User blog comment:Rinji79/The Winner of the Short Story Contest 2015!!!/@comment-4080028-20160302195603

Ahh, so I didn't win. Ah well. lol Honestly, I don't see this as a loss at all; in fact, I believe I've won this contest as well, but in my delightfully Wyvern-esque unorthodox way. Thing is, while I may not hold claim to a title, have earned glory and praise, and received a fabulous Logia fruit as a prize, I still enjoyed writing something different and thoughtful like The Life of a Loved One. Plus, it gave birth to my own set of mini-arc adventures of sorts, much like what Oda does on the cover of his chapters. Who knows what Part 2 will bring and who it'll focus on? Time will tell.

But yeah, anyway, I feel I've gotten more out of this than what I was aiming for in the first place, and that what I have now is worth waaaay more than the title, praise and Taru Taru no Mi. It was a massive pain in the ass to develop and write, and it nearly broke me multiple times, but I somehow managed to publish it anyway. lol So yeah. long story short, I feel I didn't lose if so many people have praised me for my entry, if Mark gained some motivation from it, if I could make a nice treat for my own younger brother, and if I could make a successful new mini-series for the overall One Dream plot and continuity. I feel like I've won more than I've lost, so combined with this and the nightmare it was to think up and write the blasted thing, do not expect me to ever participate in these contests ever again. XD I'm retiring after my first try on a high note, thank you very much.

OK, enough rambling now. Back to why I'm here. KANPAI MARK!! :D Congrats on winning! I feel everyone who submitted a story for this contest equally deserved to win, but still, I can't help but feel happy for you.

So here is my proverbial good sportsman victory clap to you. Enjoy the cheers and respect my friend. This is your year and you deserve it. :)

...Oh, and thanks so much for the appreciation you left me in your comment. ^_^ You're the best.