"Thank you... Wakana!"
Hearing her copy his earlier gesture, Wakana smiled amusedly.
"Here you go," Wakana handed Marin his handkerchief. "Blow your nose on this."
Without hesitation, she accepted and blew on it hard. "Thank you, Gojo-kun."
"Back to using Gojo, are we?" he teased.
Marin's ears turned red. "At least let me adjust a little."
"I'm just teasing you," Wakana laughed. "Why don't you try on the outfit now?"
"Okay! So, where should I change?" Marin asked, wiping the last traces of tears with her hand.
"Ah, you can change right here. I'll step out for a moment to give you some privacy," Wakana said, scrambling to his feet. "I'll start getting your hair ready for the wig when you call me back in."
Wakana walked quickly out of the room, gently pulling the sliding door closed behind him.
He stepped out onto the veranda, leaning against the wooden railing and taking a deep breath of the afternoon air.
The moment he closed the door, his shoulders slumped with exhaustion.
Inside the room, Marin quickly stripped down to her underwear.
She moved with eager excitement toward the dress, her eyes shining with anticipation. She opened the zipper behind and slipped into the long dress.
The fabric was smooth and cool against her skin.
The spaghetti straps settled perfectly onto her shoulders, and the hidden zipper slid up the back with zero resistance.
It felt as if the dress was made of air, but shaped exactly to her body.
"Okay, I'm ready, Wakana!" she announced.
Wakana immediately pushed the door open and stepped back inside.
He paused, his craftsman's eye immediately taking in the result.
The dress wasn't just good on the mannequin; on Marin Kitagawa, it was an entirely different garment.
It fit her perfectly from every angle, highlighting her curves and really bringing out cosplay energy.
"It really fits you," he nodded, focusing on the quality of his work. "I'll just start on your hair now to prepare for the wig."
Wakana approached her with a completely locked-in vibe.
Serious time.
He had to get her long, blonde hair compressed tightly to fit under the wig cap.
"I need to make the base flat so the wig looks natural," he explained, his hands moving deliberately. "I've never tried putting on a wig on someone other than Hina dolls, so this requires more technical precision."
Marin helped adjust her hair for him. "Go for it, Gojo-kun! Just pull it back tight, you know the drill."
He gathered her voluminous hair, separating it into sections, and then, with focused concentration, he braided and pinned it as flatly as possible against her scalp.
His face was intensely close to the back of her head, allowing him to focus on the soft, sweet smell of her hair.
'Her hair smells like flowers in spring. Very refreshing.'
A small thought entered his mind and slightly broke his concentration.
Shaking his head, he mentally reminded himself. 'Focus, Wakana Gojo.'
"There," Wakana whispered, stepping back. "Now for the makeup."
Marin was already pulling out a large pouch and spreading an assortment of cosmetics on his desk. "You've done Hina doll makeup, right? It's basically the same idea, just... bigger."
"I have some experience with painting Hina faces. It's not exactly make-up," he corrected, picking up a small, pointed brush. "But yours is..."
"A real person's face? Don't worry, I'll guide you!" Marin laughed, settling into a chair right in front of the mirror in his room.
Wakana knelt on the floor to match her height.
He first applied the foundation evenly across her cheeks and forehead.
"Mirajane's look is very natural," he noted, "so we need minimal color, just a smooth, even canvas." He carefully applied a light powder to set the look.
"Exactly!" Marin agreed, reaching for an eyelash curler. "No heavy makeup needed for my sweet Mira-chan. Can you help me with my lashes? No fake ones, just making mine pop."
Wakana took the curler, his hands steady. "I can handle this. Hina doll lashes are painted, but the mechanics of emphasizing shape are the same." He gently curled her eyelashes upward, then applied a light coat of mascara.
"Now for the eyes," Marin said, pointing to a liner. "Her eyes are round and open. We just need a thin, precise line to define the shape without making it too sharp."
Wakana laid down the line, focusing on creating a defined, rounded eye rather than a fierce, slanted one.
"Wow, Gojo-kun! You're pretty incredible!" she cheered.
As he moved to the other eye, Marin pulled out two small, clear strips. "Now for the trickiest part: the eye tape."
Wakana frowned. "What are those for?"
"They pull the corners of my eyes back slightly," she explained, lifting a finger to demonstrate. "It changes the shape of my eyes to look more like the character's, it makes them look a little larger and gives them that anime slant."
"That's amazing," Wakana breathed, examining the clear strips. "A technique to fundamentally change the shape of the canvas itself..."
Marin tilted her head. "It stings a bit when you pull it tight, but trust me, it's worth it. You place one here," she guided his hand, "and then pull it back and stick the end here, by the hairline."
Wakana followed her instructions carefully.
The moment the tape was secured, Marin's eyes transformed, becoming larger and slightly slanted, giving her the cute, cheerful look of Mirajane Strauss.
He finished with a swipe of lip gloss over her lips and a light dusting of powder.
"Almost there!" Marin exclaimed, reaching for her accessories pouch.
She first pulled out blue contacts and wore them carefully.
After that, she then pulled out a silver chain with a blue, rounded pendant and placed it around her neck.
Next, she fastened a golden bracelet with a flower theme onto her right wrist.
"And this last thing is important for the wig," Marin instructed, holding up a simple black hair tie. "Mirajane uses this to lift her bangs up slightly." Wakana
carefully gathered a small section of the white wig's bangs and secured them with the tie, giving her forehead the correct exposed look.
Marin then carefully placed the white wig on her head, adjusting it over the flattened foundation of her own hair.
She stood up, staring into the mirror.
Wakana stood behind her, unable to speak.
He hadn't just made the dress; they had brought the character to life.
Marin Kitagawa was gone.
In her place stood a flawless, breathtakingly beautiful Mirajane Strauss.
Marin slowly turned away from the mirror, her expression shifting from focused awe to pure joy.
Her eyes, now perfectly rounded and framed by the elegant white wig, sparkled.
"Wakana!" she yelled, using Wakana Gojo's first name for the second time today, her voice filled with a joyous energy that shook the small room.
Before he could even process the sound, she launched herself forward, crossing the short distance between them in a single, running leap.
Wakana's eyes went wide.
He stumbled backward from the force, his exhausted body barely managing to stay upright as she barreled into him.
He instinctively wrapped his arms around her to keep them both from falling.
Marin was practically vibrating with happiness, her arms locked tightly around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder.
The soft red satin of the costume pressed against his clothes, and for the first time, he felt the full weight and presence of Marin Kitagawa.
A surge of heat rushed through Wakana's face.
The soft curve of her chest, cushioned by the dress fabric, was completely against him.
'Control yourself, Wakana Gojo! This is an expression of gratitude for the costume!' he mentally screamed, shaking his head slightly to clear the thought.
He was a professional.
He had to be a professional.
You are a professional, Sato— No. Wakana Gojo.
He tightened his arms, returning the hug with a sincerity that matched hers, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten.
"Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Wakana!" she repeated into his ear, her joy echoing in every syllable. "It's absolutely perfect! You are the best fashion designer in the entire world!"
"I… I'm glad you're happy, Kitagawa," he managed, his voice sounding a little strangled, yet the joy in his tone couldn't be hidden.
After another moment of enthusiastic hugging, Marin finally pulled back, her smile wide and bright enough to rival the afternoon sun streaming through the window.
She took a step back to admire the outfit again.
"Now that I'm all dressed up," she bounced up and down on her feet, "What do you think? Does Mirajane Strauss look ready for the event tomorrow?"
Wakana nodded. "Absolutely. You look amazing."
"Yatta!" Marin cheered.
Bringing out his phone, he gestured towards Marin. "How about we take some photos?"
Marin readily agreed. "Okay!"
Marin immediately struck a pose, shifting her weight onto one foot and tossing the white wig hair over her shoulder, giving Wakana the perfect side view.
Wakana quickly crouched, focusing the camera on the flowing skirt and the delicate pink ruffle.
He took several shots, moving around her quickly, capturing the best angles.
His professional focus was back, examining the costume through the lens.
"Now face the light, Kitagawa!" he directed, momentarily slipping into the role of a photographer, trying to capture the subtle makeup around her eyes.
Marin complied, giving a soft, sweet smile, the signature pose of Mirajane.
Wakana snapped the photo, feeling a pure burst of satisfaction.
It was the validation of every minute he had spent awake over the last few days.
He had created the real-life Mirajane Strauss.
Marin lowered her arms, looking at him expectantly. "One more thing, Gojo-kun," she said, her voice dropping a little softer. "Let's take one together."
'Back to Gojo, huh?' Wakana inwardly chuckled, but nodded. "Sure thing, if you don't mind me looking like a zombie," he joked.
"It doesn't matter," Marin insisted, already taking his phone from his hand.
She turned the camera to selfie mode and scooted close, pressing her shoulder against his.
Unfortunately, she couldn't get a good angle due to their height difference and had to return the phone to Wakana for him to take the photo.
The white wig brushed his cheek. "This is a memory for us, the day your first cosplay for me was finished!"
He felt his face warm up again, but he just smiled, deciding to enjoy the moment.
Marin held the phone up, positioning the two of them perfectly in the frame. "Alright, Wakana! On the count of three!"
She counted down, her face radiant next to his.
"Three! Two! One! Say cheese!"
"Cheese!" they both said, and the shutter clicked, freezing the moment in time: a beautiful, costumed Mirajane Strauss next to a happy, exhausted boy with dark circles under his eyes.
(Photo)