Afterward

There were many people who helped me with the writing of this book. Firstly, there’s Misaka, the chief editor and Sasao, the editor. I’m grateful from the bottom of my heart for how they read my manuscript over and over and gave me valuable comments each time. There’s also Kobuichi who drew the illustrations of Aria and everyone else. Thank you so much for drawing them all with more charm than even I had envisioned. When I saw cute little Aria on the cover, I looked up and screamed, “This is it!” I also want to thank Itsuki Yuma, Watanabe Iori, and Morita Kisetsu for thinking up the titles of the goth-lolita games that were in the story. Thanks to Kei Shigema, Akira, Kazushi, Hajime Taguchi, Renichi Nanai, Shinji Hoshi, and Matsutomo for the valuable advice they gave me. Thanks to Takeda Esquire for teaching me the reading of the Chinese character, ‘kyouwai’ (immensely obscene). Thanks to Mr. A, who taught me about guns. And thanks to my family. It’s thanks to all of you that I was really able to enjoy writing this book. I sincerely hope all the readers will share that sense of enjoyment.

May Aria meet as many readers as possible and become a happy girl.