Marble || Edogawa Ranpo

Case 20

"Hey, I don't need to check to tell it. That's an amateur move." He answers and fans himself with his cap smugly.

"Really..." Yosano heaved another defeated sigh. There's no way to persuaded Ranpo unless he gets motivated or bribed him with sweets.

You who was listening to their conversation couldn't help but want to offer something to repay their kindness of letting you stay here overnight. You don't want to just stay on standby all the time either.

"Em... I might can help if you want to see whether it is a real document or not with my ability."

"Oh?" Yosano raised her eyebrows to you. "That's right, I heard that your ability has to do with something to detect any deception."

"Yes. If I could give the agency any help back, then I could at least do this much."

"What do you think, Ranpo? May I?"

"Well, go on." Ranpo just shrugs, "My ability is superior than her, but if you still need someone to validated it, it still doesn't change what I said earlier."

Yosano can only shake her head with his usual arrogant attitude. She thought that he would at least admit that he didn't have the ability what they have been through inside Poe's ability before. Anyway, she hands the brown envelop to you. It will not hurt just to be completely safe. And it will be her first time to witness your ability that is said to be almost on par with Ranpo's intelligence.

"Here you go."

"Thank you." You accepted it and began to flip through the documents. It was all information regarding a floating device that was named Moby Dick and it was an ability belongs to Herman Melville. With all the weaknesses and the detailed information on how it operated. Whoever was the constructor for this base, he had your respect for being a genius to invent a technology this advance. You scanned all the papers and came out with one hundred percent genuine information.

"The documents are not falsified, that I can confirm it."

"See? I told you already." Ranpo interjected and 'hump'. "My deduction is never wrong."

"Yes, yes, we know that. But better safe than sorry, right? Anyway, we probably should hold the meeting now."

"Ah, President is out with nii-sama, Dazai-san and Kunikida-san."

"Oh, where are they?"

Just right after Yosano asked that, the figures that were mentioned enter the office.

"Finally, I can rest for now~"

"Good grief, I still can't believe that you were once with the mafia."

"Ahahaha. Kunikida is so oblivious sometimes that it was easy to fool~"

"What was that you suicide freak?! To think that I was working with someone of a former executive of all else... who can blame me when you didn't appear like one?" Kunikida really seems like he was annoyed with the bandaged detective.

You heard them talking and shot Dazai a look of 'Wait. He was working with the mafia before?'

"Welcome back, nii-sama~!" Naomi instantly went to hug Tanizaki and greeted him warmly although the latter show that he was flustered.

"President! President! You can't believe what I'm going to tell you!" Ranpo immediately stands up from his seat and he is flailing his hand excitedly. "I acquired the information to defeat the Guild!"

"Really? That some good news!" Dazai replied with a bright face.

"Here, all the information."

Yosano handing Dazai the enveloped this time.

"It's even confirmed that it was not fake by (Name)."

"Neat, now we got all we need to win this war."

Just seeing them discussing and gathering like this really makes you feel somewhat warm inside but there's no denying that you also feel that you are not part of their group. After all, an outsider is still an outsider and you were here just because of your proposal before and can only observe them. But you still wonder what else can you do to help with anything if you can. Your hand clenched on your lap feeling a bit frustrated that you are not useful to them.

"Oh, (Name)-chan! I haven't seen you since...yesterday." Dazai waves his hand to you but he was awkward when he had mentioned what happened before.

"Idiot Dazai. Just ignore him." Kunikida whack his head and dragged him to the conference room by his collar.

"Anyway, I will see you around later!"

"Hmph. Don't forget to bring me my snacks later (Name)-chan. I will be waiting." Said Ranpo and you can feel your hair being ruffled by him before he joined them too. Did Ranpo just give you a head pat?

He leaves to enter the conference room, leaving you with Naomi and Tanizaki.

"Nee, (Name)-san. You don't have to feel like a stranger with us, if anything, you are still our partner. Isn't that right, Nii-sama?" Naomi grinds her body to him as she said that, and you had to reminds yourself that they are actually siblings.

"N-Naomi, please not here... although what you said is true."

Not a stranger to them huh. Then...

"Thank you. I really appreciate hearing that."

If you are no stranger to them, at least what you can do is to pray for their victory with this battle and that everyone stays safe until this is over. 

***

I kind of downgrade my writing now, sorry if it sucks ;-;

Anyway, thank you for all the support until now that we reached chapter 20, I humbly bow down to you all <3