Afterword

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Afterword

I am Asano Hajime, pleased to meet you.

The title of this light novel, “Mayo Chiki!”, is the abbreviation of “Mayoeru Shitsuji to Chikin na Ore to”(1).

Of course, it doesn’t have anything to do with mayonnaise chicken or anything like this kind of junk food, but “Mayo Chiki!” is something that would sell well in a convenience store.

Anyways. Talking about “Mayo Chiki!”, like the name says, it’s a story about a butler heroine and a chicken bastard protagonist.

The heroine isn’t just a butler, but a cross-dressing butler. And the protagonist also isn’t just a chicken bastard, but a chicken bastard that ends up XXXX whenever a girl touches him. And an Ojou-sama and a little sister show up, and it ends up in a completely messed up, academy life love comedy.

Yes, love comedy.

Changing the subject a bit, “Mayo Chiki!” is a love comedy written in a slightly special environment.

Yes, this book is a love comedy written at a driving school.

I wonder… I wonder if there’re no precedents of love comedies being written at driving schools.

You see, I didn’t write at such a place because I wanted to do so.

And if you ask me why I wrote at a school… I was running out of time. My application deadline was…

I remember that when I sent my application to the 5th MF Bunko (2) new writer contest, the time to send it in was almost up.

And my driving school graduation period was imminent…

And at the driving school I attended, there was a scary rule that if you didn’t graduate in the due period, you lost all the money you paid for the course, but I didn’t rush to that bad end like a salmon going upstream his birth river.

That’s why at the time, my daily life was to wake up early, go to the driving school, think about the story on the bus, write down my ideas on my college notes during my free time, then copy them to my computer when I got home.

Did meeting the application deadline come first? Or did graduating from driving school come first? It felt like a chicken race. And like that, I could meet the deadline safely and managed to graduate from the driving school.

And yet, fortunately, the product that I made that time was able to become a book like this, so I guess I am one of the rarely seen super-lucky-bastards. I was so lucky that I am scared of my future(3).

Then, a bit late, I will give my thanks.

First, the one responsible for me, Shouji-sama. I really only caused him trouble. I was able to understand and embed in my body that a book couldn’t be completed by only one person. I will be in your care from now on, as well.

And a big thanks to Kikuchi Seiji-sama who, even with a busy schedule, was able to draw such clean and pretty illustrations. I think that the most fortunate thing was having Kikuchi Seiji-sama designing my characters. I am sincerely grateful.

Also, the editor-in-chief Misaka-sama, the senpais of the contest selection who chose my work, the people of the editor section, and everyone that worked in the publication and the selling of the book. I have to thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

And also my instructor from driving school. I am really sorry for being such a frivolous student. To the people from the circle who lent me such valuable stories- next time, let’s go drink some sake together.

And lastly, a deep thanks that I can’t really express to you, the reader, for getting this book in your hands.

Then, for the sake of being able to have another meeting with you all, I think I will step on the accelerator and move straight ahead. I am really pleased to have met you.

Asano Hajime

TRANSLATOR NOTES
(1) Literally, “The Wandering Butler and Myself the Chicken.”
(2) A popular light novel publishing company in Japan.
(3) By this, he means that he may have used up all of the luck he will ever have and will probably have an unlucky future from now on.