Afterword
Long ago, the word “chuunibyou” was considered nothing more than an insult. It was a pejorative, a word used only for the sake of ridicule.
Now, though, times have changed, and the nuance of our vocabularies with them. These days, “chuunibyou” has positive connotations more often than not—or at least, it seems that way to me. Think about how people talk about supernatural battle stories, for instance. You hear people say stuff like “yeah, I love how chuuni that series is” or “that one really tickles my inner chuuni” all the time, and they mean it in a distinctly positive way.
I just think that’s sorta funny! If somebody says that a piece of fiction is “super chuuni” or that “its chuuni-level is off the charts,” it’s really difficult to tell whether they mean it as praise or criticism these days. Just like the words “awful” and “awesome” have been molded by the flow of history into forms entirely unlike their original meanings, so too has “chuunibyou” shifted, and so too it continues to shift.
Honestly, “chuunibyou” might very well already mean something totally different than it did back when the term was coined. The modern age is a turbulent one, and it’s that age in which this story’s characters are forced to come to terms with the meaning of “chuunibyou” for themselves.
So, yeah, I picked a pretty obnoxious theme for this story, if I do say so myself. I admit it—but I don’t regret it.
And with all that said, hi! This is Kota Nozomi. I decided to introduce a character who speaks using the Fukushima dialect in this volume, and truth be told, the version of said dialect that she speaks is based on the dialect from my very own home town. The thing is, though, that the Fukushima dialect is actually pretty variable even within the prefecture. People in Aizu, the northern parts of the prefecture, and Iwaki all speak in subtly different ways, and the Aizu dialect featured in a certain popular TV drama is a little bit different from the one I’m familiar with as well! The point is, please have mercy on me on the accent front.
I should also note that this volume’s page count meant that I wasn’t able to include a prologue for the next volume like I did in volumes one and two! You can rest easy, though, because there will be a volume four. Considering the progression so far, I’m willing to bet that you can guess which character will be taking center stage this time as well!
And now, a few words of thanks! First, to my editor, Nakamizo. You have, as always, been an enormous help this volume, and I look forward to working with you on the next one!
Next, to my illustrator, 029. The illustrations this volume were as wonderful as ever—thank you very much! Whenever I see the rough drafts of your drawings, a small part of my withered heart is brought back to life.
And last, I’d like to extend my greatest and most profound thanks to you, the readers who’ve chosen to give this book a try.
That’s all for now! May we meet again, if the fates allow it!
Kota Nozomi
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