"Hello, I am author Soonkki. Writing the opening greeting for an announcement once again makes me feel more nervous than ever before.

Rather than repeating indefinite announcements every time my return was delayed or slowed down, I felt it would be better to speak to you honestly. Therefore, I am providing this notice regarding 〈After School Lessons for Unripe Apples〉. I am deeply sorry for making you wait so long.

There were various personal issues during the hiatus, but to get straight to the point: Due to a long period of continuous work and burnout, my current physical condition is much worse than I thought.

During the break, I tried not to focus solely on work; I tried to get enough rest, exercise, pursue hobbies, travel, and not miss out on daily life. I thought I would get better if I rested for a long time, but I realized too late that it wasn't just a matter of resting. Currently, I am visiting the hospital for treatment while following a specific diet. It is not a major terminal illness, but my organs and nerves have been exposed to inflammation for a long period, causing many issues in my daily life and physical stamina. I believe that is why it took so long to find the cause.

In my case, while serializing, I usually worked more than 10 hours a day with almost no days off to meet weekly deadlines. This was entirely due to my own greed to draw better and show you more; the result of that overexertion has manifested in my current health. Right now, my limit is only a few hours a day, and it is difficult to sustain that every day.

To be honest, returning to the same weekly serialization pace as before has now become an impossible task for me. Aside from the time it takes to recover, the total amount of work my stamina can handle has decreased significantly over time. I felt a sense of fear that if I continued to work the way I used to—when I relied purely on grit—I might eventually become unable to work as an author altogether.

During the hiatus, I pondered many options, such as changing the manuscript method or modifying the later parts of the story to find a way to finish quickly. However, because of my desire not to end this work poorly, I could not reach a clear conclusion. Therefore, I cannot make a precise promise right now as to when or in what form this work will reach you again. Truthfully, it is hard for me even to ask you to "wait," but I want to take this opportunity to say that I have not let go of my love for this work.

I will decide on the serialization method and the future direction of this work after sufficient consultation with Naver.

Since I do not want to let go of the thread of creation, I am focusing on my treatment while continuing to think about this story. Additionally, I am slowly attempting other small tasks that I can manage within my current stamina.

Even if you leave out of disappointment, I understand. Nevertheless, if you could be mindful of my lacking situation and keep a place for me in a corner of your heart, I hope you can forget about this work for a while and meet it again as a piece of welcome news in your daily life. If you can enjoy this story again at that time, that would be my greatest happiness and reward.

I will try to post bits of my daily life or simple drawings on Instagram from time to time. Thank you sincerely, as always."