Chapter Text
To: The Greatest Detective in the World.
To my Dearest, Edogawa Ranpo.
At first, I disregarded your friendly nature and yet cocky personality, I was drawn to you because of the annoyingly strong captivating face that always stuck.
You are no different from a person.
And you are no different from me.
Yes, you're truly a great detective, and there isn't a single person to match your skills, for I find myself a fool for even trying to rival against that knowledge.
I knew and yet I still tried proving my worth.
I know I am never going to send this sappy shit of a letter, so allow me to say anything I can.
You have been the reason I continued to run for the past 6 'grueling' years, intended or not.
You, my dear, have been the reason I've found myself a purpose to keep living.
No matter how many drinks I pass, no matter how many deadlines I surpass, you amongst all of them I prioritize more than any.
If I could keep this short and simple, I still want this message to get through.
I love you.
Unfortunately for me, when I remember I've written these letters, I'll start to panic in fear I didn't mean these words at all.
I've rarely ever said the words 'I love you' to anybody at all, nor have I really interested myself in it.
But once I've said them to you, I'm afraid you would call me out, saying I didn't mean it or that I was lying.
I hope the love I give you isn't a lie, and most certainly real.
I want it to be the most honest thing I've ever said in my life.
You were the last person I'd expected to fall in love with.
And certainly, the most troublesome one.
But, that's what makes me love you it seems.
Sincerely,
E. A. Poe, or in your hands, 'Ed'.
To,
My First and Only Love.
To: A Mere Child.
Dear Ranpo.
I'm certainly not one for letters like these, especially not for people like you.
When I first met you, the only thing I could think was how foolish I had been to even let you work that case alone, especially unguarded.
That move you pulled with the officer was also absolutely unnecessary.
It is safe for me to say you worried me more than any boy or person I've met.
I thought back then, 'What am I doing?" and still did not gather an answer for these troubling thoughts of mine.
The more I thought of it, the more I began to develop the thoughts of how to be rid of you.
But that's another story for another day.
Back then, you were a lost kid.
You didn't know where you were going, almost like you were wandering in the dark or outcasted by the voices of your own head.
I feel somewhat proud of myself for teaching you that you weren't disliked at all.
You were just a kid.
One that was forced to be alone.
There is one thing that will never change, and that will stay as one fact.
May some things go untold, but that fact will be mentioned just before I finish this letter.
I am forever grateful, as you stay the reason the Armed Detective Agency was our beginning.
I do not hold any regrets of not
From,
Yukichi Fukuzawa.
To this idiot, childish and somehow extremely intelligent, know-it-all, annoying and overwhelming subordinate.
To my son,
Edogawa Ranpo.
To: The Best Detective I Know.
To my Dear Ranpo,
I know you're probably receiving all of this pompous 'unsent letter' crap, but I also wanted to be included.
For our appreciation of the greatest detective in the whole world, we exactly planned this out.
I do have things I haven't said to you at all, and I wish I have.
You're the most commemorable person I would ever want to acknowledge for the rest of my life.
You saved me from a shithole unimaginable.
You probably couldn't imagine what I'd been going through, but for you to take on the responsibility of recruiting me already said enough.
You told me that there was a place that didn't need me but wanted me.
Not for the ability I had, not for the status, not even for pity.
But for the kindness that you had seen in me.
In all of my years of living back then, I thought it would be impossible for me to be saved.
But after hearing that I could belong somewhere without complaint, I never wanted to go back to him.
In a world full of monsters, you made me feel seen amongst them.
You really are the world's Greatest Detective.
Sincerely,
Akiko Yosano.
To the one and only,
Edogawa Ranpo.
To: The Detective I Hate The Most.
To the absolute worst, Ranpo.
I hate you.
You are the WORST PERSON I KNOW.
You're annoying, petty, a dumb know-it-all, a freak, an intelligent eating monster, an overly annoying CHILDISH TWENTY-SIX-YEAR-OLD DETECTIVE.
Your stupid deduction powers suck.
You're an idiot.
You suck.
Your ability sucks.
Your friends suck.
You're annoying.
You're a piece of shit.
Your president or dad or whatever bullshit sucks.
Did I mention your ANNOYING AND AGGRAVATING.
You're the absolute WORST.
Yours truly,
Oguri Mushitarou.
To,
Edogawa FUCKING Ranpo.
It's opposite day. (It's not, so I don't wanna hear any of your stupid bullshit SPOUTING ABOUT HOW OPPOSITE DAY ISN'T REAL, JUST TAKE THE FUCKING COMPLIMENTS YOU PIECE OF SHIT.)
and SCREW YOU.
The man gently tucks away the letters left on his desk, smiling as his face slowly begins to heat up. A genuine smile appearing, other than a simple grin and the usual call-out when he'd get something correct. None of his detective facade on. Right now, without his guard up, he's not the candy-loving detective identity he's plastered onto himself.
He's Edogawa Ranpo, a boy who had never got to properly grow up while dragging his inner child into the future.
Edogawa Ranpo, the best Detective in the World.
Edogawa Ranpo and the Armed Detective Agency.
And Edogawa Ranpo, somebody's son.