“I will treat you to the last hour of your life.”
A tender and mysterious 49-day night portrayed by writer Ko Su-ri of KBS's "Human Theater"

What if, on your commute to work like any other day, you doze off for a moment and wake up to find yourself on a train barreling across a sea of ​​falling snow? A human romance fantasy unfolds at Camellia Salon, a warm space where people who have lived like shadows meet and become each other's light.

After a long wait, "Camellia Salon," which exceeded its pre-publication funding goal by 351%, is finally meeting readers.
This is the first full-length novel by author Go Su-ri, who has touched the hearts of countless readers by writing works that convey warmth and comfort to the world, such as 『Clear Love』, 『A Night of Worry』, and 『We Can Walk Even in the Moonlight』.
Readers who first encountered the novel through the Brunch Book serial before its publication showed their enthusiastic empathy and support, saying things like, “I ended up crying on a crowded train,” “I feel like I’m on the same train,” “I feel like I’m sitting in a car in the novel,” and “I want to sit on the Camellia Salon sofa and listen to Bach’s melodies.”

Camellia Salon, a quaint teahouse that opens when the first snow falls and closes when camellia flowers bloom.
People who stayed in a red brick house on a snowy Dongbaekseom hill overlooking the blue sea.
Welcoming them are Madame Yeo Soon-ja, the room manager Madu-yeol, manager Yu I-su, and librarian Ji Won-woo, who reads books about life.
During the 49 days spent with those who are supposed to be treating you to the last moments of your life, the surprising secrets of their lives are revealed one by one.

There comes a time when it seems like we can't take another step.
When we feel like we're invisible, like no one is truly seeing us, when we don't know what to do, what should we do? In Camellia Salon, a fantastical space between this world and the next, there are people who make eye contact and listen with sincerity.
The miraculous changes that occur as eight people, each with different ages, genders, personalities, and thoughts, spend eight nights together show just how strong the power within us is.
This gift-like novel gently tells us that simply by sharing the small details of everyday life and having honest conversations, we can save each other and regain happiness and the will to live.

“I am an orphan.
I raised myself.
I am not an orphan, I am a noble human being.
All my high aspirations and dignity are for money.
“I need money.”
Seol Jin-ah, standing in front of the mirror, spoke clearly like a flight attendant making an in-flight announcement.
Jinah was an orphan.
The woman I lived with as my parent.
He was a practical twenty-five-year-old who was quick-witted and had a keen eye for the world.
18 years old.
In the winter when her protective measures were ending, Jin-ah lost her 5 million won in settlement support money to her foster parents and went into hiding in Yangmi-dong.
All I had in my possession was the one million won I had saved from part-time jobs.
It was difficult to make ends meet with the 300,000 won self-reliance support payment I received every month.
Moving from one windowless goshiwon room to another, Jinah became poorer day by day.
Still, Jinah wanted to grow up well.
I didn't want to be pushed out of the periphery.
You need sunlight to grow well.
money.
I needed money.
If you have money, you can enjoy the bright, warm sun to your heart's content.
Jinah had to become an adult who raised herself.
--- pp.30~31 From "First Snow"

“It’s not Lee Soo’s fault.
It's not my fault that I don't remember my dad clearly, nor is it my fault that I wanted ice cream as a six-year-old.
If I were the daughter in the story that Lee Soo told, I would still go see my father again.
Even in my dreams, I will go see my dad, sit on a bench with him, and enjoy some delicious ice cream.
Wouldn't it have been best to give Dad one more smile and one more hug?
If we were given only one day to live, I would want to spend it smiling.
If I can't save someone else's life, I just want to save the day we've been given.
“I wonder if Dad would have wanted that too.”
--- pp.83~84 From "Death"

“(…) What I really want to read from people is that kind of life.
It's like the feeling of tears that only pour out when you reach the end.
We all have stories we want to tell everyone, but can't tell anyone, stories so passionate and powerful that sometimes they become the untrue truth.
If we could pour out those tearful stories and leave, wouldn't our existence be beautiful even if it eventually disappears?
“This old woman has such romantic thoughts.”
--- p.98 From "Gift"

“After that, I carried ten bricks and a will with me wherever I went.
I'm not trying to die, I'm trying to become stronger.
I ran away from my father with all my might and worked hard to become a firefighter.
If you wear fire-fighting clothing and safety equipment on site, the total weight exceeds 20 kilograms.
It's the same weight as the ten bricks in the backpack I was planning to kill myself with.
I know that a person can carry 20 kilograms on his back and protect something, give up something, or destroy something.
It is also burdensome and painful because you cannot get rid of that burden for the rest of your life.
In the end, I had to end my life because of that, but I have no regrets about the weight I carried.
Thanks to that, I was able to protect it.
“Myself and the people I love.”
--- pp.111~112 From "Gift"

“Anyway, I’m sick of it.
“How can I endure this awkwardness?”
Jiwonwoo? Wonwoo was holding Jinah's hand with an awkward smile.
A dark green corduroy coat with a crisp collar and neatly combed pomade hair.
Wonwoo's face stood out in the bright light.
Standing so close that their breaths almost touched each other, Wonwoo was holding Jinah's hand as the snow fell.
What the heck is this… … .
But Jinah couldn't say anything because her throat was so tight.
Just staring blankly at Wonwoo.
“How can you see so clearly?”
“Because I like it.”
--- p.134 From "Regret"

I dreamed of a dinner where I prepared a meal for my mother with my own hands.
I thought it would be easy since everyone else was doing it.
No.
I didn't even realize how much time had passed while I was working hard to raise my daughter on my own.
Now, when I finally turned my head to straighten my back a bit, my mother had become a hunched over old woman.
Mom, let's eat together.
Thinking that it was today made my eyes sting.
I wanted to cut up the years that had already passed into pieces, fry them, grill them, boil them, stew them, and serve them to my mother.
However, it was a simple meal consisting of only grilled mackerel, kimchi stew, and a couple of side dishes.
Even that, my mother smiled and said it was good.
--- p.161 From "Regret"

“A heart that thinks… isn’t it too sad?”
“It’s sad.
“It’s sad.”
Wonwoo tilted his head and swept his index finger over the teacup in a circular motion.
“This is a sad thing in general.
It is our calling to consider the lives of others and to truly mourn their deaths.
Shouldn't there be a heart somewhere that truly cares about a person's life and mourns for them?
“That kind of feeling is called mourning.”
--- p.173 From "Secret"

"Sir, do you make shoes too? I'd love to have a pair of pretty shoes, too."
Changsu looked into the woman's eyes for the first time.
“I see it now,” the woman burst into laughter.
A brave smile that seems like it could shatter the scary and heavy world at any moment.
Changsoo's face turned red.
Changsu made women's shoes for the first time.
Western-style Mary Jane shoes with a low heel, a soft sole, leather flower decorations on the instep, and a strap to secure them.
On a day when a light snowfall was falling, Chang-su offered his shoes to the woman sitting at the counter.
The woman dragged herself out and showed Chang-soo her slender ankles that had never walked in their entire lives.
The shoes fit my small feet nicely.
“Come on.
“The flowers have bloomed.”
The woman smiled faintly.
That's how Changsu met his wife.
--- pp.208~209 From "Secret"

Bam.
He lowered his forehead.
I leaned against Jiho's back.
Jiho is still alive.
Jiho's trembling, heartbeat, and sighs, going up and down, were all felt by Isu.
What kind of time have you been living in?
If only I had time to listen, time to think.
An Ji-ho.
I hope you don't die.
But I hope you don't leave.
I couldn't say it honestly.
As time went by and I felt clumsy, I felt sad and sorry, and tears welled up in my eyes.
I will soon be left alone and will regret it for a long time.
This moment that hurt you.
Jiho said, holding Isu's hand.
“Yui-su, don’t die again.”

--- p.290 From "Secret"