Kenjiro Hashimoto had never been so surprised in his life….at least not since the time one of his uncles had pretended to forget his fifth birthday…only to surprise him with his very first bicycle

Are you for real? he asked again…looking at the figure cloaked in a green flowing gown with the strange markings on her face

Yes, she said, with a gentle smile. I am a goddess, and my name is Freya, and I have been sent to grant you a wish Mr Kenjiro Hashimoto.

Kenjiro Hashimoto stared in silence at the lady….no, goddess…in front of him, and thought to himself…'.I must be dreaming. I fell asleep on my chair…and I am having a vivid dream….like the ones my cousin Mutusumi does research on at the university. Goddesses don't exist…and anyway…why isn't she demanding I worship her or something?'

He must have been thinking out loud…because…the goddess said to him 'You are not dreaming, and I am not that kind of goddess'

Hashimoto was shocked "You just read my mind!'' he said….in a shocked voice.

'Yes'…and I have come to grant you a wish , as I said.

Hashimoto decided 'All right…I'll play along. Maybe I am hallucinating. Salaryman life can be a bit bad for the mind…or maybe I have watched too much anime…no wait…I wasn't much of an anime fan anyway!'.

He said…So, goddess Fryer…or was it Frida…

'Freya'…the goddess corrected.

'Freya'. He said….what makes me, an ordinary Japanese salaryman, working for an ordinary company qualify for a wish? I don't recall sending in an application or something…

'Well'…the goddess said..'We at the Goddess Helpline choose to help people who are in need, and your name came up as someone who is a diligent worker, has a kind heart, yet is full of loneliness and regrets. So, Yggdrassil decided that you have a need…and assigned a worker from the Helpline to you"

Hold up..Hashimoto said…What is this Yggdrassil

'The system which controls everything across all Universes in this worlds realm"

Hashimoto digested that information for some time….then remembered watching a documentary called Cosmos where the narrator mentioned that there were probably multiple universes in the world…and thought 'Hmm…''

So, he said…'I am entitled to a wish'?

'Yes', she said…'Any wish you desire'.

Hmm…thought Hashimoto…what would I wish for. A multitude of possibilities…some bizarre, some strange…flew through his mind. 'But then again.'…he thought….'How do I know she is for real?'

All right Goddess…he said…I am not ready for a wish….but I would like to have some proof that you are for real. How about a demonstration of your power for once.'

The Goddess looked thoughtful for a while, then stretched her hands….

And the next second they were in front of a school.

A familiar school

His old elementary school

And they were looking in a window in his old class, where his eleven year old self was sitting down in the desk closest to the door…looking intently at the teacher…as he taught them mathematics. He looked round many of his old school friends…like Takeo, Hitoshi, Ryu, and his first crush, Hime….and a wave of nostalgia hit him.

The Goddess then stretched her hands again…and he saw himself at his old high school…collecting a prize for being the best mathematics student in the region. The principal was giving a speech hailing him as a fine blazing light of the future (If only he could see me now..thought Hiro bitterly')..and he stood there…looking very proud.

Then the Goddess stretched her hands again…and they were back in his flat.

Do you believe me? 'she asked'?

Hashimoto was stunned….it had been all so real…..and he knew somehow that this was no trick. Ok…maybe he was a bit gullible…but this was so…real.

All right…he said …I am ready to make a wish….

He thought a bit longer..thought about the fact that despite his friends, and his family, and his success as a student…he had been lonely,always lonely, even now…. and then thought about her

He had not thought about her that night.

But…as her image came into her mind…he thought long and hard and then said…I wish…that Belldandy Morisato was my beloved companion…

And he looked at the Goddess expectantly

Only to see a look of anger on her face.