Chapter 21:
"So you're actually, definitely, certainly, one hundred percent…" Shinichi was still not quite convinced.
"Are you done?" Well, everyone has a breaking point. "Unless multiple DNA tests unanimously have the same wrong results, there are no other ways. Besides…" He paused for dramatic effects.
"What?" Shinichi asked.
"Don't we look alike?" He signaled Kate sitting in his lap.
Nope.
The little girl looked up to him, then look to the left where the gang sat with much confusion. They huddled together on one side of the room while the two of them comfortably sat in the center on an armchair nonetheless.
"What do you do exactly?" Ran the sole person seemingly unaffected by the tense atmosphere broke the ice.
"Officially. Nothing. Unofficially. Classified." He replied almost instantaneously.
"Been prepping speech for the minister lately?" Akai put in.
"Hearsay."
/
"Right on time." He commented, checking the time on his watch as a flash of light whipped through the living room. Soon then a car made its way to Akai's front yard.
"You can survive Yukiko after all?" Michael asked while the rest were bewildered. The front door opened, revealing a man who should probably use a haircut.
"How long were you scheming this?" The man retorted. The moment Shiho saw him, Ran could feel her friend's sweaty palm squeezing down on hers.
"Scheming is such a bad word. Orchestrating. Conniving. Don't cheap down my work." And he managed too deadly serious.
Then the man took a look around the room and all those people. "What is this? Family reunion?"
Akai could feel a heavy caliber glare coming his way and got in front of it. "I did not know."
He flopped down on the opposite couch to the gang. "Get over here." He took it out on the smallest person in the room.
"Don't want to. I like Michael," which was a fine argument.
"I changed your diaper." But this was unquestionably a better one. With a few minorities of the Shuichi and well Ran, gobsmacked was an understatement for all of the mouths hanging in the air.
The girl reluctantly got off her cozy human cushion. But did she comply with his wish without putting up a fight? Nope.
Instead of sitting, she lied down with her feet up on his lap. "Turn around." He was pissed.
And she flipped over with her butt up in the air. "Turn around not turn over."
"I'm three." She thought, 'I'm allowed to be stupid or act like one.'
The door creaked open again to reveal the famous novelist. At the sight of him, Shinichi greeted, somehow felt more relieved. "Dad!"
"What's taking so long?" Gin turned his head toward the door and asked.
"She just got her new phone, sharing photos takes some time."
"Photos?" Shinichi looked confused.
"How do you suppose she knew your face, Conan kun? Michael smirked. If it wasn't due to your mother's over sharing nature.
Yusaku didn't say a word instead he walked up to the child and greeted. "You must be Kate. I'm Yusaku."
"Okay." She replied while Shinichi face palmed and recalled his own experience.
"Can I sit here?" He ignored his son's obvious discomfort.
"Sure. Not my house anyway." She shrugged, turned over then used her toe to what seemed like pinching on his arm with obvious glee at which point you could see the outline of a vein on Gin's temple.
Before he could react the door opened again, a mixture of laughter and voices slipped into the room.
Yukiko eyes immediately scanned the room, then zoomed in the smallest being. "Is that her?"
And Shinichi simply wished for the ground to open up and swallow him whole.
"Dear, come here." Vermouth said and Kate was quick to comply not knowing what was in place for her.
Yukiko has to crouch down to be on eye level with her. "Hi," is what she wanted to say, but it came out as a high screech version of your simple greeting.
She tilted her head, thinking. "Hi."
"You can call me Yukiko."
"Sure. Yukiko."
Thus began a series of awkward small talks ending with a bear hug following high screech screams while Shinichi was chanting I don't know her in his head like a mantra.
"Do you want full custody, too? She comes with health benefits." Gin asked innocently.
"What?" Yukiko could not believe her ears.
"Don't mind him, Yukiko. He will be gone soon enough." Vermouth reassured.
"Which is when exactly? Care to elaborate?" Michael pushed in the midst of everyone else's confusion. His voice was neutral, but his face shadowed with twisted desire.
"Tomorrow." Kate pulled on her mother's sleeve to get as much attention as possible and quite literately begged.
"Better yet. Now. I mean right now." He suggested and the rest held their breaths.
"Wouldn't you love that?" Vermouth answered which gave absolutely no information and casually pecked his cheek. "Come, Yukiko." She took her friend's hand and headed to the kitchen. "You don't want to be in the middle of them."
"Is that a no?" He just didn't give up.
"We'll see."
At the moment Akai pondered on his house ownership and possible restraining orders.
"Now how do I get rid of you?" Michael left the threat hanging.
"Do you want more sibling, too? I can make that happen." Gin smiled. The air suddenly smelt a lot like gun powder.
"Sibling." Kate muttered quietly.
/
"How close were they exactly?" Shinichi asked his father since he was quite taken by the fact that his mother didn't seem to care about his almost murderer.
The older Kudo sighed. "Let put it this way. Your mother brought me to New York just to introduce us. She didn't say it but…" He paused to mutter some courage. "It felt like…"
"Asking her hand in marriage?" Gin suggested.
He dismally nodded. "At one point there were threats involve. I thought she was kidding." The author remarked and earned a snort from Gin. Apparently this turn of new event was too comical to pass.
"Did you?"
"Well, I hoped." Yusaku sighed. He was young then and didn't have a clue the full extent of his dilemma.
"Seriously?" This wasn't a confirmation. This was a cry for explanation.
"They lived together for a while after the movie shoot." Yusaku revealed.
"The room overlooked central park." Gin gritted each words.
"She did mention something about the view." Yusaku commented and turned to Gin. "Can you believe it? My wife still has the key."
"What?" Gin snapped. The vein resurfaced.
"Don't mind him." Michael chimed in, pointed out. "I thought you were more comfortable breaking in."
"It wasn't the point."
"Ah! I see." Michael did a fine job faking revelation. "The point being she has one and you don't. It's nothing personal, really." He explained with a surreal sympathy. "Nobody else has the key except Yukiko."
"Why?" Shinichi sounded more curious than confuse. The part of genuine curiosity won out in the end, despite the ridiculous situation.
"Because it's Yukiko."
"What does that even mean?" No amount of detective's experience could prepare him for this.
"You know what I mean, don't you Gin? Sound familiar?" Michael ignored the boy and resumed his mocking effort.
The man snorted, but neither confirmed nor denied. "Women."
Yusaku silently agreed, because he knew exactly what Gin meant. He, too, heard that same ridiculous explanation all too often though, his version had a different name inputted at the end. What did that even mean?
"How long do you plan to stay?" Gin asked Yusaku, but what he really meant was 'how soon can I be rid of your wife?'
"Right now? She might as well move here." Yusaku commented sourly.