A/N: Okay, this is quite a long chapter... So it took me quite a while to write this one up. I hope you like this one anyways. I'll write more on the end of this chapter so I won't spoil anything.
The first file: New world, new life
Sub-file four: Kudous and the Mystery in Moonlight
During the next month Shugo spent his time getting acquintanted with both the Mouris and Kudous. Both families were nice. Eri and Kogoro were a bit arguing but truly loving couple and the chemistry between Yukiko and Yusaku was something amazing. Shugo loved it with them. He may not be able to see his own family ever again(except for Jade – sorry, Tsukiko) but he could always find new parent figures from this world.
"Shin-chan, Shuu-chan! The dinner is ready!" Yukiko called from the kitchen. The said boys looked up from their books, the Night Baron series, and grinned. Finally, they were getting hungry already.
"Yuu-chan, you too!" As Kudou Yusaku's study was the library, he was also there with the boys, trying to complete his latest work. It was about a murder in a train or something, like the Poirot mystery: Murder on the Orient Express.
"Coming, dear!" Yusaku called back. "Alright, boys… Go wash your hands and then go to eat. Yukiko is waiting."
"Hai!" Shugo and Shinichi got on their feet(as they'd been lying on their stomachs on the floor while reading) and hurried out of the big room of secrets. Shugo stopped by the door though and casted one last glance on the bookshelves before following the house owner's boy.
The food was good. Brilliant actually. Shinichi told Shugo how Eri couldn't cook at all. The other boy found it a bit hard to believe at but when he remembered the interactions in manga and anime, he agreed silently though he stated he hadn't tasted it while staying with the Mouris.
"Good, saved your tastebuds." The young detective kid nodded.
"Shin-chan, don't be mean." Yukiko berated her son. "Eri tries her best."
"She doesn't even realize herself that it tastes horrible!"
"Yukiko… You have to admit that it's true." Yusaku agreed.
"So…" Shugo popped a piece of chicken to his mouth. "Does that mean that Eri-obasan doesn't have tastebuds?" He asked with an innocent tilt of his head. He was becoming quite good at the childish behavior.
Yukiko stopped, considering the question and how she should answer to it. After all Eri was a dear friend of hers but at the same time she couldn't deny the facts. Meanwhile the three males on the table looked at her expectantly, waiting for the answer.
"Well… She does know when food is actually good and can appreciate good food…" The brunette began slowly. "I suppose she's just blind to her own cooking skills. So she does have tastebuds. They just don't work when she's cooking."
"Oh, I see." Shugo grinned. "Good that Yukiko-obasan has working tastebuds then. This food is great!"
"Thank you, Shuu-chan!" The woman beamed at the boy until she realized what she'd been just called. "But you know… It's not nice to call young ladies 'oba-sans'."
"It's not?" The boy asked in feigned confusion. "But you are an adult, right? Aren't adults called 'oba-sans' and 'oji-sans'?"
The wide innocent eyes made Yukiko speechless. While she didn't like – scratch that, she hated – being called 'oba-san', she couldn't fight the boy's logic. Thankfully Yusaku came to her rescue.
"Shugo-kun, you call Ishikawa-san 'nii-san', right?" The author asked while taking more food on his plate.
"Yeah!" Shugo nodded.
"He is an adult too, isn't he?"
"He is…" The boy admitted reluctantly.
"Why don't you call him 'oji-san' then?" The man questioned.
"Because he is so young! No… Not that Yukiko…-san isn't young, too." Shugo stammered to add when he sensed a murderous intent coming from his right. "But Yamato-niisan is a lot younger. He isn't even twenty."
"Is twenty-seven that old then?" Yukiko asked sadly. Damn, she was making a counterattack now. Shugo couldn't afford making her feel bad.
"No… It is also very young… My sister had an art teacher that every year when asked, said that her age was twenty-six… She said that after twenty-six, women stop getting any older. So you are very young, Yukiko-san." Shugo explained, waving his arms around and…
"A ha ha ha ha!" Shinichi bursted out laughing at the other side of the table. "You are funny, Midorikawa-kun."
"I'm not!"
"Yes, you are!"
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"No. I. Am. Not."
"Enough, boys. Eat your lunch." Yusaku interrupted the two before the argument – pointless but nevertheless amusing argument – could escalate.
"Hai!" The duo chorused and dug into their food on the plates. Yukiko and Yusaku exchanged smiles at their behavior before continuing eating too. And thus the matter was dropped.
"A ghost?" Shugo repeated with interest and looked up from his bentolunch. Ran nodded as an affirmation.
"Yes. Sonoko-chan heard about it from a guy who delivers new books to the library." The girl explained. "The ghost appears only during full moon and makes creepy noise while wearing a weird hat."
"I see… So the ghost is scary?" The boy grinned.
"Yes!" Came the immediate reply before Ran continued with quieter voice. "… I guess it is. It's a ghost after all."
"We could investigate it you know. It's full moon today."
"W-We?"
"Yeah. At least I'm going. You don't need to if you are scared." The boy grinned before continuing to eat.
When the night fell and moon began to shine, Shugo made his way back to the Teitan Elementary. He waited by the gate for half an hour before the voices of Shinichi and Ran floated to his hearing range.
"So… You brought Kudou along too?" The boy asked Ran.
"Yeah." The girl nodded.
"And you decided to come anyways despite being afraid of ghosts?"
"Yes…" This time the answer was much quieter and less confident. Shugo sighed.
"Okay. This is your decision and you are the one that informed us about this. I can't really send you away either… Especially in the middle of night…"
"Yeah, that'd be dangerous." Shinichi nodded. "Let's get in."
The trio proceeded trying to open the windows until Shinichi opened one he'd left open by the end of school day. The kids took off their shoes and climbed through the window.
"All right, let's go to the library!" Shinichi told the other two and headed already towards the library.
"Hold on." Ran was still half-way outside.
"Wait a second, Kudou." Shugo muttered whilst helping the girl. In a while they were by the library though and saw a shadow approaching the door from inside!
"In the library…" Shinichi froze.
"Someone's in there!" Ran gasped.
"Hide, quickly!" Shugo hissed and pulled the duo behind a corner. He almost rolled his eyes at them but remembered then that they were just seven. And children had a wild imagination.
"Phew, I was so scared!" Ran whispered once the kids saw it was just a security guy. The trio sneaked behind the man's back to the sanctuary of books as it was doubtful he would come that soon there again…
The library was dark and silent. The three first grades looked around with curiousity(Shin+Shu) and fear(Ran).
"G-Gh…Gho…" The only girl in their company froze completely. Shugo glanced at her and the shadow on the floor.
"What is it, Ran-chan?" The de-aged teen asked gently. He knew that Ran was sensitive and Shinichi's 'stupid' remarks didn't help at all.
"There's a ghost wearing a hat looking through the window! Shinichi!" The girl hid behind the detective kid. Shugo was slightly hurt at the action since he had been closer but understood it nevertheless. After all the two had known since forever and had crushes on each other… Not that neither of them realized it.
"Stupid! Look closely!" Oh, the brat was blushing. "The curtain's come off the hook, and it just looks like a person wearing a hat. The reason it only appears on fullmoon is because it needs plenty of moonlight for the shadow to appear this clearly. And this laughing sound is the wind coming through the gap in the window. That's pretty much all there is to ghost stories… As long as you can find a logical explanation…" He was really blushing.
"Say, Ran-chan… Where did Sonoko-chan hear about this ghost? I doubt she has come here in the middle of night…" Shugo asked suddenly when Shinichi was already heading for the door, muttering about waste of time.
"Ah, it was the man who brings new books here. He told Sonoko-chan about it." The future Karate champion answered.
"I see…"
"Guys, let's go home! There's nothing here…" Shinichi called. Shugo was about to retort but…
"Is that really so?" A man's voice asked behind the three kids. "All you did was read the beginning of the novel's summary and you're acting like you've seen through everything…" There was a man sitting on top of one of the bookshelves, reading a book.
"This world is a lot more deep and full of mysteries…" The book was closed and the mysterious man jumped down from the shelf. Shinichi stepped forward in a protective gesture over Ran. Shugo in the other hand crossed his arms, observing everything attentively.
"WHAT?! Who are you?" The detective kid demanded.
"Me?" The man chuckled, while placing the book on the nearby table. "I'm your sibling… Well, I guess I should say, your younger brother…"
"His younger brother?" Shugo questioned with an arched eyebrow. Kami-sama, the man must've wondered who he was since Shinichi and Ran were near panic while Shugo himself was as calm as one could be.
"Yeah…" The man nodded. "Although pretty far in age." Okay, apparently that statement creeped the other two out of their mind.
"Ran! Bring the security guy here! Hurry!" Shinichi yelled.
"OK!" Ran went to the door and tried to open it. Naturally it didn't budge. Shugo went to help her, just casting a fleeting glance on the broom blocking it but then trying the door too.
"It won't open, Kudou."
"What?!"
"It's no use. My spell has been cast on that door. It only listens to me…" Way to freak out kids… But then you probably needed them not to think straight so they'd just go to Kudou Yusaku with the riddle thus delivering the message of '?'. "Anyways, I actually didn't come here to fight with you. I came here to challenge you…"
"Challenge Kudou?" Shugo repeated, his head perking up in interest.
"To see if you can find the treasure in here…" The wallet made of oxhide was offered.
"T-Treasure?" Shinichi stuttered.
"If you can find it, you win… I'll give you the treasure and I'll tell you who I am. Now whether you accept this or not is up to you, but if you accept I'll undo the spell on the door, and you'll be able to escape from here and return to your nice warm bed at home…" It was indeed quite chilly in there… Kotatsu table would be so nice… "If you don't accept, you'll have to spend the rest of your life in this dark and cold room that makes your blood freeze…"
Shugo shivered. This was creepy. And while he wasn't as easily spooked as Jade/Tsukiko – or Ran – this whole situation was slowly getting on his nerves.
"By the way, I love blood and I love red things…" And taking a knife out while speaking like that makes you look like child killer!
"I'm not…" Ran began. "I'm not scared of that at all! We're not gonna listen to anything that a bad guy like you say!" Brave, brave Ran-chan… Shugo smiled faintly at her outburst.
"I'll accept…" Shinichi said quietly, surprising both Ran and Shugo. The boy hadn't remembered that the other had accepted the challenge this easily. Although Shinichi was still a child. A real child.
"Huh… Now that's Kudou Shinichi, my older brother…" The wallet was flipped in the air and the man aimed the knife. The sharp blade flew through the air, puncturing the wallet and sticking itself on the door. It had flown right between Ran and Shinichi. The attention of all three kids went to the knife.
"Why you! What're you trying to…" Shinichi turned back to yell at the man… who was gone. When Shinichi went to pull the knife out of the door, Shugo looked around the library in the case the man still was there. He couldn't see any glimpse of him though…
"As expected from Kaitou Kid Senior…" The boy smirked.
"Hey, Shinichi… Are you really gonna accept it?" Ran was asking nervously.
"Yeah… My dad always said not to run away from a fight!" The son of a mystery author stated.
"But the oji-san just now… He was creepy like a demon…"
"You got that right, Ran-chan." Shugo admitted, finally turning to face the duo. "That man definitely was scary."
"Whether the devil or a demon, I could care less! I just wanna find out who he is." Shinichi announced when pulling out the clue paper from the wallet. "Along with the answer to this code!"
"Is that so?" The kinda-shrunken kid next to the chibi detective asked skeptically.
"Yes. I want to find out that guy's identity by answering this code he made!"
"But, but! If that person does more strange magic, you might die, Shinichi!" Ran told the arrogant boy.
"Magic?" Shinichi frowned.
"Look! Just now he cast a spell that closed that door that was open before!"
"Ba~ka! Look real closely!" The kid scoffed. "There's a mop leaning across the door, right? Tie a string around the mop's handle, hang that thread from a hook over the top… When we entered library, he pulled the string, causing the mop to run across the door and close it! From where he first was… on top of the bookshelf!" And the boy had all his confidence back. Shugo sighed. Kudou was going to be soo annoying now…
"He said a lot of annoying things to scare us, but he's just a magician! A blundering magic user who forgot to hide how his trick was done!"
One eyebrow quirked up as Shugo listened the other boy boasting. Really? Shinichi didn't even consider that the mop was left in place on purpose?
Clap! Clap! Clap. Clap…
The duo turned to watch Shugo who was clapping slowly.
"Well done Kudou… Your observation skills and level of arrogance are just astounding! Tell me, are all detectives this self-centered?"
"What do you mean?" Shinichi growled.
"Nothing, nothing… you just should sometime look from the point of view of other people too instead of staring at your own navel because… surprise! The world doesn't revolve around you!" Shugo threw his hands up and walked past the kids. "I'm going to take my leave since the challenge was obviously for you and the case with the ghost is now solved. That's why I came here originally."
"Eh? Aren't you going to find out who that man is then?" Ran asked.
"Nope. At least not like Shin-chan…" The said boy's eye twitched. Shugo paid no heed and picked up the knife from the floor and examined it. It was a nice looking knife indeed. "I'm not going to play by the rules in this little detective game of yours… I'll trust you to get Ran-chan safely home, okay?"
And with a cheery wave of the ornate knife, the shrunken computer geek slinked out of the door. He had a magician under the moonlight to find.
Shugo was by the desk doing some coding when the housephone rang. Seriously, where were all the cell phones? The boy sighed. It would still take a few years… He couldn't even use his own phone since it would cause questions.
In any case Yamato went to answer it.
"Ishikawa speaking… Eri-san?" The blonde man blinked in surprise. "Yes, Shugo just came home… I asked him, yes… I take it that Ran-chan came safely home too… Well, isn't that the main point? …Listen, Eri-san. Just call Yukiko-san, I'm sure Shinichi-kun had some effect on this too. Shugo says that it was Ran-chan who told about a ghost at the school library and the three went to investigate it. Why it took so long, he didn't say since the ghost was just a broken curtain… Yes, I'll talk with her tomorrow then. Good night, Eri-san." The receiver was placed on the cradle. Yamato stood still for a moment, contemplating what he should say while Shugo continued his typing without slowing down. Finally the young man turned around and leaned against the kitchen wall.
"So?" Shugo glanced up. "What did she say?"
"Nothing special. Inquired about your whereabouts since Ran-chan said she'd been with both you and Shinichi-kun…" The green-eyed man trailed off and scratched absent-mindedly the back of his head. "You know, if you three were ten years older, it'd be worried what two boys and a girl were doing at school after lessons but since you are kids…"
"I'm not a kid, but I understand what you are getting at."
"Good. Then we don't need to have this awkward conversation. What are you doing anyways?"
"I'm making some basic coding known in my time and my world. I'm also looking information about one Kuroba Toichi-san."
"Kuroba… Toichi?"
"Yes. That's right." Shugo nodded. "Problem?"
"No, not at all… I was just wondering what he has to do with anything." Yamato frowned. The boy opposite him glanced at him briefly before smiling smugly.
"You'll see when it's the time."
It was the next day. Shugo was on his way to the Kudou house. There he was greeted by the sight of Eri Kisaki talking to Yukiko Kudou at the front door of the Kudou house and being… quite flustered.
"What? He took Ran with him again?!" The young defense attorney shouted. "Your son did?"
"Yeah…" Yukiko nodded. "She came this morning, and both of them went out in the car with Agasa-san from next door… I think they said something about going to Haido port…"
"Ha-Haido port? There was a murder there last night…"
"Oh, I don't think it's much of problem." Yusaku stepped into the doorway. "I heard the murder was solved this morning. Plus it's holiday after all… Rather than be cooped up in the house all day engrossed in watching TV or playing games, it sounds much better to go beyond the doors, and to go on an adventure out of curiosity. These days my son has been doing nothing but read book, so we really should be grateful to your daughter for taking him out of the house!"
"Uh, wasn't your son the one who took her?" Eri argued. It was when Shugo decided to step on the yard.
"Heeeh? Ran-chan and Shin-chan already left?" He asked innocently, his eyes wide.
"Shuu-chan?" Yukiko noticed the boy. "Yes, they left a while ago. Were you supposed to go with them?"
"Well… not really." The boy shuffled his feet. "I didn't really know about their plans but guessed they'd leave today at some point to solve that riddle…"
"A riddle? Shinichi had one written on a card yesterday." Yusaku mused.
"Yeah… We got it from the library…" Shugo wasn't exactly sure how much he could say. In a way the meeting in the library was supposed to be a secret because Shinichi was so damn proud and stubborn.
"The library? Shin-chan said it was from your teacher." Yukiko frowned. The boy opened his mouth and closed it. Cue a perfect expression of he had said something he shouldn't have.
"Oh…"
"Shugo-kun, did something happen at the library?" Eri was quick to start interrogating him. Talk about the lawyer at work, the Queen of Courtroom was about to be born soon.
"Well… Shin-chan was challenged to solve a riddle by the ghost of the library… I wasn't interested at first but today I… changed my mind."
"A ghost of the library? But that was just a broken curtain!"
"Yes, it was originally. But there was another ghost. A magician who introduced himself as Shin-chan's younger brother even though he looked like an adult!"
"Younger brother?" Yusaku repeated quietly before an enigmatic smile spread on his face.
"That's what he said…"
"I see. I'm sure they are going to be fine then. Agasa-san is with them after all."
"You know who this is about?" Eri glared at the author.
"I have a hunch…"
"Liar…" Shugo thought.
"Well, in any case I had another matter to come here today too." The bespectacled female said. "I got a 'thank you' call from the police headquarters for Yusaku-san. 'Thank you for you cooperation! Thanks to you, we were able to protect the jewelry.' That's what they wanted me to tell you…"
"Oh, that…" Yukiko smiled as she looked up at her husband. "The case where Yusaku chased away the mysterious thief!"
"No no, I suppose it would be more correct to say the thief cleverly managed to escape…" The man chuckled. Shugo's mouth opened again. Mysterious thief! they were talking about Kaitou Kid the First!
"But why did they call your house?"
"Apparently they called many times yesterday evening, but the line was disconnected…"
"Hmmm. I wonder why it was so…" Shugo grinned and looked meaningfully the one Yusaku Kudou who began sweating under the glare of his wife and stuttering an explanation.
"Anyway…" Eri began making her leave. "If those kids call you, tell my daughter to come home right away."
"Eh? You're going home? At least stay and have a cup of tea or something…" Yukiko protested.
"I can't be relaxing now! My first trial is next week, so I have lots of arrangements and preparations to make…"
"That's right, you're a beginning lawyer! Good luck!"
"Good luck, Eri-obasan! I'm sure you'll do a brilliant job, like a Queen of the Courtroom!" Shugo reassured the woman too.
"Thank you." Eri smiled brightly. "But if I do get beaten really bad, I can leave it up to you to cheer me up then…"
"Sure thing, Eri-obasan!" The boy grinned.
"Come to think of it, weren't you supposed to meet with someone?" Yusaku noted to his wife when the rookie attorney left. "You know, with that magician. The one you used to be pupil under, to receive help on role-making."
"Aah, I completely forgot! That's right, I made plans for a meeting, to write an essay!" Yukiko gasped. "If you're free, wanna come too, Yuu-chan? Since you're finished with the manuscript…"
"You apprenticed under a magician?" Shugo interrupted. "Why did you do that, Yukiko-obasan?"
"Well… I had a role of a spy for one of my movies and needed help with building the character. My mentor really helped me with the art of disguise." The former actress told the boy. "And haven't I told you not to call me 'Oba-san'?" Oh, the pulsing vein appeared again.
"But Yukiko-obasan hasn't explained why." Shugo smiled innocently. "Besides art of disguise sounds so cool! Can you tell me more?"
"Sure. It's a bit of time until I need to leave after all." The trio went inside of the house. That day Shugo learnt in detail about Yukiko's disguise ability and her friendship with American actress Sharon Vineyard.
"We apprenticed together and that's how we got to know each other. Though, Sharon was much more talented than I." The woman explained.
"So who was this magician then?"
"Kuroba Toichi-san, he is quite famous nowadays. He was already famous back then but even more so now." Cue a fangirling moment. Shugo sweatdropped. Apparently Yukiko would always be a fangirl of handsome and cool men. Kuroba Toichi, Akai Shuichi…
"I see. He sounds like a cool guy then." The boy sipped the apple juice from a glass he had been handed.
"Now, when I told you a lot, why don't you tell me more about this escapade of yours, Shin-chan's and Ran-chan's?" It was that aura! The same dangerous aura Yukiko had behind her whenever someone called her 'Oba-san'! It was now behind her again. Shugo gulped. So this was the game she was playing…
"But I don't really know…"
"Really now, Shuu-chan… You stated clearly that there was a 'ghost' other than the curtain… One who challenged Shin-chan and gave him the riddle, right?"
"Y-Yeah… I guess they are solving the riddle right now… Shin-chan is too stubborn to ask help you know…"
"Hmm, he did make up an excuse for the note." Yukiko mused and got up from the sofa of the Kudou library. Shugo remained sitting and just followed her with his eyes. "Well, I must go and prepare myself for my meeting… Which reminds me… Would you like to accompany me? Yuu-chan refused so I thought…"
"Yukiko-obasan would really take me to meet him? Kuroba Toichi-san?"
"Yes!" Apparently the woman didn't feel like correcting the boy anymore. Point to Shugo!
It was late evening when Shugo and Yukiko met Kuroba Toichi. The males were introduced to each other and Shugo expressed his interest in magic. He didn't even need to lie. Both he – as Lari – and Jade had enjoyed watching Cirque du Soleil from television back home and even in this world Shugo and researched magic shows. Who knew… maybe there was even Troupe Gramaye somewhere in this world… In America though… No wait! There was The Hopper Magician Troupe in this world! The boy would definitely check it out in due time.
"Achoo!" Toichi sneezed suddenly in the middle of the interview.
"Oh, is it a cold?" Yukiko asked concernedly and stopped note-taking.
"No, just someone spreading a cheap rumor probably… After all, we magicians are con artists who play around behind people's backs…"
"Oh come on, a con artist?" The actress laughed.
"But it's such a shame that Mr. Kudou couldn't make it…" The famous magician mused before beginning to state his opinion again. "Well… I guess it's more correct to say I'm relieved. My techniques are nothing more than a house built on sand in front of him… I feel as if he'll see through them in an instant."
"But Kuroba-san, Yusaku-ojisan is an exception, right? Normal people don't do that. And even when Yusaku-ojisan figures something out, he doesn't go around boasting around. Right, Yukiko-obasan?" Shugo looked up at the woman sitting next to him.
"Well, Yusaku does have more modesty and tact than… say…" Yukiko trailed off in thought.
"Shin-chan. He has an arrogant streak in him."
"And who is this… 'Shin-chan'?" Toichi asked with interest.
"Kudou Shinichi. Yukiko-obasan's son and my classmate. I usually call him just 'Kudou' but sometimes… especially when I'm annoyed with him, I call him 'Shin-chan'." Shugo replied with a full childlike seriousness. He was becoming quite good with his act but he couldn't wait until his body grew up more and he could stop pretending. But he surely wouldn't stop calling people by childish nicknames… He'd definitely pick some more.
"Is that so? What has he done then so annoy you this time?" The magician chuckled. Shugo glanced at Yukiko to ask permission.
"Go ahead, Shuu-chan. It's not like I know all the facts either." The woman smiled and took a sip from her drink.
"'kay!" The boy grinned. "You see, Kuroba-san… Shin-chan, our friend Ran-chan and I were in the school's library last night and encountered a ghost. Stuff happened and the ghost challenged Shin-chan in a battle of wits. He got us three pretty scared by locking the door to the library…" Shugo trailed off for a second. It was weird accounting events to someone who was there like they weren't. "In any case the ghost eventually left, undoing the trick on the door. When we discussed abou the situation, Ran-chan got nervous about the door being locked again so Shin-chan explained how it had been done. And then he said – and I'll quote him exactly – 'He said a lot of annoying things to scare us, but he's just a magician! A blundering magic user who forgot to hide how his trick was done!' That pissed me off and I left then…"
"That was pretty rude indeed." Toichi thought aloud.
"And arrogant. I don't like arrogant people…" Shugo muttered with a childish pout.
"Well, Shin-chan is still just a child. He will learn eventually to tone it down." Yukiko smiled. "But in the other hand you, Kuroba Toichi-san… You don't need to be so modest. After all you are one of 'The Seven Knights I have met'.
"Those essays, I take a look at them every time… My wife happens to be a fan of it, so…"And thus the conversation turned back on its right tracks for a few seconds before.
Puff
A rose appeared right in front of Yukiko.
"You can have this!" A messy haired boy was offering the rose to the actress. "'cause Oba-san, you're really pretty!"
"Oi, Kaito…" Toichi lifted the boy down from his lap where he had climbed on just a moment ago.
"My, what an energetic child!" Yukiko giggled. "But you know what? Do you know you're not supposed to use 'Oba-san' and 'pretty' together?" The dark aura flashed again but not so badly than usually. Maybe because she had already given up on correcting Shugo about the matter and Kaito was a new child. In any case…
"Besides I'm the only one allowed to call Yukiko-obasan, 'Oba-san'." Shugo chirped in cheerfully. "If I were you, I'd dread carefully around her, Kaito the Kid."
At the latter statement the reactions of the occupants of the table varied a lot. Toichi Kuroba blinked and almost an unnoticeable frown appeared on his face. He obvious caught the hidden meaning and when Shugo met the magician's eyes for a second and smirked, those thoughts were confirmed. Yukiko was just puzzled why Shugo suddenly spoke in English and Kaito… well, he didn't understand anything else but his name.
"Eh?" The magician's son just uttered with confused tilt of his head. Shugo just grinned with his finger in front of his lips.
"Shh… It's a secret. And secrets are what make the life interesting, no?"
"I guess." Kaito shrugged and went on his way. With a little prompting from Yukiko, Shugo went after him and left the adults converse with each other.
The boys discussed all sorts of things. Future, magic, school, family… The time went on quite quickly. Then was the time to leave. Toichi came to pick up Kaito but right before they left, he gave his business card to Shugo, 'to discuss about secrets'. The boy just grinned at that told the man not to worry. He didn't even answer to Yukiko's enquires about the matter, just smiled. The actress interpreted it as a joy of receiving the phone number of one's idol.
A/N: And done. There's some things I just couldn't resists... Like Shugo calling Shinichi 'Shin-chan'. And getting away from calling Yukiko 'Yukiko-obasan'... Naturally, eh will grow out of some of those in due time... but not for a while. He does things to annoy people after all. :)
As you can guess from this chapter, I've been watching Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney game walkthroughs in YouTube. Shugo is a fan of those games I decided. Tsukiko isn't. She knows them but hasn't gotten into the 'fandom'. Troupe Gramaye for example is a reference to AA series. More references might come in future.
Oh, by the way... The relation between Shugo and Shinichi will always remain a bit... I don't know if explosive is the right word for it but Shinichi's arrogance will always rub Shugo tot he wrong way. And with Shinichi thinking that Shugo might attempt stealing Ran away... Well... I guess one could compare it to the relationship between Kaito and Saguru. With less flirting though.
Replies to Reviews:
-BallerinaGin4Evr:
I'm glad you liked. Shugo is good at nicknames. ;)
-Kitty Katrona:
Thank you very much! :D
-Lutias'Kokopelli:
Thank you. I've found that making plot twist in a way that readers don't anticipate it, is quite hard. But it's fun! Especially when I see how the readers react to those.