A Note on the End
On May 19, 2020, Link went home.
I like keeping track of dates because it's the clearest way to look back on my experiences. So whenever I finish a book, I record the date in my end-of-book note.
On November 1, 2017, The Way of the Center ended.
On November 3, 2018, Number One Guard reached its finish.
On June 5, 2019, Sword-Wielder of the Court came to an end.
And now, on May 19, 2020, this story that has kept you company for nearly a year has finally reached its conclusion.
Before the final game began, Link spoke from the heart to his teammates. Today, I'd like to speak from the heart to all of you, too.
My feelings about this book are complicated. Of all the books I've written so far, this one may have seen the biggest change in my mindset from beginning to end.
When I started, I poured all my enthusiasm into creating the story I wanted to tell.
An unknown undrafted player goes through the ups and downs of life as a fringe player, far from the spotlight, gradually making his mark in the big leagues before growing into a superstar of his era.
Back then, I was thrilled to tell a story from the perspective of a player at the bottom. To me, those people beyond the spotlight were the ones who truly embodied what it meant to dream.
They were like ordinary people in real life, struggling to survive for the sake of an obsession—or simply to put food on the table.
I wrote almost everything I wanted to in the first half. The book was doing pretty well, too: its 24-hour sales usually ranked among the top three in its category, and during that period it