Chapter

Afterword

Thank you for picking up Volume 14 of the novel version of “Sister Life.” I am Mikawa Ghost, the author of both the original and the novel adaptation.

With the passing of university entrance exams and high school graduation, I believe many readers feel a sense of “ending.” However, Yuta and Saki’s lives do not come to an end there. Just as graduation marks the beginning of a new chapter for many, for Yuta and Saki, it is merely one event that colors their lives.

In this Volume 14, I depicted both endings and beginnings.

The episode of their graduation trip serves as a culmination of the relationships between Yuta, Saki, Maru, and Maya, and it is also a story of “departure.” More important than where they go or what they do is “who they go with.” I hope you can share in this moment of youth.

From the dialogue about deciding on their travel destination, to the actual sightseeing in Osaka, and then to the beginning of university life—despite the change in setting, there remains “something unchanging” between them, with just a hint of new air mixing in. I wrote with the intention of carefully preserving those subtle changes.

As the everyday life with his sister-in-law begins to shift away from the stage of high school, how will their relationship change, and how will it remain the same? I would be delighted if you continue to watch over them.

By the way, by the time Volume 14 is released, I believe it has already been announced, but I will be publishing a new work titled “Sister Mercenary” under MF Bunko J. I would like to take a moment to share the background and thoughts behind this writing with all of you who are reading “Sister Life.”

First, “Sister Mercenary” is written as a standalone novel, not intended for serialization. In “Sister Life,” I took on the personal theme of deeply immersing myself in the subject matter and characters, expressing and depicting Yuta and Saki living in contemporary Japan with high resolution. With that in mind, I chose to express a long, ongoing life, resulting in writing 14 volumes as a long-term series, with plans to continue further.

“Sister Mercenary” can be said to be a work that, while sharing a similar soul with “Sister Life,” is its opposite. The theme of deeply immersing oneself in the subject matter and characters, and expressing and depicting them with high resolution is common, but the world they inhabit is not modern Japan; it is a contemporary battlefield. It will depict the daily lives and experiences of mercenaries in that setting. It may be similar to the world Yuta and Saki live in, or it may not. Even if it is the same, it can only be recognized as something from a distant world. This is the kind of story I am telling. Unlike Yuta and Saki’s story, everything is packed into one volume, allowing readers to feel everything within that single book. If “Sister Life” is a multi-volume diary, then “Sister Mercenary” is a single memoir or a documentary film. Please rest assured that the existence of this work will not affect the serialization pace of “Sister Life.” I hope that readers of “Sister Life” will also read this new step I have taken as a writer.

Now, as always, I would like to express my gratitude. To Hiten, who always creates wonderful illustrations, to Nakajima Yuki, who breathes life into the YouTube version, to Amagasaki Kohei, to Suzuki Ai, to Hamano Daiki, to Minori Suzuki, and to the video staff led by director Ochiai Yusuke. To Kanade Yumika, who worked on the manga version, to editor O, and to everyone involved in the TV anime production, including director Ueno, and to all the cast members, I extend my heartfelt thanks.

And most importantly, to all the readers who have picked up this book and read it. Thanks to you, this story has been able to continue this far. Please continue to accompany these two on their journey.

That’s all,
Mikawa Ghost.