We Don't Open Anywhere: Afterword

Afterword

There was a time when I didn’t want anyone to read “We Don’t Open Anywhere.”

Before my stunned eyes, the work that I had stubbornly written for submission had been announced for publication, and despite my feeling decidedly unlike a pro was circulated throughout the country and exposed to the public. I was so much an amature and unfamiliar with the industry that I’d never heard the phrase “light novel,” and the idea of being criticised had unbelievably never crossed my mind. When it went on sale, of course, there were many opinions on it, and they overwhelmed me and filled me with despair. Although many kind readers gave me positive comments, I felt as though I was being mocked from every direction. I wanted to wipe away the memories of everyone who had read it. I truly resented the fact that this world of our lacks the kind of reset buttons you would find in video games.

To be able to remake and re-release such a work just proves that the world is full of surprises. In fact, I now wanted the work that I once didn’t want read by anyone by be read by as many people as possible. It’s so embarrassing that I couldn’t bear to say it aloud, but the basis for Kouta Hiiragi was my nimbly drifting, self-lacking high school self. And the basis for Masato Yahara was my truly murderous middle school self. The original novel’s jacket branded it as controversial on the jacket, and the published refused to put illustrations in it. But even though people called it “imprudent” and “dark” and “unsettling,” I truly wrote it praying that it would instill hope in the readers. ...No, seriously.

The market has recently been flooded with these resplendent, dazzling tales of adolescence, but most people didn’t have such youths. I myself found my school years rather painful. I was decent with people, and I had quite a few friends, but even so the bad memories far outweigh the good ones. I never want to go back to such an unpleasant time. When I wrote “We Don’t Open Anywhere,” I wrote it with the fervent desire to save my oppressed adolescent self. To the me of that era, all the stories filled with themes of love and romance and camaraderie and justice and adolescence felt like they were full of bullshit. It felt like I was looking at someone else’s feces and vomit. I wanted a story written for me, an earnest story that wasn’t filled with platitudes.

And even if the world’s changed a bit since then, I’m sure there are still many people like that. And I thought people like that might find this novel worthwhile. So I can’t help but hope that this story touches somebody.

I also feel that deconstructing “We Don’t Open Anywhere” and rewriting it was crucial for me going forward as an author. If you’ll allow me to brag a little, my technical skills have definitely improved since my days as a rookie, but at the same time my honest, unfiltered zeal has faded bit by bit. I feel like this rewrite has helped me regain my old power, even if just a little bit.

At the same time, there are people that found this novel important to them, and their voices reach me even today. It’s thanks to them that I was able to rewrite and re-release “We Don’t Open Anywhere” like this, and it’s thanks to them that I have the self-confidence to continue living as an author. All I can do is thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

I pray that this rewritten version of “We Don’t Open Anywhere” will become important to someone.

Fall 2016

Eiji Mikage

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