Afterword

Hello. This is Wataru Watari.

As I write a story set in the middle of summer during the middle of winter, I feel quite acutely that this was why I became a light-novel writer. So anyway, how are you all doing this season? I’m doing well.

And so, the story finally breaks into summer. When you think summer, you think of the season that youth shines brightest. Summer wear, swimwear, sheer bras! Just after I wrote that, I realized that, oh yeah, my mom is reading this book, too… So anyway, summer. It’s so important for high school romantic comedies, you’ll end up waiting in the summer.

I’ve always been more miserable in this season than any other time—I really hate it—it was a painful, miserable chapter of my life. I always just wanted to be a representative for the JSDF (Japan Secluded Defense Forces), if I could, staying at home to make sure my house is safe. It wouldn’t even be weird to call me a soldier of ancient Japan, protecting my assigned area. I’d love it if they would include a Jitaku no Moribito: Guardian of the House in the Moribito series. That’s how much I hate summer.

I mean, Marine Day? That’s just discriminatory. Some people don’t go to the ocean in summer. I think they should take that into consideration and make a “House Day” and make that a national holiday. Actually, I really just want more days off. People talk about “summer vacation” or whatever, but adults don’t get one. Once you get a full-time job, summer vacation is just, like, three days. Are you kidding me? That’s just the Bon holiday! And I got so excited about it, too! “Vacation time!” I said. “I can have so much time off! Yay, summer break! Wataru loves this vacation!” I deserve an apology here.

So anyway, this has been Volume 4 of My Youth Romantic Comedy Is Wrong, as I Expected. Please look forward to more of Hachiman Hikigaya’s summer vacation in the next book. Below are my acknowledgments. In English, you say special thanks, and in German, uh…danke schoen?

Holy Ponkan: I only wrote this book because I wanted to see you draw swimsuits for it. Thank you for the illustration book, too. Thank you so much. The swimsuits are the best!!

Mr. Hoshino, my editor: we would be just chatting casually about making a drama CD or a limited-edition illustration book, and then you made that stuff happen in reality. I was blown away. Are you Shenlong or what? Thank you so much.

Mr. Kenji Inoue: Thank you for your comments on the ad wrap, despite the fact that we’ve never met. Exhausted as I am by deadline after deadline, your words have been very encouraging to me.

All my writer friends: Thank you very much for getting together while I was busy drinking and making up an alibi for me as my deadlines were looming.

And to all my readers: I feel like I can keep going thanks to your support. There have been rough times, but I do love this job. Thank you, honestly, so much. I hope you will continue to stick with me.

All right, I think that’s about enough. I will set my pen down here.

On a certain day in February, in a certain place in Chiba, while drinking warm MAX Coffee,

Wataru Watari