt it, Noboru,” Granny said calmly.
“Get him, Granny!” Jessica said.
Yoshida laughed. “Attack me? With so many witnesses? I don’t think so.” He turned and stalked out of the box, slamming the door behind him.
“Granny, why don’t we just take him down?” Josh asked.
Granny shook her head. “No. That is not how we will defeat him, children – but believe me, we will defeat him.” She smiled at Josh. “After all, I have you two on my team.”
Josh and Jessica beamed at each other.
There was a chorus of whistling and catcalls from the stands. Josh looked down to see that Kiki had burst out of the tunnel. She ran across the pitch to Shini and threw herself into his arms. Every photographer in the stadium turned their camera on them, but the couple didn’t care. Josh and Jessica whooped and yelled, and even Granny laughed as she politely applauded.
Josh looked up at Jessica, and they exchanged twin grins. Another week, another mystery solved, another life saved. Yoshida could swear revenge all he liked – but right now, Josh felt invincible. Whatever the next mission might be, he was ready for it.
Bring it on!