He turned around. A black car was coming towards him at high speed. Without thinking, he threw himself out of the way, landing on all fours.

The vehicle mounted the pavement. People screamed.

The car stalled for a moment, its front wheel stuck, giving Shoji enough time to notice that all the windows were blacked out.

‘Are you all right?’ someone asked.

Onlookers started to crowd around him. The car reversed. It looked like it was getting ready to drive at him again. Wait, that couldn’t be. Was it his mind, playing tricks on him? No, the car was heading straight at him. He had to get away.

Shoji stood up quickly. Snaking his way through the crowd, he headed into the park, which the car couldn’t enter. Safer than staying on the main road.

Heart racing, he ran as fast as he could to the densest part of the park. The bushes hid him well, but he didn’t want to slow down until he was sure he was safe. Shoji looked around. There wasn’t anyone he could ask for help. No one jogs in the early afternoon, especially not in December. The only place with a lot of pedestrians would be the pathway towards the bus stop, but he couldn’t go back to the road. He ran deeper into the park.

After he was sure he’d got away, Shoji stopped to catch his breath. He fell on the grass. His knees felt weak. He hadn’t exercised for a long time, so his stamina wasn’t exactly the best, and the cold weather made it harder to breathe. He was so exhausted from running. But what was it all about? That car had tried to hit him, he was sure of it. He opened his bag and took out a bottle of water, downing it in a few big gulps.

Then he recalled what Mr Odagiri had told him. The reporter was going to stake out his workplace. What if Mr Odagiri had been there, armed with a long-range camera, and taken pictures of Mizuki’s bruises and cuts? What if he’d tried to get them published, but had been found out?

Shoji took Mr Odagiri’s card from his wallet. He had to get in touch with him. There was a phone booth not far from the bus stop, but what if the car was still there? No, it would have left by now. Someone would have called the police. Should he go to them for help? He remembered what Mr Odagiri had said about spies. He couldn’t risk it. Especially with Yoko still at work. What if they harmed her in retaliation? He shouldn’t be hasty. He decided to wait a little longer.

To change his appearance, Shoji took off his fleece jacket. He fished out a grey woollen scarf he had inside his bag and wore it over his turtleneck sweater. He rested under the trees, hidden by the bushes. The sun shone through the leaves, creating a contrast between the shadow and the light.