Minah watched her two friends get into the car and then turned towards the tteokbokki shops.
I thought I'd be bored if I was left alone, but for some reason I felt at ease.
The three live in the same apartment, but in different buildings.
Ayoung is in building 102, Jiwoo is in building 103, and Minah is in building 101.
Building 101 is separated from the other buildings.
The parking lot is separate, and so is the playground.
The swings in the playground in Building 101 still have signs scrawled with the words "NO USE" on them, even though the ropes have been broken for a million years.

Building 101 is a rental apartment for low-income people.

The mother was angry that the delivery drivers also discriminated against Building 101.
While packages from other buildings are left in front of the door, packages from Building 101 are piled up in front of the empty security office.
But Min-ah's mother didn't have the courage to protest to the delivery man on behalf of the residents of Imdaedong.
Every time her mother pouts, Minah links arms with her mother and says,

Let's get rich quickly and move to a bigger apartment.

Could that really be possible?
Will such luck come to ordinary people like us?
I wonder if such good things only happen to special people, like those who are born with great luck, or are very good at studying, or are very pretty or handsome.

--- p.10~11

“Hey, Jeong A-rin.
It's been over a year since you've been home alone.
Min-gi, who has been competing with you since middle school.
That lawyer Hwang's son! If he keeps doing his current job, he'll definitely get into Seoul National University Law School.
Do you know what that person's worried about these days? He wishes Min-gi could go into the legal profession like him, but his dream is to become a doctor.
He said that he had a psychiatrist he was close with and that he would give him his business card so that he could bring Arin there.
“Do I really have to hear that from the person I hate the most?”
Arin knew Min-gi's current situation better than anyone else.
The Instagram of that kid, who I occasionally spy on, was full of brightly smiling selfies and report cards with the grade column marked '1'.
Just as my dad was about to start nagging again, the bell rang like a miracle.
The name of my father's closest lawyer appeared on my phone screen.

“Yeah, I was eating.
Where? Yeah, if we leave now, we'll be there in thirty minutes."
Dad threw his chopsticks on the table.

“Where are you going again?
“It’s already almost 9 o’clock.”
“I’ll just have a drink and come back.
“I need to relieve stress too!”
As soon as the front door closed, I ran to the sink drawer.
I thought about Mu-Gyeon while swallowing the digestive medicine without water.
In the image of my father spewing out harsh words, I saw myself driving Mu-Gyeon away.
He couldn't say a word in front of his father, but he was quick to snap at that kid.
Because it's easy.

Because he was young, didn't seem to have studied well, and seemed poor.
I was looking down on Mu-Gyeon without even realizing it.

--- p.52~53

A dizzying array of fireworks followed.
Red and green sparks scattered in a large circle.
A silver flame that rises high like a rocket and then explodes in a spiral.
When the smile-shaped fireworks exploded after the flower-shaped and butterfly-shaped fireworks, everyone burst into laughter.
Arin pushed Minah and Mu-Gyeon away.

“You guys go out and see.
“That way you can see better.”
Mu-Gyeon shook off A-Rin's hand.

“What are you talking about? It’s important to watch it together!”
"That's right, it looks great from here too! Ah, is there anything in this world as fair and equal as fireworks?"
“Did you suddenly become a philosopher?”
"You can see it clearly from the first floor like this, and you can see it clearly from the rooftop! This world is so unfair, but fireworks aren't like that.
“Anyone can see the sky.”
“Yeah, middle school.
This time, I think you're right.
admit!"
Arin looked at the sparks flickering in the members' eyes and the pure smiles on their lips.
Just as small fireworks launched into the sky create a magnificent spectacle, will we also one day shine with light?
Like a flame that eventually dies out no matter how it flies, will the worries that torment us ever disappear?
Arin looked at the miraculous sight unfolding in the sky and made a decision.
I will definitely draw a picture of us before the memories of this house fade away.

--- p.101~102

“Members must choose one of three doors.
Even if it's not that choice, life is a series of choices.
No matter what choice we make, time passes, and only time will tell whether that choice was right or not.
Even if you regret making the wrong choice, there's no need to feel regret if you did your best at the time.
Because we have time to make things right.
Because life is about correcting wrong choices and moving forward.
There's still a chance for you and me.
“You came here to ask for something like that, right?”
“What are you talking about? I said I came to visit you.”
The laughter of two people wafted through the cold wind.
But the old man's smile quickly disappeared.
“You love this job as much as I do.
So, first of all, I had to ask my grandmother's permission.
“Can I correct my choice?”
“Did you do your best to think about it?”
It wasn't easy.
The faces of countless members who had passed through the House of Time followed the old man day and night.
Is it right to give special treatment only to Min-ah?
The uncle could have done the same thing for Seonmi, whose mother was ill.
The same was true for Lee Soo, who lost his opportunity due to an unexpected mistake.

but.

Is it right to let Minah's mother die because she couldn't help those children?

“Yes, I thought about it.”
--- p.131~132

There were times when I hated my father for leaving his family behind, but I also wanted to become a police officer like him.
But the moment he entered the facility, Moo-Kyeon gave up all his dreams.
He thought his life ended here.
I believed that the label of juvenile delinquent would follow me for the rest of my life.
For Mu-Gyeon, who was on the edge of a cliff, the House of Time was his last chance.
I wanted to go back to the past, before I started beating up the kids who teased my brother.
Then I wouldn't have to go to the facility, and I would be able to stay by my mom and brother's side.

Even if you hide and shout, no one will hear your voice.

Mr. Taekhwan said.
Even without a house of time, I still have a chance to start over.

Is that really true?
Can I trust what the old man says?

--- p.154~155