How to Survive With a Death-Flag Character Setting in Detective Conan - Chapter 2
The unfinished words of Higashino Hiromu were understood by all four adults present.
Shirabu Kenjiro and Sugii Ichiro couldn’t help but shiver.
“From that moment on, I knew my true sexual orientation.” Higashino Hiromu lowered his eyes with a look of melancholy on his face and said softly, “I’ve been tormented inside. I once thought about hiding this matter forever, but you are my best friends, and I don’t want to deceive you! Besides, if I can’t be myself even in front of you, then perhaps there’s truly no place for me in this world…” His voice grew quieter and even somewhat choked, radiating the sense of someone abandoned by the entire world.
Kaga Reika and Fukami Suemi’s expressions became visibly contorted, while Sugii Ichiro’s gaze turned complicated.
However, Shirabu Kenjiro said indifferently, “Sexual orientation is innate. I won’t abandon my friend because of that.” He looked earnestly at Higashino Hiromu. “If a friendship ends just because of different orientations, then it’s too cheap. Real friends understand and respect each other, and stand by each other to face difficulties.”
Fukami Suemi had already composed her expression. She returned to her usual calm demeanor and nodded. “Shirabu is right. We should respect everyone’s choices.”
But in her heart, she was thinking, Great, Hiromu likes men. There’s no way he’ll end up with that pretentious freak!
Kaga Reika also strangely returned to normal. She even offered consolation, saying, “It’s fine. Society is much more inclusive now. There’s nothing unusual about homosexuality. No one will gossip about you. And as medical students, we especially should not look at sexual orientation with prejudice.”
But in her heart, she was thinking, Fantastic. Hiromu didn’t end up with that poser freak! I only lost because of my gender!
Sugii Ichiro was still frozen. Hiromu doesn’t like girls? Then the rumors about him and my goddess were fake? He didn’t steal the person I like? But he likes men… Damn, what if he likes me?! I mean, it’s weird to say this, but my physique is pretty good!
If Higashino Hiromu knew what Sugii Ichiro was thinking, he would’ve definitely punched him awake.
No matter what, he wouldn’t be so desperate as to pick a gorilla!
Still, his performance was successful. At least all four of them believed him and promised to keep it a secret.
Higashino Hiromu, however, said he didn’t care if people found out. In fact, he wanted them to spread the news so that the original host’s “love debts” would not come knocking on his door.
On the surface, though, he still said, “As long as you support me and understand me behind the scenes, I’m not afraid of anything!”
The mood was so emotional, the four of them were nearly moved to tears.
At that moment, the floating text before his eyes, 【 Death Countdown 】, finally stopped. A pop-up window saying 【 Successfully Escaped Death Threat 】 appeared, the 【 Upcoming Event 】 turned gray, and the following content all disappeared.
Higashino Hiromu let out a sigh of relief.
So, he should be safe during this meal, right?
Although he had a gut feeling that he was no longer in danger, he still acted with extreme caution while eating.
The others at the table, still dizzy from the shock of his coming out, were too distracted to notice his unusual behavior.
All five of them had no appetite and hastily finished the meal before parting ways.
Only then did Higashino Hiromu finally feel truly at ease.
Good grief, his palms had been drenched in sweat during the act. He was terrified that he’d accidentally provoke the killer, who might abandon poison and go straight for a knife!
Surviving this was such a relief!
What Higashino Hiromu didn’t know was that their entire conversation had been heard loud and clear by the people at the next table.
After the group had left, a few small heads popped up from between the potted plants separating the two tables.
Yoshida Ayumi whispered, “That likes men!”
Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko said admiringly, “Coming out to your friends is really hard to do!”
Kojima Genta nodded. “He’s really brave!” He was deeply impressed by that onii-san. Coming out of the closet took a lot of courage, and he was in awe of his boldness.
Edogawa Conan took a sip of orange juice and said leisurely, “What’s there to be excited about in something like that?”
Kojima Genta immediately turned to him and said seriously, “Conan, you can’t say that! That onii-san must have mustered up a lot of courage to come out to his friends!”
Yoshida Ayumi also nodded. “That’s right, that’s right! He must have gone through a lot of inner struggle!”
Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko looked serious. “Conan, you can’t discriminate against others!”
Edogawa Conan, with deadpan eyes, said, “When did I say that? Besides, whether someone likes men or women has nothing to do with me. I wouldn’t meddle anyway.”
Haibara Ai’s lips curled slightly as she watched the scene unfold.
“But…” Yoshida Ayumi held her face in her hands and said dreamily, “That onii-san is really good-looking! I think even if he’s into men, there must still be a lot of people who like him!”
Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko agreed. “You’re right, Ayumi. Liking someone shouldn’t be limited by gender!”
Edogawa Conan, eyes half-lidded: Heh, are kids nowadays all this precocious?
Kojima Genta put both hands behind his head and asked, “By the way, why did that onii-san have to come out? Wouldn’t it be fine to just keep it hidden?”
Haibara Ai said, “Maybe he found himself in a situation where he had no choice but to say it.”
Kojima Genta looked at her, puzzled. “What kind of situation?”
Haibara Ai put down her coffee cup and said, “Those two female friends of his were clearly deeply infatuated with him, and the male friend was looking at him with some dissatisfaction…”
Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko clapped his right fist into his left palm and said in realization, “! He was caught in a ! If he didn’t come out, he wouldn’t be able to face his friends anymore!”
Haibara Ai gave him a look that meant, “a child that can be taught.”
Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko blushed shyly at the recognition.
Yoshida Ayumi also nodded and said, “When that handsome onii-san wasn’t at the table earlier, the atmosphere between those two really was strange. They weren’t speaking kindly to each other at all.”
“Really? I didn’t notice anything,” Edogawa Conan said, puzzled.
Haibara Ai rolled her eyes at him. “Because your ability to read the room is zero.”
Edogawa Conan protested. He was actually very sensitive to emotional shifts. In fact, he could often identify the culprit just by analyzing a suspect’s facial expressions!
At last, Professor Agasa spoke up. “Alright, alright, let’s not gossip about other people’s orientation behind their backs. It’s impolite.”
“Okay~~” the three real children chorused in unison.
Edogawa Conan hadn’t been interested in the topic from the beginning. He turned his head and noticed a small white bottle inside the potted plant.
He reached for the bottle, opened it, and took a sniff, and his expression changed dramatically.
This is potassium cyanide! Could it belong to one of those people just now? Was someone planning to poison them?
He recalled the seating arrangement of the five individuals. One woman and one man had been sitting close to the potted plants. Both could have hidden something in there.
Edogawa Conan frowned and fell into deep thought.
Was that public coming out really just a coincidence?
* * *
After parting ways with his friends, Higashino Hiromu wasn’t sure where to go. But he couldn’t just stand on the side of the road forever. In just that short time, every passerby had slowed down to stare at him, cyclists were practically turning their heads 270 degrees to look at him, and even cars were visibly slowing down.
This is way too over the top!
To avoid causing a traffic accident, Higashino Hiromu quickly walked into a nearby small park and positioned himself behind a thick tree trunk.
Without the gazes of others on him, he instantly felt much more relaxed.
While in the past he would occasionally attract glances from a few girls on the street, now having everyone staring at him was a little terrifying!
Higashino Hiromu pinched the bridge of his nose, trying hard to forget that spine-prickling sensation and began mentally conditioning himself. The original host was a player. This kind of thing will happen often from now on, so get used to it, get used to it…
After a while, he finally calmed down and began thinking about where he should go.
He rummaged through the original host’s backpack and found a phone, wallet, and ID, along with an access card inside a card sleeve.
He took out the card and saw that the address and room number of the apartment were written on the back.
—an auspicious number.
He then opened the navigation app on his phone and entered the address. To his surprise, it turned out to be a high-end apartment complex located in Tokyo’s commercial district.
Whether purchased or rented, housing in that area would cost a fortune. Was the original host really this wealthy?
Full of questions, Higashino Hiromu followed the navigation toward the apartment.
On the way, he turned down three men trying to hit on him, five women asking to add him as a friend, and ten part-time workers handing out flyers or tissues…
Why am I suddenly empathizing with ?
Finally reaching the destination, he was once again startled because this apartment complex was far beyond his expectations.
The luxury building had twenty floors and required a key card to enter.
The first and second floors were public areas with amenities such as a gym, swimming pool, billiard room, reading lounge, and conversation areas, all free for residents.
Floors three and up were residential units. The first-floor lobby had a 24-hour staffed security desk, and even someone with a key card wouldn’t be let in unless they were recognized.
The building also offered concierge-style services, available by the month or year, with top-notch service to ensure every household was impeccably maintained.
All of this information came from online reviews that Higashino Hiromu had read.
There were no promotional ads posted on the building’s bulletin board, only various notifications and news updates refreshed daily.
Higashino Hiromu looked up at the tall building, feeling increasingly uneasy.
…Hopefully, the original host really lived here and was using his own money.
What he feared most was that this “player” had not only toyed with people’s feelings but also scammed them financially.
The former might be a matter of morality, but the latter? That would be a crime.
By the time he finally stepped into the building, he felt a bit lightheaded, almost as if his feet weren’t touching the ground.
The staff at the property management desk seemed very familiar with the original host. When Higashino Hiromu passed by, they even stood up to greet him.
Not wanting to risk saying something wrong, he simply nodded slightly, avoided lingering, and went straight into the elevator.
The elevator also required card access, and it only allowed travel to his designated floor.
This kind of strict security ensured resident safety, but also led to a cold atmosphere between neighbors and little communication.
Exactly what Higashino Hiromu wanted.
If a neighbor happened to know the original host too well, he could be exposed at any moment.
Opening the door to Room 808, he was greeted by a full-length floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the city.
Sunlight streamed in through sheer curtains, gentle rather than harsh, flooding the room with a soft, bright glow.
Just from that single window, it was clear this place was worth a fortune.
Higashino Hiromu walked through the apartment, looking around.
He didn’t find any rental agreement, and no deed of ownership either, which made him a little uneasy.
He hoped the original host was really only flirting with girls.
CHARACTER PROFILE:
Yoshida Ayumi
Manga/Anime: Detective Conan
Height: 120cm
Role: Member of Detective Boys
Personality: Cheerful, kind-hearted
Notable Traits: Optimistic, supportive friend
Background: Classmate and friend to Conan; often participates in solving cases as part of the Detective Boys group.
Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko
Manga/Anime: Detective Conan
Height: 120cm
Role: Member of Detective Boys
Personality: Intelligent, logical
Notable Traits: Science enthusiast, observant
Background: Bright and curious; admires both Ai Haibara and Ayumi, and often helps the group with logical deductions.
Kojima Genta
Manga/Anime: Detective Conan
Height: 130cm
Role: Member of Detective Boys, self-proclaimed leader
Personality: Bold, stubborn
Notable Traits: Loves food, physically strong
Background: Loyal friend who often rushes into danger; brings comedic relief and courage to the group.
Edogawa Conan
Manga/Anime: Detective Conan
Height: 90cm (child form)
Role: Detective Boys member; main protagonist
Personality: Analytical, composed
Notable Traits: Genius detective, undercover as a child
Background: Real identity is Shinichi Kudo, transformed into a child; solves difficult cases while seeking a cure.
Haibara Ai
Manga/Anime: Detective Conan
Height: 120cm (child form)
Role: Detective Boys member, scientist
Personality: Calm, reserved
Notable Traits: Highly intelligent, mysterious past
Background: Former Black Organization scientist (Shiho Miyano); created the drug that shrank Conan and herself. Works to conceal her identity and support Conan.
Professor Agasa | Agasa Hiroshi
Manga/Anime: Detective Conan
Height: 175cm
Role: Inventor, guardian figure
Personality: Caring, eccentric
Notable Traits: Inventive, supportive mentor
Background: Neighbor and confidant to Conan; provides gadgets and guidance to the Detective Boys and is aware of Conan’s true identity.