My Happy Marriage (LN) - Volume 7 - Chapter Aft

AFTERWORD  

As usual, a year has passed since I last spoke to you. How have you all been doing?

With the subtly increased frequency with which I’ve had to introduce myself at this stage, and having looped back to regretting that I should’ve chosen a much prettier, cuter, easier-to-remember pen name with pizazz—it is I, Akumi Agitogi, once again.

If I knew I was going to have a chance to debut as an author, I would’ve put a bit more thought into my pen name…

Just as I announced last time, this volume ended up happy and joyful.

After five years of publication, beginning with the web novel, the story’s finally been able to live up to its title.

I figured that previewing this volume by saying “they finally get married” was a bit too grand and direct of a spoiler, so I tried expressing it in a more roundabout way (and ultimately failing) by connecting it with the title and calling it a “happy volume.” I hope you all picked up on that.

I touched on this briefly in the last volume, but all sorts of things happened in the lead-up to this wedding.

Much like Kiyoka and Miyo’s trials, and the tumultuous developments of the story, there were often times when I found myself struggling to write.

However, if this series hadn’t continued as long as it has, then I probably wouldn’t have depicted the scene of their wedding, and the moment that the two of them finally became husband and wife, with as much detail as I did. If things had played out as I’d first planned, and the wedding had happened right after Volume 2, I likely would have wrapped it up in a single sentence—“They held a wonderful ceremony, received everyone’s blessing, and became husband and wife”—and that would have been it.

But in reality, I was able to continue the series, one episode after another, and cleanly follow the process as Miyo and Kiyoka’s feelings for each other bloomed. I think that is truly what triggered my change of heart, to not accept a half-baked wedding ceremony and instead properly live up to the title.

As such, I can’t begin to thank everyone who has supported this series enough.

To return the support from so many of you the best I can, I ardently hope you were able to enjoy this volume like a tasty dessert.

Now then, I believe by the time this volume goes on sale, the anime adaptation will have already started airing. I am so grateful for the surge of adaptations, from the live-action movie in the spring, to the anime adaptation in the summer, and I’ve been genuinely enjoying them as a viewer.

The live-action movie was truly, truly wonderful… The anime is being made with such an extreme amount of care and attention, it’s been very touching.

All the people who have gotten involved with the adaptations have shown so much respect for the original work, and I constantly feel how fortunate I am to be blessed with meeting such great people.

Rito Kousaka’s ongoing manga adaptation features as much beautiful artwork as ever, and it’s really getting some rave reviews! Even knowing the plot, I end up thinking, “Oh, it’s so sad… It’s too much to bear… What’s going to happen to them?” while reading. Then I end up distraught—I’m serious. It’s so lovely, the only feedback I can ever come up with is “I think it’s perfect!”

Finally, I would like to thank all the people who have helped me with the making of this latest volume.

To my editor, who supported me in every possible way as I wrote, howling nonstop about all the adaptation work the whole time: Thank you so much for everything. I surmise I will be causing you a considerable amount of trouble from here on out, too… (I’m sorry).

To Tsukiho Tsukioka, thank you for the exquisite and gorgeous cover illustration you’ve provided for this volume. Each and every illustration is always so wonderful, I find myself at a loss for words, but this latest work was a whole other, tremendous level of devastating…! All I can do is silently cry and applaud you. Thank you.

Finally, to all the readers who have accompanied me this far: I give you my deepest and heartfelt gratitude for following this series for so long. Your fan letters and gifts provide me with daily encouragement. My Happy Marriage will still continue from here, so I hope you’ll continue to watch over Miyo and Kiyoka’s tale together with me for a little while longer.

Well then, until next time.

Akumi Agitogi