“Th-Thanks. But... you already gave me a Christmas present—”
“Actually... it’s a birthday present,” he clarified.
“Huh?”
“This was supposed to be the main event,” Sousuke explained. “I’ve thought... for a long time... that it would suit you, I suppose.” It had probably taken all of his courage to say that. Trepidatiously, he took her hand and placed the stone inside it. “I’m sorry it’s late, but happy birthday.” The cold of the stone and the warmth of his hand made a wonderful contrast. “And... merry Christmas.”
“Uh-huh...” She couldn’t help but find his efforts terribly funny. “Thanks, though it is a little late. And a very merry Christmas to you!”The End
Afterword
Sorry about all that. It’s been two years, but this has been the latest FMP! novel, Dancing Very Merry Christmas.
I said this would feature some lighter content, but... the main characters didn’t exactly get to have a merry Christmas at all, did they? I can’t apologize enough. Well... I don’t know if anyone wants to see Sousuke bouncing between multiple heroines like the protagonist of a typical love comedy, though I’ve thought about that.
To prepare for this story, I researched one of those luxury liners. I had to pay out of pocket, so it was the cheapest cruise available, a one-night one. It came with a suite, and it was chock full of luxurious food and concerts. I didn’t go drinking in the lounge, but I took some digital camera photos as references for Shiki-san.
But more than the luxurious stuff they showed the passengers, I wanted to see the machinery room and crew blocks. I asked the person at the front desk (though I know that’s not quite the right term) if I could check them out, but they refused me with a customer service smile, and said: “For week-long cruises, we offer a tour of such facilities, so you’ll have to sign up for one of them.” In other words, “Not this time.”
But a one-night cruise already cost 40,000 yen, so there was no way I could afford a seven-night one. Left with no other choice, I took matters into my own hands. Late at night, I slipped into the crew block unannounced. It was like a solo stealth mission; I was wearing a suit with a mini-camera in one hand, and felt just like James Bond.
Then, while I was sneaking to take pictures of the machinery room, I heard crew footsteps approaching around the corner. That had me sweating.
Oh no, I’ll be caught. What to do? Should I run? No, I should ambush them, break their neck, steal their clothes and ID cards? Those thoughts flashed in my mind for a second.
In actuality, I was discovered, scolded, and kicked out. Sadly, they didn’t grab me and strap me to some weird torture device, or throw me into a pool with killer sharks.
Setting all that aside...
The series is now entering its second half. I’m thinking I might end it in three or four books, but I’m not sure. Part of me thinks I should speed things up (though I always think that)...
I do suspect this will be the last of the “episodic” volumes. The reason I haven’t written side-stories about some great post-January events, like Valentine’s Day or the cherry blossoms, is not unrelated to the structure of the novels.
See, when I talk about future volumes, I end up setting myself out to dry, like I did this time. I hope it turns out okay. Hmm.
Now, other FMP!-related stuff...
Thanks to everyone’s support, the FMP! anime was a roaring success. (Much thanks to Chigira-san and everyone else who was involved.) We already have the next anime series in mind. This one will be a peppy comedy based on the short stories. The director is an up-and-comer, Takemoto Yasuhiro-san. He’s a nice guy who really knows his craft. I’ve humbly accepted their offer to work on the scripts. Hooray!
Around the time of this book’s publication, we’ll hit volume 5 of the comic version, Nagai Tomohiro’s Full Metal Panic! Overload. It’s a hilarious series. There are a surprising number of readers who haven’t read that, so I’m going to make a hard sell for it.
I think the collection for Retsu Tateo’s Full Metal Panic! manga adaptation will be out soon, too. This one’s also very fun, of course. They’re popular enough that they’re getting a Korean and Taiwanese release, too.
ORG-san’s TCG “Full Metal Panic! Card Mission” is also popular enough to get booster packs. Even if you’re not into the game, they have a lot of Shikidouji art you’ve never seen before. It’s just packed.
Too much advertising, you say? I guess it is. As always, when it gets to the afterword, I don’t know what to write. Ah, well.
Anyway, thanks again for all the support. I can’t thank you enough for your patience in sticking around with my talentless self. Thank you so much.
See you next time for another round of Sousuke in hell.
Sign up for our mailing list at J-Novel Club to hear about new releases!
Newsletter
And you can read the latest chapters (like Vol. 7 of this series!) by becoming a J-Novel Club Member:
J-Novel Club Membership
Copyright
Full Metal Panic! Volume 6 Odoru Very Merry Christmas
by Shouji Gatou
Translated by Elizabeth Ellis
Edited by Dana Allen
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © Shouji Gatou, Shikidouji 2003
Illustrations by Shikidouji
First published in Japan in 2003 by KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo
English translation rights arranged with KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property.
J-Novel Club LLC
j-novel.club
The publisher is not responsible for websites
