Afterword

To those of you who read the previous volume, long time no see. And to those of you who picked up this volume first, enticed by the cover, don’t worry—you haven’t made a mistake, although I’d appreciate it if you’d buy volume one as well. If you do that, then—wonder of wonders—volume three will come along with brand new illustrations to—

Hi, I’m Riku Nanano. I’ve barely gotten over how flustered I was by the release of volume one, but now I’ve managed to get volume two out safely as well. Thank you so much. This novel is based on my ongoing serialized story on the web novel site Kakuyomu, although I’ve revised about ninety percent of it. Don’t worry; that still counts as revision. Really.

I had no doubts about what to include—amping up the cuteness of the new girls was my guiding principle. In the process, the headmaster et al. turned up uninvited and took over a whole chapter. They had the nerve to demand more appearances, but I successfully exterminated—I mean, reclaimed the material, so all’s well that ends well. Honestly, who would be willing to read speeches that take up a full page or more?

Be that as it may, let’s move on to Lydia. She stands out so much that she mercilessly runs off with everything—including other characters’ time in the spotlight—whenever she appears. As far as Tina and the other girls are concerned, you might say that the last boss showed up early. Please look forward to their roles in future volumes.

Before I forget, I have a confession to make: when I saw drafts of the illustrations for the new characters, a devil whispered in my ear, “They sure are cute. Give them more appearances. Come on! Cut out the headmaster!”

“No,” an angel pleaded to restrain me. “You’ll have to rewrite another chapter if you do that! At least make it the professor!”

While the angel and devil met in single combat, Ellie took the opportunity to secure a bigger role for herself. That girl is a force to be reckoned with.

I’d like to thank all the people who helped me:

My editor. I’m in your debt again this volume. I haven’t forgotten your demand for more Tina; the adults’ silly ramblings are just so fun to write that— Understood. I’ll be more careful going forward.

The illustrator, cura. Your drawings fill me with motivation every time I see them. Allen’s handsomeness and Caren’s cuteness were a one-two punch that threw me for a loop. I look forward to our continued partnership.

And all of you who have read this far. I can’t thank you enough, and I look forward to our next meeting. My plan for next time is to save Stella!

Riku Nanano