Afterward
Thank you for reading to the end. The previous chapter, taking place during the Yukino side Anthology, was the very last one. I will not be covering Shin or any other content that I have missed.
It has been a long journey for me. The first chapter that I wrote in this fan fiction was released back in 2014. However, I took a long hiatus, as I disliked the direction that Oregairu had taken for volumes 12 and 13. It was volume 14 and the airing of the third season of the anime that revitalized my pen. If, somehow, you've stumbled upon this work back in its early days, then I apologize for the long wait.
It may come as a surprise, but my favourite character in the series is Hachiman and not Yukino (she would be second place). I began writing in order to get more Hachiman, to analyze his characterization further and from a different angle. Of course, my appreciation for Yukino grew as I continued to write about her, and it also became enjoyable to understand her character and formulate my own interpretations. I eventually realized my flawed motivations, and thankfully, I felt like I was able to properly place Yukino in the spotlight. Though, Hachiman undeniably plays a disproportionately huge role in her story.
I frequently debated with myself with regards to accuracy versus entertainment. As I am not Wataru, there were many parts of the story where I was not completely sure of Yukino's thoughts. There were also parts of entirely original content, either due to a severe lack of references from the novels or simply because I wanted to write them. As this is a work of fan fiction and not an academic essay about Oregairu, I prioritized entertainment, with accuracy as a close second. If I wanted to be pedantic, I could also say that Yukino has a different perspective than Hachiman, and she might remember certain events differently, but I don't want use that to justify my own decisions.
Speaking of accuracy, Yukino had moments of great misunderstanding. I tried to reflect that in this work, and I hope that you were able to spot when Yukino, the unreliable narrator, was blatantly wrong.
Sometimes I spent a grossly long amount of time doing research in order to write certain throwaway comments and thoughts from Yukino. Sometimes it was easy, given my prior knowledge. Sometimes, I had to spend a long time on Google cross-referencing several articles. I believed that it was worth it, in order to properly portray a Yukipedia.
This is truly the end of this work. I thank you for reading and leaving your impressions. Afterwards, I may write one more fully original story with greater elements of fun. Then, after that, I will retire my pen from Oregairu for good.
I leave you with a final reflection.
Words alone may fail to describe the genuine thing. It can be reached via touch, experience, struggle, regret, reciprocation and giving. If words aren't needed, then even those who fail with words can attain something genuine.
