Afterword
To everyone who picked up this story, everyone who read it, thank you. I am deeply grateful.
This short story is a fanwork based on White Album 2, an 18+ adventure game released by Leaf and Aquaplus for Windows.
In my mind, White Album 2 contains three mysteries.
The first is the antagonism between Haruki and his mother.
The second is the process through which Takeya and Io came to have mutual feelings for each other.
The third is the process through which Haruki became close with Takeya and Io. Furthermore, why does Haruki, who has made a name for himself through butting in, never intervene when it comes to Takeya and Io’s relationship?
Regarding the first two mysteries, I did some exploration in It’s Not Love (White Album 2: Kazusa Ending After Story) (published March 19th, 2017, ¥1000, A5, 430p).
But the third mystery remained unhandled.
For this book, I attempted to resolve this personal question, using fragments from the story, character commentaries, and other such bits and pieces as reference.
Even simply beginning to write was difficult. The wings of my headcanons refused to flap easily. The cold rain of impatience left them wet and heavy. I was lucky to make it to the end, but I still have some worries over whether the final product was a story worth reading.
If you found any meaning at all in reading it, I’m much obliged.
Also, the title, Bizarre Love Triangle, is taken from the famous track by Manchester band New Order.
I believe friendship between men and women can exist. But I do also have a notion in my brain that says, Before Setsuna came into the picture, did Haruki really never have some flicker of feelings for Io? They’re at a very sensitive, impressionable age. Takeya, of course, loves Haruki enormously!
And so, with all of those notions together, we get the title.
All right, everyone, let’s meet again some day, in Onjuku. My heart is always with Kazusa.
Ushineko December 31st, 2017
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Bizarre Love Triangle/White Album 2: The Story of Haruki, Io, and Takeya
Text: Ushineko (@ushigara_neko6 on Twitter)
(Pixiv: pixiv.net/member.php?id=15334174)
Illustration: Haru Arimori (@HARU_ar on Twitter)
(Pixiv: pixiv.net/member.php?id=951798)
(HP: haru-ar.tumblr.com)
Cover design: Asanagi (Kitashina Walkers)
Date published: December 31st, 2017 first print edition (first trial edition September 3rd, 2017)
Editing/publishing: Rurou no gakushi (publisher: Ushineko/jazzamurai_sakyo@yahoo.co.jp)
Printer: Shimaya (pixiv FACTORY BOOKS)
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Bizarre Love Triangle
