Outside the hospital window, clouds rolled across the sky like slow-moving waves, the grey hue casting a dull tint over everything. Raindrops pattered softly against the glass, a steady rhythm that matched the calm silence inside the room. Shirogane sat upright in his bed, alone, the pale light of the cloudy sky illuminating half his face as he gazed outside.
He brings out his gadget.
Shirogane thought 'Nino Nakano, huh…'
He tilted his head and let out a short sigh, eyes narrowing in thought.
"i know lots of weebs are simping for her… Bet they'd lose their minds if they were in my shoes."
A dry chuckle escaped his lips as he rubbed the back of his head.
"But honestly, I always thought Miku deserved better. She was the first to really open up. Brave in her own quiet way."
He scratched his head a little more aggressively, frustrated with himself.
"Ughh—I don't know…"
His voice softened as his gaze drifted farther.
"But come to think of it… Yotsuba. She's the one who changed everything for Futaro. The one who saved him up when he was being accused… Maybe that's what made her the right choice."
His tone was more reflective now—more him. A quiet voice in a quiet room.
Then—
POOF!
A burst of divine blue light erupted beside his bed, followed by the sound of bells and dramatic sparkles. In all her flashy goddess energy, reappeared with her signature smug grin and hands on her hips.
"Yo~! Long time no see, MC-kun! Looks like you're settling in pretty well, huh? Living in a world you definitely didn't sign up for. Or were you just pretending not to need my help?"
Shirogane?... just silence.
She leaned in closer with a teasing smirk. "Tsundere much?"
Shirogane snapped. He shot to his finger, pointing at her with all the righteous fury. "HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO CALL YOU WHEN YOU NEVER EVEN TOLD ME YOUR NAME, YOU AIRHEAD?!"
She flinched dramatically like she'd been hit by an emotional truck. "EHH?! Wait—I didn't?!"
She blinked twice, then tilted her head with a classic anime "te-he~" pose, poking her cheek with a finger and winking.
"Rejoice, mortal!" the voice declared, carrying the confidence of someone who had announced their presence a thousand times before and never tired of it.
From the white light emerged a stunning girl with flowing light-blue hair that shimmered like a mountain spring under sunlight. Her radiant, otherworldly beauty struck Shirogane speechless—clad in a blue and white dress that somehow blended elegance with the flair of a fantasy RPG character. Her every movement sparkled with divine flair, as if she were always standing in front of a wind machine and stage lights.
"I am Aqua!" she said, gesturing proudly to herself, her chest puffed out. "A goddess who guides the souls of the departed to the afterlife!"
She flashed him a dazzling smile, her voice full of divine authority—though tinged with a barely concealed smugness. "You're one of the lucky few who died in a truly pathetic way and now have the privilege of being transmigrated in a fantasy world! And guess what? I'm here to help you and let you choose your cheat ability or item!!"
Shirogane blinked.
She posed again, as if expecting applause.
"I'll allow you to bring one thing with you—anything you like," she added with a proud little nod. "So choose wisely, mortal!"
Shirogane then asked "So, Aqua-sama huh. Is the gadget already given as a cheat item? Or i get to pick one more?"
Then she replied "That gadget did not really came from me, the higher ups gave it to you."
Shirogane confused "Why did they choose me? Is because I'm special?"
Shirogane confused, brows furrowed. "Why did they choose me? Is it because I'm special? Did I save someone or secretly have hidden powers or something?"
Aqua gave a lazy shrug. "Nah, probably just some bureaucratic dice roll. You died in a way that fit the criteria, I guess? Maybe they were short on good souls that day."
Shirogane's mouth twitched. "...So I'm here because of divine HR shortages?"
Aqua then replaid "I don't know, ask them, lol"
Shirogane irritated "Dumb Goddess."
Aqua immediately pouted. "Hey! I heard that! You're lucky I'm even talking to you, you know! Normally people would be worshipping me or crying at my feet or—"
But Shirogane was already tuning her out, rubbing his temple in frustration.
"This really is going to be a pain…"
Aqua kept rambling about her greatness while Shirogane stared off into the white void, letting her voice fade into background noise. Eventually, she paused to take a breath—probably to praise herself some more—but Shirogane spoke before she could.
"…Still," he said quietly, looking in his hand, "I really am grateful."
Aqua blinked, caught off guard. "Huh? Wait, really?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I mean—sure, you're a bit of a disaster."
"Hey!"
"But I get to live again," he continued, ignoring her protest. "And not just live… but live in this kind of world. Fantasy, magic, adventures—stuff I only saw in anime back then. I never thought I'd actually get to experience it for real."
He looked down at his hands, then slowly clenched them into fists.
"My old life was… quiet. Not bad, but not exciting either. But really... it was kind of hell."
He stared at his clenched fists. "I was bullied most of the time. Never really fit in. People either ignored me or picked on me. I ate lunch alone every day, walked home alone, went home to an empty apartment. My parents were always working, or just... not around. Sometimes, I wondered if I even existed to anyone."
His voice grew softer, strained. "There were nights I couldn't sleep because I was just so angry. Angry at how unfair everything felt. But I kept going. I told myself it would get better eventually."
Aqua tilted her head. "Huh… sounds kinda depressing."
Shirogane gave a dry smile. "It was. But I endured it. Because that's what you do, right?"
He paused, then exhaled.
"But even now, even with this new chance… I can't help feeling guilty."
Aqua raised an eyebrow. "Guilty? Why is that?"
"I'm not really Shirogane Miyuki," he admitted, eyes narrowed in thought. "I just woke up in his body. I didn't build his memories, his relationships, or his life. I inherited everything—his status, his face… even his name. It feels like I stole something precious."
Aqua was quiet for once, surprisingly.
Then, with a shrug, she said, "Well, that kind of thing happens sometimes. The world's messy, especially the divine paperwork. Honestly, I think they messed up somewhere and just rolled with it. They do that a lot."
"...You're really not helping my guilt."
"But you do have his memories, right? And you're doing your best not to mess things up, right?"
Shirogane looked at her. "…Yeah."
"Then maybe that's good enough," Aqua said, puffing her chest proudly. "Besides, if you keep sulking like that, it's gonna ruin your handsome new face."
"…Thanks, I guess," Shirogane muttered, unsure whether that was genuine or just Aqua trying to sound wise.
Aqua smiled brightly. "You're welcome! And hey—don't worry too much about the body thing. Shirogane's soul probably got a sweet reincarnation package or something. Win-win!"
Shirogane raised an eyebrow. "You think?"
"Yep!" she beamed. "Probably. Maybe. Don't quote me on that."
He sighed again. "Dumb goddess."
"Still hearing you!"
Today's Battle Result: AQUA — utterly defeated.
A chibi Aqua flopped sideways in Shirogane's imagination, a little flag popping up: "I yield!"