Spy Classroom - Volume 3 - Chapter Aft

Afterword

I know that Volume 3 isn’t the greatest place for it, but I hope you don’t mind if I take a moment to talk about my writing process for Volume 2.

When Volume 1 got released, there was a character popularity poll on the series’ official website. The idea was that whichever of the seven heroines (with the exception of a certain unlucky blond) shone brightest in the poll would get to be on the cover of Volume 2. Volume 2 was going to focus on Grete, so it worked perfectly.

However, there was one thing I was worried about. Right before Volume 1 came out, my editor got in touch with me.

“Takemachi, what if the girl who wins the poll doesn’t actually show up in the second book?”

That was an excellent question. My manuscript for Volume 2 was already mostly finished, so if someone like Thea or Monika won, we could have ended up in an awkward situation where the girl on the cover didn’t even appear in the story.

It was okay, though. I had a brilliant idea.

“Don’t worry!” I replied. “If that happens, I’ll just make some quick revisions to the second book’s plot!”

As an aside, 80 percent of authors who are about to have their debut work come out are filled with a strange feeling of invincibility (I assume).

I was awash in baseless confidence, and after Volume 1 came out, my editor gave me another call.

“Annette won the poll. Can you go ahead and make those revisions that you said you would?”

“Say what?”

It was incredible. She barely had any screen time in the first book, so I figured she didn’t stand a chance, but the combined strength of Tomori Kusunoki’s voice acting and Tomari’s character design was somehow enough to win her the top spot. Truly, some incredible stuff.

Moved as I was, though, my voiced trembled.

“I’m sorry, but if I try to give her a spotlight, she’ll end up destroying the book. She’s the one girl I can’t fit in.”

My editor’s internal reaction was probably something along the lines of The hell did you say?! I really am sorry about that.

The fact of the matter is that she’s the kind of character who gets out of hand the moment I so much as blink. I can have all sorts of wonderful plans drawn up, but with a laugh and a “That’s not my problem, yo,” she’ll go ahead and smash my invincibility to pieces.

In fact, nobody can control her—but I guess that’s what makes her so likable.

I’d like to take a moment to give another round of thanks to Tomari, who helped make that and everything else possible, as well as the voice actors who helped bring life to the popularity poll. And most of all, I’d like to thank the readers who voted.

Finally, I have some news about the next book. Sorry to keep you waiting, but the wait is over—all the Lamplight members will be working together in this one.

The girls have grown stronger, and it’s time for them to face a formidable foe. This is what the whole series to date has been building up to, and I’m going to do my darndest to make sure Volume 4 serves as a fitting finale to the first season of Spy Classroom. Until then, that’s all from me.

Takemachi