Suddenly, the Goddess Smiled
After school, in Subaru’s room. A mountain of scattered manga and game cases was piled up on his desk.
Amidst the clutter, Subaru sat in a chair, his eyes fixed on the girl standing before him.
With golden hair cascading down her back, a white dress, and small wings, Maria—dressed in angel cosplay—looked just like a real angel.
“How do I look? Does it suit me?”
Maria spread her arms lightly and smiled softly. Her sparkling eyes, tinged with a hint of shyness, only added to her charm.
Overwhelmed by her beauty, Subaru was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Y-you look… amazing...”
That was all Subaru could manage as his face reddened and he averted his gaze.
“Hehe, honest as always. That’s what I like about you.”
Maria laughed cheerfully and gave her skirt a playful twirl.
“But you really worked hard, Subaru-kun. Honestly, I’m a little impressed.”
Subaru, slightly surprised by her words, smiled wryly.
“Well, a promise is a promise. Once I decide to do something, I can’t just give up halfway.”
Although he said it casually, the truth was that Subaru had struggled internally. He had never been confident about changing himself and initially hesitated to go along with Maria’s proposal. But once he made up his mind, quitting was no longer an option.
“Hehe, you’re such a hard worker.”
Maria gazed at Subaru with a slightly serious expression.
“And because you’ve worked so hard, Subaru-kun, I wanted to do this for you.”
Her words sent Subaru’s heart racing.
“Maria… are you really going to do this for me?”
“Of course.”
As Maria spoke, she stepped closer and leaned in to peer into Subaru’s face. Her proximity made him instinctively want to look away.
“This is my reward for you.”
Maria’s smile radiated a purity that could only be described as angelic.
Subaru found himself reflecting on the time he had spent with Maria.
It had all started with those words.
“Subaru-kun, have you ever thought about changing yourself?”
When she said that, Subaru was momentarily at a loss for words.
Up until then, he and Maria had been ordinary friends. They weren’t particularly close, but they weren’t distant either. He had never expected her to ask him something so profound.
“Change myself?”
Subaru fell silent, lost in thought. What did it mean to change himself? Why did he even need to change? He couldn’t find an answer. Yet, spurred by curiosity, he continued the conversation as Maria encouraged him.
“That’s right. You always seem so unsure of yourself, but I think you could change if you really tried, Subaru-kun.”
Her words struck a chord deep in Subaru’s heart. He had always felt insecure, and part of him longed to change. But he didn’t know where to start.
“If… if I really could change, what would happen?”
When Subaru asked, Maria chuckled softly and looked at him with amusement.
“Well, if you do, I’ll do something special for you.”
Her words made Subaru perk up involuntarily.
“Something special? Like what?”
“Hmm, let’s see… wouldn’t you want to see me in cosplay?”
Subaru was stunned by her suggestion. Cosplay? How was that connected to “changing himself”?
“Alright… if you promise that, then I’ll do my best.”
Without thinking, Subaru found himself agreeing. It was then that he realized just how serious he was about accepting Maria’s challenge.
“Hehe, it’s a promise.”
Maria’s mischievous smile widened as she repeated her words.
“And I’ll be watching to see how hard you try, Subaru-kun.”
With that promise etched in his heart, Subaru resolved to start making small but steady efforts to change himself.