Circle: 30 Sweet Cases – a compilation of fanfics: both sweet and full of angst and mysteries, all concentrating on Osaka boy and his best friend… Not sure if all will be chapters of one story-plot, or separate ones.

Title: Secret
Fandom: Detective Conan
Characters Heiji/Kazuha
Theme: #13 Love letter

Inspiration: 'Secret of my heart' by Kuraki Mai
Rating: R
Summary: Kazuha has a secret crush, but who is it? Love letters seem to haunt Heiji, because it is the only clue he has in the murder case.

This chapter rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: The DC universe is not mine, or I would make the story in manga. It belongs to Gosho Aoyama.

Spoiler warning: Well, only few little ones, but I'm sure every KazuhaxHeiji fan knows them already…


There is nothing better than staying in a warm and dry room, while it's raining heavily outside. Or so Kazuha thought. Heiji thought otherwise. Jogging in the rain is both refreshing and good for health and he was disappointed when Kazuha refused to go outside with him. Instead she requested that he will accompany her till it stops raining. She didn't manage to persuade him easily, but she promised him a cake and tea if he stayed. That convinced the young detective. There is nothing better than Kazuha's home-made cake.

But Heiji was getting bored waiting for Kazuha to return from the kitchen. He lay on her bed, his stare focused on the ceiling. Not that there was something interesting, he just didn't have anything else to do. Kazuha would beat him up, if he would touch any book or other item in her room. She hated when someone looked into her drawers and Heiji was no exception.

He yawned loudly, stretching himself, while one of his hands run under the pillow.

'Huh?' he asked himself, felling that something strange is under it. He rolled over and raised the pillow, only to reveal a sheet of paper. He blinked and without thinking he reached for it and scanned it quickly with his eyes, which widened instantly.

He took a deep breath and started reading: 'My dearest… This is my only hope – this letter to you. I'll probably never have the guts to tell you this in person. I'm afraid of your reaction and answer. I know that you don't… That you can't return my feelings, but it's killing me, that I have to hide it and I can't take it any longer. I… like you. I really, really like you. In fact, I'm afraid that I might even love you. And that is making me feel even worse, as…' Heiji heard footsteps coming from the hall, so he quickly put the sheet under the pillow. His mind was racing and his heart was beating fast. 'Ka-Kazuha wrote a love letter?!'

"Sorry for the long wait!" the girl smiled sheepishly, while putting the cups on the table. "I even thought that we run out of tea! Gladly it was only dad – he put it in the wrong cupboard" she sighed placing the piece of cake in front of Heiji. That's when she turned her attention to him, only to blink in surprise. His eyes were completely blank, his cheeks had a tint of blush on them. He looked like he encountered some kind of embarrassing situation. Kazuha concluded that he didn't expect such a delicious looking cake, as his gaze was focused on the plate. She smiled proudly and sat beside him, on the floor.

Heiji didn't hear what Kazuha was saying. He haven't even noticed the plate in front of him. He just was spacing out and thinking. 'Ok, that was a LOVE LETTER. When do girls write it? When they have someone, that they have a crush on. Who in the hell, would this Ahou like? Let's see, someone in school? Or maybe…'

"Heiji, are you listening to me?!" Kazuha shouted right to his ear, causing him to flinch.

"Wha-What? Ahou! Can't you see that I'm thinking?!" he shouted back. Kazuha crossed her arms, looking disappointed. "So even such a thing like a murder or my home-made cake are not enough for you?" Heiji blinked, looking on the table, noticing the cake. In three fast moves, he eaten it, turning his attention back to Kazuha. "What about this murder?" he asked, forcing back the thoughts of her love-life.

"Eh… You didn't have to eat it so quickly" she pouted, but continued speaking. "You know that new transfer student from our school? His name is Kai. He was accused of committing a murder, few days ago. I feel sorry for him. He's a nice guy, he even sometimes helped me with homework. I can't believe that he could do such a thing…"

Heiji suddenly jumped into a conclusion: 'So he is her secret crush!'. But he told her instead, to continue the story. Kazuha smiled gladly, seeing that she had his full attention now.

"I only now the rumors, but they look like they're all true. He killed his roommate. They had an argument which resulted into a fight. Kai is a boxer, so he easily beaten his friend. But because of alcohol, he beaten him up to death…" She sighed and took a sip of tea. Allowing Heiji to think about the whole situation. But Heiji was more interested in Kazuha's body language and expressions.

He noticed, that her gaze softened, every time she enounced this guy's name and that she had a tint of light, pinky blush on her cheeks, while speaking. Plus she looked like she is somewhat uptight and upset. He sighed and rested his chin on his hand, signalizing that he is thinking. "So what was this fight about?" He found himself asking.

"I believe it was about a girl" she answered somewhat sad and Heiji just couldn't stand it anymore. He rose up and stretched himself, trying to cool off a bit. 'Great. She's in love with a murderer. A daughter of a police-officer is in love… Argh, enough!'

"Kazuha… Can I ask you something?"

She looked up, eying him suspiciously. "It depends…"

Heiji ignored her answer. "I get the feeling that even though we are friends, I don't know anything about you" he admitted bitterly, causing Kazuha to blink. That wasn't a question that she expected.

"Erm, so wha-what do you want to know about me?" She asked him confused.

"For example, what are your hobbies…"

"Aikido, omens, talismans and shopping" she answered instantly, blinking even more. She was sure that Heiji KNEW that already.

"Or what is your favorite color…"

"Green, blue, red, black". Ok, now that was something she was sure he knew! She began to wonder where this was getting at.

At the same time Heiji was fighting with himself. 'How am I supposed to ask her?' He swallowed hard. "Or…"

"Or?"

'No I can't!' He blushed furiously. "Or what cup of bra do you wear…"

"Cup B… Wha-What?!" she cried out when she heard what she just said, covering her breasts with one hand and covering her mouth with the other.

"Ahou" Heiji said softly. "You didn't have to answer that, I was just kidding". He looked on a blushing hardly Kazuha and felt weird. He shook his head and left the room, leaving a very embarrassed Kazuha. He quickly get out of the house. Hearing that he left, Kazuha rushed to the window, opening it.

"You perverted Ahou!!!" She shouted "I will never forgive you that!". Heiji just smiled, not looking back on her. At the same time he received a phone call. There was a murder, not far away from where he was. Heiji stopped walking and took a deep breath. Jogging would clear his mind and a case didn't sound bad either…


"The victim is a 30-years old woman named Shindou Hikaru. She was stabbed by a knife from behind four times in the heart. Here it is" the officer handed Heiji a knife packed in a transparent sack. "The estimated time of death is 3 pm. So she is dead for about two hours. The body was found by her neighbor, Tanaka Kazuhiro, half an hour ago. We questioned him already, he was returning from work, when he found her. We checked his alibi too. He's clear." the officer read the information form his note-book, while Heiji was scanning the crime scene.

The body of a woman was lying on the floor, next to the front door of her flat. Her head was twisted, revealing the shocked expression on her face. She was wearing all her clothes and it looked like she wasn't robbed. One of her hands was inside her coat pocket.

Heiji took the gloves from the police officer and started his investigation. First he examined the locked door, but there weren't any signs of blood on it. Heiji got the feeling that something is wrong, as there weren't any blood stains on the wall either, but decided to leave it for the time being. He turned his attention to the woman, curious why she had her hand in the pocket. He asked if the photos of her were already taken and can he took her hand out of the pocket. When he got a positive reply, he took her hand out. He noticed that she was holding a piece of paper. He carefully took it from her and begun to read. His eyes widened. "… like sunshine. You are my star, that is showing me direction, every time I'm lost and don't know what to do. Please forgive me when I come to take you heart with me. Only a little piece of it is ok with…" the text ended here.

"Is this a…?" one of the officers asked confused.

"Yeah, it's a love letter. It looks like the murderer wanted to take it, but he didn't notice that she was holding this part so strongly. He must have been in a hurry or was too nervous, so the letter was torn out." He examined the back of the sheet. "Huh?" he blinked. "There is more. Listen: '…tomorrow. Don't be scared. I promise. Don't worry, it won't hurt. How could I hurt you? My love, my dearest rose. I just want you to bloom and reveal your beautiful crimson color. Maybe then you won't dismiss me for the fifth time…' Oh my god" Heiji shook away the shock. "This letter has warned her about the murder!"

"But Hattori-kun, how can you…"

"Listen carefully. 'Please forgive me when I come to take your heart with me. Only a little piece' – this part refers, that she will be stabbed right in the heart. 'I just want you to bloom and reveal your beautiful crimson color' means that he wants to see her blood…Plus this part: 'Maybe then you won't dismiss me for the fifth time' means why he stabbed her four times – because she refused to go out with him four times already. But speaking again about the blood…" Heiji turned his attention back to her clothes. "See? There aren't any blood stains on the wall, but her outfit is soaked in blood. Even her face is covered in it… Huh?" Heiji noticed something weird on her face and took a closer look. "It can't be" he whispered to himself. "It seems that she was kissed just before the murder. Her lipstick appears to be smeared".

"But why do you assume that she was kissed?" one of the officers asked. "Maybe her mouth was covered so she wouldn't scream?"

"Have you ever kissed a woman?" Heiji asked, smirking/ "Look: the lipstick is smeared to only one side, from the bottom lip. When you kiss, you mostly cover woman's mouth with your own, right?" He leaned forward in the direction of the woman's head. "See? You would have your lips like this. And when you're kissing, you move you lips together. But this was a quick kiss, that she hadn't awaited. So the murder kissed her bottom lip, probably making her gasp and took the opportunity to stab her form behind. She was shocked both from the kiss and the attack and that would explain her shocked expression. The smeared blood on her face, was applied by the murder himself. He took her head in his hands, like I'm doing now, probably looking on her before leaving." Heiji stood up, turning his attention to the door. "If she had so much lipstick, it means that she had applied it in a short time before the murder occurred. Do you know where she was earlier?"

"Yes. She was in the nearby café. She always went there after work. One of the witness mentioned that she was having cappuccino and she left after drinking it…"

Heiji brought his hand to his chin, resting his head on it. "So it appears that she hadn't applied it then…"

"Oh, but Hattori-kun!" another officer spoke. "She left the café around 2 o'clock! And it takes only 10 minutes of walking to get here."

"Huh?" Heiji blinked. "No way…" he whispered, looking on the door, while his eyes widened. He quickly rushed to the body, searching for the keys. They were in the same pocket she had kept her hand in. He quickly opened the door. Inside, there were blood stains on the walls, the door and the carpet. Heiji heard the police officers to either gasp or curse. He stepped carefully inside. He opened the door to the first room and gasped as well.

There was a man, hanging from the ceiling, he was covered in blood, wearing gloves. The police officers quickly started the procedures of securing the crime scene. Heiji noticed that there were sheets of paper in one of his pockets. He reached for them and read them quickly. It was the missing part of the love letter, as well, as the description of the further events: the murderers suicide to meat his beloved rose in heaven or hell…


Heiji was waiting for Kazuha, after school. He still wasn't sure if he's making the right thing, but he wanted to know about her feelings. After all night of thinking (and 5 phone calls to Kudo), he had to admit it: he was jealous. And more: he was jealous that she liked someone other than him, while he liked her.

That's why he blushed slightly, when she waved her hand, noticing him, smiled when she said hello and thanked him for waiting, why he felt a relief, when she wasn't mentioning the argument from the day before and that's why it hurt when she started to speak about that Kai-guy again.

"It was really just a stupid rumor" she said, sighing. "Kai's roommate was sick. He came to school today. And Kai wasn't arrested, or even had a fight with him. He just returned to his homeland, because his mother and father get back together and he can live them both again, instead of living only with his father. And I thought that I finally found an interesting story to tell you…"

"Kazuha…" Heiji spoke, after few moments of silence. "There is something I have to tell you". Kazuha stopped and looked on him, blushing.

"Re-Really? Wha-what is it?" she asked, gripping her schoolbag, looking very nervous.

"I've read that love letter, that was under you pillow, yesterday." He admitted quickly, avoiding looking on her. When he gathered the courage and glanced at her, she was blushing furiously, her gaze focused on her shoes. He fought the urge to hug her. He never saw her, looking so cute.

He didn't know that he loved her. That thought never crossed his mind, despite that he always knew, that she was special for him. He wanted to tell her, that she is the most important person in his life, when he was afraid, that they're going to get killed. He wanted to protect her, even if it cost his life. He was jealous when other men would get her attention… He had a crush on her for a very long time, he just haven't realized it earlier.

"So…" Kazuha's voice brought him back to the reality. "Wha-What is you answer?" she asked quietly.

"Huh?" Heiji blinked. Kazuha looked up, blushing even more, when realization hit her. "No…" she turned around, covering her mouth with a trembling hand. "Don't tell me, you didn't know that…" she closed her eyes, feeling tears that formed in the corners.

Heiji just couldn't move or say anything, however inside, he was jumping and screaming from joy. He realized why she would always stick around him, why she was giving him those weird talismans and why she was blushing so often when they were together. And why Kudo said that Heiji's and Kazuha's relationships is very similar to the one he and Ran had…

"So, I'm your secret crush?" he whispered more to himself, than to Kazuha. "A-Ahou!" he shouted rushing towards her and turning her around. He smiled gently, seeing her blush and tears running from her eyes. "Ahou" he repeated, this time more softly. "Even though I'm a detective, if I haven't got enough clues, I can't solve the mystery. And you are a mystery, Kazuha.". She opened her eyes, but still avoided looking at him.

"Yo-You're and Ahou" she whispered "I just didn't want to ruin our friendship so…" she was silenced with a delicate finger on her lips.

"You didn't ruin anything" Heiji put his hands around Kazuhas delicate figure, blushing slightly. "I would say, that this is the beginning of something new." He grinned and hugged her suddenly.

Kazuha gasped, her eyes widening. "You mean that you…?" she managed to ask, before her voice gave up.

"I like you" Heiji whispered in her ear. "I really, really like you…" he repeated unconsciously the words from her letter but ended his confession differently. "I'm afraid that I'm even in love with you, Kazuha."

When she hugged him back, chuckling slightly, he thought that he won't allow her to have any secrets from him. 'Not even what color of underwear she's wearing now…' He thought, grinning madly. But he won't ask now. Or maybe he'll never ask her about such a thing… He'll check it himself.