Sherlock Sam and the Mysterious Mastermind in Seoul Read online

  “I-would-never-do-that,” Watson said.

  “I know that, but I didn’t know it was you, so I was worried.”

  Watson looked at me with his eye and said, “I-am-sorry. I-should-have-told-you-sooner.”

  “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have worried so much without any proof.”

  We sat silently in the living room for a minute.

  “Can-I-can-keep-solving-mysteries-when-you-are-busy?” Watson asked.

  “Of course!” I said. “But you don’t need to keep pretending to be me.”

  “Oh,” Watson said.

  “You can, if you want to,” I said. “I trust that you won’t make me look bad, but I meant that you can take cases as yourself. You don’t need to pretend to be anyone else to solve mysteries. You’re a great detective in your own right, and people should know it’s you who’s helping them.”

  “Oh,” Watson said again. I don’t think I had ever heard a happier tone from him before.

  “C’mon, let’s go tell everyone else that we don’t have to worry about missing cases when we’re busy studying.”

  We walked back into our room and told everyone the good news.

  “That’s great!” Jimmy said. “Sherlock is Singapore’s Greatest Kid Detective, but Watson is Singapore’s Greatest Robot Detective!”

  “I-am-very-happy-that-I-no-longer-have-to-worry-about-Sherlock’s-fartplan-when-I-take-on-cases,” Watson said.

  “Two questions,” Eliza said, crossing her arms across her chest. “One, why would Sherlock’s farts have mattered when you took on cases, and two, why are you planning Sherlock’s farts in the first place?”

  “You-misunderstand,” Watson said. “Fartplan-means-’schedule’-in-Danish. I-just-use-it-when-I-am-talking-about-Sherlock’s-schedule.”

  “Oh, we are totally using fartplan for Sherlock’s schedule from now on,” Wendy said.

  “I think I’m against this entire plan,” I said.

  “Could you fit me into your fartplan next week, Sherlock?” Nazhar asked. “My dad wants to invite you and everyone for dinner.”

  Jimmy could not stop giggling.

  “Yes, I am definitely against this entire plan.”

  ∗ ∗ ∗

  Two days later, Watson was ready to unveil his new online detective service. Since he was always connected to the Internet (at least while he was in Singapore), he could chat with anybody whenever he was needed and help solve their mysteries. He did promise to ask us for help if he ever required it, and keep me updated on all his cases.

  We were sitting in the living room waiting while Watson stood next to one of Wendy’s easels. It was covered by a sheet.

  “I-have-decided-to-change-my-chat-name-from-Wat-son-Hates-Water-to-The-Wonderful-Wat-son-to-better-showcase-how-wonderful-I-am-at-solving-mysteries,” he said. “I-have-also-changed-my-avatar-to-my-own-face-since-I-am-no-longer-impersonating-Sherlock. But-I-have-a-new-logo-and-I-would-like-to-thank-Wendy-who-helped-me-design-it.”

  Wendy began giggling.

  My Sherlock-sense started tingling.

  “I-present-The-Wonderful-Wat-son-Online-Detective-Service!” He pulled the sheet down and I showed us his new logo: a suave-looking Watson image in a white tuxedo jacket while the same 60-year-old Uncle Sherlock stood behind him.

  “I-know-I-can-do-this-on-my-own-but-I-wanted-to-remind-everyone-that-the-great-Sherlock-is-always-supporting-me,” Watson said.

  “Watson, I’m flattered, but maybe this is not the image you—”

  “I think it’s wonderful,” Mom said, cutting me off. Everyone else started applauding.

  “This really wasn’t what I had in mind,” I said, to no one in particular.

  THE END

  GLOSSARY

  Ajumma—A Korean word for a middle-aged or older woman. Used like “auntie” in Singapore.

  Atari 2600—One of the first home video game consoles that popularised video gaming at home (as opposed to in an arcade). It was released on 11 September 1977 and is credited with promoting the use of microprocessor-based hardware and games contained on ROM cartridges.

  Cheonggyecheon—A stream that runs through downtown Seoul and passes under 22 bridges before flowing into the Han River.

  Ddakji—A traditional South Korean game that is played using tiles made out of folded paper. The tiles are then placed on the ground. The aim is to use your paper tile to flip your opponent’s tile by throwing it at just the right angle, with just the right amount of force, at the other tile. If you succeed, you win.

  DOS—An acronym that stands for “disk operating system”, these are text-only user interfaces in which programmers can type in various kinds of code.

  Dokkaebi—The Korean word for “goblin”.

  Dongdaemun Market—A commercial district made up of traditional markets and modern shopping malls that surround the Dongdaemun Gate. It is Korea’s largest retail and wholesale shopping district. Adan and Felicia always visit because of a small shop that sells a lot of LEGO!

  Dongdaemun Design Plaza—Designed by famous architect Zaha Hadid, the plaza is made up of five halls: Art Hall, Museum, Design Lab, Design Market and Dongdaemun History and Culture Park. It was the location most tagged on Instagram in Korea in 2015.

  Dongdaemun Secondhand Book Street—Located just across the Cheonggyecheon stream, the book street has rows of small stores selling stacks of secondhand books, mostly in Korean, but also in other languages.

  Famicom and NES—Originally released as the Family Computer (aka Famicom) in Japan on 15 July 1983, it was later released in New York City as the Nintendo Entertainment System (aka NES) in 1985, and throughout the US and Europe from 1986 to 1987. It was the best-selling gaming console of its time and helped revitalise the US video game industry following the video game crash of 1983 (caused in part by Atari). With this console, Nintendo introduced the now-standard business model of licensing third-party developers, and authorising them to produce and distribute titles for Nintendo’s platform.

  Gana Art Space—Located in Insa-Dong, the Gana Art Space is an annex of the much larger Gana Art Gallery on Bukhan Mountain in Pyeongchang-dong. The Gallery was opened in 1983, and the Space in 2002. Together, they have hosted over 300 local and international exhibitions.

  Gimbap—A seaweed roll made of gim (laver or seaweed) and bap (rice). Similar to sushi but often filled with meats like beef or pork instead of seafood.

  Goblin—A very popular Korean television drama series by tvN, also called Guardian: The Great and Lonely God. It stars Gong Yoo, Kim Go Eun, Lee Dong Wook, Yoo In Na and Yuk Sung Jae. Adan and Felicia own all the plushies from the series.

  Gong Yoo—A South Korean actor whose real name is Gong Ji Cheol. He is an internationally acclaimed star acting in massive hits like The Coffee Prince, Train to Busan and, most recently, Goblin. Adan was devastated when Gong Yoo did not come to Singapore for a fan-meet.

  Gyeongbokgung Palace—Built in 1395, it is also known as the Northern Palace and is the largest of Korea’s five palaces. It was destroyed during the Imjin War in the 16th century, but was rebuilt during the reign of King Gojong (1852–1919). It is located just south of the Blue House, where South Korea’s president lives.

  Hakgojae Gallery—Opened in Seoul in 1988 and in Shanghai in 2013, the gallery’s name is derived from the saying “to review the old to learn the new”. It focuses on modern art.

  Han River—An important historical landmark, the river is also known as the Hangang. It is the fourth longest river in Korea and flows through Seoul before joining the Yellow Sea.

  Horizon: Zero Dawn—An open-world action RPG video game that takes place in a post-cataclysmic earth in which the player takes control of Aloy, a female warrior who discovers the secrets of her world and fights off many robots that resemble animals.

  Hwayugi—Also known as A Korean Odyssey, it is a modern retelling of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. Produced by tvN and screened on Netflix for international audiences, it stars
Lee Seung Gi, Oh Yeon Seo, Cha Seung Won, Lee Hong Ki and Jang Gwang. Felicia and Adan don’t own the plushies from the series—yet.

  Insa-Dong—Located in the heart of Seoul, Insa-Dong is filled with art galleries, tea houses and restaurants. There are approximately 100 galleries there including the Gana Art Center and Hakgojae Gallery. On weekends, traffic is forbidden on the main street, which is converted to a cultural space with candy merchants, fortune tellers and traditional performances.

  Isaac Toast—Arguably the most popular breakfast toast in South Korea with 700 retail outlets there and branches in Malaysia, Taiwan and Macau. Felicia and Adan usually visit the Myeongdong branch where they have a seven different kinds of toast. There’s a newly-opened branch in Singapore at Plaza Singapura!

  Instanoodlegram—A social media site specifically for the uploading of food photographs. Adan and Felicia invented this site as a parody of Instagram, though now they kind of want to build a real one.

  King Sejong—The fourth king of the Joseon Dynasty who created the Korean alphabet, Hangeul, he was also known as Sejong the Great. He was also a strong supporter of science and technology, and is credited with the numerous scientific advancements that were made during his reign.

  K-pop—Short for Korean pop, it encompasses many musical styles and genres. Idol groups like Bangtan Boys (BTS), EXO and Twice are immensely popular outside of Korea. Felicia and Adan are big fans of K-pop and have attended many concerts.

  Lee Seung Gi—A “triple threat” Korean star, Lee Seung Gi debuted as a singer and is now also an actor and variety show entertainer. Felicia is waiting for him to release his new album.

  LEGO Dimensions—A toys-to-life platforming video game featuring various LEGO-ised characters from different franchises across pop culture. To play with the characters, players must purchase the LEGO toys that feature them, then place them on a gamepad in real life to play as the characters in the video game. Some of the franchises featured in the game include DC Comics, Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, Adventure Time, Harry Potter, Sonic the Hedgehog and Ghostbusters (both modern and original).

  Lotte FITIN—A popular fashion mall that’s located next to the Dongdaemun History & Culture Park.

  Myeongdong—One of the most popular shopping and dining districts in Seoul, Myeongdong has streets lined with popular Korean and international brands ranging from face care to fashion. In the evenings, the streets are lined with endless food carts selling delicious snacks.

  Pajeon—A green onion pancake made from eggs, rice and wheat flour, scallions and other ingredients like beef, pork, kimchi and seafood.

  Running Man—A highly popular weekly South Korean variety show on KBS that began on 11 July 2010. Every Sunday, the members go on missions and take part in challenges that are usually silly and hilarious. One of the most famous games is the nametag-ripping challenge, in which the members have to tear off the nametags stuck on the back of the other members to win the game and escape punishment (for example, having ice-cold water dumped on them in the winter). Felicia and Adan are Running Man addicts and were inspired to write this book because of how much they love the show.

  SEGA Master System—Released in Japan in 1985, in North America in 1986, in Europe in 1987 and in Brazil in 1989. The Master System was a direct competitor of the Famicom/NES but never reached the popularity of Nintendo’s console even though it used more up-to-date hardware. The sole exception was Brazil, where it is still being produced today by Brazilian electronic company TecToy, making it the longest-lived game console (33 years and counting).

  Sonic the Hedgehog—A blue, insanely fast hedgehog. Originally developed for the Sega Genesis video game system as a Super Mario-killer during the American console wars of the 1990s, Sonic has appeared in video games, cartoons, toys, comics and now LEGO.

  Spectrum ZX—Also known as the ZX Spectrum and the ZX81 Colour, this was an 8-bit personal home computer and video game console released in the UK in 1982. As one of the first mainstream-audience home computers in the UK, its significance is similar to that of the Commodore 64 in the US. The introduction of the Spectrum led to a boom in companies producing software and hardware for the machine, and it is credited as launching the UK IT industry. While the machine was officially discontinued in 1992, new software titles continue to be released, with over 40 so far in 2018.

  Splatoon—A third-person shooter video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii U console. The game features characters known as Inklings, which are kids who can transform between humanoid and squid forms, and hide or swim through coloured ink sprayed on surfaces using gun, bucket or brush-based weaponry. The game and its sequel (published on the Switch console) are very popular with parents and children for featuring non-lethal weaponry in a game genre usually inhabited by military-style combat.

  Telenovela—A type of soap opera that is popular in Spanish-speaking countries. The word combines tele, which is short for television in Spanish, and novela, the Spanish word for novel.

  Tteokbokki—Stir-fried rice cakes that are a very popular Korean snack. Often flavoured with gochujang, a spicy chili paste. Felicia and Adan ate this snack multiple times a day in Seoul.

  Video Game Alley—A hidden basement in Yongsan Electronics Market that is filled with all sorts of video games and consoles. Worth a visit just to see all the retro items not easily available elsewhere.

  WALL-E—A 2008 Pixar animated film starring a lovable robot of the same name. WALL-E is a robot who tidies up trash on a planet Earth full of rubbish before he goes on an adventure in space.

  Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo—A Korean television drama series by MBC about a female weightlifter who falls in love and tries to make it to the Olympics. It stars Lee Sung Kyung, Nam Joo Hyuk, Lee Jae Yoon and Kyung Soo Jin. The titular character lent her name to the Mysterious Mastermind.

  Wonder Boy in Monster Land—An action role-playing platform video game developed by Westone Bit Entertainment and released by Sega for arcade cabinets in 1987 and for the Master System in 1988. It is the sequel to the 1986 game Wonder Boy and takes place 11 years afterwards. Players control the titular Wonder Boy through 12 levels, making their way through Monster Land to find and defeat the villainous MEKA dragon. Players can earn gold by defeating enemies and use it to buy weapons, armour, magic and other items to help along the way. Adan has very fond memories of this game, which he played on his cousin’s Master System.

  Xiao long bao—A steamed dumpling filled with pork and broth. The dumpling skin is usually very thin so you need to handle it with care lest you spill all the deliciousness within. Adan can eat 10 xiao long bao in one sitting.

  Yongsan Electronics Market—Opened in 1988, it is a huge wholesale electronics market that is located next to Yongsan Train Station. The shops there sell most everything electronics-related from computer parts to really old video games consoles.

  ABOUT THE CHARACTERS

  SAMUEL TAN CHER LOCK a.k.a. SHERLOCK SAM

  A 11-year-old detective who tends to bite off more than he can chew, Sherlock Sam loves superheroes and comics. His heroes are Sherlock Holmes and Batman. Exceptionally curious and intelligent, Sherlock cannot resist a perplexing mystery, not even when it can get him in trouble.

  WATSON

  Less than two years old, Watson behaves more like a grumpy old man though he has remarkable similarities to a sulky toddler. He is often reluctantly drawn into Sherlock’s misadventures. Watson secretly wants to join S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Science division and create an army of like-minded robots.

  WENDY

  Wendy, Sherlock’s 12-year-old sister, can be a tomboy. Her arch-nemeses are mosquitoes and broken colour pencils, She is a talented artist and her favourite colour is green. Her Chinese is terrible.

  JIMMY

  Sherlock’s classmate, Jimmy, seems to have the super power to fall down without injuring himself. His enthusiasm for everything is infectious and no one can stay mad at him for long (that might be his other super power). He
loves the name “Benjamin”.

  NAZHAR

  Nazhar is a bookish boy who loves reading about history and is the big brother of the group. He is trying to learn more about the outdoors from Eliza but, unfortunately, Nazhar has a horrible sense of direction.

  ELIZA

  Eliza is an only child. Her parents have recently divorced which was very difficult for her. Though sometimes sar-castic and mean, Eliza has become a true ally of Sherlock Sam and a member of the Supper Club. She really loves My Little Pony and neat hair.

  DAD

  A brilliant engineer, Sherlock’s dad is constantly working on top-secret experiments. He cannot concentrate unless he is chewing on Red Vines, a twisty liquorice candy. He has never stopped reading superhero comics because he thinks that everyone needs heroes, no matter how old they are.

  MOM

  Sherlock’s mom is half-Peranakan and a genius in the kitchen. She loves reading books by Jane Austen and enjoys watching superhero movies more than she lets on.

  OFFICER SIVA

  Officer Siva is an experienced and insightful police officer with the Singapore Police Force, but he cannot work without his morning kopi. A trusted ally of Sherlock Sam, Officer Siva is studying Spanish because he’s addicted to telenovelas. He hopes they’ll be the new Korean dramas in Singapore.

  MORAN

  Moran used to belong to the Fiendish Mastermind, but now lives with Jimmy, his sisters, his Mama and Auntie Gina. Unlike Watson’s robotic voice, Moran sounds almost human. He also has an amazing moustache. He wants to be a chef.

  INSPECTOR GENEVIEVE LESTRADE

  A somewhat unorthodox INTERPOL agent from France who loves to cosplay randomly. Officer Siva calls her “con-spicuously inconspicuous”. Some of her previous costumes include: fire hydrant, mini-Eiffel Tower and bakery shop.