How to make mixed meals
The arrow of thoughts that bite their own tail
Called my name
I'm not a hypocrite or a total idiot
Forever, Grandma
Meeting and parting
Superman
How to see with the mind's eye
When is it okay to confess?
Hyunseo
bad imagination
Why I'm Unhappy
Miracle of a Summer Night
Behind all the clouds
After the play ended
Tail-cut squirrel
So many people overflowing with love

Author's Note

“Where do I stand among the kids?
It was definitely below average.
“My house is not that great, my studies are not that great, and my looks are not that great.”

Author Hwang Young-mi, who received praise for “the complex and subtle relationships that unfold in the classroom and the voice of the middle school student experiencing such relationships,” has returned after four years with a new novel, “A Time to Confess.”

In this work, author Hwang Young-mi vividly depicts the daily life of teenagers, filled with laughter and tears, through their words, thoughts, and relationships, using unadorned sentences. She also goes a step further than in her previous works by asking questions.
In a world where "classification is as easy as breathing," where we are judged by our appearance, grades, and even where we live and which apartment complex we live in, where simply affirming our own existence is no answer, how can we love ourselves? Beyond ourselves, how can we love others? In her "Author's Note," author Hwang Young-mi writes:

“I think in the end I wanted to talk about love.
In a world where you have to pay with your soul's flesh to get dopamine, what kind of love is this?
“I thought about it, and even if I think about it again, love is the answer.”

It may seem paradoxical, but the ability to love oneself and others comes from nothing other than love.
This does not mean that someone who can love themselves can love others.
Since love is a process that always embraces not only the brightest aspects but also the rough edges, loving others soon becomes loving myself.
Even if I don't fit the standards set by others, even if I feel like an insignificant person because I'm not well-off, pretty, slim, or smart, the expectation that this insignificant me will be fully accepted and the desire to become a 'better' me all come from love.

"A Time to Confess" is a novel that looks into that small, bright heart.
Like looking at the sparkling sunlight shining through the green leaves.

Beyond self-affirmation,
A broader growth narrative

The main character of 'A Time to Confess' is 'Hong Ji-min', fifteen years old.
When I was in elementary school, I was the type of person who didn't get easily intimidated, I was good at dancing, and I got along well with other kids, but when I got to middle school, something started to feel strange.
Not only am I not good at dancing, I've lost my sense of rhythm to the point where people tease me for being too slow, and my classmates don't seem to like me very much.
Although it is not to the extent of being bullied or harassed, the children do not talk to or greet each other as if they have an invisible wall around them.
Jimin, who even found out that he was being treated as a 'loner' behind his back, posts something on the internet.

'Please tell me some tips for feeding the whole family.
It's been two days since I've been to the cafeteria.'
Jimin has an online refuge where he can vent his feelings.
It is not a personal space like a blog, nor is it a social networking service based on friendship like Instagram, but an anonymous bulletin board.
Jimin posts on the bulletin board, hoping that people will read it and leave comments.
If the explanation is too long, people won't read it, so keep the content brief and include the main point in the title.

At first glance, you might think of Jimin as a teenage girl easily swayed by other people's opinions, but of all the characters that have appeared in Hwang Young-mi's novels, she is the most upright and confident.
This is exactly Jimin's attitude in the school and online world where he stands step by step.
Jimin is very intimidated by the situation where he has to eat lunch alone, so he vents his worries on the bulletin board, but it is a public post that anyone can see, and of course, people do not react in the way Jimin wants.
Because it's anonymous, people sometimes make judgmental or sarcastic comments, and I get hurt by them, but that doesn't mean I don't reply or delete the post.
Jimin understands that others may have different opinions than him, and that it doesn't necessarily mean he's being criticized.
It's the same at school.
"What's wrong with Yesung and the other girls in our class? They have the right not to hang out with people they don't like."

In other words, Jimin already has self-affirmation.
That's why, even when misunderstandings piled up and he was branded with the stigma of being a "hypochondriac," and even when he passed by a group of kids chatting and thought, "I can't be in that position anyway," Jimin never belittled or denied himself.
Instead of hiding in your shell out of fear of being pushed out of the relationship, reach out.
In this way, you make friends to eat lunch with, form new relationships in clubs, and eventually, you even have a child who catches your eye and your heart.
Just as countless flowers bloom and fall from spring to winter, Jimin turns the pages of his fifteenth year as he encounters the many facets of relationships.

When we take a closer look at our ordinary daily lives
Special moments that arise

If you've read this far, you might think this is just a normal story about Jimin adjusting to school life.
Half right and half wrong.
Half of it is true because Jimin is an ordinary kid.
No one area stands out, nor is it dramatically unfortunate.
Half of it is wrong because any ordinary child becomes special the moment he becomes a 'story'.

In her previous works, author Hwang Young-mi has already demonstrated her excellence in handling stories of “ordinary children without any outstanding features, (…) children who are far from dramatic characters.”
In the author's note, author Hwang Young-mi reveals her inner conflict about writing such characters and stories, but in reality, what is truly difficult is discovering special moments from ordinary characters and stories.
Ordinary means familiar, and we tend to overlook many things that are familiar.
Because it's hard to catch without a sincere ear.

This time too, I heard a lot about writer Hwang Young-mi.
I listened carefully, wrote a lot, and erased a lot.
"A Time to Confess" is made up of those remaining moments.
Jimin, a character who is ordinary, familiar, and easy to overlook, has so-so grades, dreams of a future that matches his grades, and doesn't have a distinct personality, has quiet and brilliant moments where he becomes "a charming person who will surprise the world."