Afterword

Nice to meet you, or perhaps hello again.

I’m Hibari Yusu. Technically, I’m the mascot cat of Hibari Bathhouse in some town! Meow!

What did you think of my new work, The Aloof Girlfriend and What We Do in Her Room?

This one was born from the concept of “mind and body are separate,” plus a chat with my editor:

“Yusu-san, even if you include spicy elements, it’s gonna be humid, right?”

“Humid?”

Humid. That caught me off guard. Was my writing humid? I thought I was all about fresh, youthful vibes… I grabbed the latest volume of Tenbin, flipped to the climax, and… yup, super humid. But Tenbin was wrapping up long-buried threads and exploding with the characters’ struggles, so some humidity’s natural. Verdict: humidity not guilty! Yay!

Oh, speaking of Tenbin—aka The Pure, Lovely Transfer Girl Was My Childhood Friend I Thought Was a Boy—the latest volume’s out today! Maybe there’s an anime announcement on the cover? If you haven’t read it, grab it now! (Shameless plug.)

So, this story’s a hot-blooded youth-conquest rom-com! It’s about Katori and Takumi’s challenges and growth. Both are introverts at heart, messing up in comedic ways.

As for the spicy stuff, I had to be careful—overdo it, and I’d get scolded. That said, wouldn’t those routine scenes be wild in a manga adaptation?

Fun fact: the initial uniform design was a blazer. But when sketching the routine scenes, I pushed for sailor uniforms to evoke that pure, strict vibe for extra forbidden flavor. Both were great, but I went with my kink here. You get me, right?

This volume revealed Akira's true identity.

Like Takumi and Katori, she’s a character whose outside doesn’t match her inside. Next volume, I hope to explore a different side of The Aloof Girlfriend and What We Do in Her Room.

…Still got some space left.

Afterwords are always tricky. I’ve pretty much said everything about the story.

Oh! I love cats. Cats are the best. Just existing, they’re healing. The crunch of them eating kibble? Peak. They’ll drag a toy over while I’m sleeping, like, “Play!” On hot days, seeing them sprawl belly-up shows their trust, and it’s chef’s kiss. They hate baths but always show up when I’m in one. I crack the window, and we stare outside together. They leave when satisfied, and somehow, it’s always when I’m ready to get out. Telepathy, I swear. In the kitchen, they rub against me—yup, hoping for food, I know. They’ve fully learned the word “treat” and come running. Clever rascals. I limit their treats, though—gotta stay strict. The best part? Even when I’m not in the mood to write, thinking, “Gotta earn their food money,” gets me going. I’m not a fast writer, so daily progress is key. My goal’s 1,000 words a day. This book’s about 40 characters per line, 16 lines per page, so 1,000 words is roughly two and a bit pages. That pace finishes a book in three months. Miss a day, and it’s a wrinkle in the plan, so no getting sick. Living with cats keeps me healthy. Honestly, I owe my books to them.

Running out of space now.

Big thanks to Editor K for sticking with me from the ground up.

To illustrator Mimori Nakaba, sorry for the last-minute design changes. The result was beyond my imagination—pure eye candy.

And heartfelt thanks to you readers. Your support means the world. Fan letters always lift my spirits, so send them anytime!

Not sure what to write?

Just one word: “Meow!”

Meow!

July, Reiwa 7

Hibari Yusu