Afterword
Tokyo real estate is insanely expensive, isn’t it?!?!?!
It’s been a while! This is Yuusaku Sakaishi.
So, I’m actually planning to move to Tokyo soon. To be honest, there’s no grand reason for it. If I had to say, it’s just that, thinking about the future, I feel like now’s my only chance to fully enjoy living in Tokyo’s 23 wards. …Well, I did live in Tokyo for a bit before, but back then, I’d just debuted as a writer and had quit my job, so I wasn’t exactly in the “Let’s party in Tokyo!!” mindset. Seven years later, things have stabilized, so this time, I’m determined to savor the capital to the fullest.
Looking back on those days, I was way too paranoid about everything. I was so obsessed with saving money that I cut my food budget to under 10,000 yen a month, and later moved to a place with 30,000 yen rent. But, maybe because I got lucky, I haven’t faced any serious hardship so far.
…No, that’s not quite right. Maybe it’s because I was so terrified that I managed to avoid the worst-case scenarios. Yeah, that feels more accurate… I’m a huge scaredy-cat, after all. Even during job interviews, my go-to line was, “My strength is being cautious.” Talk about a boring weapon.
Anyway, I’m currently house-hunting in Tokyo, and I’m absolutely floored by how expensive everything is. It’s like, for the same price, I could get two extra rooms in Kansai. I’m on the verge of tears. My frail little heart is screaming in panic.
After narrowing down my options with specific conditions like layout, all I got were listings for places right on super busy main roads. I couldn’t help but laugh, but in the end, I shortlisted three properties, and when I checked their locations, they were all along the same national highway. Just how noisy is this road?! I looked up reviews, and apparently, because there’s a hospital nearby, you can hear ambulance sirens blaring all night long. Wow, got it.
I deliberately avoided peak moving season, you know? As a full-time writer, I thought I’d have an easy time relocating, but surprisingly, there seem to be a lot of people looking for places at the same time. With so few listings, maybe everyone’s eyeing the same properties? Moving is never as straightforward as it seems, huh.
…Alright, let’s talk about the book!!
The Student Council Election arc has finally wrapped up. Since the Management Game arc, I’ve written a few stories split into two parts, but these hefty arcs feel like they’ve reached a good stopping point for now. As I mentioned in the Management Game arc’s afterword, these stories are like an expanded, upgraded version of Rich Girl Caretaker. By laying such a broad foundation here, I think I can now unfold a rom-com in a much grander, more expansive world.
As mentioned in the main story, the next event after the election is the cultural festival.
That said, the cultural festival… if I dive right into it in the next volume, I’m not sure it’ll fit in just one book. I might need a “preparation arc” volume or something. Because of that, I haven’t nailed down the contents of Volume 11 yet. It’ll definitely involve the cultural festival in some way, but since I also want to push the rom-com elements forward, I’m still mulling over how to balance it.
Having grown through the Student Council Election arc, Izuki-kun is finally stepping into a position where he can take on the weighty responsibilities of the Konohana family. Moving forward, the key players will likely be Takuma-san and Kagen-san. As Izuki-kun matures into a more adult role, he’ll probably start dipping his toes into the grown-up world. In that sense, the upcoming Rich Girl Caretaker might take on a sort of “Adult Arc” vibe.
Not that I’ve thought any of this through yet!! (Just covering my bases.)
[Acknowledgments]
I owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone involved in the creation of this book. To my editor, thank you for paying such close attention to even the staging details. Above all, thank you for greenlighting the two-part structure for this arc, just like the Management Game arc. Because of that, I think I was able to craft a story with real weight and impact. To Sakura Miwabe-sensei, Tennouji-san… Tennouji-san is just gorgeous… (tears of joy). Thank you for giving the cover a fresh vibe for Volume 10, making it stand out while still catching the eye.
And finally, to all the readers who picked up this book, my deepest, heartfelt thanky.
