Afterword

Thank you for reading. Holmes of Kyoto has reached volume seven! I think that’s incredible. It’s all thanks to everyone who supported the series.

This volume feels like a conclusion, but it’s not a total conclusion—it’s the conclusion of the high school arc. I have a vision for where the story will go after this, vague as that may be, and fortunately, my editor has encouraged me to keep going. So, the pace might slow down, but I’d like to continue writing this series. The cast is taking on new roles. Aoi will become a university student, Kiyotaka will have completed graduate school, Akihito will be the same as always, and the nature of Ensho’s involvement will change—and I hope you’ll watch their antics fondly.

Also, I’d like to thank the confectionery Matsuya Tobei, who graciously allowed me to research them for this book. They also taught me in detail about tea ceremonies, which I’m sincerely grateful for.

I’d also like to give a heartfelt thanks to my younger cousin and close friend who lives in Prague. She taught me about Alphonse Maria Mucha.

Additionally, a guidebook has been put together for Holmes of Kyoto. It’s called Holmes of Kyoto: Volume 7.5. It includes a summary of the shrines and temples visited in the series so far, a short story around seventy pages long, several very short, fun stories, 4-koma manga strips by Shizu Yamauchi and myself, and a section where the characters and author answer questions sent in by the readers.

The guidebook is called “Volume 6.5” because the main short story takes place in between volume 6 and volume 7. Volume 6 ends with Kiyotaka and Aoi heading to Aoi’s birthday party at the Kiyotaka residence, and volume 6.5 covers the party itself. All sorts of familiar faces are invited, and as is customary, they play a mystery-solving game. It’s a very happy and peaceful side story, fitting for a guidebook. So, it might be better to read volume 6.5 before volume 7, but any order is fine.

Next, I have some sad news. This series has mentioned cream-filled red bean buns on a few occasions, but it appears the cafe that sold them closed down on December 24, 2016. They were delicious, and I loved them very much. I hope they return one day.

Lastly, please allow me to use this space to express my thanks:

To Futabasha, EVERYSTAR, the proofreaders, the distributors, the bookstores, Mr. and Mrs. Akemi, who supervised the Kyoto accent, Shizu Yamauchi, who drew yet another splendid cover, the cover designer, and of course you for picking up this book.

I’m truly thankful to all of the connections surrounding myself and this series.

Thank you all so much.

Mai Mochizuki