name is Yoshida .”
Josh stared at her. “...You think Mr. Yoshida is Yoko Yay’s grandfather?”
“The leader of the Iron Fist – the one who has Kiki!” Jessica grabbed his arm. Josh felt a chill run down his spine as it all started to fall into place. Yoko’s ambition,
the sabotaged pop stars... “And, and , she was saying banzai !”
“Of course !” Josh said. “ Banzai Banzai Benzaiten! Mr. Yoshida kidnapped Kiki so Yoko can take her place on that new music show.”
“They are not going to get away with this,” Jessica hissed, opening the door to their private room.
“You’re right, Jess,” Josh replied. “We’re not going to let them.”
“Ah, Josh-kun, Jessica-chan. Did you have a nice look at the view?” Hina asked, as they stepped inside.
“Oh yes, it’s fantastic,” said Josh.
“Where is Mimi?” Yoshiko said.
“She’s just gone to the bathroom,” said Jessica smoothly.
“Well, it’s your turn,” said Hina, handing Jessica the microphone. Josh and Jessica nodded to each other, and Josh checked his watch. About four minutes, then Granny would be
ready for them to lure the bodyguard out of his room. Jessica went to the song list and picked something, and a few seconds later a familiar base line kicked in and Josh grinned at her. It was that
song of Kiki’s – “ Kumo no ue no ai ”!
Despite feeling the beginnings of a nervous twitch, Josh threw himself into the song. Then it was over, and Jessica and Josh bowed to the three old ladies.
“Excuse me,” Josh said to Hina. “Could I please borrow your camera? The view from the window was so beautiful – I would love to go back and take a picture.”
“Of course,” Hina said, taking her digital camera out of its case and handing it over.
“I thought we could try to take his picture,” Josh whispered after they’d left the room and shut the door behind them.
“Good idea,” Jessica said. “He’ll hate that.”
“I just hope the camera’s still in one piece at the end of this,” Jessica whispered as they crept up the corridor towards the VIP suite.
“I just hope we are!” Josh muttered back, checking the camera flash. “Three, two, one – go!”
They pushed open the door to the VIP suite and Josh raised the camera, pressing the button over and over again. Snap snap snap snap snap snap .
The group of girls cringed away from the camera and squealed, and the bodyguard and Yoshida’s goons blinked in surprise.
“There he is!” Jessica cried. “There’s Kiki’s bodyguard!”
“You again!” the bodyguard roared, and he leaped to his feet.
“Go!” Josh yelled. They bolted down the corridor. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that yes, the bodyguard was following them – and so were the other two Yakuza thugs.
Josh and Jessica ran through the lobby and past the receptionist, and Josh pounded the “down” button on the elevator.
Nothing happened. There was no noise of the elevator wheels moving; no lights flashing.
“Oh, come on!” Josh snapped. A smashing noise made them both turn – the bodyguard was crashing through the lobby with the goons in his wake, upsetting the leather sofas and
antique vases.
“Come on, come on...” Josh jabbed the button again as the receptionist shrieked and sprinted to catch a falling vase. The bodyguard was storming closer.
A uniformed staff member leaped in front of the bodyguard.
“Excuse me, what do you think you’re—” The bodyguard shoved him aside.
“Take the stairs!” Jessica snapped, diving for a door on the other side of the room. Josh followed, and they started down a concrete stairwell, Jessica taking the lead. Josh peered
over the edge of the banister – the drop seemed to go on for ever.
Suddenly a terrible thought struck Josh.
“Jess!” he said, swinging around a corner as the door banged open above them.
“What?” Jessica shouted back. There were heavy footfalls on the stairs.
“How will we get to the alleyway
Josh stared at her. “...You think Mr. Yoshida is Yoko Yay’s grandfather?”
“The leader of the Iron Fist – the one who has Kiki!” Jessica grabbed his arm. Josh felt a chill run down his spine as it all started to fall into place. Yoko’s ambition,
the sabotaged pop stars... “And, and , she was saying banzai !”
“Of course !” Josh said. “ Banzai Banzai Benzaiten! Mr. Yoshida kidnapped Kiki so Yoko can take her place on that new music show.”
“They are not going to get away with this,” Jessica hissed, opening the door to their private room.
“You’re right, Jess,” Josh replied. “We’re not going to let them.”
“Ah, Josh-kun, Jessica-chan. Did you have a nice look at the view?” Hina asked, as they stepped inside.
“Oh yes, it’s fantastic,” said Josh.
“Where is Mimi?” Yoshiko said.
“She’s just gone to the bathroom,” said Jessica smoothly.
“Well, it’s your turn,” said Hina, handing Jessica the microphone. Josh and Jessica nodded to each other, and Josh checked his watch. About four minutes, then Granny would be
ready for them to lure the bodyguard out of his room. Jessica went to the song list and picked something, and a few seconds later a familiar base line kicked in and Josh grinned at her. It was that
song of Kiki’s – “ Kumo no ue no ai ”!
Despite feeling the beginnings of a nervous twitch, Josh threw himself into the song. Then it was over, and Jessica and Josh bowed to the three old ladies.
“Excuse me,” Josh said to Hina. “Could I please borrow your camera? The view from the window was so beautiful – I would love to go back and take a picture.”
“Of course,” Hina said, taking her digital camera out of its case and handing it over.
“I thought we could try to take his picture,” Josh whispered after they’d left the room and shut the door behind them.
“Good idea,” Jessica said. “He’ll hate that.”
“I just hope the camera’s still in one piece at the end of this,” Jessica whispered as they crept up the corridor towards the VIP suite.
“I just hope we are!” Josh muttered back, checking the camera flash. “Three, two, one – go!”
They pushed open the door to the VIP suite and Josh raised the camera, pressing the button over and over again. Snap snap snap snap snap snap .
The group of girls cringed away from the camera and squealed, and the bodyguard and Yoshida’s goons blinked in surprise.
“There he is!” Jessica cried. “There’s Kiki’s bodyguard!”
“You again!” the bodyguard roared, and he leaped to his feet.
“Go!” Josh yelled. They bolted down the corridor. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that yes, the bodyguard was following them – and so were the other two Yakuza thugs.
Josh and Jessica ran through the lobby and past the receptionist, and Josh pounded the “down” button on the elevator.
Nothing happened. There was no noise of the elevator wheels moving; no lights flashing.
“Oh, come on!” Josh snapped. A smashing noise made them both turn – the bodyguard was crashing through the lobby with the goons in his wake, upsetting the leather sofas and
antique vases.
“Come on, come on...” Josh jabbed the button again as the receptionist shrieked and sprinted to catch a falling vase. The bodyguard was storming closer.
A uniformed staff member leaped in front of the bodyguard.
“Excuse me, what do you think you’re—” The bodyguard shoved him aside.
“Take the stairs!” Jessica snapped, diving for a door on the other side of the room. Josh followed, and they started down a concrete stairwell, Jessica taking the lead. Josh peered
over the edge of the banister – the drop seemed to go on for ever.
Suddenly a terrible thought struck Josh.
“Jess!” he said, swinging around a corner as the door banged open above them.
“What?” Jessica shouted back. There were heavy footfalls on the stairs.
“How will we get to the alleyway
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