Youthful Days (Book 1)

Author's Note

This is an FYI for those who are curious about the evolution of this story and me. 

If you're only here for the story, please feel free to skip this little blurb. 

As previously mentioned, this story had multiple versions and took a long time to finish. The initial story was born right after I watched the anime series around mid-2000s. I wrote a two novel-length fanfic for PoT and also Ouran High School Host Club. Those were both published in another language. But because I was only in middle school, the storyline was VERY immature and filled with plot holes. 

Fast forward to 2015, I was struck with enormous stress and essentially had a meltdown. I was in the U.S. at the time, in a fairly privileged university doing research (I'm a scientist by trade). With the pressure of studying and personal issues, I had terrible insomnia. Nothing could save me. 

One day, as I was going through my old computer files, I stumbled upon the PoT story. This led me to rewatch the series. Somehow, it was the only thing that could alleviate my stress. From there, I started to rewrite the story altogether. 

Funny enough, this co-occurred with me booking the first trip to Japan. I didn't connect the two together at the time, but looking back, I think they were related. For all the readers who might be wondering why I know so many nerdy details, it's because I've personally experienced Japanese culture and have been to some of the major landmarks (more of this will become self-evident in the sequel). 

The story was one-third done, with chapters written here and there between 2015-2017. Then life got in the way and I dropped it. I didn't think I'd finish, since I never intended on publishing it (the writing was entirely selfish). Besides that, I was also working to expand my writing ability with original coming-of-age type fiction (2015-2019). 

 But I had another personal crisis in 2019, so lo and behold - out comes the urge to finish this. 

I first put the story up on Wattpad in 2017, not really sure what I was doing. Then I dropped the ball. When I decided to finish the story, I realized my past chapters were quite sh@#ty. The story you see now is heavily edited, and the storyline has also expanded beyond the original skeleton. 

I guess what I'm trying to say with all of this is... the Prince of Tennis series helped me through life. 

It may be an anime, but it had a lot to teach about perseverance, hard work, overcoming challenges and physical pain, and grit. Even when I stopped writing, I still listened to the anime soundtrack at the gym or while studying to keep going. I'm sure many of you might have had similar personal connections with the series, and that's why you chose to read its fanfic even though the series isn't quite so popular anymore. 

 I didn't think people would be interested in my slow-paced, not overtly romantic story when I published it. But the outcome and the readers truly surprised me. Because of this, I don't want to keep writing just for views. They're nice, but at this point, what's more important to me is the connections I have with readers. 

I sincerely hope to hear from each one of you who might have thoughts while reading. 

This isn't because I want more comments on Wattpad, but because I want to hear your story and why you chose to stick with Prince of Tennis. Everybody has their own reasons, and I'm genuinely curious about what brought you here. 

 In any case, this has gone on long enough. I want to say again that I appreciate every single one of you, not just because you vote or comment. In the sea of stories, I'm truly grateful you took the time to read mine. Thank you all for that. 

 Please stay tuned for the sequel—and the new wild world that comes with it!