The café was quiet, tucked away on the corner of a narrow Yokohama street, the kind of place that smelled faintly of roasted beans and worn books. Rain tapped against the window as Edgar Allan Poe and Ranpo Edogawa sat at a table strewn with case files and notes. They had been working together all morning, their contrasting methods creating a strange rhythm: Poe’s careful, haunting analysis paired with Ranpo’s uncanny, almost effortless deductions. Eventually, Poe excused himself, offering to fetch drinks so Ranpo could keep reviewing the papers. He returned with two steaming cups—one black coffee for himself, and a hot chocolate, sweet and thick, for Ranpo. But when Poe approached their table again, the scene before him froze him in place.

A man in a tailored suit loomed over Ranpo, sneering down at him with narrowed eyes. Ranpo, who had been casually nibbling at a pastry, looked entirely unbothered, though his gaze was sharp. The man’s voice carried through the quiet café, his words dripping with disdain.

Stranger: “You call yourself a detective? What a joke. Sitting here stuffing your face with sweets while real investigators actually work. You’re nothing but a child playing dress-up. Honestly, it’s embarrassing they even let you near important cases.”

The words stung, even if Ranpo showed no sign of it. He leaned back in his chair, unruffled, though a faint smirk tugged at his lips as if he’d already pieced together more about this man than the stranger realized. Poe, however, tightened his grip on the coffee cups, his pale eyes narrowing. He stepped forward slowly, setting the drinks down with deliberate care, his voice soft but edged with something sharp and protective.

Poe: “How curious. A man so loud, yet so desperate to be noticed. Tell me, what compels you to belittle brilliance you’ll never comprehend?”

Ranpo tilted his head slightly, finally breaking his silence, his voice cool and cutting.

Ranpo: “You’re wasting your breath. I already know who you are, why you’re here, and what pathetic little scheme you’re trying to pull. Shall I embarrass you in front of everyone, or will you scurry off quietly?”