Toradora! - Volume 3 - Chapter Aft

Afterword

I went to a popular fortune-telling website that has a reputation for accuracy. The fortune I got was, “An exceptionally dull person. If they find something they like, they’ll continue to eat nothing but that.” It’s accurate.

Hello, I’m Takemiya Yuyuko.

Everyone I meet tells me that if I eat nothing but tarako spaghetti, it’ll poison my body (and my fortune), so I’ve been a little more careful lately about making sure to have sides, too.

And by that, I mean fried chicken from the freezer. For each meal, I have four pieces (two minutes in the microwave), but the brand I like apparently has seventeen pieces per bag, so the fourth time around I get five pieces.

I look so, so forward to the days I get to have five pieces that I wake up early. “Oh, today’s the day I get five pieces~” Then I’m wide awake! Vegetables? Yeah, right, vegetables…

Incidentally, even though I’ve added a side, I haven’t decreased the amount of spaghetti I eat. I mean, it’s been hot lately, and if I get heat exhaustion, my work will suffer.

As a member of society, I’ve taken responsibility for managing my well-being. I diligently eat for two.

So, to everyone who has picked up Toradora! Volume 3, I sincerely, sincerely thank you! Did you enjoy it?

I usually have a narrow focus when it comes to writing about boobs, but this time I feel like I had a missile in my hands. I’m fine, really. My romcom gun still has butt bullets and all kinds of other bullets besides, so I’ve got more where that came from. I still haven’t expended all my boob bullets, so I won’t hold back on the barrage going forward.

I would be very grateful if you continued with me in the next installment. Please, please do!

Incidentally, do you readers think I can’t swim? I can swim. Or rather, I don’t sink. I’m the type who can float naturally on top of the water when I relax. Actually, if I try to dive, my butt goes up and floats, so I feel like I’m about to do a handstand on the bottom.

I’ve really gotten into Animal Crossing as of late. Unimpressive, I know. Every day, I twirl my spaghetti with my right hand while my left hand manipulates my stylus every which way. I pick up my fried chicken with my tongue. That’s a lie. 

I wish it were a lie.

Because I do nothing but play games. I haven’t exercised in ages; but in the game, I’m running around the village, collecting bugs, fishing, digging up fossils, and I’ve got a super active life. So, it’s fine.

But something bad that’s come out of my serious gaming is that my chronic stiff shoulders and backaches have gotten a lot worse. My massage therapist told me, “You’re in the worst condition. You already have frozen shoulder (and you’re getting fatter and fatter).” It’s no wonder I can’t raise my shoulder. My massage therapist would massage and massage me, but I would come back in the same terrible condition every time. “I play games too much,” I’d smile and say. I can’t imagine how futile my massage therapist must feel.

I was addicted. Days went by where I couldn’t communicate my sincerity to the animals of the village. “Hey, Yuyuko-shi~, I want ____,” they’d say. And so, because of that unexpected request, I could only look desperately for the object they begged for, somehow get it, and give it to them. Then they would say something like, “Uwah, thank you! You’re amazing Yuyuko-shi~” They would smile adoringly at me, and the next day, throw the object in the trash. Any normal person would be hurt. Then, even though the animal itself threw it away, the next day or so after that, it would say, “Hey, Yuyuko-shi, I want ____ (the same thing).” Like, what?!

Feeling a little empty, I thought of trying another game. What I mean is that game. I’m talking about Brain Age.

First, I checked my brain age. I took a formal test where you answer questions by speaking out loud. You must be thinking, “You got a super old age, and you’re about to make that into a joke, aren’t you, Yuyuko?” You’d be wrong.

Because my voice was too soft, or maybe for some other reason, it didn’t even detect me.

Well, lately, I haven’t been talking to people in real life. It seems I’ve forgotten how to use my voice.

It’s fine. Really. Well, I’m going to the village to catch some bugs. Because in this world, I can wave a net around even if I have a frozen shoulder.

And so, I am very grateful for everyone who has stayed with me through to the end! Coming up next is Toradora! Volume 4! I would be so, so grateful if you would continue to support the next installment. And thank you to everyone who has sent letters with their reactions! I read them all with the editorial department’s Manager-san. It’s encouraging!

I also got comments from Kurafuji Sachi-sensei who is illustrating the serialization of Our Dear Tamura-kun in Dengeki Comic Gao! Thank you very much! 

And then, Yasu-sensei, Manager-sama, thank you for taking care of me this time, as well. Let’s keep shooting a barrage of boob bullets from the romcom gun!

—Takemiya Yuyuko

Kurafuji-san’s illustration on the previous page was splendid, wasn’t it?! She’s illustrated Matsuzawa and Souma and Taiga wonderfully! It’s kind of moving! [tears] She also works on the manga version of Our Dear Tamura-kun, which is serialized in Dengeki Comic Gao! Please take a look at it.

Well then. From here on out is Yasu’s deplorable afterward. (lol)

Long time no see. I’m Yasu. I’m in charge of illustrating Toradora! We’re finally on the third volume. Because Tamura-kun was only two volumes, this really means a lot to me, and I’m excited about it. My doubts have finally flown away. I’ll focus on the present and work hard. 

Because of the strange heat wave, I feel like my body temperature has been steadily rising every day. I can’t leave my apartment’s AC, and I’m becoming weaker and weaker by the moment. Speaking of which, a little while ago I got hold of a certain handheld game made by Nintendo. I’ve been occasionally playing it and coming across some animals. I dig holes to make the residents get stuck, make them fall into pits, chop down all the trees—it’s really fun. The residents of my “Yasuken Town” indiscriminately flee, and it’s become a ghost town. I did it! It’s a really…revealing…game.

Messages to the people who helped me—

    To Takemiya Yuyuko-sensei: You always let me read your lovely novels. I’m happy whenever I can help even a little by drawing illustrations. I’m going to give it my all! 

    To the editorial department: I’m so sorry for waiting until the very last moment and putting you in a dangerous position this time. I am really sorry. Without my manager’s precise instructions, it would have been even more precarious (even though it was already bad enough as it was…). Really, thank you very much. I’ll do my best. 

    To Ishi-san, who helped me, and also Oyama-sensei: Thank you for everything! Let’s work hard together! 

    To the people who bought this book and visited my homepage: As always, thank you so much! I’m still inexperienced, so I’ll do the best I can! 

With that, I pray we meet again in Volume 4. Thank you very much.