ᴅᴀʏʟɪɢʜᴛ || ʀᴀɴᴘᴏᴇ

• 8 •

All Ranpo could feel was a sharp sting on his right cheek. His glasses clattered to the floor. Had this old man just slapped him?

"Screw you Ranpo! Screw you and your damn calculations!" Fukuzawa seethed, clenching his hand into a fist. "You're smart, but you lack the simplicity of common sense! Do you think everyone is going to save you if need be?" Fukuzawa had just saved a teenage Ranpo from being held at gunpoint by a gang from a case he was working on.

"Of course not! I knew you were coming-"

"Don't." Ranpo gently stroked the area where he had been hit, it felt raw. "You're going to get in trouble one day, and you will end up getting killed. You need to stop being so careless with your life."

"I'm too smart to be killed."

"You're too stupid to understand the danger." Ranpo flinched and Fukuzawa's gaze softened. He sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Let's go home."

"I'm sorry." It was the first time Ranpo had apologised for something that wasn't his parents' death. Tears were cascading down his red cheeks and he was gripping the fabric around his chest. "I'm so sorry."

Karl had decided to join Ranpo on his journey to find Edgar. At first, the two were off to a rocky start, with Karl scratching at Ranpo's scalp as he buried himself under his hat. Ranpo would try and swat the raccoon away, only to be bitten. Ranpo would cuss angrily and the animal would stare at him blankly before slinking around his shoulders. Once the two were a little more comfortable, Karl would nuzzle into his neck as they walked to their destination. Ranpo knew where Edgar was, but he wasn't sure if he should be the one to find him. What if Dazai was right? What if he loses control and kills him? None of his friends can fight a vampire.

Karl mewed at him as his mind wandered, bringing him back to the real world. He looked at him as if to say: you're smarter than that. Of course he won't kill you.

"I know I'm smarter than that Karl, but what if my calculations are wrong?"

When are they ever wrong?

"You make a fair point, buddy." Ranpo sighed, his shoulder brushing against a stranger's. He muttered an apology, not really giving the white-haired stranger a chance to respond as he rushed off. He idly plucked a sweet from his pocket and shoved it in his mouth, Karl whining that he never got one. "Poe would kill me for real if I gave you a cavity."

They had been on their journey for thirty minutes, Ranpo making discussions (mainly about how to apologise) and Karl would reply in short, high pitched noises. They were starting to get along. Poe would be proud of us. Ranpo thought, his heart sinking when he had arrived at their destination.

A cat café, not very well known but fosters stray cats that deserve a second chance. Ironic. The outside was a cream colour and the gazebo outside was caged and three cats were sunbathing within the area. Meowtastic coffee and library. Ranpo thought it was a dumb name, but he could see why Edgar would want to hide out here. He opened the door, and Karl immediately picked up Edgar's scent and sprinted inside, leaping from Ranpo's shoulder.

The inside was decorated with cat trees, and the hardwood floor was littered with cat toys and treats. The scratching posts were well-used and there were about five or six cats dotted around the place. However, there was a large collection of cats surrounding a particular person - the only person in the store. He was sitting in a green bean bag and was smiling softly, with tears staining his porcelain skin. His lips were chapped and dry, and his hair covered his, probably puffy, eyes. Each cat was nudging against him on different areas of his body, from his feet to his face. It was like the cats were trying to cheer him up. Ranpo almost didn't want to ruin the calm atmosphere. When Karl had jumped onto Edgar's scruffy head, the cats hissed and dispersed quickly. Edgar frowned at this, rapidly wiping his face and hesitantly looked up at the man in front of him.