Final Afterword: Farewell, Dear Readers
Last afterword, haha. And with this, every story in Vita Never Loses! has finally come to an end.
Honestly, I thought a tear or two might fall, but surprisingly, I'm feeling pretty calm about it. Was it around seven or eight years ago now? When I finished my first novel, I sobbed my eyes out. Maybe this is what it means to get older... Anyway, as expected with any farewell, there's a strong sense of regret. It breaks my heart to part ways with all you readers.
I think this novel started out aiming for a lighthearted light novel vibe in the early parts, but as it progressed into the latter half—and especially the side stories—it shifted into a more serious romance atmosphere. I put a lot of thought into portraying the protagonist's gender identity shift from male to female in a natural way. Not sure if it matched everyone's tastes, but I just wrote what I wanted to write.
I'm glad I could deliver all 25 chapters of side stories I had planned. There were some brutal slumps while writing and plenty of ups and downs, but whenever I felt like giving up, I pushed through—and in the end, I feel like I wrapped up this happy tale neatly and happily. I did good, right?
Shifting back to the story for a moment: By the time Bianca gets married in the side stories, picture her as an even more feminine and mature college girl—sparkling and stylish—compared to the version in her school uniform on the cover.
Those who've read all the way to the final side story chapter can probably imagine just how blissfully vibrant their daily life together is, haha. That's why there are no kids yet—they're still young, after all! I figured they could enjoy newlywed life a bit longer before starting a family.
Above all, writing the scenes where they have kids and become parents would make the novel feel truly, completely over, so I deliberately held back. I've shared everything I planned across these 100 chapters, but who knows? Maybe early next year, a parenting side story for the two will pop up. Even if I do write it, it'd probably be just 2-3 short chapters, haha.
For now, I'll spill the beans: They end up with one adorable daughter who takes after Vita and two cheeky sons who resemble Carlyle. The vibe is two big brothers and their little sister.
The side stories were pretty long, huh? I said 25 chapters, but that was a third of the main story's length. In terms of word count, it's like 40-50 chapters of another novel. This one had massive chapters, so while it's marked as 100 episodes on Novelpia, by average word counts from other novels there, it's closer to 200.
We've come such a long way together. I hope it was to your liking, haha. I'd be thrilled if you feel like it was worth reading, a fun story worth remembering.
They say an author's values are deeply embedded in the protagonist. I really immersed myself in Carlyle, in fact. What I mean is... I truly love all of you readers, but just like Carlyle, who had to leave for study abroad because he loved Bianca so much, I feel like it's time for me to say goodbye too.
Unlike Carlyle, though, I can't promise when—or if—I'll return. I've already devoted so much time to this hobby (writing TS pure love stories), so now it's time for me to look ahead. As a writer and as a person, it's time to prove myself.
I said I projected a lot of myself onto Carlyle—and yeah, I'm confident too. So keep reading Novelpia, keep enjoying TS pure love stories, and someday, you'll surely see me again. When I come back, it'll be as a fully realized version of myself, financially stable and with a solid career.
Won't be this year or next, though... ㅜㅜ Not sure how many of you will still be around when I return, or if Novelpia and the TS scene will still be thriving. But if fate allows, we'll meet again, right? Next time, I'll probably write a TS romance novel. Just 'cause I want to.
Anyway, my dear readers, the weather's getting colder. Bundle up warmly. It was truly, genuinely fun sharing this journey with you all these years. There were so many moments I wanted to quit, so many tough times, but your comments, recommendations, and support kept me going.
Thank you for reading my novel.
— October 2024, Author Jjem Jjem