Crimson Petals

Main Story

Heiji Hattori and Shinichi Kudo were inseparable best friends. They shared everything—adventures, mysteries, and a passion for solving crimes that brought them closer each day. But little did Heiji know that his heart harboured feelings for Shinichi that he couldn't bear to confront.

Despite their strong bond, Heiji sensed something unspoken between Shinichi and the phantom thief, Kaito Kid. Their interactions were filled with hidden glances and unspoken words that only he seemed to notice. As days passed, his unrequited love for Shinichi deepened, becoming a weight he found difficult to bear.

He tried to distance himself, thinking it would ease the pain in his heart. But the more he pulled himself apart, the stronger his feelings tugged at him. No matter how hard he tried to ignore it, his emotions just wouldn't cooperate. He hoped some distance might lessen the intensity, yet it only seemed to light the fire within him but he couldn't shake off those growing feelings, no matter how much he wished otherwise.

One afternoon, while he was solving a murder case in his home, he took a quick break from thinking. He couldn't quite understand this case.

"If only Kudo was here," Hattori said to, particularly, no one.

Just as he took a deep breath, a sudden fit of coughing seized him. He doubled over, a handkerchief pressed against his lips as he coughed up small, crimson petals. Panic surged through him, a mixture of confusion and fear gripping his heart.

Gasping for air, Heiji staggered backward, his mind racing to comprehend what was happening. The pain in his chest intensified with each cough, the sensation was like sharp thorns digging into his lungs.

"What.. What is this?.." He managed to say.

He struggled to reach his computer, then opened it to search for information on whatever this was.

He finally found it and when he read through it, he couldn't believe his eyes.

"Is this for real?.."

The search results showed that what was happening to him is called the 'Hanahaki Disease'. This is a disease in which the victim coughs up flower petals when they suffer from one-sided attraction. It ends when the beloved returns their feelings (romantic love only), or when the victim dies. It can be cured through surgical removal, but when the infection is removed, the victim's romantic feelings and their memories of that specific person / people also disappear.

"Then is there a meaning to those flowers too?" He seriously asked himself. He gathered all the petals and deduced that there were only four types of flowers.

"I have to figure out the names of these flowers first.." He stood up and changed his clothes. He hurriedly went to a flower shop.

"Hello, welcome to Hanafuku ! How may I help you?" The florist approached Heiji who was panting.

[Hanafuku is an actual flower shop in Osaka]

When he stopped panting, he opened his left hand to show the lady the petals.