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Lost books were what Edgar Allan Poe lived for. Having been a member of The Guild, he had more than enough money to support himself and his everlasting hunt for forgotten books that only collectors like him, bided millions of dollars for.
Poe didn't go outside much. He hated the sunlight and the crowded streets of Japan. The only thing that really lured him to go out was when he had to retrieve a book he had won.
Scrolling on some ominous collector's website, a crooked grin was painted on his face as he eyeballed every book that amused his interest.
"A journal from the Edo Period that was locked away in a shrine for thousands of years?!" A fire sparked up in Poe. "That should be in a museum!" Currently, the highest bid was at 3.5 million dollars.
"This'll be easy," he cheered himself on as he set the new bid in at 4.5 million.
Immediately after, the bid was raised to 7 million.
"..." A wave of disappointment washed over Poe. He turned to Karl, his raccoon companion, for comfort and gave his fuzzy little head a few pats. "Well, it's not like I'd be able to read it anyway. We'll get the next one. Is there anything you're interested in?"
Karl, who was sitting on one of the books Poe was in the middle of writing, crawled over to the computer screen and started stomping on the keyboard and scratching at the screen. A bunch of new random tabs and pop-ups opened.
"Ah Karl! I know you're excited but I wouldn't want this computer to break— I still have files that aren't backed-up yet!" Poe frantically grabbed the raccoon's small body. In response, Karl struggled and opened up more tabs.
"C - Could you calm down Karl!" Poe whined as the computer suddenly made a loud beeping sound, indicating sticky keys.
Soon enough, the raccoon's soft body slipped out of Poe's grasp and flew away from the desk. Karl scrambled around the room in panic before hopping onto one of the many book shelves against the wall and hid in there.
Poe let out a sigh from relief. Boy, having a raccoon was tough work. Especially when it had a mind of it's own. "I'm sorry Karl, I know it's been a while since we last got some fresh air. It must be frustrating."
How long had it been? Perhaps a month since the two had last gone outside and that was to restock on litter and groceries. Plus, it had been more than a month since Poe had last seen his only real friend, the greatest detective Ranpo. Poe admired Ranpo more than anyone else and Karl always went crazy whenever he saw him. Perhaps Karl missed Ranpo.
"I miss him too," Poe said quietly before looking back at his computer screen to clean up the mess. The first tab open was the homepage of his internet browser. It contained typical information like quick links, the weather, and news. A certain link caught his eye.
A carnival event was being held at a boardwalk in Yokohama, only a subway ride away. Peaking his interest, Poe clicked on the link and examined the information provided. The photos from last year's event (back then he was living in America) were quite scenic and colorful. "Yokohama's most famous boardwalk carnival is coming back this year..." Poe read the headline.
Carnivals or events in general weren't for Poe. The atmosphere was too chaotic for his taste and it often stressed him out. But it wasn't like he had to participate in any thing there. Maybe it would be a good chance to ask him out...
"I can't do it," Poe knocked his head on the table after having stared at Ranpo's contact on his phone for a good ten minutes. Laying his gaze upon the funny contact photo Ranpo had set himself, he wished he could gather the courage. As someone who didn't have any other friends, Poe wasn't used to going to social gatherings or even hanging out with out people one-on-one.
He was too awkward. A boring presence. A weirdo with a raccoon. There were better ways to spend anyone's time than to be with Poe.
"He's probably too busy anyway," Poe convinced himself. After all, he's the world's best detective. "I'm nothing more than a fan."
Sensing Poe's downwards energy, Karl crawled out from the bookshelf and joined him at the desk once again, curling up next to his head. Some of Karl's fuzz tickled Poe's nose. He placed a hand onto the raccoon's soft body.
"How about we go by ourselves?"
On the night of the carnival, Poe had arrived with Karl sitting on his shoulder. He felt awkward walking around alone since everyone else around him had come with family, friends, or even a significant other. But he was used to it, being alone.
The colorful lights glimmered into the night dusk. Sizzling food released clouds of smoke into the air. Children excitedly ran around, playing with each other. The slight waves beneath the boardwalk splashed and rocked against the pillars which held the wooden planks up.
It was a lively atmosphere. So much in fact that it made Poe feel a little nervous. He reassured Karl with a pat. "Stick with me and we're just going to walk around. And if we don't like it we can go home..."
But Karl was fearless for his size. He twitched his nose and ears at the new stimulation.
After a few minutes of passing by stands with more food and mini-games, Poe was starting to get adjusted to the atmosphere but he still didn't find any activities which appealed to him. This wasn't a place to have fun by yourself after all. Eventually, Poe had reached the highlight of the carnival, it's famous colorful ferris wheel. He watched as it ascended and descended the boxes slowly, rotating in a circle pattern. The lights which decorated it blinked on and off.
"You're not scared of heights, right Karl?" Poe asked his companion. "I think we should give it a try." He looked over at the raccoon resting on his shoulder but his face only met Karl's behind.
Karl had turned around and was staring at something that had caught his attention.
Poe looked behind him in the direction of Karl's interest. There was a stand of skewers being fried. They sizzled loudly and wafted a delicious scent.
"I don't think you can eat that," Poe told the raccoon. "It's probably pork and I'm sure raccoons aren't meant to eat that —"
Just then, Karl ran off, hopping off Poe's shoulder and in an instant, disappeared into the crowd of people. Poe's heart dropped to the ground with heart-breaking anxiety. This was hell at its finest. The worst situation ever.
And without hesitation, he took off in the same direction, apologizing to every person he (tried to) politely shoved out of his way in attempt to catch the raccoon. But Karl had disappeared completely. He could have turned anywhere — behind a stand, under a bench, or at the edge of the boardwalk. Completely lost on where to even start looking, Poe slumped his weight onto his knees. Today could turn into the worst day ever.
Off in the nearby distance, Ranpo happily received a cookie from a kind lady running a sweets stand. "Chocolate chip! Could never go wrong with that. My ultra deduction abilities say so!" His eyes glittered as he drooled over the cookie in it's wrapping.
"Ah is that so," Atsushi mumbled, counting the coins in his wallet. He had paid for the subway to travel here and all of the sweets Ranpo wanted to try. Why couldn't Ranpo remember to bring his own wallet? He had a higher salary after all. "I - I don't think we can afford anything else here unless if you want to walk home..."
"I'm not walking. You're going to carry me aren't you?" Ranpo questioned as if this was something he was already expecting.
"No way!" Atsushi groaned. He was on the verge of tears with the amount of money he had left. All he wanted this weekend was to have fun. Inviting Ranpo was a bad idea. Meanwhile, Tanizaki and Naomi were enjoying themselves playing a mini-game. Atsushi shot them a look that begged for help. In return, Tanizaki just nervously smiled. As a recently graduated high school boy with a needy sister, he barely had any money either.
"I hope the ferris wheel is at least free," Atsushi groaned. As the main highlight of the carnival, he didn't want to miss out on the view of the festive Yokohama night.
"Well why don't we just sit down for a bit—" But just when Atsushi was about to suggest taking a rest, Ranpo had completely disappeared.
"Not again..!"
Edogawa Ranpo had caught sight of something familiar when it had whizzed by the corner of his eye. Stuffing the cookie into his cape pocket, he marched off after the creature.
It couldn't be—!
But it was. Edgar Allan Poe's raccoon companion was crawled up on a stranger's lap, reaching for the skewer he had in hand. The man had strange brown hair which stuck out in ways that defied gravity and an unfamiliar uniform on with a long cape. He looked like a commander or a military worker of some sort.
"AH KARL!" Ranpo called out in surprise. What a great coincidence to find his friend's raccoon here. It must've meant that Poe was also here, somewhere. It was strange to see the two apart.
Ranpo approached the man and shoved a finger at his face. "You. Did you steal Karl?" he accused. Ranpo was a dramatic man. Of course he already knew from his deductions exactly what had happened.
"Ah.. No, he just wanted my food," the man replied. Karl looked at Ranpo with the entire skewer in his mouth.
Ranpo picked up the raccoon and placed him on top of his head. Karl comfortably shifted in the hat and continued chewing on the skewer. "Well I have someone to find then." He then turned to take his leave and called back, "Sorry 'bout your skewer!" Though to him it really didn't matter.
Alone on a bench nearby the ferris wheel where he had originally lost Karl, Poe sat forlornly with his arms rested on his legs, trying to hold back the stressful tears of having been separated from his dear companion.
He figured it would've been a better idea to wait for Karl than to search for him. Karl was a smart raccoon. Often times, Poe had sent him off to deliver a message and he always completed the job and returned home safely. But in an unknown place with so much chaos, Poe wasn't so confident about how Karl would be able to handle himself.
Unable to control the anxiety, worse-case scenarios spiraled in his head. He could imagine the poor raccoon hiding in a corner, frantically running through the city, scavenging for food... All by himself.
I should have never gone out in the first place. This wouldn't have happened if we had just stayed at home. If only I had Ranpo's ultra-deduction...
"Ah, there you are!" a voice more familiar than ever sounded as a shadow loomed over his blurry field of vision.
Poe shot his head up and automatically made eye-contact with the best detective in the world — his one and only real friend — Edogawa Ranpo. And sitting on top of his head was Karl. Both of the two things Poe wanted to see most right now — right before him. It felt so much like a dream that he coulnd't help but to doubt his own self.
"Are you okay? Your eyes are puffy," Ranpo placed a hand on the other's shoulder.
Karl used Ranpo's arm as a bridge to cross over to Poe's head which he then crawled down into his lap.
It's reality. They're here.
Poe took in a big sniff as he gently squeezed the raccoon in his embrace. "Karl... You're back..!"
Ranpo grinned as he took a seat next to the writer. "So what brings you here? It's strange to see you in a place like this," he asked.
"... I thought it would be a good idea to go outside after a while," Poe mumbled, letting Karl climb up onto his shoulder once again. It was embarrassing but didn't know how to act in front of Ranpo. It felt like every time he was with him, his heart would start racing. Poe had longed to see Ranpo for a while but the rush of tension that took over him hindered his ability to think properly.
Why does it have to be like this..?
"Have you gone on that ferris wheel yet?" Ranpo asked.
Poe shook his head.
The detective stood up and extended a hand. "We're going then! Oh, but you have to pay because I dont have any money on me."
When it was their turn to enter their box, the two sat across from each other then the door was shut. Slowly, they started ascending as other people were escorted into the ferris wheel. As if in sync, both Poe and Karl's first reaction was to look out of the window. Below them laid a sea of colors of the carnival and beyond the beach was the night life of Yokohama, glittering with lights from buildings, cars, and street lamps. It was a beautiful scene you couldn't get from staying home.
"I have a question for you," Ranpo interrupted Poe's entrancement by the scenery. He leaned in close to Poe's face which caused him to freeze up. "Why didn't you text me for so long?"
"H - Huh..?"
"You didn't reply to me for a month," Ranpo insisted.
Poe had no recollection of this. He quickly pulled out his phone and went back to his last texts with Ranpo. It was true. Ranpo's last text was asking Poe if he was free that day. It was then Poe remembered what had happened. "Oh um... There was a bidding going on for a book I really wanted and completely forgot." He shamefully looked off to the side. "I'm sorry." And he meant it. If Ranpo had contacted him at any other time, he would have responded. Poe wanted nothing more than to keep their friendship.
If only there was a way to prove it.
"Well it's not like it matters anymore," Ranpo said, completely changing his demeanor as the ferris wheel completed it's first cycle and the two were back at the top. Taking advantage of Poe's hidden face, he laid a quick kiss on his cheek — completely catching Poe off guard.
A wave of heat rushed to Poe's face in that instant. His heart thumped rapidly in his chest as if it were about to explode from excitement. Was excitement even a word to start? All he knew was that being with Ranpo was worth more than any book he would pay millions for.
Just as Ranpo was pulling away, Poe immediately grabbed his hanging tie by instinct, stopping him — though it wasn't like he was going anywhere. His emotions wouldn't allow him to let go.
What am I doing?
He wanted to convey his feelings to him, as if there was a chance Ranpo could reciprocate them. But it was impossible — there was no way.
There was no way anyone would love someone like him.
"I've been really lonely for the past month," Poe said quietly. "I really ... Missed you."
It was the most he could say. Any more would have been crossing a boundary that first needed to be unlocked in their relationship. But he had to get it out of him. And it lifted a weight off of his shoulders, one that he never realized was there to begin with.
A grin formed on Ranpo's lips. "You don't have to be lonely anymore," he sat down next to Poe and rested his weight against the taller man. "After all, I'm right here!" And he stayed there for the rest of the ride, as if, he too, found something comforting about Poe.
Ranpo had a warm presence. His carefree energy, his intelligence... He was the light Poe needed in his life. Somehow, fate had brought them together on this night. And Poe promised he would never let go of what was important to him ever again.
"By the way, did you want to split a chocolate chip cookie?"
"Oh, um... As along as Karl doesn't have any."