Afterword
This is Yuusaku Sakaishi.
I believe this book is being released at the beginning of February, but I’m writing these words at the start of January. With that in mind, let’s dive into the conversation.
Out of the blue, but are any of you familiar with a show called “Quiz: The Correct Answer Will Be Revealed in a Year”?
The censoring might not even make sense, but I personally love this show.
To give a rough rundown of the program, it’s about predicting events for the upcoming year on New Year’s Day and then checking how accurate those predictions were at the end of the year. Comedians make guesses like, “This celebrity and that celebrity will get married this year,” and by year-end, they review the footage to see what came true.
Since I’m writing this on New Year’s Day, I’ve been mulling over my resolutions for the year, and I thought, why not try doing this quiz show myself?
I’m calling it: Quiz Correct Answer is One Month Later.
By the time this book hits the shelves, I wonder how many of my New Year’s resolutions I’ll have actually accomplished… Let’s make some predictions.
I’m sorry for this self-indulgent afterword.
This is what happens when a writer runs out of ideas for an afterword.
My New Year’s resolutions are as follows:
Go outside at least two days a week.
Take a day off every two weeks.
Wake up in the morning every day.
I hate to admit it, but these are pretty pathetic.
The fact that I even have to make these resolutions makes me think I’m in a rough spot.
So, let’s predict where I’ll be with these goals one month from now.
Go outside at least two days a week.
I don’t think I’ll manage it.
February is still cold, so I probably won’t go out much. I might begrudgingly step outside if I run out of food, but I tend to buy in bulk, so I doubt I’d need to shop twice a week. I was jogging until autumn, but now that it’s chilly, I’m just doing strength training at home.
Take a day off every two weeks.
I think I can pull this one off. There’s about a month until this volume’s release, and I should be able to squeeze in at least two days off in that time.
For the record, my lack of days off isn’t because I’m swamped—it’s because I’m a writing-obsessed weirdo. That said, I’ve been reflecting lately and realized I need time for input and refreshing, so days off are important. Wait, does “input” mean I’m not really resting? Uh, I’m not sure what I’m saying anymore.
Wake up in the morning every day.
Yeah, no way.
Winter makes it impossible to crawl out of bed. It’s just bad timing, honestly. If it weren’t winter, I might’ve had a shot.
But waking up in the morning feels so good, doesn’t it? That refreshing vibe is something I really want to nail this year. I’ll start by aiming to wake up in the morning at least once a week. If it’s just once a week, I think I’ll have managed it.
Now that I think about it, this quiz feels like I shouldn’t want to get the answers right, so I’m going to work hard to avoid these predicted outcomes.
How about you all? Are you on track to crush your New Year’s resolutions?
I’d love to write a scene someday where Izuki and the gang brainstorm their New Year’s resolutions. Since Volume 5 wraps up at the end of summer vacation, a New Year’s episode might have to wait a bit…
[Acknowledgments]
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone involved in bringing this book to life. To my editor, thank you for suggesting all sorts of fun “commoner” events for Hinako to experience. To Sakura Miwabe-sensei, thank you for drawing Hinako in her casual clothes so adorably. Even though it’s the same character, each volume brings out a fresh charm that thrills me to no end.
Finally, to all the readers who picked up this book, my greatest thanks.
