Do you remember the movie "Hollow Man," which was often shown on movie channels? It was a sci-fi thriller about an invisible man.
It was like that movie.
No one in the classroom saw me.
It was good at first.
It was a day when I literally wanted to disappear.
I spent time teasing and playing pranks on my usually misbehaving child.
But I started getting more and more scared.
Because no one came looking for me.
I went home crying, thinking that if I continued like this, I might really disappear forever.
Fortunately, the next day everything was back to normal.
The kids didn't even seem to know I was gone for a day.
My partner was still teasing me though.
Huh? That's ridiculous? I agree.
Since it was my childhood, I might have mistaken a strange dream I had sometime ago for reality.
But sometimes I think about it.
Even adults have moments when they want to disappear from the world.
Would it be different if they were children?
Why, you always cry and say you want to go home.
That's what I mean.
I want to go somewhere other than here, somewhere that won't hurt me.
So, what I'm saying is, wouldn't the disappeared Jaei have been like that too?

--- pp.11~12

Ok-ju knew that she could be eaten at any time.
The person he was raising was not a disobedient grandchild or a stray cat.
But it didn't matter.
The pomegranate said it didn't mind eating itself.
It was like that from the moment we first met.
Ironically, Ok-ju was able to alleviate her fear and terror thanks to the pomegranate, which could harm her at any time.
The fear of dying alone and rotting under the covers.
By growing pomegranates, you will not die alone.
It won't rot.
When he dies and there is no one left to give him meat, the red-eyed pomegranate will eat him, the nutrient right in front of him.
I thought it would be nice if the pomegranate spread itself very cleanly and ate it.
I wanted to eat it for a long time without going hungry, so that it was clean enough that there was no more flesh to rot.
But that's probably a bit later.
For that future, Pomegranate had to stay by his side.

--- p.41

“I heard that my mother also came here when she was young, so she didn’t have much trouble adjusting.
My dad said it wasn't particularly difficult.
But then again, there are things you never know.
Because Dad is not Mom and has never been a Mom.
(…) Mom was active.
I had a lot of friends at work, I was a person who liked to go out and have fun, and I was the type of person who would immediately learn something I wanted to learn, so it was actually difficult for me to handle it.
(…) But there were days when my mom would suddenly, really suddenly, start shedding tears.
It's really embarrassing at times like that.
My mom doesn't know why she's crying, but she just keeps crying.
If even my mom doesn't know, what can I do?
Just sit still and wait for that time to pass.
At times like that, I felt so unfamiliar with my mom… and sad.
That's what I thought.
I guess I'll never fully understand my mother.
Of course.
“I have become unable to understand myself.”
--- pp.92~93

Lily.
I'll probably try to touch the world.
At the same time, I will set out to find the part of me that I have lost and fallen away from.
It'll take a long time.
The time you have to wait might be longer than the time you go out to find it.

--- p.104

Mom won't change.
Because that appearance right now is probably the life my mother has lived.
But my mom and I are different.
I have never lived my mother's life.
My mother also has not lived my life.
Why can't I accept that obvious truth? Alone in my studio apartment, where no one visits, I savor moments and emotions, always facing the same question.
Why do I resent my mother more than those who tormented me?
Why can't I forgive my mother easily?
And then suddenly you realize.
That love and betrayal are directly proportional.
Also, I still want to believe in my mom.
“I always imagine taking revenge on someone.”
One day, something Yeonwoo unnie muttered while very drunk flashed through my mind.
I remember it was about two years before my sister disappeared.
plural.
Now I vaguely think I understand who this revenge is aimed at.
Mom said.
Are you doing this on purpose to harass me?
right.
I'm doing this on purpose.
This is similar to revenge in that it hurts the mother.
But I'm not trying to bother Mom.
I just want to be understood.

--- p.114

[Su-an, it's me, Ji-woo.
Are you in contact with Miju? If not, that's great, but it's better to stay away from her.
He's a multi-level marketing scheme.
He came to the alumni reunion, beat up a bunch of kids, and disappeared.
You too, be careful.]
A disaster alert text message arrived with a vibration, covering Jiwoo's message.
An alarm sounded indicating that a dust storm was brewing nearby.
Su-an checked the message sent by an acquaintance named Ji-woo once again.
The message remained the same.
Su-an looked at her cell phone.
I don't really remember who Jiwoo is.
It's such a common name, and it's impossible to remember all of your high school classmates.
Maybe they aren't real classmates.
And in fact, it doesn't matter whether they are classmates or not.
To Su-an, this message means nothing.
A text message sent carelessly to shake off guilt, something you usually forget about, is nothing.
Rather, it is more important that Miju comes every day to eat her own food.
Su-an wrote a reply with a blank expression.
[I know, so don't worry.]
--- pp.184~185

Living things are soft, squishy and warm.
I felt like I was going to die when that soft, smooth, warm skin wrapped around me.
The power was so strong that it took my breath away.
My whole body was burning.
If this continues, I might really end up becoming Freddy Krueger.
I had nothing more to say to Eunseong.
I'm not a real teddy bear, I'm a hungry nightmare wearing a teddy bear's shell.
A dream horse that couldn't even properly perform its role as a dream horse.
What happens when the nightmare stops causing bad dreams?
--- pp.221~222

Cheddar stroked my hunched shoulders as if comforting me.
It was a warm and soft feeling that I hadn't felt in a long time.
I wanted to hug Cheddar and run away.
"Whatever the cat star's circumstances are, can't you just live with me?" The question rose to the surface of my throat, but I held it back.
There was a certain sense of responsibility in Cheddar's eyes.
His eyes were as firm as when he caught a cockroach that appeared inside the house.
I said, holding Cheddar tightly in my arms.
“Come back anytime.
i'll wait."
Cheddar also spread his arms and hugged my neck.
Soft, warm, furry arms.
I want to remember this warmth for a long time.

--- p.249

“I went through the door and saw a lot.
I won't let you die.
“I won’t die either.”

--- p.298