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“We’re searching for a tiger. There’s a ‘man-eating tiger’ on the loose in Yokohama.”
It’s a difficult job, but even then…
—He will undoubtedly become the top detective at our agency within the next few years.
Even then, it should be an easy case for Dazai to solve.
My notebook in hand, I leave the detective agency. The evening light slowly makes its advance from the horizon, splitting Yokohama’s sky into blue and crimson. A familiar scent accompanies the wind, tickling my nose, and I stop in my tracks.
I gaze down the block.
There is the street, the people, and at times, crime and sorrow.
Every time I run into such sadness, my ideals are battered, my words lose meaning, and my very heart bleeds.
Chasing ideals is a fruitless, difficult path.
And yet, even then…
Surrendering myself to the bustling city of Yokohama, I continue on.
AFTERWORD
It is a pleasure to meet you, and if this isn’t the first time we’ve met, then it is nice to see you again! Kafka Asagiri here. I write the stories for the manga Bungo Stray Dogs. They usually go a little something like this:
DAZAI: “Hey, Atsushi. Just finishing up work for the day?” Dazai smiles cheerfully.
ATSUSHI: “D-did you…try to drown yourself again?” Atsushi makes a face.
That’s my typical sloppy writing, but illustrator Sango Harukawa is the one who really makes the characters come to life. Her artwork makes things easy for me. But this time, things were different.
I had to take responsibility for every sentence I wrote in this novel. Everything from describing a cup on a table to an old man in town, I had to edit, adjust, and call the shots myself. If I was to describe my work on
the manga in film terms, I would say that illustrator Harukawa is the actor, cameraperson, sound mixer, lighting technician, and scene editor, while all I do is write the scenario and help with the directing. That’s why this book was such a huge task and a massive responsibility. The pressure from writing my first novel was so intense that I was trembling almost the entire time, like a phone on vibrate mode. But it was worth it in the end. In a sense, I was able to create a world that was richer than the comics, which I hope you enjoyed.
This novel is a spin-off about events that took place two years prior to the Bungo Stray Dogs manga. However, I wrote it in a way that you wouldn’t need any prior knowledge of the series to enjoy the suspense and surprise. Additionally, I plan on writing a second novel that details the Port Mafia’s past. The pressure and responsibility is already making me tremble so much that my table’s legs are probably about to snap. I plan on finishing it before I dig a hole in the floor, so please look forward to it.
Finally, I would just like to thank a few people: Katou, the chief editor of the manga; Koshikawa, the chief editor of this novel, from Beans Bunko; Sango Harukawa, who always draws such stylish covers and characters (and without her illustrations, this novel would’ve just looked like some weird Bungo Stray Dogs rip-off!); and the advertisers, agencies, bookstores, and you, the reader! Thank you all so much.
Let us meet again in the next volume.
KAFKA ASAGIRI
