Detective Conan

The Mystery Writer's Critic

By

Sgamer82

Yukiko Kudo was generally a cheerful woman. She shone brightly wherever she went, bettering the days of those she encountered. It was one of the traits her husband Yusaku adored about her. Watching her pace around the dining room in an angry tirade was no less attractive. It was, however, noticeably louder.

"That two-bit hack!" Yukiko snarled as she slapped the magazine onto the dining room table for the third time. "Predictable? Dragged out? Terrible characterization? Just who does this guy think he is?!"

Yukiko looked like she was resisting the urge to spit on the offending magazine itself.

"The man probably thinks he's a critic for a nationwide literary magazine." Yusaku chuckled from his seat at the table. "Honestly, one would think he had given you the bad review."

"Someone has to be angry, since you don't seem to be, Yu-chan!" Yukiko retorted. "How can you be so calm about it? He absolutely railed against you!"

"I suppose I'm just in shock." Yusaku shrugged. "It's my first time receiving such terrible feedback. And after I followed all of the advice my editors gave me, too."

Yukiko glared at the magazine.

"I just can't believe that-wait, what did you say?" Yukiko's rant stopped mid sentence to stare perplexed at her husband. "You… you followed your editors' advice?"

Yusaku nodded. Yukiko's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You hate following your editors' advice."

Yusaku nodded again. A grin spread across Yukiko's face.

"And now you've written a critical flop because you did so."

Yusaku began grinning as well.

"There's a reason this book was a standalone and not part of the Night Baron series," he told her.

Yukiko responded by sitting herself in Yusaku's lap.

"You brilliant, brilliant man!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Those editors of yours won't be able to dictate what you write after this."

"Just in time for a few particular reveals in my next Night Baron." Yusaku embraced Yukiko around her waist. "I should be able to get what I want without too much trouble for a few books, at least. Eventually the cut will heal and we'll have to do it all again."

"I love watching you outsmart people," Yukiko said sweetly, then grimaced and gave Yusaku a playful slap on his cheek. "Was I included in this manipulation of yours?"

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"Well, I hardly speak to your editors, so it's not like you couldn't tell me what you were planning," she said. "Instead, you let me see the review, work myself into a temper, and now that I know what's going on I'm left with all this pent up energy and nothing to do with it." Yukiko's eyes narrowed and a very different kind of grin appeared in her face. "Unless, of course, you planned for that, too"

Yusaku grinned even wider and stood up from his seat. Once he and Yukiko were both on their feet, Yusaku swept Yukiko off of hers and into a bridal carry. She yelped in surprise while Yusaku adjusted himself to her weight.

"I might have an idea or two," he said.

"Yu-chan, it's the middle of the day," she told him.

"So we remember to close the blinds?"

"Precisely."

Approximately nine days later, the critic that ravaged Yusaku Kudo's book received a gift basket with, much to his confusion, a letter of thanks from Kudo himself.

Approximately nine months later, the same critic was left bemused when he received a gift basket which included a birth announcement for the son of Yusaku and Yukiko Kudo