Afterword

Greetings, this is Skyfarm.

Thank you so much for picking up this book.

This time, I’ve been given a whopping four pages for the afterword!

I’ll try to keep things spoiler-free while chatting about various stuff.

I love reading afterwords, and I think I probably enjoy writing them too.

First off, I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who’s supported this work.

I’m endlessly grateful that we’ve safely reached this continuation, and what’s more, we even managed a reprint of Volume 1 before Volume 2’s release.

This is all thanks to everyone cheering me on. Thank you so much.

There’s a lot more gratitude I need to share, but I’ll get to that later…

So, what did you think of Volume 2’s contents?

The subtitle changed from “My Estranged Childhood Friend Is Scary” to “My Scary Childhood Friend Is Cute,” but did I manage to capture that childhood friend’s cuteness properly?

Aisa, who struggles to be honest with her feelings, and Kouki, who can’t quite take that step forward, continue the flow from the previous volume with Manami’s help, gradually growing closer. This time, they took a big step forward.

Because of this development, I personally feel that Manami’s earnest and adorable charm deepened even more, and I think that came through in the final scene.

I’m already working on preparations for Volume 3, and just like last time, a new childhood friend who only appeared by name at the end, Manami subtly declaring war, and Aisa taking a step forward after the fireworks festival—they’ll all get their chance to shine, and I’m working hard to make that happen.

Volume 3 will take place after summer break, diving into the event-filled second semester, so look forward to the classmates getting their moments too. Ever since Kuzumachi-sensei provided the character designs, I’ve been eager to let the classmates shine, so I’m relieved to finally reach the stage where I can write the school arc.

Let’s see, this must be the third page, right?

Four pages give me a lot of room to ramble, huh. What else should I talk about…

Oh, right—I’ve dreamed of becoming a light novel author for quite a while, and I finally made my debut with Volume 1 of this work. (Technically, another work came out a day earlier, but it’s basically simultaneous.)

I’d been holding onto that dream for over a decade, but I think the reason I finally reached publication is largely due to the emergence of submission sites like Kakuyomu.

I’m not the type who’s good at silently churning out a 100,000-word manuscript on my own, so the existence of a site where I could casually post even a 1,000-word chapter was a godsend. More than anything, these sites show PVs as proof that someone’s reading, and sometimes I’d even get warm comments or encouragement.

Those real, live reactions kept me going, and before I knew it, I’d created a work that could become a published book.

What I’m trying to say is, there’s probably a page somewhere around here asking for “your thoughts on this book.” I begged my editor for it, so I’m sure it’s there.

It might be a bit of a hassle… okay, probably more than a bit, but your voices mean the world to an author like me—especially to someone like me. They’re a huge driving force. And if you feel like writing something like “Make an anime!” or “Turn it into a manga!” or “Publish a hundred volumes!” it might just catch the attention of the Fantasia Bunko editorial team. (Maybe?)

If you can, please, I’m begging you—I’d love to brag about getting a fan letter, so even a simple “It was good” would mean the world. Any message at all would be incredibly motivating!

Whoops, I got so caught up talking that I’ve already reached the last page.

Lastly, Kuzumachi Aoru-sensei’s illustrations once again fired me up while working on this volume. I’m sure fans feel the same, but having Kuzumachi-sensei’s art attached to this project is a massive motivator. Thank you so much.

And to my editor, Kobayashi-san, who always gives precise and thoughtful feedback, and to everyone else involved—proofreaders, designers, printers, sales, and distribution—I can’t list everyone, but I’m deeply grateful to all who contributed.

And once again, to everyone who picked up this book, thank you.

I hope we’ll meet again in Volume 3.

Skyfarm