Toradora! - Volume 1 - Chapter Aft

Afterword

Moment by moment, I’m packing on more pounds—TakeYuyu, here. These days, the pudge around my waist is pregnant with a sense of urgency, and each time I look at it, I realize anew: This isn’t just a stomach anymore, but a belly. But, what if that belly is full of hope? What if it’s full of dreams? What if it’s full of smiles—what then? Right? If it’s that kind of belly…then the bigger the better, right? If you don’t say yes, then I don’t know what will happen to me! (Out of the corner of my eye, I’m staring intensely at an unopened pack of Donbei instant noodles…)

Well then, did you enjoy the first volume of Toradora!? To all those who picked it up, I thank you so, so much! If you enjoyed it even a little bit, I’m happy.

Q: I didn’t see any parts with battles, or worldbuilding, or anything that really fired me up—what gives?

A: That’s by design.

Toradora’s world is meant to feel like one of those completely ordinary slice-of-life stories. It’s a plain and simple romcom, and I plan on continuing to make it light and fluffy. Please, please, please stick around for the continuation of Toradora. You are absolutely more than welcome to.

One more thing—your readership allowed me to write a series called Our Dear Tamura-kun, and I wanted to thank all those who sent me their thoughts about it in the mail! I read all of them, and they are very important to me. I want to fall asleep hugging each and every one of them—the letters and I are in a serious relationship. In response to receiving all those voices of support, I intend to work hard so that I can tell you about new developments regarding Tamura-kun.

Incidentally, I anticipate this book will reach your hands in March 2006 (or rather than anticipate, plan…). However, I’m writing this afterword today, on January 3rd. Happy New Year! In the first week of the new year, I’m bulldozing through and declaring just one New Year’s resolution, which is to strive towards finishing a mountain of work.

I chose this goal because of something Mr. Manager unintentionally said to me.

“…What do you normally do, Takemiya-san?”

I think the person who said that has forgotten all about it, but since it was said to me, I’ve really opened my eyes. Just…what do I do, normally? I’m a full-time housewife—I’m not even working part-time…

While I was thinking about why I got asked that in the first place, eventually, I imagined hearing a fuller version of the question, with the parts Mr. Manager hadn’t said out loud.

“(Even though you’re new to it, publishing two volumes in one year and having only one draft in the works while being a housewife doesn’t seem like a lot of work. As a person who is part of society and should be working,) what do you normally do (outside of work), Takemiya-san? (Also, have you gained weight recently?)”

And then I came back to my senses.

What was I doing normally? I did work, actually, but I was spending a lot more of my time eating snacks, boiling pasta, warming up milk, dressing the pasta and tarako roe, steaming potatoes, putting seaweed on tarako spaghetti, cooking pork belly, putting natto on tarako spaghetti and, well—I was doing all kinds of things like that. Speaking of which…wasn’t I eating way too much tarako spaghetti…?

Yes, I stopped the hand that was twirling my tarako spaghetti. I needed to do work more befitting a member of society. It wasn’t the time to eat two meals of tarako spaghetti a day (let alone 200 grams of it). Because of that, my stomach has become like this…! If I could only shave off these pounds…!

So, because of that, this year, I’m pushing forward on work. I’m also thinking of cutting back on the tarako spaghetti. Anyway, in order to give you, my readers, tons more to enjoy, I will earnestly and wholeheartedly work so hard that I smash my keyboard to bits.

 And I’ll also pray that as a result of my hard work, my body will hopefully shape up, too. Please, never again may I have a tragedy where I have to ask to change seats, because I sat down and found my jeans constricting the stomach fat on my waist to the point that it was extremely painful—even after bothering the editorial department for sofa recommendations…

All that said, I’d like to give my thanks to those who read this far. Yasu-chan, who has been in charge of doing the illustrations ever since my previous work, I look forward to continuing to work with you, as well as with my manager.

In order to meet you again in the second volume of Toradora!, I’ll pick up the pieces of my smashed keyboard at full speed.

—Takemiya Yuyuko

Artist’s Afterword

Nice to meet you. To those who know me, it’s nice seeing you again. I’m Yasu. After my previous work for Our Dear Tamura-kun, I’m now in charge of the illustrations in Toradora!

I thought that Tamura-kun would probably be the first and last big job of my life, so when I heard about this current project, I was really shocked. I thought it was someone playing a joke on me. Thank you so much for allowing me to draw for it.

It’s been very cold lately, hasn’t it? Where I live, we’ve even gotten snow a few times. I’m bad with snow on account of the cold, but I still kind of want to have a snowball fight. Really though, I just want to play. But it ended up being so cold at home that I couldn’t help it—I turned on the heat, so my electric bill was a joke…

Anyway, I have these messages for those I’m indebted to:

    To Takemiya-sensei—Thank you for allowing me to have a lot of fun reading through your work this time, too. I rarely eat spaghetti, so next time I’ll have some tarako spaghetti. 

    To the editorial department—I am so very sorry for causing you trouble with my inexperience and slow replies. For the next project, I’m going to work hard to make sure I give myself a little more time. Though, that’s probably a fleeting fantasy. (Hey!) 

    To Ishi-san (who helped me), and also Daiyama-sensei—You two always take care of me. Thanks in advance for the next time, too! (Hey!) 

    To those who picked up this book and to those who cheered me on through my website—Really, thank you so much. I’m really sorry for all the delays with my replies. 

And so, with that, I’m much obliged to all of you again. I hope you enjoy Toradora! ＞ω＜ﾉ

—Yasu