"Core of Petals" // SaiOma (REMAKE)

A Detective's Point of View

"Kaito... I think I like him," Shuichi murmured, a slight blush forming on his cheeks.

"Who? Ouma? Well if you trust him then it's fine but I sure as hell don't and you won't manage to make me," Kaito replied sourly, reading the book of notes Shuichi had created over the past few weeks. "Say, I'm surprised there's been no more murders yet."

"I, uh, mean-I mean more than a friend," Shuichi muttered, barely audible to Kaito's ears.

"Repeat that please. I barely heard you," Kaito said looking up from the rough, brown book before he noticed Shuichi's flushed profile.

"I mean more than a friend, Kaito," Shuichi answered.

"Eh-" Kaito gasped, letting the notebook drop from his fingertips, "you're kidding, right?"

Shuichi scrunched his face at the answer, giving Kaito his own.

"I thought you liked Kaede-" Kaito was cut off.

"Don't, bring Kaede up," Shuichi dropped his head to the floor, a dejected feeling washing over him, "She's... gone now."

The slight breeze from the ac pushed Shuichi's hair to the side in a quick swoop, "...what if he's the mastermind?" Kaito breathed, picking up the book again slowly.

"He's not," Shuichi snapped, suddenly in a protective state.

"Dude, chill. I don't give a fuck about who you like, it was just unexpected and I... don't want you getting hurt," Kaito replied bitterly, murmuring something under his breath soon after.

Shuichi looked away, the blush deepening on his face, "I know he wouldn't hurt me," he whispered to himself, before a fond smile crawled up onto his face.

Abruptly, Miu rushed into the room, falling to her knees once she reached her target, breathing heavily, "I think Ouma needs help," she gasped, catching her breath.

With a glance back at Kaito to see his confused face, he ran.

He caught himself on the pale grey wall beside him, scraping his sore arm and biting back an urge to yell.

"You were ready to tell me, so do so," he gasped, gaining back his breath from running, "it's important and needed."

Shuichi found this to be the only question he needed answers to as of that current time, and he didn't want to find out it was rhetorical. He just hoped it wasn't someone that's already been killed.

His heart dropped.

Putting all the clues together, that seemed to be one of the only possibilities. He quickly looked back up at Kokichi and gulped. He couldn't help but feel slightly jealous at the fact that it was someone else, it wasn't him. Inside, he felt his heart crack.

It was time.