The stories behind their books

“Recently, I read Stephen King's Billy Summers.”

“Please see it as an honest account of my experiences, not an autobiography.”

“The photo and title on the cover caught my eye. Once I finish the books I’m reading now, I’d really like to read it if I have time.”

“It's called 'You Shine in the Moonlight'”

“The most recent book I read was *Almond*. A friend told me to give it a read, so I did.”

“I started reading *Darkness at Noon* the day before yesterday.”

“천년의 사랑, 아버지.”

“I remember being captivated by Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea when I read it as a kid.”

“I used to read a lot. If I become interested in a movie, I look for the original work. The one I remember most is Pride and Prejudice. To be honest, the story was a little difficult, but I found the process of understanding it interesting.”

“At the time, I really liked the great insight I gained from the story of the Indians in writer Park Min-gyu’s book *Pavane for a Dead Princess*.”

“Ah, the book is too difficult.”

“Perhaps it was a book that comforted and encouraged me at the time, as I acknowledged that period—which may have been full of mistakes and failures—and worked toward a better future.”

“I also liked his newly released *Me Without You*.”

“I heard this book was a bestseller, so I bought it.”

“I have read the manga since I was little, so its characters have influenced me.”

“Tongue Fu! is a book I've read several times.”

““One familiar poetry collection, one I want to read anew. And this one is one I really love. I always carry three poetry collections in my bag.””

“The book I’m going to read to you today is *As Long as I Can Remember* by author Baek Eunbyeol.”

“I did buy it when I was just thinking, among the people around me, “Why is everyone so weird?””

““There are a few rules I dislike. (…) First, rhymes are usually grouped in sets of an even number, and one criterion is that the two words shouldn’t both be nouns. I also tend to dislike rhymes like ‘did something, would do something, did something? would do something?’ On the other hand, the rhymes I consider best follow all these criteria, while still making the content clear in your mind just from reading the rhymes. For example, there might be 16 bars of lyrics, but even reading only the rhymes should bring the content to mind. (…) (In the hook of ‘Jakdu,’) ‘Jakdu’ and ‘ssakduk’ rhyme, but one is a noun and the other is an onomatopoeic word. The rhyme works, their parts of speech are different, and the meaning makes sense. That’s what I think makes a good rhyme. _p.354””

“I didn’t study music theory separately, and there’s a book called Popular Music Theory. It’s a thick book that teaches you things like the basics of arranging and how chord progressions work. That’s how I learned.”

“I’ve read a lot of books recently. I read “Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982.” There are other books I can’t remember. I read a lot of books while on vacation.”

“今までランジェリー姿で写真を撮ったことは1度もありませんでした。今回、初めての挑戦ということなので、ぜひランジェリーを身につけて撮った写真をみなさんに注目してほしいと思います”

“I’ve been very interested in composing lately, and the book contains a lot of things that people like me, who want to compose popular music, would want to know for themselves. People tend to think composing is difficult, but it explains very clearly and simply what composing is and how to do it. One of our songs is included in the book, too, so I thought, “That’s how this song was made,” and it brought back a lot of memories of recording and singing it at the time. It also helped me with composing.”

“But these days, I’ve been reading a book called An Unexpected Season.”

““I also read a book called ‘Moss Forest.’””

“This is exactly the book I want to find. It’s about the number 88 bus.”

“Maybe it’s also similar to the story of *Peter Pan*. So before this round of activities, I started digging into *Peter Pan* and went through various dark fairy tales. The dark fairy tales in particular felt new to me because they were different from what I knew as a child.”

“I don’t usually like fantasy romance books, but I read through the night without realizing how much time had passed. I read the entire series. The male lead, Edward, makes my heart flutter so much. And Bella’s lines are ‘so’ sweet, too. (laughs)”

“Likewise, I'm really into Stewart Lee Allen's *In the Devil's Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food*, which is now out of print. It's kind of a world history told through food.”

“The book I read quickly and enjoyed just as much is Dante’s Divine Comedy. Turning each page is so enjoyable and fun.”

“I first read Itaewon Class as a webtoon a long time ago.”

“In life, you do things with many different people, and this book helps you keep the focus on yourself amid all that. I especially want to share the words, 'You don't have to do it well.' I recently tried acting. Wanting to do well matters, but that desire can also make you feel pressured and nervous. 'So what if I don't do it well?' Sometimes it's good to take things lightly”

“I realized that Gu Byeong-mo’s books really aren’t for me.”

“Of course, you need to have practiced enough, and you also need to be fully prepared in terms of how you look onstage. But what matters most is believing in yourself and enjoying the stage.”

“That’s why the book is titled *Sometimes I Think About What Happiness Is*.”

“Writer Yoo Hee-seon, your warm heart comes through. I’m cheering you on. #I’llReadItWell #Don’tCarelesslyTalkAboutMe book”

“I really hope you’ll read this work.”

“I recently read Harry Potter.”

“I’m studying Japanese on my own using Japanese books. I work hard at it whenever I have free time between schedules.”

“It’s called ‘Übermensch’—advice you need for living? That’s the sort of thing it is. I haven’t finished reading it yet either. It has content similar to the ‘values’ I mentioned earlier. I haven’t even read quite half, but it was such a good book that I’d like to recommend it! And it’s not thick. You know how the book Cosmos is, like, this big, hahaha. I think it’s good to carry around and read. I think it was in the car...”

“A perfect novel in every respect—the readability of the prose, the characterization, the trick, and the structure! It was what got me hooked on Keigo Higashino’s works and on mysteries.”

“Those points weren’t written to be funny, but I find them so funny. As I read, I keep thinking, “Ah, this person is a T.” I’m really enjoying it.”

“Three years ago, I was given a book called *Anything Can Be Inspiration* as a gift. It’s also an essay, but it inspires you in a really impactful way. We work in a profession where we need to find inspiration, you know. So it helped me a lot, and it’s for people who are marketers.”

“내가 하는 위로가 살기 위해 한 위로였다면, 이 책을 읽으면서는 내 삶이 치유를 받는 기분이었죠.”

“This book shakes readers and ultimately changes them.”

“Facts are sacred. Facta sacra sunt”

“When I go to a bookstore, I sit down, pile up a ton of books, and read. I like bookstores because people there don’t pay attention to others. I brought home a whole stack recently, too: “Children of Gaeng-i-buri Village,” “The Little Prince,” “Confession,” “March Is a Red Ravine,” and “Norwegian Wood.” I also have a poetry collection by poet Lee Byeong-ryul. I get a lot of book recommendations, really often.”

“A few days ago, I took that book out and read it again... It’s still on my desk... I’m grateful to you as much as you loved me—no, even more than that... Rest in peace.”

“When I was in my teens, I was deeply impressed by Bernard Werber’s book *Papillon*, and its story remained in my heart even into my twenties.”

“This is really interesting. You absolutely have to read it. People who create things absolutely have to read this. It’s a book called Sparks of Genius.”

“Just as I comforted myself by saying, “Not everything is like that,” I hope that through this book, you too will find words of comfort or a perspective of your own.”

“La Divina Commedia Written by Dante Alighieri 1308-1320(La Divina가 쓴 신곡)”

“The Little Prince”

“I cried a lot, especially at the parts about parents”

“Watching that, I resolved to make an album the way I wanted.”

“작곡을 공부하는 많은 음악인이 이 책을 보지 않기를 바란다. 나만 보게!”

“It’s an era for people like him.”

““A book Choi Ja recommended to me; it was written based on research on aging.””

“Encyclopedia of Strange Diseases.”

“Wow ㅠㅠ Make sure you read it all!!”

“Something you absolutely must not miss”

“I recalled my solo trip, which moved between excitement and apprehension, anxiety and comfort.”

“🐶 It's a book called A Good Day Will Surely Come! I read it really quickly... I've read two books this year... That's a first 🐶 But!! It's kind of!! a positive book?!? 🐶 When I read it, I feel like my personality and way of thinking are similar to mine, so I relate to it so much that I stop reading 😄😄”

“Whenever I’m exhausted from practicing all day or performing overseas, Professor Shim, my spiritual mentor, has always awakened my self-esteem—the sense that I am the protagonist of this world—and given me courage. At last, he has published a book for young people. From now on, I should always carry this book in my travel bag. I sincerely want to recommend it to everyone I know.”

“A book I want to take out and read whenever I think of my beloved pet who went to Dog Star. I related to Jiyul’s feelings and was deeply moved by Byeol’s love!”

““The love and psychology between men and women in many different situations are captured like a movie.””

“The Little Prince is such a famous work, you know. I first encountered it as an animated film, and later read it as a book. I want to express the feelings I experienced through contemporary dance.”

“The book I always recommend to SWITH as my all-time favorite is Hector and the Search for Happiness (François Lelord).”

“#Coloring”

“The way it unfolds is so unique and captivating that I read the whole thing in one sitting. I had been caught up in a hectic routine amid my busy schedule, but throughout the book, its gripping storytelling gave me a very new feeling.”

“Lyrics are different from poetry, so it’s difficult to use words that are too unfamiliar, and one shouldn’t use expressions that are excessively obscure either. Since they need to come easily to the ear when heard, everyday words that anyone might use are the main ingredient. Lyrics that flamboyantly reveal the lyricist’s individuality and philosophy are, rather, awkward and quickly grow tiresome, making it a rather peculiar genre. Even so, some lyrics have a power that’s hard to explain: one day, you happen to hear them and burst into tears, or they only truly find their way into your heart after many years. Where does that power come from? Reading this book, I finally realize the power of ordinary words. This perspective, which pinpoints the “time lag” in discordant relationships, the aggression contained in the phrase “I don’t understand,” the subtle syllables of “radiant,” and the similar direction and differences of “anger” and “courage,” is intellectual yet kind. I think I now understand a little why the lyrics Kim Eana creates so precisely soothe the hearts of so many people. The way we use and handle words is ultimately connected to the way we live, too, and as I close the book, I find that I have come to genuinely like this sensitive and honest person.”

“I decided to publish a book to share the happiness of cooking for myself.”

“모두들 서로 사랑하세요~”

“A writer who portrays a natural attitude toward life with purity and precision. The moment I read her writing, I already belong to happiness. It is a clear and sturdy world that only those who live as themselves can enter.”

“It explains humanity’s past and future from multiple perspectives.”

“Personally, when I read the book, I was moved by the line, “Even if I am tainted, I will give you only white things.””

“고등학교 때, 서양고전문학 수업을 들었는데요. 『군주론 』, 『일리아스 』 같은 어려운 고전을 매주 1권씩 읽고 서평을 썼어요.”

““The label ‘chick lit,’ applied to novels read by young women, contains sexual denigration and contempt.””

“A considerate gene.”

““When I ask you an awkward question, you know? (Announcer Kim Ju-woo) smiles and politely turns me down.””

“I found myself feeling drawn in by a book I had picked up casually, so I’m writing this.”

“When I read those lines, I felt so comforted that I even had the ridiculous illusion that perhaps all the time I had lived through and experienced was for the sake of reading this poem.”

“I’m not sure yet what kind of thoughts and feelings the poet is speaking to me with.”

“And I, too, as I suddenly began writing down the poet’s poem, am not sure what on earth I’m trying to say to you all.”

“But one thing I can say for certain is that those lines brought me great comfort, and rather than offering you the usual, countless, dazzling pleasantries, I wanted to return that comfort to you by writing down my sincere thoughts, one character at a time.”

“As I read it, I found it incredibly delicate. Not only the expressions and descriptions, but also the emotional threads are woven together so intricately that it pains my heart as I read. I think it’s a book every Korean should read.”

“There’s a book called The Shell with Two Sides. The Shell with Two Sides. I thought it was one story, but it turns out there are several episodes. So I’ve been reading it, and I think it’s fun.”

“I went to a bookstore, bought the book, and read it. It was written by an 89-year-old, and says not to put too much emphasis on whether someone is old or young.”

“Wouldn’t it be good to do something like “So What”? With something like this, it doesn’t have to be about this subject; it could be about something else too.”

“Books are difficult. I didn’t understand it, so I closed it around halfway through.”

“As I got further into the latter half, I found myself thinking how astonishing it was. This is the first book that has made me feel that way. I was amazed by how it planted clues and then brought them back later.”

“It is a quick-results diet book for getting bikini-ready for summer.”

“The lyrics and poems by poet Won Tae-yeon that touch my heart are always a gift. 『Today, Here, Us』 feels like an even more special gift.”

““I read Tuesdays with Morrie with my private tutor while studying English.””

“This book is so good ❤️❤️”

“Perhaps it means that you shouldn’t worry so much about other people’s opinions and should live at ease. I think they want me to know that even if I live according to my own opinions, the world won’t change all that much.”

“Even though I may seem easygoing, I get hurt a lot. The book I read when the hurt caused by those words reached its peak was [The Temperature of Language]. I read whenever I have time. It gives me a sense of stability whenever I’m exhausted. And I feel the depth of words and the power of words with a ‘warm temperature.’”

“I’ll definitely finish reading Eragon!!”

“One of the books I’ve read recently is Scythe.”

“It’s about a world where, with the emergence of something called the Thunderhead in the future, people no longer die, and a figure called a Scythe regulates the population. I think the concept is so unique: when an age comes in which people no longer die, someone still has to die, so the question is who should be the one to die.”

“I recommend it to you all too❤”

“I think my attitude changed after reading this short story, because it made me realize that there is hope even in places I had thought were dark times. It made me want to look around more carefully and find things to be grateful for, even in the little things. That’s why I recommend reading this short story, titled *Ahopsu Gawi*.”

“Dad, you watched over my incredibly demanding training and supported me all along—what a thoughtful dad! I’ll keep the “empty jar theory” you told me so often engraved in my heart, and keep trying to fill it with clear water and fragrant oil. You can do it too, Dad!”

“Even deciding what to eat is a negotiation.”

“The 8 Rules of Love, by Jay Shetty.”

“I had to appear on a broadcast and comment, and I referred to *The Temperature of Language* at the time.”

“Ah, is that it?”

“Then, when the members made their remarks, I was really moved. “Ah… this is crazy, like a movie. Right, this is what I had been missing.””

“Recently, I read José Saramago's *Blindness* and *Seeing*.”

““The first book that made me cry while reading was Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si Do.””

““The part I like best is when the man, who had kept his heart closed off, opens up to the woman and says, ‘Stay with me tonight, Clara.’ Even in the film based on the novel, that scene is the best.””

““My time is musical notes; I’m making notes day by day. I find myself thinking, ‘I hope that on the day the piece is complete, I’ll be able to sing it with a smile.’” Is that the kind of meaning that comes to mind?”

“I think I found a lot of comfort.”

“When I feel powerless, I mutter a little spell .. 🪄💫”

“I started reading so that I could live as an ordinary person. I’m reading to find out what I want to become and what I need to do from now on.”

“It’s a story about my cat. It’s called *I Love You Every Day*. But after I finished writing it, I realized there was a lot about my dad in it.”

“Reading this script while imagining the drama can be helpful and fun. Everyone, try reading it this way sometime.”

“I started writing and reading books again, as I did when I was young. I recently read Life Lessons by psychiatrist and writer Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, and what I’m reading now is About Her by Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto.”

“"The Little Prince feels different every time I read it—now, five years from now, or ten years from now."”

“After reading this book, I thought I wanted everyone to find their own happiness and live at their own pace. We can run, but we can also walk or crawl. Everyone has a different way of living, so this book made me realize that we should respect and be considerate of one another. It's a science fiction novel, but its warm, sensitive expressions touch your heart, so anyone should be able to read it without difficulty.”

“There's also another manga called Touch by the same author. It's so much fun.”

“I wanted to watch the movie Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight, but I didn’t get to. Then I happened to find the original novel at a bookstore and started reading it. I thought the novel was interesting too, so I’ve been reading a few books.”

“When I went to the bookstore, there was even a book titled *I Almost Lived Diligently*. Everyone's worn out, I guess.”

“It's interesting.”

“I read Gu Byeong-mo's book *Gills* three times.”

““Rebonds” is a particularly special project to me. I’m very proud and excited to be part of this project supporting UNICEF. This initiative shows how important it is to protect and support those in need, especially children. Every child deserves equal opportunities in life, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that the most vulnerable receive essential support.”

“It contains ways for creators to express how they communicate with the public and inspire empathy, as well as methods for finding inspiration.”

“Eugene’s book is packed with content.”

“The Little Prince is, ah, really a song that's kind of like a fairy tale for adults. Um, it's inspired by the original novel, The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, uh...”

“I’d read a book called *The Secret* before, too, and it was similar to the law of attraction described in it...”

“Actually, when I'm having a hard time, I don't seek comfort from anyone. I can't even read books like *You Did Well Today*.”

“The Devotion of Suspect X.”

“Financial security creates creative freedom.”

““These days, I think I’ve come to prefer books or works with this kind of humanism.””

“저 절창이라는 책을 사봤는데 재밌는 거 같아요!!”

“For me, this is another bittersweet seize-the-day story about the preciousness and fleetingness of all the beauty around us. And it’s a heart-stopping, heartbreaking romance, rolled into one. I just love the way Jojo Moyes creates such compelling, emotionally layered characters.”

“This is a silent human drama. It’s such a joy to see a friend you care about succeed. It brings back all those ambitions we had back then: we especially loved the weird and wanted to be even weirder, in some way. Thanks to this book, I feel as though a passion that will never rot, like Kim’s fruit, and the spirited Moonchi I was back then have come back to me. Thank you so much! And there’s nothing about me in it, huh?”

“I hope you’ll love it. You won’t regret it.”

“I read it straight through for eight hours on the 15th, which was a weekend, and my mother, whom I had buried deep in my heart and forgotten about in my everyday life, came to mind, and I sobbed uncontrollably.”

“I was surprised by the content, which seemed to look into the joys and sorrows I experienced while promoting as a member of H.O.T.”

“At first, it was hard because I kept trying to write only grand, impressive words. I completed it by making a great effort to take the force out of my writing.”

“These days, I’ve been copying passages by hand from a book called *The Buddha’s Words, Reinterpreted*. Regardless of religion, I chose this book because I personally found a lot to learn from the sentences in it.”

““I read it when I was young, too, but it seems to mean something different each time I read it. As I get older, and at each stage of my life, my interpretation changes. There are lots of plays on words in the book, and it’s a world of make-believe, isn’t it? They stimulate my imagination, and it’s fun to picture a Wonderland in my mind. And above all, I think the book’s strength is that it doesn’t force a lesson on you.””

“For me, who has been running nonstop since my debut, books give me a little breathing room and help me gain insight.”

“After reading the book, I also gained the courage to take on a field I want to study, using my spare time even when I’m busy with group activities.”

“Paulo Coelho once said, “Travel alone or with your wife.” To me, it sounded like, “Travel alone.””

“Meeting this book was a great stroke of luck. It helped me understand my fans a little better and made me want to become a better person. I want to hold on to the precious feeling of liking someone, too.”

“I ended up making an effort to get away from the media world a bit.”

““Don’t compare yourself to anyone else; compare yourself only to who you were yesterday. When someone else is speaking, think of them as someone who may tell you something you need to know. Speak clearly and precisely. Keep company only with people who expect the best of you. Choose the meaningful path, not the easy one. Through these and all twelve rules, I hope you can end a meaningless life and wisely ‘navigate’ the sea of life.””

“There’s a book by author Kim Eana called *Ordinary Words*.”

“Actually, I haven't even read the book The Sorrows of Young Werther yet, so I think I'll start with joy!”

““Finally😭 finished reading””

“I did my reading with those.”

“I came across the author’s book Why Are We Like This? at a bookstore. Through that book, I discovered the author, learned about love, and received a lot of comfort.”

“I’d like to recommend it.”

“I enjoyed reading it.”

“What I would recommend to you is The Catcher in the Rye.”

““I enjoyed reading the novel Coffee Prince, 1st Shop.””

“There are so many slim people in the broadcasting industry. It seems that being skinny has become a measure of popularity. Being surrounded by so many thin people, I find myself worrying about my weight every day.”

“You have to put down deep roots so you can stand more firmly as you rise.”

“I immediately bought and read the translated original novel.”

“I went to Canada to study abroad when I was 12. I compiled the diary I wrote at the time and published it as a book.”

“I didn't really like it before, but after reading The Analects, so much of it resonated with me, and I enjoyed learning from it.”

“In the end, both those inside the book and all of us outside it were alive, and living.”

“When I feel that my heart is short on kindling, the many thoughts and experiences that came to mind while reading this book rekindle a fire in my heart. A mysterious, time-machine-like book that took me back to happy, passionate moments.”

“What I kept close to me all along was the novel the film is based on. I wrote down separately the sentences in the novel that reveal Gye-na’s personality, and always carried them around with me.”

“An Ordinary Existence.”

“어떻게 거짓말이 우아할 수 있을까라는 궁금증이 있었으며, ‘완득이’를 쓰신 작가님이라 관심이 갔다”

“I’m not saying this because I’m an emotional person, but give this book a read. It’s the kind that will annoy you… A person’s life is supposed to have a mix of happy and sad days, but they keep giving this person a hard time in life… Sigh… It made me think, “Wow, the author is cruel,” but it is fun to read.”

“I enjoyed reading Han Kang’s Love of Yeosu and The Vegetarian, Yang Gui-ja’s Contradiction, and Jeong Dae-geon’s Torrent, among others.”

“Another one is a book called *All the Time in the World*. These days, everything moves so fast, and it’s hard to imagine life without videos like Shorts, right? This book is about a life of slow accumulation, in connection with quantum mechanics, and offers various perspectives on letting time rest, bending it, and stretching it. It’s a good read for people who want to create some breathing room in their lives.”

“한번 보시는 걸 추천합니다”

“I have so much I want to talk about that even writing it as an epic novel on the scale of *Toji* wouldn’t be enough, but…”

““한국에서 4년째 살며 영어로 된 한국 문학작품을 많이 읽었습니다. 그때마다 ‘아, 이건 번역이구나’라는 느낌을 받았죠. 그런데 이번에 나온 두 작품은 너무 훌륭한 영어를 구사해 놀랐어요. 내가 쓰는 영어보다 수준이 높은 것 같습니다.(웃음)””

“‘처음의 어려움을 두려워하지 말자’를 계속 마음에 새기면서 헤쳐나간 것 같아요. 힘이 정말 많이 되었어요.”

“I looked it up, and apparently one of them is water residue.”

“I like Kafka’s The Metamorphosis.”

“Our mountain grandfather, who grades our pointy day as a long oval.”

“Publishing a photo book wasn’t something I had planned. Since these were photos I’d taken on my phone in my spare moments, I was hesitant to release them, but thinking of it as leaving a record of everyday life, I’ve made it this far.”

“평소에 생각하던 것들이 언어로 잘 표현되어 있어 읽으며 놀랐다”

“책 읽는 걸 좋아한다.”

“I've been reading a book lately. It's called The Bare Minimum of Korean History. It does a very good job of explaining things concisely, from Gojoseon through modern and contemporary history. It made me think, “I should study more history,” and I hope many people will read it.”

“I like books, so I try to read.”

“As a celebrity, there are times when people criticize you and times when people offer you comfort. Reading this book, rather than blaming others, I had various thoughts along the lines of, “That’s just how people are; I should at least try not to be that way.””

““I mainly like poetry collections. Poetry seems like the genre that best reveals a poet’s temperament and sensibility. Poets look at things we often see in everyday life from a different perspective and express them in a few words. I think those words often resonate deeply. In this collection, I like the poem ‘Knot.’ In particular, when I read the passage, ‘Do not call it a knot. The hardest part—once, this too was so tender and fragile. It was only that passion went too far, and after a single wound, it could never bloom again,’ I thought that a poet could see a tree’s ‘knot’ in this way, too, and something about it really struck me.””

““I recommend ‘Laugh Like Haha’s Mom.’””

“I really like reading mystery novels, and there’s a book called *The Awakening of Magic* that I started but didn’t finish a while ago. It’s a quiet book, but the ending isn’t quiet; I think I might read it again.”

“I’m not really into scary movies, but I find it so much fun to feel tense while reading a book. I like thrillers and mystery novels.”

“My mom bought it for me.”

“Achilles. I really love that book.”

“For anyone nurturing a dream of making music, this book lays itself bare, offering many treasures to take away.”

“Uh, lately there’s an author I’ve been really into. I’ve been reading a lot of Hwang Jungeun’s books. The recently released Didi’s Umbrella is really good too, but I’m still reading it…”

““Please keep all the stories we shared in ‘1719’ as our own secret.””

“I was also very impressed by Anxiety.”

“So I brought along Amélie Nothomb’s *Hygiene and the Assassin*, which I enjoyed reading.”

“After finding the answer in the Bible, I became able to answer without hesitation when asked, “Why do you live?” That answer became the anchor of my life and the source of my passion. (Omitted) I earnestly hope this book can give a clear reason to live to someone who feels empty, lonely, isolated, anxious, afraid, or depressed—and, above all, to someone who is thinking of giving up on life (p. 10).”

“Sometimes in life, a single word from someone else can easily bring us down. This book talks about how to protect yourself and love others through “just the right amount of positivity and just the right amount of courage.” I sincerely hope that all of you readers will come away from this book with “just the right amount of positivity and courage.””

“The Giving Tree, but this feels less like it’s a person I am and more like an ideal I want to become.”

“These days, I'm reading Jonas Jonasson's novel *Killer Anders and His Friends*.”

“I read To Kill a Mockingbird back in school, and...”

“Yoon Ji-un’s <Pahanjip>. I started reading it a few years ago, and I pick it up once in a while when I’m bored.”

“I spent a long time with him, but knew absolutely nothing about him. In fact, I never really asked. He was someone who laughed a lot, but his laughter didn’t seem particularly genuine. There was a bitter taste to his laughter and words, so I didn’t casually cross his boundaries. I wanted to help him protect himself in his own way, and that was my way of being a friend. I thought it was so like Yoon Seol-ya to put it into writing only now and tell his life story, and I was so glad there was at least this outlet for letting it all out. In a word, he’s such a romantic. I’m honored that one of the songs I wrote was included in it (I was a little surprised by the unexpected song choice)!”