Volume 4, Author's Notes

Something incredible has happened, my trouser button has just flown off.

I didn't want to believe it, but it was the truth... Hello everybody, this is Takemiya. Though it's not really important, I don't think anyone in Japan calls them "trousers" (ズボン) for women's pants anymore, right? I'm really sorry about that. I think they now just use the term "pants" (パンツ) to refer to those, right? And then there's another term for women's black tights... or are those panties... no, it's "spats" (スパッツ)! Now they don't even use that, instead they call them "leggings" (レギンス), no? I'm not sure how it's spelt, that's because I don't use it often. Let's see... l-e-g-g-i-n-g (I can't believe I have to figure out how to spell such a word at this age)... or was it l-a-g-g...... (nope, I dunno).

Anyway, what's most important is...

Thank you all you readers for reading the first edition of Toradora! volume 4 in 2007! I am most grateful.

Phrases that used to naturally come off my tongue has now become "cliches", I'm still amazed at how time flies by quickly. Many times I had tried to put in "lame jokes" (I think they're also called something else now... they're called "gags" are they...?) whenever I thought of one, they get shot down by the editor, saying they were hardly funny. I wonder if readers are satisfied that this book finally got published after many such incidents. As long as my work could allow readers to relax and enjoy themselves, I'll be satisfied! This story will continue, so please continue to give your support for the next volume, as well as the one after that, thank you!

Today I will give my readers a little magical present, so please do accept it. This is a spell that would allow even those with small appetites to take in two bowls of rice:

. Take a cod, slice it and remove its skin

. According to your preferences, cut up some spring onions. Though if you add too much, the taste

would go bland.

. Mix up the cod with egg yolk and spring onions. (You could also add the egg yolk into the

miso soup.)

. Eat it with rice.

...... By the time you noticed, your rice cooker will be devoid of two bowls worth of rice. If you're eating spaghetti instead, then you'll consume at least 200g! (Exclamation mark not an exaggeration.)

As long as you adhere to this method, then you'll be able to join me as another villager. Villager of what, you ask? You'll find out when you become one. Now come! Join us! Calories? We'll worry about that afterwards, so just come! There's no need to be scared... since it's tasty! Come on!

But seriously, this spell (or rather this dish) really is amazing. A cod that could breed tens of thousands of codlings, an egg that could grow into a chicken, and the thousands of rice that could grow into millions and millions of crops, and I've swallowed them all... Rather than the amazing amount of cholesterol they contain, I'm more amazed by the possibilities that the ingredients could turn into, which is endless. Could it be that I like eating that because of these possibilities? Speaking of which, I also like salmon egg rice. (Possibility of hundreds of salmons being spawned x Possibility of hundreds of rice seeds x 1000) Ahem, of course, I like salmon as well.

That is to say, as I indulge myself in all these possibilities, I'm also ruthlessly abandoning my possibilities as a "woman". Oh my gosh! My fingers are bleeding from typing too hard!!!

...

Finally! I'm really, really thankful to you for actually reading this nonsense all the way to the end. I hope you would continue to support my works as I continue to try my best! Give me the energy I need to go on! To Yasu-sensei and the editor, I ought to be giving just as many thanks to you guys as well. Let this be our little secret, and let us continue to march on till the end as the accursed romantic story trio of author, illustrator and editor!

Takemiya Yuyuko