Sitting at the teak table and arranging the messy books and magazines on it to one side, Sujin quietly looked out at the space where she lived.
The living room, finished with dark brown hardwood floors and soft, charcoal green wallpaper, and the open veranda were visible first. On either side of the living room were a bedroom and a study, the bathroom was quietly hidden next to the bedroom, and the small, I-shaped kitchen was behind Soojin.

There wasn't a lot of furniture.
Now that I'm in my mid-thirties, I've come to believe that having just a few things that I can truly cherish is enough.
We've gathered together a selection of mid-century modern design furniture pieces that appear simple at first glance, yet have meticulous curves.
An oval teak table for both work and dining, three chairs of different shapes (I've been getting a chair from my favorite furniture designer for every birthday since moving here), a rosewood bookshelf and cabinet, and a black leather sofa with a walnut frame with faded leather here and there - these are the things I grew to love more and more as time went by.

--- pp.10~11

As the elevator doors closed and the train ascended to the ground, Soojin watched his back and thought of the men wearing aprons working.

I've seen men like that occasionally in woodworking shops, bookstores, and cafes.
These are men who work while moving their bodies.
It may be that you wear an apron because your clothes might get dirty while working, but more than that, for Sujin, wearing an apron while working felt like a sign of serious and meticulous preparation for something.
That's why men wearing aprons usually looked honest and harmless.

--- pp.18~19

Now I know that the reason he doesn't talk much is because he's so focused on his work.
I know that being so tenacious about work isn't about my colleagues or clients, but about myself.
I also noticed that while he appears sharp and sharp when he is with other people, he easily changes into the expression of a careless child when he is alone.
He had no idea that I was making that expression.
I also learned that he, who is usually reserved, would become excited and talkative when the topic of architecture came up, but then suddenly stop talking, his eyes would become unfocused, and he would become deeply lost in thought.
Architectural work, which takes a long time, has a way of making people philosophize.

--- pp.27~28

Sujin kept thinking about Hansol's gaze that day.
It's absurd to think that I'm so infatuated with someone, but it's a simple and straightforward self-confidence that this feeling can never be fake.
The innocence to convey one's feelings without hesitation, without considering the circumstances.
Perhaps it's because I spend most of my time dealing with honest plants? Perhaps it was the dazzling expression and demeanor of those words that made me feel so dizzy.
It's amazing how one person's passion for someone can be so overflowing.
Take a deep breath and blow it out, like filling a balloon in an instant.

--- pp.50~51

"Work isn't something you do alone." I've thought about what Soojin said many times since then.
Many people are involved in accomplishing one task, and each person has their own position.
So work is difficult, and sometimes problems arise that are unavoidable… I thought this applies not only to architecture but to all other fields as well.
I really like that Soojin is a person who is serious about her work and lives diligently.
Watching Soojin makes me happy and think that I should work a little harder and become a better person.

I've been trying my hand at landscape design for a while now, and sometimes I can't concentrate because I keep thinking of Sujin when I'm drawing.
(…) This side of me feels really strange.
Sometimes I think of Sujin all day long.
I can't sleep well when I think of you, Sujin.
I wonder how pathetic it must look to be so excited by myself, but it's also sad to think that I have to control my emotions.
Still, thank you for allowing me to write this letter.

--- pp.62~63

Everyone says that women are always going to be disappointed by men, whether it's a little or a lot, but I couldn't stand it because I was so tired of getting used to minimizing my expectations and being patient to avoid disappointment.

Why couldn't I always tell the truth, saying I was lonely when I was lonely, sad when I was sad, and in pain when I was in pain?
But how can we blame only the other person?
It was no one but himself who swallowed those words.
At that realization, Sujin felt a slight nausea.

--- p.142

Every night as she lies in bed, Sujin thinks.

Married life is sometimes happy and sometimes unhappy.

--- p.208