It’s been a long time. This is Yuki Yaku, light novel author, now experienced with a second season of anime.
It’s been three years since the anime Tomozaki was on air. By the time this volume is on sale, the second season of the anime will be right in the middle of broadcasting—it’s a strange feeling, like time is moving quickly but also slowly.
It’s been two years since that really big ending in Volume 10, and during that time, not only have I been supervising the second season, but an original anime with me on script has also been announced, and I’ve been quite literally murdered by work. But finally, I’ve been able to deliver a story to you all. I hope that this long wait has enabled me to finish something that meets your expectations.
However, I expect to hear some angry voices flying around, saying, Hey, at this rate, it’ll be years before we get the next book, stop playing Smash and get writing—but can you believe it?—Volume 12 is going to be coming out within months of this one. It’s true, please believe me. That’s because I actually wrote over five hundred pages for this book, and since it was clearly too long, it was separated into two, so I’ve already written quite a bit of the next draft. This is based in fact, so it’s pretty trustworthy.
And so this series is approaching the end. People who have been following since Volume 1 have told me things like “I was a student then, but now I’m a working adult,” leaving me with the keen feeling that time changes many things. Thinking about the ending does bring this slow, welling feeling of loneliness—but that’s exactly why there’s just one thing I want you all to know before you read the climax in Volume 12.
And that is the fact, which is clear from looking at Hinami on the cover this time, that “the flowers themselves are Aoi Hinami.”
I can hear some of you saying, Stop doing the usual thing in a somber moment—it’s rude to use even an emotional moment as a lead-in to a joke, but I will explain one thing at a time, so please sit down for a second.
When you saw the cover for this volume, I’m sure your eyes first went to Hinami’s expression of ennui, and then to the vividly colored flowers that she’s holding. Speaking in terms of past covers in this series, it’s unusual for a meaningful motif like this to be on the cover, and combined with how incredibly attractive Fly-san’s floral drawings are, the image has a lot of impact.
However, once you settle down and examine the overall picture, then what? It’s fair to say this is the first time such meaningful items have appeared, and the composition is quite irregular, with very saturated petals. Yet the image nevertheless maintains harmony overall, with no sense of the flowers clashing.
And the secret to that is what I stated at the start: that the flowers themselves are Aoi Hinami.
The position and distribution of all the flowers and their different colors should draw your attention. The red petals are the most vivid, so it’s most straightforward if you consider them first. The red color stands out—so why is it they are in harmony on the screen? To investigate this question, observe their position and what’s around them, and there, you’ll find your answer.
The red flowers are positioned at Aoi Hinami’s chest, as if corresponding to her necktie, which is also red.
That puts red next to red, and despite the clear contrast in shape and meaning, the contrast of colors is actually mild. This is what creates the complex composition interwoven by this multilayered contrast.
Now then, at this point, the rest is practically just verifying answers you already have. Where are the purple flowers? There are three drawn near the blazer, which is a shade between navy blue and violet, as if acting in concert with the broad area of the uniform.
What about the white flowers? They’re placed near the white background, but considering their surface area and position atop the purple of the blazer, it may be natural to interpret their meaning as corresponding to her shirt. The harmony brought about thus keeps the whole from feeling incoherent—in fact, it has a sense of unity.
The flowers each represent the red of her necktie, the purple of her blazer, and the white of her shirt. And they are positioned in a vertical line… After this much consideration, don’t you now understand what I mean by “the flowers themselves are Aoi Hinami”?
Based on this, please look at the flowers on the cover one more time.
They are not simply flowers that Hinami is holding—your impression should have changed to thinking they somehow are an aspect of Aoi Hinami herself.
And what sort of flowers are these? When you think that far, the phrase the flowers themselves are Aoi Hinami gains another meaning.
But hold on a minute—then what does the green of the leaves and stems correspond to? Does your interpretation count only the petals, and the leaves are the exception? To all of you perceptive people who’ve thought this—please try meeting eyes with Aoi Hinami to speak with her. I believe the answer will be found naturally.
And now, the acknowledgments.
To my illustrator, Fly-san. I love Hinami on the cover so much; while I was writing, I had my phone on a stand displaying this illustration the whole time, muttering, “Hinami… I’ll save you…” I’m doing that right now with this afterword, too. Actually, I might be the one who needs saving. I’m a fan.
To my editor, Iwaasa-san. When I see you saying things like “I don’t want to increase the workload any more, but this one was interesting, so I have no choice…” as you start a new series despite being so busy dealing with multiple anime, I think every day, Man, what a crazy person. Thank you for your efforts on this volume as well.
And to all my readers. The anime adaptation, the IRL event in Saitama, and the second season of the anime—I’m so glad that I could share these sights with you as they slowly change and move forward. By the time this book comes out, it will already be the New Year, and Omiya will soon become the capital. Thank you very much for your support as always.
Well then, I hope that you will follow me to the next book as well.
✦ ✦ ✦
Yuki Yaku