Afterword
The new arc in Volume 19 is the school story I’ve wanted to do ever since becoming an author.
I wondered while writing whether the contents of this story were something I should have done during Volume 1.
The protagonist harbors a secret power, enrolls in school, makes friends with his classmates, and supports them from the shadows before finally letting loose and showing them his strength at the very end. It’s a classic formula, and also an overdone, cliché sort of development. But maybe by doing the classic first-volume contents in Volume 19, it hits a little differently, or at least feels not quite so cliché.
The protagonist who has been running forward all this time beneath your watchful gaze has become so strong. Thanks to all his adventures and the advice of so many dear comrades, the boy who used to be so pathetic has grown so much. If you get that sort of feeling thinking back over all the stories, then I’m glad.
Changing the subject a little bit, when I’m writing, I take care not to project myself into the feelings and thoughts of the characters.
And because of that, I struggled mightily over whether I should write about a certain topic in this book, and in the end, I didn’t include it. It may be selfish, and unnecessary from your perspective, but I would like to write a little bit about it here.
The idea of dreams and goals showed up a lot in the back half of this volume, but I don’t really think those are particularly needed. It’s great to have them, no doubt, but they aren’t really crucial.
If you are feeling uneasy about having an aimless life, please don’t worry. I think that feeling of unease is the first step in moving forward. Much like an author who has a deadline looming and starts feeling the pressure to start writing. I think not feeling unease or anything might be the most dangerous place to be in.
If there is someone reading this who is uneasy and struggling with whether to take a new path, “just because” is a good enough reason to start. Whether that something is studying, or clubs, or a job, or sports, or even part-time work.
There may be some who think it’s irresponsible of me to say that, and while it is embarrassing, allow me to share a small anecdote.
While writing this book, I searched for a bunch of material from my time in school. One of the things I found is an essay I wrote in elementary school. Apparently, my dream was to become a schoolteacher. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw that.
During my time as a student, I was really bad at studying. Honestly, I hated it.
True story, there was one test where I was one place away from being dead last in my entire school year. I buried the grades in the back of my desk and never showed it to my parents. And the assignment I hated most was writing book reports.
As terrible a student as I was, I somehow managed to end up with a job working with light novels. Me, the student who was so awful at classical literature and modern literature alike.
It’s all because I just started for no particular reason. Of course, I had some interest in what I was doing, but actually starting was really just because I felt like it.
So even without something grand like a dream or a goal, just loosen up a little and give something a try. If you’re interested, be bold and make the leap. I don’t know if it will work out, but the amount of effort you put in is the amount of growth you’ll see in yourself. Embarrassing moments or bitter experiences can be terribly stressful, but even those can become an asset. If you ever feel frustrated or disappointed, rest assured that is proof of growth. Maybe you resent or are jealous of someone, or maybe you want to blame it on circumstances, but whatever you do, if you can turn those feelings into motivation, into effort, then that’s wonderful.
If you dive in, try to hang on, and if you find it really isn’t right for you, then try looking for something else. If the search itself becomes exhausting, then try talking to someone. It could be your family, your friends, or even a complete stranger. And once in a while, I suggest looking out at a clear sky. I think that can make your heart feel a little lighter. I don’t know everything will always go smoothly, but please don’t forget that just by doing something, you are leveling up.
Now that I’ve gone on at length, please take everything I’ve said with a grain of salt. This is just my personal experience. People are far more complex and far more varied than I could ever describe on my own.
But if you are ever feeling terribly nervous, if you ever need to find courage and the words of one dumb author manage to cross your mind, then that’s enough.
With that, allow me to say my thanks.
I am deeply grateful to my editor Usami, the illustrator Suzuhito Yasuda, and all the people who helped bring the drama CD to fruition. It is thanks to all of you that we’ve managed to get through twelve consecutive months of releases. I am truly grateful. And I am humbly grateful to all the readers who picked up this book and so many of the other stories as well.
I laid out foreshadowing in this book (that I’m worried whether I’ll be able to fully take advantage of). Most likely, the School District arc will end in the next volume. I hope you will pick up the next story as well.
Thank you very much for reading this far. Now, if you’ll excuse me…
Fujino Omori
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