Cheated and Restarted Afterword

Afterword

What I wanted to depict was the revival of myth. I sought a story world where time and space melt together and entangle, where everything remains ambiguous yet holds distinct contours.

"There is nothing new under the sun," as the saying goes, and all stories are constant repetitions of myths. I, too, was able to become one of those many waves of repetition.

I take pride in this work as a story I portrayed as a modern myth in my own way. I believe that humans are creatures that cannot define their own identity without stories. Stories are human prayers that project human endeavors onto fantasy. Only with stories can people accept and forgive the existence of themselves and others.

If reading my story evokes some kind of emotion, and the resulting action leads to something good in that person's life, there would be no greater joy as an author.

Acknowledgments

To the Illustrator Kuroto Yuu-sama

When I first saw Ririse's character design, I felt a beauty that far exceeded my expectations. I was able to taste the moment the world of my work expanded greatly. Thank you very much.

To my Attending Psychiatrist

Thank you for saving me from a time of despair, during the dark period of my life spent battling severe depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. If you weren't there, let alone returning to society, I wouldn't even be able to self-importantly write an afterword as an author like this now. Thank you very much.

To the CEO of a Certain IT Company

Thank you for giving me a big chance in my life. It is thanks to you that I reawakened to the joy of engineering I had once given up on, and that I can still work with hope in society today. Thank you very much.

To my Beloved Father

Even when I nearly lost my life to illness, even when I dropped out of society, you didn't abandon me, your son, and supported me. Because of that, I was finally able to mark a milestone in my own life. Thank you very much.

To my Beloved Mother

This work was born because you gave me prayer and an identity different from others. Thank you very much.

To a Certain Friend Living in Hiroshima

I am grateful that you didn't leave even when the author's depression was severe. We are doing different jobs now, but I still hope we can work together in engineering someday. Thank you very much.

To my Editor in Charge

I am grateful that you guided me, a born troublemaker, so well and brought me this far.

To All Publishing Staff Involved in This Work

There are various jobs involved before a book reaches people's hands, and without all of them, my book would not have reached the readers. Thank you very much.

To the Readers Who Have Been Reading Since the Web Version

I would like to express my gratitude once again to those who have been reading this work since the web version. I was able to come this far because you read a "chaotic hot pot" (Yami-nabe) of a work like this and said it was interesting. Thank you very much.

To New Readers

I express my gratitude to the readers who newly picked up this book. Thank you very much.

May happiness be with everyone who picked up this work.

Sono’o Kouki

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