[Thailand Travel Diary / Part 2] From the Signing Event to Returning Home

Hello, this is Namaniku.

Continuing from my previous travel diary about Thailand, I will write about the second half, from the signing event to my return home!

【Day 3 (Sign Event Day)】

So, it’s finally the day of the signing event! We ordered breakfast via the delivery app again and had Kaya toast, a dish from Singapore (not Thai food). It’s sliced bread with butter and jam, which you dip into a seasoned soft-boiled egg. It was super delicious...!! The sweet and salty flavor was perfect for breakfast. I wonder if I can make it at home~~ It was so good...

The signing event started at 1 PM, so I was glad I got to sleep well before heading out! They arranged my books and nameplates like this. When I got there, I finally realized, “I’m really having a signing event today…!!” and I remember feeling a wave of nervousness. I was really nervous...

They also made a large panel, and I got to sign it! How cool is that? The reason the pen was so huge is that it needed to stand out against the flashy shikishi. Looking at it now, it’s really big... lol

Then the signing event started, and I had an interpreter with me, so I was able to talk to each person while signing and handing over the books. I was really grateful for that...!! Some people even practiced Japanese for the event, which made me incredibly happy, considering how incomprehensible the language is... Thank you so much... (And everyone was really good at Japanese!) (Amazing!)

I was also thrilled to see fans from my FANBOX and people who had read the Japanese version! There was even someone who told me they found a friend with benefits after reading Love Only the Body—which, well, made me happy too (?).

The atmosphere throughout was genuinely warm, and it was wonderful to have so many people share their thoughts directly with me. This time, we had a lottery system for participation, but I really wanted to thank everyone who came...!! Once again, a huge thank you to everyone who came out and to lily house. for inviting me!

I even received some gifts!! Thank you so much...!!

I received cute notebooks, tea, candles, etc., and I will use them with care! Also, someone gave me an adorable cat figure, which turns out to be a character from an app called Honkai: Star Rail. Since it was so cute, I downloaded it and ended up getting hooked! It has some yuri elements, so I’m having a blast playing it. Thank you...

And so, the signing event wrapped up successfully, and the six of us who met up at the Book Expo the day before went out for dinner! The little path leading to the restaurant was absolutely charming!

We enjoyed various Thai dishes there! It was delicious~! The craft beer featuring a chubby cat was both cute and tasty...

At this restaurant, since we were the only Japanese group there, we ended up having a two-hour debate about which color of underwear is the best. I don’t remember how it ended, but it was a ton of fun. What were we talking about all the way in Thailand...?

After that, we went to see the famous (??) "khop khun ka Donald" in Thailand and peeked into some shops.

After that, we went back to the hotel and rested immediately! I wanted to do a lot, but since I had talked about 500 times more than usual since coming to Thailand, my throat was really hoarse... (the downside of being a homebody). But on the flip side, I didn’t get sick otherwise, so I’m really glad about that. I’m thankful I didn’t catch a cold...!

【Day 4 (Sightseeing and Departure Day)】

It’s already Day 4 in Thailand! It’s finally the day of my return home; how fast it went...!! Even though it felt fast, with all the events going on, it felt like I packed a week’s worth of activities into a few days. (haha)

This day, we went sightseeing with lily house. and the others starting around lunchtime and scheduled to fly back in the evening.

So we went to a restaurant for brunch! We were near a live music performance, which was so cool!! It seems like there are many bars and restaurants in Thailand with live music? It was a super luxurious experience...! The dish in the second photo is like crispy dumpling skins topped with corn and various vegetables, and it was incredibly delicious! (Apparently, it’s a dish featured in a GL drama.)

From there, we took a tuk-tuk, a three-wheeled taxi, to our sightseeing destination! I had heard rumors about tuk-tuks, but the speed and centrifugal force were incredible, and we all screamed as we turned. (haha) It felt less like a taxi and more like a ride at an amusement park...!!

After a short walk, we arrived at Wat Arun, a famous temple in Thailand! It was magnificent…!!! The architecture is so different from anything in Japan, and I had such a great time just taking it all in.

Also, Wat Arun is the building I included in the background of the drawing of Tohgoh and Sayama that I made for the signing event in Thailand…

Here is that illustration! I drew the two of them wearing traditional Thai clothing, which is so vibrant and truly adorable…!

I was having so much fun making it flashy, and then I noticed that the edges of the shikishi were flashy too, which made me laugh. (haha)

It really is a very colorful and flashy piece of art...

We took a boat to get to Wat Arun! We didn’t ride for long, but it was fun to travel by boat and feel special! Near the temple, there were places where you could wear traditional Thai clothing, and many people were taking photos with Wat Arun in the background.

After wandering around, there was a massive downpour, so we left the area by car for the time being. It seems that this time of year, there are many downpours in Thailand, but the rain was so heavy that it was like a waterfall! (haha) I got a little wet, but I was glad to experience a Thai downpour in this way!

After that, we went for a massage (which was incredibly relaxing) and moved around, and before we knew it, it was time for our last meal...

Khao Man Gai~~!! Actually, Khao Man Gai is my favorite Thai dish, and I was so happy to eat it here! And it was unbelievably delicious...!! The portions were huge, with each person getting about a whole chicken and a mound of rice that looked like something out of a manga! I’m glad I was able to eat so much! It was absolutely delicious~~

Here, we parted ways with the Japanese group and lily house. members and checked in with YURI HUB at the airport. We were leisurely looking at souvenirs, and there were so many fun ones to choose from. Looking back, I wish I had bought even more...!

This is the Thai tea I had at the airport (it’s huge). It was my first time trying it, but Thai tea is super delicious!! I wonder if they have it in Japan too...

After that, we boarded the plane around midnight Thailand time and returned to Japan around 8 AM Japan time! Wow, it was a packed trip, and I had so much fun…!!

These are the souvenirs I bought. The bottom left is soap (the packaging is super cute), the top is a pack, and the bottom right is chocolate. All of them have stylish and adorable packaging~~ By the way, these are souvenirs for my friends, and I accidentally forgot to buy something for myself. But since I had so many delicious things, I’m okay with that...!

So, that was my 3-night, 5-day travel diary of Thailand!! It turned into a long article in two parts, but thank you to everyone who read it~!

And a big thank you to lily house. for inviting me to Thailand, YURI HUB for organizing everything, B-san, M-san, and O-san for taking care of me during the trip, and everyone in Thailand who came to the signing event. Thank you all so much! It was truly a valuable and enjoyable experience…!

This trip was a reminder of how grateful I am for the readers who enjoy my work, which made it possible for me to hold a signing event in Thailand. It truly felt like a wonderful blessing. When I started creating yuri, I never imagined I’d be doing something like this. I can’t believe I had my first signing event in Thailand...! lol

I would be happy if you continued to support me!

Thank you for reading this far!

Namaniku