This article was printed in the Nikkei evening edition, and the following image of it was posted on Twitter. In the article, Asano hints at a potential continuation for the story of No. 6 (!!!). @aowyn translated the article and kindly granted us permission to post the full translation, so you can see for yourself!
I've always loved chocolate. Probably, this is because of a memory.
A long time ago, I received a large chocolate bar from a relative. I split it with my older sister. While that's not much of a memory, I remember the sweetness of the chocolate bar and the feeling of how it slowly melted in my mouth. When I reached adolescence, however, hearing tall tales like if you eat too much chocolate you get acne, gain weight, etc took me in, and I left chocolate behind for a while.
Now, though, I eat chocolate nearly every day. It's just a little bit of high cacao chocolate, but it's my dessert at lunch.
I choose chocolate anywhere between 80%-90% cacao. It's bitter, but I love the sublimity of the bitterness mixing together with the sweetness that comes from behind.
Especially when spinning a tale about boys, I eat more bitter chocolate. That was the case when I wrote "Battery" and when I was tackling the world of No.6. Why, I wonder? Even I don't know. It may just be a matter of preference. But when I try and draw out a stronger, denser relationship between two boys, or face individual differences that won't be reconciled, I always end up wanting chocolate that is more bitter.
When the protagonist of the novel is a girl, this becomes strangely unnecessary. Even if I eat it as an after-meal dessert, I don't feel a strong desire for it. It's really strange. Compared to strong girls who shape their world to their will, boys carry a certain peril somewhere behind their toughness. I wonder if that's just me feeling that way, though. Hm, I'm not sure. I wonder how that boyish peril is tied to the flavor of chocolate. I really don't know.
This year, a new No.6 series began. Bitter chocolate is lined up on my desk. As the bitterness that lingers on my tongue gives me a push forward—"Now, write!" it says—I'm face to face with the boys.
unfinished stuff from june/july..... (sorry to everyone ive ever told that I'd finish these..... motivation is at an all time low)
Hello! I will be translating the fine climax event Blue Ocean * The shining truth of Atlantis. This translation comes in collaboration with @spectralpooch and mia (nenosuns)
English proofreader: @spectralpooch
Japanese proofreader: nenosuns
Second part hasnt come out yet but I hope you enjoy the story
(A dream. Or, perhaps, the harsh reality of Himemiya Tori)
Tori: (………….)
(I can't… breathe... )
(It hurts. It hurts so, so much.)
(I can't keep my eyes open… I can't see anything.)
(It's so dark and cold in here.)
(It's cold. So, so cold.)
(I'm about to freeze…. Why is it so cold?)
(Hey, is anyone there?)
(Yuzuru! Hibiki-senpai! Eichi-sama…!)
(Is anyone there? Anyone would be fine, please I…)
(It hurts. I can't see anything. And it's so, so, so cold.)
(Where even am I? Why am I in such a…?)
(Eichi-sama! Eichi-sama! Eichi-sama!)
(The place where you stand is so high, and it looks so cold…)
(I stretched my hand as far as I could and desperately tried to reach you.)
(But I'm not an angel, and I wasn't able to fly through the sky.)
(So I succumbed. My wings shattered and I crashed down.)
(Ah, is this the sea?)
(I must be at the very bottom of the deep, deep sea, where no light can reach.)
(Is that why it's so cold, so dark, and so hard to breathe?)
(Cough... cough... cough...)
Yuzuru: … Bocchama?
I-Is everything all right?
You collapsed during SS and you are still recovering, so you shouldn't overexert yourself—
Tori: Hh... hh... Ugh... gh...
Yuzuru: If you are unable to respond, then I will have no choice but to call an ambulance immediately...
Tori: Pant... Pant... Yu-Yuzuru?
Yuzuru: Yes. It is me, Yuzuru.
I am here by your side, as always.
Tori:… Yeah. Guess you are.
Hehe... Even though I came to live in the dorms, I ended up sharing a room with you, Yuzuru. So tiresome.
And here I thought I'd be able to do whatever I wanted without nosy people like you spying on me all the time.
Yuzuru: Jesting aren't we? Nevertheless, even if we were to be assigned different rooms, Bocchama, I would still choose to reside in your room.
So that I can be by your side and serve you. After all, taking care of you is my job, as well as my reason to live.
Tori: Uwaaah... Groooss... You're so annoying ♪
Yuzuru: Fufu. Your words and actions don't match at all.
Right now you're holding my hand so tightly—Bocchama, I'm always going to have my hands full looking after a spoiled child like you, aren't I?
Tori: I'm sorry. I just had a really scary dream.
I may have said some weird things in my sleep because of that. But I'm fine now—It's not like I have a cold or anything.
I'm sure that I'll be able to get back to working super hard by tomorrow.
Yuzuru: Hmm... Indeed, your temperature appears to be normal. It's occasionally hard to tell because your body temperature, like a child's, is naturally high.
Tori: When did you measure my temperature?
Yuzuru: With my talents, I have the power to change your clothing from head to toe without you noticing a thing, Bocchama.
Since I know where all your nerves and sensitive points are, I can check your body thoroughly without you feeling anything, much like an acupuncture session—
Tori: Wait, wait, that's so scary! I swear, sometimes your weird, mysterious skills are way too scary and gross!
Yuzuru: Oh, but I trained especially for you, Bocchama ♪
Tori: Yeah, and that's why you're so scary!
Yuzuru: There's no need for you to be scared, because I will always be on your side, Bocchama.
Tori: I know~ And I'm grateful but… Having someone way more talented than I am devote their entire life to me is a lot to deal with.
And I don't feel worthy enough of being treated like that.
Yuzuru: What are you saying? It seems as though the nightmare you just had has left you quite anxious.
But don't you worry. Bocchama is a good and virtuous person who is worthy of my service.
If you continue to doubt my words, I can sit at your bedside and repeat them a million times over into your ear.
Tori: I think I'll have another nightmare if you do, so please don't.
Yuzuru: I only wanted to whisper about... my love for you, Bocchama.
Tori: You're half asleep too, aren't you, Yuzuru?
Oh, no wonder—it's already 3 AM. And yet I woke you up while you were fast asleep. Sorry about that.
Yuzuru: Not at all. It would be troublesome if something were to happen to you, so please do not hesitate to rely on me if you are not feeling well.
There is no need to concern yourself with time or circumstances.
I have said so many times already, but once again: I am, now and forever, your most faithful ally and I will always put you first no matter what.
Please, don't ever forget that.
Tori: Hm…I get that too.
Yuzuru: Has your anxiety passed?
Tori: For now, yeah... Ah, now that I'm more relaxed, I'm starting to get sleepy.
Yuzuru: That's good to hear. Shall we hold hands like this until you fall asleep?
Tori: I'm not a baby. Yuzuru, you have work tomorrow as well, right? So you should hurry up and sleep too.
I feel just fine now.
Here's some drawings I did from December and more doodles I did today (I will never finish them.......)
X/Twitter
IDOLiSH7 Anniversary 2024
new song is called angelic grace......