I am Yuusaku Sakaishi.
Thank you for picking up Volume 6.
Since a fair number of people tend to read the afterword first, let me just say this—I really gave it my all this time! I did an immense amount of research for this volume. Honestly, this wasn't the kind of subject matter a science major should have been tackling!
In any case, I worked incredibly hard on it, so I hope you enjoy the read...
As expected, there was so much to talk about in this afterword that the words just kept flowing. It felt good to write one of these with such enthusiasm after a while.
● Regarding the Management Game Arc
Volume 6 had a slightly different flavor compared to the rest of the series so far, and there was a reason for that.
As many of you likely sensed, I felt the series had reached a major milestone by Volume 4. The individual arcs for Hinako, Tennoji-san, Narika, and Yuri had concluded, and in Volume 5, I explored the changes in the relationship between Itsuki and Hinako.
I spent a lot of time debating where to take the story from Volume 6 onward. The standard move would have been to start a second cycle of similar stories, but one aspect of this series had always bugged me. It was hard to say that this series followed the current mainstream trends in terms of world-building, yet the story itself was relatively traditional.
While that could be viewed as a good balance, it also made me wonder if I was failing to fully utilize the world I’d created. I began to think there might be a rom-com style that only this series could pull off.
Searching for that unique angle led to the birth of the Management Game Arc.
Every character appearing in this work will one day be in a position to run a massive corporation. Hinako, Tennoji-san, Narika, Yuri, Itsuki, Asahi-san, and Taisho... how exactly would they manage their companies in the future? Answering that question was one of the primary goals of this arc.
It turned into a bit of a niche genre—Business x Rom-com—but looking back, the series always had that atmosphere. It was only because of everything I'd built up to this point that I was finally able to write a story like this. It felt as though small seeds of foreshadowing had been planted without even me realizing it, and they all suddenly bloomed at once. That was how the Management Game Arc came to be.
Of course, I was careful not to break the established feel of the series. My editor was very firm about that, so I believe we navigated the transition well by working closely together. Therefore, while the Management Game Arc contains new types of content, I believe it will still resonate with those who have enjoyed the series up until now.
If I had tried to write this in Volume 1, I probably would have been much more self-indulgent, writing nothing but business theory. The characters I'd already developed over the previous volumes stopped me from doing that. For that, I’m grateful.
It was a bold move that required some courage, but I hope you found it enjoyable. I’ll be working just as hard on the second half in Volume 7.
● Regarding the Companies
In Volume 6, the name of the sports equipment manufacturer owned by Narika’s family was revealed for the first time. As some of you may have guessed from the backgrounds of Asahi-san and Taisho, almost every company appearing in this work is based on a real-world model. The Konohana Group, the Tennoji Group, and Suminoe-san’s SIS all have real-life counterparts. However, I’ve tried not to let the models dictate everything, so I don't intend to match every single detail or figure to them.
Itsuki’s company is the only one without a direct model, though many similar businesses exist in reality. Itsuki set his sights on the quite niche gift market, which actually saw a bit of a boom recently due to the pandemic, so it might be interesting to look into it if it caught your curiosity.
● Regarding Company Names
In the main story, the name of Itsuki’s company was treated as being a bit uninspired, which led to Asahi-san and the others teasing him.
As I mentioned, most of the companies in the series have real-world models, so I sometimes base the names on them as well. However, I’m not following any strict rules, so I handle the naming flexibly.
One real-world company name that personally impressed me was Bridgest○ne. It was apparently derived from the name of the founder, Mr. Ishibashi. When they were considering global expansion, they first considered "Stone Bridge," but the phrasing didn't quite sound right, so they flipped it to reach its current form. To think it would eventually become such a stylish name—it’s pure genius.
As a complete aside, I used to love using Bridgest○ne rackets back when I was in the tennis club. They had a bit of a "pro" vibe to them... even if they were incredibly heavy.
【Acknowledgments】
I owe a great deal of gratitude to everyone involved in the production of this volume. Truly, thank you for everything. To my editor, I apologize for suddenly taking such a challenging risk right as things were settling down in Volume 6. Thank you so much for giving me the green light regardless. Sakura Miwabe-sensei, thank you for illustrating the heroines so charmingly once again. The new character, Suminoe-san, is both elegant and incredibly cute. I was also stunned by the absolute beauty of the bunny-girl Tennoji-san on the tapestry.
Finally, to all the readers who picked up this book, you have my deepest thanks.