Rapid Fate Online Chapter 22: Gentle Interrogation

“I mean, I’ve got little bits of evidence…” you thought as you lay there, “Tamaki likes butterflies. He was drawing gaming stuff in the back of his book AND he wrote out his secret move. His friends even play RFO… but how can be sure it’s him without blowing it? ALSO… I’ve fallen for Butterfli3! Do I like Tamaki as much as I like his online persona?! If it’s even him?!”

You rolled over on the bed and face planted into the pillow; letting out a low, wailing groan as if your whole life had been thrown on its head.

Well…in all technicalities it had- that’s if Tamaki was actually butterfli3.

Not wanting to jump to conclusions too quickly, you decided to observe Tamaki a little more at school to see if you could find any other similarities or pieces of evidence before approaching him about it. 

…………………………………….

“Hey! Let’s have lunch with Mirio, Nejire, and Tamaki today.” You said to your B/F as you both headed out into the hall and down to the cafeteria.

“Random? But ok?” she said with a laugh. “Any particular reason?”

“Uh…nope… just thought you and Mirio would want to talk RFO?”

“I ALWAYS wanna talk RFO but it’s weird that you’re initiating it,” she replied suspiciously.

“Meh,” you gave a dismissive hand wave, “just accept my gracious offer.”

She snorted with amusement but didn’t question you further.

“Ayyy, Migata,” your B/F addressed Mirio, using his RFO username, “Y/N requested we all have lunch together.”

“Awesome!” Mirio replied, smiling at you.

Thankfully he didn’t ask why. He didn’t even look suspicious. He just had that ray of sunshine smile plastered on his face like he always did as he made room at the table for you and your B/F to sit down.

“God bless this hunk of blond sunshine,” you wailed internally, doing your best to suppress the heart squeezed expression that threatened to erupt across your features, as you sat down.

The minute your backside hit the seat, you looked up, straight across to Tamaki who was looking at you shyly. You grinned at him so he gave you a small shy smile in return before looking back down at his plate of food and wrinkling his lips nervously.

“So, Y/N, nave you bought RFO yet?” Mirio asked suddenly.

“M-me?! Uh… umm no, no, I haven’t,” you lied, glancing at Tamaki who was still looking down at his food, “What about you Tamaki?” you asked, turning the question to him.

He flinched and looked up at you and you gave him a smile in return and waited patiently.

“I….I…..”

“We’ve already been over this, Y/N, he’s a level 30 butterfly tamer,” Nejire quipped playfully, giving Tamaki an out.

You played along with it but deep down you were really wanting Tamaki to say something, anything, that would give you that next bit of information.

All through lunch you kept glancing across at the shy elf-boy and the more you watched him, the more you found him attractive. He even hesitated to say a few things to add to the conversations- which you thought was very cute.

…………………………………

After lunch you were heading to your locker to grab an extra textbook for the next class and as you rounded the corner, you came face to face with Tamaki.

Seizing the moment you quickly grabbed him by the arm and pulled him into the nearest empty classroom to chat.

“Hey, sorry, I need apologize to you…” you started.

Tamaki looked at you softly with his head slightly lowered, hands pushed deeply into pockets to stop his hands trembling.

You took a few deep breaths and continued. “A few weeks back I was trying something new with my quirk and I used it on you…without your permission.” You paused to give him time to remember the event. “I uh…I saw what you had drawn in the back of your book.”

Tamaki tilted his head slightly then his eyes widened.

“They were gaming terms and a sword that you drew, yes?” you prompted.

Tamaki opened his mouth to say something but then just closed it again and nodded silently.

“It’s ok, I won’t tell anyone…I was happy and surprised when I saw it… because you’re like me…” you said with a ginger smile.

“W-what do you mean?” He asked gently.

“We’re both secret gamers,” you said with a smile.

“Do you game as well?”

“Yeah, I do,” you replied, “but don’t tell anyone ok? It’s our secret.”

He nodded and smiled slight.

“W-what game do you play?” He asked curiously.

“You first,” you encouraged, “what game do you play?”

He was about to answer when Mirio phased just his face through the wall beside you both- scaring the life out of the two of you.

“Hey!” he greeted brightly amid your terrified screams, “was wondering where— Tamaki, Y/N, it’s just me. Stop screaming— was wondering where you two went! You’ll be late for class!— please stop screaming? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

After clutching your chest and hyperventilating for another good minutes you finally calmed down enough to follow Mirio- after he had phased the rest of his body through the wall- and Tamaki out of the empty classroom and back down the hall.

“Oh! I forgot something in my locker. You two go on ahead, I’ll catch up in a sec,” you said quickly before turning and running down the hall, “Ok, so I still don’t know for sure that Butterfli3 is Tamaki but I should try and be as normal in game as possible.” You thought as you ran. “What a mind blow this is going to  be if I’m right though!”

………………………………………

That afternoon at 4pm you logged onto RFO, blinking as you focused on the celling of your in game apartment.

You looked beside you to where Butterfli3’s avatar was lying, then looked down at your hand that was still intertwined with his.

Suddenly he woke up and looked at you and you smiled.

“What do you want to do today?” you asked him, “I can shut up the shop if you like? Then we can do something together?”

“Oh! Ok, well, I’d love to help out in the shop a little first, then I want to take you somewhere,” he said as he squeezed your hand in his.

“Sounds good!” you replied brightly.

He on rolled on his side, facing you and caressed your cheek fondly with his hand before leaning in for a kiss.

Your lips connected and you felt the warmth of his mouth as it connected with yours.

“It’s weird kissing in game. It doesn’t feel like a real kiss, but it still feels nice, that warmth against my lips is comforting.”

You smiled as he pulled back from you.

“Let’s go!” You said enthusiastically once you had spent a moment silently smiling at each other.

He sat up and helped you up off the bed, holding your hand as he led you down the stairs to your shop.

“Now that we’re partied together I can share some of my items across to you, I have some things in my inventory that people would be really interested to buy,” he said happily, “they’ll really help you.”

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Rapid Fate Online Chapter 23: Surprises >>>