Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Names of the parents:
Clairvoyant Edogawa [ Shigeo ]
Kiku Hirai Edogawa [ Kiku ]

—

“Oh, Ranpo-san. I found something.” Spoke the weretiger—his eyebrows furried. Peaking interest, the excellent detective walks towards Atsushi. “Though, maybe you know about it already.” He mumbled.

“You can just tell me what it is, still.” Ranpo insisted, already having a deduction on what the subject is about, but decided to let Atsushi tell anyway.

“It's about the Port Mafia.”

Oh?

“Really? Tell me more.” Ranpo's eyes glimmered with curiosity, that's not what he had predicted—for the most part. He thought it was something to do with his past.

“I found these documents online, and when I researched the deceased members of the Black Lizard—your parents' names were listed on there.”

…

“No, no, no. That can't be possible, Atsushi-kun. You shouldn't joke about things like that, it's only been a few months since you had—”

“But, you would know if I'm telling the truth.” The weretiger cut off. The brown haired detective felt his palms slowly getting sweaty. He didn't want to admit it.

There's no possible chance that HIS dear parents, we're involved with a scandalous organization like the Port Mafia.

“Let me see these documents.” Atsushi nodded—rolling his chair to give space for Ranpo to see his computer screen for proof.

The deeper Ranpo scrolled, the more information that was proven true—the more he wanted to deny it. It's just…unlike them.

He was meant to be the greatest detective of the world—he should know such trivial stuff. So why? What's this aching feeling in his chest, and this lump in his throat?

Disbelief.

Betrayal.

“I…need time to think about this.”

Ranpo's voice echoed, immediately sprinting out of the Agency's office. “Ranpo-san, wait!” Atsushi called out, but his efforts ended up in vain. “What happened?” Asked, the blonde haired man, adjusting his glasses. “Kunikida-kun, I don't think he'll be okay.” The weretiger fidgeted, his tone filled with worry and guilt.

…

“There's no way, there's no way, there's no way, there's really no—”

Ranpo was pacing in his room, pulling his hair, stimming. Plastics of snacks scrambled all across his bedroom.

“There is no explanation for this, I just—”

…

“Don't want to accept it.”

He spoke with an uneasy tone.

Why?

Why did they even choose to join an organization like that? What crossed their minds to even THINK about it?

Was it a life or death decision?

Hell, Ranpo should know about this. He just always knows what to do, right?

For once, he asked himself 'Maybe'.

He had always hated that word, because he never needed to use it.

"Sleep will cure this." He spoke weakly—and blandly, shortly flopping on his bed, hoping to drift off sooner rather than later.

... 

Ranpo laid on his bed, hand on his head. He had work in a few hours—and he didn’t even get a wink of sleep. He already had a sneaking suspicion that his parents kept a massive secret from him—but he didn’t know how ‘massive’ it was.

He felt pitiful, and, well, stupid. Foolish? Perhaps. Betrayed? Definitely 

His parents literally supported him to be a police officer—wouldn’t that harm them if he were to find out that they were in a Mafia organization?

What were even their reasons?

…

The ‘Great’ Detective’s alarm rang, signalling his time to prepare for work, and the most hardest thing…getting up.

He couldn’t even realize he was swimming in his tears.

Ranpo clumsily got out of bed, a bothersome weight washing over his body. He looked in the mirror. “My hair is a mess.” He mumbled. “Not that I care, anyway.”

“Why should I care? It’s not like you cared to tell me, huh?”

  …

He was probably just cranky that he couldn’t get an ounce of sleep last night—could anyone, really sleep well after hearing that your beloved parents were in an organization he despised?

…

Whatever.

He lazily put on his clothes, and shortly after, shoes. He really couldn’t care less anyway. 

The acts of his parents, though, were careless.

Did they even have a good reason?

… Nevermind. He should probably take a short walk to clear this off his mind. 

 If he doesn't get lost, that is. 

Chapter Text

“...Kiku, my dear, check this out.” Clarivogant speaks with confidence—showing Ranpo’s Mother his discoveries. “Woah, I didn’t know this, I guess we need to look deeper into this topic, hm?” Her curiosity peaked, finding this certain file interesting.

“Ma! Pa! Where are you guys going?” The child speaks, confused. Well, he already had a feeling they were going to work.

That’s literally what they have always been doing—but it was fine, I guess. His family has been so, so good to him.

Always. Never lied, never kept secrets, never.

Never…

“Love, Ma and Pa will be soon going to work, okay? Dinner’s on the table, and the sweets are in the fridge.” His mother instructed, bending down and kissing Ranpo’s forehead, before holding Shigeo’s arm and walking out through the door. “Don’t open the door if it’s not us, ‘kay?” 

“OOOKAAY!” Ranpo cheerfully smiled—he was home alone, again.

Work, work, work, again and again.

The same instructions, again and again.

Always left for work. Barely spent any time together, barely explained what kind of work they were doing, barely even goes home.

Days, weeks, months, they’d leave him.

It’s fine, they have good reasons, probably. It’s not like they would do anything bad, anything to harm others.

Because…

Because they were nice people?

I don’t know.

He sighed, strolling off to the living room, trying to keep his head high, for his parents, at least. It’s not like anything bad would ever happen to them, and…Even if they did, they would know how to handle the situation, they’re strong.

I believed.

…

Shortly after, tons, if not dozens of police officers showed up at his front door, the blasting red and blue lights of the cars blinding his eyesight. “What the—Why are you—!”

…

“Excuse me—Ah, You must be the one and only son of Shigeo Edogawa and Kiku Hirai Edogawa. I’m sorry to tell you this, kiddo, but your parents had unfortunately died in a recent accident. I come to give heavy condolences, and they have been transported to the hospital for further notice. We’ll update you if they wake up. Although, the damage might make them never wake up again. Though, you shouldn’t be alone in this house without supervision, so we’ll take you to the station, is that okay with you, kiddo?”

Ranpo’s eyes bat open—widened. 

Hundreds, Thousands, Millions, Trillions of thoughts ran through his head. His pulse? Beating like he could run to see them 100 miles per hour. His palms? Sweatier than if he had held 50 kilograms of weights in the gym. His eyes? Watery than if you turned the faucet in the sink on.

No more, he wanted no more of this moment. He wanted to wake up from this horrible, horrible dream. 

He glanced down, gulping. Shutting his eyes, desperately trying to hold waterfalls of tears down. He held his chest—begging it to stop abnormally raising.

Stop.

Make it stop.

Make the overwhelming guilt of letting them go to work once more away.

Away with it.

Please.

This tingly feeling? It hurts. It hurts so much. The lump in my throat? It’s awfully gross how massive it was.

Stop.

Stop.

Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop, Stop.

Stop it now, please. It hurts.

It hurts so much, I'm begging you, please stop it. Whatever it is, whatever is making his whole body go numb—whatever is making everything around him spin. 

Oh, his vision is getting blurry—it made him dizzier and dizzier. 

I hope I end up in Ma and Pa’s arms.