Afterword

Greetings, everyone. My name is Nihonme Kaiten Man, and I’m thrilled to have won an award in the fourth HJ Novel Award’s early-term “Let’s Become Novelists” category. It’s my heartfelt hope that this story—a refreshing youth romantic comedy centered on Reiko Netora, a girl who tirelessly pursues her childhood dreams, and the kindhearted people who support her—resonates with you all.

Now, an afterword is typically where authors spill the beans about the behind-the-scenes of their work, but before I dive into that, I’d like to take a moment to express my gratitude.

First, to the folks at HJ Bunko and HJ Novels’ editorial team who were involved in the selection process: I’m terribly sorry for stirring up a ruckus during the final judging. Thanks to your keen eyes, this book has made it into the world. I’m deeply grateful. If this work gets sued, please join me in seppuku.

To my editor, Mr. Araga: I can’t thank you enough for your patience in dealing with an amateur like me. Working with you made me realize that the novels I casually picked up were crafted with the blood, sweat, and tears of editors like yourself. I’m praying that by the time this book hits shelves, a S●itch 2 finds its way to you. (For the record, I still haven’t gotten my hands on one.) If this work gets sued, please join me in seppuku.

To the illustrator, Pote Satou-sensei, who gave my characters breathtakingly beautiful designs: The moment I saw the cast brought to life in your illustrations is something I’ll never forget. Thank you, truly. Satou-sensei is nothing less than Reiko Netora’s co-creator. I’ll strive harder than ever to ensure that giving form to Reiko doesn’t become a digital tattoo you regret.

And to the readers who’ve supported this work since its web novel days: Your warm words for the story and for Reiko have been a powerful driving force behind my writing. There’s no greater joy than knowing you’ll continue cheering for her as she makes the leap from the internet to the real world. If this work gets sued, please defend it on anonymous forums and SNS.

Now, here’s the kicker: my editor, Mr. Araga, demanded a whopping five pages for this afterword. That’s more text than the exclusive short story for the e-book edition! It’s enough to drive anyone up the wall. So, bear with me as I use the remaining three pages to dish some behind-the-scenes dirt.

Let’s rewind three years to the summer of 2022. While everyone was melting under record-breaking heat, the web novel that became this book quietly began posting in a corner of the internet. Up until then, I’d mostly written high fantasy, so a school rom-com set in modern Japan was my first stab at the genre.

When writing—not just this story, but in general—I have a guiding principle: avoid plot points that leave readers feeling pained or miserable. Sure, dramatic setups where the protagonist suffers due to a villain’s schemes or endures unfair treatment from scoundrels can be important for tension. But as both a reader and a writer, watching a character you’re emotionally invested in go through gut-wrenching hardship is exhausting. Recovering that spent emotional energy isn’t easy, especially in a web novel where readers can drop out at any moment.

Since this story is set in modern Japan, any depicted misfortune risks feeling too raw and real. A poorly handled downturn could easily alienate readers, and I could imagine many abandoning the story as a result. I wanted the protagonist to exist in a fluffy, gentle world, shielded from threats—a philosophy that might clash with certain entertainment values, but I suspect some of you share this sentiment.

On a completely different note, I have a confession: I love trashy girls. You know the type—girls who exploit innocent, kindhearted people for their own gain, utterly devoid of empathy. But if I plopped such a monster into the story, the protagonist would be doomed to a straight path to ruin. Even if they ultimately triumphed over evil, the journey would be a frustrating slog of painful developments. That wouldn’t do—it goes against my principles.

Then, inspiration struck. “What if I made that outrageous scumbag the protagonist and surrounded her with kind, decent people?” And thus, Reiko Netora, the heroine of this story, was born.

I’ve managed to fill up the page count nicely, so I’ll wrap up the behind-the-scenes talk here.

As I write this afterword, it’s unclear whether this book will get a sequel. There’s a “1” on the bottom right of the cover, but who knows? It probably depends on some grown-up numbers doing their thing and this work not getting sued. If there’s a next time, I look forward to meeting you all again in another afterword. Until then!