Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Kuroba, Land of the Four-Leafed Clovers, there was a charming young prince who was loved by all. He was a mischievous and fun-loving spirit who was always full of cheer and good heart. His bright, optimistic mannerisms charmed even the surliest person and his charismatic aura drew every kind of person imaginable in. The peasants loved him for his kindness, the workers for his fairness, the nobles for his foresight, and his friends for his character.

Indeed, Prince Kaito has captured the hearts of people far and wide but one especially more than others.

Within the House of Kudou, a longstanding noble family of the highest rank charged with upholding order for the royal family, was a young lord. He was known far and wide for his intellect as burning bright as the sun. Though the fledgling lord has not quite reached the age of adulthood, he was already responsible for the discovery of hundreds of criminals and had solved countless more cases aside.

Quiet and even a bit withdrawn, Shinichi Kudou had been best friends with the kingdom's ever vivacious prince since childhood.

Unbeknownst to anyone but himself, a delicate seed of a wonderful but painful nature had planted itself in his heart and it is from this seed that unfolds this tale.

. ... .

The air of the City of Eden was alive with the sound of excited merry.

All around the streets, people were cheering and chattering animatedly, laughter filling the air while perky music stumbled about in happy harmony with the rest of the jovial tunes of the city. Green, white, and yellow decorations shone almost blindingly bright in the morning sun along with a spattering of pastel colors that lined the streets and buildings in vivid clumps.

The day of the long celebrated and long awaited annual Trifolium Festival in the cycle of Zephyrus to celebrate not only the spring but the prince's birthday was upon them and the grandest event of the year was already underway. The festival in the capital was always more magnificent than any other in the kingdom and this year was no exception. There was no holding back and the people played and laughed in wild abandon.

Shinichi, however, simply stared out the window with complete and utter indifference.

He had never been much of a fan of crowds and noisiness in general in the first place but today was slightly different than any of the other social events he would be forced to attend.

For many people, this would be the happiest day they would ever experience until the next Trifolium Festival. It was a day that was supposed to celebrate the rebirth of the world and to wish earnestly for luck and good health for the rest of the year but for Shinichi, the revelation he had made this very day only two years ago tainted the happiness it used to bring into something a little sourer at the edges.

If he closed his eyes, he could remember vividly the smell of fragrant food in the air, the sensation of being tugged by the wrist through the crowd, and high off the rush of knowing he was doing something he shouldn't really be doing but not caring anyway, breathlessly giggling whenever he looked at Kaito's wooden mask of a rabbit to hide his royal identity.

He could remember the point where Kaito had tugged him down a side alley and worming through the crowd to watch the passing parade hand-in-hand and thinking that he wanted very much to lift that mask off and kiss him.

Of course, he was initially shocked and horrified at the sudden impulsive thought and he had hastily tried to stamp out the thought but that was where it began.

He didn't know he was in love at first. It went without saying he wouldn't know. How could he when he was still so young and inexperienced with the matter?

But then his friendship with Ran slowly began to fall through as he struggled with his confusion and it culminated with her tearfully asking if he didn't return her feelings for him at all.

He was stunned.

He hadn't even noticed she felt for him that way because he hadn't felt for her that way so the thought never even entered his mind.

He had never gotten the urge to sidle up to her to warm himself against her side. He wasn't overcome with the uncharacteristic urge to hug her whenever she was overly stressed nor did he feel like he could fly whenever he was with her. And he was definitely never hit with the urge to lift a wooden rabbit mask off her face to kiss her lips.

It was with that numb realization that a sort of dread began to poke at a small corner of his stomach.

But did Kaito feel the same?

The evidence all pointed to a no and it was simple to work out:

Kaito was a rather selfish individual who pursued whatever he wanted with a single-minded intensity the likes of which Shinichi had witnessed too many times to count. He may wait and he may be patient but Kaito always got what he wanted in the end.

Kaito hadn't made any romantic overtures that so much as hinted at wanting anything more.

Kaito was not interested.

Ran may call him emotionally and socially dense but that didn't mean he didn't work by his own logic and his logic had never failed him before.

He thought he would be okay with the lack of reciprocation but it hurt a lot more than he expected.

Most of the time he could ignore it because he had work to do and Kaito's company and his antics were the same as always so much so that he could pretend that what he held wasn't even there. But during the times when he let himself think a little too deeply and on such days as this, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. Kaito was the actor, not him.

He apologized to Ran and they eventually managed to mend their relationship from the wreckage but he didn't have the heart to risk sabotaging it again by telling her he loved Kaito instead, not when she probably had lingering feelings for him. He couldn't do that to her.

Speaking of Ran, a rough knock on the door signaled her arrival a second before it opened to reveal a beautiful brunette girl with waist-long hair and it didn't take long before periwinkle eyes settled on their target.

"Shinichi!" Ran huffed in greeting, striding across his large room towards him.

Shinichi turned to her with a small smirk that fell a little flat as he said, "Hello, Ran."

Ran's brow furrowed, undoubtedly catching the dispiritedness of the gesture but she didn't comment. She wasn't his other childhood friend for nothing. She was starting to see a pattern with his moods and though she may not have genius-level intellect, she was still a brilliant girl who could sense that something was wrong with him although Shinichi was careful not to allow her concern to go into the critical levels where she would begin to force the issue.

"Want to come with me to look around?" Ran suggested, giving him the option to either have his space, because she knew how much he needed it sometimes even if he may come off as cold to other people, or to take his mind off whatever he was thinking by spending time with her.

Shinichi felt a rush of fondness for having her as a friend who was as good as his sister. Sometimes, he wondered what he did to deserve her.

Shinichi's smirk melted into a more genuine smile. "Sure. Let's go."

Ran's answering beam made him laugh a little and he gathered up his long, dark blue coat, some money, and his pocket watch before they moved through the vast mansion, out the doors, across the front courtyard, and through the front gates.

She chatted the whole time about her work at the Royal Judiciary Branch as an apprentice in pursuit of her dream to become an adjudicator just like her mother, about the kittens she found in a water bucket one day, and anything else that came to her mind. Eventually, they fell into an easy, familiar rhythm of teasing and poking lightly at each other's flaws.

From the relative quiet of the nobles' district, it grew steadily louder as they began to enter the festivities in the city proper.

The streets were lined with cheerful vendors with their spectacularly decorated booths selling their various goods including pretty glass trinkets, artistic homemade crafts, fine jewelries, and colorful toys. Games were set up with their prizes put tantalizingly in display while merry tunes danced through the air as entertainers and performers of all kinds practiced their dazzling masterful skills, the air sweet from delicious foods that ranged from sugary cakes to savory meats. Streamers and flowers covered almost every visage of the city but clovers predominated over them all.

All over the streets, people were making merry, laughter and chatter filling the city, the atmosphere light-hearted. Many were wearing their best clothes of green, white, or yellow, the colors of Trifolium and the official colors of the kingdom.

Shinichi, in his dark colors with not a trace of any of the three colors, earned the occasional curious stare as he walked by with a lively Ran in a simple but pretty snow-white dress adorned with yellow and green lace.

He dreaded the thought of having to put on the multi-layered nightmare later tonight for the Clover Ball at the castle celebrating Kaito's birthday which he felt obligated to attend even if it made him uncomfortable and pensive.

"Oh, look Shinichi!" Ran said, tugging on his arm to get his attention and pointing to a set of glass wind chimes hanging off a pole. "They're shaped like fish! They're like a whole sch—"

She was interrupted when someone sped by her, knocking her arm away and making her stumble back slightly.

"You will cease your running at once!" a familiar voice bellowed after the running figure.

Shinichi didn't think twice before he pivoted on the spot and launched a pebble at the fleeing perpetrator, which connected soundly with the back of his head.

The man went down immediately with a yelp of pain and he rushed over followed by Ran to apprehend him only to stop short in astonishment.

"Hattori?" Shinichi spluttered incredulously at the groaning heir of the House of Hattori and the future Head of Security.

"Finally," the voice sniffed and Shinichi and Ran turned to the young Head of Intelligence looking disgruntled and more than a little peeved. "It was not necessary for you to charge away from me like a bull in a glassware shop when all I did was simply ask to borrow your badge."

"Th' hell ya did!" Heiji objected vehemently, picking himself off the ground with Ran's help while rubbing the budding bump at the back of his head. "D'ya usually wave yer sabre at people's faces when ya ask 'em for favors? 'Cause if ya do, I'm here ta tell ya that it won't impress people much!"

Saguru scoffed, crossing his arms. "Do not exaggerate. It is unbecoming. I have already explained the situation that required me to ask to borrow your badge for a brief period of time. If I could have some other way around it, I certainly would not have come to you."

"As if ya even need my badge! Ya could get practically anywhere with yer own! 'Sides, I need m'badge to do my job! Y'know, the thing ya keep harpin' me 'bout? Ya complain abou' doin' my job an' then ya try ta prevent me from doin' it! Why can'tcha decide on one n' stick with it?"

Heiji stood and stomped over to Saguru with a fierce scowl but the Head of Intelligence only stared coolly back.

"Perhaps if you were less impulsive for the job but as it is, I oftentimes ask myself in despair if this was really the individual who will someday be responsible for the security of not only this city, but this kingdom as well," Saguru said dismissively, beginning to turn away with his arms folded behind his back, his cream coat flapping behind him.

Predictably, Heiji became riled. "Yeah? Well, at least I'm not a prissy noble who thinks he's better'n ev'ryone else, sittin' there n' turnin' yer nose up at people as if they're not even worth yer time! Lookit ya! Turnin' yer back on me!"

Saguru whirled back around sharply, jaw tight. "I have never thought that way!" he hissed defensively.

Shinichi bit back a sigh as he watched the scene.

Saguru and Heiji's dislike towards one another was famous around the city. It was exasperating and sometimes worrying because their fights could get a little out of control since they were nearly polar opposites. Where Heiji was warm and friendly if a bit rough around the edges, Saguru was a refined and cool no-nonsense kind of person. When seen through each other's eyes, one of them was rash and laidback while the other was this side of arrogant thinking he was above everyone else. It was a rather volatile combination but at the end of the day, they had enough respect for each other to put aside their differences where it really mattered.

"Let's not fight here, you two," Ran interjected, going up to them. "We're in the middle of a festival and you're creating a big fuss."

Indeed, their little verbal spar was drawing the attention of the surrounding people, some of whom had stopped to stare at them including some children who had been playing around enjoying the celebration.

At that, Saguru and Heiji glanced at each other in a silent mutual agreement of a truce and stepped back from one another, shoulders relaxing from their previous tense posture.

Saguru cleared his throat and adjusted his black ribbon necktie. "Forgive me, Ran. That was rather unsightly of me."

Heiji snorted and muttered something underneath his breath at Saguru before taking a breath and saying with an easy grin towards Ran, "Sorry, sis. Shouldn'ta let my temper out and interrupt you n' Shinichi enjoyin' yerselves." He nodded in Shinichi's direction.

"Just as long as you aren't going at each other's throats like that time…" he trailed off, remembering that particular incident where they were literally going at each other's throats. It had involved one of Heiji's men being suspected as a traitor, which Shinichi had helped clear up.

"Ah, no," Heiji said sheepishly, rubbing the bump on his head absentmindedly. "Tha' won' be happenin' again."

Shinichi levelled him with a flat look and said, "It'd better not. If I have to be the one to explain to Aoko and Kazuha one more time why you were both covered in mud and wounds because you were trying to kill each other, I'll personally bury you."

Heiji laughed loudly, nervously while Saguru shifted anxiously on his feet. "Yer a real hoot ya know tha' Kudou?"

"I'm not joking," Shinichi deadpanned seriously, enjoying the looks the two gave him.

They knew he wouldn't physically hurt them… much. Mentally, however, he could be just as dreadful as Kaito could be. It's just that Shinichi was a lot subtler.

But in all seriousness, as… messy as that particular incident was, it was probably the crucial turning point in their relationship and for all the initial resentment, it turned out pretty well; just as long as it didn't happen again.

"Shinichi, that's enough," Ran admonished but Shinichi could detect the mirth hidden in her tone. "Stop scaring them."

"Ah! I FOUND YA!"

Heiji's reaction to the voice was immediate but he still wasn't fast enough to dodge the smack at the back of his head on the very spot he caught a pebble to the head.

"OW!"

"You idiot! Why'dja run off like that, huh?" a girl in a high ponytail and a full body of armor demanded, continuing to smack him with her sheathed sword. "We have a job ta do!"

"Ow! Ah! Kazuha! Cut tha' out!" Heiji yelped, trying to shield himself from her furious attacks. "I didn' mean ta run off but then this prick threatened me!" he cried, pointing a finger at Saguru, whose mouth twisted slightly at the disrespectful gesture but the excuse didn't impress Kazuha much and she hit him one more time to let him know that before replacing her sword in her belt with a huff.

"Don' go 'round blamin' other people for yer actions!" Kazuha berated, twisting his ear.

"Yes, Hattori. It would do you well to learn responsibility," Saguru quipped with a smirk.

Heiji shot him a heated look through the pain and retorted back, "Oh shut up. Don'cha have phantom thieves ta chase or somethin'?"

Saguru bristled but Kazuha had released Heiji's ear and was now dragging him away by his arm in her iron-grip clutch. "C'mon! This ain't the time ta be pickin' fights, ya idiot! If yer done bein' stupid now, get yer ass in gear n' get back ta work!" she yelled impatiently.

Heiji protested the treatment but otherwise allowed Kazuha to wrestle him away.

He knew she was right. They had a duty to monitor and uphold security during the festival and Heiji couldn't neglect the safety of innocent civilians. It was somewhat appalling that Saguru could gall him to the extent that he would momentarily forget himself and neglect his duties but Saguru always seemed to have that effect on him.

"Really sorry for the trouble guys! I'll make up for this idiot nex' time! See ya 'round an' have fun!" Kazuha called behind herself, waving as she disappeared into the crowd with her spoil.

"What a troublesome fellow," Saguru sighed in their wake before turning to the remaining duo with a smile. "I apologize again for disrupting your morning. Things tend to snowball in that way whenever I involve myself with that man."

"No, we understand," Ran said, putting up a hand. "How're you? Are you going to take Aoko around?"

"I have been well if busy, thank you for asking," Saguru replied. "As for Aoko, she is… busy with the castle's internal affairs so perhaps at a later time."

Which was code for babysitting Kaito.

Shinichi sympathized.

"Oh. I hope he isn't giving her too much trouble. He's always excitable this time of year," Ran said in a somewhat helpless way.

"I have confidence she could handle him."

The hopefully went unsaid.

"Well, since you're busy, we won't keep you here any longer," Ran said, thoughtful as ever.

"Thank you. It has been nice seeing you, however. Let us meet again some other time. Until then, Ran, Shinichi."

With a polite incline of his head, Saguru turned and strode off, back straight and head held level.

"Everyone's so busy. It's too bad they can't fully enjoy the festival," Ran murmured a bit regretfully.

Shinichi kind of wished he was working too. It only ever piled up especially when left alone on days like this but today was supposed to be a holiday spent with friends and family and he owed at least that much to Ran. They rarely got to see each other as it was with their individual work.

That wasn't to say he didn't enjoy what he did, however. As stressful as it could be, he wouldn't trade it for anything else. It was fulfilling knowing that he was making a difference with each case he solved, small as it was in the grand scheme of things but it was the world for those individuals whose lives were ruined by the hands of human darkness. Being able to exercise his mind in order to put together the puzzles in the mysteries presented to him in his cases was a nice bonus.

What this meant for Shinichi, however, was that he often found himself so immersed in his work that he would forget everything else, including the basic necessities essential for healthy bodily functioning save for breathing. That was where Kaito came in.

He would sneak unceremoniously into his house at all kinds of ridiculous hours and then acted as though he lived there, helping himself to anything he pleased and generally coaxing or annoying Shinichi to distraction so that he could relax and remember to care for himself properly.

Sometimes, he would even show up when Shinichi was making personal investigations outside.

Lately though, he noticed Kaito hadn't been visiting. He must have been kept busy with the festival in addition to his own princely duties. It wasn't all fun and games all the time even if Kaito made it look like it was…

Dammit. Why did things always seemed to come back to Kaito?

"Shinichi? Are you okay?"

Shinichi snapped out of his thoughts and threw a smile at Ran's worried expression.

"I'm fine. Sorry, I was just thinking of something," he told her slightly sheepishly.

Ran gave a fond, exasperated huff and smiled. "That's what I thought. You're always so spacey. Try not to think too much into things. We all need a break sometimes, even you. Let's just have fun for the day and then you could go back to being a recluse."

Shinichi rolled his eyes good-naturedly at the gibe before Ran tugged him over to a stand selling roasted pork on sticks.

He spent the rest of the day with Ran, seeing the sights, playing games, and enjoying her company but as the hour grew later, they parted ways to prepare themselves for the Clover Ball.

The clock tower chimed six and the castle gates opened in welcome of their distinguished guests.

Our story begins…