soft water
Fun Fun Festival
collusion
Riding Crew
Winter Olympics
Mira and Lara
Author's Note

A refreshing comfort for those tired of everyday life
A bright smile at the end of a story that resembles our lives

The title piece, "Training," is a story about the protagonist, "Joo-yeon," who suffers from a fear of driving, who receives driving training in order to go out on the road alone.
The protagonist meets a driving instructor, a “short, short-haired woman” (page 19), who is rumored to be a “daily instructor” through a local mom cafe.
Although he is very talented, Joo-yeon's heart grows cold because he is rude and starts making plans for Joo-yeon's children when they first meet.
Will Joo-yeon be able to go out on the road alone, and will her relationship with her instructor improve?
Scenes where bonds between people are gradually formed evoke warm empathy, and the story shines even brighter as each person's memories of taking their first steps into the world are etched in their minds.


The "Fun Fun Festival" begins when 'Jiwon' participates in a group interview at a large company.
In order to prepare for the collaborative long-term show 'Fun Fun Festival', the highlight of the three-day, two-night training camp, Jiwon applies to join a band, where Chan-hwi, a self-proclaimed 'celebrity', has established himself as the band's leader.
Ji-won is irritated by Chan-hui's self-righteous attitude, but his tall stature and good looks repeatedly ease her bad mood.
The story unfolds in a fun and exciting way, wondering whether Ji-won will be able to successfully complete the stage and what will become of her relationship with Chan-hui, while also sharply depicting the reality faced by the younger generation.

"The Public Offering" is a story centered around 'Hyun Soo-young', who rose to the position of manager at Saejungang Energy, a company with a conservative corporate culture, and 'CEO Cheon', who runs a bar.
At Saejungang Energy, where company dinners are frequent, the second location was always 'Cheonui Face', run by CEO Cheon.
The person leading this company dinner culture is Hyun Soo-young's team leader, Kim Geon-il.
The reason he goes to Cheon's face, a seemingly ordinary store, is because of the beauty of the owner.
After Hyun Soo-young becomes the manager, the company's dining culture changes and Cheon's face declines.
Soon, President Chun gets cancer, and Manager Kim Geon-il makes a secret request to Hyun Soo-young... What choice will Hyun Soo-young make?
And what will happen to the relationship between the three?
The story, which is full of twists and turns, heightens the tension of the reader.


"Riding Crew" is a sitcom-like story about 'me', who runs a road bike club in the neighborhood, and the members.
'I' am interested in the member 'An I-seul', but I don't want to close the possibility that a prettier and more attractive female member will join.
At this time, long-haired 'Honeywood' applies to join the club, and 'I', captivated by her long hair, accepts her application without hesitation.
However, the chairman's reputation is in jeopardy because of Honeywood, who wins everyone's favor as soon as he joins.
The anxious 'I' comes up with a clever plan: to use my cycling skills to overpower Honeywood.
The unimaginable situations that unfold at the end of this plan continue in a lighthearted manner, and the delicate psychological portrayal of the young people elicits laughter.

"Winter Olympics" is a story about the Olympics covered by 'Seonjin', who is interning at a small broadcasting station.
On a cold winter day when the short track finals are being held, Seonjin goes to the home of national team member Baek Hyeon-ho to cover the story.
Although reporters from major broadcasting companies ignore and persecute Seonjin, Seonjin stubbornly captures the scene on screen.
It's not just the atmosphere on the ground that makes it difficult for the advanced.
The high but misplaced expectations of his parents, the uncertainty and uncertainty of whether he could become a regular reporter, weighed heavily on Seonjin.
Will Baek Hyun-ho be able to win the gold medal in the final?
Also, will Seonjin be able to safely complete his reporting and return to society?
As you follow the realistic dialogue, you will experience a strange overlap between each person's family life and social life.


"Mira and Lara" centers around Park Mira, who entered the Department of Korean Literature at the age of thirty-two with the desire to write a novel.
Mira became a billionaire when her company was successful and she entered a new university to pursue her dream, but her writing skills are poor.
Among the members of the novel writing club, there are those who openly ignore Mira.
Summer vacation arrives and Mira goes on a creative trip to Greece, and 'I', looking at this, have mixed feelings.
This is because the comparison between my anxious situation before graduation and Mira's peaceful situation is too much.
But at the end of her creative journey, Mira comes back with a work that wows everyone.
What happened to Mira?
And what twist is hidden in this story?


It's okay to fall and break today
Because we have a tomorrow that is better than yesterday!

The stories in 『Yeonsu』 are colorful.
Sometimes it's lively, sometimes it's cool, and sometimes it gives a heavy feeling.
The fact that he can tell this many stories in one book is proof that novelist Jang Ryu-jin has taken a leap forward as a writer.
These stories are colorful and at the same time, they have a heartwarming and comforting ending.
It may be thanks to this comfort that those who are tired of everyday life are particularly enthusiastic about Jang Ryu-jin's novels.
What makes this comfort possible is that Jang Ryu-jin's unique weapons, such as overwhelming appeal, immersion, and vivid situational settings, still shine.
Poet Park Jun read the six stories and left a comment saying, “The story’s texture, engraved through the repetition of the softness of thought and the hardness of heart, is strangely beautiful” (recommendation).
As the saying goes, after all the tears and laughter, 『Yeonsu』 leaves the reader with a beautiful heart.
The charm of Jang Ryu-jin's novels lies in the fact that they leave a single thought at the end of a story that draws you in without a moment's rest.
"Yeonsu" will provide a refreshing and cool escape to readers who have been waiting for Jang Ryu-jin this summer, as well as those who are thirsty for an "interesting" story.


Author's Note

(…) Since I started writing novels, I often get asked ‘how’ I write novels.
Friends sometimes ask me frankly, “Did you have all this in your head?”
Every time, I try my best to explain, but in truth, I still don't really know 'how' novels are written.
Certain scenes, characters, or the words they utter remain in my mind for a long time.
Why does it appear so often? There must be a reason it keeps coming to mind. With a somewhat reckless thought, I begin to write, grasping the big picture.
There must be something, I guess.
I write with a hazy and vague mind.
It's really strange, every time I finish writing, something that I hadn't thought of at first is accumulated and added to.

I decide to think of myself as just a small, simple machine.
I don't know the mechanism well, but I'll trust its performance.
I put something in and ran it and somehow this is what came out.
Since I don't know how it works, I guess the only way to prevent it from breaking down is to keep it running without stopping and keep oiling it.
So I plan to continue using whatever it is in the future.

In early summer 2023
Jang Ryu-jin