A normal heist had been scheduled by Kid. And yet… there’s something troubling him. His throat started to itch 10 minutes before the heist started. What is happening? He observed the crowd in front of the museum. It wasn’t that hard to spot someone in particular.
Oh hoh! It’s Tantei-kun!~ Kid thought. He spotted his favourite critic standing next to his ‘nee-chan’ and ‘oji-san’.

“Looks like my effort will be paid off tonight!” Kid exclaimed.

It’s been a while since Conan had actually visited his heists. Maybe he’s been busy trying to deal with the Shounen Tantei-dan. Well, Kid really can’t blame the child. Maybe next time he should visit the Mouri Detective Agency more often or sit at Poirot Café to observe what he’d been doing in his life. Kid is not a stalker, but he just wants to know.

“It’s Showtime!”

A smoke bomb exploded to reveal an elegant thief standing on top of the glass cage, shooting a signiture smirk. He heard inspector Nakamori and the officers screaming in the distance. He simply took the gem and gave it a nice place inside his pocket.

“Kid! Stop right there!” But yet, it was too late. The magician already fled.

Kid rushed to the rooftop, it was empty. Only the silent night with the calming sounds that were made from his billowing cape. It was peaceful. Footsteps were echoing. It wasn’t his. It doesn’t belong to anybody in the task force. It was probably… the detective’s.

“Knew you’d come.” The thief spoke up first. He held the gem towards the full moon. It was a graceful sight for whoever was looking at him from behind.

It was a childish chuckle that was responding. “Yeah. If I’m correct, that isn’t the one either?” There was a bit of a pause, “What are you looking for anyway? You keep stealing gems just to return them. Then what are you looking for?”

Kid hesitated for a second. Still, he answered “Something’s stopping me from telling you… From everyone.”

“And that is?” The detective continued.

“Sorry, but immortality forbids me from saying it.”

“Immortality?” Conan placed a hand on his chin to think about what the thief just said.

A small hum escaped the thief’s lips. “You know it would be great if you don’t interfere with my business.” He looked down to the city below. “It only causes trouble for you.”

Really? Trouble? Conan has gone through that a lot. But it seems like the things the magician said were different. It doesn’t have the same meanings like the other problems he’d had.

A cough interrupted the silence. Kid was starting to cough non-stop. His own hands slammed over his mouth. Conan could tell the thief was biting his hands through his own gloves.

“Oi! Are you okay there!?” The small detective rushed over to the other’s side, patting the thief’s back to try and soothe the pain through his chest.

The coughing didn’t stop. Conan turned back when he heard the task force yelling, already making their way here. Kid panicked, but still managed to make his escape.

It was Gardenias.

Gardenia-Secret Love

Gardenias falling from his mouth while gliding. Though, his coughing did not stop. Yet it was starting to be hard to breathe. It’s like something’s strangling him. But what is it? Why is he even like this?
-
The next day, Kaito was curious about what happened to him during the last heist. He knew his witch friend, Akako, would know about this. At lunch break, he stormed his way towards her table and slammed his hand on it.

“Akako.” The magician started, sending her death glares.

The witch turns over and examines the other before she speaks. “Kuroba-kun, what brings you to this conversation?” She asks, giving him a light grin on her face.

“I just… need help.” He continues, a hand of his is rubbing the back of his head.

“And what is it that you need help from me? Didn’t you consider my magic boring enough?” Akako sounded like she was mocking Kaito. It didn’t matter in this situation though.

“I am starting to cough flowers. What does that mean?” He eyed her motions. She was searching something through her bag. But when Kaito finished his sentence, she stood back up.

Her face looked a bit horrified for some seconds. Was it something that horrible? “Kuroba-kun, you better listen.” She hesitated and probably was thinking if she should continue or not. “It’s happening because of your love life.” She placed a hand on Kaito's shoulder, face now straightforward. “I’m not trying to stop you this time. But if your love doesn’t respond, you’ll die.”

“What? I’ll get killed?”

“No, but you’ll suffocate.” Akako trailed her fingers down the side of Kaito’s neck. “Suffocated by flowers.” Her hands moved away from Kaito’s neck and now has her arms crossed. “This disease is called Hanahaki. Where you cough or vomit flower petals, sometimes even flowers. It often happens to people when their love is unrequited. If your crush doesn’t respond to your emotions it will end up suffocating you. The disease can also be removed by surgery but you’ll end up losing your feelings for that person.”

“I guess I’ll have to find a solution to this…” He’ll die? Because of some stupid love life stuff? He already fell out of love with Aoko. Who could he be in love with? It must be someone who the magician is close to.

“You better.” Akako complained. “Because even a magic user like me can’t cure it with my power.” She added.
-
For Conan, it was also suspicious about Kid. The fact that people cough, they just don’t bite their fingers. What is it that made the thief do it?

“Edogawa-kun, are you listening?” The female voice interrupted his train of thoughts. It was the scientist Haibara Ai.

“Sorry, what were you saying again?” He apologised first then asked then asked for Ai to repeat.

She scoffed. “As I was saying, the antidote that will help you regain your body might be able to be finished. We’re just missing something.” Narrowing her eyebrows, she took out a pill. “This is an unfinished sample.”

“Then why don’t you finish it before showing it to me?”

“I knew you’d say that.” There was a small pause. “If you want to complete it I’d say there’s someone who could help you.” She smirked at him.

Conan’s eyes seemed to widen for a moment, probably from excitement. “Who then? Are they someone close or?” He walked closer towards Ai, placing a hand on her desk.

“I don’t think you’ll want to cooperate with him.”

“Who’s him? And what’s the material called?”

“The material is a part of something. A small amount of a smashed gem called Pandora.” Ai pushed the detective aside to clear some path for her to walk away. “It’s a gem that’s supposed to grant you immortality, but since we’re only using a small part of it you won’t be immortal. Besides, adding a small piece of a gem into any type of pill can cure anything so it's basically the most important thing here. ”

Conan followed her to the living room where the other kids were obsessed with the professor’s new inventions.The kids were laughing and enjoying, and here Conan is thinking about how his childhood was or how his life was before he got himself shrunk.

“Wait, who do I need to team up with then.” He almost forgot that detail.

She chuckled then smiled. “Is the name Kaitou Kid familiar to you?”

No way. He was going to work with some greatest jewel thief in Japan for just an… antidote!? Is that the only choice he got? Wait… Kid mentioned immortality at his last heist. Could it be? Conan thought. It made sense! The magician was looking for it! Pandora.

“How did you know the exact gem he’s looking for?” Conan whispered, he didn’t want to startle the kids because they might end up asking him questions.

“I haven’t told you yet? Very well then. I’ll tell you the whole story. Kaitou Kid once was offered to work with another organisation but he rejected the offer of helping them. So now they’re basically after him. Consider it like the one we’re after. But instead of wine as a codename, they use animals. I can’t really use the word ‘work’ cause I’m not even sure if he had worked with them and left or turned them down at the beginning. I had talked to him once and he was willing to tell me the information. It is related to his civilian identity. Though, I can't tell you who he is just yet because I made a promise. You have to trust him on this one. You are allowed to instruct him but not force him. Something's been wrong with him lately and I can't assure that you'll be 100% great having a Phantom Thief with you 24/7 from this day on. He doesn't know your real identity so I recommend you tell him once everything is done. Got it?"

Conan hummed in affirmation. Great, from now on he'll be working with a thief.
-
“Can’t believe I’ll have to work with you. Besides, why are you looking for Pandora anyways? You want immortality?” Conan looked at the thief but the other refused to look at him back.

“And I can’t believe I’d have to work with you! Ojou-san is smart and she disapproved of the idea of collaborating with me and sent you instead.” Kid pouted. Though in Conan’s angle, it was a cute one. The magician is usually arrogant, not like this. Maybe he should enjoy hanging out with the thief more often.

“Well then, we better start working if we want this to end quickly-” He was interrupted by those coughings again. “Kid? Hey! Are you sick or something?” He placed his hand onto Kid’s shoulder.

Once the coughing stopped, Kid slowly removed his hand. “I uh… it’s nothing. I kind of got a cold. Drank the meds already so the effect will probably kick in soon.” The petals were still in his mouth. They were bitter. He just wants to spit it out, bitterness isn’t Kid’s type of thing!

Yeah, that’s definitely a lie. It didn’t take too long before his phone rang. Conan pulled it out of his pocket and saw the caller's name. “Ran is calling. I guess we can talk again tomorrow.”

“That would be great. See you, Tantei-kun.” Finally! Kid leaped off the building and activated his hang-glider and glided away.

Kid- Kuroba Kaito- spat those petals out as soon as his favourite critic was nowhere insight. He didn’t manage to see what type of flower it was. However, he doesn’t want to know. Kaito wants to explore his feelings on his own, not by some petals that fall from his mouth.
-
He soon arrived back at his home, taking off his suit to replace it with his comfortable pyjamas. He plopped onto the bed, feeling exhausted. Yeah, he’ll be working with a small child to take down some big organisation. He thought about it before. Kaito’s a bit dazed. Suddenly, the memory of the conversation between him and Ai appeared in his mind.
~
“Pray to tell why you’re here, on the professor’s roof?” Ai snorted. Kid probably interrupted her sleep.

The thief stood up from where he was sitting. “I was escaping from something, no, someone.” He continued to observe the surroundings, apparently seeing if they’re alone or not.

“From the task force?” Ai asked, voice filled with an annoyed tone. Kid shook his head, Ai had her eyes wide at that moment. “Then who?”

“You’re a child, I shouldn't tell you about it.”

“How about a secret for a secret?” She smirked at him. It was a moment before she told him to sit down and that she’ll go first. “I’m not a child.”

“What?” Kid couldn’t believe it. What was she even saying?

She then continued. “I’m basically 18, my name's Miyano Shiho, codename Sherry. I used to work for an organisation but after my sister’s death I… refused to help them so they locked me up. At that moment I had the idea of suicide. I took a pill called ‘APTX-4869’. It was supposed to be a poison that killed people without leaving a trace. Instead, it had a side effect on me so it shrank me into the form of a child.”

She heard a small chuckle. “I guess listening to you was a good thing.” He looked down at his hands before continuing, “Wine codenames huh? Well the people that are after me are in an organisation as well. Instead of wine it’s animals. They’re looking for something. It’s called Pandora, a gem that grants immortality. I just want to destroy it before they can lay a hand on it.”

“I see. Why, though? Do you not like immortality?”

“No.”

“Very well then, I need your help with something.”

“And that is?” Kid eyed her curiously.

“After Pandora is destroyed, don’t throw away the broken pieces. I need them, to make an antidote.”

“Sure, but I need a company to help guide me. You’d be a good fit!”

“No thanks. I know someone who’d fit better. First, I want your civilian identity.” Kid stared at her for a moment, indigo eyes looking at her face, sending her distrust looks. Ai noticed and added, “Of course I’m not going to rat you out. Don’t worry. As long as you keep your promise to help me.”

Kid hesitated, opened his mouth and shut it right away. Until then, he finally gave in. “Kuroba Kaito, magician extraordinaire. Our promise is made and you are not allowed to break it. If you do, I’ll also rat you out.”

“And how will you rat me out?”

“I have contacts with Sharon, known as Vermouth.” Ai froze. Okay, she’s definitely not the only one who’s blackmailing the other.

“Deal.” Both said in unison.