First of all, thank you for reading the sixth volume of "I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class." And congratulations on finishing it. I'm the author, Takata. The previous volume was released in November, so this new volume comes after about half a year, and I myself was very excited to write it.
…Although I feel like I might have gotten a little too excited.
This volume had more pages than usual, but actually, there was one more thing that was different from before.
Some of you may have noticed, but the number of lines per page has actually increased from the usual 17 to 18.
The number of lines per page increased, and the number of pages itself also increased more than usual–so, in terms of character count, it ended up being about the equivalent of two thin paperbacks.
My editor usually accepts most things regarding my work, but even I felt very sorry this time. However, for this volume, I really wanted to proceed to a good stopping point, so I somehow managed to get them to agree to the aforementioned format.
To everyone at the Sneaker Bunko Editorial Department, I apologize for the extra trouble I caused with this volume.
…I look forward to your continued support.
Now, that's enough about this volume. Next, I'd like to talk about various thanks and recent events related to the series.
First of all, as was announced during the live stream on February 25th, this work has received…
"The 1st Place in the Paperback Division of the Next Light Novel Award 2023."
I'd like to take this opportunity to once again thank all the readers who voted for us.
Even though the title has "Second" in it, the fact that so many of you recommended "Kuranika" as your number one makes me genuinely happy.
Every time a new volume comes out, I get to announce new things and give my thanks to everyone, which is a great help in filling up the afterword pages… just kidding (no, really), I truly feel that I'm very fortunate.
Of course, for every announcement I have, there are various projects and requests, big and small, coming to me behind the scenes, so working on them in addition to publishing the books is quite a task.
However, it's also true that for all the hard work, there are just as many, if not more, happy moments. The more I work, the more feedback I get from everyone, and as that piles up, "Kuranika" catches the eye of more and more people, and finally, the anime adaptation project that I had secretly been aiming for has started to move forward little by little–so, I've been having some pretty hectic days, but I hope to continue doing my best in my own way. Of course, without forgetting about my mental and physical health.
So, to all the readers, please take care of your health in your daily lives.
Also, regarding the anime adaptation project that I announced last time, I'd appreciate it if you could wait a little longer for new information. It's been about eight months since the announcement last September, and I'm aware that some of you are thinking, "It's about time…" but we are proceeding carefully to ensure it becomes a solid anime, so please continue to follow the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the series and wait for further updates.
That's all for the announcements and anime-related news for now. Next, I'd like to talk a little about the content of volume six itself. This afterword is longer than usual, but please bear with me for a little longer.
(※ Please be aware that the following contains spoilers for the main story, so if you haven't finished reading it yet, please proceed with caution.)
Yuu, who had been gradually experiencing a change of heart since volume four, is finally… or perhaps I should say, is beginning to clearly realize her feelings for Maki.
At first glance, Umi and Yuu seem to have different tastes and personalities, but as they declare themselves best friends, there must have been some similarities between them somewhere. Of course, Yuu didn't do it on purpose, but by the time she realized it, she had already reached a point of no return… that's the impression I get.
What kind of reaction do you have when you find out that the person you like already has someone they love, or is already dating someone?
Do you try to quietly forget about it without telling anyone, or do you confess, prepared for rejection? Some of you might have more daring ideas, but I think most people would quietly back away. Embarrassingly, I've had similar experiences myself.
Fortunately, I've been given the opportunity to release the next volume, and I have a feeling that volume seven will focus on that kind of story. And, I apologize to those who are waiting for the Kakuyomu version to be updated, but it's likely that with the next volume, the published version will be ahead of the Kakuyomu version.
I had been working with the intention of updating one chapter of the Kakuyomu version for every book I release, to keep the published version from catching up… but as I mentioned earlier, I've reached a point where I can no longer keep up with updating the Kakuyomu version, so I would appreciate it if you could wait patiently for that as well.
Just as a year has passed (in the story) since Umi and Maki's first meeting, the relationship between Umi and Yuu is once again… there's a slightly unsettling atmosphere, but for now, I hope you'll watch over them.
Now, to conclude, I would like to express my gratitude to all the people involved, as I always do.
To the Sneaker Bunko Editorial Department and my editor. Thank you for your exceptional support on this volume. From now on, in addition to publishing books, there will be anime and other projects, so I hope I can count on your continued assistance.
And to Hyuuga-sensei, who continued to provide the illustrations, thank you very much for the consistently beautiful artwork despite your busy schedule. I had the pleasure of speaking with you for the first time at the recent thank-you party, and despite it being our first meeting, you spoke to me in a friendly manner, which I, as a shy person, was very grateful for. If I have the chance, I would love to have a long talk with you again.
Also, to Ono-sensei, who is in charge of the "Kuranika" comic adaptation currently being serialized in "Alive+", and to everyone at the Alive Editorial Department. As a reader, I look forward to every update. Since I live far away, I haven't been able to express my daily gratitude, but I look forward to your continued support.
With merchandise, the anime adaptation, and other projects, every time a new volume is released, the number of people involved in the series gradually increases, and with it, I feel like I have more opportunities to express my gratitude like this.
I can't thank Maki and Umi enough for being the reason for all of this.
To all the readers, thank you for your continued support.
Well then, I'll see you in the next volume.
Thank you very much.