Rich Girl Caretaker Vol. 8 Afterword
Afterword
After getting kissed by a classmate, how am I supposed to just calmly go back to writing a chill slice-of-life story~~~!!
This is Yusaku Sakaishi. In the afterword for Volume 7, I wrote that I hoped Volume 8 would be a relaxed, everyday-life volume... but it didn't happen. I'm sorry.
Itsuki... Itsuki-kun is just too earnest... He’s sincerity incarnate. After getting kissed by a classmate, I just can't imagine him ignoring it and enjoying his daily life.
This isn't just about Narika, either. The heroines in "Rich Girl Caretaker" are almost all high-class ojou-samas, so I don't think they're very good at romance. Because of that, in Volume 8, I think the story had to take the form of Itsuki learning Narika's feelings and then trying to get closer to her true heart.
Seeing how Itsuki handles things, you can't help but feel that agonizing over every little thing is a special privilege of youth...
Still, I feel like I managed to slip in a few everyday scenes. I actually had a lot more I wanted to include, but I had to cut several for the sake of the story's flow.
As I was writing Volume 8, I kept thinking that this kind of relaxed material is nice, so I'll keep brewing the plots I didn't get to use this time. Maybe they'll show up later.
...By the way, I usually write these kinds of everyday scenes for the bonus short stories. If any readers would like to see more of the slice-of-life side of "Rich Girl Caretaker," please be sure to check those out.
One I wrote recently was about a deep snow in midwinter, where Itsuki and Shizune-san build snow huts and compete to see which one Hinako likes better... The three of them get pretty rowdy on their days off. The Konohana estate is huge, after all... They can play as much as they want.
Speaking of which, "Rich Girl Caretaker" has finally reached Volume 8. Thank you all for reading this far.
It's not a particularly special number, but with the Management Tournament arc over, and after finishing this volume as a short break, I suddenly feel deeply moved for some reason.
I checked, and Volume 1 was published on May 1st, 2021. That's exactly three years before the publication of Volume 8. That means middle schoolers have become high schoolers, and high schoolers have become university students.
If there are any elementary schoolers reading this, you are an incredibly advanced student (that's a compliment), but based on social media, most readers are in middle school or older.
That means most of you have probably gone through entrance exams or job hunting. If you were a first-year university student or a ronin (a student studying to retake exams) when Volume 1 came out, things might be a bit different. I have a relative whose life turned out better because he took a ronin year, so if any readers are in that position, please hang in there. I'm cheering for you.
No, wait, but, hold on. Is it really okay for a ronin to be reading light novels?
...You need a break sometimes! Besides, "Rich Girl Caretaker" is an educational light novel that's worthy of reference (this is a disputed theory), so this is the one light novel that's okay to read! Please recommend it to your cram school friends! You can learn how to set cutlery!
By the way, I'm writing this afterword on April 1st. It's the start of the new fiscal year, the day new graduates join the workforce, and social media is blowing up. "I haaate this~ I don't wanna work~ I already want to quit~" As I watch the wails of despair, I'm elegantly sipping coffee in a cafe on a weekday afternoon. Being a full-time author is pretty sweet, kids~
To all you university students, please work hard so you don't end up complaining after you graduate. I used to think entrance exams only affected what company you'd work for, but after becoming an adult, I've realized their influence is surprisingly broad, affecting things like your relationships and values...
The opportunities to change your life are fewer than you think: entrance exams, job hunting, changing jobs, marriage. So you don't waste them, let's all live each day to the fullest.
...I probably should have said this before exam season. New students and new workers can probably take it easy this year without thinking too hard about the future. For those of you facing exams, job hunting, or life's next turning point, make the most of those few chances and give it your all. I'll be giving it my all right alongside you.
【Acknowledgments】
I received a great deal of help in writing this book. To my editor, I'm sorry this was supposed to be a slice-of-life volume and unfortunately turned into a serious romance. Sorry for the shock. To miwabe sakura-sensei, Yuri... Yuri was unbelievably cute. Thank you for dressing such a hardworking girl in such gorgeous clothes. And finally, to all the readers who bought this book, you have my deepest gratitude.
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