Afterword
DO you have a love for fantasy? What about delicious food, delectable snacks, or heartwarming conversations with friends? Is school life treating you well? Are your studies? And for the grown-ups among you, how’s work? Do you ever think about the future? How is your relationship with your parents?
It’s a tall order for anyone to confidently reply with an enthusiastic “Yes, absolutely!” to all those questions. I know I can’t.
Thank you for reading Ayakashi and the Fairy Tales We Tell Ourselves, a literary tapestry woven with all those elements.
While writing this story, I was constantly reminded that the challenges of growing up and a looming uncertainty about the future might not be bound to any specific era or locale but are rather universal experiences shared by all. Even now, as an adult, I encounter anxieties in different guises. You know, if I had an adorable stoat companion, a circle of supportive friends, and scrumptious food by my side, I could also confront my issues with unwavering positivity—or at least, I’d like to think so.
I’m very curious to see how a tale so steeped in Japanese customs and school traditions will be translated and received. I can’t wait to see how it’ll turn out. And for those readers who are currently troubled and worrying—in the most present participle sense of the word—I hope this narrative provides a flicker of cheer.
In case you weren’t familiar, zashiki warashi are spirits from Japanese folklore, specifically that of the Tohoku region. Their presence in a household heralded prosperity, and their departure, ruin. They remind me of the brownies from Western mythology: small beings who bring good fortune, accept gifts of food, and bear a resemblance to children, though zashiki warashi aren’t typically associated with chores.
Even now, in present-day Japan, certain traditional inns are whispered to harbor these spirits. My younger sister once lodged at one such place. In one of her photos, a peculiar anomaly can be seen occupying part of a certain window. There’s just something so wonderful about the realm of the fantastical, don’t you think? Meeting an ayakashi is on my bucket list, provided they aren’t of the menacing variety. Oh, and I do hope to visit that inn someday.
As I write this afterword to a close, my heart swells with gratitude.
Building on the success of I’d Rather Have a Cat Than a Harem! I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to Charis Messier, the translation and editing staff, the illustrator, and everyone else at Cross Infinite World involved in bringing this book to life.
And I mustn’t forget: To my family and friends, my fellow creatives, and to you, my dear reader—thank you so very much.
May our paths cross again sometime, somewhere.
✦ ✦ ✦
Kosuzu Kobato