Utsuro no Hako:Volume 6 Author’s Notes

Hi, I’m Eiji Mikage and you’ve just read Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria 6. I visualized the end of this tale long ago, so actually writing it down is deeply touching.

This may be a bit random, but my motto is that “a pro must not be human.”

It’s a statement that Ou-san, a person who I deeply respect, made on TV when he still was the coach of the Hawks^[1]. This may not be the exact wording, but I think he said something along these lines:

“Every human makes mistakes. But players who think that they are permitted to make mistakes because they are only human will inevitably make the same mistakes again. Therefore, pros must not be human.”

I was quite impressed. I thought that his powerful awareness of the role of a professional allowed him to achieve such great success.

This principle isn’t limited to professional baseball. I think in order to achieve true followthrough with one’s will, it is necessary to aim beyond the limits of humanity. I am still far from that realm, but I want to work hard to get there someday.

On to the thank-you note.

I want to thank my editor, Miki-san. Despite your packed schedule, your assistance was flawless.

Thank you, Tetsuo-san, for the gorgeous illustrations you create for every volume. My anticipation of each new set of drawings encourages me as I write this story.
All right, there is one more volume left in this tale. Looking back, this project was so hard to write that I almost gave up while working on the first volume. I’ve finally come this far, and I will definitely finish what I have started, so I would really appreciate it if you accompanied me to the end of my journey.

Furthermore, I will announce a new work in spring^[2]. I think that readers of this series will also enjoy the new one, so if you’d like, do give it a shot.

I’m working passionately on both series, so please don’t push me too hard to get the last volume out already, okay?!

Well then, I hope we will meet again soon!
—Eiji Mikage

1. Nhảy lên ↑ The Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (福岡ソフトバンクホークス Fukuoka Sofutobanku Hōkusu?) are a Japanese baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukuoka_SoftBank_Hawks)
2. Nhảy lên ↑ Ｆランクの暴君　堕ちた天才の凱旋 (F-Rank no Boukun – Ochita Tensai no Gaisen), illustrated by 南方純 (Sunao Minakata)