Toradora! - Volume 7 - Chapter Aft

Afterword

So I’m decidedly in my thirties! Y-Yuko T-Miya here (age 30). 

One day, I just suddenly forgot the PIN number for my condo’s auto-locking door. I went out to walk my dog in my pajamas and a down jacket, and when I was on my way home, I was a disaster at the entrance. I had my dog held in one hand and just stood there. I couldn’t remember a measly four numbers. And when I looked closer, I realized my pajama pants were inside out, and even though I had just gotten up, the rest of the world was in the early afternoon. When I just put in some random numbers, it wouldn’t open, and it was in the middle of the winter, so it was really cold, and I was pathetic… Someone else who lived in the building came by and I got home, but it felt like the end and it was dreadful. I live like I’m rolling off a hill. You can’t stop old A-G-E!

Somehow or other, I’m thirty, and Toradora! has gotten to volume seven. I am so incredibly grateful to everyone who has followed the series with me up until now! A-a-actually, I have news! 

I started the series in 2005 and got to the seventh volume, plus one spin-off. Because all of you have supported me until today, I have some incredibly, incredibly, incredibly amazing news. This year! Toradora! Will become! An anime! Whoa…!

Rather than being happy, the feeling of “Wh-wh-wh-what should I do?!” is winning out. But anyway, in order to pay all my readers back for all the strength you give me, in order to have you enjoy yourselves, I think I’ll try my best to make more great work. So please share your love and power with me for the next part of Toradora! Thank you so much!

So I wasn’t just carelessly aging. Time, please stop…no, actually please come back! Anyway, please bring back my youth, even if it’s just for my brain! You can age my body in its place! …And so on. 

While I was spending my days earnestly thinking about the laws of how to regain youth, immediately after I finished Toradora! 7, my left cheek exploded. It was super painful, hot, red, and swollen. For a very brief moment in time, I was laughing about it, “He loves me, he loves me not… This pimple means loves me not!” Immediately, it became so big I couldn’t move my face and it obviously became something that warranted a hospital visit. Then, right when I was going to dermatology, a doctor said, “Ah!” and ended up pointing at the diseased part of my face. I didn’t even have time to tell them my symptoms, and they had me lay down on a bed and cut it with a small knife… That was pretty much it. This must be my curse for pleading for youth. This must be how it strikes back and punishes those who oppose the flow of time. I got a blemish at this age (I guess I should call this a gall; this isn’t a pimple, right?), and now I’m embarrassed for myself. So, using the orthodox methods, I’m eating a lot of sweets right now, and I’m solemnly sending the glucose straight to my brain.

So then, to everyone who also read this volume until the very end, I thank you from the heart. Thank you so very much! Next in the ever-expanding series is Toradora! 8! I hope you read the next volume, too! And to my manager and Yasu-sensei, I hope that you also help work on the next volumes!

—Yuyuko Takemiya