My Happy Marriage (LN) - Volume 8 - Chapter Aft

  AFTERWORD  

Hello everyone, it’s been a while.

It is I, Akumi Agitogi. Since I have so many books out there at this point, I feel what’s done can’t be undone, and I am now able to confront my oddball pen name with complete indifference, perhaps finally putting a stop to my long, drawn-out saga of pen name regret.

While I said it has been a while, in a surprising turn of events, there was but an eight-month gap between publishing this volume and the last. Given there have been one-year gaps from volume five onward, this one came out a bit earlier than usual.

I am sure the clever among you must have already realized there is some catch to all of this.

Indeed, this latest volume is, in fact, a short story collection!

This was also the beginning of my tragedy. You see, I casually thought: A short story collection for the eighth volume? It’ll also be collecting all the short snippets I’ve written already? That sounds great. I’ll be able to have a much easier time than normal, right?

I—I was an utter fool…

When I got started, I realized that there weren’t very many small extra stories, nor were they very long, most of them being small bonus stories written for different occasions. On top of that, my pen felt like it weighed one hundred tons trying to write something I was so unaccustomed to, like “When the Long Rains Abate,” and by the time I finished, it felt like my whole body was left black and blue. What a brilliant punchline. I put far too much on the line for my art.

As such, I wrote two stories specifically for this volume (most of the page count), reedited some of the short stories I had already published online myself, and added in the special extra stories I had written for various marketing campaigns pretty much as-is to assemble the book before you. Though the new episodes written for this volume are short stories, they can basically be considered part of the main plot rather than extras.

I hope both those who are already familiar with these stories and those seeing them for the first time equally enjoyed this volume.

Now then, the anime broadcast finished without a hitch, and a second season is already confirmed.

It was a truly, truly wonderful anime, and speaking as just another viewer, I can’t wait to see what comes next. I experienced first-hand how so many people’s efforts came together to make such a fine work, and I couldn’t be happier. I hope those of you who were kind enough to purchase the Blu-rays that included this volume will heartily enjoy the thirteen episodes, both to review the story and prepare for what’s to come.

The manga adaptation is also being serialized in Gangan Online. Every time I view Kousaka’s artwork, it reaffirms for me just how truly blessed this series is… Every manuscript is perfect, with nothing for me to nitpick at all, and I couldn’t be more grateful. It’s been over five years since it started being serialized, six if I’m including the preparation time beforehand, and I wanted to thank you, Kousaka, for working with me for so long.

I hope that we’ll keep this up for many more years to come.

Allow me to thank those who supported this latest volume.

First, to my editor. Thank you for putting up with my all-out artistic desperation. Forgive me for making you so anxious. I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll do my utmost to ensure this doesn’t happen again. However, in the event that even this proves not enough, allow me to apologize in advance. I’m sorry!

Next, to Tsukiho Tsukioka, for yet another heavenly illustration. Miyo and Kiyoka in Western clothing!! So incredibly powerful! Magnifique! It is so incredible to see their beauty blow through all my expectations every single volume. My vocabulary has started to fail me. Thank you.

Finally, to all the readers. Allow me to thank you from the heart for joining me all the way to the end once again. Without a doubt, it is you, the readers, who have supported this series all the way to volume eight. Thank you. I hope you’ll continue supporting it from here on out.

Well then, until we meet again somewhere.

Akumi Agitogi

—LIST OF FIRST APPEARANCES—

“When the Long Rains Abate”—this volume

“My Sister-in-Law Is Too Cute”—Kakuyomu website (November 2020)

“Sweet, Sour”—Fujimi L Bunko’s Seventh Anniversary Event (July 2021)

“When She Was Drunk”—Fujimi L Bunko’s Fifth Anniversary Event (September 2019)

“An Average Day for Kazushi Tatsuishi”—Fujimi L Bunko’s Eighth Anniversary Event (July 2022)

“Thunderstorm” X (formerly Twitter) #HappySummerReading campaign (October 2021)

“Proof of Love”—this volume

“Team-Building Get-Together”—Kakuyomu website (November 2020)

“Captivated” Pre-order/release bonus for My Happy Marriage Volume Six (July 2022)