Afterword

Hello, or long time no see!

I’m Ametsuki.

Thank you so much for picking up this book.

Following my previous work, I wrote another multi-heroine story. While writing Sakuraba, Aoi, and Suzu’s parts, Yuna was constantly in the back of my mind, twisting my stomach. The scenes where I felt guiltiest toward Yuna were, oddly, the ones where I wrote the other heroines most adorably, leaving me with mixed feelings.

Sakuraba’s perspective, the scene where Aoi’s locked in a room with Shiki, and Suzu’s introduction were especially fun to write, but I felt so guilty I’d mutter, “Sorry, Yuna…” out loud.

Halfway through, though, I started thinking, Please, give them a chance! whenever Yuna’s shadow loomed, which made this a blast to write.

By the way, I’m Team Aoi by a slim margin right now. Komupi-sensei’s illustration of her was so cute it brought tears to my eyes. I’d love to hear who your favorite heroine is—please cheer them on as you read!

Quick question: Do you like cooking?

I’m not terrible at it, but I’d rather avoid it. From simple stir-fries to elaborate multi-course meals, cooking takes time. Shopping, dishwashing—the extra tasks pile up, and “it’s a hassle” usually wins out.

So, I wrote this story thinking that wanting to cook for someone despite all that effort must be love.

Each heroine has a unique relationship with food—some positive, some negative. I hope you enjoy how their perspectives and interactions with Shiki, our protagonist, play out.

Finally, my thanks:

To my editor, who crafted this with me.

To Komupi-sensei, whose charming illustrations captured the characters perfectly.

To the proofreaders, who fixed typos and redundant phrases I missed.

To the printers, sales team, designers, and everyone involved in publishing this book.

And most of all, to you, reading this afterword—my heartfelt gratitude.

Thank you, thank you.

Here’s hoping we meet again.

August 2025

Ametsuki