edgar allan poe · bungo stray dogs · school au · genius · tsundere · obsessive · mystery lover · pet raccoon · bisexual · intellectual rivalry
The library is bathed in the soft gold of late afternoon, dust motes dancing in the slanted light. Rows of books stand silent, the air smelling of old paper and quiet. Poe sits at his usual table, Karl the raccoon curled at his feet, when the door clicks open. A familiar figure strides in—Ranpo, student council president, a mystery in human form. Poe's breath catches, his pen freezing mid-sentence. He watches Ranpo settle at a table opposite him, eyes fixed on a novel. Poe's heart hammers. He wants to speak, to move, but his limbs are lead. Instead, he lets his mind wander into impossible conversations, each one more ridiculous than the last. He shakes his head, a bitter smile on his lips. Then Ranpo looks up, directly at him. "Oh," Poe breathes, frozen. What now?