What happened to us?

▪︎Chapter 16▪︎

New chapter & chapter one
(flashbacks)

~

"Oguri mentioned leaving the underground organization and even faking his death to live as someone else, right?" Poe said to Ranpo as the only person sitting by the table at the time, since the man in teal suit left to fix his hair in the bathroom.
The detective hummed, nodding as he put down the cup of hot chocolate.
"Seems about right."
"So then... Does he have place to stay or somewhere safe to go-?" Poe asked with worry in his tone. Ranpo looked at him, impressed and confused at once.
The writer didn't usually show much worry for people he barely knew, after all his trust and consern was betrayed so many times as far as Ranpo could tell, therefore understood reason behind his carful approaches. Still, it was pleasant change in some way. The detective subconsciously couldn't let go of the uneasiness that tied to possibility of Oguri being one of those cases where Poe's naive behavior would end up in him getting hurt again, as Ranpo to this day internally beat himself up for despite not showing it through his carefree nature.

"Are you worried about him? And suggesting giving him a hand?" Ranpo asked in tone half suprised and half unsure. His neutral response to get clear answer from the other party.
"I mean- ... How hard his situation must be? He had to fake his own suicide, live in shadows and deal with Kindaichi's death. If I can help him, then I will... But I'm scared to mess up and come of as nosy if I dared to ask-" Poe explained, still sounding somewhat hesitant yet on the other hand convinced that he is doing the right thing.
"Is that so..." Ranpo muttered, giving a thought to his idea himself.

"That's why I asked you." the writer smiled as he said that. "You were always ten steps ahead of me when it came to doing reasonable decisions, right?"

How mocking yet praising it sounded to the detective next to him.
The praise of him being the one ahead yet insult in possible reference to him deciding the fatal betrayal in the competition.

"What are you hinting at?" Ranpo asked, trying to sound as neutral as he could.
"Obviously I have yet again failed to decide something on my own, so I'm asking you since your advice is always valid and helpful. There is nothing more to explain; I just want your opinion." Poe stated with calm tone without hint of lie. "Why would I hint at anything in the first place?" the writer muttered confused; 'Did I say something wrong again?'
"Whatever. So..." Ranpo switched to his deduction, as he analyzed the best solution. "Here's what I would do."

-

"Interesting." Oguri stated. "I'm not denying your offer, but give me time to think, alright." he insisted.
"Right."
The three of them then continued discussing at the café and eventually parted their ways. Yet the question still trembled in the air like a perfume that smelled too sharpy to be ignored but at the same time too nice to dislike.

-

With that, Oguri returned in his apartment.
The whole space being probably as big as an average living room. Only one simple desk, mattress, small cupboard with microwave, half broken owen and sink for the main room and a shower in separate claustrophobic corner of the apartment that hardly had any warm water running.
Oguri felt like jumping out off a window every time he has entered that filth of a flat. The luxury he has gotten used to has been completely wiped off and replaced with collapsing environment that drove him insane.

Ever since he has faked his suicide and ran off from the underground world, he was hiding away from everything that was somewhat signature to him. His fancy preferences of food, clothing style and living were one of them. Other than this meeting he couldn't allow himself to attend other than well dressed, he has been staying closed inside this filthy space, eating raw toast bread and instant soup, writing letters to his dearest Yokomizo.
Not once has he ever let anyone inside or lay an eye upon him from that day. Not until now during his meeting with the two detectives.