Afterword

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Hello, dear readers. I’m Nishi Jouyou, the author.

Thank you so much for picking up this book.

In Volume 2, Tachibana was quite the star, wasn’t she? While writing, I couldn’t help but think what an incredible girl she is.

Kicking Kirishima’s back through a door or becoming a dog with a collar.

Of course, Hayasaka was charming too. Beyond being cute or yandere, her tense exchanges with Tachibana in the clubroom were electrifying. Even I, the author, felt nervous writing them.

What will happen to them moving forward?

The story’s progression depends on their hearts’ movements, and even I don’t know yet.

Hayasaka might keep striving earnestly, or she might break even more. And Yanagi, in this situation, can’t just stay the nice guy anymore.

Either way, their romance won’t be the wholesome kind good kids have.

Society might call it impure or unhealthy.

The story uses those terms too, but can we really say they’re purely impure or unhealthy? I don’t think it’s that simple.

Kirishima likely believes that the fantasy of pure love, which overly glorifies romance as something pristine, is dishonest. People’s hearts are infinitely diverse and ever-changing, impossible to confine to a single value or pattern. To put it extreme, pure love is an ideology that feeds self-conscious indulgence. Becoming aware of your heart should sober you from that intoxication and derail you from its tracks.

Hayasaka and Tachibana face their emotions head-on, so they don’t unconsciously follow formulaic romance. They act true to their honest hearts, not society’s image.

Because they’re serious, their love doesn’t align with society’s endorsed romantic ideals.

Doesn’t that make their story the truest form of pure love?

The dog thing is indefensible, though.

Well, I think this tangle of pure and impure shapes this story.

Now, acknowledgments.

To my editor, the Dengeki Bunko team, proofreaders, designers, bookstores displaying this book, retailers adding bonuses, and everyone involved—thank you.

To ReTake-sensei, thank you for the stunning illustrations, continuing from Volume 1. Hayasaka and Tachibana come alive as vibrant characters thanks to your art. I’m so grateful you’re illustrating this series. Let’s keep making it shine together!

And finally, to you, dear readers, thank you again. I hope you’ll stick with their story a bit longer!