Alright, this has to be addressed before it gets out of control. I've read the reviews and aware about the petition on the website. I am aware it reached past one thousand signatures and I am aware what the demands are. However, I will have to say that I will not change anything regarding the story aspect of An Average Among Specials Fanfiction. There are multiple reasons why I choose not to make any changes to meet the demand on the petition, but the primary and most important reason is that I have laid everything in a big plan and progress the story based on that plan. I have been made aware that author notes in the fanfiction mobile app cuts off the author notes at the bottom, and for that, we can't blame anyone but the application itself. I can't blame you readers for not reading it because of the notes being cut by the app, and I can't be blamed because I have made that important author note as early as chapter 10 and have had no troubles whatsoever implementing them until this latest chapter, which is eleven chapters since that note. However, now that you guys are aware of that note, I want you to look at them carefully and meticulously.

In the author notes on chapter 10, there are two parameters when I decided the features. The (-) mark and the (+) mark, the first being a core aspect that won't change and the later is something that can change during the course of the story. Now, take a look at the second feature listed over there. It's (-) The harem is a small one with maximum of five girls. Notice the mark? It's (-), meaning it won't change no matter what happens in the future. Because it's an integral part of the story, and changing it would cause a different set of narrative problems. Doing five is already pushing, but over than that? Nope, it will be a narrative disaster. First, let me explain why adding more harem member is a bad idea.

1. Having a good chemistry with the other ship girls doesn't mean Wallace will eventually end up with them, they don't happen for reasons that I'm going to elaborate later.

2. Wallace is just a low ranked soldier despite his legendary status, getting five girls already going to get him unwanted attention, but adding more? He might be targeted purely out of jealousy and spite from a lot of angles.

3. The aim is to give Wallace a reward for his perseverance, by showing that there are those who loved him despite everything. But at the same time, keeping him humble despite that status increase. He's a character that never meant to outdo the 'protagonist' on Azur Lane verse, which is the commander himself. He surpasses the commander in combat skills aspect, but he is meant to be the average man who happens to win big, not the win it all type like the commanders. In the base full of ship girls and the commander whose special people, he is but an average man, hence the title Average Among Specials. Yes, getting him more harem member won't surpass Nobuyuki, but he'll be contending his place and I'm avoiding that.

4. The ship girls he interacts with serve to bolster his character development, but not everyone is going to end up with him…St. Louis has made it clear she did not want to join in a harem, Littorio is a notorious flirt, Vittorio just happens to be a subject of misunderstanding, Belfast does not show any romantic affection to Wallace, King George V interaction with him is limited to being an acquaintance, Hood is also just an acquaintance with Wallace, Amagi does not show romantic interest with Wallace as she is just being a friendly woman to him, Akagi is a grieving widow who met a friendly man but that's strictly platonic, Zuikaku relationship with him is almost entirely involving a katana ramming through Wallace's stomach and many other girls for various reasons.

5. But she's a great girl? And no one writes about her? I know and I am aware about that, I will not change my decision despite them technically being better or something. I have tailored the five girls I chose to suit Wallace in my vision as the story author, and they have been hinted at every corner ever since chapter 10 that they will be the ones who end up in relationship with him.

6. Oh, but you can make it work! Yes, I technically can, however, I am a man of my word. I have made my decision; I will not break my words or I am nothing but an indecisive author who take back my words so easily regarding my stance. If I do agree? That would just open the floodgate. Everyone would start wanting their chosen girls and there will be no end to it, the solution is clearly not to entertain the idea in the first place. Besides, if I really do add who everyone wants, then this story will never continue, because they will need their special scenes themselves. I can't cut back on their scenes; the readers would hound me for making elaborate scenes with the main girls and the newcomers are sidelined. Can't have that? Then making them the same equal in story length, it's time consuming, arduous and would be hard to incorporate to a plan where the harem member is strictly five members. Besides, try juggling so many casts to give them equal spotlight, you will sideline a lot of them or risking making a five million words story. This story has slow update, you can imagine yourself when it will ends. This is the issue with Commander Blaze that I have to create a special side story which I often don't have time to update, I have real life to attend to as well.

Regarding posting on AO3, I am more familiar with FFN. And I don't want the hassle to update stories on multiple sites, so I will not be uploading there. Only this one decision that could change later, depending on the situation. I will however, start putting my author notes at the start of the chapter, to avoid further event like this one.

Please understand that I have made the decision long ago, and I will not change the story aspect to satisfy you guys who don't get to see their favorite girls getting it on with the MC. I have made my statement loud and clear back then and I will honor it, changing it after saying that, will not only makes me disgusted at myself as an uncommitted man but it will show the world that I am an author with no back bone whatsoever. That I can't stick to my principles, to my words, to the rules that I have set up for myself. I am not that kind of person, hence despite with a petition numbering more than a thousand in signatures, I still won't make any changes to the story. I fully realized that I'm disappointing a lot of people, but I'm doing it anyway. So, I ask you to please stop asking me to add more girls to the harem because I will not change it regardless of the reason. Please respect my decision as the author of this story, and the finality of this decision. I will not entertain further reviews discussing this topic, so please stop it. I acknowledged the existence of the petition and I willingly chose to decline agreeing to it, I have made my decision on this topic and will not revoke it in the future.

- Dasmara