Rindo flopped back into his bed. He just got back home to his apartment from walking around playing FanGo and now he was on a video call with Fret. He had Fret in a minimized window as he tapped away, texting his other friend.
"There's this new curry place opening up in Dogenzaka, wanna come with me tomorrow?" came Fret's compressed voice. He was at home as well, the faint sound of the TV could be heard. But Rindo wasn't paying any attention. He was too busy texting Swallow.
Swallow was a friend he had met online while playing FanGo and they've been talking for months now. They had a lot in common from their nightly chats. Rindo would stay up for hours, talking to Swallow. And it didn't stop there, he'd sneak moments away to get on his phone and chat during the day.
"Yooo… Rindude? Did you hear what I said?" Fret raised a brow. "Are you… texting?"
"Uh…" Rindo cleared his throat. His thumbs are now hovering over the keyboard. "Nope."
Fret snorted. "Yeah right, now who is it? If you're gonna be texting someone if you're video chatting with me, she better be cute."
Rindo's face flushed as his eyes looked away from his phone so he didn't have to look at his phone. "Er… she?"
"Well, are you texting a girl or not? Don't tell me you're texting your mom."
"No!" Rindo protesed, a bit too loudly. Embarrassed, he lowered his voice. "No, my mom's back from shopping."
"So, who?"
"I'm texting Swallow."
Fret was acutely aware of Swallow since he also played FanGo and knew that Rindo often conversed with them.
"Swallow's, a girl right?" Fret proposed.
"Yeah…"
"So," Fret leans in close to the camera. "Is she cute?"
Rindo stumbled over his words. "I-i don't know."
Rindo knew so much about Swallow but at the same time he knew nothing. It was a state of friendship limbo. Such was the way with many internet friends. You'd tell each other secrets, but not once would you know their face or name.
Fret nearly had a meltdown. "You've been texting Swallow for almost a year now and you don't know what she looks like?!" The boy was shaking his phone so much that he dropped it on the floor. Rindo could see his ceiling fan, circling around slowly until Fret picked his phone back up. "Oops."
"So what?" Rindo ventured a bit into boldness. He was getting defensive and in a way, he felt a need to protect Swallow.
"So what?" Fret echoed. "Don't you think you should know what she looks like? Who's to say that she's a she?"
"I've seen pictures of her shoes and I've seen her locker so I know she's our age if she's going to school." Rindo objects, much lighter now. He understood where Fret came from but he trusted Swallow.
"Her shoes, Rindude?"
Rindo shrugged. "They looked like girl shoes."
"Okay, and what else?"
"I know that she lives in Shinjuku."
"Bro! She's so close! You could meet her and I could come with just in case Swallow's a psycho killer."
Rindo couldn't help but let out a chuckle. He considered the offer to meet up with Swallow but it just doesn't seem like the time. It never did, Rindo was too shy and if he wasn't careful he was sure he'd pee his pants out of sheer fear. It wasn't worth throwing himself into an anxiety induced situation. But… he was a bit curious. He thought about meeting Swallow in the past and the very idea made his heart quicken.
"Well, take my advice. Ask her to send a photo and we'll see if she's cute."
"But Fret, I-"
"Do it!" With that, Fret clicked off the video call, leaving the end of the call jingle to ring in Rindo's ears. The sound of silence now buzzing in his empty room.
A lump quickly formed in Rindo's throat. Should he ask her? He stared at Swallow's last message.
Swallow: Just found a new monster on my way home! I'm gonna work on leveling it up
Rindo took a deep breath and started typing.
Rindrag0n: hey swallow, can i ask u someth-/
He sighed and quickly deleted his message before he could finish and send it. He set his phone down on the nightstand and left it there. He was far too nervous to go through with it.
Instead, Rindo continued his day as normal. He went down to eat dinner with his family, he completed some school assignment, and took a long hot shower. The whole time he tried to keep his thoughts off of Swallow to no avail. Why am I so scared? What was it about Swallow that got his heart going? He always texted with her and when he didn't, he always thought about her. He often fantasized about showing Swallow around Shibuya while they played FanGo together. Of course, he never saw that really happening.
But what if it could?
No…
But maybe…
Rindo hit the side of his head with the palm of his hand. He had just changed into pajamas to go to bed. His eyes swung towards his phone he had long since abandoned. The burning curiosity in his chest got the better of him and he reached out his hand to pick up his phone. He slowly turned it over and let the screen light up.
The first message he saw was a message from Fret from about an hour ago.
Fret: hey! so u got a pic yet?
Rindo caught his breath and looked at the notification below it from Swallow. He got it around the time he set his phone down.
Swallow: Hey! Saw you typing but then you stopped :/ something up?
He frowned, stung. He felt so bad for leaving Swallow on read like that. He didn't even realize she was still online to see him type. It must've been bugging her all day. Rindo just decided to bite the bullet.
He shut off his lamp, jumped into bed, and began typing.
Rindrag0n: hey! sorry for not txting, something came up
Within a moment, he saw the small green dot next to Swallow's profile picture fade in. She came online immediately, as she usually did when Rindo messaged her.
Swallow: That's cool, something you wanted to say?
Rindrag0n: yeah, can we talk abt smthn
Rindo's broken typing was hardly legible half of the time, especially when compared to Swallow's decent diction.
Swallow: Sounds kinda serious
Rindrag0n: nah
Rindrag0n: well, kinda but it's not bad
Swallow: What is it then?
Rindo's breathing started getting heavy as his heart thumped against his chest.
Rindrag0n: since we've been talking 4 awhile i was wondering if i could see what you look like
His hands were trembling so much, he feared his phone would drop right onto his face. He watched painstakingly as the words "is typing" followed Swallow's username.
Swallow: uh, sure. Do I have to take a photo now or can I use one I already have? Kinda lying in the dark now and my bed is too comfy to get up out of :P
Rindo's spirit soared.
Rindrag0n: yeah! you can use an old one
There was a minute-long pause until he saw her.
Swallow.
Swallow sent an image
A black haired girl in a Gatto Nero hoodie flooded Rindo's screen. She had smokey makeup on that looked like it took no effort, and don't get him wrong, it looked great. Swallow just looked so… effortlessly cute. He wanted to kick himself for the mere thought. In the picture, Swallow seems to be holding the camera at an upward close angle that flatters her heavily lashed eyes.
Swallow: sooo… that's me
Rindrag0n: Wow.
Swallow: capital letter and punctuation! I didn't know you had it in you
Rindrag0n: haha
Swallow: ope and there it goes
Rindrag0n: i guess i should send u a pic of me
Swallow: it's almost like we're meeting for the first time
Rindrag0n: the 2nd time if u think abt it
Rindrag0n sent an image
Rindo really had one good picture of himself and it was of himself and Fret when Fret had snatched his phone at Justice Burger and took an impromptu selfie.
Rindrag0n: i'm the one on the left
Swallow: i see you shop a lot at Jupiter of the Money
Rindrag0n: yup
Swallow was taking all this surprisingly well and Rindo couldn't help but feel a nagging tug at the back of his brain.
Swallow: so who's that on the right
Rindrag0n: my best friend
Swallow: i thought i was your bff :(
Rindo panicked.
Rindrag0n: u r!
Swallow: i'm jking, relax :)
Rindrag0n: oh
Swallow: can i ask you something now?
Oh no.
Rindrag0n: sure
Swallow: where'd all this come from?
Swallow: not that i mind it, just curious
Her second message put him at ease.
Rindrag0n: we've been friends for a long time, just thought we should take the next step
Swallow: you make it sound like we're dating
Swallow sent a sticker
It was of a cartoon cat winking, almost mocking Rindo from behind the screen. He decides to play it safe.
Rindrag0n: haha, no
Swallow: i guess that means i learn your name now?
His name!
If seeing Swallow's face didn't feel intimate enough, sharing their names definitely felt personal. At least for internet standards.
Rindrag0n: oh, yeah. my name's rindo
Swallow: ohhh Rindo… Rindragon. Makes sense
Rindrag0n: yeah… haha
Swallow: well, i'm Shoka. Nice to meet you Rindo.
"Shoka." Rindo said aloud. It's unfamiliarity hung onto his tongue but he quickly got used to it. Shoka, his longtime friend.
Rindrag0n: pretty name
Swallow: thank you
Rindo's mind wandered to Fret's words earlier that day. If Shoka lived in Shinjuku, they could easily hang out.
Rindrag0n: do you… wanna hang out sometime?
Swallow: for real?
Rindrag0n: yeah! um, we can meet here in Shibuya
Rindrag0n: u like gatto nero, right? well u can shop for way more gatto nero merch here
Swallow: I like that :)
Rindrag0n: really?
Swallow: uh-huh
Rindo nearly fainted as he dropped his head back into his pillow. He actually did it! He's gonna meet up with Swallow no… Shoka!
Swallow: so… this weekend then?
Rindo jumped back up and scrambled for his phone.
Rindrag0n: yeah! 3pm? meet up at 104
Swallow: cool :)
Swallow: it's a date