Afterword

Thank you for purchasing Volume 2 of Life Reversal ~ I Was Cheated On and Falsely Accused, but Now the Most Beautiful Girl in the School Is Getting Close to Me. I’m the author, D.

I’m relieved to have successfully released Volume 2 in this manner.

When Volume 1 was released, I received so many comments and encouraging feedback from readers. Thank you so much. I read them over and over, and they really boosted my motivation. Your feedback and reviews are treasures I’ll cherish forever!!

However, I regret not setting up a hashtag for SNS when Volume 1 was released. So, as mentioned in the flap comments, I’d be delighted if you could post your thoughts on SNS with “#人逆”. I’ll probably notice right away, get thrilled, and rush to like your post (lol).

In Volume 1, Aono Eiji’s story began in the worst possible situation: discovering his girlfriend Amada Miyuki’s infidelity, being falsely accused, and getting bullied by the entire school. From there, he saved Ichijou Ai, who was about to take her own life on the rooftop, and gradually, people who believed in him started to gather… Meanwhile, the masterminds behind the conspiracy began to unravel as their lies were exposed.

In Volume 2, I think I was able to fully depict the progression of Eiji and Ai’s romantic relationship and the downfall of those who bullied them. Compared to the web version, I added a lot of new content, including Ai’s past, which wasn’t detailed before, and their date scenes. I hope you enjoyed it. I’d be thrilled if you did.

After Volume 1’s release, I was truly happy to receive comments from readers about their own experiences with bullying or how they wished they’d met teachers like Takayanagi-sensei or the principal in the story. I also received comments about bullying from overseas readers who read the web version, which made me realize for the first time that this issue isn’t just a problem in Japan but globally as well.

This novel was able to be published and continued thanks to the passionate support of my readers. During post-release meetings, my editor and I celebrated the enthusiastic comments and feedback we received. Meeting such dedicated readers is something I’m incredibly proud of and feel truly fortunate for.

When I told my grandmother, who’s over ninety, about the book’s release, she, who usually doesn’t read books, happily said, “I’ll read it. If Grandpa were alive, he would’ve been so proud.” That made me really happy. I was told I was a quiet kid who’d spend time reading books, and every time we went out, my parents and grandparents would always buy me books. I never imagined I’d end up writing one myself, but I think it’s because everyone gave me those opportunities to read that I got here.

Now, onto the acknowledgments!

To the illustrator, Hige Neko-sensei. Thank you for the wonderful illustrations this time as well. Your artwork always surpasses the images I envision while writing, and I’m moved every time. Whenever readers tweet about the illustrations on SNS, I nod along, thinking, “I get it,” “This illustration is just too cute,” or “Hige Neko-sensei is amazing.” It’s truly an honor to work with you.

To Ikaguchi Ei-sensei, who’s handling the manga adaptation. I was so thrilled when you drew the publication commemorative illustration and the New Year’s illustration on X!! Ikaguchi Ei-sensei has an incredible knack for capturing the inner traits of the characters, and I often find myself shouting, “I see!” The way you depict their inner selves is so educational. The manga serialization will be a long journey, so please take care of yourself.

And to my editor. Thank you for everything this time as well. For both Volume 1 and Volume 2, your specific advice and feedback during the plotting stage and after submitting the first draft, despite your busy schedule, were truly a lifesaver. Also, during our first meeting, you predicted, “Based on the trends of this work, the readers’ reactions will likely be like this,” and you were spot-on, which left me in awe, thinking, “Editors are truly professionals.” The reader perspectives you suggested and the methods to add depth to the story were incredibly valuable and taught me so much. Thanks to you, I was able to turn the web version of Life Reversal into this complete edition.

And to the readers. As I wrote in Volume 1’s afterword, I don’t think this novel was written by my strength alone. It was thanks to the passionate support of my readers that I was able to continue this series. Without your support, I probably wouldn’t be writing this afterword for Volume 2. I’d be grateful if you continued to cheer me on.

I don’t know yet if we’ll meet again in the next volume, but I hope for a reunion and will end this afterword here.

Thank you so much for purchasing Volume 2.