1.
No entry during rain...
007
2.
The sewer next to the tennis court...
016
3.
No right to be sad...
033
4.
Sleepless nights...
063
5.
The cat with jade eyes...
072
6.
circle ...
091
7.
A tree that bears pink berries...
104
8.
The child's name is...
122
9.
So that I never forget again...
139
10.
If you slowly lower your head...
161

Author's Note...
174

We did not judge this work.
We simply shared our impressions of how important this work is to our time, how beautiful it is, and which scenes each of us found moving. _Judges' Comments

“Its vividness, its sadness, its specificity shook me.”
Who is Wack Wack? Where is it?
To leave a strong impression on the readers' minds
The 15th Munhakdongne Youth Literature Award Grand Prize Winner: "Wwakwak Was There"

Following 『I'll Cross the World to You』 『Cherry Shrimp: It's a Secret』 『If You Fall in Love with Dokgo Som』 『Hulhul』 『Quiet Coincidence』 『Name Sticker』, the 15th Munhakdongne Youth Literature Award Grand Prize winners, which will leave a strong impression on readers' hearts, have been published.
This work, which “poignantly portrays the meaning of memory and what true mourning is through the pain of the victims and survivors of a social disaster,” reflects on “the right to grieve and the nature of victimhood,” and “without simply defining the character’s heart,” “head-on tackles a subject that must be addressed by someone,” “captivating the reader from beginning to end” and “bravely placing words to be said.”

Ugh, ugh, ugh, that crying sound.
Eyes looking straight up at Yeonseo from the darkness beneath the sewer.

Why is the boy there?

“People told me to forget it.
He said as a kind word that he hoped we could quickly return to our daily lives.
But the me before that day and the me after that day could not be the same person.”

A year since that day.
Yeonseo lives each day with the thought that just being alive is a long punishment.
Even though she struggles to move on to her previous daily life and the 'next' after the disaster, her best friend Ho-jeong, who only shouts 'for you' when they meet, her father, who says she can overcome anything if she puts her mind to it, people who secretly expect the victim to have the same body and mind, and people who make violent remarks and belittle her, all bring Yeon-seo back to that day.
To protect herself from all those gazes, Yeonseo wears hypocrisy like armor.


One night, when she couldn't sleep at all, Yeonseo was walking along the riverside path when she heard a loud and clear cry.
Ugh, ugh, ugh, that crying sound.
Drawn by the sound, Yeonseo shines a flashlight down the drain.
Eyes looking straight up at Yeonseo in the darkness.
It was a human eye.


Why on earth is the boy there?

“Let’s make it a point to remind someone when they get tired.
“What kind of mind we had at first.” A promise that comes to mind from beyond the memory.


After returning from there, Yeonseo began to remember something.
'That child' who was the owner of the empty desk in the middle of the classroom.
'That kid' who would call and ask how we were doing on rainy days.
'That kid' who said that he gave names to stray cats and kept calling them out so that they wouldn't forget.


Right here, right next to us, in the place we forgot, the place we erased.

There was that kid.
I remember.
That boy.

Yeonseo now faces and reveals her true self, free from all disguise and lies.
I came out to the memorial service preparation team to save myself, but what was really making things difficult for me?
That he neither wanted to be forgotten nor to be forgotten.
And I promise.
I'm afraid I won't be able to forget anything, but I'll do what I can here on earth to remember.
Everyone in reality, even the child himself, keeps calling out the name of the child he has forgotten, and eventually brings him back to this world.


“I finally realized.
That I am the only one who cannot forget.
Those who cannot forget must shout not to forget so that those who are forgetting will look back at least once.

If other people remember, I might be able to forget.
But I felt like if I didn't remember, no one would.
On the contrary, if I remembered it, it seemed like it would never be forgotten.
It seemed like the memories that started with me could gradually spread out.


On a day that everyone remembers, I may finally be able to forget from time to time.
“There was so much to lose if I didn’t try to remember.”

The squeak was there.
Not down the drain, but right next to us, in the place we have forgotten, the place we have erased.
Right here.


A story that must be repeated 'continuously', not 'still'
In the midst of the fight, no one is left alone, and by remembering, no one's place in existence is erased.

This novel questions the meaning of memory, mourning, and solidarity through the lives and struggles of survivors and bereaved families who survived the disaster.
Therefore, this story is a story and testimony that must be repeated not only now but also in the future.
May no one be lonely in the midst of the fight, may no one have their place erased by remembering, may life and the world flow without stopping, and may we move on.
If we recognize who the subject of memory is, mourn without judging the right to grieve, and do not forget our duty to stand in solidarity, the endings we face will be more hopeful.

*Bookstore MD recommendation

There is no need for grand qualifications to mourn the sorrows of others.
Just by remembering, some people can regain lost time and put their pain aside for a moment.
Memories are easily fragmented and scattered, but connected memories hold together and become clearer.
That's why, together, we can move on to a better "next" time and time again. _Ji-eun Choi (Kyobo Bookstore Youth MD)

In a world where social disasters are perceived as political issues, the position of those who grieve, like the survivors left behind, is completely erased.
Even mourning is given its due, and in the end, no one can speak.
Unfortunately, because we live in such a world, this novel, smooth as a pebble, will leave a heavy impression on our hearts, leaving a deep impression. _Im Iji (MD of Aladdin Youth Division)

Even now, there are forgotten 'whack-whacks' somewhere in our society.
This book teaches them how to constantly find each other and connect with each other so they can once again come out into the world.
The memory of a community endures because there are voices that do not remain silent in the face of repeated disasters and absurdities, but stand up for the lives and dignity of others.
A story for everyone living in this "slow disaster," right here, right now. _Bae Seung-yeon (YES24 Youth PD)

*Youth Recommendation

I was curious about how a truly unique being called "Wacky" could come to visit the protagonist, and I was truly surprised when Wacky's true identity was revealed.
I read it with great immersion.

This book makes me think about how to not lose myself in pain. _Park Seo-yeon (Yangpyeong-gun, 2nd year of middle school)

After reading it, I was lost in thought for a while.
There are more things in this world that young people can do than you might think.
We are stronger than adults think, and that's why we can speak up. _On Chae-won (3rd year middle school student, Yongin City)

This time, when a major social issue arose, I was moved to see my friends participating in protests even in the cold winter to express their opinions to society.
I hope these wonderful friends find comfort in this novel and don't succumb to the negative gaze of adults. _Park Eun-soo (3rd year middle school student, Seoul)

The shocking first encounter between Wacky and Yeonseo and the vivid description of the sewer were so specific and realistic that it made you think another world actually existed. _Lee So-eun (2nd year middle school student, Seoul)

It is a story of children hurt by social problems that is well-blended with realistic yet fantastical elements.
The children of the world that Wack Wack lived in might have closed their hearts because of those wounds and were unable to leave the room with that door closed.
I recommend this to adults who try to cover up or obscure social issues. _Lee Yu-bin (1st year middle school student, Seoul)